All About Eggie

Our precious Eggie (who does NOT prefer that nickname) is almost 5, will be starting Kindergarten in a short month, and is completely, whole-heartedly, unabashedly herself. The same feisty spirit we brought home from the hospital 5 years ago and the same nurturing gentleness that has played baby dolls since she was old enough to carry them around still reside in our growing girl. We adore our Avery and all of the many facets of her personality. A few favorites of Eggie as an almost-5-year-old:

*Avery as Daddy's Playmate and Counterpart

Jordan has finally found his buddy. I mean, he and I are best friends, but there are some things we've just accepted are never going to be common interests. Rough housing, bug-exploring, and excessive teasing, to name a few. But now that Avery is getting old enough to play, she and Jordan spend lots of time giggling over silly games they make up. She loves it when he dares her to do something (most recently: eat crickets), when he 'surprises' her with tickles and growls, and especially when he is her pool-time buddy. The two of them spend hours coming up with games like falling into the pool from a chair backwards, talking to each other from under water, and underwater chase. It brings me such joy to watch them interact. We've always teased Jordan that his middle name is Danger (maybe it'd be more accurate to call him Adventurous), and I'm pleased to say that Avery has certainly inherited this part of his personality.

*Avery as our Out-of-the-Box Thinker

It has been evident from a young age that Avery is not the classic textbook child. What works with other children usually does not work with her, and not only because she's a strong-willed child. When being disciplined, Avery has an uncanny ability to look at a situation in a unique way and explain why she is still right, or to come up with a way to show us that even if we've won the battle, she plans to win the war. She's kept us on our toes from the very beginning in terms of discipline, but now that she's older, we're getting to see the beautiful side to her out-of-the-box, creative, but somehow also analytical thinking as well. There are so many instances where we look at her and wonder, "Who taught you that? How could you have possibly deduced that?" But a favorite moment of late that highlights her unique perspective happened when my mom bought her a Kindergarten-readiness book. The book mostly is fun for her, but a few of the activities made her very indignant. The book required Avery to place events in order, and she absolutely could not see how there was any one right answer. Who is to say, she argued, that the story starts when the child in the images wakes up? What if it is night time? Then wouldn't the order go: sleep, wake, play? Who got to decide that the story started in the morning? Watching her argue her point with clarity and resolve made me think of all the teachers my parents had to meet with to explain why I answered questions the way I did. It's coming for us. And we're up for the challenge!

*Avery as our Social Butterfly

Our girl's love language could not be more clear: quality time. Avery would rather sit in the same room as me and watch me read or clean a room than find a way to play on her own. She loves loves loves her playgroup friends and is always thinking of a way to include more people in any activity.

*Avery as our Planner

In some ways, Avery is so much like her mother - whether because of Nature or Nurture, we don't know. But like Mother, like Daughter. She's already planned out her next 3 birthday parties (subject to change, of course) and loves to talk about the big activities we have coming up. We have a Family Fun Time every night and Avery finds incredible joy in planning the week's activities for us. She plans out playdates with a box of activities to go through. She loves to look forward to pretty much anything and to have an idea of what is coming her way.

*Avery as our Nurturer

Avery is primarily passionate, and it plays out so sweetly when it comes to others. She's able to turn her passion into compassion and love working itself out in helpfulness and nurturing. I love to marvel at her ability to turn it on. It's beautiful to know that inside that larger-than-life spirit, there is larger-than-life love and compassion.

Click here for pictures of the week, including an impromptu 4th of July trip to Lockhart with Nana and DD and Big Sibling class at the hospital