AllisonI had one of those insomniac nights this weekend. After spending hours on my computer I peered through the window and saw the first light of day. I knew it was going to be a good and special day. It was my baby girl’s birthday– she’s turning 4!

As I was thinking about Allison, I heard hurried footsteps. It was Katelyn; she woke up at the crack of dawn to remind me to wrap Allison’s presents. She excitedly agreed to help me. We wrapped two presents and left them in the middle of the living room as Katelyn suggested.

As Allison staggered out of bed with eyes barely opened, we were ready for her. Katelyn, Suzanne & I ran to her and showered her with birthday kisses. We led her to the living room where she discovered her presents. We then surrounded her and did a family happy-birthday dance and gave her a family group hug. She liked that.

After getting dressed, we all went to the family’s favorite breakfast place: Hobee’s. After Allison ordered her usual: Mickey Mouse pancake, I whispered some instructions to the waiter. When the waiter brought out her pancake with a birthday candle on top of it, we sang happy birthday to her with the help of some in the patrons of the restaurant. Allison seemed to dig that as she smiled from ear to ear.

Allison

In the afternoon, we had a little birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. This year we decided to play it small and low key, so it was just our family & the Tieu’s. We ended the day with Allison opening her presents. She was most excited when she opened the present from her mom: Cinderella’s toy computer. Allison spotted this toy and been asking for it for months!

As I reflect on the past year, the one thing most noticeable about her is her communication. She is much more vocal than last year; in fact she’s always talking up a storm. She’s often the loudest and talks the most in the house! She still can be very stubborn and still is causing much of the fighting with her sister. She constantly testing her boundaries and my patience. I tried to be more stern this past year with her whenever she misbehaves but her mom still accuses me of spoiling her.

Allison Cake

She also showed some form of independence this past year, she participated in sleep-overs and spent the few nights away from home and without her parents. She was learning to participate too so she’s not left out as often when she plays with sister & her cousin Malia. She started her second year at pre-school; this year without her sister who is a kindergartener at a different school. She can write her name. She still loves to draw and improved beyond just simple stick figures. She started to color very well– inside the lines and all.

The thing most fun to me is the fact that she loves being photographed by her dad. She became more comfortable and learned to smile and pose naturally in front of the camera. She always ready to crack a beautiful smile for me. Thanks kid for indulging your old dad…

Happy birthday #4, baby!

A few of the pics are posted here…