milestones

Milestones

L, age 6 ½

Oh my sweet, sweet girl. You are so precious to me.  You are helpful, generous, tenderhearted and kind.  I love how helpful you are to me, offer to do jobs or being so willing to take care of sisters.  I love listening to you read.  I love watching you play with your sisters, trying to include everyone and it make it fair for everyone.  I love your sensitive nature, even with the frequent tears.  I love listening you talk about school.  I’m so glad you’ve made new friends and despite your growing shyness, love going to school.  I love watching you dance, you’re so graceful and gifted.  I love your big beautiful blue eyes, telltale signs of every mood.  Your curls are more relaxed and gentle now, always smoothed into a happy ponytail.  I love you even when you’re grumpy in the mornings, always reluctant to wake up for school.  Your tender nature has a hard time with reproval and you’re always first to respond and correct a behavior.  I sympathize with your terrible sweet tooth and sugar cravings and appreciate your mature palate and willingness to try new foods. 

Favorite color: pink

Favorite movies: Princess Diaries, Tinkerbell, Barbie movies, Magic School Bus

Favorite foods: chocolate, ice cream, fish, tacos, pizza, steak

Favorite activities: dance, reading, helping mom cook, playing on the computer

A, age 5

My crazy silly girl.  I love your endless energy.  You’re always bouncing off the walls and pulling your sisters into your fun and creative games.  Your vivid imagination is a gift, creating all sorts of adventures out of the most simple things, with perfect clarity and detail.  You’re friendly and fearless and can convince anyone, of any age, to join your games.  You are a big flirt and collect countless boyfriends.  You love school, mostly for the friends and art projects, and are eager to imitate your big sister and practice reading.  You’re already begging to go to kindergarten.  You struggle with an “inside voice” and waiting your turn, especially at school when you get so excited about everything.  And your frequent outbursts on gibberish nonsense, which make me crazy, are usually an attempt to join a conversation when you feel left out.  You are exquisitely beautiful, with perfect features and a gorgeous smile that lights up your whole face.  You’re tough, strong and ambitious, wanting to try everything and have such big dreams for the future.  You’ve wanted to be a doctor for at least two years, but more recently are also considering being a Viking or an astronaut.  You have strong opinions and insist on doing everything yourself, including picking out your own clothes, doing art projects or making your own lunch (even if you do pick Ramen three times a week). 

Favorite color: “rainbow”

Favorite movies: Narnia, How to Train Your Dragon, Doc McStuffins, Letter Factory, Bedtime Stories (“raining gumballs”)

Favorite foods:  ramen, tomato soup, ham and cheese sandwiches, cheesy potatoes, chicken noodle soup, spaghetti, tortellini, grapes

Favorite activities: playing with toys, going to the park, board games, the drive in theatre, tumbling class, painting

E, age 3

I can’t believe you’re three! You’re getting so big and I’m not ready for it, I don’t want our baby time to be over yet.  Luckily you still let me cuddle and hold you.  You give the best squish hugs and sweetest kisses.  I love when we walk, with you in my arms and you shout “stop!” and have to kiss me before I can walk again.  You’re happy and sweet and mischievous!  You tend to create the biggest messes, innocently following your imagination but leaving a path of destruction.  You love to explore and have a hard time remembering to wait for me.  You are such a good helper and love when I give you jobs, especially when it’s something we do together.  You’re social and friendly and love to visit the park to play with other kids.  You love going to preschool and have been a great help to the teacher, setting a good example for others.  She has expressed gratitude and is impressed how good you are at cleaning up and your independence.  You are feisty, insisting things be done your way and can have a quick temper when you get frustrated.   And I have to admit, your new favorite word is “damn”, despite my best efforts to get you to stop.  You hate having me do your hair so your curls are often wild and crazy, but fitting for your personality and perfectly impish grin.  I love your smile, your bright eyes and your happy cheeks and dimples.  Your mood is contagious, cheering me up and making me laugh for no reason.  I miss you when you sleep through the night now, without sneaking into our bed anymore and secretly don’t mind when you occasionally do.  I miss naptime since you don’t sleep anymore but appreciate that you stay on the couch for a quiet time movie every day, settling into your favorite spot with a pillow and blanket.

Favorite color: blue (and recently latched onto Cinderella as a favorite princess)

Favorite movie: Peter Pan, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Sofia the First, Jake and the Neverland Pirates

Favorite food: mac and cheese, ramen, candy, olives, berries, cheese, ranch dressing

Favorite activities: playing with stuffed animals, coloring, digging in the dirt, playing dress up

General schedule
I wake L up at 7:30, we have breakfast together and she’s on the bus at 8.

A, E and I finished getting ready and by 9:00, we are off to preschool, the gym and errands.

Home by noon for lunch, chores and a quiet time movie.

L gets home at 3:30.  Once a week, she heads straight to dance and I go back to the gym to teach an evening class.  Other days we play until evening.  Husband usually arrives home just in time for dinner and then evenings are unpredictable and can have any variety of playdates with friends, church activities, family dates or visits from Grandma and Grandpa.

We start getting ready for bed at 7:30: pjs, brush teeth, read books, Happy&Sads (my favorite) and say prayers.  If dad is home, he sits in the big girls’ bedroom while I sit with E for a few minutes as they settle into sleep.

And then we do it all again.