So Leilani just turned FIVE!
It occurred to me the other day that I have not done any sort of record keeping for an entire year.
What a horrible thought!
My children have done so many things and grown in so many ways but I've no way to look back and remember those things.
Perhaps it is for the best?
This year was a tipsy turvey roller coaster and I may not have been in the best of state to write my point of view of the whole thing.
But, for right now, I would like to share some things about my adorable daughter and her charming character.
Leilani is a ray of sunshine to those around her.
She is full of life and makes every day and every event the BEST!
Things are so magical to her right now.
She loves holidays and celebrations.
According to her, she is the fastest runner, the highest jumper, the most accomplished artist, the most beautiful singer, the greatest sense of humor, and the list goes on and on.
I've decided to just go with it because I know the world has the power to bring her down soon enough so why not give her the best head start in confidence now so that when the world does come crashing down hopefully the blow will be softened by her inner self esteem:)
She has been doing a preschool program for the last several months that has been helping her learn to read and has greatly improved her number recognition and use.
I usually stand back in awe at her ability to read difficult words and understand concepts. I hope her joy of literature continues when she can be independent enough to read on her own.
Right now she is resisting that freedom and still wants me or Targhee to read to her. I wonder if it has something to do with not being ready to lose that part of childhood.
Even though she is extremely advanced in her academics and language skill, preschool is a source of contention between the two of us every day.
She just doesn't want to do it.
She has a little bit of a lazy bone when it comes to anything that requires work.
Play?
She is all over that for hours and hours.
Work?
The end of the world has just encompassed her.
She is not above bribery, however, and reward systems tend to be her main motivation right now.
Her current household jobs include emptying the dishwasher, making her bed and cleaning her room (which, somehow no matter how much effort is put into this particular avenue, always looks like a disaster... she has too many other important things to worry about than where a pair of shoes or dirty pants go:)
She actually likes her dishwasher job and we'll play along with that for as long as we can!
She's a little social butterfly.
It doesn't matter if her audience is 68 or 3 years old, she can talk their ear off for as long as they will let her.
She loves playing with friends and having activities to do each day.
Even so, if there are no friends to play with or Mom is not being very accommodating with the activities she still contains her incredible imagination and can play in her own wonderland for hours.
She is taking dance lessons right now and learning tumbling, tap, ballet, and hip hop. She loves dance class and I can see her being very successful in it if she wants to continue. She especially loves to put on her dance outfits and I know will be in little girl heaven when she gets to put on her costumes and perform on stage.
She is really looking forward to her new little brother to come to our family in April. She talks about him often and all the things she is going to teach him and do with him. She's been practicing with her own baby doll and the only thing she says she wont do is change his diapers:)
We'll work on that one.
She is a Daddy's little girl in every sense of the term.
She tolerates Mom for the most part, but she comes to life when Dad is home.
I truly am grateful for their relationship.
We are so grateful for our flamboyant little girl who doesn't feel so little anymore.
She makes us laugh all the time by her many comments and we're so glad she is in our family.
Happy Fifth Birthday Leilani!
