while i'm sad to see that they're each closer to being one year older, libbi and laney couldn't be more excited. liza is still a bit clueless (ignorance is bliss, liza. hold onto it as long as you can). the older two will proudly tell anyone who asks that they are, "five AND A HALF" and "free AND A HAFF." (side note: i always want to remember how sweet it is to hear laney say, "free" instead of "three." that and "lellow" might be my two favorite things she says. it's a bittersweet day when the baby words begin disappearing). so here's what "half way" looks like for each tippins sister right now…
five AND A HALF:
if i thought you were a little sponge as a toddler, you are infinitely more so now, but instead of soaking up the nuances of everyday activities, you're thirsting for information. knowledge. you want to know how and why and who and when and…and…and….
there's always been questions and the, "but why, momma?" stage, but it's different now. because now you want to know answers. real answers. and the reasons behind those answers. it's amazing to watch your little mind expand and to see you begin to form your own logical opinions while you catalog the new information you're learning each day.
you read amazingly well. it thrills my bookworm heart to see you developing your own love of books. it still surprises me at times to see you sitting, curled up in a chair, actually reading a book. i remember not too long ago, you were in that same chair "reading" as you made up your own stories to go along with the pictures you saw.
you have a funny sense of humor and love to make up jokes. while laney likes to act silly and make people laugh, you have a quick wit about you. she loves when people laugh at her crazy antics and faces, while you like to deliver a punchline or throw out a funny one-liner. the other day we were driving home from church and there was a bright colored van on the road beside us. you looked at it and said, "that's a cool van. isn't it vantastic?! get it….? VAN-tastic!" and we all laughed as you beamed with pride.
five-and-a-half is big, but still little. you go to school for seven hours each day and you are my big girl. you follow all the rules, listen to your teachers, and work hard. then many afternoons, i pick you up from school and you are my little girl. you argue with your sister, you cry tired tears, and you have lots of feelings. ;-)
you still love dress-up, imaginative games, and playing with laney. i know that won't last forever, but i secretly hope it does.
you are my little night owl. it takes you forever to fall asleep at night, but that doesn't really surprise me, because your brain is always "ON." you're constantly asking questions, creating games, making up songs, telling stories, and on and on on. it never ceases to amaze me the things that you can remember. i'm almost positive you have a bit of a photographic memory.
at five-and-a-half, you are fiercely competitive. everything is a race….but only if you're winning. you love to be first. to win. to be the best. we're working on being a gracious runner-up, but that's a hard lesson to learn. you are our little perfectionist and want to be the best at whatever you do.
kindergarten has brought out a lot of confidence in you and for that we are so grateful. you are still our shy little libbi, but you have a newfound confidence that comes with all you do. i've seen you attempt new skills, try different foods, and talk to people you normally would not have. i'm so proud of how far you've come.
five-and-a-half is one of my favorite ages thus far. you are still little enough to curl up beside me and to want your momma when you're sad. yet at the same time, you're big enough to have real conversations and form your own opinions. i love who you are at five-and-a half. you are sweet, you are kind. you are inquisitive, you are hardworking. you are emotional, you are brave. you are cautious, you are observant. you are funny, you are smart. you are nothing short of amazing. and we love every bit of your five-and-a-half-year-old self.
three AND A HALF:
three is a wonderful and frustrating age….for all of us. ;)
at three and a half, you have all.the.feelings. and you feel everything very deeply. some days you are happy as can be. you are the life of the party and everyone's best friend. then something as simple as your socks not cooperating can send your entire world crashing down and the rest of us running for cover. but that's the beauty of being three - you feel free to express your emotions any which way you please.
you are highly skilled in legos and magnatiles. you are a building machine. you love to create castles, houses, shapes, and creations of all sorts. and honestly, you are really good at it. you can outbuild me (and your sisters) any day! although, your materials don't always perform the way you'd like them to. you're known to give them quite the tongue lashing. but it's well deserved, i'm sure. ;-)
you are hilarious. absolutely hilarious. we pretty much laugh with (and at) you all day long. and you love it. while libbi is hesitant to have people laugh at her, you thrive on it. you love to put on a show and pull out all your tricks. i think you probably say, "watch this" at least 5000 times a day. you can crack us all up, especially libbi and liza. you can always make liza laugh with your silly faces and you bring out libbi's giggles (especially at bedtime). libbi will often say, "laney is SO funny!" and we have to agree!
you have the kindest heart. you never hesitate to share with your sisters or anyone else for that matter.
you will offer your very last m&m to liza or your last bite of cookie to libbi - and that's HUGE for a sweets lover like your self. you like to make sure everyone is happy and taken care of. i often hear you say, "liza, sweetie…. " or "liza, darlin'…." ha! you think you are a little momma. :)
you are still our pickiest eater and no amount of bargaining, bribing, or flat out refusing can get you to try new foods. you love to say, "that is the GRODIEST!" (don't' ask me where you heard that from because i have no idea!) you could live off of pancakes, chips and cheese dip, pizza, and snacks. lots and lots of snacks. you request a snack at least every 30 minutes - if not more often. if i had a nickel for every time you asked for a snack, we could open our own concession stand. ;)
you do not take naps and haven't for probably close to two years. you quit napping while i was pregnant with liza…and coincidentally, you convinced libbi to do the same. libbi was always down for some "room time" and would play quietly in her room even if she wasn't napping. you, on the other hand, have never been one for "down time"….. you like to go, go, go! you have one volume and one speed: LOUD and FAST. and you are "ON" from the minute you wake up until the minute you crash at night.
