Who let that Sassy 4 year old move in?

Ellie turned 4 this week.  I can hardly believe it.  How can she be 4 already?  I have barily aged a single year since she was born.  It is very apparent that she is no longer a baby, or even a toddler.  She is a little girl.  Her appearance, her attitude, her general presence comes off as a little girl.  Ellie has started to show us what we may be in for during the teenage years, with a little sass here and there.  She is becoming such a strong independant person, that I am truly amazed with her on almost a daily basis.  The bribes of fruit snacks and candy hardly work anymore, as she has a mind of her own, with her own decisions!

Year 4 brought us many things.  After sorting through a year of pictures, probably the most notable thing was making Ellie a big Sister.  Ellie adores her baby sister so much, and can not wait for her to be able to play with her more.  She likes to have Mackenzie chase her around the room.  Everytime that Ellie laughs (which is quite infectious) Mackenzie laughs as well.  Ellie probably gives Mackenzie 100's of hugs and kisses everyday.  I am surprised that we don't pass germs back and forth more frequently then we do.

Another big event for us this year was her broken arm.  I personally have never broken a bone, so I can only imagine what she went through.  Through the entire experience she was such a trooper, and didn't complain about the cast at all.  She barily cried when she broke her arm.  She is becoming such a big girl.

This was also the first year that Tom and I planned a vacation soley for the kids (mainly Ellie).  We spent a week in Disney with the girls and had a great time.  The trip was really about them, and making sure that they had a great time, but Tom and I did as well.  Ellie barily scraped by on height for most of the "big kid" rides, whereas earlier this summer, I know she would have been too short.

Ellie started soccer this year, and is in her second level of swimming lessons.  She seems to really enjoy soccer, and has even been playing soccer at school with a group of kids in her class.

We are amazed everyday with the information she comes home from school with.  She has learned all of her states and their capitals, and has started reading.  She can write all of her letters, and can even write basic words such as her name, Mom, Dog, and Cat.  She will write anything down, as long as we spell it for her.  I think that our method of spelling things out that we don't want her to hear may be quickly coming to an end.

Some of her favorite foods are salami, noodles, apples, cheese, and cereal.  Her favorite candy is Skittles.  Any flavor will do, but she especially likes the crazy colors Skittles.

Happy 4th Birthday Ellie!  We love you to bits and pieces.  You bring incredible joy to our lives everyday.  You are an excellent big sister, and a terrific friend.  We hope that this next year brings us many more adventures that will help you expand your mind!

Ellie- 4th Birthday Morning