5 years + 6 months

Emily is now officially 5 1/2 years old.  According to the growth chart hanging in her room, she has grown 2 inches since her birthday!  She is now 45.5" tall and weighs 48 lbs.

Emily continues to explore and soak up knowledge.  She is now becoming more interested in other countries.  She often shares facts she has learned in the "About Us" Child Craft book (such as in Yemen boys & girls become men & women at age 13).  She also loves to be quizzed about what continent a country is on (you name the country, she names the continent).  Lately, she wants to know what language is spoken in different countries.

Speaking of quizzing, oftentimes when Emily asks a question I find myself having to first clarify whether or not she's telling a joke, she's quizzing my knowledge (i.e. she already knows or thinks she knows the answer) or she genuinely doesn't know the answer but wants to.  So many times I have tried to come up with a good explanation only to be matter-of-factually told, "No, Mom.  It's..."

Learning about other places has sparked an interest in visiting them.  Her travel wish list currently includes Montana to see the battlefield of Little Bighorn, Missouri to see the St. Louis arch and Washington, D.C.

Emily has been working on two big skills this month.  The first is learning how to jump rope.  The second is tying laced shoes.  Up until this point I have very deliberately never purchased laced shoes for my children because I didn't want to have to be constantly tying them.  However, tying shoes is a skill they are supposed to learn for Kindergarten, so we picked out a new pair of shoes and had a few lessons.  This is a proud Emily after she went up to her room and emerged with both shoes tied all by herself!

She has some more practicing to do.  If she has enough time and patience she can get it, but it's usually not very tight, so her shoes feel loose.  I bought shorter laces for her shoes, so we haven't had to do double knots yet.  Sometimes when untying the laces get tied in knots.  She's still very proud when she gets it, though!

Emily continues to have a vivid imagination the includes a variety of imaginary friends.  The most popular this month have been Karen & Kaithlyn (she pronounces it like Kaitlyn only with a /th/).  They may or may not be twin sisters.  Both of them, but especially Karen, tend to take on characteristics and personalities based on whatever is on Emily's mind.  It can be a fascinating window into what she is thinking about.