Sweets

Today my daughter took her first cooking class, an after school activity led by her teacher. She loved it, she has really gotten into cooking over the last year, she loves to make cupcakes or cookies with me or her grandmothers, and is very capable in the kitchen, she can stir, break an egg and measure out ingredients like a pro. She has gotten to explore yet another part of herself with today's cooking class. This event has got me to thinking about the kid that Sweets has been growing into. The difference between 3 and 4 has been monumental, and now she is going on 5. The child that she was at 3 was sweet, girly, hadn't made friends yet, dependent on mommy, unable to read or write and loved Bert and Ernie, your typical 3 year old. Today I am looking at a totally different kid. She can't stand girly stuff, I mean absolutely hates dresses, princess stuff, and pink. She has so many friends I can't keep track of them all and at least once a week one or more are running through my house. She is for the most part really independent, she can play on her own or draw for hours. She is learning to read and write at what I think is a surprising speed, everyday she tells me a new word or writes something I didn't even know she was capable of. Bert and Ernie for the most part are for "babies" now all though every once in a while she still indulges in them with her baby brother. She is however still sweet. She is very emotional and easily gets her feelings hurt, I have to think she gets this from me. She is a joker and loves music and I think that comes from her dad. She is weird and I think that comes from both of us. The baby that I once carried around has now become a kid. I have to think that part of this growth is at least due in part to the fact that she has been attending a great Montessori school for the past two years where she has been given the opportunity to lead her own education and explore who being Sweets really is without pressure. This is so important to me, I don't want to influence her or take away from her individuality. Whatever she is interested in we try to encourage and allow and try to avoid putting our own stuff on her, even though she is undoubtably like us in many ways. So even though part of me would love to buy her dresses and play with Stawberry Shortcake, My Little Pony, Cabbage Patch Kids and dolls with her I am learning to be content with the fact that she prefers baseball caps, tools and sports. She does however love the Carebears so at least I have that. I find it really amazing to see how a child 's personality develops when they aren't overly influenced by others. So much of my own childhood was spent trying to fit in and just be like other kids. So my Sweets has become a little person with her own nutty personality that amazes me everyday. I'm so proud of the person that she is becoming and am loving every minute of encouraging that whimsical little person to do what she loves and love who she is.

-Kim