The day a Diva was born

Six years ago today, June 20, 2005 a beautiful little girl named Grace Nicole Johnston was born!  In honour of her 6th birhday, I will make a list of six words that sum up this little girl...

1. Princess

2. Pink

3. Sweet

4. Stubborn

5. Shy

6. Bossy

Grace is the third in four children, stuck between her two brothers and 12 years behind her only sister.  She was born just an hour shy of Father's Day and was without question her mother's easiest and most delightful delivery.  She was also the smallest of the Johnston children, a lightweight compared to her brothers and a few ounces less than her sister, weighing in at 7 lbs. 5 oz. She was born with a head full of black hair (and  I am not talking about a little hair like so many mothers think is a lot - I am talking about A LOT of hair!!).  She was the talk of the hospital that day and one of the nurses even "borrowed" her to show her off to a group of school kids who were there for a hospital tour....that is how much hair she had! 

Grace was a great baby in so many ways, such as sleeping 12 hours through the night by 2 months old, and not so great in some ways, such as needing me to hold her at all times during the day; I bought every snuggly that Wal-Mart sold just so I could find one that she liked and so that I could maybe get some stuff done through the day - with her attached to me!  She is a natural mother - always playing with dolls, and real babies if she could get her hands on one; when her baby brother, Will, was born she claimed him as her own and would make sure everyone new he was her baby!  She has not changed one bit in 6 years!  She will give Will baths, dress him, tuck him in, get him ready to go places, etc.  I know that alongside the dreams of being a hairdresser and a teacher, she will also become one of our worlds greatest mothers. 

Grace can come across as being very snobby...which may be the case sometimes, but most of the time it is simply the fact that she is painfully shy!  Once she warms up to someone (usually because that person has taken the time to get to know her and spent some real quality time with her), she will be your best friend!  She is an amazing little girl with a big heart, a big smile and big eyes that shine so bright!

There are always two sides to a story, and I believe there is usually two sides to a person too...Grace is no different.  Here is her other side...

Grace can be one of the most stubborn people I know - far more stubborn than even me!!  If Grace doesn't want to do something, she will not do it.  If Grace does not want to say something, she will not say it.  If Grace does not want to eat something, she will not eat it.  If Grace does not want to wear something, she will not wear it!  She is S-T-U-B-B-O-R-N!! 

Just recently I had the chance to witness her stubborn side at her dance recital when she refused to go on stage!  I spent an hour in Payless Shoes not long ago as she tried on every single pair of shoes on in her size, just to tell me that none of them would work for her!  The one that takes the cake though has to be this story: One morning as she was walking out to the bus stop (about 400 feet from our house), she asked me what was for hot lunch at school.  When I told her what it was, she dropped her backpack and refused to go to school!  I had to drag her, kicking and screaming, to the bus (no joke) while she screamed that she was not going.  I had to pick her up off the ground as she dropped to it severel times while all the kids on the bus gawked at us.  I had to pick her up and carry her up the steps of the bus and put her in a seat, all the while she was screaming that she was not going to school - all because of the hot lunch menu!!

Grace not only has a stubborn streak, but she can be awfully bossy too!  She loves to be in charge of the situation, and is very good at telling people just what to do!  Grace is a leader, not a follower...no question about that!

I know that I have poked some fun at Grace and her not so lovely traits, but let me tell you about the sweet, soft side of Grace...

Grace is a very sweet little girl who loves the colour pink and her "Bernie Blanket" more than anything in this world!  She loves to help around the house (more than any other child of mine), always willing to unload the dishwasher, fold or put away laundry and make beds.  Her teacher says that she is one of the quietest kids in the class, only talking if she really needs something.  Grace will be in grade 1 in September and she often asks me this: "can we just talk about grade one for a while?"; she is so very excited to be in grade one, excited to learn to read and have her own desk! 

Grace just celebrated her birthday this past weekend with some of her friends from school with a "Barbie/Mermaid/Hannah Montana" party and she couldn't wait until her "real life birthday" was finally here! 

I can't wait to see what her 6th year brings her...I am sure we will see her grow, laugh, love and even through a tantrum or two! 

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

SJ

P.S. Be sure to scroll down to see some picutres of my beautiful little girl!





Grace, Natalie & Me the day she came home from the hospital

 



Grace & Aunty Amy at the Vermilion Fair 2005
She was about a month old!







Grace & Aunty Meghan...one of my favourite pictures!



Oh that hair was wild!



Pretty in Pink - 2 years old




Grace on Aunty Sandra & Uncle Tiberio's boat - B.C. summer 2010



Miss Grace - 6 years old!