Four Years

My girl.  She is almost always a little out of focus in pictures these days because her little body  is in constant motion.  I'm pretty sure she doesn't even hold still when she's asleep.  Not that any of this is new- she was born wide awake and in motion.  She'll sleep when she's dead or as she recently told me "sleeping is so boring Mommy."  

Four years old is totally where it's at.  She's so funny without trying and her imagination is turned on full blast.  She's a chatterbox and goofy without being self-conscious.  At this age she can be sassy, but I don't think she knows or understands how tone can be used as a weapon (or maybe she knows exactly, it's hard to say). 

She's starting to look more and more like a little girl, longer and leaner- the baby belly is long gone, but she's still not quite as angular as a big kid.  She's completely independent and can pitch in with cleaning up toys or putting her dishes in the sink after dinner, but she'd rather not.  I have passed on my sweet tooth and Lucy loves junk food despite our attempts to limit access.  Her favorite vegetable is red pepper which she prefers raw.  We can't call pasta sauce tomato sauce or she won't eat it.  Refer to it as pasta sauce and she'll gobble it up.  

Her capacity to learn and retain information is impressive- she rivals Wes for ability to retain trivia for sure.  She cries when Wes or I leave the house and forget to give her a good bye kiss.  She requires six hugs and six kisses at night before bed but always pretends like she can't find me in the dark first.  

Dress up is her favorite activity and she must always be a princess.  She loves to pretend school and being a big sister.  She's not happy to play alone.  Whatever you're doing she wants to be in the middle of it and if she's playing you are expected to participate even if you're up to your eyeballs in cooking supper, folding laundry, etc.  

This four year old moment in time is so precious and I know- all too brief.  I want to freeze frame my memories and never forget how it feels to hold my four year old, hear her speak, or see her four year old smile.  Snuggled up next to her at night reading bedtime stories I can feel life settling in around me and all the little pieces falling into their proper place- everything lining up just right to bring us to this point.