Tuesday, October 24, 2017

5 Year Old: Zoe

She is bold and shy.  She is sweet and sassy.  She is stubborn and tender.  She is confident and afraid. She is a leader, not a follower.  She knows what she likes and does not change her mind easily.  One moment she is dancing around light as a feather, the next she is dropping a butt bomb on her brother while jumping on the trampoline.  She is independent yet needy.  She is my girl.  She is her daddy's girl.  She loves to snuggle on our laps yet never stops squirming.  She has a smile that covers her whole face and is full of expression.


She faces change with grace and confidence.  Whether it be moving to a new home, changing Sunday school classes, attending a new school, vacationing in a different time zone, canceling plans, etc.  She quickly settles in.

She has grown to really enjoy playing with Bennett and is often sad/angry when he wants to do something else.  She continues to enjoy hugging, kissing, and correcting Levi.  She beams when he walks up to hug her.



She napped 3-4 days for the majority of the past year having stopped at the beginning of summer.  She continues to share a room with B.  They go to bed (now that school has begun) around 7:30.  She typically falls asleep before their podcast/audiobook is finished, but sometimes we have to lay with her to fall asleep around 8-8:15 p.m.  She wakes up anywhere between 6:00-7 a.m., but for the most part it is closer to 7.


She has started Kindergarten and is the youngest in her class.  She seems to be holding her own.  At times I am concerned that she will lose confidence in her academic journey being 1 year younger than most of her classmates, but am reminded of her bold personality while I watch her lead a group of kids 1-3 years older than her in play.  God truly has given her the ability to lead.  I pray He continues to develop her ability to lead with humility, gentleness, and confidence.


She is becoming more of a "girly" girl.  She enjoys having her nails painted, applying lotion, wearing jewelry, brushing her hair, picking out her clothes, wearing chapstick, and asking if she can fix my hair.  Girly does not mean she doesn't love to play hard :)  She climbs trees, loves to swing, jumps on the trampoline, swings on the trapeze, crosses the monkey bars, and anything else the boys like to do.


Speaking of being a "girly" girl she got her ears pierced in May.  One day, while playing at the mall, she asked to get it done, but once we walked into the store she became nervous and decided to wait.  The rest of the day she talked about getting them pierced.  We talked about fear and what it means to be courageous.  She woke up the next morning and said, "I am going to face my fear today."  And she did.


She is never in a hurry which is hard for this get it done and move on momma, but her approach to life is helping me to slow down and think about what is important.

She loves and misses her cousin Kyrie and often asks when we get to go and visit or when she will be coming to see us.  She also misses her best friend Lilly (from Preschool) and asks when we will get to play with her.  She is making new friends this year, but I have noticed she enjoys having one really close friend that is consistently present in her life from day to day.



She adds so much joy to our family.  She is the gift I never knew I wanted.  I am so so so grateful to God for placing Zoe Jane in our family.  She teaches us to be more gentle, more attentive, more consistent, more patient, and to slow down and listen.

Favorite Toys/Things To Do (throughout the year):
  • Doctoring her stuffed animals
  • Watching and playing Doc McStuffins
  • Legos
  • Jumping/Dancing on the trampoline
  • Swinging
  • Pretending to be Pokemon characters
  • Collecting rocks
  • Swim
  • Play Go Ape
  • Play Spot It
Books She Enjoys (throughout the year):
  • You Choose
  • Shine the Light books
  • Doc McStuffin Seek and Find
  • Fancy Nancy
  • Corduroy
  • Pokemon character book
Favorite TV Shows/Movies:
  • Doc McStuffins
  • Pokemon
  • Elena of Avalor
  • PJ Masks
  • Ninjago
  • Frozen
  • Bibleman
  • Moanna
Favorite Foods:
  • Mac and Cheese
  • Banana
  • Apple
  • candy :)
  • veggie straws
  • Chicken nuggets
  • French Fries

My dearest Zoe Jane,

You are 5 and off to Kindergarten and I miss you.  You are my little side kick always making me check my emotions at the door.  Your excitement about life is contagious and your smile makes the world smile.  I love you and thank God for your life.  I pray the Scripture you are memorizing now is stored deep in your heart and God grows you to understand and apply it more and more throughout your life.  I pray your heart is opened to love big even when it is hard.  I also pray that God will develop in you the heart of a servant-leader and that you will use the gifts He has given you to bring glory to His name.  You are a gift that I am glad I have been given.

Love,

Mom

No comments: