It’s been quite an amazing 6 months!

Your vocabulary continues to amaze us: you use words like ‘also’, ‘especially’, ‘actually’, and ‘important’ in correct context. You’re also a bit of a grammar hound. Just recently you corrected a sentence in which you initially used ‘is’ to past tense, ‘was’ 🙂 Sometimes Mommy will hear you praying as you play in your toy room; you are a good listener and have learned the “God is Great” prayer for mealtimes. You also like to pray at bedtime; it usually it includes blessings for others, something like: “Bless Mimi, bless Pop-pop, bless Daddy, bless Baby Butterfly [one of your dolls], bless Aubry and Brendan and Lauryl. In Jesus Name, Amen.”

Physically, you have grown a couple inches but not changed much at all in weight. You’re now 32″ tall and 30 lbs. Your hair is probably the biggest physical change; it’s much longer now and has very loose curls in the back. You don’t love to have your hair done but you’ll let me do clips or a ponytail once in a while 🙂 You’re recently enjoying the indoor track at the Y and like to run a lap with Mommy after Mommy finishes work or a workout.

In August, you began attending “school” (as you call it) at the Pine Ridge Presbyterian Parents Day Out (PDO) program while Mommy goes to work. You attend on T and TH mornings for 3 hours, and LOVE it. You have grown significantly in your social interactions and are really enjoying your friendships. Your separation anxiety has nearly vanished thanks to the positive and encouraging teachers and environment at Pine Ridge. Mommy and Daddy are very happy with your progress, Miriam! You put on your backpack and say “Bye, Mommy! Have a great day!” #sosweetandconfident

At the end of Sept, we went on a family vacation to Daytona Beach, FL! Your Aunt Tricia and Mommy had been planning the trip for over a year as it was the year we had “big” birthdays: Mommy turned ’40’ and Aunt Tricia turned ’30’. Daddy turned the big ’40’ too, while we were in FL even!

We also achieved the milestone of being apart from one another overnight. In fact, we were apart FOUR nights while Mommy and Daddy vacationed in Phoenix, AZ for our 7th Anniversary. Mimi came down from NE to stay with you. You both did amazing, and Mommy only broke down once while she was away from you 😉

Gymnastics continues to make you super-happy. You will continue through age 3 and then we’ll be switching to dance lessons. We took you to “The Nutcracker” ballet for Christmas this past month and you thoroughly enjoyed it. The snowflake ballerinas particularly captured your attention so Daddy sweetly purchased you a ballerina ornament for the Christmas tree. You named her “Princess Snowflake”.

This year for the holidays, Mimi joined us for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Pop-pop joined us over the New Year weekend, Dec 30 – Jan 1st. It was lovely to be home this year over the holidays as we have traveled the last two.

Some of your favorite activities are singing and reading books. Two of your favorite songs right now are “Eensy Weensy Spider” and “Skinny Marinky Dinky Dink”. We go the Library on a regular basis to check out books; you read at least 4-5 on your own throughout the day and then 4-5 with Mommy or Daddy between naptime and bedtime. At this point, you have read over 800 books in the 1000 Books before Kindergarten program (began: March 2016)!

Miriam Elayne, you are a wonderful, compassionate, and humorous girl! You are the biggest blessing in our lives and we pray you continue to grow in your zest for life, love for Jesus and others, and understanding of the world around you.

I love you!
Mommy