Mizz Cate

4 is such a fun age.  Our little Catie Bug is getting to be such a big girl.  Sad yes, but I do enjoy watching her personality blossom and each day with her is more fun than the last. 

 

She says the funniest things and always makes me laugh.  A few recent examples...

 

Hadley is a hitter and she's got Cate's number...she gets just close enough to Cate that when she swings her arms, she barely grazes her.  After the first day of Hadley being here, Cate yelled "This is ridiculous!  Where is she learning this behavior?!" 

 

Killing time during Brady's soccer practice, we headed to the bookstore to browse.  I grabbed a magazine and sat on a bench in the children's section and she ran up to me all excited and said "I'm having the most incredible time, but I just don't know which book to choose"  :)

Her first week of her last year of preschool was a great success.  She is still adamant that she is not going to kindergarten next year nor will she be growing up, but has agreed to turn 5 in February, just "never 6".  After the first day of class she told me that she had a good time but she wishes she was the only kid in class so she could play with Mrs. Biewald the whole time by herself because "all of those other kids take some of my attention".  She has lots of new kids in her class this year and the tables have turned with a whopping 14 boys and only 6 girls.  Should make it an interesting year for all four of her teachers :) 

 

 Cate has graduated from watching cartoon-like tv shows and has really gotten in to a couple of new shows lately.  Goodluck Charlie (my fave, Sandy Duncan makes me laugh out loud), Jessie, and Turtleman/Call of the Wildman (don't ask) are her favorites.  She's also obsessed with Highschool Musical.  The Olympics may be over, but thanks to dvr, she is able to replay the gymnastics and practices her own routines often.  Last Friday night during halftime of Brady's soccer game, Cate took the field and performed a very long routine complete with spins, twirls, handstands, cartwheels, and the splits.  Of course she earned herself a standing ovation from the stands to which she answered by bowing and blowing kisses to her fans.  Oh my.

 

But for all of the laughs Cate provides me, the sassiness may just be the death of me.  On the second day of school, Cate had a major meltdown as soon as we pulled into the driveway after class.  She rarely cries but on this day something really set her off.  I got Hadley out of the car and the three of us made our way into the house when Cate fell to the ground screaming hysterically.  I had "done it all wrong" and was "ruining her day".  She wanted to "go back outside and start all over".  Ok, people, here's the deal.  This is not my first rodeo and I know that sometimes it's necessary to pick my battles.  Yes, giving in is never the ideal option, but sometimes it's the best option.  I could have a) let her continue to scream and give up a good hour of my day or b) walk back out to the car, let her open the door to the house, close the door behind us, and be done with it.  I don't always take the easy way out, but with lunch and naptime looming, I just didn't have it in me to fight the good fight.  So, the three of us walked out to the car, turned around, Cate led the way back into the house, and 30 quick seconds later, the meltdown was completely over never to be heard from again.  End of story (or so I thought). 

 

The next day after school we pulled into the driveway and Cate said "Now Mommy, do you remember what you learned from yesterday?  I am all-time leader and you are not to open the door before me"  This could get ugly....