Four

Henry turned one yesterday and Mya turns four today. That was the fastest year to have ever gone by in my life! Now that she's four, she is quite keen on starting ballet. The ballet classes held here start at 4 years old so she's been told for awhile that she has to be four to go to ballet. What I don't think she'll understand is that ballet classes start in September and she'll still have to wait another six months. What a long six months it might end up being! It helps that we've hung a calendar in her room (we cross off each day before bed) to start teaching about time and days of the week.

It is unhelpful, however, that now she knows exactly how many days until her birthday and thinks it's a huge injustice that we aren't having a party on her actual birthday. Almost 4 year olds don't care that most people work on Thursdays and that it's more practical to hold a party on the weekend.

Now that she's a little bit older we're starting to notice more pieces of what makes her who she is and it is so mind blowing how much she'll take after either me or Adam. We play a good natured ongoing game between the two of us that keeps no score. When she does or says something that is straight out of Adam, I'll say "there's a point for you" and he'll do it back when she has a Mabyn moment. Where Mya is concerned, I'm usually winning and I get more than a few raised eyebrows and eye rolls my way for things like her almost neurotic attention to detail, the need for things to be 'just right' and how she'd rather not participate in something if it meant getting dirty.

I always had a feeling when she was a baby that when she got older, she'd be interested in the arts whether it be acting, dancing, singing, writing or actually making art. I'm starting to realize that that feeling wasn't far off. She loves dancing, she loves singing and coloring is a serious business in our house. All the crayons must be sharpened, and each color chosen with the seriousness of a surgeon selecting his scalpel.

As she gets older though, it's starting to really hit me what kind of impact I make on my daughter and how hard it is to raise a girl in this world who feels happy with who she is. We never want our daughters to feel like they aren't pretty enough or skinny enough or that the only way to be happy is on the arm of a guy despite what the media throws in their faces on a daily basis. Right now, Mya associates putting make up on with going to work because that's what she sees me do and for now I know I am still the biggest influence in her life but I know it won't always be that way.

Speaking of making an impact on my daughter, I love that she copies what she sees. For the most part. She breastfeeds her baby. She makes everyone supper in her little play kitchen. She makes grocery lists. Just another reminder that we are their first teachers.

Being four means doing things by yourself to learn how they work. Even if it takes twice as long to accomplish the task and frustrating your parents. No matter how many times this happens, it is still something I need to learn. She wants to buckle her own seat belt, pour her own cereal, make her own bed and help with the laundry.

She is definitely a girly girl who loves pink, purple and red. We are told regularly that those are her favorite colors. I love the simplicity of being a child. If someone else's favorite colors are also pink, purple and red then you're destined to be best friends.

This girl is smart as a whip and a hard negotiator. She finds loop holes in things you didn't know had loop holes in order to get what she wants and it cracks us up to find out she's much brighter than we give her credit for. And speaking of cracking you up, she tells a good knock knock joke too. However, she's at her most hilarious when she isn't even trying. That's a trait straight from her father.

She's the most affectionate child I've ever known, she takes a mean silly picture and she continues to teach us things every day. I don't know what my life would be if she hadn't joined our family 4 years ago but I know it wouldn't be nearly as hectic, tiring, silly, fun, rewarding or entertaining.

Cheers to you my beautiful girl!