Lucy Updates

It has been far too long, but it is a new year, and I am determined to capture more memories and moments of you wonderful kids. This week--it is your turn. 
Some big changes have come into our family since the last update. This biggest change is that I have started teaching full time so you have started full time preschool/childcare. It has been a real adjustment for all of us. There have been many tears on my side as I've dropped you off, and many tears on your side at night as you ask me, "Is tomorrow a pre-school day?" It has been a real challenge. At first you were at a school called Cybered. It was a great facility, but they weren't exceptionally attentive to you, and it was fairly pricey. We switched to a childcare facility at Vass-Lakeview Elementary School--my alma mater! You now go to "school" every day in the same rooms where I went as a little girl! They are so loving and wonderful there. Miss Hardy and Miss Francis hug on you every day. I'm grateful you have such loving people to take care of you every day. I would love to be home with you, but this is what I have to do right now and we are all trying to make the best of it.

You are starting to learn how to read! You can read the BOB books all on your own and love to pretend to read books. You carry around your scriptures, and even brought your Book of Mormon to school with you. When I asked you afterward how that went you told me that you showed it to everyone and "they all felt the Spirit." What a great missionary.
You are such a funny lady. You dance and sing and make the funniest faces. And I've never met anyone who loves a good back tickle like you. One night Isaac was asking you to come play with him, but I was tickling your back, so you went to the top of the stairs and in a pronounced Southern accent announced, "I am having a back tickle!" It was hilarious. The other day you told me that Emma was "being ugly." The Southern accent is starting to make its mark.
You have also started ballet, and you LOVE it. It is wonderful to watch you. We are thinking of switching you to another school that takes the process a little more seriously. You seem to really like it and I figure that if we are going to invest time and money in it, I'd rather give you the best experience possible. I think you could be really good at it. And they offer adult classes--I've always wanted to learn ballet!
You love being a little girl. You often tell me that you do NOT want to grow up, you just want to stay a little girl forever. Sometimes I wish I could freeze you at this age too! But, I know that there are wonderful experiences ahead as you get bigger too. You got lots of My Little Ponies for Christmas and your first American Girl doll. For awhile you were carrying her everywhere, but that has sort of faded. Not much doll play around here. We were hoping to be in our new house by Christmas, but it didn't work out. You mention in every prayer that we can stay together and find a house of our own. Hopefully that will come true by the end of the month! At least Daddy is down here and we are all together as a family. It has been a stressful nine months living apart and dealing with so much change. I am so proud of you, Isaac, and Emma and how well you have handled so many challenges. The Lord has blessed us a great deal.
I love you Lucy. You make me laugh all the time. You love going out to dinner and ask constantly for ice cream. The other day you told Isaac that the two most important parts of the body are the vagina and the brain. Isaac corrected you: "Lucy, you don't need a vagina to live." It was hard not to laugh out loud listening to you two. We are trying so hard to love you, accept you, and remind you often that you are good, smart, kind, and wonderful. Sometimes I worry that you don't feel that about yourself. We love you so much Lucy. The Lord loves you. You will grow up to be a wonderful woman.