Dear Olivia- August 6, 2017
I write you this letter about a month after you turned four. I am sorry it is a bit late but we have been having a lot of fun in Sun River and at Grammy and Papa's house the past three weekends. I know that I say this every year but you really have changed so much from being a three year old to a four year old. The main difference is that you are really a little girl now and not a toddler. Physically you grew 3.5 inches from last year being in the 55% in height to 70% in height and are 40.75 inches tall. You also gained 6 pounds and are 37 pounds now (66% in weight). You are solidly in 4T clothes with your growth spurt and I am sad that I might not get two summers out of them as you had such a big growth spurt. You wear a size 10 shoe (from a size 9 and 9.5 that were most of the time when you were three).
You are athletic. You love to run and be active. If you are not active enough you can get cranky! You enjoy all the sports I enroll you in. This past year you did the three year old gymnastics class (all by yourself), tumble bus at school (where a big yellow school bus comes to your school and you get to bounce and do tumbling activities at school for 35 minutes on Tuesdays), Dance on the Move at your school which your teacher Ms. Chris teaches you ballet, and you did several sessions of swim lessons. You took to your swim lessons very well and passed your first class on the first try! This year when you are four we are going to introduce soccer and see how you like it and may try basketball. You are very coordinated and balanced and are a monkey on the jungle gym, often climbing way higher and farther than most of your friends your age.
Socially, I joked that sometimes you act like a teenager instead of a three year old (I call you a "threenager." There are several dominate personalities at your school and you keep those dominate personalities in check. You remain very close to your friend Lauren (been best friends since you were in the baby room at 6 months old) but a new girl Savannah who was 8 months older came into your Jr. Kindergarten room and latched onto you. Savannah knew how to push your buttons (which is hard for 3 year olds to control) and dominate you. She had you following her into trouble quite often. Luckily as you got older and closer to four you began to understand how to follow how yourself and learned how to say no to something that is wrong and not right. You still do sometimes struggle when your friends (and your family) do not do want you want and can be quite demanding and angry at times but you are keeping your emotions in check much more. You are becoming more compassionate and understanding of others' feelings too (something that we did not have to teach your brother as he understood this at a very young age). You have some very close friendships at your school (mostly with girls although with a few boys as well) and seem well liked. Your close friends outside of school continue to be your bestie Addie (my best friend Brooke's daughter who is 6 days younger than you). It is so neat that you and Addie get to go to Alberta Rider together next year.
Academically, it was amazing to watch you grow with your learning and your vocabulary especially just in the last two months. Right after you turned three, you didn't seem too interested in learning your alphabet. You would guess wildly when I show you letters in several Alphabet books we had. However, in the last 2-3 months you really began to get interested in learning and started paying attention at school very well. You can spell your name out loud and write it. You can count to 20. You know about half of your letters when I randomly show them to you. You are beginning to be able to write them (although your handwriting can use some work). You are also beginning to learn the alphabet sounds. You have a vocabulary years ahead of most your peers (probably from being such an early talker and being the youngest). You love reading with me before bed every night. Your favorite books lately are Peppa Pig, The Bad Kitty books, and the LadyBug girl series. You also love classics like Madeline. We are hopeful that you will be able to get into Ms. Lincoln's Kindergarten room next year (you are a maybe right now due to numbers) as we feel that you will really excel with some additional learning before kindergarten.
You love your toys-especially your Barbie dream house and Barbie camper and all your Barbies. You have several Barbies that you play with often and some Barbie princesses you enjoy playing with. You love your light up Barbie mermaid that you used your allowance for (we give you stars for doing items on your Behavior/Chore chart that you get money per star for). You still love your My Little Ponies and have recently gotten into playing with your stuffed animals. You seem to love all toys and even your brother's and are quite good at playing by yourself (in fact sometimes you shoo your brother away as you want to play by yourself). You love board games (especially your Sneaky Snakey Squirrel game and your Charades game).
I can't wait to watch you to continue to grow but am sad that my little toddler has grown into a little girl. You are my baby and likely my last and I want to cherish each moment with you. I love you so much sweetheart.
Here are some photos of you on your birthdays over the last 4 years.
You are athletic. You love to run and be active. If you are not active enough you can get cranky! You enjoy all the sports I enroll you in. This past year you did the three year old gymnastics class (all by yourself), tumble bus at school (where a big yellow school bus comes to your school and you get to bounce and do tumbling activities at school for 35 minutes on Tuesdays), Dance on the Move at your school which your teacher Ms. Chris teaches you ballet, and you did several sessions of swim lessons. You took to your swim lessons very well and passed your first class on the first try! This year when you are four we are going to introduce soccer and see how you like it and may try basketball. You are very coordinated and balanced and are a monkey on the jungle gym, often climbing way higher and farther than most of your friends your age.
