Lyla Turns FOUR

Personality: Lyla was hard for me for a while. She was my first screamer, and she always let you know when she wasn't happy. In this last year, her screaming fits have definitely lessened (though, when she has them, it is still hard to get her to calm down, and her toes always hurt afterwards... so weird. I've tried to find a correlation but Google hasn't given me anything). Though she is fierce and passionate and stubborn, she is also sweet and easy-going and carefree. She plays on her own so well... for sure, the best out of all of my kids. She also loves to play with her sisters though. She loves baby dolls and plays so sweetly with them. She thinks so differently from me, and I love learning from her. She isn't afraid to be herself and to do her own thing and to live wild. I just love her :)

For Her Birthday:  Lyla is so laid back, and I am thankful! Her birthday falls on VBS week, which makes it hard, especially because this year she was in VBS and I helped. She mentioned a month ago about wanting to go to the zoo on her birthday. I wasn't sure if I would have it in me to go, but after VBS today, I decided that WE WERE GOING!! It was so fun to live spontaneously because that's who Lyla is :) We made it all the way through Africa on World Giraffe Day, and then we saw the sea lions when it started sprinkling. We decided to keep going, but it wasn't long before the rains started coming! When we made it out of the zoo, it was pouring, but Lyla asked for a picture on the ZOO sign as we usually do. I said, " What the heck, it's your birthday" and took a picture of her on the zoo sign for her birthday while it poured all over us. So fun :)

Since I knew I wasn't even going to attempt a birthday cake this year (I always try and always fail at making pretty cakes, and it always frustrates me, and I knew I didn't have it in me this week to frustrate myself)... so we picked up donuts the night before her birthday and used them as our cake :) Laid-back Lyla was completely okay with that!

The only thing she asked for for her birthday was a bow and arrow like her sisters... she was excited to get one :) She genuinely is so happy about getting any gift, though. I love her joy and gratefulness!

Things She has Said:
- Me: "Come here, kid." Lyla: "I not kid. I honey!"
- (While holding her baby dolls): "This one is Violet. And this is Kid." (She named her baby doll Kid for at least a solid 6 months.)
"- I can't be quiet 'cause my mouth's not quiet."
- (After bringing me a pair of underwear): "This one isn't stinky. The other underwear was stinky, but this one wasn't, so I brought this one."
- "When I die and go to heaven, I can have candy all the time."
- Lyla: "Sophie, guess what? Chicken butt!" Me: "Where did you learn that?" Lyla: "No, I didn't learn it, I just knew it!"
- "Mommy, you my best favorite!"
- Sophie (after getting scratched by cat): "Ow, cat! I wish I could kill you sometimes!" Lyla: "Yeah, I wish I could die it!"
- "I will think about it in my head if I want to go into the store."
- (Talking about a baby doll): "Him was being really bad today, so I gave him a spanking... with my camera!" 
- Sophie: "You're like Grandpa." Lyla: "Not uh! I like everybody!"
- Brielle: "Fine, then I'm never ever going to play with you again." Lyla: "I don't care. I will play with Violet... a lot!"

Likes: baby dolls, blocks and magnatiles, blanket, her sisters (she and Brielle especially play well together), Mommy, her cousin Layla
Dislikes: when her sisters won't play with her, having something taken from her, broccoli and quite a few other foods (she's our pickiest eater, though still not an awful eater)

Lyla's Interview
What's your favorite food? Popsicle
What's your favorite thing to play with? Basketball
What's your favorite movie or show? Elsa and Anna
What's your favorite song? The Nutcracker
What's your favorite book? The oink, oink, oink one. No, I know what it is. I'll go get it so I can show it to you (runs and grabs it)... (Comes back with a random chapter book that we've never read. She's such a silly random little girl :) ).
What's your favorite color? Pink
What's your favorite Bible story? When Jesus was up in heaven
What do you like to do with Sophie? Play house
What do you like to do with Brielle? Play house
What do you like to do with Violet? Play jinglewindawindawin. I'll show you how (begins to dance really crazily and sing loudly... who is this kid?!)
What do you want to do when you get older? Climb a tree (love her!)
What's your favorite animal? An oink oink oink oink oink
Who are your best friends? Layla
What makes you happy? When I play jinglewindawindawin with Violet.
What makes you sad? When nobody's playing with me and when people be mad to me and hurtin me and maybe me bleed.
What are you really good at? Reading books (she can't actually read yet) and playing with sand.

