This is 4 - Payton Alaina

​My girl Payton is the cutest little Payton you ever did see. She is hilarious, she is smart, and she has the best dance moves. Payton is also stubborn, defiant and likes to test every bone in my body. She is at that age where you never know what you are going to get. 

We have our ups and down with Payton. She has a smile that brightens your day and an attitude that can throw you over the edge. Overall, Payton is a really awesome kid. She does well at school, she loves to talk, she wants to be a helper and she loves being a big sister...most of the time. I know I have my hands full with her and we just take it a day at a time. These are just some of the highs and lows we deal with on a daily basis.
 
My favorite things about my girl at this age:

• The singing by far is my favorite. We sing together in the car all the time. She is so passionate about all the songs she sings and I love hearing what she thinks the words are sometimes. Payton sings loud and doesn't hold back when she's really into it.
• Payton is hilarious, kids really do say the darnedest things. Her imagination runs wild and the stories she tells me about school are I'm sure exaggerated. I am pretty sure she is going to be quick-witted like her daddy.
• Payton cuddles are pretty amazing. On the weekends she gets a free pass and gets to cuddle in my room and watch a movie before bed. Most mornings before we get ready for school she insists that I cuddle with her and keep her warm. That might be why we are late most days. Her hugs are hands down the best.

These are the struggles we run into with Payton:

• The girl is bossy. She wants to tell her friends what to do and how to play. She wants to tell me how things should be done. Payton doesn't want to hear no, EVER. It has been a challenge to teach her how to compromise and accept that things can't always go her way. She is stubborn and while it is a challenge now, I hope that in the future this takes her far in life and she can learn to balance that confident bossy personality with being a respected leader.
• Dinner time is hard. Mostly because she is a picky eater like me. There are some days when she just snacks and doesn't get a real dinner. Most any kind of pasta is a staple dish for her and we always have hotdogs and mac n cheese for back up. Payton also usually eats later because she wants to play with her friends and she takes forever because she gets easily distracted. 
• The temper. I can't even describe it, but she got it from Aaron. Payton will absolutely lose her mind sometimes if she doesn't get what she wants. We have screaming, hitting, messing up her room, kicking the door. She's a completely different kid when the temper comes. It isn't too often, but often enough to be super frustrating and hard to parent.

It is definitely a roller coaster with her at this age. Payton can be so demanding at times, but then completely cooperative at others. She is insistent on being independent. She is curious about everything and is absolutely my girly girl. We have Pre-K coming up this fall and I'm really excited to see how well she does. Til then we will try and enjoy the summer!