Taya recently turned 5. (And she just started Kindergarten!!!) And to continue the kick-start of what I want to make tradition (like I did recently with Dyllan), below is her '10+ Things I Know About You' list. But first, a ton of pictures capturing the last several months of her being age 4. :)
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Princess Party!
Goofball in the Botanical Gardens of St. Louis, MO.
Marilyn Monroe moment next to the St. Louis Arch.
Face painting=extreme contentedness for Taya.
Lots of swim lessons this summer. : )
Crazy hair day at dance camp!
Dance camp performance!
She adores her daddio and loves playing with him any chance she gets. I'm glad they have such a good relationship. : )
An early firework shot off while waiting for the real show on the 4th of July.
Silly lady ...
10(+) Things I know about you Taya ...
Your favorite dance move in your repertoire is to do a killer hand on the hip, head down, sassy pose. You must pull that card about 15-20 times per song. ; ) And it's soooo cute, I mean sassy.
You teach a very proper and informative pretend sunday school lesson.
You love to comfort others. If another boy or girl is upset about something, or has hurt feelings, you like to put your hand on his/her shoulder (sometimes), and tell them it's okay, and then come up with an idea of something to do or give them that might cheer them up.
You also like to run the show, much of the time. You've got lots of ideas and lots of originality. Some of your friends like for you to run the show, and some of them prefer to run the show as well ... which makes for interesting times ...
You have the hugest smile once you see me pull up to pick you up from kindergarten each day.
You loooove kindergarten. You're making friends quickly, which you always have (this quality will always be such a blessing to you - not everyone has this ability). You love to tell me what you did that day, what number ranking your day was & why (that's our little routine - a scale where 1=worst, 10=awesome). And you love the songs they sing with you.
You love the feeling of doing grown up things. This is more fun to you at school with your practical life skills (cleaning, jobs, etc., that they have you do) than doing it repetitiously at home (ie. put dishes away? = onslaught of whining).
You love working with your hands. Tracing, coloring, crafting, wiping, scrubbing, brushing, anything 'hand-ing'.
You love our games of 20 Questions, I Spy, and Name That Tune, and often initiate them on our car rides.
You like to sing, and know many of the songs I sing to you girls at night (I love to See the Temple, You Are My Sunshine, I Am a Child of God, Summertime, Dixie Chick's lullaby...). You join in with me on almost all of them these days.
You love to swim. Though you sometimes complain when you find out you have a swimming lesson, you're all smiles and giggles in the pool. You're doing great at it too. I'm really proud of you.
You like to make cards and gifts for your friends. If only I were as good about mailing them and carrying it out as you are about suggesting them ... : )
You love to Skype with your grandparents, cousins, and a few good friends too. Half of the skyping session turns into exchanges of silly faces, if you have willing participants. : )
You are proud to have learned to ride your two wheeler this past winter. You picked it up so fast once you tried it; I had no idea you were so close.
You do a great pretend photographer. And you do it often. ... Squinting your eye just so, turning any willing and nearby object into a camera and telling your pretend or real subjects to pose this way and that way...
You are becoming a bit of a better eater despite a tiny appetite. Things you like that you didn't use to: carrots, you've gotten better with green smoothies, and lettuce.
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I love this girl so much. I'm proud of the great big sister that she is and how she is learning to help around the house more and more. It's so nice to see her just loving kindergarten too.
