Jelly Beans gave me these sweet things today.
Grape juice burps,
Graham cracker breath,
After nap snuggles,
Memorizing Curious George is Curious,
Learning to say butter, maybe, 'cuse me, and how about.
Sweet smiles and silly games all wrapped up in her cute little self.
She also loves to say no, and have her way. The spirit and determination in this one is fierce hidden beneath her sweet, angelic exterior. That is what I love about her though. So strong for so little.
Monkey dressed herself without being asked today. Finally at 4 1/2 years later, she wants to dress herself. Can you hear the chorus of heavenly angels? This will also be the end of cute matching outfits for those of an eclectic bunch of attire. She loves to mix it up, "keep it exciting" in her words. She is proud of herself. (By the way, this photo was no coaxing...all Monkey!)
I love the look on her face when she remembers a phonics sound and how she easily uses her numbers now. With scribbling aspirations it will soon be on to writing. She did her own name yesterday all by herself. Now I am so proud.
She loves her sisters, even if one is the baby and wants to take every thing she has, or the older bossy one who frequently talks her out of what she has. But loves to be rough and tumble with her brother and get all dirty. Feisty this one is, but she still shares and loves to be kind. Things I hope always stay with her.
Darling Boy, what a conundrum for me. I love this boy more than life itself, yet I still have no idea what to with him. His boyish nature usually gets the better of him and he loves to tease his sisters and be roudy with them.
But then on the other hand, he can be such a gentleboy, holding doors and lifting things for his sisters and I because he wants to. He loves to sit and read his baby sister a good book every night and sing to her before she goes to sleep. He brings me fresh picked flower from the park and treasures he finds along the way.
He is doing such a good job challanging himself in school. Math and History are some of his favorites and how could I forget science! As he practices his writing it is becoming more refined. He makes perfect letters, in hopes that he too can learn cursive like Girly. Such a competitor this one.
Girly is growing up to fast for me. I don't see the little girl with pigtails much any more. She is growing so tall, slender, and pretty, inside and out. Everyone is worth being friends with, and she takes the time to include anyone who would like too. I love that she is generous and thoughtful. She works incredibly hard at the things she loves. Sewing and drawing take up alot of her spare time now. And one can never forget that she loves horses beyond reason! She can't wait to be big enough to help me "for real" in the kitchen using a knife, oven and stove. And I always find this girl with a book in front of her nose when she isn't doing the other bazillions of interests she has.
I realized that she and I will some day be friends like my sister and I are now. It made me appreciate her more for the girl she is in the present. What she learns now and discovers about herself are forming that future adult I will be friends with. Part of me can't wait to see how she takes the world by storm, but at the same time, boy do I want to hold on to this with both hands like my life depends on it.
Wait...it does. It is true, I will never feel like I got enough time savoring each child at each stage, because I wish for each stage to stay just a bit longer.
