Eden

Little saucy spitfire. She hates going to the dentist, but forces a smile anyway! This is pretty much life with Eden. She speaks her mind. When she is happy, we know it. When she is not happy, there's no hiding it. She will tell you just how it is. Our little force of nature...

We have been so happy with Eden's preschool experience. She goes to Little Lambs, a preschool run through a local Christian church, two days a week. She has two teachers Ms. Marsha and Ms. Phoebe, who have become family friends. Edes shows great academic acumen, but struggles in some of the social areas. We are learning that hers is not a matter of ability though. It is more a matter of willingness. Her teachers have lovingly helped her along. They gave a Spring concert. Eden didn't really sing any of the songs. But she loved the actions. I'm double grateful for her positive preschool experience as this will be her only year. Her birthday is late in August which makes her eligible for kindergarten next year (though she will not have turned 5 by the time school starts). I had debated having her do preschool one more year. But her teachers convinced me that she would be bored. And with baby no 5 on board we felt it best to prepare to send her off with the big kids next year. *sniff sniff*

Once swim team starts, we are 4 nights at the pool every week. Grant was busy with his other sports and so usually I am at the park with Eden and Jeffery while Grace was swimming. Eden loves it. She and Jeffery spend an hour running around the splash pad.

I had a goal to get Eden floaty free by summer so that I wouldn't be quite so outnumbered in our pool with the kids. She has always been fearless and particularly so in the water. We hooked up with a great teacher who gave lessons in a friend/neighbors pool. After just a few weeks Eden was out of her floaties and all over the pool.

This picture kills me. I was snapping a quick one of the trees to send along to Cori. We were working hard on getting our back yard finished up. Eden began crying from the cart that she wanted to be in the picture and so I pulled her out. It is such a fun little portrait of her at 4 years old: Hair that she would not let me pull back, a favorite, too-small for her shirt that she refuses to quit (It quotes Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, "And though she be but little, she is fierce"), leopard legging that have a hole in the knee, pink cowboy boots, and below her teary blue eyes her little Cindy Lou Who smile. Of course, at the time I was taking this picture, I was not as amused. But I'm  glad we have it now!

As preschool is only a couple days a week, we have had other weekdays free for her to choose an extra curricular. I all but forced her to try ballet (girlfriend has perfect feet and ankles for it, it just kills me!). Sadly for me, she could care less about dance. All she wanted was gymnastics. And so we began! Chalky bums and summersaults everywhere for days. She loves it.

Eden is still a puzzle fan. We keep adding to the collection and she continues to make good use of the stash. She will sit with a pile of puzzles for over an hour at a time.

"Ready to go to the store, Mom!" Yeah, I just go with it. There is no use putting up a fight.