The Princess Trina11:34 AM 0 comments

There's one more member of the family who needs updating.  Mr. Almeda and I have lived a heck of a year, and Max, well, he's started one, but I'm not sure that any of us can really compare to Miss Fallon's past year.  This is going to be a long post.  Quite long.

Sure, she went to Disney World for the first time (but you already knew about that).

And, she became a big sister (you already knew about that, too, though).  She's managed a few other things as well.

In August of last year, she started Pre-K at Kids R Kids.  We managed to luck out and get the same teacher she had the previous year, so she had an advantage that her teacher already knew her strengths and weaknesses.  She also got to stay with mostly the same group of kids.  I think all of this familiarity allowed Fallon to relax in her environment and got her true colors to shine.

Most of the time, those colors were shiny, sparkly, and bright.  This was also the year we learned what a manipulative beast she could be.  She wasn't a liar, per say, but she may have adjusted her stories to shed something of a softer light on her own actions with a harsh glare on the actions of others.  Okay, she got caught lying a few times too.

I spent the better part of an hour in the administrative offices one afternoon defending my poor little angel against the bullies in the classroom.  She was coming home distraught from being pushed and knocked around.  She's one of the smallest in the class, so I was ready to let them have it for allowing such atrocities to befall my precious baby girl.

And then I find out that I am one of those parents.

Teachers know those parents.  The ones who draw back, aghast with disbelief when they say, "not my child!"  But yes, my child was the instigator, and in some cases, the aggressor.  Nice.

This became a year of the apology letter.

And severe beatings at home (I kid, I kid).

Well, she graduated Pre-K in May, and started Kindergarten this past August.

It's been a little bit of a rough start at the new school with the new classmates and the new teacher, but I think Fallon's figured out how to master the system.

After spending a whole summer home with my sweet little princess, I am no longer "that parent."  This child, with her giant helping heart and turn-you-into-mush smile, can really get fired up when things don't go the way she expects them to go.

Rather than crush that passion (because that's what we'll call it), I've been making efforts to redirect it.  When things don't go the way you expect, seek out answers.  Investigate.  Explore.  Employ the scientific method.  Take an interest in robotics and engineering because that is the future and mommy wants to retire on the beach thanks to the generosity of her wonderful and brilliant children.

Speaking of her spirit, Fallon's cannot be broken (I've tried, when my first approach to discipline was to crush her like a bug).  Spankings only work at the immediate moment and are too quickly forgotten.  Grounding her seems to bring her relief.  Emptying her room to nothing but blank walls and a mattress opens the flood gates of her imagination.  She will seek out and find joy in any and all situations if she so chooses.  And because it seems so easy for her to do, she rarely asks for much of anything, because she's already got everything she wants.

This past Christmas, she asked Santa for a princess doll and a book.  That's it.

And when we drove to Virginia to spend the holiday with Nana and Papa Kevin, she was happy as a lark the whole nine hours.

No worries though, Santa delivered.  Plus some (seems to happen whenever grandparents are around).

For her fifth birthday, she lucked out once again and happened to be able to enjoy a class field trip to the aquarium that daddy was able to chaperone.  So basically, it was a birthday trip to the aquarium with all of her friends.

And that evening, she was surprised with a ridiculously fancy cake (I love Publix bakery) and a little celebration with a few more of her favorite people.

Turning five also led to increased responsibilities.  So, right before Max made his debut into the world, she went with her daddy to the Humane Society and picked out Tank, the cutest, sweetest little kitten ever in the whole wide world.  He was born on April Fool's Day, and he fooled us.  This cat is nuts.

But so are the rest of us, so he fits right in.

Also, just before Max's arrival, Fallon had her second dance recital.  This time, she had two performances, and Pop Pop was in the audience!

And once again, we were all blown away by the whole production.

This kid is prepped to conquer the world.