Isla {seven years}

It almost feels harder to put into words just who my kids are as they get older. Isla is so very much her own person. She is friendly, loves hatchimals and shopkins, little tomatoes are her favorite and she refuses to wear jeans (or jean shorts for that matter). She is excelling at school, though seems to enjoy talking in class. She plays with both her brothers and seems fine with the fact that she is surrounded by boys (all our neighbors around her age are boys too). She still does dance (a ballet/tap combo class) and enjoys reading Fancy Nancy and Pinkalicious books. 

Isla really is a social butterfly. She can be shy with adults, but never seems that way with kids her age. She can make friends almost instantly at any park or play place. This may be because she enjoys talking so much...and always has something to say. Other kids in her dance class have complained when she is by friends in class because she talks too much...hahaha! And, no joke, I have looked in the class far too many times and seen the class stopped, everyone looking at Isla as she tells some sort of story. 

Isla is great at playing by herself and has a vivid imagination. She sets her hatchimals up as a school classroom and gets to teaching. Her stuffed animals are also very important to her. Play is so important to her at school that she skips eating her snack at snack recess and often doesn't eat lunch either. This usually means she is opening her still full lunchbox as soon as I pick her up and digging in. She is still a picky eater, but eats well if you give her things she likes. Things like Hawaiian rolls, tomatoes, yogurt, grapes, and veggie straws are her jam. She used to refuse to drink milk, but will now drink that, and depending on her mood will eat meat from time to time. 

Isla definitely has an opinion about what she wears. If she doesn't like something, she won't wear it. She basically refuses to wear anything but leggings on bottom, so sports a lot of tunics and dresses with her leggings. She seems to enjoy things being more colorful, rather than less. She even has a strong opinion on her hair. She wants it long and basically refuses to have it cut. She also doesn't like having it pulled back and prefers to just wear it down. 

Now here's a little interview to get life as a seven year old from her perspective. 

What is your favorite:

     color - indigo

     food - edamame

     drink - lemonade 

     ice cream - mint chocolate chip

     toy - my phone (insert all the eye rolls here)

     book - The Magic Treehouse

     song - Drops in the Ocean & I'll Never Be Quiet

     tv show - Glitter Force

     movie - Harry Potter

     thing to do - play

     game - tetherball

     sport - jump rope

     animal - I like all of them

Who is your best friend? all of them

What do you like doing with them? play lots of things

Where did you meet them? lots of places

What is your favorite thing about school? PE

What do you enjoy learning the most? math

What do you like to do on the playground? play

Who do you play with at school? most of the people in my class

What is your favorite thing about yourself? That I'm a girl

Three things that makes you special:

     1. I'm the only girl kid

     2. I'm the middle of all the ages (I.e. the middle child)

     3. My name is really pretty

Isla wanted to add the following question:

What is your favorite plant? Lily and daisy

So there you have it. Isla obviously enjoys playing, but could never specifically tell me what beyond "lots of things". She refused to name best friends, as she didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings...even when I reassured her I was sure none of her friends would be reading this. I laughed that her favorite toy is her phone, as she doesn't get to play on it during the week at all and when we do let her play on it, all she does is watch Netflix. And, well, just yesterday she was complaining to me about being the only girl child and today it makes her special. So, we shall see how she feels about all that when the baby comes and we know if it's a boy or girl! 

I feel like there has just become so many years to look back on to link them all, but a couple of my favorites are when she was a sassy little 3 year old and had an adorable toothless grin at 6 months old. 

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Isla {six years}

Isla has done a lot of growing up and maturing from five to six. She is very girly, loving to put makeup on all the time...even has surprised me a couple times and put it on right before we walked out the door for school, so wore it to school. Thankfully her teacher gets a good laugh out of it and is totally cool with it. She loves Fancy Nancy and Pete the Cat. She loves to color and draw. And sounding out words is her jam. 

Here's a little interview with Isla. Some of her answers made me laugh, like choosing her favorite movie as one she has never even seen. But that's what makes interviews with kids fun, right?

What's your full name? Isla Grace Grimbleby

How old are you? five...um, six

How tall are you? I don't know

What color are your eyes? blue

What color is your hair? brown

What day of the week is it? Saturday? Sunday? Monday? Tuesday?

