Stuff Jo Knows ...: (55 Months) - 4 years + 7 months

Life with a four-and-a-half year old is pretty darn awesome. Sure, she doesn't listen the first, second or third time I ask her to do things. And she can't stand it when we have grown-up conversations at the dinner table. But she sure is a lot of fun at this age, with a personality all her own developing each and every day. She talks to EVERYone, seriously, ev.ery.one. Unless, of course, she's on FaceTime or is supposed to know the person or feels put on the spot in some way. She is the best cuddler, seriously, so sweet and loving. Lately, she's a lover of puzzles, soccer, and playdates. We have been using the library a lot for new books. We are back going to church on Sundays, and she now joins the big kids (versus the preschool/nursery). For Halloween she has stayed true to her desire to be an astronaut. This last month we had a weekend adventure to Kah-Nee-Tah, weekday adventures to the zoo, playdates with neighbor Mara or BFF Mila, and carved pumpkins with Laura and Garret. She officially learned to swing by herself. We still indulge sometimes in Mama-Francie time watching the Mindy Project; it's cool, my therapist knows about it. She continues her obsession with her long blue "Elsa dress" and wears it more than half the days each week. She has been a superstar with the presidential debates, and plays in the living room, interjecting occasionally about how "mean" Trump is, and what a "bad interrupter" he is, telling us she wants Hillary to win - "actually, I want them both to win." (Shudder). We accidentally put her to bed without a pull-up one night, and she woke up dry! She was so proud of herself, tried another night in just undies, but had an accident and was so upset about it that she's back in pull-ups; we're just following her lead on this one. She loves going to 'soccer class' and her 'soccer teacher,' Ibrahim (who we just discovered is one of Alex's former Southridge students). Hilariously, she's mostly still terrible at soccer, and I have the cutest video of her tripping over the soccer ball two times in a row - but giggling at herself and picking right back up and headed for the goal! Suffice it to say the Bean continues to fill our hearts with love and laughter.

"Mama why can animals with four legs not have their nails painted? But we're animals and we get our nails painted?"

As Beebee said, "she sure went from a shy 3-year-old to a really outgoing 4-year-old." She talks to EVERYone, and asks almost-inappropriate questions (wonder where she got that?!?)

- At the Adidas employee store to a woman and her 11 year old daughter: "How old are you? Did you have to drive on the freeway? What kind of car do you have? Where do you live?"

- To a mom and her daughter loading bikes in their car as we walked home from the park: "Where do you guys live? Why did you drive? What about your bikes? Why are you here?"

- At dinner in Kahneetah she literally SAT DOWN AT ANOTHER TABLE at carried on conversation for several minutes. Yeah, sure, maybe we should have stopped it. But Alex and I have seriously mixed feelings about this outgoing phase - we adore it and want to foster her curiosity and comfort in the world, and we certainly don't want to squelch her little spirit; but on the other hand maybe some people think it's annoying? We've ultimately decided that is their problem, and their responsibility to tell her "we're eating dinner right now, you should go see your parents" or something like that.

Driving in the car, DJ Khaled 'F*#!@ For Free' comes on the radio.

Me: "Ooh, here's that song I like," and I turn up the volume.

F: "I love this song. This is my favorite." Long pause. "You shouldn't sing this song at school because it's inappropriate."

"Mama why do you think Spanish people talk faster than we do?"

At the zoo about the sun bear: "He must not pick his nails because look how sharp they are."

Francie, looking at the cereal box. "So K - I - X."

Me: "You got it. Kix."

Francie: "Wouldn't it be funny if they were called Kix Ass?" Giggles.

Sitting on my lap in the morning. "I just feel so good right here."

Whispering, "Mama, who in our family will die first?"

"I need something round to kick."

"And how do you say 'can you itch my back' in sign language?"

"I already went to the bathroom with daddy. I had a short pee and a looooong fart."

Watching the second round of prez debates: "What if Donald trump came out naked?" ...

"I farted in Donald Trumps' face."

Some morning when I had a few extra minutes and needed to do some computer work, I let her watch a show, probably 'Stella and Sam' from Hulu: "Even though TV isn't good for your brain, I think you take really good care of me."

Me, about I don't know what: "Oh that's so sweet, did you make that up yourself?"

Her: "I just thought of it inside my own head."

"If I can't wear my long Elsa dress I can't wear anything!"

This is the first year she's developed a fear of shots/needles, but she was SO brave about her flu shot. She cried these big sad tears when I told her after school that we'd be going to get our flu shots.
We spoke a lot, as we often do, about bravery: "It's being afraid but doing something anyway." I felt SO PROUD of her. And then expressed my pride by giving her candy and buying her 'anything she wanted' at Michael's. Big surprise, she chose a new doll, "Madeline."

"Daddy says I'm being selfish. But I am but I don't want him to call me that!"

I was singing her "Let It Be" at bedtime and she asked me where I learned the song. It's not that my mom ever sang me the Beatles song when I was young, it's just one of her favorites. I tell Francie so much and she says, longingly, "I miss grandma Nancy."

Francie, referencing the pumpkins we did with Laura and Garret the day before. "Daddy, is this one yours with the eyebrows?"

She dresses herself in overalls one morning:
Me: "You know you're supposed to wear a shirt under there."

Francie: "Why?"

Me: "Your just are."

Francie: "But do farmers do that?"

Discussing the sad news that Alex's uncle is now on hospice.

Me: "We should do something nice for Cis and Richard, what do you think?"

Francie: "How about send them money?"

Me: "That's sweet, what else though?"

Francie: "How about a toy? A grownup toy."

Me: "What kind of grownup toy?"

Francie: "Hmm, a computer?"

"Why does Wonder Woman just wear underwear? Maybe it's because she gets sweaty during fly practice?"