Three!

Dear Lucy,

Three years old! Practically a grown-up. Or at least, that's how you look at it. I know in a few years I'll look back and think you look so little, but right now you look pretty big to me. Your baby plumpness has been replaced by long lanky legs. After 2+ years of baldness/baby mullets, your hair is actually long now. It causes both of us grief with it's propensity to tangle but once we do untangle it, it actually looks stylish and feminine.

It's not just your looks, you have very few baby needs or phrases left either. I still cherish the few times you do say things wrong. Dessert is tessert. You put off things you don't want to do until "talater," and last night you asked if daddy was almost done "weed wadding" but for the most part you use proper English. I love having conversations with you now though. You can talk about anything from cabbages to kings and always have something to say about it. But you're a polite conversationalist and are often asking "how are you today?" and "which is your favorite?"

You are so smart. The things you come up with blow me away. Right now you are into math. You like to come up with questions to ask me - and then answer yourself...how many people are on the carpet? What if Jonah crawled away? What if daddy comes home?What if I leave? What if I come back? We played that exact "game" for about 20 minutes yesterday before I told you I had to take a break at which point you just played it by yourself. You also love materials and like to go around telling me what things are made of and what phases things are in.  Listening to you try to reason out whether ice cream is a liquid or a solid might have been the cutest thing ever.

You are absolutely the sweetest kid. You love to snuggle and hug and take care of everyone and everything you meet. I'm not saying I don't sometimes get frustrated when you cry over having to leave the animals at the zoo or the penguin balloon at the grocery store because you are going to miss them so much, but I do cherish your sweet heart. Of course, in you're pretend play, things have to get hurt in order for you to take care of them so we jokingly call you our little munchausen by proxy mommy because you'll often throw down horsey or green baby, only to cry that they are hurt and you need to wrap them up or tend to their wounds. It's not always you're fault though, horsey is so clumsy and steps on nails every time you turn around and we've had a really bad stuffed animal tummy bug going around for days now. It's a good thing they have you to check their temperature and tuck them into bed.

You and squirrel

Your best "friends" right now are horsey and squirrel. Horsey is a stuffed animal friend that you normally sleep with, play with and take on trips with you. Squirrel is a cement figurine that was in the backyard when we moved here. He isn't allowed inside or on trips but you love to play with him outside. He's a bit heavy for you but that doesn't stop you from carrying him all around the yard, fixing him mud suppers and putting him down for naps with your play silkies.

These last 6 months have been the most trying for me and you. "Terrible twos" struck hard and you have just a slight tendency toward the dramatic but I have also seen you grow so much especially with self-control. To see you try and control yourself, even when it means you are physically shaking to stop yourself amazes me. And you are really internalizing so much of what your daddy and me are teaching you. When we are having a rough moment, you'll often stop me and ask if we can pray about it. Melt me heart! You also love to pray at dinner. It normally goes "Thank you God for all the wonderful things. And please help horsey, he's hurt. Amen"

The "supper" you fixed for daddy - wood bread, wood bread, rock bread and sand pudding. 

You love being a big sister, you just don't always love having a little brother. But again, I can tell you are trying. You'll tell me that you can't stop doing ___ but could I help you or a hug would help you feel better. We've learned to be a team and it's working. You are so determined. That isn't always something I appreciate (especially what you are determined to get something you shouldn't have :-) but I know it will be a trait that serves you well in the future.

Your imagination is amazing. You've love pretend play for a while but the last month or two has added a new level. Whereas before most of your pretend play was based on your experiences (like being sick, cooking, gardening), your new love is princess. (If you aren't a princess, you're probably a horse or a bird. You're full of energy but you don't often run - you fly or gallop!) We've been reading fairly tales and you've taken them to heart. You love to wear your crown and cape and tuck your animal friends under your cape (because it's almost always "raining" on your adventures) and setting off on "princess ___ (boat, horse, climbing) adventures.

The Jonah shark circles your princess adventure boat (complete with mop and play silk flag) but you remain calm while you bravely protect green baby and horsey from the rain and storm in your sparkle princess cape!

I love watching you be so courageous on your adventures. You're a bit of a wallflower, you don't like crowded places or groups of kids. But despite being an introvert, you're coming out of your shell more and more and I love seeing you become bolder whether that is fighting Jonah shark in the living room ocean, talking about your show and tell items in front of the story time crowd or having a conversation with the next door neighbor.

Posing in your crown, your cape and your favorite "twirliest" dress

I was a bit of a tomboy growing up and always expected to have boys but when I was pregnant with you and started to feel like you were a girl, I started to really want a girl. And I'm so glad I had you. I love your girliness. Just yesterday you were picking out an outfit in true big kid fashion, looking over all your choices before saying "Mom, I just feel like wearing something twirly today." And if daddy is around when you get dresses, the first thing you do is run to him and ask him "how beautiful am I today?"

 A girl just has to twirl sometimes!

Pink sparkly shoes that light up when you walk, twirly dresses, silver glittery capes that you insist on wearing everywhere - even to church. I love it all. But I love how unadulterated your girlishness is. You love princesses but your version of them is just what I want you to be - brave, kind, good and lovely.

Planting beans. I think you are inheriting your dad's green thumb and not my black one!

You still are a great helper. You love to help me in the kitchen and daddy in the garden. Last night you were playing outside with your daddy when I came in to finish cooking and I heard you say, "Oh no, mommy's cooking. She must need my help!" before you ran in to join me. You help me "tidy up" too. A few days ago we had music on and were dancing while we worked when you stopped me and said I was just like Cinderella because I was "cleaning with a happy heart" - then you said that no, you were Cinderella and I was the king. I'm not sure about me being a king but you certainly are a little Cinderella - completely with a wonderful happy heart.