Hallie on the cusp of five

Hallie does not like to be alone lately. She didn't use to have trouble with her 7 o' clock bedtime. But recently she has struggled. She frequently sings or speaks down into the air vent in her room so that we hear her clear as day in the family room below. And she always gets up to use the restroom fifteen minutes after she has been in bed - despite the fact that she just went. When we go check on her and she is awake in the dark she tells us she hates to be lonely. She does much better off when she sleeps with Claire so they have been alternating hosting slumber parties in each of their rooms so Hallie has that comfort of companionship. They will eventually move in together but I am not quite ready to move Claire out of her crib yet.

Hallie and I have been working on her letters and it is so fun to watch her figure things out and start to spell words other than her name. She figured out "bus" all on her own and started to spell the word "smack" the other day. She was really excited about "m" and "s" sounds. She isn't one to smack. :) I have been looking for balance because I don't want her to be reading so much that when she goes to kindergarten she feels bored, but at the same time she is super excited about it. If Hallie would have started kindergarten this year, yesterday would have been her first day of school. She barely made the cut off for our school district. She actually could have already been going to school for six hours a day! But after countless discussions and prayers I felt it was better for her to go next year. I am thrilled that I get to keep that little girl with me for one more year.

Hallie is a little girl with a big faith in heaven. For one, I know that little children are without guile and closer to perfect - therefore it is easier for them to believe. But also, losing her Grandpa and uncle within months of each other last year really opened the dialogue on why we are here and where we go afterward.  She asked me at lunch the other day which direction heaven was in. Then she looked thoughtfully in the distance before bowing her head and praying out loud, "Father in Heaven, please help me know which way heaven is." Then she peacefully told me shew knew.  It didn't look like acting dramatics to me.  She was perfectly calm and truly happy.

Hallie's new obsession is "Rockadoodle."  It's a cartoon we discovered on Netflix that was made in 1991 that still displays all the cheesiness of an 80s movie. Hallie has a major crush on the main character, an Elvis-like chicken, named Chanticleer. She talks about him constantly and it actually is a little embarrassing how in love with a cartoon chicken she can be. Since the movie is obscure and from twenty years ago, no one ever knows what she is talking about. And she always talks about it. She mentions it to the grocery checker, she mentions it to the nurse in the doctor's office, she has told our chiropractor . . . twice. We love her and her quirks.  But honestly, we look forward to her outgrowing Chanticleer and falling in love with a new animated animal.

Hallie has strong opinions about naming her next sibling. She really wants it to be Rosie or Nala. Both of those are preferable to her previous favorite, Rainbow. Her favorite joke is that we should name our next child Snot. She usually isn't one for gross humor, but you should see how much that one makes her giggle.

She has a new chore chart and is generally very good about following through with her assignments. She does tend to end up playing when it is toy pick-up though. Typical kid behavior. :)

This is the first birthday that Hallie actually asked for specific presents. She always has just been content to get what she gets. But, I do think it is cute she has stronger opinions about what is fun.
We still feel totally blessed to raise this child. She is usually so easy-going it is like she raises herself! Chris and I just know we love to be around her. We know we hit the kid jackpot.