Pippi at 5 1/2

I remember when I lived in Manhattan at the end of a wonderful summer when Stacy was 4 and Pippi was nearly 3, and I was sitting at the playground and I just had the feeling that I never wanted that moment to end. I just loved them so much and wanted to bottle up that moment and keep it forever. I wish I could remember what they were doing and specifically what I liked so much about each of them, so that's why I'm writing about each of my kids tonight. We just spent the evening at a Primary kickball picnic in the park. The weather was beautiful and it was just so much fun to be with my kids and the primary kids. The great outdoors brings out the best in children.

Anyway here's what Pippi's like right now:

1. Pippi's favorite movies are Chicken Little and Harry Potter Chamber of Secrets. Chicken Little seems to take first place lately because of the song "One Little Slip." She has random outbursts all day of her version of that song. ".....a confusion of confusion and a few confounding things..." This is the only movie she really loves checking out from Netflix.

2. Pippi has very strong emotions. She uses her body all over to convey emotion. For example, if I tell her to come inside the apartment for dinner and she doesn't want to, she growls and stomps her foot.

3. Pippi hates being told what to do. Luckily, she now has figured out a way over that obstacle called "going the extra mile." When I tell her to do something, then she can tell herself to do something. That way she's helping out without being told and "going the extra mile." Hopefully she will continue enjoying going the extra mile for a long time (like the rest of her life).

4. Pippi is very timid at sports. She reminds me of myself at that age. In the picture she's the one with the blue hat kicking the ball.

5 Pippi's very very tall for her age. She's not yet in kindergarten, yet she's taller then many first graders.

6. Pippi loves to give people presents.

7. Today Pippi opened up a Barbie salon on our dining table. She gave many of her Barbies haircuts. The salon even had a sun deck where they could "lay out" and get a tan.

8. Pippi loves to pretend. This week she made up a new language called jivanese. It was very interesting to listen to her explain to me how to say "London Plane Tree" and "police car" in her new language.

9. Another of Pippi's teeth became very loose today. She's already lost 2 teethe, and this will be her 3rd.

10. Pippi's favorite color is pink.

11. Pippi is generally a good eater. I'm not sure what her favorite food is. I'll have to ask her.

12. Pippi can tell us when she doesn't understand something. This week she told the Warlock that sometimes she doesn't understand the words in the scriptures.

13. Pippi weighs 49 pounds.

14. Pippi can jump rope!

15. Pippi teaches us so much, and helps us to be better people. She's a great big sister and a loving daughter and friend. We love Pippi.