What I LOVE about you at six!

What I LOVE about you at 6!

• Love your free spirit that dances around our house... or the store... or actually anywhere to the point of running into people as you dance in the mall
• Your genuine love.  It's not cheap.  You love particularly and big!  You have your people and seem to discern those that truly like you.  
• You can work a room.  When you're in a good place (emotions run you a bit too much at times) you can charm the socks off anyone!
• Your hugs... and kisses (we still have to have conversations about not kissing EVERYONE... and short kissing when you do kiss)
• Your love of arts, crafts and mostly coloring!  You don't want to leave the house without some crayons and a book... or two
• You leave your creations EVERYWHERE!  They're often too small or identified as trash... even though you really do a nice job of coloring!
• I LOVE, LOVE when you get into something and are singing praise songs... or your version of songs.  You have no trouble making up your own lyrics
• You appreciate beauty.  You love to dress up!  You call make-up and jewelry "beauty"
• You LOVE your mama!  I'm still your go-to gal!  
• You were de-throned in a big way this year when Millie came and the subsequent loss of Dad for a few months and mom for a couple, but have stepped up nicely to the role of big sister.
• You may drive us a bit nutty at times with your crazy antics with Millie, but she thinks your hysterical and laughs at you more than anyone
• Your a starting to be a good helper now that Belle is getting older and away more
• You are very determined.  Once you set your mind to something, it's hard to sway you.  This is a good quality and one that often needs "molding".  You're growing in obedience regardless of how I feel about it :)
• You're very warm and welcoming to new people.  You make friends easily as long as they realize your in charge and go along with your direction :)
• You're not afraid to defend yourself.  A great quality once again, but at six you are learning more self control.
• I love that you are comfortable in a nursing home or with a disabled child.  You hug, kiss and talk like normal.  I guess you see a lot of crazy, so you're not afraid like most kids are.  
• I love your adoration for Belle.  I can't believe how much you will listen to her.  
• Your creativity is amazing!  You can lose yourself in a room... in piles and piles Everywhere
• You're always up for a cuddle, hugs and kisses!  
• I love how you "tell it like it is".  Your daddy shares this quality and it makes me laugh  all the time!  You are entertainment on two feet!  
  

First Grade

1st Grade

favorite thing to do in school:  arts and crafts
least favorite:  I have no idea
favorite things to do outside of school:  ride my bike, swimming but riding my bike is WAY better (she never rides her bike)
best friends:   Lydia & Ayden (church), Dylan (cousin), Micah, Baylie
favorite thing to do with daddy: Color or watch something
favorite thing to do with mommy:  color
what do you like to do with your sisters? Belle: watch something; Abby: IDK... talk to her; Millie: play
favorite foods:  Pizza... dinner thing; lunch: tuna; breakfast: cereal; dessert: fruit ice cream
What would you like to be when you grow up?  A queen
who do you think you should marry?  someone super cute with blonde hair... we should have maids when we marry
How many kids would you like to have?  2... then he can have one and I could have one... one light blonde and one dirty blonde (I guess I've called her hair that)
Where will you live?  In a kingdom
What state?  South Carolina
will you have pets? what kind? how many?  no... maybe a beautiful kitty that is very beautiful
favorite sport?  I'm never going to do sports
Favorite restaurant:  mexican
Favorite vacation place:  It's like Georgia but it's not... that place we went with the salty beach... with the Georgia family
Where would you like to go on a vacations?  nowhere... I don't want to go somewhere I've never been

princess ballerina camp

This has been a tough transition for my "de-throned" baby!  She was seemingly ripped from her pedestal.  It was intended, but it's pretty much how it went down to a five year old baby.  We had a new baby and she lost her mom and dad for pretty much over two months.  It's good and bad that she is so open and honest about her feelings.  She is open about her dislike of our move and has been very vocal and naughty for a couple/few months.  We have been very patient and/or pretty much too worn out to address it too much, but that time did come to an end and we've had to "lay the smack down".  I don't like a season of discipline over positive reinforcements, but sometimes we have to do what the child needs rather than what I want.  She needed to understand her boundaries, and after a few weeks (who's counting) she's come back around to the sweet little lady we all adore so much! 

I don't want to beat a dead horse, but this is really how this went down...
Abby couldn't go to "camp" and I was very upset (as you may have heard before :) when Belle brought me an ad from a local magazine with a picture of a ballerina.  It was a princess ballerina camp!  Brilliant!  Belle said, "If we can't send Abby to camp, maybe we can send MA."  We took her advice and did just that!  We sent MA to Princess Ballerina Camp and she had a ball (pun totally intended)! 

We went out and bought her a leotard, tights and shoes.  She got to wear her hair up in a bun which happens to be her favorite way to wear it, and I finally allowed it... every day for a week!  She had so much fun and hopefully realized there are great friends to be made here :)  We did make some connections and loved our time at Princess Ballerina camp... we may even give it a go during the school year!

