I am one day into Abby's 4th year and already am breathing a sigh of relief that the 3's are over. I mean, you always hear about the "terrible twos," but I, for one, was not exactly prepared for the "torturous threes"! Granted, Zach was just 7 weeks old when Abby turned 3, so a lot of changes happened at once for her, but it's been a rough year, to say the least. Abby has always been a hot/cold kind of gal, but the hots were scorching and the colds were frigid this year. She could go from the happiest girl on the block to a screaming, crying mess in the drop of a hat if something didn't go her way. I was told this is what 3 is like, and it did not disappoint.
The good news is that we seem to have moved into a calmer (albeit still whiny) phase as she gets older. She is able to clearly express her needs/wants/desires and we encourage her to choose words over tears when possible. I am hopeful that each day that she gets further away from 3 and closer to 5, her words and emotions will be tied up neatly in a little gift-wrapped package.
And speaking of gifts - oh my! Her birthday party on Saturday was fun-filled 1.5 hours of painting, dancing and eating. Abby seemed to have a good time in the group activities (painting, dancing, eating) and became shy and pouty when the focus was on her (limbo, parachute, singing happy birthday). I don't know why she gets shy when the spotlight gets on her, but I hope she gets more comfortable. She has a lot to be proud of and I want to try to help her grow into herself. Her friends and family all love her and it makes me sad when she gets mopey or shy.
Our task now is to find room for all the wonderful gifts she received, from lots of great princess dress-up costumes to dolls, beach toys, a picnic set, a huge dollhouse and her first big girl bike. Jason and I can't wait to watch our little girl begin her fourth year of fun!
Happy birthday, Abby! We love you!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Friday, June 3, 2011
2 Weeks Til 4 Years
Hard to believe that nearly 4 years ago, I only had a puppy, husband and myself to worry and think about. As Abby's 4th birthday approaches, I realize that in the last 4 years, my life has migrated from relatively calm, somewhat boring and highly organized to slightly chaotic, always-on-the-go and highly disorganized - some might simply call it "Parenthood."
Abby's graduation and last day of her 2nd year of preschool was this week, signaling the official start of summer and that her birthday is right around the corner. As I was talking with her head teacher at the Moving Up Day reception, she said that she usually notices a few kids each year whose tremendous growth is noticeable from the beginning to the end of the year, and this year she wanted me to know it's Abby who she saw amazing growth from. She said she started out the school year one way and ended it mature and glowing - I liken it a little to how my life has changed in the last 4 years. She said it's been such a pleasure having Abby in her class and watching her grow up from an un-potty-trained toddler who didn't know the meaning of sharing to a fully-potty-trained, sharing and caring little girl. I had a very proud parenting moment and tried to take it all in. While I have my struggles with her at home, it's reassuring and so nice to hear that she is doing so well in school.
Abby still has mini-camp and regular camp (and don't forget about post-camp!) until she embarks on her last year of preschool, but I am anxious to see what this coming year brings for her and us. On the top of my list would be pre-reading and less whining...only time will tell if that will happen! In the meantime, we are taking her for a special end-of-the-year trip to Hershey Park tomorrow with our Maryland friends to celebrate her accomplishments this year and let her know how proud we are of her. I can't wait to see what her 4th year brings!
Abby's graduation and last day of her 2nd year of preschool was this week, signaling the official start of summer and that her birthday is right around the corner. As I was talking with her head teacher at the Moving Up Day reception, she said that she usually notices a few kids each year whose tremendous growth is noticeable from the beginning to the end of the year, and this year she wanted me to know it's Abby who she saw amazing growth from. She said she started out the school year one way and ended it mature and glowing - I liken it a little to how my life has changed in the last 4 years. She said it's been such a pleasure having Abby in her class and watching her grow up from an un-potty-trained toddler who didn't know the meaning of sharing to a fully-potty-trained, sharing and caring little girl. I had a very proud parenting moment and tried to take it all in. While I have my struggles with her at home, it's reassuring and so nice to hear that she is doing so well in school.
Abby still has mini-camp and regular camp (and don't forget about post-camp!) until she embarks on her last year of preschool, but I am anxious to see what this coming year brings for her and us. On the top of my list would be pre-reading and less whining...only time will tell if that will happen! In the meantime, we are taking her for a special end-of-the-year trip to Hershey Park tomorrow with our Maryland friends to celebrate her accomplishments this year and let her know how proud we are of her. I can't wait to see what her 4th year brings!
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