loving 5 tonight...

Oh,my baby girl is 5!  I just can't fully grasp it.  She's been 5 for a couple of months, but it's just hitting me tonight.  I'm just now slowing down and being still long enough to reflect on the past couple of months.  Where have they gone!?  It's hard to believe that 4 months ago Emily was still 4 and we had no idea we would be moving to China.  And here we are.  Emily asked this morning, "Mommy can you believe we are in China!?"  I said, "I'm not sure I can, can you?"  She said, "Yes, Mommy, I can!"

She gets it.  She understands more than I think she does.  She is soaking up every minute that passes her by.  She ponders every unusual thing she sees.  And she asks every question she has.  She's 5.

Emily is in my kindergarten class, so I get to see a new side of her.  I am learning so much about her and observing all she does, just as I do with all my students.  I get to see her strengths and weaknesses, her joys and frustrations, her creative imagination and her free-spirit.  I get to see all that at home too, but I get to see it so much more in a classroom setting.  Today, I had a 2 hour collaboration meeting, so I was not in the classroom the last 2 hours of the day.  The minute the school day was over, Emily filled me in on what they did, what so-and-so said, what she learned, and the new game she played in P.E.  I feel like I didn't miss a thing.  She's so aware, so grown-up, so... 5.

Emily is learning Chinese much faster than I am!  She is soaking up the language and enjoys the idea of HER teaching ME.  She's so carefree, loves life, and savors every moment.  She's 5.

We have been overwhelmingly busy since we've been here.  It's quite the adjustment from our quiet, country life in The States.  I'm always wondering if this is too much for her...  the "go, go, go and hope we make it to the weekend" lifestyle.  But Emily has been soaking it up.  She loves the adventure.  She loves meeting new people, seeing new places, and trying new things.  She almost gets upset if we are NOT going anywhere after school or if we are not seeing anyone.  BUT, 2 days ago, she asked me if we could just come home after school and watch a movie.  She was ready for a break.  So...  point being, no need to be concerned.  If it's too much, she'll let me know.  She's 5.

Food...  I feel so inadequate when it comes to feeding my little girl.  If you know her well, you know she is a PICKY eater.  She doesn't eat your "normal" kid foods.  She doesn't like macaroni and cheese, or bread, or...  well, you name it, she probably doesn't like it.  So here, in this foreign place, the food is... foreign.  And she doesn't eat much of it.  So it frustrates me that chicken nuggets or ham is the only thing I can send in her lunchbox everyday.  But in all reality, I should be grateful that she is perfectly content with the so simple chicken nuggets and ham (with a side of her favorite:  pickles and olives).  It wouldn't surprise me if she ate this for lunch everyday for our entire stay in China.  After all, it's familiar, and she likes it.  She's 5.

Right now she is peacefully sleeping in her own "big-girl" bed in her own "big-girl" room.  I've been awaiting these nights for about 5 years.  I can't believe she's 5!