Virtute.org

Ila is kind.  She likes to make other people happy.  She gets along well with all her siblings.  She nurtures her connections to the adults in her life.  She loves to see and hug her old teachers at school and at church. She cuddles up to her grandmother during stories and gives her mother plenty of hugs.

Ila is in 2nd grade and she still likes school and her teacher. Her biggest disappointment this year is not having her very best friend, Cecily in her class.  Ila sits at the boys’ table during lunch so that she can turn around and talk to Cecily.  They both sneak little stuffed animals to school to play with at recess together and look forward to their nearly weekly playdates.  They play together seamlessly, never fighting or needing me to give them ideas for what to do.

Ila learned how to ride a bike with no training wheels this year.  She was super excited about her new skill and spent every waking moment riding around for a few weeks after she learned to ride.

Ila loves to read.  She is currently my most enthusiastic reader.  She is always smuggling new books into her bed to read at night.  She reads her home reading books as soon as she gets home, or on the bus ride home.  I never have to ask her twice to read a book.

Ila is still my pickiest eater.  She will only eat two kinds of potato chips (Lays Wavy and Pringles Original).  She eats chicken in nugget form only and has never eaten a sandwich of any kind.  We have continued to make her take one bite of every dinner, which she hates.  This year she added spaghetti to her list of foods that she will usually eat happily.  She is also working up to accepting Salmon.  Sometimes she’ll eat a full serving of it when we have it for dinner, but other times she only takes her required bite.

Ila is still learning to play the piano, her enthusiasm for practicing has waned, unfortunately, but her skills are still improving.

Ila is getting a little tougher, but is still my most sensitive child.  She can’t stand the idea that anyone is mad at her.  A cross look or a harsh word will put her in tears.

Ila loves all animals, especially bunnies.  

Ila is almost always the first one up every morning.  On school days, she wakes up a full hour before she needs to be up.  

Ila loves bubble baths, especially at Grandma Bunny’s house.  She can spend hours in the bath.

Ila loves stuffed animals.  She is almost always carrying around a stuffed friend.  The thing she most wanted for Christmas was a stuffed puppy from IKEA and she was overjoyed when she received it.

Ila loves babies. If someone with a baby comes to visit, Ila will spend the whole time holding the baby or trying to keep the baby entertained and happy.

Ila still has a strong connection to the past and loves to hear stories about her childhood and my childhood and about her Great-Grandma (Ila O’Bryant).  

Here is what I wrote about Ila last year