About A Girl

I spend a lot of my time taking photos of Owen.

How can I not? He's growing so quickly, I barely have time to get him in his outfits for the age group.

But last night when I went to check on my babies as they slept, I realized something: My girl is growing so fast.

Blink and you'll miss how quickly my baby girl is progressing through life. I swear I just pulled out the 5T clothing and already things are looking a little short on her.

Not only that, her skills are moving so fast I barely have time to realize they're developing. Like last week: I know my children are slower to develop their fine motor skills (walking at 18 months anyone?). So when my nieces were asking if Jane could ride bikes with them I told them: "She doesn't ride a tricycle very well yet." To which my 9-year-old niece looked at me confused and said, "She rode one pretty well last week." Duh. My baby had mastered it when I wasn't even looking.

So I decided to follow Jane around with a camera today. These are all from today, with the exception of one or two.

First off, this little love muffin L-O-V-E-S her brothers. She plays with them All. Day. Long. Especially Elliot.

Jane is near Owen every chance she gets.

I love seeing them together. Fifteen months apart is no picnic, but they sure are the best of friends.

It is truly staggering to see the kind of sister she is at such a young age. I only hope these boys realize how lucky they are that she is their big sister.

Jane is also something of a showoff. She hordes into photos as often as she can and with the advent of child #3 is always hanging on Lane and I for some more attention -- which we have both tried to facilitate on a higher level.

I was trying to get a photo of Owen sitting in the Bumbo and Jane took the opportunity to start doing some acrobatics.

Part of my effort to spend more quality time with Jane includes chapter-book reading.

She is a little sponge and soaks up every word I throw her way (just the other day she was pestering Elliot and on her third attempt, I sighed out a long "Jaaane." She responded with an, "I not antagonize him, Mommy. I'm helping him."). Since she's besting me in language, I thought we'd up the ante ... I had read somewhere that 3- and 4-year-olds can sit through early chapter books and it helps their vocabulary.

Jane sure enjoys it and looks forward to our reading every day.

Here she is, "reading" our most recent book Ramona the Pest while she waits for me.

In addition to reading chapter books, I am teaching Jane how to read.

Since she's been able to identify all her letters and their sounds since her 2nd birthday, I thought she would enjoy the challenge.

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. She loves it.

We also practice our letters every day, since this is one area she tends to shy away from.

It's amazing what a little practice and dedication on my part does for her. In just a week, she's mastered half her letters. Although I'm afraid her hand position suffers from being a right-handed child with a left-handed mother (although I am one left-hander who holds their pencil like a right-handed individual).

One of my absolute most favorite things about Jane at this age is her amazing memory and penchant for story-telling.

She tells outlandish stories all day long. She acts them out, conscripts her brothers and me to play differing roles, and always waves her hands animatedly as she explains things.

Here she is this afternoon, being Merida from Disney/Pixar's Brave. That golf putter is alternately her sword and arrow (for her imaginary bow). In this photo, she is battling the giant bear Mor'du, played by an unwitting Cosmo.

Some of her reoccurring characters in the great play of Jane's life include: Cookie, her pet pony; Gretta, her pet dragon; Dan, king of the Fairies; Hona, an evil monster who puts toys into her mouth and makes her bite on them; Hannanna, a parade-master llama; and Hashi, alternately her future daughter and favorite doll.

Of course, toys are also drafted into her role play.

Jane continues to adore all her dinosaurs, who all play major roles in her daily adventures. These days, however, Barbies, princesses and ponies also have their share of the limelight.

A scene from this morning. The great battle of Barbies at Playroom Hill.

Still, it makes this mommy's heart glad that she continues to declare she'll be a paleontologist when she's older.

And, since she's such a big girl now, we had a rite of passage today: Her very first movie theatre experience.

Her she is, all washed out, next to one of her favorite little friends.

We ventured away from the boys to see Brave -- the perfect adjective for this little girl's character.

It's hard to believe the baby I held in my arms just four years ago is already developing into this amazing and beautiful little girl, filled with such a tender, vivacious and complex character.

Jane on her 1st birthday.

Well, maybe not that hard to believe.