Positive Stuff

I thought I would share a list of positives about Evie - either positive stuff in general about her, or positive changes that she has made.  #ilovelists #idolovelistsbuthatehashtagsandambeingalittletongueincheekhere

• She has a beautiful smile and infectious giggle.
• She actually is overall very beautiful and cute, and attracts comments, looks (good ones) and smiles from strangers everywhere we go in public.  I pretty much hear, "She's so cute!" from at least one person every time we are out. 
• Her behavior is REALLY good, even compared to other 4 year olds without trauma.  I can count on one hand the number of times I've had to put her in time-out.  When discipline is needed, redirection or a stern word/look is almost always enough. 
• And when I do have to fuss at her for something, she doesn't let it affect her mood after the moment has passed; she doesn't pout, fuss, yell, sulk, or give me the stink-eye.
• She is not shy about singing and often sings the same song over and over again as we go through the aisles of the grocery store.  One of her favorites is "You Are My Sunshine" (hence, the attraction of smiles and "you are so cute!"'s). 
• While in the first month she would often ask me to turn down the radio in the car (even when it wasn't loud AT. ALL.); now she often asks me to turn it UP... NOW you're my kind of girl!  We have busted out more than once to the chorus of "What Makes You Beautiful."
• My girl can now spell and write her first and last name, and recognizes all the letters in them (in addition to a few others as well as the numbers 1-5).  When she got here, she couldn't even tell you what her name started with, or recognize ANY letters or numbers.
• She can now entertain herself and is not afraid to be in a room by herself.  (She used to sit on the floor outside my bathroom door while I was showering, rather than even get on my bed and watch TV.) 
• She loves my cat. 
• She LOVES to draw and color.  She has become quite creative with drawing people and animals, and has begun to use a wide color palette in her coloring books.
• She is a great sleeper.  After the first week, we have not had a problem with sleeping at all.  She goes to sleep immediately, and stays in her bed until the "ok to wake" clock glows green at 6:45 (and occasionally even later when I'm lucky).  I highly recommend the clock - I think it might be the best $30 I have ever spent.
• She is a great eater, sometimes I think too great in that I struggle for ideas of additional healthy snacks to give her every time she tells me she's hungry as the day goes on... or struggle with whether I should just tell her she has to wait until the next scheduled snack or meal.  She will eat most fruits and loves them, and eats vegetables with each dinner (although she doesn't always like them).  I have only found a few things she really doesn't like.
• She loves to help around the house - with dishes, laundry (she actually is a pretty good "folder" - good enough that my OCD self does not feel the need to re-fold small items like hand towels and washcloths), feeding the cat, cleaning up, and putting her toys away. 
• The questions have FINALLY slowed down to what I feel like is a normal level for a 4 year old, so my sanity is definitely more intact than it was two months ago!