Eliza at 5

Sweet, wild, energetic, tough little Eliza celebrated her 5th birthday way back in October.

She had an early celebration while Grammy and Grandpa Mike were visiting, then a party on her actual birthday with all the kids from both EC1 classes.

Shortly after her 5th birthday, while Eliza was eating biltong, a tiny tooth fairy, so small and so fast we never saw her, flew into Eliza's mouth and took her very first tooth.

First Sleep-over

Aljosha & Eliza

Earlier this month Eliza was invited for her first sleep-over (or as I would say spend-the-night). It was her friend Aljosha's first time inviting someone, as well. Aljosha is in a grade above Eliza, but they see each other at carpool and every Sunday when his family (Bettina, Clemens, Janalou - Miles's age, & baby Noah) come over to our house for tennis lessons. As with Miles's first time sleeping over, everyone ended up in bed with the mommy (no tears), but it was a good time by all.

Doesn't seem possible

Baby Eliza one year ago

Now...and with her increasingly big brother.

Updates

Eliza these days: 

• Potty Training: She wears panties most of the time. At school, she's 4 out of 5 days dry (that's all morning until 1). Then when she gets home she usually has an accident or two. Like Miles she started off making it to the toilet for the caca, not the peepee. It has reversed in a way. She hardly ever makes it for the caca, and almost always does for peepee now. She's very stubborn sometimes and will not do anything on the toilet no matter how many times I take her, then she'll just wet her clothes, undress wherever she is, and continue playing half-dressed. Other than being semi-successful at using the toilet years before her brother was trained, she is less conscientious than Miles was about NOT doing caca in the pool or bath. I cannot wait until she stops with that nastiness. It's certainly not winning us any friends at the pools we visit.
• School: Eliza is the youngest at the school, but she's confident and happy there. They only have another week left. There are some summer camp options for Miles, but not Eliza because she's only 2. I just can't see sending Miles off to leave Eliza home all morning by herself. So they will probably both be at home for the next couple of months. 
• Play: Being a younger sister, E usually gets pulled into whatever Miles is doing. He's influenced her independent play: when she's on her own she'll pick up a couple of knights and have them play fighting. But she also likes to carry her baby around, push animals in the stroller, organize tea parties, dress up in heels. More so than Miles, she can't get enough of climbing and jumping. I actually heard her giving Miles pointers on how to ride his bike the other day. A stranger commented today that she was impressed Eliza could pump her legs and make herself swing by herself at such a young age-she loves the swing. Eliza has a new stuffed puppy she takes with her everywhere that she's named Fimiry.
• Attitude: She wants to do everything herself. She has to hold my hand. I can't hold hers-(unnerving when on the street). She likes to wag her finger and boss people around with an expression of scorn. She turns on the water works to get what she want, i.e. the thing Miles just grabbed from her. Enjoys a good chase. Is most charming with her raise-eyebrows-sincerity when explaining something to us.

Miles these days:

• Play: What's nice about a 5-year-old is that he can get the paper out of the cabinet and the crayon box out of the drawer. He can open the crayon box, pull out the chair, and start working on a a number of drawings - things he dreamt or saw in a movie - often super hero type monsters, scenes in space or fights between super hero type monsters in space. He'll pull out the costumes and dress himself, and encourage his sister to take up another sword and fight him...or if she's not into that to fight the ghosts (the sheer curtains blowing in the wind).
• School: Some days Miles is not in the mood to go to school, but that's improved a lot in the last month or so. He usually doesn't like leaving school either, but that has recently been resolved in that he is riding the bus...with Eliza! So today was the first time, and they were both thrilled. I started back to work today, and this seemed the best solution. They only have school for another week.
• Swimming: It's time to learn how to swim. A lot of Miles's friends were able to take swimming lessons over the winter, so they're all swimming without arm-bands. We have started lessons, just one so far, and he has been able to swim a little: putting his head under water and swimming 5 arm strokes, half way across the small pool. He raises his head and starts paddling and gets tired and starts to sink and takes in a little water...so it's that second breath that's the challenge. He's excited about it and enjoying himself and likes Ali, the lifeguard at the American club, his swimming teacher. He practices with us, too.

The beginning of the end of innocence?

Miles and Eliza had a roaring good joke going between them at dinner last night.

Miles: (in that na-na-nany booboo sing-song tune cherished by children all over the world) Eliza is a caca. (laughter)

Eliza: Miles is a caca. (laughter)

Miles: Eliza is a caca. (laughter)

Eliza: Miles is a caca. (and so ad infinitum)

Me: Children, we do not talk about caca at the table.

Miles: (in an almost teenager-like sarcastic tone with an indulgent little chuckle): Sure, Mom. We NEVER talk about caca at the table.

...it was only a matter of time given his Brigham blood. Of course, mother that I am, it was all I could do to stifle my appreciative giggle.

All evidence points to

the kids growing up. 

These days Eliza insists on doing everything herself. She is much more stubborn in this regard than her brother ever was. Today she went to the toilet by herself, no prompting from us. She sat on the big toilet without the toddler mini-seat on top of it...though she still needs the stool to climb up there. She can even dress herself (something Miles has only recently found to be occasionally worth his effort). 

There are down sides to all this independence, i.e. the horror show when she missed the potty, stepped on the poo, and decided she'd try and clean it up herself. I'll just stop there.

Miles now opens the car door, climbs into his booster, closes the door behind him, and reminds me to reach back to help with his seat belt. He can undo the seatbelt himself, open the door, climb out, and shut the door. 

When Eliza ran off while we were picnicking yesterday, we asked Miles to go get her. He disappeared down the hill and reappeared, walking up and holding Eliza's hand. His advice to her sounded familiar: Eliza, don't go where we can't see you. What if some bad man came and took you away? (!!) Then we might not see you again, and you would miss us very much. Don't just go running away like that! You have to stay where we can see you. Do you understand, Eliza? Eliza? Eliza nodding: yeth, yeth.