Dear Kid Saturday - Drama Girl

Welcome to this week’s installment of Dear Kid Saturday, my weekly love letter to my girlie girl. Here’s what we’ve been up to this week:

Dear Drama Girl,

It SNOWED this week! Can you believe it? And not just a little snow like you’ve seen a couple of times before. This was like a foot of wet, fluffy, snowball-appropriate snow, and you officially LOVED it. Thursday morning you came running into our room shouting “YOU GUYS WILL NOT BELIEVE THIS!” There were big, fat, pretty flakes falling and you just couldn’t get enough. At preschool, you guys went outside and made snowballs and a snowman – two firsts for you! After school, we dried off, had some warm drinks and watched from inside while the snow just kept falling and falling and falling.

The next morning we got a big surprise. Overnight the snow had piled up on our big backyard tree and it cracked right in the middle and fell over! The tree was blocking our driveway and had broken our back gate. We were trapped! You were very, very concerned about that situation and headed straight upstairs to inform Dad that he needed to take some action. We all headed outside for some tree-chopping, snowball-making and wacky winter fun. After we got our cars free, you and Daddy made a big snowman in the front yard. You couldn’t stop giggling, and I sure am glad. When we move to Colorado, you’re going to see some SERIOUS snow. Don’t worry, though – next time we need to dig or chop our way to safety, we’ll be equipped with better tools!

Speaking of the move, you’ve been dishing out some serious drama lately. Top-notch performances, girlfriend. I know there are real things for you to worry about – like having a new room in a new house, going to kindergarten in a new state, and making new friends – but the stuff you’re coming up with is cracking me up. The other day you let out a big sigh from the back of the car and said, “I’ll never EVER be able to go back to our gym’s pool…” I told you there would be pools and gyms in Colorado, but you said, “They probably won’t be as good.” You goof – you hate going to the gym with me! And a pool’s a pool as far as you’re concerned. You’ve also started bringing up all the people you’re going to miss. Only you never seem to mention your current friends. You say you’re going to miss your cousins M & T (ahem – they live in Seattle) or that you’re going to miss your friend Duncan (who, incidentally, moved to Alabama a year ago). I’m glad you’re lightening up about it, though. The fact that you’re adding drama for effect means you’re dealing with the real stuff well. I knew you would.

You had some pretty deep thoughts this week, so I thought I’d share a few of my favorites:

"Mama? Did you know there's sooooooo much red? On jewelry, on hats... and especially on blood."

“I think it’s just awful that girls can’t be knights.”

“Mom? I don’t think my head is attached to my body appropriately.”

“When I squeeze my belly, it looks like a jelly hot dog!”

“Animals love me… I’m very special, you know.”

Yes, you are.

You’re very excited about Valentine’s Day, and you’ve changed your mind about fifty times as to who your valentine will be. First you said that a boy named Nathan was going to be your valentine (“Because he’s just so cool!”), and then you said you’d decided that “being valentines” with your whole class was a better idea. Yeah, I agree. As of yesterday, though, you’d decided I’m your valentine. And let me tell you, I’m flattered. You said it’s because of my “beautiful hair and sweet face.” I love you, baby girl. Tomorrow we’re going to let Daddy be both of our valentines and make him a special dinner. Instead of doing something fancy, we decided that the three of us would go to a hockey game on Monday afternoon. Can’t wait to hear you cheering those big hockey boys on again!

You’re fabulous.

Love,
Mommy

Dear Kid Saturday

Welcome to this week's installment of Dear Kid Saturday. As always thanks to Christina of Cutest Kid Ever for the idea and inspiration. Christina wrote an amazing piece last week on raising kids with Asperger Syndrome - I highly recommend it to any mom who's felt like "the blind leading the blind."

And now this week's letter...

Dear Just-Myself,

You’ve informed me that you are no longer interested in being a dog, a princess, or even a fairy – you are just a girl and you would prefer to be addressed as such. A very interesting turnaround!

We had a nice week, didn’t we? Daddy had the day off on Monday, so we went to a hockey game. We used to take you to the Seattle Thunderbirds games when you were a baby. You thought the noise and lights were pretty fascinating, but eventually you didn’t want to be held for three hours and couldn’t really stay up so late anymore. Now that you’re older (and you get your own seat), you’re not really much of a sports person; but we thought we’d try it anyway – if anything, I figured you’d enjoy spending so much time with Daddy and that you’d think the “cheerleaders” were fabulous.

As it turns out, you’re quite the hockey fan! You kept track of the puck, asked lots of questions and led our group in chanting, “Let’s go, red!” You weren’t so much interested in the cheerleaders (that’s my girl!), but you did want to stand by the locker room door so you could high-five the players as they came out on their big tall skates with their giant padding. Very cool.

We spent lots of time rhyming and making up songs this week. In fact, you made up a poem for me. It goes:

I’m four!
I score!
A floor!
A door!

It’s just about the nicest poem I’ve ever heard.

You’ve also taken to calling me “Queen,” despite the fact that you are (and make no mistake about it) NOT a princess. I confess – I like it.

