A decade of Kaitlyn! I’m feeling a little emotional about both my kids being members of the double digit club, but mostly I’m just really enjoying being with them in this stage. The gift of having big kids (sigh, ok, tweens) is the gift of perspective in how fast it goes and patience is a byproduct.

Kaitlyn at 10 Years Old

To celebrate Kaitlyn turning 10, we planned a trip to Universal Studios to fully immerse ourselves in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Ever since reading all the books aloud together, they’ve been a constant presence in our lives. We started listening to the books several months back, serving as the perfect lead up to our trip. About a month before her birthday we surprised her with a Marauder’s Map card telling her the plan. She lost her mind, tears and all; it was so special.

I’ll recap our time at the park in a different post, but I can say confidently that we wrung it out. We had two full days in the parks: her birthday eve, and her birthday. We left no Harry Potter corner unexplored and all had a really fun time.

But now, let me give a little insight and snapshot into Kaitlyn at 10 years old!

What Kaitlyn Enjoys

I’ll start with some of the basics, like what she enjoys. She recently earned her black belt in Taekwondo, which is a huge accomplishment! It required roughly 5 years, a weapons course, countless extra testings and trainings. She decided over a year ago that it was her goal and watching her achieve it was wonderful.

Musical theater is another activity she’s really taken to. She’s been in two productions, playing a stepsister in Cinderella and Bloat the Blowfish in Finding Nemo Jr. I definitely think this is something she’ll continue, as it serves her dramatic side well!

She plays soccer and basketball and while she is feisty as all get out and plays really well, she doesn’t seem as passionate about it as Taekwondo and theater. She’s mentioned wanting to try gymnastics or cheerleading lately, so we’ll see if that’s something we’ll explore.

Her favorite meal is mom’s spaghetti sauce, cheeseburgers, or marinated chicken and noodles. She also likes buttered cinnamon raisin bagels, dried mango, carrots, and CANDY.

She is the fashionista of the family and loves trying on clothes and piecing together outfits and accessories. She’s currently trying to grow her hair long, down to her bottom she says. We shall see. She joins me often in the kitchen and likes to cook, almost as much as she likes making slime and squishy balls. She got this kit for her birthday and says it’s the best.

More About Kaitlyn at 10

She loves science and currently wants to grow up to either be a chemist or an entrepreneur. A switch from last year when she wanted to own and run a farm. She’s always openly said she doesn’t like reading but over the past few months has started bringing a book with her places and can be found reading on her own! Much credit to this book set, which she loves.

She is very capable, but likes to be catered to. She’s witty and quick and a little bit sneaky. She pushes the envelope and though it’s exhausting at times, I love that about her and it often works out in her favor.

Physical touch is a big part of her love language and she loves to snuggle and hug and cuddle. She loves her whole family of course, but is still a mama’s girl at heart. We have fun dancing around together to silly songs and seem to understand each other’s big emotional swings.

Her bedtime is 8:30 but as we creep towards summer, it sometimes gets pushed back closer to 9:00. She still loves crawling into bed and listening to her Yoto. Her favorite cards recently are the Ramona Books, Ella Enchanted, and Treasure Island.

I can’t summarize her entire energy and spirit in just a few paragraphs. She is a force to be reckoned with and being her mom is an absolute joy. She keeps us on our toes and keeps us laughing, and cleaning up messes. We love her so much and I am honored to be the one to have a front row seat to watching her grow.

• Kaitlyn’s 1st birthday
• Kaitlyn’s 2nd birthday
• Kaitlyn’s 3rd birthday
• Kaitlyn at 4 years old
• Kaitlyn at 5 years old
• Kaitlyn at 6 years old
• Kaitlyn at 7 years old
• Kaitlyn at 8 years old
• Kaitlyn at 9 years old