I hate writing Everything Eliana posts! You are so many things and I worry I can't adequately put into words everything about you....but I will try my best.
My 3 year old Eliana.
You have had quite an awesome year. A lot of new firsts! Which I love!
You are such a sweet girl. When you want to be. You can also be super ornery. When you want to be. The year of THREE wasn't great. I would say there were more fits and time outs than I care to admit. There were days when nothing worked and I sat you on your bed and let you cry it out. You just couldn't be pleased and you wanted what you wanted and couldn't understand when we said no. It was rough. I'm SO glad to say that shortly before you turned four, and since you've turned four you have really mellowed out. We still have fits, frequently, but that are MUCH more short lived, and you understand reasoning. You understand that if you don't listen something will be taken away, and it is so much better. I just hope that your toddler years are worse than your high school years....because then we're almost through with the worst... :)
You STILL love the outdoors. But you don't like to be cold. There are many times that you want to wear a jacket in our house because your chilly, which is similar to your mommy.
You love holidays, again just like mommy. You love all holidays!
You love decorating, baking, celebrating, all holidays. You also love birthdays, you get so excited for anyone's birthday!
See what I mean when I say that you are sweet. You LOVE your brother. Seriously, I have never seen such love between siblings. And Easton loves you too. You both have started to fight over toys as siblings do, and sometimes you both get a little too rough and upset each other - but overall you guys play nice, share, enjoy the same things and it is simply precious!
You are an insanely picky eater! You can still wear 2T pants! Well, pants you have to wear 4T because you're so tall - but if they are jeans they have to have the elastic in them so we can synch them smaller to fit your tiny waist! If you could get away with it you would eat: Peanut butter sandwiches, PB&J sandwiches, chicken nuggets, macaroni, pop tarts, granola bars, and pizza. You also eat without fighting: grilled cheese, yogurt, fish sticks, "ice" jello (from your frozen party), pancakes, waffles. You of course love snack food: cookies, chips, fruit snacks, popcorn, etc.
You now have to try at least two bites of everything you are served, if you do that then we will make you a sandwich. I know a lot of parents wouldn't make you more food - but I can't send you to bed hungry. I know you ate a poptart before you went to school, you hopefully ate some of your breakfast at school, you probably did not eat your lunch, and you might have ate your snack - that is not enough food for you in one day - so after you try your food I make you a sandwich because I want to make sure you're eating SOMETHING for the day!!
Here's the proof - in the year of 3 we made the big move from Ottawa to Iola. It was sad to leave our friend behind - but luckily we have all made new friends. You have many friends at your new school - and 9 months later, you still refer to our house as our "new house"
You have learned so much at school this year. You know the Pledge of Allegiance, your months, days of the week, all your colors, ALL your shapes - plus some I wouldn't think a four year old needs!, You can count to 30 - and recognize some of your numbers, you can recognize all your letters, you can write most of your letters by memory, the ones you can't you can write them if I write them first so you can look at it, you know feelings and emotions, you know little verse big, you've learned SOOO much!
(I can't get that picture to rotate) You did tumbling this summer - which you LOVED I wish you could do it in Iola. You also started dance this year - which you LOVE too! You are a little silly and ornery at your classes. We are working so hard with you on listening and paying attention at dance. It's important to mommy and daddy that you take it seriously, yet, we know you're only 4 and it's hard to focus.
Precious picture of you and David playing at Camp!
You go to bed around 9:00 and wake up around 6:30-7:00 on weekends. Of course during the weekdays you go to bed around 9 but you won't wake up! Some morning you do, but most mornings we are trying to PULL you out of bed. You are so much like your daddy in that respect!
I love how you say head-fore, instead of forehead. I haven't corrected you because it is so cute!
I'm worried about your handwriting. I think you write some of your letters oddly, I know it's how you were taught, you always start at the bottom because it's hard for kids to retrace their lines....but I think we'll work this summer on how to write our letters correctly - top, down.
When you're done eating you ask, "May I please have be excused, please." It really is cute. We taught you this to use good manners - and it is adorable.
You have a bit of sass to you! Which when it's in fun it's fine. Sometimes you say, "Moooom" or "Oh, Mom!!" All I can do is smile because it's when you're totally embarrassed by me! lol
Everything is FIVE! When I ask you how many of something you want you say, "hmmm...FIVE!"
You like to say things with "I want" like, "I want candy, I want chicken nuggets, I want...." We ask, You want? and then you use your good manners "May I have have some candy please, may I have some apple sauce please, may I have some...." It's quite cute! It's the BEST when you remember these good manners without needing reminding! :)
You have started dance. You are good. You don't like to practice....and you actually don't have your recital dances memorized....like at all. But we're working on it. You LOVE dance, especially when you get to go to Company class and dance with the big girls!
You love to hang out with your friends and your cousins.
You still like your blankies. You don't HAVE to have them....but you like to have them to sleep. Your Great-Aunt Rhonda has made you numerous blankets now - so you have many to choose from, and you like to sleep with them all. But your "blankies" are still the ones you had when you were just a baby.
You do a great job with imaginative play. You like to play house, dress up, sing, dance, perform for us, you love to "cook" in your kitchen and serve us, you love to color and draw, you love to read books and watch shows on the ipad.
You and Miss Marielle in your first parade!!
You hiding in a dressing room eating a cookie! :)
"My brother did it" "Top of the Nice List" shirts. I love you two so much!
YOU LOVE CHRISTMAS. You got this love from your momma and it is strong! I love celebrating and making traditions with you!
Looking for Santa clause!
You ask to put your hair in Elsa Braids or Anna Braids from the movie frozen! You love pizza!
First dance recital, first make up!
Eliana, I love your sense of adventure. I love your sillyness and your ability to love endlessly! You genuinely do have a heart of gold. you feel bad if you made poor choices. You can be SO ornery sometimes and run from me, get out of time-out five times, stick your tongue out at me, etc. But at the end of the night as we're winding down for bed, you roll over and kiss me and say "Mommy, I love you!" and you know how to wipe all those negatives away! :)
I can't wait to see how you continue to grow in your fourth year! I know you're going to learn, grow, and become even more yourself!
But I'm not going to lie - I want time to slow down just a little bit!
Happy Fourth Birthday Sweet Girl!
Love, Mommy