I’m not sure why, but you’re having a little separation anxiety lately. This week you’ve not wanted to spend much time with Daddy (“I want Mommy to read me my bedtime story!”); and you’ve told me that you missed me each time you’ve left the house. You always love school, but this week you made a big show of not wanting to go. And last night, when you got home from Grandma Tiny’s, you told me you were too homesick to have any fun. Hmmm…

We played a fun music game the other day when we were out getting groceries. We decided to only talk in music (it was very Gilbert and Sullivan, actually, although I’m sure you thought we were the first people to ever think of it). The rules were: no talking between musical phrases, AND no ending a phrase until you’ve made it rhyme with the previous one. Guess what? You were really good at it! Who knew we could make up such great songs about milk and paper towels?? You even added a little choreography.

In the “random” category, you’ve apparently become terrified of robots. You refuse to go upstairs by yourself and when I ask you why, you say, “Because I’ll feel like there’s a robot behind me!” Wow. Those evil, following robots, huh? Not sure how to handle this one. Maybe I’ll have to stage a robot extermination…

We’ve got lots of fun stuff in store for the week, little one. You’re going to a friend’s birthday party tomorrow, and get this! Your Barbies are invited! And next weekend Daddy’s taking you to your very first “Daddy’s Little Sweetheart” dance. I’m pretty sure you’re going to love it.

I love you, sweet girl.
Mommy

Dear Kid Saturday

Welcome to my first installment of Dear Kid Saturday for 2010. It’s been a really long time, I know. Since September, it’s been hard to talk about…family stuff. And frankly, my attention’s been focused elsewhere. As we head into 2010, however, we have every reason to feel optimistic, and I feel a renewed desire to celebrate the little moments that make parenting a preschooler so much fun.

So, without further ado, here’s this week’s letter to my special girl.

Dear Toilet,

You’ve been a dog now for about… three weeks?

It started as a game you played with the other dogs - you got on all fours, barked, rolled around with them. They went nuts, which you thought was hilarious. Pretty soon you wanted Daddy and I to play along. You wanted us to play “owner” and “pet shop guy,” and you begged to eat your dinner on the floor.

At first we tried to discourage you (honestly, the barking and following us is sort of… trying), but now we’ve settled into a situation we can all live with. There are a few rules - only girls get to go to school or to the grocery store, and no doggies are allowed at the dinner table. As long as we act out our roles and toss you a “biscuit” now and then, you’re happy.

Originally your name was “Princess Poodle,” but you changed it when Daddy tried to put you outside to go potty. You told us, “Call me Toilet now because I’m the only dog in the world that goes potty in the toilet!” OK then.

When you’re not being a dog, you’re doing some pretty amazing things. Over the summer you began sounding words out, and now you can read me a book with only a little bit of help. So cool! You’re also doing simple math in your head and asking insightful questions about science.

You get frustrated easily, though, so I’m careful not to push it. It seems that as long as there’s no pressure, you’re a learning machine. As soon as it becomes clear that I’m in any way invested in the outcome, you totally shut down (usually giving me wrong answers or repeating nonsense phrases - “eyeball alien” is your favorite). You’ll be starting kindergarten in the fall and I’m anxious to see if you have the same issues with your teachers…

You still spend most days singing. If you’re occupied with something - a game or a puzzle - you’ll sing pretty “aaaaaaah” songs that sound like the accompaniment to a fairy movie. When you play with dolls or, more commonly, your stuffed animals, you make up elaborate musicals, complete with ballads and big, exciting production numbers. You pick up lyrics quickly and love to play on the songs you already know by changing the melodies slightly or adding your own words.

You told me the other day that you’d like to learn how to “act out a character.” For a girl whose parents both have theatre degrees, that wasn’t a huge surprise. I’m investigating some kids’ acting classes… so we’ll see what we can do. In the mean time, I’m encouraging you to act out stories from your books, which you think is pretty fun, particularly if Mommy plays the wicked witch.

I love you so much, sweet girl.

More next week,
Mommy

Dear Kid Sunday - Happy Birthday!

Welcome to this week's installment of "Dear Kid." Want to write a "Dear Kid" letter of your very own? Learn more about how to participate here.

Dear birthday girl,

Your party was a blast!! We had it at your gymnastics school. They had some big giant inflatables and we got to use all of their equipment. I think the parents had as much fun as the kids! You guys got to swing on the parallel bars, jump on all the big trampolines and throw yourselves into the pit. It was very cool. You were thrilled to see some of your friends from preschool, and I was really glad your best little girlfriend C and her family could come. We had pizza and cupcakes (which we made together yesterday morning - fun!), and you told me later it was the best birthday party you'd ever been to. Awesome.

Our week was pretty much devoted to party preparations and getting ready for our girls-only trip to see Mommy's friends next week. You've been particularly well-behaved and grown up lately, which I greatly appreciate. Earlier this week, you caught me using a less-than-adult tone of voice (a horrible habit I really need to work on) and said, "Hey, you're a big kid now, Mom - no more whining." Good call.

You continue to rock it in our near-nightly Rock Band 2 competitions. You've decided vocals are the way to go, and you end up with scores in the 90% range. Nice! You get all the notes but are still working on getting all the words. You insist that the "Eye of the Tiger" chorus includes the phrase "grill of the night" and the word "rive-O," although you're not sure what either means.

