Half-ish!

A few days ago my girls had their "half" birthdays and because I blog about their .5 every year, I feel compelled to do it again even if a few days late.  I've said this before and I'll say it again, the purpose of this blog is for them to have a written collection of their memories as told by their mom so here it goes...

8.5

Gaby's half birthday was on the 16th and she actually reminded me of it.  She has this weird fascination with birthdays, especially hers, so I am almost certain that on the 16th of every month she has a little party in her head.. ha ha!

Gaby has quite the personality...not an easy one but definitely charming. She is very set in her ways and doesn't like people opining about her choices. She is skeptical about strangers but oh so loving and giving when it comes to people she knows well. 

She doesn't enjoy chores and will do anything to get away from even picking up her dirty clothes, which is a daily struggle and I'm ready for it to be worse when she's a teenager. 

She loves reading and can eat up a book in less than a day; she does well in school but isn't an overachiever like her sister. I know she's very smart but sometimes she needs that little extra push when it comes to caring for her grades although she gets very disappointed when she doesn't get straight A's.

She likes to wear animal ear headbands, loves to play games on her iPad, adores her baby brother, loves eating pasta and steak and is the most ingenious 8 year old I know. 

Her favorite animal is the cat, her favorite color is purple and her favorite mom is ME! ha!

I really love being around Gaby and I am soaking up her sweetness and cuddles as much as I can for as long as I can. I am so lucky to be her mother! Happy 8.5, Gaby! ;)

10.5

Olivia turned 10.5 on the 17th and even though she's not as fixated on her birthday as Gaby is, I'm sure she'll enjoy reading her .5 post down the road, so here it goes...

Olivia is quite the little lady and although I know raging hormones are inevitable at her age, she really does her best to keep her composure and finesse at all times. Unlike her sister Gaby, Olivia tends to be friendly from the get-go even with strangers; she's quite the social butterfly and such a talker. She enjoys drawing, taking pictures and traveling; she has asked that I please take her to Australia for her 15th birthday and has started to create an itinerary for her dream trip. 

As friendly as Olivia is, her biggest downfall is that she can't take a joke; because she's so incredibly sensitive she loses her cool when someone teases her and that tends to bring her a lot of trouble in some social situations...

She's really smart and gets the best grades in school because she's an overachiever when it comes to studying and I really love that about her...

Olivia loves to fix her hair, she loves music and dancing, is fascinated with her baby brother, loves eating sushi and seafood and is the sweetest 10 year old I know. 

Her favorite animal is the unicorn (she knows they're not real!), her favorite color is teal and her favorite family is her own. 

I really love Olivia's personality and her tenderness. I am enjoying having a 10 year old friend and I am cherishing every minute we spend together. Happy 10.5, Olivia! ;)