What is your favorite:

    color - all of them

    food - miso soup

    drink - cotton candy milk and strawberry milk

    ice cream - rainbow sherbet

    toy - my little pony mermaids (she doesn't even have any!)

    book - Fancy Nancy

    song - drops in the ocean

    tv show - My Little Pony and Word Party

    movie - My Little Pony mermaids (she hasn't seen the new my little pony movie)

    thing to do - go to school and spend time with my family

    game - my little pony chutes and ladders

    sport - swimming

    animal - cats and reptiles

Who is your best friend? Ally, Aubriella and Pierson

What is your favorite thing about yourself? I like myself because I just be me

Three things that make you special:

    1. I help others by caring and helping them up if they are hurt

    2. I am a good artist

    3. Because I praise God

And a couple questions Isla wanted to add:

Where is your favorite place to go? the ice cream museum (she hasn't been yet)

What do you want to be when you grow up? artist

What is your favorite thing to do at school? spend time with my friends

Isla loves going to school and is great and remembering people's names. She even remembered her teacher's birthday...apparently Isla asked her at the beginning of the year and Isla remembered the date! She loves drawing and coloring and really doing anything that is arts and crafty. She loves anything little and trinkety. Her stuffed animal collection is out of control, but she loves each one of them and really does. She loves reading books and going to ballet. Tomatoes are still one of her favorite foods, followed closely by anything smothered in cream cheese. She is generous with her smiles (as long as I'm not trying to take her picture) and loves playing with friends. 

Isla has always been my child that will sleep in. She is the last one awake in the house every day, having to be woken up most days. She doesn't like to eat breakfast right after she wakes up. She doesn't like to be cold and will wear a jacket to school on days that mostly everyone else would consider nice. She still prefers her tricycle over bike, though in her defense her tricycle is super cool and not like normal ones...I mean, I can even ride it! She loves otter pops and will help herself to frozen waffles as a snack. She can play by herself for hours. She likes one of us to lay down with her for at least a couple minutes each night and generally comes into our bed in the middle of the night every night. These are just some of the things about Isla that make her her and that I want to remember. 

In case you want to look back, like I always do, Isla at 5 years, 4 years, 3 years, 2 years, 1 year, 6 months, brand new. If you are going to look at any, look at Isla at 6 months. I mean, who can resist a toothless smiling Isla?!

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Isla {5 years}

Five years. It feels like a big one. In fact, one of the many things Isla told someone on her birthday is, "I'm five. I'm starting kindergarten soon." That one caught me off guard. Sure, we have like ten months before that happens, but it is weird to think of my second side kick going off to school five days a week. That's when they just become so grown up and things start becoming legit. Never the less, Isla is five. 

One of the best ways to get a glimpse into Isla at five is probably by this interview I did with her. 

What's your full name? Isla

How old are you? 5

How tall are you? 4 years 5

What color are your eyes? blue

What color is your hair? brown

What day of the week is it? Friday. Sunday. Monday. (it was Wednesday)

What is your favorite:

    color - purple

    food - oreos

    drink - apple juice

    ice cream - chocolate chip

    toy - puppy in my pocket

    book - shopkins (she does't even have a shopkins book)

    song - jump into the light

    tv show - My Little Pony

    movie - Ninjago (really it's another tv show)

    thing to do - play

    game - basketball (she's never played it)

    sport - What's a sport?

    animal - kitty

Who is your best friend? Alexis

What is your favorite thing about yourself? I'm great and I'm peaceful. 

Three things that make you special:

    1. I love my life

    2. It's so nice to be nice

    3. It's so nice to be a girl

Humble is obviously Isla's middle name! My inlaws took Isla out for her birthday the other night and she said to them, "Don't you wish you were me?" Oh, that girl. 

Isla requested mint oreos for her school party this year. She had never even had them until we were on vacation this summer. And she only eats the middle part. But I obliged and that's what everyone had. After never really liking milk, she developed a love of milk a few months ago. She also really likes tomatoes, really any fruit, and cream cheese. She always scrapes the cream cheese off a bagel and licks it off her finger. 

Isla is great, no amazing, at independent play. She plays with all sorts of toys and also loves coloring and drawing. Some of her current favorite toys are shopkins and my little pony. She also still plays with legos a lot. And her books get used on a daily basis. She isn't too picky about her books and seems to like all of them. She has also gotten really into makeup lately, which totally scares me. She actually carried an Ulta ad with her everywhere she went for several days in a row. And I have totally heard her talking to other girls about makeup. She obviously didn't get that from me, so it must be something ingrained in her! 

Isla really is a fun one to have around. No one has ever accused her of having a lack of personality…or energy, for that matter!!! I love this little girl so much and am glad she is a part of our family. 

^^ I just love the genuine look of joy on her face. 

