Ella Kate is Three!

Dear precious Ella Kate, 

We just celebrated your third birthday, and I've thought so much about how good God is to bless our family with you.  You bring so much life and fun to our family. Your grandparents asked what to give you for your birthday, and I told them that you like doing things more than toys and suggested gymnastic classes and a trip to Chuck E Cheese.  You received both, and you immensely enjoyed your first "him-nas-tic" class.

Your third birthday party was a water party with sprinklers, water balloons, and a plastic pool with a slide. You love the water and the beach, and of course, you love cupcakes too. You asked for my little ponies to be your party decor.

You're such an interesting child.  You can be so fearless, yet you still cry almost every Sunday when I leave you for Sunday School. You'll start preschool this fall and go on Tuesday and Thursday from 9-2. I pray you will enjoy it and adjust well.     

You speak so clearly for your age, enunciating each word; so many people notice this about you.  You can also be very dramatic.   On occasion you break our get-out-of-bed without an emergency rule, and you'll declare "But mama, I'm SO frightened." 

You are a rule pusher and bender.  You can spot a loophole a mile away, and you are not afraid to use it.  You may have gotten that from me! You're clever, and you keep us on our toes. You're a fast runner, a good climber, and pretty tough.  

You love to eat, and we have no idea where you put all of the food that you consume! You're so petite, but it is not uncommon for you to out-eat me at a meal.


You gave your beloved pacis to Campbell this spring, and we were so proud of you! The transition went really well given your deep affection for your "pap pap."





Highlights of this past year include you being a flower girl in Bess (your favorite babysitter) and Barrett's wedding. You especially loved the reception and dancing and said "I want to stay at this party ALL NIGHT LONG."  But we didn't because you needed your sleep! You also transitioned so well to your big girl bed that your Daddy made for you. 

We hope your third year is wonderful and love you so much.


Love,

Your Mommy

p.s. Ella Kate just turned 5, so I figured I better finish this half written letter.  It's a good thing I email myself notes about her as the year progresses :)

Jackson is Four!

Dear Jackson,

You seem so tall these days, but you're still at 50th percentile for height and weight.  This year you had specific requests for your birthday: you wanted a bounce house party with no big kids and a Spiderman cake. Our neighbors gave us a bounce house, so it was easy to accommodate your party request.  It's funny that you wanted a Spiderman cake because you are completely uninterested in Spiderman otherwise; your request was probably a result of Grandma showing you cakes on Pinterest.



We enrolled you in preschool last fall because we thought you would enjoy it, and to our surprise and disappointment, you really didn't like it.  You never cried and didn't have separation anxiety, but you told me several times that you didn't like school and would rather be with Ella Kate and me.  After a month of preschool you woke up screaming one morning, and when I went to your room you couldn't open your eyes.  I tried a warm compress and even prying your eyes open, but you kept crying.  It was terrible.  After 10 minutes and a quick google search, I said "Jackson, if you don't want to go to school today, you don't have to go."  And voila! Your eyes opened.  And that was enough for us to withdraw you from preschool since we were only sending you for fun (and hadn't been crazy about your teachers either).  This fall you and Ella Kate will both go to preschool at a more low-key church preschool, and we pray it will be a better fit.


I asked you a few questions as I was writing this and here's some favorites:

Favorite color: red
Favorite friend: Betsy
Favorite things to do: Eat ice cream and play outside
Favorite food: broccoli

Just FYI, I do not think broccoli is your favorite food, and there are many desserts you would choose over ice cream :)  When asked "what do you want to do when you grow up?" you have recently been saying that you want to be a "daddy." When asked "where will you work?" you have responded "Kentucky" since your father worked there so much during his training.  

You continue to love your sister, animals, continents, and to bring us all so much joy. You're very smart and know much more about animals than the typical 4 year old (or adult for that matter).  You are in a Sunday School class with your teacher Ms. Jan and love playing with your sister and friends. Ms. Jan called a bird a "parrot" one day in Sunday School, and you told her it was actually a macaw.  You can be so precise.

We love you very much,

Mommy

p.s. I figured I better publish this since Jackson will be 6 in less than a month :)