Rachel age 3 1/2

Rachel Vera Anson

• Ever since I can remember Rachel has woken up talking, talks all day long, talks while we sing her songs at bedtime and talks in her sleep. Talking is HER thing! Even as a baby she would wake up screaming, it was like she was saying, "Hey there, I'm awake, where are you, come on I have SO much to say." Now that she is older, the talking is more . . . intense. She has something to say is going to say it.
  
  

• She loves books with a passion, which is probably why she is such a good talker. She even 'reads' them to us sometimes. We have had this little debate as to whether she can actually read the books or has memorized them, either way it's amazing to watch. When I'm getting ready in the morning she will sit down with Benjamin and read him books until it's time for breakfast.
• She can count to 13 without missing a number, she knows all of her colors, shapes and alphabet, she can write her own name and we currently working on writing our numbers. My challenge is keeping her challenged.
• She wants to be Cinderella for Halloween this year.
• After we have breakfast she gets herself dressed without help. And most days she ALLOWS me to brush her hair. She never really has liked getting her hair done, but things are getting better . . . . most days. She has even recently mastered wiping herself after using the potty and she can reach the handles on the sink now so she can even wash her hands all by herself. Which is very nice for me. :)
• When she turned 15 months she noticed dinosaurs. I don't remember when or even what her first dinosaur was, all I know is that to this day she still LOVES them. She has over 60 plastic dinosaurs. She knows everything about every single one of them and pronounces their names scarily well. We have a book about a Tyrannosaurus Rex but they didn't illustrate it correctly. They drew it like an Allosaurus and she will point it out every time we read it, trust me she knows her dinosaurs. When the dinosaurs are over taking the house Marc and I like to joke that we have Jurassic Park right here in our own home!
  
• She also loves strawberries and chocolate. Together and separate. My mom got her addicted to chocolate at a young age and not just the milk chocolate but the dark stuff too. She HATES tomatoes, but loves ketchup. She will eat raw carrots but not cooked carrots. She hates ice-cream but loves cakes, brownies and cookies. She will only eat corn if it is still on the cob. She will not eat any green vegetable, green jello, green salad etc., anything green is off the menu. Her food cannot touch when it is on the plate and she will eat one thing all gone from her plate before moving on to the next.
• She LOVES music and dancing! Many times during the day she will say "I want to dance!" So we put on some fun music and boogie down. She has pretty good rhythm too and loves to copy Marc's silly dance moves. She also loves to sing and is quickly becoming more brave about singing in front of others.
• I think her favorite time of the day is when Marc comes home. When she hears him pull up the driveway she runs to the back door yelling "Daddy!!!" Then when he walks in the door her energy level sky rockets.
  
  

• She is amazing at imaginative play and playing by herself for long periods of time. If toys are involved in the play they are usually dinosaurs and there is always a mommy, a daddy, a Rachel, a brother and a grandma. They are always going on crazy adventures or acting out scenes from her favorite movie of the week. If toys are not involved in the play she is usually a farmer feeding her chickens or working in the garden.
  
  
• Whether we are working or playing outside she has a blast. Many times when she was little and had colic the only way we could get her to calm down was to take her outside. Now I notice that if she able to go outside at least once a day she sleeps better, listens better and is more calm. She loves hiking, camping, digging in the dirt, swimming and drawing with sidewalk chalk.
• She LOVES slap stick humor!
• She will only say night time family prayers. Occasionally we can get her to say another one. During the night time prayer she always says "please bless us that we will sleep ALL well." And occasionally you will hear "please keep us safe from the lava, smoke and fire."