She's almost 5.

She sits in a boaster seat now. She can so gracefully strap herself in. She adjust the air vents and opens the back window, not because its hot but because she can reach them.

She walks on her toes. Barefoot. Dressy shoes. Boots. Tennis shoes. Flip flops. It doesn't matter. Always on those toes. So eloquent as she enters a room.

She's a little ball of muscle. Twisting and turning. Flipping and climbing. and again, on her toes All The Time.

She speaks so clearly. Telling stories with such seriousness you'd think she was a tween already. Everything so intense.

She can count to 100. She can count by ones. She can count by 5s. She can count by 10s.

She can read all the letter forms of numbers up to 20. Sounding out each letter. She can identify numerous signs, symbols, and logos but the sounding out is new.

She can write her name. She can write everyone in our family's name. The can do copy work; copying letter for letter a sentence I've written for her, usually a story all her own.

She can carry on a conversation with adults and babies alike. Learning new vocabulary and teaching what's she's memorized.

Her siblings adore her. She convenes them to listen to her and they learn.. She fight with them from the back seat, guarding paper-page books against tiny fingers. She passes out breakfast and snacks.

She loves her daddy! She chats to him as soon as he walks in the door. She snuggles in his lap to read stories. She goes on dates with him.

Mags. Maggie. Magnadoodle. The sweet Magdalene Reece. My snugly, big girl, huge-hearted helper.

The growing to be a disciple of Jesus, Madgalene Reece Rothacher.