You woke up Thursday morning with a scowl on your face and reported that you'd dreamed I was a "mean farmer." Interesting. I love hearing about your dreams, incidentally. They're getting more and more complex, and I'm fascinated by the way your mind works. I seem to be in all of your dreams, and lately they usually involve some sort of tricky situation we need to find a way out of (like escaping from a castle). You're always the hero, of course, and you always mention which "costume" you were wearing at the time. Very cool.

Yesterday morning hcracked me up when I asked you what day it was (thinking you'd say, "Birthday party day!" Instead you said, "Is this the day I get to be on TELEVISION??" Girlfriend, you have a one-track mind!

I love you so very much, baby girl.

Kisses,
Mommy

Dear Kid Sunday

Welcome to this week's installment of "Dear Kid." A week late and about a hundred dollars short - that pretty much sums up how I've been feeling lately. Freelance projects abound and I've become a regular author for Yodle's consumer guide . I'm doing less designing than I'd like, but I recently listed some fun back-to-school stuff with Artiste. Here's what's going on at home since you last heard from us.

Want to write a "Dear Kid" letter of your very own? Learn more about how to participate here.

Dear almost-birthday girl,

This picture was taken about five minutes before we bought Rock Band 2. Since then, we've spent lots of time taking our family band on the road. Most of the time, you're on vocals, I'm on drums and Daddy's on guitar. Your favorite song is "Hungry Like the Wolf." Nice! I had no idea how much fun this silly game would be, but we're all pretty much obsessed. Each time we play you say something like, "Are you guys ready to ROCK?? I'm gonna KILL it this time!" I love it.

Next weekend is your birthday party and you are SUPER excited about it. We're having it at your gymnastics school and I'm hoping some of the kids from this year's preschool class will be able to come. Last year I was a little worried that you didn't make many friends (although you didn't seem particularly concerned about it). I thought that giving you a chance to get to know some of the girls outside of school might make things easier when you start for the year. Can you believe the summer's almost over??

This week you took your first real "big kid" gymnastics class and it was so fun to see how much you've improved. Camp this summer has obviously made you much more confident on the equipment and your balance is getting better and better. It's amazing how fast you're growing up!

You continue to practice spelling and writing words on your own (although you're not really interested in being corrected - I applaud your moxie, but eventually we'll have to focus on accuracy...). On Monday you were mad at me for putting you in your room and confiscating one of your stuffed kitties. You wrote a sign that said, "No Kitty Yes Kitty" (spelled K-E-T-E, but still pretty good for a preschooler) and you showed it to me without saying anything when I came to get you out of your time-out. You crossed out the "No Kitty" part when I asked you what it meant. Apparently you wanted your kitty back.

Later in the week you were concerned about the dogs hanging out in the kitchen while I was cooking. You wrote a sign that said "Go" and "No." Then you crossed out "Go" and put it in front of the entrance to the kitchen. If only those dogs could read!

We seem to have moved past the super sassy phase I talked about in my last letter. In fact, you've been particularly cuddly and generally compliant for the last couple of weeks. You're focused on learning lots of new skills and on new best friend, Annie:


It's funny that you were never all that interested in our big dog, but you sure do adore this little one. She follows you around all over the house and you love attaching her leash and taking her for a little walk. You like for her to come up when we tuck you in and you let her stick around for story time so you can give her good night kisses. We're glad she's here to stay.

I love you so much, sweet girl. You're almost FOUR!

Kisses,
Mommy

Dear Kid Sunday

Welcome to this week's installment of "Dear Kid" and sorry for the unannounced hiatus! I'm just now getting caught up after our Seattle trip and the freelance projects (thankfully) have been plentiful. Here's what we've been up to since you last heard from us.

Want to write a "Dear Kid" letter of your very own? Learn more about how to participate here.

Dear chickadee,

We've had a busy couple of weeks since my last letter. We planned a surprise party for your Grandma Tiny and you were SO awesome at keeping it a secret! She had no idea. Part of the surprise was a quick visit from your Aunt who lives in California. You were super excited to see her and I know she loved spending time with you.

Also last weekend a new little doggie came to stay with us. You've been such a great help. Since she's a lot smaller than our dog, you're able to walk her all by yourself and you think that's pretty great. She's really taken to you as well. Hopefully she'll continue to get along nicely with our big dog and she'll be able to stay.

You did something SUPER cool this week - you started writing words! We've been working on reading and you already recognize some words, but all of the sudden, you began sounding things out in order to write them down. Amazing! The first time you did it, you came running up to me and said, "Look, Mom! I made a sign that says 'No Apples!'"


Not bad considering you'd never tried anything like that before. You thought it was hilarious to ban apples in our house, so your next sign was:

Poor Dad. He loves pears! That one was even more amazing because I only gave you a teeny bit of help. You couldn't figure out how to make the long A sound in "pears," so I gave you a hint. The rest you came up with yourself! Later that afternoon, you wrote me a note that said, "No Nap." Hmmm....

The fancy dress in the picture is from your "Fancy Day" with your Aunt K. She took you out for an early birthday surprise - getting your nails done and then.... a tea party! She said you behaved like quite a little lady. I'm so proud of you.

Meanwhile, we've been having a little trouble with listening at home, haven't we? Lately I have to ask several times for you to do something, and every now and then you'll stick your tongue out or give me some sass. I don't like it one bit and I've not been very patient with you. When I get mad, you get madder - we're quite the team. I realize that if I get worked up, I'm only teaching you to get worked up, so I need to learn to practice self-control. Now that you're older, you can say things that really hurt my feelings. It's my job as your mom not to respond emotionally but to offer you choices and allow you to make mistakes. You're smart enough and independent enough that you'll learn much more effectively from the consequences of bad choices than you will from a lecture from Mommy. Let's work on it together this week, OK?

