Big Girl

My sweet friend, Chantal Reed took some beautiful pictures of our girl a few weeks ago.

 My only complaint is that she looks too old :)

One of the greatest things about being a parent is watching your child's personality develop and having conversations about what's important to them. It is such a joy to watch Tink and see her grow in responsibility, care for others, and see her imagination at work. She is already a book lover, a great big sister, and does her best to obey with a happy heart. She loves to play by herself as well as with her brother and friends, and has quite the imagination! We couldn't be more proud of her, and can't wait to see what the coming days and weeks bring as she continues to grow. Here are just a few things I managed to capture about Tink

 She loves to help me in the kitchen - cooking, putting away dishes, and washing veggies are a few favorites

 This girl LOVES to learn! We have "school time" every afternoon, and she is quick to remind me if I get sidetracked. We are working on letters and sounds, calendar skills, writing, cutting, and other things that I find online. I love that she's having as much fun with it as I am. She often asks if her brother can join us, which I'm sure he'll do soon.

 In September, Tink started attending a dance class with one of her friends. They have 15 minutes of ballet, 15 minutes of tap, and 15 mintues of tumbling. She LOVES every minute, and can't wait to show us what she learned when we get home.

 Tink can literally sit for almost an hour with books. Sometimes when I go to get her out of bed, she tells me that she needs a few more minutes to finish a story. Disney Story Collections are her current favorite, I think because they last so long. She goes between looking at the pictures quietly, retelling the story using the pictures, and making up completely new stories about the characters (which can be quite interesting if you ever have the chance to lend an ear). She also has a new interest in following along to stories on CD.

 This is a picture of the first day she got dressed completely by herself. She is growing more and more independent every day, and is very proud of it! (I'll have to share a picture soon of the pajamas she picked out last night - they were a hoot!)

 Another thing Tink is COMPLETELY into - pirates! We started watching Jake and the Neverland Pirates, and she was "hooked". She loves to dress up and play, and even taught her brother to say, "Argh, Mateys!" (which sounds more like "Arrrr, Mameys!" when he says it)

Tink sometimes wakes up before I finish my quiet time, and I let her join me while I finish. She asked for her own journal and pencil, and has started to sit awhile "writing" each morning, even when I finish before she's up. I sometimes ask her to dictate a bit so that I can record what she's writing about. Lately, it's been dolpins and whales ...

Tink, you bring absolute joy to my heart, and I am having the best time watching you learn and grow! I love you more than coffee,

Mama