Abbie's world is all about two things these days - being a fancy princess and doing great artwork.
Above is what we usually encounter on a standard Sunday morning - we are getting ready to leave for brunch, Chad and I in jeans and t-shirts, Emily in a sleeper, and Abbie all dressed up for a night on the town. She really feels the need to be fancy when she leaves the house - a dress if possible (the fancier the better), or at least a skirt if all else fails. Apparently it is a standard 4-year old phase in which their brains still equate gender with external cues. Thus, Abbie expresses her identity as a girl with dresses, braids, long hair, etc.
Abbie is also really into drawing and her drawings are just so cute. Whenever Chad picks her up at school he usually finds her with the kids that are doing art projects. The picture above is one that she drew on her Valentine box at school. As you can see, it is a family portrait. I am on the left, she's in the middle and Chad is on the right. Where is Emily, you ask? Look closely between me and Abbie. There is a little girl that is upside down, her feet are near Abbie's head. That is Emily and, according to Abbie, she and I are helping each other hold her. Does it get any cuter than that?
As for other activities, tennis is still going well, and the teacher told Chad that Abbie has some real talent at it, but Abbie finds it boring and probably won't do more lessons after this round is over. She has also added cheerleading to her repertoire. This, she seems much more interested in. Not surprising, given that they probably have the girls moving and shouting constantly, which is what Abbie tends to do on her own anyway.
