Nothing but a 4 year old

 

 

In 2 weeks, she is will be 5 years old. That means, she has lived for 5 years. That means, I have been a mom… HER MOM.. for 5 years. Oh My Goodness!

to this day, my favorite ages/stages have been 2 weeks and also 1-2 years old. I love those ages. BUT, the past year.. with her being 4 years old, has been wonderful. Interesting. Eye opening. Amazing. and simply delightful.

The realness of it all: I have NO idea what I am doing. I got the baby thing down. I have been around tiny babies since my first babysitting job. I was a nanny to 3 little girls, the middle starting off as a baby and then the youngest being born and being with them for 2 years. I know the do’s and don’ts, it is natural. As for this older age. 4 years old going on 5 and now the years to come. Yea, I have no idea. I don’t know what right from wrong is. I don’t know how to handle certain situations. I don’t know if we argue like sisters or mom and daughter. I will be fine.. I have my confidence, God, and family behind me. It is just the honest truth. I have no idea how to be a mom to a 5 year old. (thank goodness I am blessed with an easy smart wonderful child)

The good parts: they outweighed the bad parts! She grew in so many ways I can’ list them all. So here are a few milestones if you will.. during the year of age 4

-reading

-adding single digits, and double +single digits, some subtraction

-swimming

-ballet, tap, jazz class (also, her first extra activity she picked out to do)

-vacuuming

-cleaning her room and making her bed without being asked

-Hawaii

-first plane ride

-got her first hamster

-first sitting with the Easter Bunny and Santa (other than Santa at 4 months old)

-snorkeling

-first time catching lightening bugs

-hit the 42” mark

-riding on a boat

-first hair wrap

-watching a movie/tv show that is not about teaching or in cartoon form

-first kiss (on cheek) by a boy.. although I do not like this I want to write it down

-first dog park

-first slide made from ice

-first time choosing a Halloween costume

-first haircut

-first camping trip

-spell/write entire name without asking for help

-seeing wild sea turtles

-first GA game with dad

-putting shoes on the right foot without help

-first dentist visit

-first set of headphones

-first show and tell

-big girl water slides all by herself

-caught her first fish

(Just a few pictures of some of the things listed- ill add more and some video later)

(4th Birthday)

 

 

(there are more and I will add them as I remember them)

so, as you can see, year 4 was a big deal. A really big deal! She is growing up, fast.. tooooo fast. I can not stop her growing up as much as I want to BUT, I can encourage her to continue to be the little amazing person she is turning into. I can and will continue to let her know how amazing, smart, and beautiful she is. I will continue to let her know how proud I am of her and how proud she should be of herself.

The honest truth:

I never thought I could love something or someone like I do her. The day she was born I was amazed by her beauty. I am pretty sure for the past 5 years, every day of her life, I have told her multiple times a day, how pretty she is. Now, 5 years later.. as she grows.. my love grows. HOW can my love grow from the day she was born when I loved her so much more than I ever thought possible?! I have no idea, but I do know that I love her more today than I did that day. There are so many more things to love about her. There is so much more of her to love. I am in love with the way she thinks. I love the way she looks when she sleeps. The way she is so literal about everything. The way she can be so literal but on the complete opposite end, be so creative. Her imagination amazes me. I am in love with those tiny little hands that still fit so perfectly in my hands. I am in love with the sweet heart felt little girl that enjoys going through her room to give toys away. I love how fast she catches on to things. I love the way she becomes so interested in trying and learning new things. Her thought process makes my heart warm. The way she can just understand things, with out without explanation. I love her silly jokes and cute screams. The way she TRIES to make me laugh on purpose. I love the way she appreciates. I love her personality, even when it is bossy or rude.. she is just trying to adjust to being a kid instead of a toddler. She is learning who she is and trying to figure out who and how to be. I love that change in her. The independence she has begun at age 4 and found at age 5, and now will continue to learn about in the next year. Her cute little face when she says: Mom, I just love you

4 years old brought so much new.. New things, New LOVE. and now.. knowing that she is about to be 5 years old. GEEZ .. I have no idea what to expect but my heart is open and ready for whatever the next year has in store for us! She has no idea my love for her!

I am so very ready to LOVE my chica even more!!

and so she says

 

 

7.13.2012

Sitting at dinner just hours after getting back from Hawaii

Mady: it just feels so good to be in Chattanooga

Me: does it feel like home?

Mady: ::as she looks down and thinks. and the sadly says:: no, Maui feels like home

 

 

7.31.2012
While laying down at bedtime:

Me: so, are you going to be good at Pax’s birthday party?

Mady: well yea, I am going to be Great actually

Me: oh really?! Awesome!

Mady: I just.. I just.. I just cant believe Pax is 4. She like, is getting so big and like I just cant believe it

Me: I know right?!

Mady: we will have to get her something for her birthday that is for big girls. I don’t know what but I will get the perfect present

 

 

 

Some time last week:

again, while laying down at bedtime: we started talking about going “up” to heaven

Mady: but mom, God is in the ground. That is what I keep telling you. And heaven is in the ground too

Me: no, your wrong. Hell is down and Heaven is up. God is up. You know this

Mady: I know. I Know. That’s what I said the last time

then I start to kiss her goodnight since our song is over.

Mady: wait, lets talk about this

Me: ok. lets talk

Mady: So Hell? That down?

Me: yes, and the Devil

Mady: I think you taught me this but I don’t remember but I learned that the Devil wants to be like God

Me: The devil wants you to do wrong things. Like if you lie or do something you are not supposed to, that is the devil and it makes God sad, and your heart hurt. So if you do what God wants you to do then you can go to Heaven. Except little kids, they go to heaven even if you make mistakes. People make mistakes.