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Isla {4 years}

On the one hand, I would like to say "How did this girl become four years old already?!" but on the other, it really doesn't seem like yesterday that she was born…or even like yesterday that we were celebrating her third birthday. A lot of growing up was packed into her third year. She went from throwing a fit every time I dropped her off at preschool to handling it like a seasoned pro. She doesn't throw fits (tantrums) like she used to, though still has a knack for the dramatic. She still loves all things kitty and princess. Though her love of her brother's legos has certainly grown and it's becoming the norm to find her having snuck into his room to play with his legos.

Some of Isla's current favorites are all things cat related, Little Einstein, and anything arts and crafts related. Book-wise, she loves Pete the Cat and Dora the Explorer. As for food, she loves apple sauce, tomatoes, strawberry yogurt and frozen waffles.

Isla loves to play with her friends, but she is just as happy off playing by herself. In fact, she pretty much rocks at independent play. Most of the time, it involves her (stuffed) kitties or some sort of drawing…and as long as that drawing doesn't include the walls or furniture, I am down. Isla loves to read and often times I will find her asleep at night in her bed, cuddled up with a book…and her kitty nightlight, which I always think is semi dangerous and am sure to move back off her bed.

Isla loves to sing songs, both made up and real. She doesn't like it when Connor sings along with her and says shouts "I just want to sing by myself!!!" She is great at doing puzzles, even ones I thought she couldn't do by herself, she can totally conquer. She often talks about how she is getting her drivers license soon…yeah, sure you are. Isla has a very sweet side to her, where she likes to cuddle up with me in bed. She tells me often that she loves me and loves to give hugs.

^^ The headband didn't last long because apparently it was "itchy" 

 

^^ Apparently she hasn't mastered holding her thumb down by itself, so the improvised. 

     
                         

I love this little girl of mine more than she understands and count it a privilege to be the one who gets to cuddle with her in bed in the morning. To be the one that gets to clean her scrapes when she falls. To be the one that gets to play puzzles with her on the floor. She is one special little person and I am glad I get to be her mom.

Isla {3 years}

Weight: 30.2lbs 

Height: 36.5 inches

Accomplishments:

Can spell her name...and Connor's too

Knows her first & last name

Can count to 29...and higher if you remind her of the first number (30, 40, etc)

Knows all her letters by sight

Oh, three year olds. They are on the cusp of adulthood (or so they think), yet they still need their mommies. Isla can be so independent about things, even more so than Connor, then turn around and be so clingy and refuse to go to anyone else but Ian or I. 

Some of Isla's current favorites are all things cat related, Bo on the Go, coloring and painting, also anything pink and sparkly. Every time we read, she picks the same Dora the Explorer book. It has been the same book for a couple months now. I usually try to read another book before I read that one, so at least I am not reading the exact same book over and over...even if it still feels that way! As for food, some of her current favorites are tortillas, apple juice, yogurt (specifically the ones in tubes), bananas and hummus. And the girl will never ever say no to chips. It doesn't matter what kind, she will eat them. 

Isla does not like being in a shopping cart, though that is not something new. She does well in her stroller. She also enjoys me wearing her in a carrier, though much prefers being on my front than on my back. She took many a naps this way while on our trip. She also prefers to be carried over walking...I guess she is just trying to give her mama a work out! 

Isla can be quite opinionated about things. My personal favorite is when she doesn't want something (say to be in her car seat or a cart) she will scream "stop hurting me". And well, being in public, that is a little embarrassing. I have noticed that she does it to other people as well, so that makes me feel a little better. Often times she doesn't want to get in her car seat, so I hear it a lot as I am forcing her into her seat. 

Isla also has a very sweet and motherly side to her. When I hold her, she will put her hand on my back and rub it, like I do with her. She also asks me all the time, "Mama, what you doing?" or "Mama, how you doing?" And, she is generous with her hugs and kisses, which I like. She also enjoys cuddling up with me or Ian and reading a book or watching tv. And her holding my hand, really my finger, when we walk is just about the best thing ever. 

Isla started taking about her birthday and her party a couple months ago. I wasn't expecting her to want one, but we went to another birthday party, so from then on, she talked of her "pink birthday party". Then, it switched to her "Scotland birthday party".  She ended up with a party in her preschool class, a doughnut/dress up party with some of her friends, and then family coming over to celebrate her. What we learned through all these parties is the girl does not like attention, just like her mommy. Every time she was sung happy birthday, she would cover her face. 

