My sweet girl you are 4 years old!!! I really can hardly believe it! There are so many things that I want to share with you in the future and I look forward to them all the time but, on this special day, I want to take a moment to look back at the special times we've had this past year.
3 was a big year of changes and growth for you. Although, you barely gained 3lbs, you gained some inches. The size 2T pants you've been comfortably wearing for the past 2 years are actually now too short! I feel like that happened overnight. In December they were fine, after new years, I was seeing your ankles! I've let you wear some of my favorite pairs a little too long ;o) Your hair is getting pretty long again too. You've been asking me for short hair since November but, I know your Daddy doesn't want that and I'm nervous about it too. It's really silly, since even if it's not what you want in the end, it'll grow back of course. My worry, is that you're so particular that if it's not what you are imagining and you are upset, it'll be a long time before you're happy with your hair again because it grows very slow. The other big area of growth for you has been your vocabulary. I adore listening to you talk! You say some of the cutest things! My favorites are when you are saying a statement very matter of fact and have these amazing expressions to go with it. Usually, it's when you are repeating a rule to me to assure me you know it and plan to follow it. You've also grown in your physical abilities. In the last year you've really learned how to be amazingly independent. From age 2-3 you wanted to do everything by yourself but still needed help usually. Then from 3-4 you had the ability and generally wanted to do it by yourself but, sometimes, this does bother you because, you'd rather not be alone. For instance, you can do all your jobs in the potty by yourself but, you really don't want to be in a different room from others so, you'll say "I have to go potty, do you want to watch me?" I don't think it's because you're scared although sometimes you'll tell me that's why. I think mostly you just don't want to be alone and I've got to tell ya girl, you come by that honestly! Your Mama rarely likes to be alone. Although, that's changed in recent years with having small children ;o) Anyway, you can dress yourself, brush your hair and teeth (usually we will take a turn with brushing your teeth because you aren't entirely thorough yet) and will often go into the pantry to pick out your own snack. It's a good thing you can't open the packages by yourself because you'd try to live entirely on "fruit gummies" if you could.
On the subject of food, you are still very picky. We are wondering if you are a "super taster" like your Dad. There seem to be many things you either smell and just barely touch your tongue to it and decide it's not a flavor you enjoy. Sometimes, you're just being ridiculous but many times, you genuinely give it a try and I can tell the taste is very offensive to you. I'm proud of how you are trying to stay open minded and will try things you don't think you'll like but are willing to try it again anyway. Actually, I doubt this is so much about being open minded and more about knowing if you'll at least give it a good try, you have a better chance at getting a dessert! You have a sweet tooth like your Mom for sure! Almost all you want is chocolate when it comes to sweets. Your favorite drink is chocolate milk, if you could have a chocolate donut with sprinkles everyday, you'd think you were the luckiest girl on the planet. When given the choice you always choose chocolate. Sweets or "treats" is a huge motivator for you. Often times, you'll just ask straight out, "How many bites of this do I need to take so I can have a treat?" I worry about you getting bad associations with food but, I'm afraid the damage is done and in your case, the apple really doesn't fall far from the chocolate covered tree! Right now your favorite healthy meal is grilled chicken and rice (there really isn't a healthy vegetable you like). Your favorite "bad for you meal" is chicken nuggets.
When it comes to play, you really enjoy dancing, singing and gymnastic type things like climbing up on everything and doing "flips" (which are really back rollovers) over the arms of the couch. The more nonactive things you enjoy are coloring, writing your letters, counting and playing "princess dominos". If it has a princess on it, you want it! This has been the case for just over a year now and it doesn't look like you'll be changing your mind for a while.
One of the interesting things about you is how particular you are with everything! Even things you try to pretend aren't particular to you (you'll say "I don't care Mom" if I ask you what you want to wear etc...) I can tell you really are hoping I'll choose whatever you're not verbally telling me. Although you haven't been formally diagnosed, there's no doubt in our minds that you have OCD. Our hope is that it never gets more severe than it already is and that maybe even we can help you deal with your compulsions and even better, maybe you'll grow out of the ones that seem to literally stop you dead in your tracks until you can complete whatever steps you have set in your mind that need completion before moving on. You are proving to be quite head strong. There are times when you can be very sassy and your Dad handles those situations much better than I do. Most of the time the sassiness comes out in full force if you are feeling forced to do something you don't want to. Usually it's what you have to hurry to get dressed for school or hurry to the potty. Often times you'll tell me "I don't want to go potty and I'm never going to go again!" Your sassy moments are certainly more than they were a year ago but, I know deep down inside that my sweet girl is still there. At least once a day she emerges even for just a few moments.
We are taking you to Chuck E Cheese's for the first time for a small celebration and then the big family and friends party will be on Saturday. You've requested cupcakes again as you did last year. When you realized, you'd be having 2 separate celebrations you added that you wanted a regular cake for one of them ;o) As far as a gift....when I asked you what you wanted just today, you said you wanted a "yellow pig". After further discussion, I realized you wanted a real pig and not a stuffed animal!! I hope you won't be too disappointed when you don't get one.
I can't wait to see what exciting adventures the next year brings us! It'll be your last year at home (well aside from when you are at half day preschool). This year you've been going to a 2 days a week program. The plan is that you'll go 3 days a week starting in the fall. Just one more step to help you adjust when you start kindergarten!!! I know that's going to come way too fast for me!
I Love you the most,
Mommy <3 xoxo
