Five.

 

My first baby turned five last weekend.  She's smart, observant, affectionate and silly.  She loves school and can still play outside by herself for hours.  She wanders in our little woods, climbs her rock, catches frogs, and picks leaves.  I love that although she is maturing physically and socially, she still lives in her own world most of the time.  She is a wonderful big sister, going out of her way to find Adara and include her in her games, and often is the one to comfort her when she's sad or hurt.  She's very sensitive - cries easily and will tell us exactly why she's upset (ie. "when you said that, it made me feel like I wasn't important"), and still has a habit of falling over and running into things.  She's definitely an introvert, but plays well with other kids at school and attaches easily both to children and adults that she's comfortable with.  Her teachers regularly tell me how well behaved she is, which is encouraging given her recent tendency to test the limits at home.  Alasdair picked out her birthday gift this year - a set of the Little House on the Prairie books - and she's been loving reading them together.  The day of her birthday our house was full of college friends here for our 10 year reunion and their kids, so we put a candle in her pancakes at breakfast.  Sweet girl also wanted us to give a candle to the other kids so that no one would feel left out.

I asked her the same series of "favorites" questions as the last couple of years, and the most striking difference was the increase in her awareness of what I was doing.  When she was three and four, I'd ask her a question or two here and there before she lost interest.  This year, she was sitting next to me at the table, and watching closely while I typed what she wrote.  "Are you those all my favorite things you're typing up?  Why?"  She really considered each question, and was very interested to read what she'd said in past years.

Who is your best friend?  Kaelynn (a girl in her preschool class)

What is your favorite color?  Purple and pink

What is your favorite book? Go Dog Go

What is your favorite animal? Papa Bear

What about a real animal? Giraffe 

(I had no idea she liked giraffes, but she gave the same answer last year, and on a paper she filled out for school lately.)

What is your favorite food? Ice cream sandwiches.  Maybe a healthy food too... oatmeal

What is your favorite game?  Candy land at school

What is your favorite song?  That fishy song 

(and then sings... 1 2 3 4 5 once I caught a fish alive, 6 7 8 9 10 then I let it go again...)

What is your favorite thing to drink? Pineapple juice

What is your favorite thing to do outside?  Swing!

What animal do you sleep with?  Papa bear

What is your favorite thing to do with Daddy: Play chess

(He's been teaching her the basics over the last year or so.)

What is your favorite thing to do with Mommy: Snuggle

Anything else you want to tell me about your favorite things?  My birthday!  And playing and romping and wrestling.  (Who do you wrestle with?  Alex)

What is something you're good at?  Pumping!  

(She's very proud of having just learned to pump on the swings.)