Four Years Old

May 17, 2011 - Evelyn's Fourth Birthday

What a grown-up girl she has become in just four short years! Although there are still many things that are daily frustrations in parenting a 4-year old, I am so proud of all the ways Evelyn is growing and maturing.

She's beginning to make insightful observations - often coupled with numerous questions! Although her constant questioning and "whys" often drive me up the wall, I do hope this trait will serve her well as she matures. I don't want to stifle her inquisitiveness, after all that's what leads a person to discover new things. But boy do I need wisdom on how to teach her how to be thoughtful in her inquiry!

She's also picking up writing - mostly through her own initiative since I don't make it a point to sit down and have her practice writing or sounding out letters. She's been able to write her own name for a while and is now always asking how to write other people's names. She's gotten pretty good at being able to make many letters on her own.

She's a very devoted sister to Isaiah, and although there is competition and fighting, many times they are so sweet in their interactions.

Other things she loves are singing (I often hear her singing songs to herself that she's learned or mixing them up into something completely new!), reading books (both kids will sit and demand stories until you a hoarse!), running, swinging and swimming.

We were privileged to have Jeremy's parents in town for Evelyn's birthday, so as part of the festivities we made a trip to the Space Needle and rode the elevator up to the observation deck. Something she's wanted to do for a while now! We kept it a surprise and even though the day didn't turn out sunny, Evelyn still had a wonderful time.

First Birthday

We celebrated Evelyn's 1st birthday on Sunday. Her birthday is really May 17, but Sunday seemed to be the best day for a party. We had a few friends and family over to help celebrate the occasion.

Evelyn loved every minute of it! Her favorite thing is to be around other people, especially when she is the center of attention. She got lots of it too!

The weather was perfect! We had a few days of sun and warmer temperatures over the weekend. Saturday was a scorching 90 degrees, but Sunday was just right - a bit cooler and nice enough to be outside. Once Evelyn got over the prickly-ness of grass she expanded her borders off the blanket.

She even had a buddy to play with. One of my old co-workers came with her husband and 9-month old baby boy Gabe. Even though he's 3 months younger he about matches Evelyn pound for pound.