Girls' Personality Profiles. Year 2.

I'm a little late this year posting this, but I have been thinking about it since Thanksgiving, when I was hoping to get this up!  This year with the girls has been a crazy ride to constant adjustments, lots of disappointments, lots of wonderful surprises, and MUCH to be thankful for.

Tallie:
Sweetheart, you continue to love people and all that comes with them.  Everyone one is a potential friend, no matter their age or disposition.  You have no doubt that all have the best intentions at heart and want to be your friend, too.  You are an encourager and a supporter.  You love to tell people that they can do it and you give compliments quickly and freely.  I love that about you!  I firmly believe that the fact that you can make friends in a matter of minutes will be a great aid to you as you grow up.  I've already seen it help you as we have moved a couple of times in your young life and you have made friends wherever you are whether you meet them at the park, story hour, or preschool!

As you turned four, we noticed a new awareness in you.  You have become sensitive to laughter, concerned that it is at you.  You can't tell the difference between someone making fun of you and someone simply laughing at something funny you did/said, and this worries you very much.  Daddy thinks that someday, it may hit you pretty hard that not all people have the best intentions at heart, and that this may hurt your free-loving spirit and leave you feeling betrayed.  We pray that when the day comes when you realize that not all people are kind, that you are buoyed by your trust in Jesus and that He will never have anything but your best in his heart.  You are so open and giving with your heart and intentions, I pray that there is never a storm or disappointment that takes this from you.  I envy this gift you have, and it teaches me to be more giving with my heart and emotions, too!

On the flip side of this openness comes a lack of a filter, my dear.  You are up or down, and anyone within earshot knows which it is.  This is something that continues to require guidance and reminders.  Overall, you are getting better at being respectful despite what mood you are in, but it is something that you have to work at!

You LOVE soccer/futbol!  This summer you went to a soccer camp and loved it.  Now that you have your own soccer ball, we are going to have so much fun in our new backyard!  You continue to love art, this year it has been glue and anything sparkly that can be glued to paper.  You make endless cards and notes for people- you get a thrill out of giving people 'gifts' that you have made with paper and glue.

As far as love language, I think that talking and time spent continue to be your favorite ways to give and receive love, with gift-giving coming in as a close third.  You still talk and sing yourself to sleep on occasion.  It is so cute.  You like to use your love languages on your sister, and she adores you for it!  I love how you two look for each other and love to play together.  I love how you make sure that she has everything she needs to be safe and happy.  In January you two will be separated for a majority of the day for the first time in your lives at your new daycare.  We have been so fortunate that both with your nanny and at your daycare you were cared for together.  We are praying that you are able to handle this alright, as you two are pretty tight!

As you grow, you have become aware of princesses.  You have started putting an emphasis on the way you look, preferring dresses that you deem 'princess dresses'.  You also have noticed that your body and Kaia's are different.  We talk a LOT about how women and girls are only pretty when they have Jesus in their hearts, and this is all that matters.  I hope that lesson sinks in before envy and hatred of your body can seep in the cracks.  I know that the battle looms.  I ache to just wrap my arms around your waist and shield your eyes from the crap that will come hurling at you 1,000 mph by the media about how you should look, act, think, and especially feel.  I am determined to look that dragon in the eye and keep it out of our house as much as possible.  MY girls will not feel badly about themselves, whether it is how they look, talk, feel, or what they do.  MY girls will focus on Jesus and reflecting him to others, because MY girls are HIS, and I will remind them of that as often as I remember.

Kaia:
You make our house a hubbub of action and a sweet haven at the same time!  You continue to show affection through touch, which is so sweet.  You have your favorite people, and you like to nuzzle into them and touch them to show them that.  If you are tired in the least, I can't do anything without you on my hip.  You also have started this sort of obsession with hems and the ends of sleeves.  You rub your lips over your sleeve hems and love to do the same to mine when you are trying to go to sleep.  You also like to have your nose by my wrist as you fall asleep- this has been much easier to accomplish since we took one of your crib sides off and now I can just sit in bed with you!  I go back and forth about indulging you in this random comfort, but I believe that you need it right now and I've seen enough funny little habits come and go to know that this soon will be distant, precious memory.  

You continue to love gymnastics type of activities (we really need to find funds to get you into a class!) and any kind of music!  You also adore loving on your babies, most of whom you have named Baby Kaia ;)  You love to have them swaddled and you put them in a dolly bouncy seat or back carrier and walk around them with them on you.  It is so heart-warming to watch you love on them.  And boy have you had a BLAST having a baby cousin!  You absolutely adore little Lyla Mae, and we are super psyched to have another girlie in the family :)  It is nice to see this softer side of you and be reminded that you are not all crazy bounding energy- that you love to love, too!

One thing that has really come to light this year is how much of a prankster you are.  It absolutely gives you a high to annoy someone (anyone) to the point of squealing or objection.  You will pester your sister until she is in tears, and when I come marching into the room you are absolutely beaming with your hands hidden behind your back.  Such a stinker, you are!  It is hard to discipline you when it is so funny, but I suppose we do need to show you boundaries.  And I suppose that it has been good for me to have this mirror in my life and take stock of how much I get a kick out of annoying others, too, and be reminded that, well, it's not that fun for the other party! :D

As you clocked in 2 years young, you started to have an affinity for a few things.  You adore painting, whether finger painting or with a brush.  You also adore cats (kitty cats), purple and pink, and dresses!  You love things that sparkle or go swoosh.  You are obsessed with 'pretty' clothes (Aunt Lexi and Aunt  Carissa, Help!) and only want to wear something unless it passes the 'pretty' test-whatever that is!  As your sister has gotten over her play-dough obsession, you have picked up the mantle.  It can entertain you for about as long as anything can, and we love having this stand-by when it is needed.

You and I continue to work on our bond.  I do think that we have made progress, though I am still concerned about your eye-contact and that you sometimes run up to me only to turn around and run the other way.  (This pattern of running to and then running the opposite way can be a marker of the worst type of parent-child bond, and indicates a lack of dependability or trust in the parent.)  I do think that our moving, your constantly changing child-care situation and lack of consistent friends has been a tough battle for you.  Also, I think that the daycare staff didn't understand how to work with you, and you became the 'bad kid' and were constantly in time-out instead of them following the special care instructions I gave them.  Unlike your sister, you guard your heart more closely and take your time getting to know people.  My heart aches for you and all of the changes you have gone through.  I hate that our living situations haven't been ideal for the needs of your personality, but really, when I think about kids across the globe I also know that we have it good.  I know that I have resources to continue to make strides to help you overcome any obstacles and we live close to family, despite moving almost constantly since you were born!  I do think that you need someone to give you a run for your money- hopefully you will have cousins for that, or maybe Mommy and Daddy's dream of adopting domestically will be blessed sooner or later.