Lydia // 4 Years

My goodness, this is what happens when I completely neglect to care about my blog anymore. Happy birthday to my baby, 3 weeks late! Let the record show that I am also not going to be uploading pictures on here anymore, and I will also probably stop doing birthday posts for kids when they turn 10 for the sake of privacy and such. (So, Nicole's most recent birthday post will be her last.)

Lydia counted down to her birthday for weeks. She was eager to be old enough to have TWO gummy vitamins at breakfast time like her older siblings and regularly informs random people that she's four now. She wanted nothing more for her birthday dinner than plain pasta with cheese on it. We actually celebrated her birthday a day early because we were visiting my family in California (Jenna's homecoming) and we drove home on Lydia's actual birthday.

Lydia at age 4:

- Sings loudly and somewhat offkey (it's endearing)

- Loves wearing dress-up clothes in a way none of her siblings did. We're talking daily dress-ups here. Her regular pick is Elsa, but she will often wear Aurora as well.

- Will immediately approach anyone who has a dog and ask to pet it (she's *very* good about asking first.)

- Really wants to attend elementary school with her siblings and recites all the time how she'll be able to go to kindergarten once she turns 5

- Already a pro at navigating the elementary school, honestly, because we're there quite often for the volunteer work I do. The front office ladies all know her by name.

- Enjoyed her first year of dance class quite thoroughly, is currently loving summer dance camp, and looks forward to starting her next dance class in August (and possibly adding Acro into the mix!)

- Every time I did her hair for her dance concert rehearsals/performances, she'd say it was her "Zuko hair" because the top ponytail reminded her of Zuko's hair from season 1 of Avatar (You can tell from how novel this experience is for her that I don't put her hair up often)

- In true youngest child fashion, she desperately wants to do what her siblings are doing and gets sad when she's left out of activities or outings because she's not old enough yet

- Loves books, hooray!

- Quite skilled at solo play, partially out of necessity since she was the only child at home during this past school year

- She attended preschool two mornings a week and loved it, so we'll be upping the frequency to 3 times a week this coming school year

- A bit sassy. Telling her more than once to wash her hands or pick up her toys will often illicit a response such as: "Uuuuuugh, I KNOW, stop SAYING that!"

- If she's upset, she'll inform you: "I don't like you anymore." Ultimate insult, you know.

- If she could get away with only eating cheese, yogurt, pasta, and bread products, that would be all she would ever eat

- We went to Disneyland back in November 2024, and Lydia was juuuuuuuuust barely tall enough to get away with going on rides with a 40" height requirement IF she stood up as straight as possible. We managed to get her onto Radiator Springs Racers with us but failed the final height check for Rise of the Resistance. That one probably would have scared her a bit anyway, so it's for the best.

- I need to record this quote before I forget it. We arrived for pictures at our dance studio. The studio director saw Lydia and told her she looked so pretty in her costume. Lydia shrugged and said, "I'm just a girl." I sat there choking on my saliva and wondering how my preschooler learned popular social media vernacular that none of my other kids use.

- Loves to sneak a few too many treats to our cat

- If she spills water on her clothes she must change immediately

- Has learned how to play a couple little tunes on the piano with coaching from her siblings

- Requests the "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" theme song at bedtime every night

- Just barely started using a nightlight in her room. While we were in Fresno, the room she slept in had a nightlight. Her own bedroom has always been pitch-black and has never bothered her... but once we came home, she had nightmares 3 nights in a row. A nightlight fixed that issue!

- Loves pink

- Loves treats

- Loves our cat Ava

- Can unbuckle and buckle her own car seat, hallelujah (and is responsible about keeping it buckled)

- Recently got into Nicole's nail polish and thought it was lip gloss, so she emerged from Nicole's room with bright blue lips 0_0

- Has a favorite cashier at Costco that she looks for every time we're there. If he's working and his lane isn't too busy, she'll insist on getting in line for him. She thinks he's hilarious.

I don't think I'll every quite get over how each of her birthdays marks an "end" for me. I'll never have a 3-year-old again. Very bittersweet.

Lydia, we all love you so much! Here's to starting your 5th year of life!