A new year!

Here we are in another new year. SK will be turning eight in just 17 days! Every year I almost (or do) cry before her birthday. Eight, though... it's like the beginning of a journey as a young lady. I can see it in her face. She made breakfast twice in the last week. She helps mother the other children. I have a chance to make it or break it right now. It's my last chance to keep her heart. I feel like I'm teetering on the edge. If I don't give her the training and responsibility she needs I'll miss the opportunity. She wants to learn and grow and be fed. I can't fool around here! We've found the hardest thing is finding a balance in what we expect from her.