 

If you want to take a look back, here are some of Isla's past updates - 2 years, 18 months, 12 months, 6 months and birth. Or, if you want to compare, here is Connor's 3 year update.

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Isla {2.5 years}

Weight: 28lbs, 4oz 

Height: 36 inches

Accomplishments:

Can spell her name

Draws/writes a couple letters and one shape (circle)

Can hold up two fingers, for how old she is

On the one hand, I would like to say, "How has my baby gotten so grown up?!" and on the other, "I am loving Isla at this age." Strong-willed temper tantrums aside, this is such a fun age! Isla is talking in full sentences. She expresses her wishes. She asks for what she wants. She now says all the time, without prompting, "I wuv you" and it melts my heart oh so very much. She is a little girl, not a baby. 

This past season has been a sick one for Isla. She dealt with two back to back things that had her on antibiotics twice. After going over two years without ever having an antibiotic  she then had them twice in one month. Thankfully she is all healthy again. 

Switching Isla to a toddler bed ended up being the best decision of my life. Seriously. I was dreading it, but it has gone amazingly well. In her crib, she was sleeping though the night once or twice a week. In her toddler bed, she is waking up at night once or twice a week. I don't know what the difference is, but I am loving it. When Isla does wake at night, she stays in her bed until I come get her. And in the morning, she generally wakes and plays in her bed, though has gotten off the bed and played a couple times. And girlfriend loves herself some blankets. I found her asleep under FOUR blankets last week. She had gone in her closet and gotten them. Of course, the result was her covered head to toe in sweat. I don't even know how she can sleep like that. 

Though Isla will eat way more vegetables than Connor, she is a junk food addict at heart. If there are fries around, she will eat nothing else until the fries are gone. And you can't even mention ice cream (or go past the ice cream shop) without her freaking out. But, thankfully, the girl also loves her some fruit and veggies. I don't even have to try to get her to eat them. She just does it. She has never come across a fruit she didn't like, though bananas and oranges (specifically cuties) are her favorites. And she will try any veggie, but green beans and corn seem to be her favorites. 

Isla has really turned a corner with imaginary play. She loves playing with her dolls. She will rock them in a rocker and tuck them in bed with a blanket. And she loves feeding them with a bottle. It is all very sweet and cute to me. She hasn't gotten to a point of naming them though. She calls them either "baby" or "baby doll". Some of Isla's favorite toys include books, dolls, bracelets, puzzles and anything she can draw with.

Isla is quite the strong willed little girl, which I like to be reminded (hopefully) means she won't be a push over later in life! In the mean time, this equates to temper tantrums when, say, she doesn't want to leave the house or really is forced to do anything she doesn't want. And when she is uphappy about something, she lets the world know. My favorite (sense the sarcasm) is when she is throwing a fit in public, I pick her up and she screams "you hurt me, you hurt me". Awesome. But, I have been reminding her over and over than I am actually not hurting her and she seems to be doing that less.

If you so desire, you can see all of Isla's past updates here.

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Isla {2 years, 3 months}

Weight: 28lbs (my measurement)

Height: 36 inches (my measurement)

Accomplishments:

Can count up to 10 things

Knows colors, but recognizes blue and green every time (favorite colors maybe?)

Recognizes pretty much every letter

Isla has taken her talking to a whole new level lately and it is cracking me up. Just the other day, we pulled into the Starbucks drive thru and she says from the back seat "I want hot chokate and cream". What?! You know how to ask for that?! It shocked and entertained this mama...and she got what she wanted. Some of the other things the has been saying lately are "too me" (excuse me), "Mama, yoooou doing?" (what are you doing?) and one that really makes me laugh "look at me". 

Some of Isla's current favorites include bracelets (or really all jewelry), boots (yep, she love her some footwear), the play kitchen, coloring and trains. More often than not, Isla will try to put on all of her bracelets at one time. What really gets me is how then she will protect the arm covered bracelet and not use it so all the bracelets stay on. Isla wants to play with Connor more and more and as long as it doesn't involve Connor's legos (which Isla loves), then he is generally ok with it. Well, and if he can control the situation, but you know. Isla is also a big fan of being outside. She loves rocks. Like a serious love of rocks. She likes leaves as well, but I caught her calling them "flowers".

