The Big 4-Year-Old

Ella Ann turned 4 on Monday. I cannot believe she is FOUR. Where has the time gone? I know it's only going to go by even faster the older she gets and the busier we get. She is a one-of-a-kind little girl and when God gave her to us He blessed us beyond belief. She is a precious, caring, sweet, compassionate, independent, beautiful little girl and we love her to pieces. Of course I have mentioned that she is very, very stubborn, head strong and set in her ways....already...hmmmmm....don't know where she got that from. Now that she is getting older she can pretty much take care of herself, which she has really been doing since she turned 3. She rarely wants help with anything and what I hear out of her mouth the most is, "Noooo! I CAN DO IT!" "Okay, you do it then," is my usual reply....this always means I have to add in 5 extra minutes to whatever I was doing or wherever we were going because just because she wants to do "it" doesn't mean she's speedy. I love it, though. I enjoy watching her in action and doing her thing. In the evenings we tell her to go put on her pjs and off she goes. She then will brush her teeth without us asking, get her books out that she wants to read for bed and is ready for us to read to her each night. She brushes her teeth in the morning, dresses herself, puts all her own shoes on, lines up her backpack, ballet bag, lunch box and shoes at the door each night before school. I rarely have to ask. She also makes her bed each morning, but sometimes this task requires some nagging! She enjoys helping me prepare food and bake...her favorite! She is learning how to crack eggs...yeah, it's not messy at all! Ella Ann also helps me set the dinner table, takes her plate to the table, cleans up after herself and helps me clear it. She loves to dress up in at least 5-8 wardrobe changes a day, including an array of costumes, jewelry, shoes and head gear. Ella Ann loves anything to do with arts and crafts, markers, coloring, glue (the fav) and paint. She is really into princesses too, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Ariel. Today her favorite is Ariel, along with dinosaurs...which she told me at rest time today. When she dresses up in a princess costume, she will sashay across the house while waving her magic wand. Her saying of choice while waving, "Bippty Boppity, Boo! Glory to God in the highest!" She's a nut, what can I say? She loves, unfortunately, to endlessly tease Rane. She will throw a ball and say, "Go get it Rane!" Baby Rane will dash across the room on all fours only to have Ella Ann swipe it away right in front of his face. He doesn't mind, though....yet! He just smiles at her! Ella Ann also loves to make up songs all. day. long. She sings super loud too. It usually involves "praises" to God, songs about painting (if she's painting), food (if she's eating), nature, animals, etc. You name it, she will make up a song about it. The other day at Target she was loudly singing one of her songs and a lady passed by and said to me, "I wasn't expecting a concert at Target today!"

I love this little girl and I am thankful for her and all of her quirks and qualities each and every day I have with her.


In the below pictures (an added bonus to you!) Ella Ann and Rane are playing in her "house" that Spencer made out of a lawn mower box. I colored on it last night so now it has grass, flowers, windows, a TV and a sidewalk. They are in it every day and love to hide in it. Rane decided to eat a toy cookie. Eventually he put the entire thing in his mouth! It looked like he was trying to swallow a hockey puck! He is SO funny!

Of course Ella Ann was the one to give it to him!