Daddy’s birthday 🎂

Sunday was Steven’s birthday, and he had the day off. On Saturday we decorated and wrapped presents. Emma wanted to make something for him, so we went to the arts and crafts and loaded up. We also were very busy cleaners this weekend! Emma is such a good little worker! We made her a chore chart and she did it all on Saturday! Then we did more cleaning (and baking) on Monday. We also went tot he library, watched a couple of movies, and painted nails in the hallway with the neighbor girl. We enjoyed her 3 day weekend, even if Daddy was only home for one of the days. 
We love to party! See her chore chart on his chair? She was so proud.

Painting for Daddy

Concentrating is hard 

Emma is getting bigger. I have these books for every age that tell you what to expect. When she starts getting difficult or I notice behavior changes, I usually start looking for my book. Lately she has been very difficult...but I think most of it is related to growing up. She wants to do more things herself. Here is what it says on the excerpt for six: (which is called Loving and Defiant)

“The six-year-old is a complex child, entirely  different from the five-year-old. Though many of the  changes are for the good -- Six is growing more  mature, more independent, more daring and  adventurous -- this is not necessarily an easy time for the  little girl or boy. Relationships with mothers are  troubled -- most of the time Six adores mother,  but whenever things go wrong, it's her fault. It  used to be, at Five, that she was the center of the  child's universe; now, the child is the center of  his own universe.”

Yep! She definitely says everything is my fault. (Part of this is exacerbated by having Daddy home...I am chopped liver.) And she is wanting to do more things by herself. I love knowing these things. I feel like I need the reminder that she is growing up, needs to be able to have more responsibilities, freedom...but needs clear boundaries and consequences. These are the times she infuriates me and surprises me. How many times will I tell her to not do something, which I don’t want her to do or don’t think she can or should do...but she does it anyway....and is successful. Lesson for both...I need to let her try more, she needs to listen/obey first and then ask if she can do it or at least try. 

In the picture above I was putting together a shoe rack thing. She grabbed a screw driver, and she actually screws ina couple screws (mostly) by herself. I didn’t think she could do it, and she did need to wait for instructions, but I was so surprised that she could do it!  Obviously she loved helping. 

We were baking and she wanted to bake all by herself, of course. So the compromise was that I would be her souls chef, and read the recipe and get her ingredients out and she could do the measuring and mixing. She did a good job. Still needs some work, but they were yummy and not bad for almost 6!