Aidan,
So you are now three. Are you sure you're not Four? Honestly, I thought I would feel this to be a huge milestone and mostly I'm just surprised you're
only three. Somewhere along the way you surpassed "where you should be" and left it in the dust. What an amazing girl you are! You bring so many smiles to our faces. Many of us just dote on you. The things you say... the expressions... the seriousness that is you. Of course, like any other three year old you can be quite the goofball... sometimes to the point I feel mild embarrassment... but over all you are just plain COOL... You really are.
A few months ago you found your wings and have gained so much confidence it is shocking. You are no longer Lady Bug... you are now Sassafras. For about two or three weeks I was running scared. I already knew that three was worse than two but OMYGOD child... for awhile there you were a MONSTER. Seriously, I was thinking I might have to trade you in. ;-) Luckily, however, after you tested us for that short time... you settled down. It took a lot of consistent consequences, a lot of understanding and patience on my part , and a lot of time outs and negative discipline. I didn't always know what to do in every situation especially because I had never encountered them with you. Sometimes I lost it and sometimes I had to fight hard not to just smack you but we worked through it and the consistent disciplining got us through. One day, when you have kids, you'll understand. It's hard to know how to handle every situation in just the right way. The secret of being a Mommy is that half the time we are just totally winging it. Mommy is not always as "in control" as she likes to pretend. (I don't mean to say the defiant behavior and back-talking is gone completely but it shows up a lot less)
You take everything literally and logically. Sometimes you make me feel stupid. Just the other night... because I didn't want to go find all your various stuffed animals you wanted to sleep with... I told you they were playing together and didn't want to come to bed. You looked at me with that brow of yours furrowed and said "But Mommy, they can't move!" You looked at me like I was insane and I swear with a hint of sympathy. It cracked me up.
Your interest in reading has grown. Though you CAN read.. you haven't really worked on it until lately... you now will sit with books and try to work out the words on your own. Sometime this month, we are starting the first year of Preschool. I'm pretty excited and so are you. You have your little book bag and pencils and workbooks and you keep asking "when we can start".
Even during your most defiant times.. you still like to help and have a job to do. If I ask you to run or fetch or carry something you do so willingly. Chores are rarely an issue with you... so far, anyway. You mother hen Ainsley still and try to take up for her all the time. I'm hoping one day you'll get that it won't work out in your favor if you continue doing so. You are SUCH an older child... a classic, textbook case. Really.
Sometimes you get bored. It has become apparent that if we have a "lazy day" and you haven't had any mental stimulation at all then you misbehave and throw the most tantrums. Speaking of which... tantrums...for you... mean crying and sometimes "dancing" your legs (like you're marching) Usually, it doesn't last long because I can reason with you and I'll tell you to breath... in through your nose..out through your mouth... you'll do so and then its over... and we'll talk about what's wrong. The rare times you do get out of control ...I'll put you in your room until you are ready to calm down. (which, to be honest, usually happens when I've lost my cool)
You like to sing a lot but rarely do you get the words right. It's kind of endearing. Even if I repeat the lines to you ...you still make up tons of words and things that I never even remotely said.
Oh the WHINING! You whine and it is my mission in life to stop it! So far... I just tell you I cannot understand you when you speak that way and that you need to speak normally. It seems to be working so I'm crossing my fingers that whining will stop soon. Oh How I HOPE!
Your imagination just keeps on soaring. I love to listen to you and Ainsley playing. You make things up and lead her around telling her what you are doing and what's going on. Something of note though... is that in your play you use manners really well. Barbie will ask in that falsetto voice everyone tends to use "Oh, may I please have a turn on the bicycle?" and the other Barbie will reply... "Oh yes, please do, here you go..." I love it... that's a sign that you're being taught well... right?
Oh! (this is really important) it looks like your hair has started thickening up as well as getting darker... AND you are now 36 inches tall... YOU made it to 3 feet! Whoo Hoo
Aidan, there are so many things and moments and thoughts that I say to myself... I need to write that down... but of course I don't and I never remember half of what I want to say about you. So, I'll just say this....you're a wonderful child and I'm lucky to have you in my life.
and if I said that to you...you would say very decisively and matter of fact ... "I SANK SO!"
