Kate's Art IV (a continuing series)

Kate's family portrait 26 Feb 2008 (click to see larger)

I love Lexi throwing a fit, my glasses, and Kate's eyelashes.

Preschool Kate

Kate loves her preschool class, and has learned skills like coloring in the lines and content like bible verses. She's in an on-site class while I teach.

She's also started playing on Starfall.com, which she enjoys. I'm impressed with her ability to navigate through the pages and games all by herself.

Her favorite animal is the sea turtle and she still wants to learn to play the cello.

Kate on God [a continuing series]

Kate - "Does God heal us with MAGIC?"
Kristen - "No, God doesn't need magic. Remember, 'God can do all his holy will.'" (quoting the children's catechism)
Kate - "That's right. God is healing my knee by his HOLY will."

Later, to herself, "God is healing my knee by his holy will!"

Her Hipness Has Reached Painful

Kate has decided in the last few weeks that she loves Josh Ritter. If we play music in the car, it must be Josh Ritter, and she often sings along. If I try to nonchalantly play something else, this is what happens:

Kate - “Who sings this song?”
Kristen - “Wilco.”
Kate - “Wilco is not my favorite. Josh Ritter is my favorite. I need to hear Josh Ritter.”

Sorry, Jeff Tweedy.

Esoteric Crisis of Faith

"If God is so big and he lives in my heart, and my heart is small, does God get squished in my heart?"

New Tooth

Funny

So, Kate is in a pretending phase, and we are all the Incredibles.

Mike is Mr. Incredible.
I am Elastigirl.
Kate is Violet ("because I'm a girl and she's a girl!")
Lexi is Jack-Jack ("because Lexi is a baby")

"I like to pretend to be Violet, because Violet is a superhero."

Who She Is

Kate is...
a reader (or, a listener)
totally potty trained
someone who knows the gospel
a singer
someone who likes to dress-up
"sisters, friends and princesses!" screamer
a lover of church
a friend
a sweet girl
looking forward to school

Kate, the Fan

I took the girls to see the Imagination Movers at one of the local libraries and by some strange coincidences, we ended up front row and center. Kate had seen one of their videos a few times on Playhouse Disney but she didn't really know who they were. Well, during the course of the show, she got her fan on. She pushed in from of people to be really close to the stage, participated, and then, when they started the song she knew she SQUEALED in my ear "Mom, it's MY SONG!"

Who knew fandom was that instinctive?

Kate's Birthday Week

Kate had a fantastic birthday week with TWO parties. The first one was attended by her GP, Nana, aunts, uncles and friends and she got all sorts of wonderful things including a dollhouse from her parents, furniture for it, Finding Nemo on DVD, shades, a crown, pjs and underwear from GP, Nana and the aunts and uncles, and a beautiful princess dress and accessories from Sam (friend of the fam.) She got her first cake and she was delighted to share her day with GP and Nana, culminating in a fireworks display in Wakefield that was very nice and cozy (we had a cul-de-sac almost to ourselves to watch them.)

Then we drove back home and celebrated the fourth with friends, and she got to watch more fireworks with Tim and Rachel, and honestly, what could be better than that?

The following day she had ANOTHER birthday party, with lots of fun in the pool with Tim, Rachel and Ryan, and lots of great gifts like a waldorf doll from the P family, a book and a playsilk from mom and dad and lexi, finger puppets, a feather boa, and a wand from the Moes, and several puppets and necklaces from the Spences. She proceeded to turn everyone into a princess. And, she got another cake.

What a lucky girl!

More Conversations with Kate

[talking about going to church]
Kristen - "You know, you belong to Christ. You are part of His church."
Kate - "Yeah, because I've got His water on me."
Kristen - "What?"
Kate [a little exasperated] - "I've got His water on my head. I'm in His church!"
Kristen - "That's right, you were baptized!"
Kate - "When I was a baby, I was baptized. Now I'm in the church."

[watching Lexi]
Kate - "You know, Lexi is growing up. She's growing just like a flower. She's getting really big!"

Favorite Library Books of the Month

Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin and Curious George Visits the Library.

Kate, outside

Hilarious Kate Quote of the Day

Kate - "Momma, what are you DOING?!"
Kristen - "Unloading the dishwasher, sweet girl."
Kate - "You can't do that! Only daddies do the dishes!"
Kristen - "Well, I'm doing it to help daddy."
Kate - "Okay, then."

Catechism and Kate

Kate has been learning the standard catechism for young children based on the Westminster shorter, slowly. It's important to us that she also learn a good number of hymns and service music, and basic Bible stories, and we don't want it to be frustrating or burdensome.

Tonight, we were introducing a new question, "why ought you glorify God?" and we just asked her, to see what she would say. She responded, "Because he died on the cross." Mike and I made eye contact and smiled at our highly religious child who knows good sunday school answers even though our church doesn't have sunday school! Then we asked, "Who died on the cross?" "I did!" Kate responded, with a grin.

So, I grabbed I Believe and turned to the relevant page and asked, "Who died on the cross, Kate?" "Jesus did." she said, with a touch of an eye roll in her voice. She's already learned to tease.