Happy 4th Birthday Gracyn!

My Little Sunshine. . .

 

So, I had this post all ready to go, and then on Gracyn's real birthday, we celebrate a major milestone. . .You won't believe it?! Our first "fight" with words. . .I know - you're thinking, you consider this a milestone to celebrate? Well, I do. I've been working with Gracyn on using words to express her emotions, and on her birthday after a rough day of having to wear her birthday crown at school, (she HATED it, and HATES the attention, or so I thought) she got in trouble and had to go to her room. When I went in to check on on her, she wouldn't look at me and said, "I MAD YOU!" - I almost smiled. . .Then she proceeded to tell me, "Daddy shut door." - WOW? Read the last paragraph if you want to know why I think she was really mad.

Gracyn, I can't believe it's been almost two years since you became a part of our family, and that you're 4, and every so sassy! You're way too quick to say, "No," you catch yourself if it's in response to anything chocolate, and well, you're sort of in that fibbing-stage. Did you wash your hands? Yes. Let me smell. NO - go back and WASH YOUR HANDS! You adore your sister, can beat up keep up with your brother, and can almost count to 10! You are talking up a storm. So much so, that sometimes, well, we have to tell you to be quiet. . .You will suck down juice and chocolate milk, but drinking regular milk is on your list of "dislikes". You love new clothes now, and getting toys! I've created a monster! Your favorite color is purple, you love milkshakes, and french fries, all veggies, and chips. You like nuts, and your favorite ice cream flavor is mint chocolate chip! You get your taste buds from me, of course. You have less teeth, but a growing appetite. You like your hair in "ponies", and you love to dance and sing. You will put on sunglasses, hats, and cute frilly skirts. A far, far cry from a year ago! You still love to play with water, you're learning how to wash your hair, you help Mommy with Addi, and with cleaning, but you are by far the messiest child in our house (not messiest eater - that would be your brother), but you love to take things with you and drop them wherever you feel like it!

Your eyes are as expressive as ever, and I now recognize you today from your baby photos. I can see similar expressions, both contemplative ones and silly ones. You love to go to church, you love school, and share day, and you're still as quirky as ever. You laugh at things that aren't funny, but that makes you, you. You love to go out to eat, you hate for people to watch you eat. You can't stop talking about getting toys and presents for your birthday, and I can't wait to see how you react when everyone is singing Happy Birthday to you. Will Peyton blow out the candles again????

You know how to swing, put on your clothes, albeit backwards every now and then, and you can eat a cob of corn without any front top teeth. How is that possible?

Well, you know why this post didn't get posted on the 25th, and then we had her party on Saturday with her adorable little classmates. Of course, the one day that it was NOT dry and HOT. . .more to come on that, but for now, I've figured out why she was "mad me" - I don't think she understood that her birth DAY and her birthday PARTY were on different days. Well, well, well. Miss Girlfriend who used to hate attention, opening gifts, and blowing out candles went to town. . .and relished every moment. Stay tuned for all the party fun. . .hopefully I'll actually get to it before her front teeth come in!