Lenore is FOUR!

Lenore Elaine turns 4 years old today. We celebrated with two parties yesterday--one for our friends and neighbors at lunchtime, and another for the grandparents and uncles at dinnertime. She was so happy to have so many people around to help celebrate her big day. When she woke up this morning, I told her happy birthday, and she immediately said she wanted to stay 3, instead. :)

Four Years Old

Her checkup appointment was this morning and went really well. The doctor said one of her ear tubes is still in place, and the other one is sort of floating around waiting to fall out. She still slightly has the sound of a heart murmur, but we've gotten the all clear from the cardiologist on that. Our pediatrician said it's normal to still hear that whooshing sound for awhile after. Everything else looks perfectly normal, which is always good to hear. She had to get 3 shots, which she was SO brave in taking, and she's all up to date until she turns 11 (minus the flu shot).

Waiting at the doctor with Uni the unicorn and her new Fingerling monkey.

Her stats:

Height:  41.3 inches tall [83rd percentile]
Weight:  41.23 pounds [87th percentile]

At 4, Lenore is...

• Such a 'strong, independent woman,' as Kevin calls her. She knows what she wants, she knows how to get it, and you better let her go ahead and do that if you know what's good for you. Not in like a spoiled/bratty way. Just that she is so decisive and stubborn once she's set her mind to something. I think this will take her far in life.
• She is kind. She loves babies and snuggles and animals and little tiny things.
• She does NOT like scary things. We went to Lewis's school's fall festival the other night, and she just shrieked and trembled at the kids in costume who were trying to scare us in the haunted hall. But she's so pragmatic afterwards--she said, 'I did not like that boy in the mask who tried to scare us by our feet.' She's not so hysterical that she can't make sense of it all, I guess. Also, we were out on the deck the other day, cleaning out a beverage tub for her party. There was a cave cricket in the bottom, so I touched it to make it jump out so I could wipe out the bin. It jumped toward her and all around her and back again, and she screamed and screamed. I was laughing so hard as she just kept jumping and screaming and jumping up on a chair. It was hilarious.
• She holds her own with Lewis. She will snatch something from him and run like hell, fully knowing he's going to be so mad, chase her down, and probably whack her. She keeps doing it, though. 
• She's really been big on imaginative play since school started again. I will be in the kitchen starting dinner, and I will hear her in her kitchen, working away as well. She also loves her dolls and loves walking them in a stroller or making food for them or food for us. She will sit for long stretches of time now and just play. She will make her toys talk and she will act out whole scenarios with them.
• She is writing her name, which seems impossible to me! And she's just really interested in letters, in general. She will see a letter and say, '__, that's in _____'s name.' Her preschool teacher is wonderful this year. She has writing homework every week and is getting stronger with tracing and holding a pencil (better with crayons, but getting better with pencil).
• She loves milk. When we go out to eat, she might choose Sprite or lemonade, but every other time, it's milk or water.
• She was a really good eater, but I would say she's gotten worse/more picky over the past few months. She will eat chicken nuggets until the sun goes down, but she gripes over grilled or baked chicken. She complains about pasta shapes (Lewis does that, too). Together, they combine to find something wrong with just about everything I cook. It's better some days than others, or I'm just becoming more numb to the complaining.
• She has been doing pre-ballet once a week for about 8 weeks, and we will finish that after two more sessions. We are either taking the winter off or looking into gymnastics. She is fearless and always has a scraped up knee or toe, so I think that would lend itself well to gymnastics. We will see.
• I am not sure what she is going to be yet when she grows up. I could see Lewis's engineering mindset from very early on. With Lenore, she has definitely always been a caregiver and 'little mama,' making sure everyone has everything they need (esp. Lewis). I could see her as a nurse or a teacher or something totally different--I'm not sure just yet. Maybe I'll have a better idea by next year. ;)
• She is wearing size 11 shoes and 5T or 4/5 clothing. 

That is our girl at 4! Life is fuller and happier and crazier than ever.