On a "you're adorable" note, last night when we were at dinner, you tried and tried to get the waiter's attention while he was taking our order. Every time there was a break, you said, "Sir? Sir?" When he finally turned your way you said, "Sir? Guess what? Me and Mommy are best friends!" That was pretty much the sweetest thing ever.

I love you so much, girlie girl.

Kisses,
Mommy

Dear Kid Sunday

Welcome to this week's installment of "Dear Kid." As always, full credit to Christina of Cutest Kid Ever for the fabulous idea. Want to write a "Dear Kid" letter of your very own? Learn more about how to participate here.

Happy Sunday, sweets!

Whew! We've had a busy few weeks. Last week we went to Seattle to see friends and family, and you had a great time. You're a good traveler which makes things pretty easy for Daddy and me. And this time we get to spend most of our trip outside. You got to go on a long boat ride, have a campfire on the beach, see those amazing Seattle fireworks for the first time and get lots of love from your aunt, uncle, cousins, Grandma, Grandpa and all of our wonderful friends.

This week was all about getting back into the swing of things and we had lots on the schedule. You had gymnastics camp on Tuesday and Wednesday, and a birthday pool party on Thursday - that's a pretty full week for us!

We had a big occasion this week. You moved into your first "big girl" bed. For a long time, you've been sleeping in either your toddler bed or, more recently, on the floor in your princess tent. On Monday, though, we got your twin bed set up and you were SO excited about it. We went to Target and I let you pick out some sheets and wall decals. When we got home, we had a redecorating party! I think your room looks more like you now - girly, playful, creative... and definitely not like a baby anymore. You seem to love it!

You introduced us to a new alter ego this week - "Princess Presto." Apparently she flies "swiftly through the night sky." Leave it to you to combine princesses and super heroes, right? You also let it slip that you have a "secret grotto" these days and that you hope I never find it. Hmmmmm...

Lately you can't get enough of puzzle books and worksheets, so we've been working through this really big Kindergarten workbook together before dinner each night. It includes things like simple math, writing upper and lowercase letters, matching pictures to words, and you always do a great job. Sometimes, though, you think I'm trying to pull a fast one and actually teach you something. As soon as you think it's a lesson, you're over it. I've had kind of a hard time getting you to stay focused even though you obviously like the challenge.

Apparently, though, I've been doing it wrong. It's quickly becoming clear that praise and encouragement make you feel like a sell-out. You respond much better if you think you're showing me up. For example, you love nothing more than for me say, "Oh, this is probably too hard for you. Let's do something a little easier." Your response is always something like, "Oh yeah???? Watch this! I can do the whole thing and not even need any help!" We got through the entire alphabet that way the other night - before each letter you'd put your hand on your hip and say, "I'll bet you don't think I can write this Q!" or "There's no way I can make this W, right, Mom?" And you especially love it if I act astonished and mad when you get it right. Wow. It's amazing how different we are.

Thursday morning we found ourselves with a flat tire and a carload of groceries on a 100 degree day. You were quite the little helper! First, you suggested I call Barack Obama. Then you said that maybe the tire was flat because it "just wanted attention." Thanks for the perspective, kiddo. What would I do without you?

Yesterday we talked about being in love. You're all about "finding your prince" and getting married right now. Slow down, girlfriend! Let's at least get to your fourth birthday first, shall we? You told me yesterday, with a very long and dramatic sigh, that you're not in love yet. When I told you that you didn't need to worry about being in love for a long time, you were having none of it. You said you wanted to get married NOW. And at a friend's party last night, you promptly fell in love with an 11-year-old boy. Followed him around all night batting your eyelashes and giggling, in fact. Thankfully he was a great sport! Oooooooh my. Perhaps we should take a break from the Disney princess stories?

I love you so much, baby girl.

Sincerely,
Mommy

Dear Kid Sunday

Welcome to this week's installment of "Dear Kid." As always, full credit to Christina of Cutest Kid Ever for the fabulous idea. Want to write a "Dear Kid" letter of your very own? Learn more about how to participate here.

Hi baby girl,

I took this picture on Friday after you absolutely INSISTED there was no way you could possibly take a nap. See? Here's the proof, missy moo. The second I tucked you in on the couch, you were out like a light.

We had a nice week, I think. Don't you? You had gymnastics camp on Tuesday and Thursday, which you LOVE, and we were making secret plans for Daddy's birthday and Father's Day this weekend. We surprised him with a party at Buca di Beppo and lots of friends, and then had a cookout at our house last night for Father's Day. You've been super well-behaved considering the late nights and I know Daddy has appreciated it.

You said the sweetest thing on Monday. We were just sitting around and you were thinking hard about something. Suddenly you looked over and said, "Know what, Mom? True love is what I'm really looking for." I had to give you lots of cuddles for that one. And we had a great talk about what love is and what it means between people. You told me how much we all love each other in our family, which I thought was pretty awesome.