you are our "middle child" but i think you have the best of both worlds. you have one sister to look up to and learn from and another sister who can look up to you! you adore both libbi and liza. you copy everything libbi does (which is sometimes good, sometimes bad) and you want to help liza with as much as you can. being the middle sister helps you know when to lead and when to follow. although i did hear you the other day telling liza, "LIZA! you're just being bossy!!" i don't think liza was too offended though.
three-and-a-half is the age that keeps me guessing. you keep me on my toes every single minute of every single day. you are funny and kind. you are cuddly and loving. you are wild and carefree. you are emotional and tender hearted. you are curious and impressionable. you are our precious gift from God. laney, you are every bit the three-and-a-half-year-old and we couldn't love you more if we tried.
one AND A HALF:
i feel like this age is a big milestone. while you've been learning so much the past few months, one-and-a-half seems like the age where everything starts clicking and you make that transition from baby to toddler. even though you're growing every day, you are still our baby liza. and i'm pretty sure you always will be.
you love, love, love minnie mouse. you are obsessed. you have two minnie mouse dolls that you carry around with you and sleep with every night. you will say, "ninnie!" any time you see minnie (or mickey - they're kind of interchangeable to you at this point). you can do the hot dog dance like it's nobody's business. some days, "ninnie" gets all your smiles and sugars ;-) you also love, "let it go" - no surprise there since you hear it 10000 times a day. you love to mimic elsa as she sings and builds her ice castle. you throw your little hands in the air and sing your heart out. as soon as the song is over, you say "uh-eee" (i have no idea why you refuse to say 'uh-oh' but you will only say, 'uh-eee') and we have to rewind the song. again. and again. and again.
you're starting to talk more and more. some of your favorite (most frequently used) words are: momma, daddy, libbi (which sounds more like "abby" when you say it), naney, ninnie, buddy, mimzy, peppa, snack, cookie, candy, and cracker. it's not hard to see what you love-haha!
you are our best eater by far. while laney is our vegetarian (by default) you are definitely a carnivore! ha! some of your favorite meals are roast, chicken, tacos, spaghetti, and basically anything else we attempt to put on your plate. the few things i've found that you are not really a fan of are carbs. which makes me think you may be adopted. but whatever. you don't like pancakes, donuts, muffins, or anything that is made of bread. it's okay, we still love you. :)
you adore your sisters…. at least i think you do. either that or you're a baby genius secretly stalking them and destroying their toys just to get under their skin. but i like to think you just really adore them. anything the big girls are playing with, you automatically want. especially if said things are tiny, edible, or able to be deconstructed in any way. it makes the afternoons interesting that's for sure. i typically hear, "AAAAAHHHH! it's a baby giant!!!" over and over and over while you're in the playroom with libbi and laney. we don't have a dog, but i'm pretty sure the big girls treat you like a little puppy sometimes. they'll get your minnie mouse toys or even a piece of a cookie and "lead" you out of the playroom while saying, "c'mon liza, that's right. c'mon….over here…." haha!
you LOVE baths. LOVE them. but i have to admit, i don't really love giving them to you. because your favorite thing to do is face plant into the water. over and over. it doesn't matter that water gets up your nose. it doesn't even matter that you basically can't breathe. you come up laughing, gasping for air, and attempting to submerge your head once again. you love it, but it gives me serious anxiety. you will scream, "bath! bath!" as soon as i get you out of the tub. and you're typically not very pleased with me when bath time is over. you have to take baths alone, because if you take them with your sisters you try to sit on top of them the entire time. you climb on laney's back. sit on libbi's shoulders, and do whatever you can to use them as your jungle gym. they hate it. you love it. so it's just easier (and safer) for everyone if you bathe alone. :-)
you sleep like a champ. i almost didn't include this, because i didn't want to jinx it, but seriously - you are the best sleeper! you go to bed around 7 every night and sleep until 7:30/45 the next morning. some days i have to wake you up at 7:50 when we're running out the door to take libbi to school. you nap every day for 2 hours. you'd probably prefer an afternoon nap, but because of laney and libbi's school/carpool schedule you have to settle for a mid morning nap. you don't seem to mind too much though and you rock that 10:30am - 12:30pm nap pretty regularly.
one-and-a-half is the age that is full of new milestones. you are learning and growing every day and it's amazing to watch you explore the world around you. you are our baby. our little liza pig. your laugh brings us joy. your smile warms our hearts. you are independent, but still very much a momma's girl. liza june, you are one-and-a-half and you have stolen my whole heart.