Mady: So what does the Devil do when you don’t do what he wants you to do?

Me: well, I’d say it makes him sad .. and that is good

Mady: no, that is great!

Me: yea, that is great. When you get older you have to be the best person you can be. You have to do your best to do everything right. So when you are younger you have to practice doing everything right. But people make mistakes.. that is why you say you are sorry. Just like you tell me your sorry, you have to tell God you are sorry.

Mady: sometimes, when I am sorry, God just knows I am sorry

Me: true, because you are probably talking to him in your head telling him your sorry. And you have to always believe. No matter what you have to believe in God and Jesus

Mady: O’ I already believe

 

 

 

7.29.2012

While talking to Zak about our day. I started to correct Mady on what she was telling him. In the middle of me telling him the “real” story instead of “her” story, ::note.. I am sitting behind her so she can not see me:::  she lifts her pointer finger up towards the back of her (where I am sitting) and says SHUSH with a little head bob and 10 year old attitude.

Yea, that didn’t go over so well with Dad. As he is explaining why she will not ever do that to her mommy again and about respect.. it took EVERYTHING for me not to burst out laughing. You know me by now.. I think she is so cute when she is mad and even rude sometimes. I laugh inside constantly and it takes everything for me not to laugh in her face. Although it is not ok for her to act that way.. it is still so cute and funny. I mean, where would she get that from. I have NEVER SHUSHED her.

 

Side note:

her new thing-  if you know my chica, you know she is sensitive, emotional, (a cry baby would be the honest way of saying it although I don’t call her that.. although I want to because it gets annoying and silly and sometimes I think if I am just mean to her about it then she will stop since I have daily talks to her about it and am nice, understanding, firm, and everything else but mean) Anyways.. So, she is a little sensitive and always has been. That is not “new” but now she will say, when anything happens.. (if I smile, laugh, or giggle,

“it isn’t funny!!!!”   oh but if she knew the truth. It IS funny. REALLY funny. Some things ok, I see her point and I don’t want to hurt her feelings.. other things.. are you for real? you mean to tell me jumping in the pool with your stuffed bunny that you forgot you were holding wasn’t funny? You mean to tell me that walking and not watching where you are going and then walking into a door isn’t funny? You mean to tell me that sitting on your bed and just randomly falling off isn’t funny? You mean to tell me that dropping your grape, chasing it across the kitchen floor, then stepping on it and it squashing all over your toes isn’t funny? You mean to tell me that looking for something that you are actually holding isn’t funny? they are funny. it is all funny. so many things are funny. She Is Funny. and my little chica needs to lighten up!

{Day Seven} Hawaii

 

Before we knew it, before we were ready.. it was time to pack up and leave the Villa. Mady was the last one to shut the door and we said our goodbyes.

Although we had to check out at 10 am, our flight wasn’t leaving until 10 pm. This gave us a little extra time to enjoy the last bits of this beautiful place. Mom and Bob were staying extra days at the Hayatt after all the “kids” left. So we checked out of the villa and headed to the Hayatt.

The Hayatt has beautiful views, lush gardens, and amazing birds! Click below to check the birds out. (sorry for the photos that are turned.. my computer is being aggravating today and won’t let me put them the right way.

		The Hayatt’s animals VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

 

After they got checked in, we had some food and Mady went swimming with my mom. (our new tattoos kept us from enjoy the Hayatt pool.) There was a water slide that Mady did 22 times. YES, 22 times.. it was not a baby water slide either. Unfortunately I was busy shopping while they swam and did not get any pictures or video of her sliding.

Kayla and I took a photo here 8 years ago.. Ill have to find the picture

Mady Daddy Dance

This is roger. She has been part of the Hayatt forever. She is slightly famous and such a character. She laughs, talks, dances, and I am sure many other things I didn’t see.

dance roger!

 

We headed to the airport a few hours before and sadly waiting to catch our flight out of Maui. Mady was asleep before the plane even leveled out from take off. (lucky us) She slept the entire way to Arizona and then again from Arizona to Atlanta. She was a bit sleepy and cranky at the Arizona airport but then it again it was 7 in the morning (their time) I had maybe 2 hours total of sleep while Zak had maybe 1 hours of sleep.

When we got home, Mady wanted to go out to dinner (of course she is hungry) so we showered and headed to out. It has taken us {M and I} a while to get back on schedule with sleeping. In fact the next day we ALL slept in until 2:00 pm. I actually had to wake Mady up that morning afternoon and all we did was lay on the couch and watch movies. I can’t believe it has already been one week since we got back. I could leave tomorrow for Maui and never look back!

Story Time-

as we were leaving the villa, Mady went to say buy to everything. Then she got on her bed and cried. She did not want to leave at all! She fell in love with Maui and told us/tells us how she wants to live there. Who knows, maybe future plans will take us there for even just a year or so. Dreams do come true!

SHOUT OUT!

Mom and Bob. I can not express how thankful we are for this trip. Yall have created memories for us 3 (and us 10) that we will always appreciate! Mom, I know you put a ton of work, planning, stress, (money) and love into this trip and it showed ever second of every day. The trip so so smooth and amazing. More than I could have ever asked for! I am so blessed to have yall in our life (for many reasons) and it was wonderful to share that week with yall. Again, thank is not enough but THANK YOU! We love yall with all our heart!

now, lets start planning next time please..