Leah is maybe our funniest preschooler yet.  Or maybe we just get a huge kick out of her b/c she's likely our last.  Anyway, I thought I'd jot down some of the things that are Leah these days.

When she does something that makes me impatient or cross with her (like dumping all the crayons out all over the floor or pouring water into teacups on the side of the bathtub...which means all over the floor) she asks me worriedly "Mom, are you naughty at me?"  Gets me every time.  Especially when I'm impatient for no good reason.  It has a way of deflating my irritation!

Her most common answer to just about everything?  "a-cause"  Leah, why did you use up all your sisters stickers?  "a-cause"  Why did you whack your brother with the stick?   "a-cause"  Why are you scared of the dark?  "a-cause"  A maddeningly vague answer that she uses for just about everything.  If we really push, we can get a "a-cause I want to do dat". 

She sings and sings and sings.  If I drive anywhere with just her, I'm treated to many songs from the backseat.  And, she gets them word for word...I just love it.  "My God is so BIG"  "Hear Chwist calling 'Come unto Me'"  "The B-I-B-L-E"  "Jesus Loves Me"  "Upside Down"  and "Jingle Bells" are the favorites these days. 

She's also learning spanish apparently from Dora, Dora.  This cracks me up.  The other day she was singing, "Abre-open, Cierra-closed....I speak Spanish and English too....Abre-open, Cierra-closed"  and she takes it very seriously.  She answers Dora in spanish every time she asks the audience a question.  The other day it was the spanish words for up and down.  She can count to five in Spanish.  And the funniest thing is when Leah gets stuck somewhere....like on a counter, the window sill, or on top of her brother's dresser....I hear her yelling "Help, Help! Ayudanme!  Help!"  The first time she did that it took me a bit to figure out what on earth she was saying and where she got it!

She's going through a phase where she's really scared of the dark.  For awhile, she'd talk about monsters in her room.  I'd come in at night, and she'd say "Monsters" and I'd pray with her, and she'd be fine with that.  But just recently, she's really upset if it's too dark.  And "too dark" is a relative term b/c even with her nightlight on and white Christmas lights all around her window, "It's getting dark!  It's going to get dark!"  It's bright as day in there!  I had to take the bulbs out of her overhead light so I could say "look, they don't work" otherwise she'd want to sleep all night with it on.  I asked her the other night why she was so worried about the dark...."What does dark do to you?", I asked.  She said, "Dark does this...." and gave me an intense look from under her eyebrows.  It's so interesting sometimes how little kids communicate things and feelings. 

She's little Miss Independent.  Wants to do everything herself.  Except go to the bathroom.  She can't seem to manage that yet as far as getting herself properly arranged, and inevitably has to go right when I've just sat down to teach or just bundled her up to go out.  "Mom, are you naughty at me?"    

She's very into role playing and caring for all her stuffed animals, talking to them just like a little mommy.  And, the other day I heard her in Anna's room just talking and talking away on Anna's fuzzy princess phone.   It was the cutest thing! 

 I can't ever let her out of the cart in any store b/c she has a strong love of "hide and seek".  She loves nothing more to play this at home, and thinks it's great to play at WalMart in the clothes section....or anywhere that a hiding place comes to mind.  The more mom calls her name, and the more panicky her voice....the more fun it is!  Just last night, we were all at a relatively small family video store and I suddenly realized that I couldn't hear Leah's running commentary any more.  Where was she?  I circled the store once, twice, began calling for her louder and louder.  Finally enlisted dad and the kids.  About the time we were getting really wild-eyed and other patrons were starting to look around too....I heard a little giggle.  She'd been hiding behind a shelf in the game section.  "I was hiding!" she said gleefully as her dad pulled her out and gave her a good talking to.  I couldn't help, but remember doing that to my Grandmother once and taking some years off her life.  Even worse, I was older and not playing "hide and seek", but purposefully watching her panic.  I know.  God is giving me my just rewards. 

But, there is nothing more snuggable and kissable than a little, pig-tailed Leah in her footie PJs.  I can't kiss and hug her enough....what will I do when she's too big to sweep up in my arms and squeeze!?   We are very thankful for Leah Joy, and she has certainly lived up to her middle name....bringing us joy even on the most discouraging days!  And since she just arrived at my elbow, informing me that she has to go potty....I guess it's time to close.