Busy Izzy

Izzy, a photo by Justin and Kelly Webb on Flickr.

I feel like I have neglected Izzy a little in the posts lately so here is an update on my busy Izzy:
- She had her first real play date all by herself today (sometimes she & Sam are somewhere together). She was invited over to play with her best friend, Vivienne. She was absolutely thrilled. My friend told me she did great and couldn't believe how well-behaved, well-mannered and smart my Izzy is. This made me so proud to hear. She said she would come up to her and say things like "Mrs. Torke, may I please have a drink of water?" Izzy just loves their family...and fortunately, their family loves her back. :)
- I may have said this before but it deserves another mention....I have heard people say that a good imagination is a sign of intelligence. If this is true, she will be getting a full ride to some prestigious college. Seriously - her imagination is far beyond that of my boys. She really doesn't even need toys. She can sit in her room by herself and pretend she is a princess on a ship - and for a LONG time. Tonight after dinner, she was running in the yard pretending to be a Star Wars person. She was fighting imaginary people w/ imaginary weapons for 30 minutes...all on her own (well, I say she was on her own...she'd tell you she was with about 20 Star Wars characters). She ran in the house to get something (imaginary) and when she ran past me she was pretending to be out of breath and said "Hi mom, I'm just running with Darth Maul." She was yelling, cheering, dying, fighting, running, huffing, fake falling, and bossing other Jedi around. It's crazy...but SO fun to watch.
- She gets embarrassed if she catches you watching her. She stops and waits for you to go away. She likes to play by herself.
- She also likes to play with her brothers...she doesn't seem to prefer playtime with one over the other...it just depends on her mood. Caleb is nicer to her and loves to teach her things. Sam makes her laugh...and tough.
- She LOVES people. She remembers everyone's name...and their siblings names...even if she has never met the siblings. Seriously. She has a ton of friends at the Kids Core and when she walks in the door, kids are super happy to see her and she knows it. I would say that she is my social one, but Caleb is as well. She knows the names of everyone that works at the Sports Core and she treats them as if they are family...she excitedly says "hi" and addresses them by their name...usually runs up to them and gives hugs. I think she may be the most spoiled member there.
- She still loves to run....she also loves playing soccer and is pretty good!
- She can't WAIT to be in school.
- She is still a picky eater, but she's getting better and is eating more....well, a little more.
- She is starting to have more of an opinion on what she wears. Needless to say, her outfits don't always make a lot of sense. BUT, she is getting fun to shop with. When we are in the kid's section at TJ's she gets out of the cart and seriously looks through clothes and shoes and will say things like "oooh mom, look how cute this is." I love it. It's so fun.
- She is a flirt. A big one. And she knows it. Today after spending time in the Kids Core she gave me a shy smile (which REALLY shows off her dimple) and said "mom, I told Nathan that he is a sweetheart." and then she giggled and blushed.
- She has as much energy as Sam.
- She wears me out as much as Sam.
- She talks as much as Caleb. A women in front of us in line today was listening to our conversation and finally she said "wow, she is quite the talker. how old?" "Three." "wow - she talks very well and asks such thoughtful questions." I needed someone to point that out b/c I don't even think I was paying attention - I just heard ALOT of talking...the answers to her "thoughtful questions" probably didn't make any sense!! ha.
- She loves praying. She reminds us every night to pray before dinner. Sometimes I catch her praying all by herself while she is eating a snack or lunch. It's ADORABLE.
- When her feelings are hurt, she hides in the coat closet. She hates it when people are mad at her.
- She smiles ALOT and she has 3 smiles. 1) shy/flirtatious smile 2) happy smile 3) mischievous smile.
- She is the first one up every morning...wakes up with a smile on her face. Fortunately, it's her happy smile.