1. You are potty trained - wahoo!!! You were soooooo stubborn about the whole idea of potty training. You just refused to even entertain the idea of it. You kept putting deadlines on it (I'll do it when I turn 3. I'll do it when I'm in school. I'll do it when school is over. Etc.) but they came and went and you still were working it to get 3 M&Ms, 2 stickers for the chart and time on the computer just for sitting on the potty fully clothed. Then one day about a month ago, it clicked. When we told you we were out of night time diapers and you would have to wear pullups, you went ballistic. You ran in your room, crying, and grabbed some undies, saying that you would wear those but NOT PULLUPS!!! So we put Cinderella on your bum and that was pretty much it. There were a couple bumps in the road, but not many. And within a week or so, you were completely potty trained - day time, night time, anytime. It's fantastic for me to only have one kid in diapers. And it's so cute to watch you be so independent and grown up and proud of yourself.
2. You have started to give up your naps. You went through a couple months of flat out refusing to nap, which coincided with your crabby phase - coincidence? Now we've got you back to napping 2-3 times a week, which seems to be the right amount. It was a struggle to figure out how much sleep you needed and to get you to actually sleep. While I used to be able to read you your stories and sing your songs and then leave, I now have to lay down with you until you are asleep. But I actually kind of like that quiet, snugly time that I get with just you that I wouldn't get otherwise. And luckily you are still a fabulous sleeper at night - 8:00pm to 6:30 or 7:00am without a peep or a fight. And even though you have been in a big girl bed for at least 6 months, you have just recently realized that you can get out of not just your bed, but your room. Now you will get up and wander around in the morning before we are up. Usually you just play quietly, reading books or drawing pictures for us. However, you will not come in our room for some reason. We have woken up more than once to see you sitting in the hall outside our room, just waiting patiently for one of us to wake up and turn on a show for you. (Shows of choice these days? Calliou and Handy Manny)
3. You are in preschool and seem to really love it. Every morning you ask me if you get to go to school that day. Miss Nikki is your favorite teacher and you look forward to showing her your dress or coat or new shoes or whatever - "Mommy, Miss Nikki is going to love my sparkly shoes." We had you going 4 days in a row but that seemed to be too much so we backed down to Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. That seems to be just the right balance. We had parent teacher conferences a couple weeks ago and they said it takes you a few minutes to warm up and you are the first kid to get her shoes and coat on to go home. But they said you love to be involved and whenever they are doing projects or games, you wait patiently, anxiously at the side - you are dying to participate but you won't until you are invited and then you are all enthusiasm. I think it's been very good for you - you are less timid and more confident now. You even respond when strangers say hi for the first time in your life.
4. You are all girly girl now. Your favorite color is, of course, pink. You will ONLY wear dresses (and leggings now that it's cold) - absolutely NO pants/shirt combos. And you love anything princessy. Every morning, before we even eat breakfast, you want your princess dress on - it's usually Cinderella, but it's starting to include Rapunzel ever since we saw "Tangled (which I LOVED!) - and it stays on all day. The accessories depend on who you are that day - glass slippers and crown for Cinderella or flower barrette for Rapunzel and a princess purse with your "make-up" and jewelry in it. And then you are in character. We have to address you with the correct name, and usually we all get assigned roles too. But you are very specific in distinguishing between Sophie and your princess - I am supposed to call you Sophie until your entire costume is on, then I can use your royal name and only your royal name.
5. Your imagination is really blossoming and it's so fun to watch. You are starting to play games like library or store or restaurant. Your stuffed animals are getting names and personalities and have conversations with each other and with you. You see ghosts in your room that I have to escort out. And couches or blankets or cushions can turn into trains or cars or doghouses now. This feeds into you being much better at playing independently. This still isn't your strong suit, but you are improving.
6. You are amazingly polite. You ALWAYS say please and thank you and excuse me. You are not pushy and will wait your turn. If Clara has a toy you want, rather than grab it from her or throw a fit, you usually say, "Mom, how 'bout we set the timer and when it goes off it will be my turn?" And if Clara is bugging you, you don't push her or hit her, you ask me to come move her out of the way. What three year old does that???
7. For all that you are a pretty reserved kid, who is lukewarm on the slide and stubbornly anti-swing, you LOVE to wrestle and be tickled and jump on the bed. You love when I chase you or throw you on the couch or swing you around in my arms. I can be pretty rough and you relish it. You also get a huge kick out of hide-n-seek (hint: you are usually hiding under a blanket somewhere) and you love to turn on music and dance around the living room (recent favorite songs: the "Chicken Dance of Joy" from Dora, "Single Ladies" by Beyonce, "I Gotta Feeling" by Black Eyed Peas and the Tangled soundtrack)
8. You are the sweetest big sister. You help me with Clara all the time. If she's upset, you say, "Don't worry Clara, I'm here" and you get her a toy or a binky or a book without me asking. When she gets hurt, you make funny faces to make her feel better. You ask me randomly throughout the day, "Mommy, is Clara ok?" You are really good at sharing your toys with her. You help do her bedtime sometimes, picking out the books and singing "Mary Had a Little Lamb" with me. Tonight you were teaching her animal sounds using puzzle pieces. And best of all, you insist on giving her a big hug and a kiss before bed.
9. You have become a really picky eater. Your diet pretty much consists of Dora spaghettios, the right kind of burritos, noodles and chicken nuggets. Occasionally, some corn or strawberries. And chocolate kisses which are rewards for using the potty (only until this bag runs out!). Fixing this is our next project.
10. You are starting to totally ham it up. You love to make us laugh and seek out ways to do it now. For example, Nate asked you what we eat at Thanksgiving and you said, "Braaaaaaiiiiiiiinnnnnnnsssss". Since that got a huge laugh, you say "brains" all the time. Another example? I was in bed and heard you calling my name. I told you to come in my room, so you JUMP in the door, with a blanket over your head and say, "I'm a ghost!" And you look soooo pleased with your self when you get mom or dad or especially Clara to giggle.
(P.S. Sorry it's such a text heavy post - my pictures on the other computer)
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