The thing that I really love about parenting is watching my child's personality develop, and what is really surprising to me is that Harper is who Harper is. She always has been. No matter how much she learns or changes or how tall/old she gets, Harper is still the same bright, loving, curious, mischievous, and strong-willed person that she has been since she was a baby.
She is the perfect mix of girly and adventurous. I'm not going to say that she is a tomboy because she isn't. No tomboy wears tutus or puts on as much eyeshadow as Harper did at Whitney's house on Saturday evening. One of the things that I love most about Harper is that she just isn't the kind of girl to let boundaries of any sort keep her from anything that she is interested in. She wants to shoot guns and play swords while listening to princess songs and she wants to wear a tutu and cowgirl boots while she's doing it and damn anyone who thinks she should do otherwise.
Seriously.
She is also brave and very inquisitive (she woke up a few days ago and immediately said, "Mommy, I've really been wondering what orangutans like to eat.").
She is independent and driven by the chance to make her own choice.
She is sweet and generous.
She is friendly.
She is determined.
She is bright and willing to learn.
She is musical and artistic.
She is emotional and prone to intense bouts of anger, followed by tears and a need to snuggle.
She is fun and silly.
She LOVES to dance.
She is Harper and we love her.
Four year old Harper isn't too different from three year old Harper. She still loves Ariel and Cheetos and she still like to choose her own clothing. She has, however, had a whole year of exploration and experience and has a few new favorites (and not favorites) under her belt.
Harper loves ponies, going to the movies, the library, fry sauce, horses, cats (she really wants one but I'm afraid it isn't going to happen), animals in general, her gummy vitamins, butterflies, jewelry, scarves, Spider-man, painting, coloring, drawing, play-dough, our dogs, make-up, clip-on earrings, dancing, and singing.
Harper doesn't love potatoes, the blow-dryer, being forced to wear anything that she didn't choose, having a bath, the carwash, milk, and being ignored.
Her favorite movies are Annie, Matilda, Alice in Wonderland, The Last Unicorn, Fern Gully, Coraline, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Adams Family, and Corpse Bride (the smart girl is obviously a Tim Burton fan).
Her favorite TV show is Sophia: Once Upon a Princess. She is really excited for the upcoming mermaid episode.
Her favorite books are Pinkalicious (anything from the series, in fact), Corduroy, Peter Rabbit, Claire and the Unicorn- Happily Ever After, Jemima Puddle Duck, The Invisible Moose, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. She also really likes any type of fairy tale or fable.
Her favorite foods are bacon and soup (she's her father's daughter, that's for sure).
Her favorite music is Lady Gaga, Rihanna, the soundtracks of Annie, The Little Mermaid, Rent, Wicked, and the first season of Sophia, Whitney Houston, Barbara Streisand, Dolly Parton, and The Chipmunks. She also loves (times about a million) Christmas music.
She enjoys ballet class and is getting ready for her Christmas recital (I'm also getting ready, for an intense cuteness overload).
She is good at cleaning up and is usually happy to help out. She can put her toys and shoes away, fold her blankets, hang up her jackets and bags, and organize her drawers. She is currently learning to make her bed and set the table.
Harper can recognize and write all of the letters and numbers. She knows the sound for each letter and can count to 40. She can also write her name, recognize lots of shapes, say The Pledge of Allegiance, sing and play a major scale, and recite about 10 nursery rhymes. Being her preschool teacher has been challenging in a number of ways, but I've loved every minute of it. I'm glad that she will be able to remember me as her first teacher in life. We have started with a little piano, too, and I'm excited to see how she takes to it.
Harper is 42" tall and weighs 41 pounds. She wears a size 6 in clothing (a part of my heart will never fully heal from the break that happened when Harper grew too big for the toddler section at Target) and a size 11 in shoes. She is currently working hard at growing out her hair. She wants it to be "yong" like Ariel's.
When she grows up, she wants to be Ariel but she doesn't want legs. She wants to be Ariel with a "real fin."
That's about it, I guess- my Harper in a nutshell. She's amazing, and definitely the best part of life.
Harper and Tucker are always so sweet to one another.
They seem to have a special relationship.
I think it's because they were babies together.
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