Darcy at 5

Hello Glitterbugs!
If you followed my blog last month and read this or this post, you will know that my little girl, Darcy, turned 5 in April. 
I wanted to write a post all about her character and mannerisms as a way to document and remember all the little things she was into and also, one day, she might read this as an adult and smile- Hello grown up Darcy, if you're ready! 
(Thank you so much Courage & Kind for this darling silk dress, Darcy loves it)
Five years old, I think, is my favourite age. I remember saying that specifically about 4 months old and hoping it would never end so I'm thankful that this, 'favourite age' thing doesn't wear out. I'll probably say it for everything haha. 
Darcy is a gem. I know any mother would say that about their child so perhaps she's downright awful to everyone else but I don't think so. 
Where do I start? I'll begin with all the little tiny things I want to cherish forever and then move onto the big character stuff. 
Darcy likes little things, she always has. She likes tiny weeny toys that she can clutch in her hands for long periods of time. She likes the brushes you get with My Little Ponies or the accessories that come with Sylvanian Families. Tsum Tsums too are high up on her light of 'good things'. When we were in Seattle this January, I gave her $10 to choose whatever she wanted and she was straight over to the (Anna & Elsa) Tsums. She likes putting things in bags, boxes, tins and baskets. I'll very often find an assortment of random treasure in a handbag or envelope- not always all her own though I'm afraid, a lot of my bits and pieces go missing too! haha. She loves the trampoline and I'm regularly treated to grand performances that she's spend a long time perfecting upstairs. I always make sure to give big, big claps! 
Fussy eating is the bain of my life. I don't think there are a lot of foods that Darcy specifically hates but quite often she'll just decide that she doesn't want to eat something. I have worried and continue to worry that she doesn't eat enough. I offer and offer but mostly she'll take a few bites and say she's done. She eats really well at school with her classmates but at home, she's like a little bird. However, if I were to give her an endless supply of puddings, she'd more than manage. She has a sweet tooth!
Talking of teeth, none lost yet. I have something really special planned when she looses teeth so I'll keep you posted on that. I would hope that if her first tooth fell out whilst she's with her Dad that he'd somehow find a way to share that with me but right now, we are keeping things very separate which is a shame. 
Separation-wise, Darcy seems to be handling everything so, so well. As you know, we share 50/50 and are still both flexible with changing days here and there if needed. I tell Darcy often that Mummy and Daddy love her and when she says, 'I love Daddy', I say, 'I love so much that Daddy loves you' and she seems to really like that. Sometimes she sends texts to each of us from our phones (a great big paragraph of emojis) and we respond with emojis too. We've talked about having 2 teams, a Mummy & Darcy and a Daddy & Darcy team and she loves having 2 bedrooms. I try to be quite honest with Darcy, she has a lot of questions. She knows I have a new man in my life and I've told her he is kind and handsome and funny. As yet, she still hasn't met him but when the time is right, I'll introduce. I feel nervous about that (I'll perhaps write a separate post because this is meant to be all about her). 
Darcy has a huge social group! I've mentioned a few times about my mummy groups and how Darcy and I both love having them. I've made friends with a couple of Mama's on my street and from there we've all met each other's friends too and formed a nice circle of support and fun. Between all of us there are about 15ish littles so Darcy is never short of a friend to play with after school or on the weekend. I don't let her 'play out' (on the street like I did when I was little- I worry about weirdos) but I do let her play in my neighbour friends gardens or have her friends over here to wreck her bedroom (it's amazing how much destruction little children can cause in under an hour). Last night we got back from playdate number 1 with some of the school Mama's and their littles (that's my other Mummy Group) and went straight into playdate number 2 for strawberries and waterfights in a garden with the local littles. Life for Darcy is full of love and friendship and socialising, just as it should be. 
When playing with older children, Darcy loves to observe and be led but when playing with her peers, Darcy is assertive with her ideas. It's almost like in the wild where there is an alpha lion and she respects that but then when everyone is on a level pegging, she gives leading a go. I hope this develops both ways because I think there is something to be said for having the courage to be in charge but then something valuable about knowing when someone else can do it better. 
Sometimes, Darcy is unsure of her own abilities. Before trying something new she needs a lot of encouragement and reassurance. She's not the first kid to jump into the ball pool and it took a lot of praise and cajoling for her to believe she really could buckle up her own seat belt. With time I think she'll grow in self-believe but until then, I'll carry on nudging warmly. 
Screen time is a big thing for my girl. She's loves it! If I would let her watch TV/play on my phone all day, she would. I'm breezy about her watching films (we often snuggle up together for movie time) but I'm a lot stricter about the phone and limit it heavily. Her current favourite app is a Palace Pets game where you groom all the animals and add accessories to them for the Princesses. 
Travelling is another thing Darcy enjoys. This summer I plan to take her to Seattle to visit the Bitsandclips and Matt will be taking her to Orlando for DisneyWorld. She's a lucky kiddo. Before the year is out I'd really like to try DisneyLand Paris with her and I'm looking into Disney Cruises. I'm sticking with the Disney theme because it feels like something we could easily do just the two of us (not booking any holidays with her and bf yet, although him and I might be going somewhere soon yay) without me freaking out or feeling super lonely. When she's older I'd also like to take her to New York for a Mummy & Me trip! 
All in all, I'm really happy with how Darcy is growing up. She's gone from an easy baby, to a fun toddler to a really great child and I'm thrilled to be her Mama! I have lots of plans for our summer so keep your eyes peeled for those or check out my instagram!
Toodlepip!
xx