Bragging on Emi

Well, before I brag I need to just write a little. There are days when I wonder if she really is 4 or if she is actually already into her teenage years and just trapped in her cute little body. She is so mature in so many ways and then in other ways, she is right on target for the sassy 4 year old she is. Here's an example:

The scene: Emi has been carrying Graci around and Graci is now aggravated and tired of her and wants me to "rescue" her from her sisters.

Me: Emi please hand me her lamb (lovey)

Emi: I told you if you put her down I will give her lamb to her
Me: Emi, I am not making a deal with you. Hand me her lamb please so she will quit crying

Emi: (now with hands on her hips) I will give it to her when you put her down

Me: Emi go to your room and I will be in there in a minute to talk with you

Emi: I don't have to go to my room because I didn't do anything wrong. You are the one that won't put Graci down so I can give her lamb to her

UGH!!!!! Well, needless to say, it didn't end well for my precious 4 year old.

Then I can turn around and she will be reading books to Graci and helping PayPay pick out her clothes and get them on and cleaning up the blocks and books and just being a great helper. Then I can turn back around and she is hitting Payton or picking up Graci again and making everyone scream (including her mommy).

Boy do I love her though!!!! I can't believe that my first baby is already 4 1/2 years old. She is such a little mini-mom. She has grown up so fast it is absolutely amazing.

Onto my bragging now...

Most of you know that Emi has been blessed with gymnastics talent that only God could give to her. She really is amazing. She is on a team at her gym with 5 & 6 year olds (she's the only one that is 4) and the team name is the Hot Shots. For the longest time she would tell people she was on the Hopscotch team :) Here is the picture of her new leotard for her team...

Anyway, she is going to be competing in a gymnastics meet in March!!!!!! This is so exciting for me. I did Gymnastics growing up so I love seeing her with a love for it too. She is practicing 2 days a week now for 1 1/2 hours so that is not too fun with Payton and Graci when they have to go but it's worth the sacrifice. She is doing her back hip circle on the bar with no help and it really is close to perfect. She has been learning her floor routine and she does it constantly at the house to get it "good" as she says. Her head stands and hand stands, splits, back bends, cartwheels, roundoffs, forward and backward rolls ... she is doing so good. I hate to sound prideful, but I am proud of her and I want to brag on her. I love seeing determination in a 4 year old and seeing it produce such great things. She is "strong as wood" as she will tell you so... I just tell her she is solid muscle.... she can definitely hold her own.

Here are some pics of her headstand, handstand and middle splits...

All this to say, even on the days when I want to knock her cute little sassy self into next week, she is mine and I am proud of her.