You're experimenting right now with a particular kind of defiance. I'd love to tell you that you're good at it... but you're really not. It's more of a playing-dress-up-with-being-bad kind of thing. Every now and then when Daddy or I say "no" to something, you'll give us a mean face and try out some nastiness. On Tuesday you said, "Mom, whenever you say that, I make a sign that says 'NO MOMS ALLOWED!'" Oh my goodness. You're also testing out what happens when you kick things gently, like the couch. Our interaction usually goes something like, "That's not very nice behavior." "Oh yeah? How about THIS behavior?!" Very strange. I'm hoping it's a short-lived phase, since it's really not very consistent with your personality and, frankly, you're not really giving it much effort. Still, it's interesting that you feel the need to try.

We've implemented a new rewards system for the summer - you're learning lots of new life skills. Because you're sometimes reluctant to try things you don't already know how to do perfectly, I thought it would be cool to make a sticker chart and give you some rewards to work toward. Boy, that sure did the trick. You can now get your own breakfast, pack your own lunch, get dressed, hang up your clothes, take care of your own bathroom business (yay!), and open all kinds of tricky containers. After only a week I've already shelled out a new sticker book, a little stuffed puppy and a Fancy Nancy game. That's called "working the system," my friend. Nice work. I'm gonna have to up my game this week!

You had a big emotional breakthrough this week. We were watching a movie that had a happy ending, and you cried because you were happy. I mean, you really, REALLY cried. You were so confused and upset about feeling sad and happy at the same time that you wanted me to hold you and rock you for a long, long time. You kept saying that you didn't understand why you were feeling so sad. I told you what a grown-up thing it is to feel empathy, and how proud I am that you care so much about other people.

We've got a big week ahead - lots of preparing to do for our Seattle trip! Thanks for giving me so many great opportunities to love, laugh, and grow with you.

Sincerely,
Mommy

Dear Kid Sunday

Welcome to this week's installment of "Dear Kid." As always, full credit to Christina of Cutest Kid Ever for the fabulous idea. Want to write a "Dear Kid" letter of your very own? Learn more about how to participate here.

Dear Sweets,

We were unstoppable this week! Preschool is officially over and we had the week to ourselves. Despite Mommy's persistent laryngitis, we had lots of fun and took on lots of cool creative projects. Monday we made some stilts out of cans and velcro. You thought they were pretty awesome and I was glad to have dissuaded you from trying to make "rollerskates" out of your plastic cars. Lately you have lots of very detailed plans for "inventions," many of which are a little scary for me from a safety perspective. I was glad we could agree on stilts and then work together to figure out how to make them.

Tuesday morning you told me one of your stuffed dogs was going to have a baby and started asking lots of questions about how that might be possible. I confess - I was thrown off. I didn't expect to have the "where do babies come from" conversation for a while. I was very relieved when you clarified your questions. Apparently you only wanted to know how babies get fed when they're in their mommies' tummies. Whew! That one I could handle. But that conversation sure did get me motivated to do a little research on the best way to talk to you about... things like that!

Wednesday morning, you informed me that your stuffed dog's baby had been born - a little yellow bear named "Applebug Goose." What a great name! You were very busy taking care of the baby for most of the morning and you wanted to know if your cousin Twinkle could come over so you could take care of her too. I hate to break it to you, but she's not a baby anymore! Thursday morning, another one of your puppies had a baby named "Rocky Hockey." Boy, those puppies have been busy.

Daddy took Thursday and Friday off, which he doesn't get to do very often. We were ready for some serious family fun! We hit the science museum first, which you thought was actually kind of scary. Daddy and I were surprised - you love science and nature shows on TV. Maybe everything was just a little bit too big and too "real" for you. Anyway, you got a big kick out of the gravity lab (wasn't it cool to float those ping-pong balls over the air vent??), the mini tornado, and the giant kaleidoscope.

Friday we went to the zoo, which is pretty much one of my favorite places EVER. Once again, you surprised us a little bit. You weren't really impressed with any of the animals. You were actually way more interested in the little wagon we'd rented than whatever exhibit we were looking at. Dad and I were feeling a little discouraged, but when we got to the penguin exhibit, you had enough fun to make the whole day worthwhile. Apparently penguins are VERY funny.

This week you start your summer gymnastics camp and you're pretty psyched about it. I don't think you've quite figured out that preschool is over for the year - you keep asking about your teacher and which day you're going back. I'm hoping camp turns out to be a good distraction, and I'll bet you're going to love having a nice long gymnastics class twice a week.

I love you, baby girl.

Sincerely,
Mommy

Dear Kid Saturday

Welcome to this week's installment of "Dear Kid." As always, full credit to Christina of Cutest Kid Ever for the fabulous idea. Want to write a "Dear Kid" letter of your very own? Learn more about how to participate here.

My little chickadee,

Pretty big week, huh? Preschool is over for the year, and we had your end-of-year party and Splash Day this week! Daddy and I absolutely loved seeing you with your classmates Tuesday night at your class picnic. You've grown up so much this year. And the songs you guys did for us were awesome! You were so proud to show off your classroom and your teachers. And you couldn't get over the fact that you guys got to do your little program in the lecture hall at the high school. A real stage!