^^ Fish eye, mouth, tail

A month ago, I almost switched Isla out of her crib. It was her second bout of climbing out of her crib and she didn't seem to be stopping. Then, the two of us went to LA for my dad's surgery and when we came home, she hasn't climbed out of her crib since. Though I still put Isla down for a nap every day, she seems to be actually going to sleep only about half the time. The other half, she lays in her crib for hours, just talking away. She really could use a nap, but I obviously can't force it. On the days she doesn't nap, she usually really struggles from dinner time on and is in bed asleep early. She had been doing great sleeping through the night, but the last couple weeks, she has been waking up multiple times a night more often than not. And when she wakes, she wants her mama, not daddy. Once I hold her, she usually goes back to sleep quickly. And she still enjoys sleeping in, which I enjoy. If we have nothing going on, she generally will sleep in until at least 9am. 

Isla is a very tough little girl. That is probably the thing I hear the most about her. People are always shocked that she doesn't cry, even with a big fall. But, she has to deal with her brother all day, so she is used to it! Because we knew she could handle herself around older kids, we moved her up to an older class at church. The toddler nursery is just chaos (I know, I work in it) and the next class up is just a lot more fun and calm. She is doing great in it. 

For a bit there, I thought Isla would never have an interest in potty training. She downright freaked if I got her anywhere near a toilet. Then one day she acted like the potty was the coolest thing ever and even peed on it. Then I decided to try undies and she went through three pairs in less than an hour. So, I am throwing potty training on the back burner for a few months. I am a believer in waiting until they are ready and it will go easier. And wait I will do. 

Isla, my little spitfire. You love to lay your head on my shoulder and sometimes will say from your bed "mama, need you" and it melts my heart. I thank God every day that he blessed me with a little "dia" (quesidilla) loving girl that loves her mama so much. You make me happier more than you may ever know...until you have kids of your own. 


You can watch Isla grow up to quickly see all of Isla's past updates here. I'm a sap, so I peruse both her and Connor's past updates all the time. 

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Isla {2 years}

Weight: 27lbs, 3oz

Height: 34.75 inches

Accomplishments:

Says several words...too many to count

Says 3 to 4 words together

20 teeth

Favorites:

Foods - apples, red hots (the candy), tomatoes

Elmo, Ernie, bracelets, purses

Reading

Swinging

Phones

Mama - this girl is a mama's girl all the way

I've come to realize just how important these updates are as there is just so much I forget so quickly. Oh how I wish I could remember every little detail of my kids lives, but I just cant.

I would say Isla is the epitome of a 2 year old. She can throw a temper tantrum like no other. Usually because something was taken away from her or because she was told no. Isla has also fully embraced the question "why?". Yep, have hit that stage. Fun times. Isla also likes to copy everything both Connor and I do. Hence it was only fitting for her to throw a fit because she wanted to hold my purse and keys when I was trying to her picture. And as you can see, she won. Some things aren't worth the fight. Now, when she decides to empty the contents of my wallet, that is where I draw the line. 

Isla has been out of a highchair for a while now. I switched her to a youth chair about 6 months ago when she was getting really antsy in her highchair (i.e. fighting being put in it every single stinking time). Well, now she no longer wants to be in her youth chair. She either wants to be on my lap, or in a normal seat. Food wise, Isla is a great eater. She will tend to try anything at least once. At the table, I give her a normal cup to drink out of. In true Isla style, she has copied her brother in dipping all her food into her cup before eating it. Yummy! 

When Isla is tired, she twirls her hair. When Isla isn't tired, she rips her hairbands out of her hair. She even managed to do it during these pictures. See it in the right photo below? Her left pigtail is gone. If she had it her way, her hair would be in her face all the time. And it totally doesn't bother her if it is in her mouth. Even if she is eating!!! Silly girl. 

I realized the other day that Isla doesn't have any girl friends close to her age. She is always playing with Connor and his friends and does great with that. In fact, I think hanging with the boys has made her one tough cookie. But I am sure in the not so near future, she wouldn't mind having a couple girl friends to play dolls with. Speaking of dolls, Isla has been playing "baby" lately. She really likes to rock her dolls in the doll cradle. And she has found it pretty dang fun when I put one of her dolls in a little baby carrier on her. She also is a big fan of puzzles, books and trains/cars. 

Despite these pictures, Isla actually refuses to have her picture taken these days. When I have a camera out, she refuses to look at me. I pretty much have to surprise her. But, if she knows I have a camera out, she won't look at me no matter what I say. And, well, she isn't quite old enough to bribe yet, so pictures have become difficult. 

 

My little two year old. Two years old! You aren't so little anymore. I enjoy every day I get with you, even the hard ones. I love watching your personality come to life. And I secretly totally love that you are a mama's girl, even on the days that I would love a break. Because, seriously there is no better feeling than your little arms wrapped around my neck and your head on my shoulder.