March and April have been the latter for Jacie. Major accomplishments. A little toddler suddenly morphed into a long-legged, intellectual little girl.
The first major accomplishment was being toilet-trained. At just past three-and-a-half, she FINALLY got it. All of it. In public, at home, at school, overnight. Just when I was beginning to fear that this nightmare of a process would NEVER end -- it clicked in her little brain, and now she never misses a beat.
The other major accomplishment of which I couldn't be prouder is that she's become an avid reader. Her interest in words, letters, and sounds (which I first noticed on her second birthday as she called out letters from signs we would pass on the road) has pushed her squarely into the world of reading. With very little formal teaching on my part and intense determination and focus on her part, she sounds out words in her favorite books and READS! In the car sitting in the backseat, at home in the mornings in the living room, at night during family devotions, and any time in between -- books excite her and draw her like a magnet.
In the midst of these changes comes a new maturity to her conversations as well. Theological questions and conclusions proffered by Jacie just wow me: "Jesus is going to take us to heaven one day. I can't wait to go up to heaven and see Him!" When a recent Bible story made mention of Jesus going back to heaven to be with His Father, Jacie clarified, "But Jesus is the Father, too, because He IS God!." How she's wrapped her little mind around the Trinity already, I'll never know!
Logic and explanation work very well with her. Gone (in the main) are the emotional, unreasonable tantrums of a two-year-old. In her place, (much to my relief) is an easily-reasoned-with almost four-year-old. Her curious mind is always at work (thus prompting the early reading), and she's a regular sponge for information, observations, and habits. She absorbs the "rules" of life with alacrity and delights in directing others' behavior accordingly.
Along with the logical side, she has a penchant for creativity. She prefers me to sing a made-up song to her over a real one, and she's constantly making up her own songs, dances, and play scenarios. She loves to paint and to build. Her favorite independent form of entertainment of late has been to create castles, towers, and various structures out of wooden blocks.
It's no secret that my April Accolade would be my daughter.
But the enjoyment of these recent developments have left me
breathless with wonder once again at
the miracle of her.
No comments:
Post a Comment