On Wednesday I went to school with you for Splash Day. Boy, your teacher is really on top of it - all of you were incredibly well-behaved and great listeners. I was so impressed! The teacher assistants had set up a bunch of crazy water games and pools all over the playground. You parked yourself in the biggest pool and absolutely cracked me up by putting a floaty ring on and keeping it on all day. You silly - you're not afraid of water! We're going to have to work on swimming this summer. I think you were more brave before you started lessons! Now you seem to have decided that adults are going to trick you into putting your head underwater, and you're determined not to let that happen.

We implemented some new TV rules around here, and I've gotta hand it to you - you're handling it like a champ. In fact, you're starting to prefer shows like Sesame Street over Dora and Disney, and I love it. I like watching together and then talking about what we learned afterward. I'm amazed at how much you pick up!

Since we didn't have preschool, we had lots of time together. Lately you're always asking questions and saying "tell me more about that." You were asking lots of questions about calendars and clocks on Thursday, so it occurred to me to get some worksheets out and see what we could do. You loved it! You were matching the time on the clock face to the written time within just a few minutes. Very cool. And we made a calendar together that will help you figure out what day it is and what's on the schedule without having to ask.

You also taught me, accurately, how to do addition and subtraction on my fingers this week. You seem to really like anything related to numbers, especially if it's related to something tangible in your life. And you love talking about science, just like Daddy. You like to pose complicated scenarios and then change up the variables to see "what would happen if..." You're really inspiring me to find creative ways to help you learn this summer. You just can't seem to get enough!

I love you, sweet girl. Can't wait to see what you have in store for me next week.

Sincerely,
Mommy

Dear Kid Monday

Welcome to this week's installment of "Dear Kid." As always, full credit to Christina of Cutest Kid Ever for the fabulous idea. Want to write a "Dear Kid" letter of your very own? Learn more about how to participate here.

Dear Missy Moo,

You went to one super fancy party on Saturday for your friend L. Your favorite part was definitely the karaoke. You took to that microphone like a duck to water. We sing a lot at home, but this was different - there were lots of other girls and mommies watching and you were very serious about the whole thing. You sang "Do-Re-Mi" and it was awesome. I was very proud of you! A couple of the other moms even told me what a nice job you'd done. I know it was a big deal to you too. Nice job, kiddo.

Last week was your final week of preschool before the summer break, and you are really excited about the end-of-year picnic and "Splash Day" next week. Apparently the class is going to be singing a song for the parents and you've been doing a LOT of practicing around the house. You've also been in a pretty silly mood lately. On Monday, you came up to me and said, "Hey, Mom, you're a cutie pie!... No, actually, you're a nailhead!" Huh??

You're also in the process of making up your own version of sign language, which often involves very long and elaborate silent stories, which you're quite annoyed that I can't understand. I've tried to get you interested in learning real sign language, but you're put off by the idea that there's an actual vocabulary involved. Apparently you think it should be all about using your hands creatively and being expressive with your face. We did manage to learn the "Happy Birthday" song... we'll just keep working on it.

This week we had no fewer than ten conversations about your birthday (which isn't until August!). Apparently you're very concerned that I'm not going to get your party right. You went from telling me you wanted to have a mushroom party (which you said is a party where "they throw mushrooms all over the birthday girl"...hmmmmm...) to insisting that only a tea party would do. This year should be interesting. Now you have friends from preschool that you'll want to invite, so I probably can't get away with planning a party for families again. We'll just have to get creative, I guess!

Friday morning, we used our pre-gymnastics time to do some serious playing. We made a "boat" for your puppies out of the ottoman, a belt and a box, and we took them on a great trip to "Antarctica" to see the icebergs and penguins. You even asked if there were Inuit people in Antarctica. Goodness!

This weekend has been super fun. Dad has a three-day weekend, and we've been doing lots of stuff together. We've played soccer and football, and lots of your favorite games. We had a family meeting to talk about the furniture in your room on Saturday. You wouldn't attend until you'd put on a princess dress and your little high heels - apparently it's your version of a power suit.

I'm looking forward to your picnic this week! We've got some time before summer camp starts, so we'll be able to go to the pool several times this week. Yay!

I love you, sweet girl.

Sincerely,
Mommy

Dear Kid Saturday

Welcome to this week's installment of "Dear Kid." As always, full credit to Christina of Cutest Kid Ever for the fabulous idea. Want to write a "Dear Kid" letter of your very own? Learn more about how to participate here.

Dear chickadee,

You, my friend, are awfully funny these days. This week in particular you were filled with lots of jokes and riddles, as well as your usual hilarious proclamations. The statement of the week was definitely "Mom, your work is so great, you give the whole town a hug with your talent."

We had storms all week. You know what that means… not much napping, lots of concern and heavy discussion about the weather, and some very serious displays of bravery in the face of thunder and lightning. You’re much better able to deal with it this year, though, than you were last year, which is a good thing. ‘Cause storm season is just getting underway, and there are most certainly going to be some tornado sirens in our near future. Hopefully you still think it’s funny for our entire family to hide in the closet in the middle of the night.

Aside from the storms this week was pretty good. Daddy went on a business trip Monday through Wednesday, and you were more concerned about it than I would have expected. You didn’t ask to sleep with me (I was surprised), but you did refuse to talk to Dad on the phone… you’re sort of like the dog that way—punishing people for not being around. We made the best of it, though. Monday night we had one very long Uno tournament (man, you’re really getting good!), and spent a little extra time on stories before bedtime. Lately you like for me to make up stories rather than read our usual books, so we work together on funny adventures for your stuffed puppies. You usually act them out as I tell them. I love it!

