Being behind on blogging means that the entries we write late are generally on single topics or recounting the goings on for the month and less about the quirky little things we began these entries for in the first place. At this point in writing we are behind by two posts and are trying to recount what happened between January 16 and February 15 for Elia. We have also not been as good about keeping notes throughout the month so that writing is easier. The reason we have not been as good about these things is that we have been more overwhelmed by work and responsibilities lately. At the end of January Albert went to Atlanta for a Board meeting during Erin’s birthday, and because it was February we had Valentine’s day as well.
Elia has been really blossoming, she is into reading while Curie reads, has been able to say “Coco” like “Koko” rather than “Toko.” We were concerned with Ms. Alexis left Elia’s classroom, but with Mr. Wally things seem to be pretty good. Mr. Wally also has allayed our fears a little that Elia was developing a fear of men, though we do have to keep an eye out for it.
Elia has been learning a lot at school, teaching us the rules (“walking feet, not running feet”), and new songs (also about rules). We have bought the spring Costco dresses, for Chinese New Year and Easter and the girls like to wear them all the time, Elia especially. So we went from princess dresses to fancy dresses for daily wear. We wonder what parents think, but on some level don’t really care.
Elia also likes to compare bellies with Albert after she and Curie walk on his back. She tells him that her belly is big like hers, and when he says, no, his is bigger, she tells him that he needs to work out. Not only does she tell him to go work out she will kick him out of bed to do the work out telling him to come back after he is done.
While Elia is at the age where she is not listening and is “remorseless” for the things that she has done, she is also at an incredible age where she is playing ball, singing, and dancing with a level of skill that is surprising. She loves to play catch with the beachball and can both throw and catch with fairly high dexterity. She and Curie like to climb on top of the rocking horse and make it over the fence to the chair on the other side.
Elia has always been very rhythmic and has a good sense of tempo, this is not always seen in her singing, but she does sing with great abandon and will make up songs for extended periods of time. She loves to sing for herself by herself as well. But it is in dancing recently that she is really blossoming, whether it is our dance parties or playing ballet, she is quite graceful and willing to commit to crazy moves.
For school Elia likes to bring the purple teddy bear (named, appropriately, “Teddy”) and is even more pleased when Albert swaddles the bear for her. She will cradle it like a baby and ask to have it wrapped each day. She has even taken to trying to swaddle it herself. Elia is still very much attached to Albert as a “daddy’s girl,” and will want him to pick her up when she is upset or tired. She will want to be with Erin when really upset or hurt. At night she will come down looking for Albert, or wake up crying for him, and while it is the best of times to be able to take care of you kids when they need you, it also means a limited amount of sleep. It is worth it to have an unconditionally loving child be that way.