So it seems it's time for our yearly birthday update again. I have a hard time with my kids getting bigger, and when they all get "older" at once, it's kind of a triple whammy. I should correct myself. I do love when they become more independent and master new skills but somehow just want them to stay little and cute at the same time.
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| Typical Elise picture. Dirty face. Skinned forehead. Favorite ladybug dress (that was mine when I was her age) The shoes were likely on the wrong feet too, as per usual! |
Now about Elise Meredith. Since she's our only girl, she has it made in some ways, but in other ways has it harder. She "rules the roost" so to speak in many ways (we're working on that!) but also ends up the #3 in the "three's a crowd" side of things. She thinks in her mind that she's 5 or 7 as her brothers are, and they constantly tell her she's not. And that she knows nothing, or is always wrong. (She does get her facts mixed up quite regularly, as 3 year olds do.) We're working on that too! It seems that all discipline and behavior issues come down to the Golden Rule, don't they? Whatever the issue is at hand, it is usually due to someone not treating someone else with Christ-like love or the way they would want to be treated.
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| I love her semi-grin in this one. Kind of amazed that her birthday did finally come! |
Elise loves competition. She is frequently heard saying, "I'm the winner!" (even if she's not or there was no race) and if another sibling claims the winner title, then she proudly announces, "I'm the next winner!" and if she is not either first or second, then she proudly announces, "I'm the last winner!" No hint of defeat there.
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| Care bear cake |
She is also in a quandary when it comes to playing. If she plays with her girl toys, then the boys won't play with her (dolls, Tinkerbell, Strawberry Shortcake); so she has to play alone. James is now starting to play a bit with her, so that makes it nicer for her. Otherwise she's stuck playing Holley Shiftwell (from Cars2) or Rosie or Annie (from Thomas the Train) because they're girls. And you know...girls can't play boy cars or trains. And vice versa. (We're working on that too!) Thankfully the kids mostly play together all day, so it's only occasionally that she plays alone. She doesn't even know how to play house though, because the kids always play store instead. Someday...
She also is our little chatterbox. There is constantly (read: constantly) noise coming out of her mouth. If it's not talking, it's squealing, laughing, singing, crying, yelling, whining, pouting or some other form of noise. Baby brother has been woken up from countless naps due to her excessive noise. Not sure what to do about that. (I keep white noise on, but the shrill sounds still are louder) I definitely have more sympathy for those with many girls (my grandparents, for example, with 8). Their houses must be/have been loud! I've been meaning to ask my Dad how he tolerated and thrived with 3 of us girls in the house. (Although I know myself and my younger sister were pretty quiet for the most part). Her talking is most often delightful. She comments on her observations and the world around her, and I love to listen to that. She sings the many songs we've learned in Sunday School and at home (usually with a few wrong words here and there). She asks questions. She ponders.
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| Talking on the phone to Grandpa Staudinger in her new Tinkerbell pj's. He calls all his grandkids on their birthday. |
The other thing Elise loves to do is to help me in the kitchen. Unfortunately my cooking has been streamlined alot over the years, and I rarely bake (which is something she could help with), so I don't have many opportunities for her to help. I do have her wash veggies now, and she loves that. She likes to "wash" dishes too, which usually ends up a huge mess (with many crying episodes and clothes changes because she got wet). She loves PlayDoh and making things out of it.
I've had a fun time over the last year, as she's been able to wear a few of the dresses my Mom saved that were mine. In having a daughter, she has also made me reminisce over my childhood in ways that I haven't done probably since the events happened. What I liked to do at her age. How I might have reacted to situations. For her birthday we were shopping for a gift and it made me think about what I might have wanted for a gift when I turned 3 (not that I can really remember much from that age) All these memories have surfaced now that I have a daughter. Recently we got to wear mother/daughter matching aprons that my aunt made for my Mom and I. That was pretty neat. I hope our relationship can grow through the years and that she can be a blessing to me, and I to her.
