4 years old

Last week Abigail and I were counting the days until her birthday on the calendar.

me: I can't believe you're getting so big!
we think.
her: Are you going to miss your baby?
I grin.
me: Yes, I am.
her: But it's okay, because kids have to grow up?
me: Yes, they do.

Our little girl is now 4 years old and treasured greatly. Here are some details about her.

• 41" tall (75th percentile)
• 36.5 pounds (50-75th percentile)
• Last time to the doctor: over a year ago, for her 3 year check up! Crazy.
• Favorite Colors: orange and pink
• Favorite Movie: Lion King
• Favorite TV Show: Rescue Rangers
• Favorite Foods: "My favorite kind of pizza" which means Papa Johns or Dominos pepperoni (though she often takes the pepperonis off), hot dogs, crunchy peanut butter and jelly, nuts, oatmeal, treats, yogurt, cheese sticks, goldfish/whales, pancakes and waffles with syrup, honey, "chocolate treats, chocolate chips, chocolate milk, hot chocolate, and everything chocolate that I don't know about."
• Favorite Toys: puzzles, Simba, coloring, painting, crafting, books, random stuffed animals, pennies, cars, plastic tea set, 'fuzzy balls' (those little pompoms they sell for crafting), tricycle. Now in the few short days after her birthday add: princess bike, Ariel (her giggling pink build-a-bear), calico critters doll house, ladybug kite. 
• Other Favorites: sparkly flip flops, Ariel nightgown, Disney anything, Tweety Bird shirt (she insists that Tweety Bird is Disney because she loves both of them. We keep telling her he's warner bros...), lime green 80's shorts that are like short leggings, going to the playground (but not the covered slides or swinging big), MUSIC (kid's music in particular)
• What she wants to be when she grows up: A teacher for bigger kids. How long has she wanted to do this? "Since I was a born." Other options are: a cleaner and the latest, a house painter who helps people who are too tired to paint their house (this was so out of the blue I can't even describe it). 
• What she most talked about related to her birthday before it happened: That Grandma, Papa, and Jonathan were coming. And that she would be as old as Ruby. "But Ruby already grewed up."
• Our weekly activities: Gymnastics, girls lunch with Betsy and Rachael, Bible study, cleaning at Mary's (Abigail watches a movie), library story time, playgroup.
• Bedtime Routine: Brush teeth; potty; pick vitamin; don pjs; hide with blankie and simba; call up non helping parent to pray; wait to be found, but can't be called Abigail yet; pray; she says, "Just kidding, I'm Abigail!"; Hugs, kisses and butterfly kisses for Mommy and Daddy; do two tricks, right now usually jumping off of chest, crawling on the light on the floor which comes in from the hall, flip on bed; while jumping on bed, catch simba, who is thrown by Daddy; Pull blankie off of Mommy's face when she says, "Help me, Help me!" Mommy then must say, "Thank you Gadget, Rescue Ranger."; Lie down and get tucked in with blankie and Simba, Simba must face a certain direction; Mommy tells a bedtime story; call out to Mommy as she leaves, "You're silly!"; Mommy leaves and closes the door, then shouts "You're silly!" THE END. She's okay if we have to take out some steps sometimes. But usually we humor her...
• What to be for Halloween: Tinkerbell. Her friends will be: Peter Pan (James), Wendy (Ruby), Indian Princess (Maggie), Dog (Bonnie Kate). Thinking about... Captain Hook (Jake????), Pirate (Charissa????)