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four and a half

June 20, 2011 By 21 Comments

I knew this day would come, but I didn’t realize it would be so soon.

In the past six months, you’ve changed before our eyes. You are taller than my hips now…inches of growth on the outside, miles of growth on the inside.

over her shoulder1 four and a half

You don’t hesitate to go anywhere anymore. You wave goodbye – confidence glittering from your fingertips.

You use big words to express your big feelings. “I’m disappointed that you said that,” you will say.

In the mornings, you choose an outfit, look in the mirror, and say, “Everyone will think I’m ten.” Or you ask what I am going to wear so we can match.

at the beach four and a half

We have conversations, you and I. People sometimes say that parents and kids can’t be friends, but oh-we-are. The best. I could sit across from you for hours – staring at your picture-perfect face framed with yellow tendrils, listening to your dreams for the future.

At four and a half, you are outgoing and observant. You want to be noticed, cherished, and loved. You are serious about your art. You sings songs about God and the Holy Spirit, creating lyrics and pairing them with an operetta tune.

serious in her glasses four and a half

You like cheese pizza, ice cream cones, watermelon, and plain noodles. You like restaurants, parks, and classical music. You write, draw, and paint – daily. Last night, you asked me if I would teach you how to sew.

It’s beginning. I’m needing to let go. You are becoming YOU. And what an articulate, admirable, attractive YOU…you are.

“We’ll always be best friends, right?” I asked you yesterday. “Yeah,” you said, “But when you get old, don’t just sit around and watch TV like some old people do!” I held back laughter, “I promise.”

When someone asks you how old you are, you always enunciate clearly, “four AND A HALF.” I understand completely why you do. That 1/2 makes all the difference in the world.

Filed Under: Letters To My Kids Tagged With: , ,

What We Wear :: Zutano

March 5, 2011 By 136 Comments

hand on the hip zutano What We Wear :: Zutano“Can you make sure to wash my prettiest dress before the dinner tonight?” she asks, seriously.

My heart smiles and aches at the same time.

At the tender age of four-and-a-half, she is so cognizant of beauty already. She carefully selects her outfits and brushes her hair every day (which IS gorgeous, by the way…perfect tendrils of blonde, framing her pixie face).

I watch her grow, her gangly limbs stretching out before my very eyes and her face gaining the nuances of youth (with only vague remembrances of babyhood). There are so many things I want to tell her about the nature of true beauty, so many hurts I want to protect her from.

I try to tell her in small pockets – that beauty is inside, that it is love, that appearances are deceiving, and that she is a treasure of infinite and indescribable worth.

And, in the quiet, after she is asleep…I pray that those whispers take root in her heart.

new matching zutano outfits What We Wear :: Zutano serious in zutano What We Wear :: Zutano strike a pose zutano What We Wear :: Zutano

My 4yo is wearing Zutano’s Heartly Long Sleeve Toddler Viola Top ($30.50) and Black Toddler Skinny Legging ($15.50).

My almost-2yo is wearing the Terry Toddler Hearts Dress ($36), also by Zutano.

Zutano offers colorful, bold, and photo-shoot-worthy clothes (newborn to 4T). Check them out on facebook and twitter.

zutano logo What We Wear :: ZutanoWIN IT! One winner will receive a $75 Zutano gift card! To enter, leave any topic-related comment on this post prior to Tuesday, March 15th at 11:59 p.m. All generic comments like “Enter me!,” “Love it,” and “Cool stuff!” will be disqualified. Winner must provide a US mailing address.

* Zutano sent me samples for review purposes and is also providing a gift card for the giveaway.

*UPDATE* The winner is #31 Becca. Congratulations!

Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: , ,

Four

September 9, 2010 By 34 Comments

age four serious flower in her hair FourCan it be that you – my rosy-cheeked baby with the long lashes and rose-petal lips – are four?

Four seems perfectly ancient. You are so serious now, so wise, so angelically beautiful, so delightfully good. You no longer have the baby cheeks, the tiny voice.

You have blonde curly locks, falling around your face in perfect formation. Your penetrating blue eyes can be scalding or scintillating, depending on your mood. Your agile limbs are long and graceful. Your voice is strong, your mind is quick, and your vocabulary is extensive. You pick up on most everything we say now and you correct us if we say things that we shouldn’t (“we don’t say ‘HATE!’”).

You aim to please, but you also want to know why. You are suspicious of strangers, but you are a very loyal friend. You are easy to take most anywhere.

For the record…

  • Favorite Colors: pink AND green [yes, pink snuck its way in...]
  • Favorite Foods: cheesy cheesy macaroni from Trader Joe’s, french fries & ketchup, anything with sprinkles
  • Favorite Books: chapter books (esp. Ramona) and Disney books
  • Favorite Things: wearing fancy dresses, playing with other kids, eating at restaurants, hiking, crafting, doing things you’ve “never done before“
  • Wake-up Time: Approximately 8:00am
  • Bedtime: Approximately 8:30pm
  • Skills: alphabet reciter, color-in-the-liner, super high jumper, fast runner, dextrous climber, able hiker and tricycle rider, book memorizer, expert tongue snapper (you can also spell your name and write several letters)
  • Strengths: willing to try new things, excited about life, enthusiastic about learning, forgiving, happy, smart, opinionated, gently directs friends to do what is right
  • Career Ambition: Doctor or Nurse

age four smiling flower in her hair FourSweet girl. Little Beauty. You are my firstborn, my friend. Four years ago, you turned my world upside-down and brought colors into my life that startled me with their vibrancy.

I can’t tell you how many times I look at you and my heart aches with pride. Just yesterday I told your dad, “She is one awesome kid.” And – seriously – you are.

I love you. I love watching you dazzle the world and fill it with light.

Filed Under: Meet Stephanie Tagged With: , , , ,