Johanna turns 5

November 2, 2017

   Wow this girl is amazing and exhausting and I am so glad she is here and that I get to be her Mom. This year Johanna has continued her fast pace and is eager for new information. Johanna is also quick to share that info. Regularly Hanna says "Guys, did you know...?" and her preference is always that you did not know this yet and heard it first from her.

   Johanna enjoys walking to and from school, she loves playgrounds and interacting with other kids, she loves books and being read to. Hanna has a real love of Jesus and shares this love when she makes birthday cards. Most of her handmade cards include a large drawing of Jesus on the cross with the birthday person at the foot of the cross. She talks and does not pay attention when we are in Mass, but she seems to switch at Communion as she approaches the priest or the extraordinary minister. At some point this year, she started crossing her arms across her chest and reverently genuflecting in front of the Eucharist, she waits for a blessing or a touch on the head before moving on. It is little glimpses of Hanna like this, that let me know she can pull it together when it counts.

   Her transitional kindergarten class this year has also started to encourage Hanna to be more considerate. Her class this year has a good number of alpha type kids and there was a lot of frustration as they each thought their idea was the best and play turned into asserting positions. Slowly though as the year has gone on, the kids have gotten better at letting somethings go and compromising. They are learning that it is more fun to play with friends than to just get what you want. Preschool has also impacted her favorite color choice. It is now pink.

   Johanna can be a lot of fun and really enjoys playing games. Candyland, Uno, and Chutes and Ladders come out regularly. Johanna likes to draw and frequently focuses her art on the content and utilizes one color for a whole picture. Hanna also likes watercolor and playdoh. She is into maps and diagrams and in the fall got into panda bears. Johanna regularly says "Hey, guess what?" We say "What?" She says "No. Guess.". Johanna has an affinity for port-a-potties and if she sees one she will claim that she needs to go to the bathroom in a hope I will take her inside. She is especially interested in the handle locks that show the bathroom is occupied.

Hanna started a ballet and tap class

    At bedtime Johanna sometimes has a hard time falling asleep. She has so many ideas going through her head. We had tried prayers without structure but it tended to turn into rambling ideas and fooling around, so we don't do much of that anymore. Now after stories, she and I usually each pick a song to sing, generally a church song but sometimes Hanna will improv her own love song to God, then we say a decade of the rosary.  I love that I get to lay in bed with her at bedtime, and that she wants me there.

   On her birthday this year Hanna put on a cat shirt that makes her smile and bounced her way to pre-school with cupcakes to share with her class.  That evening we gathered around Hanna in the living room to watch her open gifts. Her expressiveness makes gift opening fun to watch. And then the next night we went up to Towson to visit Emma and eat dinner at the restaurant where Emma works. It was fun to have us all together. After dinner we walked to an ice cream shop for some birthday dessert.

My SweetFace, CuteFace, Pumpkin, LoveBug, I wish you God's Many Blessings.

  Hanna we love you!