The difference between 3 and 4...

.... seems like a BIG one.

This was Faith last year for her "turning 3" pictures:

This is Faith for her "turning 4" pictures that I took quickly the other day with a fading battery:




It just seems like 4 seems so old for my darling little Faith. 3 really seemed to suit her. She has changed in a lot of ways this year-- the day of her 3rd party was the end of "tulips" (Pull Ups) for her, and they ended completely within that week. Her speech developed drastically this year. She's always spoken in her own language, and I just love it. Her first and second years were mainly gestures and words mixed with sounds. This was the year she started calling people by their names: what used to be the 'Dee and Dis' sisterhood is now 'Maddie and Faith.' Abrie is no longer 'Beeba Show' (and oftentimes gets the full name of Abrielle Hope Constein when she is introduced by her big sissy Faith). 'Guy' is now Donovan, and 'Beeba' is now Ella. 'Pop Pop' became Grampa this year.

In other ways, she hasn't changed at all. She is still just as sweet as can be. I have been watching so many old home videos lately while preparing her 4-year video (that she is anticipating for tomorrow morning, the ritual around here on birthdays!) and it always strikes me of how connected she is with each of her sisters. In every video- and so many pictures- Faith is always looking at Maddie; she always wants to know what Maddie is doing so that she can do it too. She poses like Maddie, she sings and dances like Maddie, she does everything like her Maddie. And, then she and her Show: they are another team, these two. Faith always wants to do everything for Abrie; she always wants to help.

She is the perfect big AND little sister.

Faith had learned to write her name about a month before turning 3. She is now writing lists for holidays and birthdays, uppercase and lowercase. They always got a kick out of the comparisons of Sister Bear's handwriting and pictures from one year to the next in the book "Berenstain Bears and too Much Birthday," and there is a big difference from the beginning of the year to now in Faith's work. She's gotten more and more detailed as the year has progressed.

Flop is our comedienne. She is the best gift to each of her sisters, and the best Thanksgiving gift we could have ever received almost 4 years ago.