Kaeley is Ten Years Old!

State your name and address for the record, please.

She looks at me questioning my motives and begins to giggle. Two teeth on the upper right of her mouth are missing and the gap shows when she smiles big.

Kaeley Saavedra.

Lincoln Avenue... I don't know our zip code. It's here that the giggling gets louder. She knows my motives and she's not letting this project go down with a good silly fight. I guess it could be 00000 and... I forgot the rest. I know how to walk here through from Taco Bell! Just give me a handful of quarters, so I can call you to pick me up, because I know our phone number.

I wonder how quarters will help her when there are hardly any pay phones around, so I ask her what she's going to do with these quarters.

They go in the slot machines! 

I can't help but start laughing. My laughter feeds her giddiness and she says, "Unless you're not looking. Then I can use them for gumballs!"

What's your favorite toy? Ever After High dolls. And Legos! Legos are great too. Don't write that I said that.

What's your favorite school subject? History! I like the important people in history and you can learn what they did. 

Who is your most favorite important person? Her excitement and silliness pushes her up off the concrete steps we're sitting on and she begins to pace the walkway running her favorite historical heroes through her mind. And finally she answers:

Corrie ten Boom and L. Frank Baum!

I was surprised about Baum. We learned about him several months ago. Corrie ten Boom was finished up yesterday.

Why is L. Frank Baum one of your favorite people?

I really liked his books. I read the whole series. And they were unabridged. You know there's like fourteen Oz books? Yes. I read all of them. No, fourTEEN. Oh. Well, I still like them.

If you had the entire day to do what ever you wanted to and you had all the money you wanted, what you would do?

With wide eyes and a quick gasp she answers, I would buy all the Ever After High Dolls - present and future! And all the Lego miniatures I could get! And then I would save the rest of the money for college.

What might you learn in college? I'm not sure yet. I kind of want to learn to be a missionary, like Miss Kendra in her Bible class. Miss Kendra is our favorite babysitter. However, she's in college to become a nurse. She does have a Bible class. But I also want to learn to be a farmer too. Not really sure yet.

What's your favorite thing about yourself? I don't know. That I have Simon as a sibling? Just kidding. Oh I know... and this took quite a lot of thought... I like that I can make delicious eggs!

What's your least favorite thing about yourself? School! She threw her arms up into the air, but then she drops her hands in her lap and her shoulders slump as she says... But that's not a thing about myself. My handwriting?

What's your favorite food? Well, I haven't had ribs in a long time, so... haystacks! And you should post the recipe on the side! Do that, Mommy! Post the recipe.

What is the least favorite thing about your parents? Yes, I was nervous. I bit my lip as she hemmed and hawed, but before too long she answered...That mom makes me do school. Oh, whew! I can handle that. And that Daddy won't get the balloons off the ceiling. Kaeley had a balloon bouquet for her birthday and a couple of the balloons are now on the ceiling. Brad and I are either lazy parents or we decorate creatively, because the balloons are still up there. At this point Kaeley can't stop laughing at her "joke" about the balloons.

What do you like most about your parents? This didn't take much thought either. That Daddy cooked for my party! He scrambled eggs and sausage for the girls' breakfast. And Mommy organized a party even though she doesn't like to organize parties. This is very true. Organizing parties makes my heart flutter... in the bad way.

What's your favorite book? Favorite book? I don't really have a favorite book. What about series? I like the Wimpy Kid series Of which, by the way, she's read part of one book. And Harry Potter and Wizard of Oz.

What do you want to tell the world about yourself? She again throws her arms out to the side and she looks up the sky. That I love Daddy's eggs! And that I am NOT joking about that!

If you were a tree what kind of tree would you be? She answered so quickly it's as though she's put some thought into this before. A lotus blossom tree in China, so then I could see the world. But NOT a maple syrup tree or whatever they're called... She begins to giggle incessantly. Because they have to tap into your body to get the "blood" of the tree out and that feels just like a shot. She then laughs hysterically. Obviously she thinks she's hilarious. She is SO her father's daughter.

If you could be a bird what kind of bird would you be? Peacock! Wait. Only the males are pretty! Never mind. Here she completely goes off her rocker and laughs about how she would be whatever bird makes the most annoying tweets and how she could then annoy people with her annoying tweets. Good thing she's too young for Twitter, right? Here you could probably say she is her mother's daughter indeed.

Trying to redeem the interview a bit I ask her... What did you learn about God this year? Whew! She calms down instantly. That He is faithful. He always answers what you pray for, even the desires most needed. Like once, a while ago, I prayed about school, because I hated doing school. It was a while ago, but I didn't really liked math. I always did a really bad job with it and it always took me a really long time to do it. But I asked God to help me and He helped me, because now I'm better at it and it's not such a chore.

And with that I say, "Happy birthday, my old soul."