Even though some of the little 3 yr old ballerinas were scared to follow their teacher into the classroom for the first time, Stella had no fear. She hopped right up, got in line, and when the class was over, she ran back to me smiling ear to ear.
She has rarely been separated from me, and on those rare occasions, she has thrown some crazy temper tantrums. She tends to be shy, and has spent years clinging to my legs. However, sweet Stella Bella has been beyond excited for these new challenges, and she has been braver than I've ever seen her.
Stella suddenly seems so old. She LOVES learning about letters, and is doing a great job recognizing her letters, learning to draw some of them, and figuring out what letter words begin with. She learns so quickly, just like her big sister. I feel like she changed from a little baby to a smart little girl over night. Her memory is very impressive, and she reminds me of everything I have said all day long. Don't ever make a promise to Stelly Bell that you can't keep. She has just amazed me lately.
I am so proud of all of those things, but what continues to impress me most with Stella is her compassion. Although she steals Jeremy's toys and teases him from time to time, she is so sweet with him it blows me away. She is always paying attention to what he needs or wants, and speaks to him in such a sweet way. The first thing she talks about when she wakes up from nap is almost always Jeremy. She tends to say silly things like "Jeremy told me he want me to tickle his toes". It's not always accurate information, but he is always on her mind. Today she was trying to get him to play "dance class" with her..poor kid :) But that Stella girl is definitely empathetic far beyond her 3 years. She is going to accomplish amazing things. Sylvia recently had to take 4 things that describe her to school, so I asked Stella what she would pick. She said she would wear butterfly wings because she loves being a butterfly and she really loves to fly. You were born to fly, Stella Bella. We love you so much and are soooo proud!!
Here is a collage of Stella's first day of school, including my view peaking in through the door when we picked her up, Jeremy and Sylvia waiting excitedly to Stellla again, and Stella sitting next to her new friend, Kiera.
