What does a teacher, a Ghostbuster, and a roly poly have in common? Nothing, except they’re all things Olivia pretended to be this year!
One of the coolest parts of 2023 was watching Olivia’s personality and interests blossom. It seemed like every week we learned a new song that she picked up at preschool, played out a new scenario she discovered (like firefighters rescuing cats from trees), or found a new park to explore.
With every new experience, we saw what gave her that spark (planets, tutus, guitars, cats, tea parties) and what didn’t (soccer, building blocks, lemons, gardening). No matter how long the latest phase lasted (like the 7-month bandaid era), seeing Olivia grow and pick different passions has been the sweetest part of this journey. When we ask her, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” the answer often changes. Here’s a few of her favorites:
Hobbit
Apr 30 • Irwindale, CA
Dragons, fairies, magic wands, and unicorns made their way into this little hobbit’s imagination after our grand adventures at Renn Faire. (And Scotch eggs found their way into our bellies!)
Construction Worker
May 7 • Long Beach, CA
After getting behind the wheel of nearly every type of vehicle at this year’s Touch-a-Truck, the job that revved her engine was fixing things like Rubble (aka yellow dog) from Paw Patrol.
Doctor or Vet
Oct 1 • Irvine, CA
At Pretend City, a miniature world where kids can be anything, Dr. Olivia spent most of her time reviewing x-rays, kissing boo-boos, and extracting wild elephants from her patients’ tummies.
Basketball Player
Oct 15 • Gardena, CA
Olivia found a love for basketball after watching a handful of her cousins’ games this season. She immediately asked for a ball of her own and named it “Duke the Dunker.”
What do you think Olivia will be when she grows up?
