A New Year

We have so much to catch up on! It's been busy around here. I stopped doing the monthly updates when Sabine turned three, but it certainly doesn't mean we aren't continuing to document her developments. There are just too many to keep up with these days. But a lot of it isn't as easy to capture with a camera anymore. Rolling over and walking were pretty obvious, but more complex and abstract thoughts aren't as photogenic, even if they are just as spectacular to see.

Here are a few pictures from this month to keep me on track. We went out for a family sushi dinner on New Year's Eve. Sabine continued to work on manipulating chopsticks.

 

We went out for breakfast on the first, and Sabine worked on her knife-cutting skills.



(She also practices at home.)

Sabine has started a new dance class with two of her friends, which she just loves.



Particularly because there is tap involved. Sabine LOVES to tap dance, "like Shirley Temple."



We helped Aunt Dani move into her new partner's office (Congratulations, Aunt Dani!), although Sabine took on more of a managerial role for the move. She also practiced a lot of typing on Aunt Dani's computer.



We have been as social as ever, Sabine has hung out with older kids



Younger kids



Besties from play group who are all about the same age (they've known each other over half of their lives, now!)



And fairy princess birthday parties



Sabine is also still obsessed with the game Go Fish. We play daily. Literally.



Recruiting fresh players whenever possible.



I got some video in the early stages.


Nowadays Sabine is just as animated, but she can play alone. She holds her own cards, and understands some basic strategy. (She is starting to remember what other people are holding from which cards they ask for.) She could care less about winning and losing, mostly it's just asking for fish for the pure joy of it.

Sabine can also really skip now, no more half-gallops. She still loves to play with her dolls and stuffed animals, and has an imaginary brother and sister named Eric-y and Ginny (pronounced with a hard G), respectively. Interesting since Ginny was on the short list of names we were thinking about for her. (Except pronounced with a soft G.) I don't think she knows that, but funny that it was the name she picked for her imaginary sister. Her pretend siblings often go places with us, and have their own seats in the car. Brother sleeps below her in the (imaginary) lower bunk, much like Brother Bear sleeps below Sister Bear in the Berenstain Bears books.

We still get complimented regularly on her speech, Sabine enunciates really well for her age, apparently, and has a good command of grammar for a three-year-old. There are just a few things she still mispronounces, and instead of correcting her anymore, I just relish it. Those baby words didn't last long. Berenstain Bears are "Stair-stain Bears," Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is "Redolph the Nosed Reindeer," and "regular," is "leglular." Otherwise, her vocabulary is pretty spot-on. She does like to make up words sometimes and tell me that's how you say (whatever it is) in French.

I'm sure there's more that I am forgetting, but that's it for the developmental updates for now. Next up, SHE SKIS!