Annabelle's Fall!

I can't believe she is 4 and a half as she likes to say. Sometimes when I look at her I am surprised she has grown so much. She is so sure of herself at times and so confident and even independent too. She stills wants to "live with me forever!"

This fall she has been busy working on a "flower project." She has drawn and painted flowers, read books about flowers and how plants grow. We have went to local gardens to photograph and draw. She loves cutting flowers from our yard and making arrangements in vases. She has created paper collages and flower sculptures from clay. She has fallen in love with Impressionists painters, especially Monet and his flowers. She says she wants to be an artist when she grows up and made it a plan to try and paint everyday.

She loves to build zoos and she dances and sings everywhere we go. She sits on the couch and strums her guitar, singing her favorite song, "Do a Dear, a Female Deer..." She loves to pretend mama and princess and doctor and dancer and fairy and boat rider and queen and monster and ghost and gingerbread cookies or the "Tea," from The Nutcracker.

She and Max play so much together: ball and chase and dancing and blocks and brios and sandbox and dolls and cooking and eating and drawing and giggling and hugging and loving and living! She is so giving to him. Wants to help him and share with him and make him happy when he is sad. She also wants to play by herself (which is fine) and doesn't want to wait for him and sometimes just takes over (which isn't). She is respectful and kind more than she isn't.

She worked hard when we redid her room, cleaning and painting and organizing and being excited and then so very proud. Everyone who comes over has to see her room. She takes pride in cleaning it up and loves to sleep in her big bed.

What an amazing fall she has had!