Faith's Fabulous Four Years

Four! Four? Four!? How in the world did my baby get to be four years old? What a fantastic four years it has been. Indescribable is a more fitting word. She has changed so much over the past four years. It amazes me the conversations we have and the things she is now capable of doing all on her own...her independence is bitter-sweet for me. Just this past week we had two incredible conversations together. One about mammals. She is into sorting everything as either a mammal or non-mammal. In her words, "mammals drink their mommy's milk and come from their mommy's tummy. I am a mammal. Jensen is a mammal. Cats are mammals. Birds not mammals. They come from eggs, etc." I've still managed to tiptoe around the subject of how mammals (aka Faith) get out of their mommy's tummy. So far, "The Doctor takes them out with God's help," is working, but I can tell not for long. Suggestions? Secret door? A stork? Really...help me out here!!!!

The second conversation was about Easter, while we were on the way to Yakima.

Faith: "Mommy, do you know why we celebrate Easter?"

Mommy: (acting totally uneducated despite the fact that we read the Children's Bible with her almost nightly, attend church, teach Sunday school, etc.) "No. Why?"

Faith: (very proud of herself) "Well, actually Easter is to celebrate Jesus dieing and then coming back to life for us."

Mommy: (Surprised) "What? How did Jesus die? How did he come back?"

Faith: The enemies and bad people, didn't believe that Jesus was Jesus so they nailed him to a cross and then buried him in a cave. Then he came alive again with NO holes in his hands or feet just to make us happy. Then the enemies HAD to believe him. Can you believe it?"

Mommy: "Oh, my! Who taught you that?" (totally expecting it to be me)

Faith: "Mrs. Wallace my preschool teacher. She knows LOTS about God and Jesus!"

It has been a busy few days for the Birthday Girl. Sunday, we had a Princess Party for Faith and all of her friends, complete with "royal" invitations, an Ariel cake (I did my best...), wands, tiaras, and clothing fit for a princess (or prince in a couple of cases). Faith was SOOOO excited for this special day. It's all she's talked about since Jensen's birthday in November...I'm being serious. She got LOTS of gifts fit for a princess; movies, dolls, stickers, art things, Disney princesses with horses, etc. A perfect day for our princess.

Today, at Preschool, Faith got to make a crown, share her birthday journal, and bring pink (of coarse) cupcakes for all of her friends. She then got to choose what to do the rest of the day. She picked eat Pizza at Pizza Hut with Grandma and us and then go play at the Purple Pelican (favorite store in town). The Purple Pelican is having a great sale so I told her she could choose one special thing for her birthday. Thank heavens I was able to talk her out of the stuffed, 3 foot tall, Rottweiler. I was not into that so much.

Anyways, very long post here. I've attached (hopefully) a picture from this morning before school and one from her party as well.