In the last month we have:
- moved
- flown on an airplane
- spent the night in 4 different places
- packed and unpacked 2 houses
- changed schools and jobs
and much more. To say it's been a challenge would be an understatement but the girls, especially Emily (since Audrey is largely unaware of what's going on) have done wonderfully. Here's what Emily is like right now:
-she is very, very imaginative. Nothing is as it seems- there are crocodiles in the kitchen, sticks are magic wands, Audrey is a little boy, Emily is Princess Frostine, etc etc etc. Sometimes this is fun, sometimes this is infuriating, especially when we want her to listen to us and *not* be pretending (like in the middle of a parking lot when it's raining and we want to rush inside but instead we have to tiptoe or else we'll wake up the pirates on the ship nearby).
- She is constantly in the refrigerator. Literally IN it. She opens the door, stands inside, and paws through EVERYTHING. Somehow our fridge lock got lost in the move. We desperately need a new one!
- She has progressed with her drawing skills- now people have large heads, dots or small circles for eyes and nose, a line mouth, and very, very, very long legs. Most "people" have no arms. It looks a lot like this (click here)... not surprisingly, she is drawing what a "typical 4.5 year old" draws. This girl is SMART.
- She has also continued to do better with her math skills. She can see a set of objects and know how many are there without counting up to about 5. She is also starting to understand the concept of "total" or "in all"...as in, she asks how many toes she has, we encourage her to count them...she says she has 5 on one foot and 5 on the other foot. Then we ask, "How many do you have in all/ total?" and she can add the two together, or count on, to find the answer. It is ABSOLUTELY CRAZY for me to think that I worked on these exact skills with my first graders who were twice her age.
- She has gotten a little sassy lately. OK, that's a lie. A LOT sassy. Everyone says that it gets better at age 4...so I'm sort of hoping the next 120 days can pass quickly enough! She has a response for everything- like if she asks for candy (she is an ADDICT, I swear!!!!) and I respond that she can have some later, or (even better), if I flat out say NO, she just says, "Yes I can" and then will do her best to help herself. DRIVES. ME. CRAZY. I don't know how to break her of it...Paul and I are trying. It's not even just candy- it's everything...playing outside, cleaning up (or NOT cleaning up), sharing, getting dressed.... Any tips?
- She loves to talk on the phone. She wants to call everyone in our family and will actually have conversations with them now- so cute! Thank goodness for free long distance because that girl has a LOT to say!
- She absolutely LOVES her new school, and for that I am so thankful! Her new teacher, Mrs Theresa, is an angel. She loves Emily and is constantly telling us how well behaved Em is (I am so thankful Emily saves her not-so-pleasant behavior for US...I much prefer it this way!!) and is amazed at how much Emily already knows. I love her new school too- no, they don't have all the fancy Lakeshore furniture and a lot of the toys are obviously donated by families who go there...but all of the kids are well cared for, there is video surveillance in the rooms (very important to me after our horrible experience in NC), and the teachers treat the children like they are absolute treasures. I. Love. This. Center. I am so excited that Emily got a spot there! She has also met some sweet kiddos and has already made friends- I need to get in touch with some moms and see about playdates so she can have friends over.
- She is able to cut with a knife-- the other day we were making homemade applesauce (funny story-- it was completely inedible because I let Em pour the sugar...it was so sugary it was gritty!!) and I was peeling and using the corer. I gave Emmy a butter knife and let her cut the apple slices and I was amazed at how adept she was at cutting! She did such a great job. Next time we just have to remember to use a whole lot less sugar, ha ha!
- She understands more and more of what we mean when we're talking about more abstract things (like feelings, emotions, behaviors, etc). It's a sure sign she's growing up and it makes me a little sad, although it is making life a little easier, too. It's nice to know that she has started to understand WHY I want her to do certain things (or don't want her to do certain things!)
- She loves to swim and play with Audrey-- I have started bathing them together (SO thankful Audrey can finally go in the tub with Emmy!) and Em just loves it. Audrey does too! We set up a pool outside for them and then just love to pour the water and splash.
Well, that's all we've got for now. As always, thanks for checking on our sweet girls and be sure to look at the Picasa albums for all the pics. Happy first day of summer!!
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