Riley Nicole: 4 1/2 Years Old

Riley is now half way to 5. I can't even believe how much our lives have have changed since little Riley joined our family. I feel like when Riley turns five she will no longer seem so little and that makes me a little sad. I'm very excited to experience what this age brings, but a little sad that this time has arrived already. Here is what she's up to at 4 1/2:

• She is wearing size 4 and 5 clothes. Toddler clothes are officially too short for her. She is in a size 9 shoe and just about ready to move up a size. 
• Her hair is so long now. It probably should be trimmed because she hates for it to be brushed, but it is so pretty. 
• She has become more picky with what she eats. She thinks that she needs to snack all day. She would prefer to eat a bowl of chips and cherry tomatoes instead of lunch. She loves raspberries, strawberries, most veggies, yogurt, chicken (really anything other than red meat), salad, Mac and cheese, ravioli, and lunchables. 
• She gets frustrated very easily and copes by giving up. We have had a lot of conversations about not giving up and doing her best. 
• She is very sassy these days and is constantly talking back and saying no. She has been spending a lot of time in time out. Along with her sass comes a lot of whining as well. 
• She is no longer crying at school, but she is still reluctant to go. She always comes home happy. 
• She thinks she is Harper's mom. She is always telling her what to do, and what not to do. 
• She hates that Harper copies everything that she does. 
• She always seems to add an extra "ed" to past tense words.
• She loves singing and makes up her own silly songs that make no sense. 
• She loves movies and becomes so engrossed in them if we don't limit the amount that she watches. She loves to pretend that she is one of the characters. 
• She is only taking about two naps a week. 
• She is a daddy's girl and sometimes treats mommy like chopped liver. I just remind myself that I'm still the one she wants when she gets hurt. 
• She is signed up for softball this summer. She is super excited to be on a team and actually play games. Daddy and I are excited too!
• We have decided that she will complete one more year of preschool before going on to kindergarten. With all of the recent crying at drop off and just my intuition we decided that she would benefit from another year of development before moving on. She will be attending Westview Preschool on Waukee. We toured the school and think it will be great for her. She will attend four afternoons a week and the class is designed for kids that aren't quite ready to transition to kindergarten. I think she will thank is later on in life.