Ainsley at 2 1/2!

Dear Ainsley,

If I didn't know how old you were (and you weren't itty bitty and spoke in an itty bitty voice) I'd swear you should already be turning 3. The last six months have been a stressful time for our family but you have continued to blossom and somehow... seem to be untouched by all the stress. With this blossoming you changed from the baby of the house to an independent, funny, opinionated, talkative, imaginative, sensitive, loving, little girl.

You have the vocabulary and sentence structure of a much older kid. You not only speak in complete sentences but in whole paragraphs. Times that I treasure most with you is when you and I are alone and we discuss things. You tell me all sorts of thoughts you've been having during the day. You have BIG ideas about how to do this or what would be fun or how we can make that. You make a lot of observations about people and their behavior which just "tickles me happy" because of your insightfullness. I'm trying hard to find times where you and I can just talk. I instinctively feel that I will need to keep the communications line open with you or else you'll pull too far away. I'm also still struggling with finding times to just be with you and only you.

Ainsley... you are one independent girl! Although you still shadow Aidan's footsteps... you step off her trail to blaze trails all your own. You play independently. Often we'll go looking for you and find you nicely sitting on the floor with your toys... enacting whatever play that's going on in your head. You love putting on clothes and running to your mirror to see if you look "beautiful" or "fancy" or "pretty." Your favorite toys are the dollhouse, barbies, any people-type toys, cars & trucks, and dinosaurs. (You've mostly lost interest in balls so they've lost the #1 toy title. ) I love the voices you make all the characters use. Watching you play brings me and McMama a lot of joy.

At this time you're 33 inches tall, approx. 25 pounds, and you're wearing 3t clothes and size 5 shoes. You most definitely are potty-trained, most definitely left-handed dominant but still ambidextrous, you're making a great effort at being less messy... especially with eating, you are extremely creative with art projects, and you try hard to be self-sufficient (a big girl).

You pick up and do chores now without a problem but are still quick to "let" Aidan do the greater share. Whining is still an issue but we're working on it. Your temperament is generally loving, happy, and sensitive but you're a master manipulator of people to get what you want. You play people naturally. Readily, you will defend yourself. In fact, you and Aidan are prone to fighting because you won't let her get her way all the time. You also are really loud and have rediscovered the joy of shrieking. (errr!!) Crocodile tears are still found frequently on you face as you do get your feelings hurt easily but you are...wonderfully... easy to calm.

Ainsley, there is no question about how bright you are. Not only is your understanding of situations complete but you're "quick witted." I really look forward to the zingers I know you'll be throwing when you're older. You know a lot of sight words from Meet the Sight Words and you've started sounding out simple cvc words. As of yet you do not show much interest in reading but I haven't tried with you. I believe that once "school" starts in August and you see Aidan doing work... you'll want to do so as well. Presently, I'm looking up fun things for you to do to learn. Like your sister... I'll be letting you lead until I feel you're ready for official schooling.

Something I must note..... you're kindof scary! Not in a BAD way but in a "you talk about seeing things and waking in the night screaming for us to get you out of the room because "they" wont leave you alone...keeping your eyes fixed on one empty-air spot and asking us if we see it" kindof way. Yeah, that way. We're not exactly surprised. Children in our family have been known to see... uh... things. But... still... I would wish you just had my "instincts" instead of... other things...

Ainsley, you are still my love bug... my snuggle baby... but you're snuggling less and less because you have to always be doing. One of the reasons why I treasure those talk times is because they only happen when you're still and that is quite rare! Always, your brain is engaged and active and always are you seeking something to do. Only recently have you learned to truly sit still for story time... and even then that's not always... jumping on the couch just seems "funner" sometimes.

But Little Bit... I get that.

(wearing the same shirt in her 2 year letter)