4

Carys!  You're 4!  How is that even possible?!  What's new, sweet Carysita?

Let me just say, you are a little ball of dynamite.  You are still a bitty little thing just now growing into your size 3 clothes.  But, you have personality oozing out of every pore.  You are not one to hide your emotions.  It is plain as day in your face and body language how you are feeling.  In fact, you stole the scene when movie making at Gulag P-pa.  During the pivotal attack sequence, when you ran out of water balloons, your entire body wilted to show your utter and abject sadness.  You dropped your water gun and sulked slowly off.  It was sorrowful and hilarious all at the same time.

Your personality plus extends to your penchant for fashion.  You will regularly change outfits two or three times a day.  Often, you will make some unusual, sometimes eye-watering choices.  But, you are always thrilled with how you look.  You've been known to leave the house in an assortment of mismatched patterns, colors and even two different shoes.  And, as your mama, I've learned to take a page from Elsa and just let it go!  Although I sometimes desperately wish I could buy you a pack of stickers to place on each outfit that state "I make my own fashion choices", I really do love your independence and your spunk.

You chose your own shoes to wear to your dance recital.

So, it's no surprise to say that you are very much a girly-girl.  You love all things to do with make-up and skin care and nails.  You often request for me to paint your nails, and you love it when I put a little blush and mascara on your face.  You were in heaven at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Disney World!

After about 7 months of speech therapy, you've become quite the conversationalist.  You've always chit chatted at home, but I think that you've definitely developed a lot more confidence now that you can be easily understood.  You still have a wicked Boston accent.  We have no idea where it came from, but you have the cutest way of saying certain words like door and car.  I'm going to be really sad when you outgrow this funny little quirk.  

You use your exploding vocabulary to draw us into your amazing imagination.  I regularly participate in conversations that start out like "What if we had shoes that could turn into a car that can fly?"  Then, you grin your widest grin and tell me "That'd be sooooo cool!"  

You had your first dance class this past spring.  It took you a while to warm up to the class, but after a couple of weeks, you really grew to enjoy it.  You are a bit of a perfectionist, and it was fun to see the concentration in your face as you watched your teacher.  And, in my humble opinion, you were the most precious dancer up on that stage.  

Your main interest, like most other preschooler girls, is princesses.  Your favorites are Cinderella and Elsa, but you chose to dress as 'Cindawelly' for your escapades at Disney World.  You can usually be found in some sort of princess costume while we are at home... and sometimes even when we are out and about.  When you are not playing princess yourself, you like to play mama to your princess dolls.  You are a sweet and caring mama to those lucky princesses.

Your newest interest, though, is building with legos.  You got two lego kits for Christmas, and were very excited to put them both together.  You proved early on to have a very analytical mind when you figured out to stack two stools together in order to climb up into the sink in the bathroom at 18 months old.  We discovered your innate abilities when you brought us a spaceship you made out of your imagination and the pieces from the mouse trap game.  Daddy and I were so surprised and proud that you came up with this on your own.

You were excited to be able to start AWANA this year.  You are in Cubbies, and you absolutely love it.  You are proud to say your verses and to earn patches.  I know you feel like such a big girl being able to start your own special activities just like your big sister.

Speaking of that big sister, you still absolutely adore her.  I've said it before, and I hope to be able to say it forever; your sister relationship blesses my heart in so many ways.  Yes, you guys have your disagreements, but you both love each other so much!  As a more mature (wink) 4 year old, you have now moved up into the loft bed with Cora.  In addition to the pride of obtaining this 'big girl' accolade, you truly love being close to Sister.  You snuggle up next to her every night.  Sister may pretend to be long-suffering in this arrangement, but it was actually she who requested you join her in the loft bed a few weeks before your birthday.  

In short, we are over the moon for our funny, spunky, smart and fashionable sweet Sissy!