Adeline is growing up

So I have to note some special moments of Sweet Adeline after noting Essie.  She is now 3.5 yrs old.  She is a doll.  So smart.  She love books.  I mean LOVES books.  She reads them to herself, she wants every books she sees.  In the doctors office we have to read a million books and if they call us back quickly then we take several back to the room with us.  She loved the idea that bryan dedicated “his book”/phd to her. 

On the cruise she struck up a deep conversation with Sassy about making bad choices.  Asking my Mom if she makes bad choices.  She said yes, we all do.  Adeline said she does too, but that she tries to make good ones.

I recently asked her what her favorite thing about our family was.  I had no idea what her answer would be.  She proceeded to say Meme, Papa, Momma, Daddy, Sassy, Grandpa, Andy, Sandy, Essie, Annie, Chad and Calhoun. 

Tonight we were reading a book by Margaret Wise Brown “I Like Stars”  she quickly said “she also wrote Runaway Bunny”.  I could hardly believe it.  What a little sponge.  We really need to be filling it up with lots of good stuff.  Rather than her saying “what the heck” I think we are doing pretty good.  I have written down her cubbie verses (Awana class at church) on index cards and posted them on a narrow wall by her room door and she loves to stop and recite them just before bed.  I pray it is that she is drawn to God’s word, but it may be to postpone bedtime.  Whatever the reason it is all good. 

She is very much an extrovert, but is rather shy when we arrive anywhere that has more than one family (3-4 people) there.  When we caught up with my family on the ship it took 5-10 minutes before she would show her eyes.  She was sooo excited.  Give her the time she needs and she comes right out of her shell.

She is the princess of all princesses.  She loves them all: Cinderella, Aurora, Bell, Tiana, Snow White, Ariel.  She knows all that start with the letter A.  She loves to dress up.  Every day she does so at least once.  Last night she slept in 2 skirts along with her Jam-Jams. 

We have some lovely amaryllises blooming and have had a ton of fun watering them, watching the roots grow, then the leaves and now the blooms. 

She loves swinging.  Papa does the best “under dogs”.

She is a great helper and offers to help make lunches regularly. She throws out many dirty diapers for us.  She lets me know when Calhoun has something he shouldn’t.  She recently was yelling for me like crazy and then said “Essie hurt her little fingers” in such a sweet caring way.  She protects her sister.  Some times a little too much protection.  But this is probably to make up for the times she pushes, pulls or bumps her to fall.  We are now watching Adeline pester Essie as she tries to play with her.  Essie has no clue and this is likely what adds to the difficulty in her playing with Essie in that Adeline is more in her way.  She loves her ice cream.  She has an extensive vocabulary and great sense of humor.    She loves her baby dolls, pink blankey (she calls it “fuzzing” when she rubs the blanket between her fingers as she falls asleep).

We have made friends with The Tilley family.  Claire (6), Gracie (4), Kate (17mo), their mom/wonderful friend of mine Jill and dear husband Rob.  Adeline was asking if they were going on the cruise with us.  She also wanted to introduce them to the princesses (I guess a little pride there that she knew them enough to do so, but this was going to be their first trip to see them a couple weeks ago).  She also recently asked if she could be a Tilley.  Not just go with them, but clearly be one.  It was just so sweet to see even at 3 how important friends are in your life.  If being friends means taking their name, then I too would want to be a Tilley.  Gifts from God to us in the past year.  We play with them almost weekly and or minimally see them at Choir which here lately has lead to rolling down a hill and running around outside after.  Girl power let me tell you. 

My beach bum: