Oh the things she can do! Oh the places she will go!

41 + inches of pure determination! Lately we’ve had the good fortune to try out gymnastics through our buddies’ love of the sport. I’ve thought that it would be a good match for our energetic lass and I’m thinking we will take it up regularly soon. A local place offers a Saturday morning “fun gym” where you can drop your child off for an hour of lesson and an hour of free play. Last week when we got in the door she tucked snack monies and shoes in a cubby and darted into the circle of runners warming up faster then I could find my good-bye hug! The girls is pure muscle these days.

Including that ever important one in her noggin. On Sunday she came into where I was changing her sister’s diaper sporting a piece of paper with the word HAT on it. “Look Momma, I can write hat!” Indeed! She then proceeded on to write CAT, her name, her middle name and her sister’s name! I was stunned and sent her with her work in to share with her Dad and chuckled when I heard him ask if Momma had helped her with that.

Everytime we have tried to encourage practicing writing we have been met with a polite, or not-so-polite response of No. She’ll color what she wants, when she wants and how she wants and frequently informs me that I should let a little girl color how she wants. The mystery was solved later this week though when I asked her school director if they practice writing in her 3 year old class. She said some, but Zuzu, being the oldest in her class has been visiting the next class up and they do spend quite a bit of time writing in there. I had seen her stick-figure renditions of Dora when I gathered her from school- but had no idea she had learned to write her letters. I’m so proud!

Last night was our photo session for her spring dance recital. Since the Quail was recently under the weather we decided we would get her to bed early and I would just take Zuzu to the session. The year before when we did this ; I did not have my pagent-mom bravado with me and let us wait to be called for individual pictures as I watched Zuzu melt down long after she would have typically been asleep. This year I was armed with a plan to get her to the front of the line and get the individual shot done promptly so that I could lay off of the nagging of her to not rip her tights, not get the silver from her shoes everywhere, not knock the bow out of her hair again and not to tear her dress.  I felt like the ogre mom with my broken record routine, meanwhile her buddies are skipping around and she’s looking longingly. I’ll give her this- when the other kiddos were skipping and I had told her to stay still she told them not to wreck there clothes and then asked me if she could skip with them before just taking off- which is what she would have done and did do last year- so she’s growing- it’s sinking in. She got her photo done sweetly- well- maybe more determinably. When the teachers asked me which pose I wanted I referred them back to Zuzu’s request for an arabesque. Which was met with a, “I’m not sure she can” ponder from the teacher quickly cut off by, a “Sure I can!” leading into pure grace and smiles. Way to go Zuzu!