Skylar is 4 Years Old

Yes you are 4 years old, sometimes I feel like going on 14 (tear, tear).  It has been such a year of big growth and development for you.  From your vocabulary, to your personality, and even your taste buds, you have taken big strides this past year.   You have been in 2-3 activities weekly and are close to finishing up your first year of preschool.  I feel like you are our little busy bee who is definitely keeping us on our toes.

You love going to school.  Never once were there any tears, just you flashing me your big smiles as I would drop you off in your class room.  I must admit I have used the line “then you can’t go to school,” when you are begging to wear some completely miss-matched outfit and you refuse to wear what I pick out, and it works.  You have always been a little shy, but being at school has definitely made you more out-going.   You have made a ton of great friends from your class room, Emma, Madeline, Summer and Daniel, just to name a few.  You are pretty quiet when it comes to telling us about what you did in school each day.  Sometimes we will get you to tell us which book you read or song you sang, but it’s pretty rare.  For some reason you like to keep your school day to yourself.  I like when you play the game tell me one thing you did at work and then you tell us one thing you did at school.  At school this year you participated in Spanish and art class weekly.  “¿Cómo estás?, Hola, and Rojo” are some of your favorite spanish words.  I think you know a lot more then you like to speak to us.  Art class is keeping your playroom filled with beautiful wall art.  You love coming home and proclaiming you made this for Mama, this for Dada, and this for Madden.  Recently you learned to write you name, which was very special.   It’s so nice to hear your teachers tell us how sweet you are, and how well you take directions from them.  Miss L recently told me she is really excited for next year for you and thinks you are just going to continue to develop into an amazing student. 

 The busy bee that you are, you have myself, Dad, or Maria (your nanny) driving you to something at least 5 days a week.  It’s either school, gymnastics, dance, or t-ball.  I’m not complaining, I really love seeing you spread your wings and try and little bit of everything.  You are never difficult when it’s time for one of your activities and are always delighted to be going.    T-Ball is more of a social hour for you and your friends.  You love just sitting on the bench and goofing around with Zoe and Sophie, but when it is time for you to swing the bat you definitely mean business.  Sadly, I don’t get to see much of dance class or gymnastics, but from what I hear you are doing very well in both, and I will see the finish produce at your first dance recital next month.  This Fall we are going to change things up and see how you do in soccer. 

 Your personality has definitely taken a bit of a turn.  You are still your very loving, sweet self most of the time, but the bossiness in you can sometimes bring out a bit of a mean side, which can be a little frustrating for your Dad and me.  It usually only happens with the people closest to you; Madden and your BFF/sister Sophie, which is something we are going to need to work on.  Your vocabulary has improved vastly that sometimes we wonder where you learned all your new words from.  By the grace of god, your eating habits have improved a great deal.  Your williness to try new things has made meals with you such more enjoyable.  You will eat fish and chicken any day of the week.  For about one month you ate corn and told everyone it was your favorite, but that quickly came to an end and now you refuse to eat it.  So we are back on a no vegetable/no fruit diet.   You will eat slices of salami but not a strawberry.  You recently freaked out because your brother had banana on his hand and touched you with it.  You were at a birthday party and wouldn’t even eat the cake because there was a strawberry filling.   Your Dad and I have reverted back to pureeing food so little do you know you have been eating waffles and pancakes with cauliflower, pizza and spaghetti with carrots, chicken enchiladas with spinach, and cheese quesadilla with lentils.  But hey, you have made a ton of headway in the food department, so we couldn’t be more relieved.  Sometime around 3 ½ or sooner you stop wearing pull-ups at night and recently asked to take the railings off your bed.  You have pretty much given up on your naps.  I can usually get you to nap every 3^rd or 4^th day, but for the most part you prefer to not nap, unless you are in a car, you will pass right out.  If you do nap you get to stay up later with mom and dad and watch your new favorite TV show, Full House. 

It’s been a nice turn around for you when it comes to your big sister role.  Last year was a tough transition with your little brother beginning to move more and play with your things, but this year you have embraced it.   Don’t get me wrong you definitely have your moments with Madden, but seeing the two of you run and play together always warms my heart.  You love to always tell us, “Madden always wants to do whatever I do.”  Fashion shows with mom’s high heels are one of your favorite things to do with Madden before bed time.  You play hide and seek together, and you love being the one to unbuckle his car seat.  You are definitely an older sister with a younger brother because when you have your girlfriends over it’s always “No Boys Allowed,” when you are playing in your bedroom.  We have special activities we do during Madden’s nap time such as board games, coloring, and painting.  Things you don’t like to do when your brother is around.  We have notice that Madden is always your go to when you are nervous or shy.  When you are introduced to someone new or asked your name by someone you will put on your shy face, step back and put your arms around your brother and introduce him, and not yourself.  Nicknames for Madden are a fun game for you.  I swear you have had 100 different nicknames for him, and they are pretty silly; pacheetos is the only one I think I can actually spell.  You definitely have your bossy, big sister moments, directing Madden, “Do this Madden, not like that Madden, Madden give me that now!” are just a few of your favorite phrases.  All in all you and your brother have a very sweet and enduring relationship and I know that he just adores his big sister.

 You are all about the girly things in life.  Your love for princesses and anything princess has doubled since last year.  Playing dress up, wearing only dresses, painting your nails, and doing your hair are some of your favorite things to do.   Speaking of your hair, it’s become your latest obsession.  You are constantly checking out your hair to make sure you don’t have any, as you like to call them, “fly aways.”  Whenever we do your hair we have to douse it with water and brush down all your fly aways or you are not a happy girl.  You freaked out Maria one day when you came down from a nap crying hysterical because you had too many fly aways.  I’m really hoping this is just a small phase for you.

These are just a few of the things you accomplished this past year Skylar and we are looking forward to what is head for you during the next 365 days.  You always ask for us to tell you a secret before bed which usually has to do with how much we love you. "We love you more than words can describe, numbers can count and the forever growing universe can discover."

Happy 4^th Birthday to you Skylar!