I Ate All of My Green Beans!

This week has been full of some interesting things.

Monday, Lilly went to Wacky School and learned about mimes, actors and actresses.  She loved the fact that they painted their faces with face paint (that is one of her favorite things). 

Tuesday, I made chicken with rice and green beans for dinner.  I rarely make green beans because she always says she doesn't like them and my husband doesn't care for them either.  As I was making my choice for a vegetable for dinner, I couldn't recall the last time she had even tried a green bean so I thought it was time for her to give it another go. :)  I gave her 5 or 6 on her plate and didn't even say anything about them - she knows the rule in our house (one bite for however old you are, for her that means 4 bites).  After a little bit, she says, "I think I ate them all!"  I look over at her plate and all the green beans are still there so I say, "You didn't eat any of them."  Then, I realize what she was doing, she was opening them up and eating the little bean inside like you do with edamame (one of her favorite vegetables).  I laughed and showed her that you have to eat the whole thing.  She ended up eating all of them with no fuss whatsoever, which is a huge accomplishment for her!  So, I made a big deal of it and sent a message to Daddy about it, called Nana about it, etc!  It was great!

Wednesday, I taught her how to do Sudoku using color blocks.  My purpose of teaching her this was to get her using her brain in a different way.  I thought for sure I was going to have to show her many times how I thought through the process of figuring out the puzzle, but she got it almost right away!  I couldn't believe it.  My next step, Sudoku with letters, I think she could handle it. :)

Thursday, my house cleaning jobs were sweeping and vacuuming the floors. I called Lilly down to help me and she says, "I don't know how to do those jobs."  So I respond, "I want to teach you how."  Then, she runs down the stairs with a big smile on her face - excited that her mommy is going to teach her to sweep with a broom and vacuum. Both were a little big for her, but she did great and gave it her best attempt - what more can you ask of her?

 

We have shag carpet and it is super thick so she was doing a great job given the task given to her!

Friday, we went to see the music group Stomp at the theater downtown.  It was so exciting to walk through the tunnels in downtown Houston and to see a show like that with her and her friends.  It was an awesome show and Lilly says her favorite part were the tubes that stretched in and out.

 

After the show we stopped and had Chick Fil-A for lunch:

 

 

In school we learned the verse, "Love the Lord your God with all you heart and all your soul."
We focused on writing our address and phone number. 
Also, we used the clock some more and practiced showing time to the hour and half hour. 

She really is a smarty and I'm so excited about this stage where she wants to absorb everything!

January 13-19, 2013

What is new with Lilly this week?  I am going to try to post a weekly blog of the fun things Lilly learned and said.

Spiritually:  In Children's Choir, Lilly started to learn how to look up passages in the Bible.
                    At home, we have been reading in the book of Luke (Lilly and I are studying it together).
                    We are making a lap book about Luke and she learned about John the Baptist, his parents
                    Simeon, Jesus in the temple and the Holy Spirit.
                    Our memory verse for the week was "Know that the Lord is God, it is He who made us."

Physically:  Lilly made it across the monkey bars all by herself on Monday.
                    She learned the beginnings of a cartwheel in gymnastics.
                   

Educationally:  We started telling time to the hour and half hour.
                          Lilly did a Science experiment on which liquids dissolve in water which was fun.
                        At Wacky School, she learned about Japan - words, culture, and food

                          We took a trip with some friends to the Children's Museum of Houston - there
                          were lots of things to explore there. 









 
Struggles:  Going to the bathroom constantly, Clinginess towards Mommy and thinking she is "entitled" to everything she asks for.

Other fun things:  Took Lucy to the dog park

went to a birthday party and completed an art project on lines using new oil pastels, eating and cracking her own crab legs for the first time

 

 

  went to Jumpalooza with both Mommy and Daddy as a part of our family fun day:

went to a home school play date at the park

and Daddy built her a gymnastics beam.

