Month 42

Month 42, or 3 years and 6 months. Wow, 3 and a half years old. Where has the time gone?

 When the weather has been nice, we have been visiting the various parks in the neighborhood often. You love it. You are always so busy when we are there.

You have become so cute with playing lately. This fantastic play kitchen was at the early years center and you LOVED it. You have gotten really good at playing by yourself, and your imagination is awesome. Play kitchen and restaurant are so much fun with you. We have also been playing a lot downstairs and you are loving your play house. All your little people and the house and zoo and castle are a constant favouite. The stories and chatter coming from you is hilarious. I love how cute the storylines are. I can't wait to get the barbie house here eventually, you will love it.   

Look at that crazy long hair! It's so beautiful and long. Your dad has become quite the pro with keeping it looking lovely. He patiently washes it and brushes it out, removing all the knots and tangles. It's so sweet. He is so gentle with it. We do some very cute hairstyles and try our best to keep it up and knot free. It will be time for a haircut soon I think. We may have enough to actually get a good chunk cut off and donated. Whether or not you will understand is a different story, but it will be a good deed to do.

We went strawberry picking, and well there wasn't much picking from you, but I think you enjoyed yourself. You certainly had fun running between the rows, eating strawberries and playing with the marker flags. The hour it took us, was certainly the right amount of time.
You weren't all that keen on helping mom make jam, but that's ok, we have years ahead of us for you to help in the kitchen.

 The top Audra was written all by yourself. I looked over and you had written AUD, and I encouraged you to finish your name. The R is backwards and the a, is a small a, with the line haphazardly through it, but it was all you and made this momma soooo proud! You are so good with your letters and we have been practicing. If nothing else, you will go to kindergarten being able to write your name.

 Water table fun. If we're not at the park, we are playing in the water table. We finally dumped the waterbeads in there to play with, and let me tell you, mom and dad had so much fun with them too. They bounce well and are great for throwing at each other (on the sly of course b/c we couldn't let you see us throwing them around. lol)

 You want to be like mom so I made you a little doll carrier. You are soooo cute wearing it and toting the dolls around. I love how much you like when I make you things. I will continue to make as long as I can, and you tolerate it. I know there will be someday that you won't want things mom has made.

And no summer is complete without playing in the sand box. You desperately want Eleanor to play with you in there, but I feel Eleanor is a bit too young to understand the "don't eat the sand" part of playing with the sandbox. I keep telling you to enjoy it, because soon enough you will have to share and there will be a whole other set of battles.

You are such a good big sister. Eleanor is getting bigger and stronger every day, and soon enough will be able to give you a run for your money. I know you want to play with her, and you share most days and try to help mom and keep her happy. Other days you are a crazy three and half year old, who doesn't listen, who tests our patience and can be crazy. But that's life and we get through those days. The trick is to keep you entertained and challenged. We have started a mini chore chart, and are trying to get some routines into place, to make going to school in the fall (how is that even happening already?!) a little smoother transition. A few little things to get you help out and you love it. Helping set the table, clearing dishes, making the bed. Everyone needs to help out around the house and I think starting you out now with the little things will make life easier as you get older and teach you some responsibility. We have been doing some little work sheets and we keep practicing our letters and numbers. You won't fall into that December baby category. Watching you grow and become this little independent person is amazing. You are a little ball of energy, and even though it's exhausting most days, I wouldn't change it for anything.