Obviously I couldn't get Anna to cooperate with the bear picture this year...
What a year it has been! An international move (Qatar to Korea just eight months after US to Qatar; plus having a temporary apartment the first month in Korea) , starting (play)school, potty training, and a new sister! Overall, I'd say that Anna has done well with the changes in her life but also her shyness has really taken over her personality. Whether that is just how she was always going to be or something all of the changes (or aggressively-friendly strangers) did to her, we'll never know. It is definitely something I'm working with her on though and I can already see improvements in the past month or two (although I'm not sure an outsider would see the changes).
School has definitely made Anna a little more physically adventurous (going down the slide face-first, climbing and jumping on our furniture) and possibly also more into questioning authority (although I'd still say she is a "rule-follower" for sure, unlike Sarah, who I get the distinct impression is a "rule-breaker").
I'm not sure when exactly the "strawberry" and "mouse" stuff started for Anna last year (the mouse thing was when my mom was visiting Qatar, just after Sarah was born) but it has finally waned (thanks to Strawberry Shortcake). Anna has a great time trying on different character personalities and assigning them to us as well. Anna also doesn't have to have everything "just so" before she goes to bed and seems to be getting more flexible (she would only wear a certain pair of pajamas for a while but now will go with the flow (or whatever is clean, to me more specific).
A few weeks ago I asked Anna whether or not she knows what a Princess is and she said, "yes." When I asked her if she liked princesses, her response was, "not really." That's my girl! We'll see how that changes as she spends more time with her friends, I guess. I, for one, am please with her answer for now. (I guess I associate the word "princess" with "snob;" that's the only thing I can think of that makes me react to Princesses the way I do—I have no real beef with an actual princess or getting all dressed up for the ball.)
When we have "play-by-yourself-time" (when I need to get something done) Anna usually chooses to do some coloring or sticker art. She is starting to have more and more control over the pencil or crayon which is fun to see. She can draw a strawberry and when she colors she can color mostly inside the lines (if she wants). She has a version of a stick-person that she does. She can also draw circles and can almost write her name.
Anna says occasionally that she'd like to learn to read but we haven't done anything with this yet. She still likes to ask how to spell things and likes to pretend that she's writing words. I'll be interested to see how teaching someone to read goes especially when Anna is so good at memorizing whole books! I guess I'll have to get several totally new books when the time comes.
It is amazing to look back over the last year (both in pictures and the stories from a year ago) and look at the little girl we had a year ago and compare her to the one we have now. So many big changes and so many great memories. I know a lot of this year has been crazy with moving and just getting used to having two kids to care for so I'm not as attentive as I could have been but Anna has been just a great big sister and has been patient with me and with Sarah and has really impressed me. I'm so looking forward to the coming year and watching Anna & Sarah interact more and more and really become friends. I can tell that Anna misses Sarah when Sarah is taking a nap and she truly enjoys playing with her and that is just the best thing to see and we are so lucky to have two such fantastic little girls!
