Eliza is all grown up now. Well, in her mind, she's been grown up for a while, and she gets frustrated that she isn't always treated like a grown up. (For example, if we she feels she is being unjustly reprimanded, she will emphatically inform us that she is going to her room and not coming out until Easter.) But she really has matured a lot. She has opinions about everything, and doesn't hesitate to let us know. She wants to be heard and included and given equal share in everything going on. We're all glad that she's big enough to participate in a meaningful way most of the time now. Conversely, she idealizes the baby treatment Luke gets and sometimes prefers to be treated like a baby. When we walk to Church, she has a hard time walking with the big people and would much rather be pushed in a stroller.
Eliza is very smart, and she is driven to learn. She loves writing, drawing, and coloring, and she's very good at putting jigsaw puzzles together. She loves books, whether she's being read to or looking at books independently. She's a problem-solver and a quick thinker. She participates well in Primary and is SO EXCITED to go to preschool next year.
Eliza has a talent of making people fall in love with her. Friends and complete strangers alike swoon, and she readily bats her eyelashes and smiles in response. She'll say demurely, "I'm Liza. I'm four and a half." (Because she used to be three and a half, so naturally she turned four and a half when she had a birthday.) She also doesn't hesitate to turn on the water works when she feels it will help her cause.
Eliza loves to be independent and helpful. She's an eager kitchen helper and is learning to take charge of her own job: emptying the small trash cans around the house and putting new bags in. In true middle-child fashion, she is fiercely protective of her possessions and has a keen sense of what is just and fair, at least what she sees as just for herself.
She cracks us up by saying things like "Mommy, that's boring," if I start singing a song she doesn't want to hear, or "Daddy, you'd look ridiculous" if he suggests he grow a big mustache like the guy on TV. We have to be careful about how we react though, because she does not appreciate being laughed at.
Eliza is quite the girly-girl and loves putting her own outfits together, sometimes punctuated by dress-up accessories, and would love to have a huge shoe collection. (She laments the fact that her Church shoes are only for Church.) She still plays well with Jack, though, and they do car races and things together sometimes - when Jack is willing to share.
Eliza loves being a big sister to Luke, and I still consider her the president of his fan club. She talks all the time about how cute he is, and will tell anybody who will listen. In the store, someone might smile and say hi and she'll say, "I'm Liza. I'm four and a half. My baby is Luke. He's the cutest baby ever." She wants to hold him and play with him all the time, which he isn't always excited about, but he's old enough to defend himself and voice his frustration, so that's good.
Eliza really is a joy in our lives. I smile and laugh daily at her cuteness and quirkiness. She impresses me and gratifies me constantly, and I am so very thankful that she is part of our family.
