Alice just says the darnedest things. Sometimes I notice she'll take a specific phrase from a TV show, but other times it truly seems like she's made up her own lexicon. Today she wanted to put up some Halloween decorations, and she was delighted when I added a big fake spider high up on the wall. She gleefully exclaimed, "Mom, our house is going to look so haunted!" And then later when she was admiring the pumpkins taped to the wall outside her room she said, "It looks haunterific up here!" From the time she first started talking my mom noted that I should keep a microphone on her all the time to capture all the funny things she says. This is still true, and I need to be better about writing all the Aliceisms down--it's just that so many of the things that come out of her mouth are excellent one-liners, that i sometimes don't even register them.
Alice can be incredibly firey (and quite competitive, but I strongly believe this is due to having Jack as her example), but is at her core incredibly considerate and sweet. When I'm sick or otherwise not feeling well, she somehow knows just what I need even when I don't know--sometimes that's drawing the curtains or fluffing an extra pillow behind me. Sometimes it's making me a get-well "soup" out of milk, pepper, and diced carrots. I never quite know what I'm going to get but it's always delightful. Alice still loves making her own creations in the kitchen. These are usually terrifying, so I've been meaning to set aside a drawer or bin at her level filled with ingredients i'm ok with her using together. Homegirl LOVES a spice cabinet.
A few things Alice has mentioned wanting to be when she grows up: astronaut, ballerina, singer, doctor, princess, teacher. Can't wait to see which direction she goes. She's doing great at preschool lately and has recently really taken to the letter sounds and is sounding some words out. I wouldn't be surprised if this next year she starts doing some beginner reading.
She recently transitioned from her crib (I know, I know, I'm just a chicken) to a big girl bed. She is doing pretty well! She does come to our room at some point most nights, but one of us will walk her back to her room and she goes back to sleep without a fuss. This is a big upgrade from Jack's transition out of his crib so I'll take it. We added white Christmas lights to her room and hung a pink tent canopy above her bed. It is the coziest place to be.
I could go on about Alice forever, but it's getting late so I'll get to the pictures:
^^Signature sheepdog bangs. She's getting a trim next week--i asked if she wanted to grow her bngs out but she passionately declined.
^^on her birthday she chose her own birthday outfit for school--a sparkly black dress, hello Kitty Halloween socks, and black loafers. 10/10 birthday outfit.
^^She asked to go ice skating for her birthday, but the public skate hours didn't line up with our schedule on her birthday so we ended up having Alice go on a date with Grandma and Grandpa, and then we had chik-fil-a and opened/played with presents at home. We'll go skating next week. She had a blast with the presents anyway.
Not many jack pictures this week, but he's thriving as well (except for attitude after school, but what are you gonna do). His flag football team is undefeated this season, which is a first for him and fun to watch. He loves to be involved and has requested to be signed up for battle of the books, chess club, reflections, and martial arts...all within this last week. That one's going to keep us busy!