Rebecca,

Just earlier this week I was sitting and holding you, marveling at how long your legs have gotten and how big your hands are.  I think very soon I'll be needing to move you up to the 18-24 month clothes.  It's amazing how fast you have grown, or maybe it's just become more evident to me, since you have been away.

You are very loving, and go to almost anyone, but still seem to be a bit of a Momma's girl.  You did well, with your first time away from me.  You spent about 2.5 week with Grumps and Ahna, before I came down, then we spent another 2 weeks with Memaw and Mister.  You seemed to go with the flow, and adjusted well, being out of routine.  I was worried with all the rocking you to sleep to music that we would have trouble getting you to bed when we got home, but we didn't. You love the attention you get from everyone at Church, and were especially animated to see Bro. Jonathan when we got home.


You also have a jealous streak, you don't share well, particularly with other girls.  You seem to get easily aggravated with things that Ruth does in play.  You shove her away if she wants to sit with me, and just get very flustered with her.  I hope it is temporary.  You see I wanted a sister my whole life and never got one, and I hope you and Ruth can be close and loving.  You don't seem to mind to share with Britt so much.  When we were in Florida I noticed you were kinda that way with all of the other girls.  No one else could sit with which ever aunt you were with at the time.


You are developing preferences and telling us about them.  You love necklaces and randomly dig them out of the dress up drawer to wear, like this morning.  You like to be read to so long as it is speed reading.  You also, like to sit and "read" to yourself as you mutter, nod, and turn pages.  Your favorite thing to play with is your baby doll, a cup and a spoon.  You rock and feed her and like to put her to bed.  You are also still a big thumb sucker and want taggie when you get ready to go to bed.


We have been a little too lax on you with something not demanding of you what we did of Britt.  It is hard to forget that you can do better, when you aren't very verbal.  It tricks me into thinking that you are more of a baby than you are.  We are working on that.  We have been working with you a while on sitting quiet and still in Church.  I feel like you are to a pretty good level with that for your age, and we aren't having to take you out so much now, once in the last four Sundays.  I'm really working with you on screaming "No" at me in a hateful tone when you don't get your way.


You are a little more talkative now than you were.  You say can say "bye," "hi," "meow" (for every animal under the sun), some times you will "ruff-ruff" for a dog, and are attempting to make a quacking sound for duck. "No" and "Ma-ma" are still your clearest words, in the last week I've picked up the fact that you say a short "Dae" like an old English pronunciation for Daddy. You are saying "Dat" for that and there, to help us figure out what you are wanting, and when you are finished or giving us something back.  You nod very enthusiastically saying "yah ma" for yes ma'am, say "ease" for please, and "day 'ou" for thank you.  Sometimes you say something that sounds like ah-oh, when you drop things.  I guess that puts you up to 11 "words" now.


I continue to be amazed, despite your limited vocabulary just how much you understand.  I can ask you to do so many things and you hop right to it.  You pick up toys, with your siblings.  If I ask if you are finished eating, and if you are you will nod, "yah ma", and pass me your plate.  You wipe your face and hands if I tell you that you have a messy mouth.    If you are getting fussy and I ask you if you want to take a nap you will go and get taggie and come to be rocked.  Starting on Sunday night, we told you it was bedtime, and you started giving out squeeze and grunts, a few kisses, and after several passes, started up the stairs and got in to bed, where you waited for Daddy to change your diaper before rolling over to go to sleep.  You run up and down stairs like a pro, and even carry things with you sometimes now.

Ruth,

As Daddy gets you off to bed, I cannot believe that your 4th birthday has come to a close.  I can still very vividly remember being in labor with you, it was all a walk in the park till the last excruciating 20 minutes.  It's an apt description of your personality as well, all easy peasy until it really ain't.  You have so much love and care for others. You cry over the smallest troubles, and genuinely care for people.  I love to listen to your prayers at night, and the people you feel need to be added at the end.  On the other hand, when someone displeases you that fiery temper flares up and WATCH OUT!

Physically you are doing several things that you weren't before.  Immediately after your 3rd birthday, you potty trained with practically no effort in a week.  You are thrilled with having your own bed, and your own room, and have no problem sleeping alone (unlike Britt still at 5.5).  You are getting an outfit out of the drawer and getting dressed with no help, other than your tennis shoes.  You have a vivid imagination, and I love to hear your games and conversations between your toys.  You are also not only interested in helping, but getting better at helping out around the house with both washing a few dishes, and pulling weeds in the garden.  Another big change for you this year, is your speech is so much clearer.  I don't believe you are behind at all now with pronunciation, and to be truthful, your vocabulary is probably ahead of grade level.  You have a thick Southern accent on your vowels (not that your Momma minds one bit), and when you are excited you trip over your words trying to get a thought out, but most people don't have too much trouble understanding you these days.


You and Britt remain very close, but you have been butting heads more than usual over the last several months.  Of course you've been butting heads with alot of us lately.  I suppose it's not easy to be turning four.  You fuss at him for not playing the way you want, but two seconds later, are begging him to come back and play.  At one moment you are jealous that Britt is doing school and you beg for new school books of your own to learn to read and do math, then the next you insist that you don't like reading, and that you'll just always make me do your reading for you.  Everything is very back and forth with you.


One big change from last year, is how you interact with your sister.  You were initially somewhat distant with her, only seeing what she couldn't do, and not sure what the big deal was about having another baby.  Now you are eager to play with her, help her with things, and sit and talk to her for the longest time.  You often ask when we can have another baby.  She's not as enthusiastic with you making over her, but it doesn't seem to put a damper on your enthusiasm.


We are looking forward to another year of school starting up next week or so.  You are telling everyone who will listen that you are in Kindergarten just like Britt.  I did very little with you last year, mostly giving you coloring sheets and including you in our reading.  Your coloring is amazing, and your way better than your brother at it.  You retained as much and sometimes more than Britt, so since you demanded more, I've got some things to try, we'll see how far it goes though.  You have recently begun begging to have your ears pierced, I'm ready to take you, but Daddy isn't quiet there yet.  You have also asked to play softball and go to dance.  I'm not sure I'm ready for either yet, but I am going to do some looking around.

One area that we have talked about alot lately, that I plan to work with you more on is an attitude of thankfulness.  We've talked alot about having a happy heart and not an ugly heart.  We've talked about how whining comes from an ugly heart, and not being thankful.  I know this is an area that we never fully master, but I think it is an area that you MUST improve in, that you should have a better handle on.  There is nothing more unattractive than an ugly attitude, no matter how many other things you have in your favor, you will not go far in a job, in a relationship, in life if you can't find a way to control and tame your own attitude.  Daddy and I love you little girl, and only want the best for you. We thank God for you and pray that He blesses you to continue to grow in grace.

Love,
Momma