4 Years Old and all grown up

Watch out world, here she comes. Preschool today, too cool tomorrow. OK, so that wasn't as riveting as I had hoped, but how do you introduce someone as amazing as this little girl?

Posing at the park. You either have it or you don't and there's no denying she's got it! Can she just stay 4 forever? I think that would be much safer for all of us.

Lucy's birthday was a blur of pink, tea pots, and body spray (especially blurry for her friend Claire who accidentally got a spray of it in the eyes at the beginning of the party). We indulged in all things that make us feminine. I think I enjoyed it as much or more than Lucy did. I love having a girl -- especially a girly girl!

A little about Lucy as she turns 4:

Lucy loves painting, coloring, and taking care of her babies (multiple Ariels and Tinkerbells). She wears dress-ups 75% of the time. Her love for Ariel is only barely overshadowed by her need for her blankies. She truly treats me and the boys kindly, serving and helping whenever she can. In crowds she's rather shy, but can really ham it up around family and close friends. She kepts saying "You betcha!" today just because I thought it was funny. I guess she's been reading that Sarah Palin autobiography...so ahead of the game, I tell ya. For having very little in her genetic makeup that might make her a good dancer, she's showing early signs of really being a good hula dancer.

She had a few friends over for a Tea party, hosted by Nellie. We had finger sandwiches, tea (kool-aid), grapes, and other fancy treats. She chose an Ariel cake. We made jewelry (beads on pipe cleaner) and wore hats.

Here's our spread (THANKS NELLIE!).

Best Cousins

Lucy speaks with the wisdom of a 4 year old already. She understands everything enough to say the most adorable thing about everything. For instance, today we found some squishy larvae thing on the porch. I picked it up (on a leaf-- we are girls, remember) and I said "It looks like it might turn in to something." Lucy -- "Yeah, like maybe it will turn in to a big magic hat!"

Not what I was thinking, but who knows? It's possible.

She came to tell on Sam once."He said "Not funny," with very unkindless words!" I guess she had turned the light off on him and he said "Not funny," in an angry voice. That was her way of explaining his tone of voice -- unkindless.

We're always trying to teach about Jesus, you know, allowing her to build her own testimony. But sometimes I wonder which synapses are actually firing as we teach. She often prays that Jesus will be safe. I was scrubbing the floor last week. She stepped on the scrub brush and started scrubbing by foot. I said "Wow, where'd you get that idea?" "Oh! Jesus give me this idea and I put it in my foot!" Seeds of thought are planted. I'm sure they'll take root sooner than later.

Imagination at work: We enjoyed the magical spring weather yesterday by going out in the jungle gym while Ben napped. We took a blanket and a bag of books. As I got settled, she took the wheel (there's a wheel built in to the playhouse) and said "Let me just take us to the reading place." We read and snuggled until Sam came home -- I completely lost track of time. It doesn't get much better than that, as my Dad would say.