Socially, I joked that sometimes you act like a teenager instead of a three year old (I call you a "threenager." There are several dominate personalities at your school and you keep those dominate personalities in check. You remain very close to your friend Lauren (been best friends since you were in the baby room at 6 months old) but a new girl Savannah who was 8 months older came into your Jr. Kindergarten room and latched onto you. Savannah knew how to push your buttons (which is hard for 3 year olds to control) and dominate you. She had you following her into trouble quite often. Luckily as you got older and closer to four you began to understand how to follow how yourself and learned how to say no to something that is wrong and not right. You still do sometimes struggle when your friends (and your family) do not do want you want and can be quite demanding and angry at times but you are keeping your emotions in check much more. You are becoming more compassionate and understanding of others' feelings too (something that we did not have to teach your brother as he understood this at a very young age). You have some very close friendships at your school (mostly with girls although with a few boys as well) and seem well liked. Your close friends outside of school continue to be your bestie Addie (my best friend Brooke's daughter who is 6 days younger than you). It is so neat that you and Addie get to go to Alberta Rider together next year.
Academically, it was amazing to watch you grow with your learning and your vocabulary especially just in the last two months. Right after you turned three, you didn't seem too interested in learning your alphabet. You would guess wildly when I show you letters in several Alphabet books we had. However, in the last 2-3 months you really began to get interested in learning and started paying attention at school very well. You can spell your name out loud and write it. You can count to 20. You know about half of your letters when I randomly show them to you. You are beginning to be able to write them (although your handwriting can use some work). You are also beginning to learn the alphabet sounds. You have a vocabulary years ahead of most your peers (probably from being such an early talker and being the youngest). You love reading with me before bed every night. Your favorite books lately are Peppa Pig, The Bad Kitty books, and the LadyBug girl series. You also love classics like Madeline. We are hopeful that you will be able to get into Ms. Lincoln's Kindergarten room next year (you are a maybe right now due to numbers) as we feel that you will really excel with some additional learning before kindergarten.
You love your toys-especially your Barbie dream house and Barbie camper and all your Barbies. You have several Barbies that you play with often and some Barbie princesses you enjoy playing with. You love your light up Barbie mermaid that you used your allowance for (we give you stars for doing items on your Behavior/Chore chart that you get money per star for). You still love your My Little Ponies and have recently gotten into playing with your stuffed animals. You seem to love all toys and even your brother's and are quite good at playing by yourself (in fact sometimes you shoo your brother away as you want to play by yourself). You love board games (especially your Sneaky Snakey Squirrel game and your Charades game).
I can't wait to watch you to continue to grow but am sad that my little toddler has grown into a little girl. You are my baby and likely my last and I want to cherish each moment with you. I love you so much sweetheart.
Here are some photos of you on your birthdays over the last 4 years.
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| 2 weeks old and so sweet in our backyard |
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| Happy First Birthday so excited to get sung to! |
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| Sweet girl on your birthday |
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| Two year old Frozen birthday party! |
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| Listening to everyone sing Happy Birthday with bestie Addie by her side |
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| Three year old My Little Pony Birthday Party |
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| Bestie Addie by her side on her 3rd birthday |
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| Four year old birthday Rainbow Unicorn themed birthday party! |
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| With your unicorn Piñata outside our house on your 4th birthday |
Love,
Mommy
P.S. Her are some of my favorite photos of you throughout the year from in order from when you just turned 3 in July to when you turned 4.
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| Double fisting two lolly pops at the Hillsboro Hops game in August |
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| Having so much fun at the beach in August |
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| Watching waves at Depoe Bay in August |
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| Looking at a giant acorn in early September while camping |
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| Happy girl while camping in September |
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| First Day of Jr. Kindergarten in September |
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| All excited to go to Disney on Ice in October dressed as Elsa |
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| Sweet girl amongst the pumpkins in October at Lee Farm |
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| Happy girl finding her pumpkin at Lee Farms during her class field trip |
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| This girl's expression was how we both felt when Hillary lost to Trump in the elections in November |
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| You at 3.5 years old in November during our family photo shoot |
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| Smelling the flowers |
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| So much ass at 3.5 years old |
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| All dressed up in her Oregon Ducks gear for the Civil War game in late November |
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| You and Santa at Santa Land in December-you loved him! |
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| Playing at the park one cold December day in Corvallis |
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| Christmas spirit! |
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| All bundled up in Sun River in December |
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| Our little Valentine in February |
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| Cheers! Olivia enjoying her lollypop in March |
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| Running from the waves in March |
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| Sweet girl in April |
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| Riding a pony in April at the Tulip Festival |
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| Easter egg hunting in Eugene in April |
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| Playing in the sand in OMSI in May |
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| Ballet recital in May |
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| You and me in June-love this picture of you at brother's baseball game |
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| Riding the lion at the zoo in June |
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| Before your Mini Olympics competition in June |
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| Olivia's last day of Jr. Kindergarten school in June |
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