Four

My baby girl just turned 4 years old.

I think it felt different for me this year because about a week before her birthday, I was cleaning out in her room, and I found myself packing away all the 'shoe jammies', realizing that there would be no more next year. Marea is just too big for them now. I know they still make them in size 4, but really she doesn't need shoe jammies anymore. They are for babies, right? Plus, she doesn't really like them anymore. Once in a while, she may wear them for fun, but she has a preference now, and all the will of a powerful 4 year old to voice it! She likes her princess nightgowns! Nothing else will really do, these days. So as I was cleaning out the shoe jammies, I realized that I had been doing a lot of cleaning out recently, mostly in her room, rearranging and changing things to fit who she is now. I put a lot of the stuff she isn't playing with anymore in Evie's room, and made space for her things in her room. She's into the 'little pieces toys' now, things with itty bitty pieces everywhere! (polly pocket, dollhouse stuff, games, etc). Her fantasy world is really expanding, and it's fun to watch her get into one of her little games, which she seems to play mostly in her head, with a few little props. Bye bye toddler toys, bye bye shoe jammies.

Another thing that is different is that I am relinquishing a little of my control!!! Of course it's slowly been happening, but now I am saying it! Over the past year, I still picked out much of what she wore, and there were several morning battles. But now, I've decided that Marea is a big girl, and who cares if she wants to wear a dress every day! Or, if she wants to change her clothes a few times, then that's okay too. It may be annoying, because it often means more laundry, but she is just doing something that she enjoys, and it's fun and important to her. So i'm not sweating it anymore. She can pick her own clothes, and I will advise her on what I think is best for an occasion, but really it doesn't matter that much. She cares a lot, and she needs that sense of power and control over herself more than ever before. And that is what is most important. I have also given up on my war against the princess dress up thing that she adores so much. I have let those darn princesses into our lives, but not too much, and I think we've found a happy medium. She's got lots of different interests, and the princess thing is just a small part of who she is. And she looks so darn cute in that Tiana dress she got for her birthday!!! I mean come on, it's better than that flowery 'tie dress' (as she calls it) that she wants to wear all the time! I can't believe that the size 4 dress that I bought at the Santa Cruz flea market for $2 when she was one has become her favorite dress. I guess I just knew way back then!! I still like it, but it's ridiculously stained. It's a perfect school dress, I really hope it fits her in the fall. She also fell in love with the pink swim suit cover up I bought her in Mazatlan when she was one. Good thing Auntie Sam just returned from a trip there, and was able to get her a few more in her size! So, i'm not sweating the small stuff anymore. Giving up a little bit of control. And giving her a little more....like, the control to wipe her own butt! I've decided that it's time! Now there's one thing I will happily give up! We're slowly working on it.

This year on Marea's birthday there was no big party. We had a small family party at home. Gary and I decorated the house the night before her birthday, so she would be surprised in the morning. She ended up waking up and coming out that night and seeing everything! Oh well. She really liked the decorations and balloons. On her birthday, we made cupcakes in the morning (froggies in the water), then took Evie to nap at Grandma's house so I could take Marea for a special trip to the nail salon to get her nails painted (see control paragraph above!). She REALLY LOVED that! I was glad to see her so happy to have them painted, since I have made it a special occasion only thing. She had rainbow nails with flowers. Then we went for a fun afternoon swim, followed by an awesome little party at our house with all her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

It was really a special, fun day of celebrating four with my baby girl. She is really becoming a big girl now.