Funny sayings: 
Me trying to convince my husband that we should be able to have frozen yogurt for dinner, "We can get almost all the food groups there: fruit, dairy, protein with the nuts and chocolate has good fat, right?"
My husband, "Ummm..no chocolate is not healthy for you"
Me: "Lilly, Daddy says that chocolate isn't healthy for you, what do you think?"  (I was hoping she would help me win the argument so we could have frozen yogurt for dinner)
Lilly: "Umm, he's pretty much right, chocolate isn't healthy for you"

Lilly was sitting in the back of the car with her jacket on, "I'm really hot, but I can breath!"

A Look on 2012

I really don't like to brag about Lilly (except to the Grandparents), but this blog is about Lilly and how much she is learning and growing so this will be a bragging post.

Lilly has discovered that she wants to be a radiologists and take X-rays of people.

She can read short, simple books.

She can count to 40 without help and to 100 if we help her every time she gets to 49, 59, 69, etc

She is better at memorizing scripture than I am - she remembers many of the verses from Cubbies and has learned lots of new ones during our school lessons.

Lilly loves to go to the doctor and the dentist.  The nurses and doctors at each place are always so impressed with how much she knows about the tools they use and their job as well as how well behaved she is.

During gymnastics this year, Lilly was told by her teacher that she is stronger than most children her age and does her front supports (as well as some other moves) very well.  She loves going to gymnastics.

She knows names for lots of bones in the body.

Her imagination astounds me.  Lilly loves to play make believe.

In Sunday School, she listens and answers questions.  She is also respectful of the teachers and the students.

I just know she is going to invent something cool one day because she is always asking how to make things.  She loves to watch videos on how things are made.

Lilly is kind to her Lucy and loves to try and teach her new tricks.

I love the way Lilly thinks of others and remembers that guests go first at our house.

My husband and I know that we are truly blessed to have such a well-behaved, beautiful, healthy, imaginative, smart little girl.  She is an amazing gift that the Lord has given us the privilege of raising. 

This Too Shall Pass

I am praying this is a phase.  I am not sure what brought it on or how do handle it, but I know if I pray God will give me wisdom on the situation.

Normally, Lilly is an excellent sleeper, has been since she was born.  Sure, we have had the nights with bad dreams or not feeling well, etc but they were few and far between.  When those nights did occur, I was able to go up to her room and soothe her pretty easily before she would return to sleep. 

Lately, the tears start before I even leave her bedroom.  She doesn't want me to leave, wants me to stay in her room a little longer, she just wants "love" (fyi, any other time during the day when I try to cuddle with her, she will not allow it).  I know these are just her attempts to delay going to sleep, but I do end up staying a few minutes longer and giving her big hugs and kisses before leaving her room.  She still cries no matter how long I stay or don't stay in her room. 

Also, in the last few weeks, I have had to get up with her at least once during the night.  Usually, it is a scary dream.  I wouldn't have a big problem with it, except that it takes me quite a while (more than 15 minutes) to soothe her and get her calmed down enough to go back to sleep.

I know this will pass and I should enjoy the cuddles at night, but I do not want to create a monster to where it takes us more than an hour to put her to bed.  Should I be changing the routine at this age (almost 5)?  Our normal nighttime routine includes: Bible reading, prayers, 2 books and 2 songs and then I usually lie down with her for about 4 or 5 minutes. 

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanksgiving Journey

For Wacky School, the 4 friends and I went on a Thanksgiving Journey.  We started out decorating pilgrim hats and bonnets and talking about why the pilgrims left their home to sail across the ocean. 

Then, we huddled in the Mayflower (which was created out of a box) and talked about how the pilgrims and other people on the boat occupied their time during the 65 days journey.  We talked about it being cold and smelly and not fun.  Only our "trip" was fun because we made Mayflower boats using bananas, chocolate chips, peanut butter and marshmallows.  Yummy!

Next, as we arrived in Plymouth, I told the kids they had "build" their homes because that is what the pilgrims did.  I had 4 big moving boxes that each child got to decorate as their home.

Last, we each helped out in making a part of the Thanksgiving feast.  Some shucked corn, some put fish in the pan, and then we all gave thanks to God and ate our yummy food!