Leah 4 Year Old Pictures

Such a little model...

Leah - 4 Years Old

4 Years Old!!! As that number continues to grow, it's so amazing to watch what a beautiful, loving girl Leah is turning into. She is definitely our soft-hearted, caring little girl. She is also so thoughtful. She will be the first to tell you how beautiful you look when she sees you in the morning or compliment you on your outfit or hair. Her big heart  of gold melts her mommy's.

She also hates to get in trouble and when she gets yelled at she will break down quickly, it always follows with a heartfelt 'sorry.' This trait is probably why she is on the top ('on pink') of the behavior chart at school EVERY day. 

Leah is silly, she loves to sing and dance, make funny faces and if others laugh, she will repeat it over and over. She can be shy with her friends but you get her at home or when she is comfortable with people and she talks and talks and talks.

Your caring traits extend to your sister. When she crys, you will go over and comfort her, especially at bedtime and you can usually calm her down even at her worst. You give her hugs every day when you go to your different classrooms at daycare to get your good byes in. You are the best big sister and we are so proud of you for that and how much you look out for Karlee. Watching the love between you two is the most special thing.

There are so many wonderful traits about Leah, I could go on and on. You have a heart of gold. You fill our lives with so much joy and we are lucky to be your parents.

Here's a few fun things to remember about you being 4:

• Favorite foods: cottage cheese, chocolate, breakfast bars, ice cream (or yogurt from Cherry Berry), butter (you will eat it by the spoonful if we would let you and often just like to lick it off the top of things - Karlee does that too)
• Hates 'spicy' food. So tell her something is spicy and she is not interested.
• Likes to eat her banana's like a monkey (only open and leave hanging on the sides) - "I'm going to eat it like a monkey does."
• Likes to drink hot chocolate and pretend it's coffee like mom has
• Often will just finish supper and ask for a snack immediately and doesn't understand why she doesn't get one.
• You are big helper in many different ways but one of your favorite things to do is help mom or dad or grandma cook. You will ask all the time if you can help us cook. Unfortunately mom isn't a very good cook so I let you do some stuff but you aren't going to get cooking skills from mom.
• We started a sticker chart with the chores being things like picking up your toys before bed, not being sad at daycare drop off (when you first started your new room), going to bed by yourself and filling Ziggy's water bowl. All I have to say is sticker chart = awesome! You do a great job with chores and love the reward of a sticker and it's helped us getting into some good habits. Definitely recommend.
• You are our little princess. Everything about you is girly, girl. You love dresses (but hate when we make you wear pants under them), looking pretty, make-up, favorite colors are purple and pink and loves shopping (especially at Wal-Mart). Despite what we would want, you are definitely all girl.
• You love acting out princess stories. Your favorite ones are the Cinderella story and Little Mermaid and you will assign everyone in the room as a character
• You started playing with Barbie's often. You just got into it one day and now you love them.
• You like to pick out your own clothes, mom avoids that whenever she can.
• You love mermaids. They are one of your favorite things and you wish you were one.
• You love putting make-up on. Mom lets you even if I shouldn't, but it's just for play when you want to be a princess, which is often. You are getting pretty good at it.
• You are fun to take shopping now - even grocery shopping. Mommy would rather go with you than by herself.
• You have your daddy's memory - meaning it's really good! You will go back and tell me "remember when..." stuff from like a year ago. It's pretty impressive.
• Wants to brush her own hair and getting better at it
• You like to hide things behind your back and make us guess what you have
• Great at brushing her teeth, never argues and does a great job by herself
• You still love opening blind bags.
• Likes to bug her daddy
• Goes around singing all the time, often making up her own songs
• Loves going through car washes.
• Out of our two girls, she is the early bird and most often gets up first on the weekend before Karlee.
• Likes to do "challenges" including guessing different foods or having someone tell her what to do and she completes it
• LOVES swimming, really, really loves. Definitely our little fish. Did swimming lessons for the first time and sailed through your first class with flying colors.
• Went through a phase where she was scared of the garage door opening.
• Loves when Karlee chases her. "Come and get me Karlee."
• Your favorite toys include - barbies, shopkins
• Has a lot of favorite songs including: " Say Geronimo"; "Hello" by Adele
• You are all about racing (and winning). Every morning you race to get your seatbelt on before Karlee or race to get your coat on first. If you don't win, you usually freak out.
• You love to take your clothes off and run around the house naked.
• Says her teachers call her buttercup at school or the one boy teacher she has calls her Princess Leia
• You still absolutely love it when Grandma D eats your jello. You will laugh and laugh.
• Doing so well at school and has learned so much since going up to preschool. A few things include:
• Can spell out first and last name
• Counts high - not sure how high she gets for sure - 30 maybe
• Can write first name well. Writes: Leah, mom, dad and some other random words
• Likes to write out letters and words with mom and go over different letter sounds
• Love to use scissors - not mom's favorite thing but you are getting better with them
• Identifies letters and starting to tell the first letter of words
• Really good at coloring now and coloring in the lines.
• Great at putting puzzles together
• When ask her to name something, will name 2 of the same word like "horse, horse"
• You frequently tell mom "Mom - you are the best mom ever" or "you are the best mom in the whole wide world"
• Likes to talk about the cool "details" of stuff
• Some of our favorite sayings - you say so many funny things at this age, I wish I could get them all on video. 
• Loves to use the word "disgusting"
• "Stop saying that!"
• "Why are you looking at me like that?"
• "No thank you!"
• Anytime you see someone else eating something "what are you eating?"
• Leah - "There is money under my pillow."   Mom - "Why is there money under your pillow?"   Leah - "So the tooth fairy can come" (think she got it a little messed up and we aren't close to losing any teeth but she's been watching Parker lose teeth and get money)
• Holding her stethoscope on Grandpa D  - "Let me listen if you are too old"
• "Close your eyes, so I can show you a surprise"
• Grandma D - "I'm going to miss you, will you come to visit me in AZ?"  Leah - "Sorry, I have to go to a princess party with Chas."
• "It's cool"
• While drinking a fake cup of coffee - "I'm old."
• "Boooorrrriinnggg"
• "Why can't I get any toys??"
• "Guys, talk quiet so I can hear" (most likely watching t.v.)
• "Get away fly, you're naughty"
• Going to give Karlee a kiss good night. "I can't give her a kiss, she has a booger nose."
• While Karlee is crying - "Karlee, that hurts my ears"
• "Guys, settle down!"
• Leah - "Mom, how many minutes?"   Mom - "xx minutes"   Leah - "That's not a lot"
• "What can I do?"
• "Mother, you don't have to worry about me!"
• "Mom, what would you do if I got a single scratch?"
• "You're hurting my feelings"
• "I didn't like pizza because it has the lemons on it" (referring to pineapples)
• "How many dollars is this?"
• "Daddy, I think someone is going to share a treat with you.... it's me... I'm going to share a treat because you've worked so hard."
• "Hey... my poop smells like Christmas."
• "Santa... I wish I saw you everyday."
• "Mom - pop is bad for you"
• "I don't need pants! I'm Elsa and the cold doesn't bother me anyway."
• "Why do you have play doh in your mouth?"  (Gum)
• "The sun always comes. She's so nice to me."
• "We are slimmer's, we are going to slime Dad."
• "Karlee, stop crying... you are going to pop my ears off!"
• "I don't want you to say that!"
• From the movie Descendant will go around singing "I'm rotten to the core, I'm rotten to the core...."
• Someone toots and Leah will say "Did you hear the ducks??" - this was definitely something she learned for Grandpa D.
• "Do you know how much I love you? I love you 100 x 15 x 2 x 3,000." (or whatever random numbers she chooses that day)
• "Mom, remember when we watched that nuts movie?" (The Peanut Movie - Charlie Brown)
• "I've got a secret for you..... don't tell ANYBODY!" - you love to tell secrets.

There is just so much to love. Thank you for the joy you bring into our lives and the many, many laughs. We love you so much.