Three days this week you insisted that you were absolutely NOT tired at naptime, and then promptly fell asleep on the couch next to me—one time for two hours! When you woke up you insisted that you “weren’t sleeping, just pretending.” Mmmmmmhmmmm… I can’t figure out if your naps are phasing out or if you were just thrown off by Daddy being gone and the weather being weird. I guess time will tell. When the dog came over to give you a little wake-up kiss after one of your couch naps, you started giggling hysterically and said, “I guess she thought I was dead!” My goodness!

You’ve been pretty much in love with Dad since he got back. He hid a stuffed kitty in his suitcase for you, and when he got home, he told you he heard something meowing in there. Another little stuffed friend for your entourage. What’re we up to? Let’s see… there’s Alex, Alex Mae, Mother, Kerf, Perm, Duckhead, Bearhead, Puppy, Other Puppy… and now you’ve decided to name the new kitty “Love.” Excellent choice. It’s kind of funny—you don’t really have any interest at all in dolls that look like people (except sometimes Barbie). You dress up your animals, push them in strollers, put them to bed… they’re always your first choice for playing “family.” And of course, also for playing “pirate.”

By the way, you also did one very amazing straddle roll at gymnastics class yesterday, and I was so excited for you! Yet one more thing you couldn’t do at all just a few weeks ago.

You rock, girlie girl. I’m so proud of you.

Love,
Mommy

Dear Kid Saturday

Welcome to this week's installment of "Dear Kid." As always, full credit to Christina of Cutest Kid Ever for the fabulous idea. Want to write a "Dear Kid" letter of your very own? Learn more about how to participate here.

Dear Speed Racer,

Like the picture? This is the view I have most often of you these days. You are on the move! We had a nice week. It's warm outside now but not too hot, so we're able to run and ride and climb and play before summer hits and we get stuck inside.

Monday morning you arrived downstairs toting a plastic pith helmet filled with your stuffed puppies and singing me a good morning song. Lately you're pretty much singing all the time. You make up your own songs ("Rock Star Village" is my favorite) sometimes, and other times you just add words to classical music or change the words to another song. Even when you're not singing, you're humming - our very own little music box! Monday night you found a connect-the-dots puzzle in one of your books and did it all by yourself. I was really proud of you - it went all the way to 35. Nice job!

I got the giggles Tuesday after preschool when your teacher asked me if I had eight kids. Apparently you guys were making a family tree, and you insisted on adding your "seven brothers and sisters." Silly! I love it that you're such a good pretender, but it's important to tell grown-ups when you're just pretending, OK?

On Wednesday, we had a chance to play together for a long time. You made up lots of cool games like "monster cats," "campout on a boat on an island," and a great big "Mexican feast" for me and your puppies. It's really fun to just sit back and see where you go with your games. Those times are some of my favorite times together. Later, I taught you to play Uno. Little did I know it would become your favorite game. You picked it up really quickly, and were REALLY excited to skip me and make draw cards. We've played every day since!

Thursday we were all about arts and crafts. You made some secret Mother's Day stuff and drew some really awesome pictures of me and Daddy. I didn't even know I could drive a bus or conduct a train! You had a super great new song called "It's OK if You're Afraid of Bugs," and you made a really pretty painting that you said would be "very expensive." I don't think you have too much of a problem with self-esteem, my friend.

Friday you walked backwards on the balance beam for the first time at your gymnastics class - nice job! You had an ice cream date with your grandma and grandpa, which you absolutely loooooove. When Grandma Tiny came to pick you up, you took your Big Wheel, just in case you needed to "solve emergencies." Always be prepared, right?

I love you, sweet girl. Looking forward to another week of fun!

Sincerely,
Mommy

Dear Kid Saturday (Just a Teensy Bit Late)

Just one day behind schedule this weekend. Not so bad, right? I've been doing so much writing lately that I've not spent much time playing with new stationery designs. Yesterday was aaaaaaaalll about designing. Look for pics later this week!

Welcome to this week's installment of "Dear Kid." As always, full credit to Christina of Cutest Kid Ever for the fabulous idea. Want to write a "Dear Kid" letter of your very own? Learn more about how to participate here.

Dear Sweetcheeks,

Yeah, yeah, I know - it's not nice to call you names, but I can't stop, so there! We're having a pretty fun weekend, huh? Last night we let you ride around the neighborhood on your Big Wheel until after dark while we trailed along behind on foot. Gonna have to get some bikes so we can keep up with you! It's fun to see you embracing the speed and freedom that goes along having your own set of wheels. We bought you the Big Wheel for your third birthday last August, but you weren't really able to ride it very well until recently (that pedaling skill is hard to master huh?). Now you can go up and down hills and ride waaaaaaaaaaaay out in front of us. From the way you giggle and squeal when you're really going fast, it's clear that you're having a blast. You do a great job of stopping at every corner and alleyway, and looking both ways before you go forward - I'm so proud of you. Pretty soon you won't even need me and Daddy along on your rides... but I'm not ready to think about that yet!