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Violet's Development (20 Months)

This post was supposed to happen two months ago, when Violet turned 18 months. But, life just keeps going, and I can't keep up, so we modify and do a 20 month update instead :)

Personality: Violet has definitely become quite opinionated and knows what she wants and doesn't want! She says "no" when she doesn't want something, and she shrugs her shoulder when she means "yes" haha! She loves to yell "no chicken!" and "no Jack!" (our dog). She's realized as the youngest of four girls that the animals are the easiest things for her to boss around :) She also loves music, and she sings and dances along. While she definitely has a strong, opinionated, tantrum-throwing side, she also has a very sweet and calm side. Often, when we go to new places, this is the side she shows. She becomes more reserved, and she clings to her Mama. :) Sometimes, when her strong side and her sweet side collide, she grabs my face and turns it toward her and gives me a kiss. I love her sweet, little soul.

Developments: She's talking more and learns new words every week. She says "Mama," "Dada," all her sisters names, Grandma and Grandpa ("Mamma" and "Papa"), kitty, chicken, goat, "woof," water, more, no, yes, Jesus, blankie, coat, boots, phone, nose, eyes, ears, hair, hand, poop, book, balloon... to name a few that I can think of off the top of my head! Her sisters have been anxious to potty train her, and I keep telling them this summer. We did take out the potty chair this week though, and she actually went on it once all by herself! But she has gone on the floor more often, so, we're not officially training yet ;) She tells me when she does poop, though, so I think I will try before she turns two (in august). Plus, this Mama is ready to be done with cloth diapers! She helps me unload the dishwasher, and she loves to help feed the animals, especially the bunnies! She is getting so big! She loves going outside with her sisters and does the big girl slide. Whenever she gets an owie, she shows me her finger to kiss.

Likes: blanket, being outside, books, Mommy, animals, food, baths, music, singing, family
Dislikes: Diaper changes, getting strapped in her carseat, not getting her way, waiting for food

Sophie Turns Seven

Seven years ago I became a mother to this sweet girl, and here is she, growing up so fast! 

Sophie is a very classic firstborn in many ways. She is intelligent and a quick learner. She has opinions and rules and thinks everyone should follow them. Whenever she plays with her sisters, she is always the mom (or the queen).  She is not organized, and she often forgets things she is supposed to do (like getting dressed) because she lives in her own imaginary world. She loves animals, having books read to her, playing games, handicrafts, and playing all types of imaginative play. She also is a social butterfly and loves playing with friends her age.

This was our first year of officially doing school. I'm very relaxed about kindergarten, and so age six (first grade), is when we start formal lessons. She has done well and enjoys school, though it's sometimes hard for her to give up her free play! She has learned and grown a lot this year, and it's been a delight for her to be my first child to educate. 

On Sophie's actual birthday, we made a cake, ate ice cream at the local ice cream joint, and made a nature wreath. It was a calm, laid-back day. Her grandparents got her an American Girl doll, Samantha, and she was both surprised and delighted.

Sophie, true to her social butterfly nature, requested a party with friends this year. I am, admittedly, not much of a party planner, so sometimes Sophie's party nature is intimidating to me! But we, together, planned a fun "Best-Loved Doll" party (theme based on Rebecca Caudill's book), and she invited a group of friends over and asked them to bring their favorite dolls.

Sophie had a lot of fun, and so did her friends :) We read The Best Loved Doll, opened cards, set the dolls at their table and the girls sat at theirs and ate ice cream cake and fruit, made felt dolls, and then they played until their parents came home.

Activities: This year, Sophie began taking piano lessons. She has enjoyed them and really loves her teacher. Her favorite songs to play have been Christmas songs, and she is playing A Whole New World for her piano recital. She also does Awana again this year. We were part of a homeschool co-op with three other families, and we met 2-3 times a month. 

Sophie Says:

- (While saying nightly Bible verses) "Mom, I can't say it with you. All my words get left behind."

- Me: "What's 21 plus 32?" Sophie:"53! I just slammed the two big numbers together and slammed the two small numbers together."

- "Mom, I'm really good at exams! They're fun, and I can't wait until the end of next term and I get to do them again! Except they'll probably be a little harder because they will probably get harder every time."

- (After church one day) "The last C of the seven Cs is my favorite. God will bring heaven down here. Awesome! I just can't even believe it!"

- "It's really nice when you have someone next to you when you're sewing so then you can talk together."

- "What's threescore mean? You could ask Siri! Oh, but she probably wouldn't know because she's not very smart."

(After telling Sophie  I wasn't exactly sure how the sand on the road made the snow melt) "You should ask Google because Google is smarter than Siri. Siri isn't really that smart."

