Dear Miss Ava ...

Next week you will be 4 1/4 years old and I figure it is time for an update.

There have been a lot of changes for you in the last few months. You are now in Room 5 with Teachers Julie and Norma. Room 5 is the "big-time" because it is Pre-K. You now have projects to do at home, and starting in January, you will have homework every night. On your first day, you had to look in a mirror and draw a self-portrait. At back-to-school night, the parents had to guess which portrait drawn by their kid. I had it narrowed down to two --- the ones with blonde hair, #6 and #8. As we waited our turn, I had to laugh at #13. It was a massive orange head with huge, alien-like blue eyes. The orange-ness of the head made the wisps of yellow hair on top unnoticeable. I couldn't wait to see which kid drew #13 ...

What I learned about you from that drawing was not that you have body dysmorphia or have watched Monsters v. Aliens one too many times ... but that you have a keen eye for detail. The closest colored marker to the color of your skin was orange. There was no flesh colored marker. This eye for detail has also been evident in your latest favorite activity of designing and creating your own clothes for paper dolls. You always include a necklace, earrings, high heels, a hat, and purse for your "girls." Who knows, maybe you will be the next Betsey Johnson or Vera Wang.

You love to clean your room and you don't stop until every single thing is in its place. When I give you a list of chores, you work feverishly until every last chore is done. I have even started putting fun things on the list because I feel a little bad at how hard you work. I am sure this won't last, so I am writing it down so that in five years from now, I'll know I wasn't imagining things.

You have your first pet. A goldfish we won at the LA County Fair. You named her Dorny. Yes, its a girl - as far as we can tell (wink). You had your first sleep over at Abby's house which lasted until 9 p.m. and I was secretly glad because I was missing you. You also learned that the cape on your Super Girl costume does not really help you fly. That was a hard lesson to learn. Ouch!

I am so grateful to be working part time and have more time with you. I love you at this age. Nothing I do gets by you anymore. If I say a bad word, run a red light, spend too much money at Target, or don't shave my legs, you tell me and everyone else about it. I was thinking this week that pretty soon you'll stop telling me and others about all your observations. I won't always know what you are seeing and learning from me. Scary thought.

I love you Ava!
Love,
Mom