Caroline Margaret is 5!

I can't believe my little girl is 5 and will be starting kindergarten next year! Caroline has a wonderful imagination.  She plays better than any of my other kids.  She is a leader of creative play with friends, cousins, and siblings.  This also makes her a great mess maker!  She throws endless tea parties and picnics all over the house.  She takes her babies and animals on walks, and loves to play dress up and barbies.

Everyday Caroline askes me who's coming over, or who's house she's going to.  It drives me nuts. Sorry little girl, you can't have a playdate everyday!  Her favorite friend to play with is Gentry Johnson.  Cousins Livy and Rocky, and Hannah from preschool are also top choices.  Sadly she still lists Elsie Erard as one of her favorite friends too.  The Erards moved away last August, basically making the worst decision of our lives!

Caroline loves preschool and is perfectly behaved there.  She is a model student, aside from the fact that her brain just isn't ready to learn.  She can draw all her letters, and is an awesome artist.  She can probably give the names of 3-5 letters (I'm being generous with that range), and cannot count past 12.   Having said that, in August she couldn't count past 3.  She is socially and emotionally, and age wise ready for Kindergarten, but academically she is just not there.  It's going to be an interesting year next year.  You know they expect the kids to be reading by the end of the year.  Who knows, maybe it will click in her brain sometime between now and then.  My mom says Robin was the same way.  That is the beauty of homeschooling (which I am not doing with her next year), you can take each kid at their own pace, and if they aren't reading by 1st grade, it's ok.  It will happen when they are ready.  Too bad it doesn't work that way in public school.

Caroline loves to wear pretty dresses, jewelry, and make-up.  She is growing her hair as long as Rapunzel - but cries every time I brush it.

Caroline is not confident.  She is shy and reserved in new situations.  In comfortable surroundings she's a bossy leader.  If a stranger adult talks to her, she just smiles back silently.  She is also more sensitive than her siblings.  If I scold her, she often runs to her room and cries herself to sleep.

My relationship with Caroline has greatly improved over the last year and a half.  She is not as defiant and we are able to have more positive moments in our days.  It has been a blessing having her as our only girl because it gives her and I the opportunity to bond in that.  I love our little Miss Caroline.