Likes: real animals, stuffed animals, her pink stuffed doll, blankets, books, crafts, sewing, friends, playing outside, movies

Dislikes: having her hair brushed, needing to do school when she'd rather play, sisters ruining her stuff or not playing the way she wants, when things seem unfair

Sophie Interview:
What's your favorite food? That's a hard one, Mom! Probably bananas. I'm pretty sure that's what I said last year.
What's your favorite thing to play with? Probably my pink doll and my new American Girl doll
What's your favorite movie or show? I'm going to say moive. And it will be the real Beauty and the Beast
What's your favorite song? Nothing But the Blood of Jesus
What's your favorite book? Since we started reading My Father's Dragon, that's what it is. Also, Sophie and Rose. I really like it because it has my name and an old, raggy doll.
What's your favorite color? Light pink and light green
What's your favorite Bible story? One of my favorites is Shadrach, Meshach, and Abegnedo. I'm pretty sure that's what I said last year.
What do you like to do with Brielle? House and King and Queen. 
What do you like to do with Lyla? Play house and Queen and servant. She's always the servant.
What do you like to do with Violet? Play house. She just has to be the kid. We also like to play dogs with her and she's our baby dog.
What do you want to do when you get older? I want to be a ballerina. Also, a vet or a doctor
What's your favorite animal? Probably puppies
Who are your best friends? Khloe and Claire and Raelynn.
What makes you happy? Being able to play outside!
What makes you sad? When I can't play outside
What are you really good at? Climbing (She said this last year too. It's funny to me to hear what kids think they are good at)
What's your favorite Bible verse? Casting all your cares on him for he cares for you. And Philippians 2:14, "Do all things without complaining or disputing."

Blog Move

I have been keeping this blog for quite some time... I wanted to have a place where I kept track of all of my kids' development and growth and funny sayings. I do so in order that friends and family can keep up with them, but also so that I can remember. I take all of the information at the end of each year and put it into a baby book for the girls. I've been keeping two blogs for a while though, and I decided it was time to streamline down to one in order to help simplify my life. So all of the posts I have been keeping here will now move over to my other blog, www.songsofjubilee.com. Thanks for following along :)

Photo by Carrie Weaver Photography 

Brielle's Development (2.5 Years)

(Above photos by Carrie Weaver Photography)

Brielle is two and a half now... and keeping up with milestones and developmental growth becomes harder with each kid you add! I want to stay intentional with remembering these things because older people tell me they wish they had... but wow, if I had more than three kids, I'm not sure if it would happen! I always transfer all of this information over to a photo book at the end of each year, so that helps to keep me motivated. 

So Brielle... she is such an interesting personality! She is sweet and kind. She is wild and adventurous. She is messy. She can sit quietly through a church service, but she can't sit through the reading of a whole book. She is whiny and cries often because of frustration. She shares generously and adores her sisters. She lives in her own little world.

Potty: So she has been potty trained for five months, but she still has accidents. She didn't have any for a long time, but now she probably has a little one once every day or every other day. It's kind of driving me crazy because I'm not sure how to get her back on track to no accidents... we never had regressions with Sophie at all.

Talking: Brielle still doesn't talk a lot, but she talks more. She strings words together so that we know her complete thought, but she leaves out all the filler words. For instance:

"Daddy, me ice cream shop!" ("Daddy, I went to the ice cream shop!")

"Hi Sophie, outside, my hotdog gone." ("Hi Sophie, I'm coming outside because my hotdog is gone.")

"Done table paint?" ("Are you done painting the table?")

"Mommy, where are you?" ("Mommy, where were you?")

Education: So, Brielle is just so different from Sophie. Brielle will only count to three, she gets all of her colors wrong other than blue (because she guesses blue for everything... ha! At least she knows she'll get one right then!), and she doesn't know her ABCs. I'm totally not worried about it, but it just fascinates me how different she is, and it also is very good for me to consider as I look into homeschooling and consider how I will need to approach her and care for her very differently than the way I do Sophie if I am going to help her learn and love to learn. She does know how to do many things though! She knows how to climb things well, she enjoys singing songs and remembers parts of them, she can turn on the toaster and plug in her night lights, and she knows how to find any candy that's hidden anywhere in the house.

Sleep: She still takes one afternoon nap a day, for about two hours. She and Lyla nap together. She's been waking up earlier now- around 7:30am. I really think she needs more sleep, based off her grouchiness, but she can't go back to sleep once she wakes up in the morning.

Brielle feels safest with her family, although she'll go into her class at church fairly easily. If she is with a big group of people, though, she likes being with Mommy. We went away for a week, and when we returned, she was the happiest to see us, and she worried anytime we were going to leave after that. She adores her sisters. While she isn't always kind, she definitely has a sweet servant heart. She carries things for Sophie, she gives her blanky to Lyla, she loves to make Lyla laugh and play with her... she also always feeds Lyla. The other day Brielle had a sucker, and she walked over to Lyla, took her paci out of her mouth, put her sucker into her mouth for a good ten seconds, took the sucker out, and put the paci back in. haha! She just wanted to share some of that yumminess with baby Lyla. Lyla loves her for it!

Loves: Outdoors, swinging, wagon rides, water, getting in the lake with her clothes on, blanky, Mommy, sisters, building towers, doing everything big sister Sophie does

Dislikes: Not getting her way, Mommy leaving