Elena 4.5 years

Elena has grown into a determined, intelligent and loving little girl. She is so empathetic and looks out for her friends and of course her little sister. She has a tender spirit that is very impacted by those around her and seems to draw friends near. After a recent morning playdate, I got a text from a mom that Elena had helped the little girl walk into the school for the first time without her mom, holding her hand and coaching her along the way. I am so proud of her for moments like this, and hope that she continues to look out for others and bring such happiness through her infectious smile and laugh.

She is very determined to master everything put in front of her, whether that is a puzzle or her homework packet. In one sitting she will sit down and complete all of the “fun” worksheets that are supposed to last her a month. From mastering writing in upper case, to learning her name in lower case, or counting to 100, she is very honed in on learning and improving every day. She is starting to try and read and write, most recently drawing a picture of a flower and then writing underneath it “flowr”. Little by little I see the student continuing to flourish inside of her and I hope she continues to love learning. At her recent school conference her teachers said she was such a joy to have in class, always with a smile on her face and looking out for her fellow students.

On the physical side, 4.5 has brought Elena into her own. She loves running and has really taken to tennis asking to take two sessions in a row. She is climbing really well and loves to practice her gymnastics moves that her friends teach her. Over the course of the summer she got really good at riding her bike and asked to take the training wheels off, but I think we will wait until next year for that one.

Her determination and funny sayings continue. Recently we lost her dad’s iPad and she kept asking to play a game on it (a rare treat). One day I finally told her that if she found the iPad then I would let her play a game on it. It shouldn’t have surprised me when 30 minutes later, Elena walked in carrying the elusive iPad. This persists in even everyday life as she goes from being a preschooler to a kid, she now gets herself dressed in the morning and ready for bed at night, sometimes saying she will go upstairs and “put myself to sleep”. Slow down time, slow down – I am not quite ready to say goodbye to bedtime snuggles and cuddles.

On the funny side of life, some recent good ones from Elena have been:

While putting Hannah down for a nap and getting ready to play with her, she said “If Hannah wakes up just give her something to drink and see if she goes back down”

While taking her baby dolls for a walk she picked up her pretend phone, and said “Shh, I just have to take a quick work call”

After overhearing some of the bigger kids talking outside, she said “Mom can I have a sleep under?” What’s that I said, to which she responded “It’s like a sleepover with jammies and staying up late but then you sleep at your own house”. Is this a thing or did she make this up?

She continues to love to sing and dance, belting out “Fight Song” and singing it on repeat (much to the joy of her father) and continues to belt out lyrics even if she gets the words wrong sometimes, aka “Call me Maybe” does not equal “Call me Navy”.