Miss Lily turned 4 on us this April. For her preschool birthday celebration she and I made cupcakes. Since it was for her birthday I let her put her finger in the batter once or twice. It is always difficult to know what to get Lily for her birthday, because every girl toy we have ever given her has gotten very little use. Despite that, we went with a Sophia the First action figures as her main gift. She seemed to like them that day, but like all of the other dolls has been played with very little. I had high hopes for the Sophia the First gift since that is her favorite cartoon, but she just seems to prefer to play with stuffed animals to dolls. Lily has mellowed out a little this year. I think a little may be the operative word, but we will take what we can get. She still tends to be a very spirited and independent child. She does not like to be told what to do, which can make parenting a little difficult. And if you try to get her to do something she doesn't want to when she is overly tired Watch Out, it can get a little scary. Despite all the challenges it brings we love her spunk. I feel like her independence and spirit will serve her well through out her life. Girls need a little spunk so they don't get pushed around. I am not really worried about Lily getting pushed around ever! She loves to look at books, and she likes to "read" me the books she has memorized. She loves to play stuffed animals. She is a good friend and makes friends easily. She seems to be a natural leader, and usually kids follow her lead in games and play. She is usually cheerful and happy (unless she is tired). She is sweet and affectionate, and still loves to cuddle and sit on laps. She always looks out for younger children and makes sure they are not hurt or scared. She is a second mother to Grant and frequently follows him around and makes sure he is staying out of trouble. We sure love our Lily girl.
