I was threatened...but I ain't scared...

Miss KIA turned 17 yesterday. Unlike Veggie Stick she is a lot more concerned about what I'm doing and watched me like a hawk when I was on or even off the computer yesterday.
So...I couldn't post a birthday post for her because she would have caught me.

BUT THIS MORNING SHE IS STILL SLEEPING....BWAHAHAHAHA!!!

Miss KIA came into this world a very serious child. No matter what she was doing, it always seemed like she was keeping her eye on you...you know...watching every move you made.



Even with Freya feeding her she still had to keep her eye on what was happening around her.

Miss KIA was a happy child for the most part but always seemed to keep her distance. She would lose herself in books and drawing or making things.
She always seemed the happiest when she was the center of attention. Of course occasionally she was willing to share it with Veggie Stick, but only occasionally...



She didn't talk until she was almost two and a half. The doctors on Loring Air Force Base worried that she was autistic or had a hearing problem.They tested her for everything and found nothing wrong. She just didn't want to talk I guess. She would sit and read books to herself while making a "Da Da Da" sound, stopping only long enough to turn the page. If she hadn't been two years old, you'd have sworn she was reading the book to herself.
As it turns out, she WAS actually reading the book to herself. She could read by the time she was four.

While Mr.Man and I worried she'd never talk, one morning she woke up and walked in the kitchen and asked me, "May I have a drink of water?". It freaked me out....going from "Da da da" to a complete sentence. Once she decided to break the sound barrier between us, things became easier and she seemed to be less serious again. No more worries about her potential autism.



She was a very creative child and extremely curious. She read books on codes and languages and would make things out of household items she'd just pick up around the house. One day she found a book on Origami and everything changed for her. It became one of her great loves. In fact, she makes jewelry using origami now. It's amazingly beautiful and I've encouraged her to sell it.

While she was busy keeping herself occupied, Mr.Man and I worried that she wasn't cultivating friendships and getting out among other kids enough. While she would let loose with us around occasionally, it seemed as though she wasn't making friends very easily.
She was so serious.
Even while playing dress-up...she was serious.



There was always such a seriousness to her it was frightening to us. We didn't understand it.
So we cultivated another of her great loves and got her involved in music.



She had a BEAUTIFUL voice, even at an early age and could pick up music like it was nothing. We got her involved in several programs in school and she blossomed. The same year she was tested in school for the gifted program, she was enrolled in the Magnet program for music.

She LOVED it. It brought her out of her shell a little bit. Plus the gifted classes helped expand new horizons for her and we noticed her being more of a kid and less of a recluse. Plus the knowledge that she was exceptionally gifted helped us to understand her better. The school psychologist gave us a book to read about the personality traits of gifted children. We then learned that when she was looking at us like we were idiots, it was because she honestly felt that we were idiots. We applied some of out new found knowledge in our discipline and things went much more smoothly. "Because I said so", is not a sufficient answer for a gifted child and taking a few extra minutes to explain why really does help.

The silliness showed a little more often...



And her self confidence grew...



Still, she remained independent. It was her way or no way most of the time and we picked our battles with her. Even at Halloween, she had to make her own costume.



I'm not saying it was bad, because it wasn't...not at all...it was just the fact that she didn't seem to need me as much as the rest of my kids. Sometimes it made me feel like I wasn't being a good mother to Miss KIA.

In time I realized that wasn't the case and we learned to respect her aloofness. She grew in her confidence and personality and she seemed to almost let her guard down. I don't know how to describe it.

Yeah...she still had her alone moments where she would zone out and ignore the rest of the world...



But she also got more involved in things and became community oriented. She volunteers for a lot of good causes and belongs to the Junior Auxiliary for the American Legion. She is involved in 4-H and Girl Scouts. Veggie Stick doesn't seem as interested in community service but Miss KIA is.



Notice who's smiling and who's not...LOL

Honestly, I can't help but be proud of Miss KIA. While she and I may butt heads more often than Freya and I or Veggie Stick and I, she and I have our own unique relationship. Whether she likes it or not, we are more alike than she'd care to admit. We both love a lot of the same things and have music, crafting, reading, community service and curiosity in common.

She wants people to think she's serious all of the time...but I know the truth.

Miss KIA can be just as goofy as me sometimes...LOL



I love you and I'm awfully proud of the woman you're becoming. What parent wouldn't be proud of an intelligent, beautiful, unique individual like Miss KIA?



You could be looking at a picture of your future surgeon. That is what she's planning as a career choice so who knows? Some day you may meet your surgeon and recognize her as Miss KIA.

THAT'S MY BABY!!!!

See ya tomorrow...