I think we are in a great place now and have settled into a more unified sense of parenting.
Ellie loves school. She enjoys the fact that she is the oldest in school and that her brothers are in the youngest class. The biggest challenge for Ellie has been social skills. This is the first year she is with kids she does not know from previous classes and away from her best friend. She is learning tough lessons about including others, dealing with exclusion, and having time away from good friends without it meaning that they are no longer friends. At times, this is a painful process to watch. At others, it is comical. We have hosted several play dates to foster some new friendships.
Ellie’s teacher reports that Ellie is great at figuring out ways to challenge herself once she has already mastered skills. This self-initiative seems like a great asset as she looks to start Kindgarten next year.
In preparation for Kindergarten, Ellie attends school five days a week. Many times I appreciate this time away for my benefit, and she certainly looks forward to going daily. However, I have recently been aware of how quickly time is passing and how much time she spends away. I am trying to hold on to more time with her and enjoy the moments we get. I have been increasingly keeping her up during “quiet time,” since she no longer naps and since she is very easy to be around. This has given us more moments to talk or do our respective tasks near each other. I have greatly appreciated a refined sense of my calling to be her mother and invest in her as much as I can while I have her.
Ellie continues to feel attached to James. It is clear that she loves being with her brothers. The moments of drama are many as four children with a tendency toward stubbornness, self-interest, and self-initiative try to function together. There are many highs and lows.
On a regular basis, Wes and I get moments alone with Ellie, and we are enamored by her friendliness, thoughtfulness, humor, and lightheartedness. She and Wes have really enjoyed some Sunday afternoon football games. Her company may be the only bright side to an otherwise dismal football season in the Carolinas.
We keep to a pretty strict rule about limiting extra curriculars. Ellie has chosen soccer for the past eight months and seems to enjoy it. She is just as content going to playgroup or dinner at the church, however. It seems important for her to get out and to be around others. Furthermore, she is a creature of habit and likes having a routine and anticipating the designated activity for the day. Many of these qualities demonstrate what a blend of her parents Ellie is.
It seems that Ellie’s curiosity is on high and so she reports things she learns or asks about things she does not know on a regular basis. Topics range from sports and faith to nature and math. It is with this curiosity that we look forward to the holiday season. Life through the eyes of a child is magical and gives us all something to reflect on.