1st Day of School: Kindergarten

Kindergarten

favorite thing to do in school:  "Color, watching movies (we haven't done this), & nap time" (she did this in preschool when mom was substitute teaching a couple years ago)
least favorite:  "I don't quite know"
favorite things to do outside of school:  "I like watching tv, shows, movies, coloring, picking flowers, gardening, putting seeds in the garden, puzzles, jumping on the red chair, building a fort in the living room and doing art... and do you want me to show you my art?"
best friends:  Ashlynn, Ellie, Jaana & Belle is kind of my friend sister, Grandpa & Grandma, Tirzah, Selah, Andrew and Auntie... you (mom) & Dad... I have lots of friends!"
favorite thing to do with daddy:  "Go out... watch a movie... eat pizza.  At home with a stay date when he makes popcorn. With Belle but better just me. Coloring & Painting. Helping with his work."
favorite thing to do with mommy:  "Coloring. Going out. staying home and start watching a movie... just you and me when dad and Belle are out.  Pick flowers."
what do you like to do with your sisters?  "I like to jump on the trampoline with Belle and Abby.  I like to hide from Belle when she doesn't know I'm playing hide-n-seek.  I like coloring and painting with Belle.  I especially like just me and Belle jumping on the trampoline.  Jumping on the red chair.  Especially I like when I get to go on the slide... at the playground... and Belle likes it too.  I like to write on the fridge together. I kind of like when we do a fighting game."
favorite foods:  "Pizza... pepperoni, brussell sprouts, red pepper, mango, white cake"
What would you like to be when you grow up?  "I want to be in the farm with Belle and Tirzah.  I want to be someone's neighbor... and have kids.  I won't be a farmer but I will help them.  I will just help them as a person and I'll have a baby."
who do you think you should marry?  "a sweet boy"
How many kids would you like to have?  "five"
Where will you live?  "in a house... my husband will build my house to be my favorite color... blue.  He will build the stuff I tell him to.  We will have a house perfect for us... even our kids.  He'll build a crib... a lot of cribs... five cribs."  What state?  "Alaska"
will you have pets? what kind? how many?  yes... I will have a dog... or a poodle... or whatever I want... I will have to think about it when I grow up"
favorite sport?  swimming
Favorite restaurant:  "Ha! Ha! you should know... pizza... Sammy's pizza or actually all restaurants"
Favorite vacation place:  "South Carolina"
Where would you like to go on a vacations?  "The house where Belle was born"

she slays me... with laughter and tears

"Mom, Annabelle just threw this frog (stuffed animal) out of the car... I picked it up so it wouldn't be 'glittering'!"  She is saving the world :)

This one is a common occurrence around here.  MA making up songs and singing them once because she can't remember any of them to repeat them.  She makes them up as she goes.  while riding in the care the other day she asked Daddy the other day if he wanted to hear her sing "Praise the Lord."  Belle and I were both vigorously shaking our heads (no), but Daddy thought he couldn't say no with a title like that and he shot me a "How could you" look.  I responded with, "Seriously, you've never heard this song? It goes on and on and we've heard it WAY too much."  For some unknown reason he had missed it and let her go... in less than thirty seconds Belle and I had our "I told you so" faces and he just grinned and told his baby it was beautiful!  Daddy is a sucker for his girls!  Before you think me terrible for my reaction, we do indulge her daily; but one can only take so much and we were in an enclosed space and I wasn't in the mood to hear it again.  As you will see when you watch it, it is hysterical but after days (weeks) of it... you get where I'm going.  This version was entitled "Praise the Lord... and monsters"  I don't get it either.  She told Danielle that it was a bit of a scary song and she would need to cover her ears for part of it so she wouldn't be scared!  Here it is...

Once you've picked your laughing butt off the floor, I'll continue...
This video is MA interacting with the Giraffe on the ipad.  If you can't hear it or if you've never seen this app the giraffe copies everything you say...

Switching gears to another story...
The crowning beauty of this little love we are blessed by with an unending excess of love and laughter...
Abby is pretty grabby in general.  She's gotten MUCH better most days, but some days she's just relentless.  One day in particular she grabbed MA's hair really hard and she started to cry.  It so breaks my heart for so many reasons.  For the little girl who just wants her big Abby to interact with her but only gets hurt most of the time.  For Abby who really wants attention and to interact but does it so inappropriately so often, especially with her sisters.  My fear that MA will soon become a detached sister who avoids Abby rather than the little love who constantly hugs and talks to her.  Back to the story... When the tears stopped and Abby was finished being disciplined (we've always scolded her in hope that she will one day "get it" and also for the other kids' sake.  I never want other kids to think it's okay with us that Abby hurts them.  Abby may not understand the scolding but the other kids need to see that it's not okay.  MaryAlice wiped her tears and said, "Even when Abby hurts me, I still love her." 

Hospital visits

We realized MaryAlice was so comfortable in a hospital and/or nursing home while we spent a lot of time in both while visiting my grandpa before he passed.  We have a friend who is young and recently diagnosed with crohns disease and has spent a lot of time in the hospital. Belle is super uncomfortable in this setting (although she's gotten much better), but MA is hysterical in how much she doesn't care.  She climbed right up on the bed next to Gretchen and looked at the tube coming out of her nose and said, "your nose looks funny."

She thought she would sing to make her feel better...

a visit with Ms Jenna

Ms Jenna worked with Abby (technically), but it's never stopped the other two girls from claiming her... or most of the other girls that come over!  They know the girls are here to work with Abby, but they seem to find ways to connect and make some lifelong connections with these wonderful girls!

Ms. Jenna worked with Abby for at least a couple years, so when she comes into town she'll stop by for a visit.  This visit was particularly entertaining as MA was in rare MA form.  The first video is a cute knuckle bump explosion, but the second one kills me!  MA was so disturbed by Jenna tickling that she became adamant that she stop!  Watch this...