She's been amazing!

There are times in the parenting journey when you look at your child and just marvel at how amazing they have been!  Our family has been going through some transition with Stian's family moving in with us, but Lily has just been incredible!  Super responsible, great listener, kind and courteous to others...just super duper amazing.  I am really proud of her!  As a treat, I am going to take her to get a manicure.  I hope she likes it!

Lil mama

Lily has really been maturing.  While we still see some remnants of the "scary sixes", lately we have really seen her sweet nurturing side come out!  She's been like a lil' mama.  For the most part, she has been very kind and caring to her little brother and her little nephew 2.5-year-old Eirik who has moved in with us.  It's been very sweet.  She has earned many beads for her bead jar for showing kindness to others, being helpful, and following directions.  Needless to say, we are quite proud!

Baton Twirler in the house

Sometime this fall or winter when Lily was with her Abuelita she saw a parade with a majorette.  She came home and told us she wanted to learn to twirl a baton like the girl in the parade.  Well, luckily we found a baton twirling class not too far from our house.  She started this week.  It should be fun to see how she likes it!

Sensitive little soul

Today Lily comes upstairs from watching The Cat in the Hat with tears in her eyes.  She says, "Mommy I have tears in my eyes from the Grinches heart shrinking song".  Oh, what a sensitive little soul!  All we can do is hug and hold her as she cries her little heart out.  Of course, we tell her she can turn the movie off and that the Grinch is just pretend, but of course that doesn't help.  Eventually, she gathers herself together and returns downstairs to put another movie in the DVD player:)

Closing out the year!

 

December has been a fun and busy month for us. We started a marble jar in November and Lily really rose to the challenge.  She earned marbles for being caught being "good".  Once her marble jar was full she was able to pick out a large prize from the toy store!  We were really proud of her.  She really worked hard to get dressed and brush her teeth in the mornings and evenings, be nice and helpful to her brother, and overall be a good listener to her parents.

She really has been an amazing big sister.  She is so good to Ashton.  Playing with him and occasionally assisting with his care.

Her reading continues to excel.  I think she is on a 2nd-grade level now!

She is such a sweet girl to others.  Always thinking of others and wanting to give things to others to show them how special they are to her!

I pray that 2013 will continue to be a year of growth and maturity for our little princess!

Terrible sixes

I often don't post non-encouraging stuff in Lily's blog, but honestly, age six has been a tough one.  Lily is a very strong-willed young lady and she gets very angry when she does not get her way. She occasionally will explode into full-fledged temper tantrums complete with screaming, crying, stomping, door slamming, door kicking, etc.  We have tried things to curb the tantrums including rewards, consequences, and teaching her anger management skills, but sometimes it all seems futile. She does well for a small time and then a few weeks or days later she falls apart again.   I wonder if this is normal.  I wonder if she has some deep-seated anger issue that we need to explore in therapy?   I often fear for the future, wondering if this is some foreshadowing for what lies ahead.  I lie in bed many times at night calling out to God for guidance and wisdom in raising and disciplining her.  I remind myself how I begged the Lord to let us be her parents, and how he has given her to train her in His ways.  But I have to be honest when I say I am feeling really discouraged. 

I know her strong-will will serve her well in life, but man is it tough to parent!

She is very good at school and around others.  I have to give her credit for that!  It's really just at home.

In other news, Lily is really becoming a fluent reader. It has been so fun watching her read to herself in bed just for fun!  Reading is becoming more natural for her!  I love it!

Girl Clown

Today we got all dolled up for a family photo shoot.  I dressed up and put make-up on.  I asked Lily if she thought Mommy looked pretty.  Lily replied, "Mommy you kinda look like a girl clown."  Ouch...It will be fun to see these pictures!