Such a Big Girl

I just have to say that I am proud of my daughter.  I am sure you can tell that by the tone of my posts, but I thought I should point out some specifics.

Last night we went to our church for a potluck as a family.  There was a time when something like that didn't seem possible.  Haley wasn't always well behaved in public, especially at a restaurant.  Haley also has some experience memories associated with church. 

When I say that I mean Haley has been at church for various functions and she remembers them.  Haley has a tendency to remember what she has done in certain locations and expects to do exactly the same things or do something very similar.  She gets frustrated when that doesn't happen.

Haley has been to church on Sunday mornings where her expectation is to sit still in the pew with me or her sister and listen.  She knows to stand up when everyone else does, she sings when anyone else is singing and she says "Amen" every time the pastors do.  She has that down.  She even knows that she needs to sit still when I get up to sing with the choir or to play hand bells.

Haley has been to church for Vacation Bible School (VBS.)  She knows that she will get to dance and sing during the opening and closing.  Unfortunately she has been allowed a little too much freedom at VBS so she also thinks that she can run around "willy nilly" while she is supposed to be focused.

Haley has been to church for the Christmas Program, where she knows to sit still a watch.  She has even made a gingerbread house a couple of times at church.  That was fun, but she does get a little stressed out.  I don't really know why.  I think it has something to do with the commotion and the fact that she sneaks candy from the bowl and gets hopped up on sugar.

There have been times at church when Haley has been allowed to touch the piano, a thing she does with respect, but a thing that she isn't always allowed to do. So for a while she wanted to touch the piano every time she went to church. That took some effort on my part to stop.

So anyway, last night we went to church and sat at a table.  Then we got up and went through the food line and filled our plates and then sat back down to eat.  Haley ate really well and we even got up for a second helping.  She was awesome.  She fed herself and drank her water.  She asked for more water.  She even asked to go to the restroom.  She sat still and listened during the program.  She raised her hand a couple of times in answer to questions (everyone else was doing it.) She clapped when everyone did.

She was what we call "A Big Girl."  I guess we should really start calling her "A Young Lady."