The Easter bunny brought you the "Tinkerbell" movie, so we naturally had to watch it Monday morning. You're really into trying to understand the message behind books and movies lately, so you told me how sad it was that Tinkerbell didn't want to be the type of fairy she was supposed to be. You said, "She should just be herself, right, Mom?" We had a great conversation about not trying to be something you're not. Now if only I can remember to break the "Tinkerbell" movie out when you're in high school...

You had your very first big-kid field trip with preschool on Tuesday to a local farm, and you were EXCITED about it. When I picked you up, I heard more about the ride on the school bus than anything else, but oh well. You did report to Daddy that sometimes animals mistake kids' fingers for carrots. Sounds like somebody in your class learned that lesson the hard way! Then Daddy pretended to be a goat and chased you around trying to nibble your carrot fingers while you screamed and giggled. You guys are super silly.

Both Wednesday and Thursday nights we got to take Big Wheel rides before dinner. Now that the weather's nice (before it gets crazy Texas hot anyway), this might be our new late afternoon ritual. We've been hitting the playground most days too, and you're able to do some amazing stuff this year! It's great to be able to get outside together again, and to do something that's good for our bodies. You tend to like activities that are more "thinky," like puzzles and pretend games. But it's important for us to remember to get our bodies moving every day and get the fresh air we need. Plus, with a little practice at climbing and riding, you get stronger and faster every day!

Your gymnastics class on Friday was fun as usual. You're very focused and a good listener, and you're making lots of big improvements. This summer, you're going to have a gymnastics day-camp a few days a week, and I can't wait to see how you like it. I always wanted to be good at gymnastics, but never was. So far, you have your Daddy's flexibility, so maybe you'll have his coordination too.

I love you so much, sweet girl. Can't wait to see what this week has in store for us.

Sincerely,
Mommy

Dear Kid Saturday

Welcome to this week's installment of "Dear Kid." As always, full credit to Christina of Cutest Kid Ever for the fabulous idea. Want to write a "Dear Kid" letter of your very own? Learn more about how to participate here.

Dear Jane Doe,

I don't know what to call you anymore since you've officially banned all forms of "name-calling" around here, including "sweetie, honey, chickadee, girlie girl, tootsie roll" and all my other favorites. Apparently it doesn't matter if I think they're nice names, you've decided it's not OK. I'm really hoping this is only a temporary measure, since I hardly ever call ANYONE by their actual name. I'm not even allowed to call Daddy "babe." This could become quite the challenge.

We had a pretty nice week despite the fact that I had some kind of horrible cold-like virus thingy that made me grumpy and kept you stuck inside. On Monday I was still feeling healthy and we did lots of pretending. You spent the early morning riding around on a broomstick horse wearing a cowboy hat, a prom princess sash, your white gloves and lots of red lipstick. You told me you were a super-cowgirl and that "even cowgirls have to look beautiful." In the afternoon you grabbed your "life saber" and told me not to worry because you were "tall and brave against any bugs that come in the house." Wow! I didn't even know bugs were an issue! Apparently we should "scare them to the South Pole." Sure am glad we have you around for that.

Tuesday and Wednesday were my sick days. You were pretty nice to Mama, considering. You definitely thought I was pretty boring, but you sang me some great made-up songs to help me feel better and you even made me a card. You played a cool secret agent game Wednesday night that was pretty fascinating, and luckily didn't require me to get off the couch. I appreciated your patience with me, sweetie. (Oops, there I go again - sorry!)

On Thursday I was feeling better and we played games after preschool. You're really into your "Littlest Pet Shop" game on the Wii. I love seeing what you name your new pets. This time you named them "Nosehead," "Bermit," "Basket," "Treehouse," and "Foot." Nice! We also played "Guess Who?" again. I used to play that game with my sisters when I was a kid, and I think it's pretty cool that you understand how to play. It's all about asking yes/no questions and using process of elimination to figure out the other person's secret. Watching you think through your questions is really fun - I like seeing your little wheels turn as you figure new things out.

At your gymnastics class on Friday, you surprised everybody by walking on the balance beam all by yourself. Your teacher started to take your hand, but you said, "I can do it myself this time," and you did! The look on your face was priceless - you were SO proud of yourself. I was really proud to see so much confidence. Nice work!

I love you, Jane Doe. Can't wait to see what fun you have in store for me this week!

Sincerely,
Mommy

Dear Kid Saturday

Welcome to this week's installment of "Dear Kid." As always, full credit to Christina of Cutest Kid Ever for the fabulous idea. Want to write a "Dear Kid" letter of your very own? Learn more about how to participate here.

Hiya sweets,

We've had a pretty eventful couple of weeks, huh? You and I just got back from a week-long trip to see your "other family" (that's what you call them) in California. You got to hang with your aunts and uncles, teach your cousin Twinkle how to do the limbo, and go to Disneyland for the very first time! I had such a great week and I know you did too.

This Monday was our travelin' day. You are usually a super good traveler, but you were really tired, sad about leaving, and impatient to get home to see Daddy. I was too, kiddo. After a some drama at the airport involving the potty and carrying your own bag, you were absolutely amazing on the plane, particularly in light of the fact that we sat at the gate for over two hours before we were able to take off! You talked politely with the gentleman sitting next to you, and quietly colored all the way home. You were really excited to see Daddy and I could tell by the look on his face that he'd been missing you too. You guys are pretty good buddies these days. It was fun to hear you tell him all about our adventures.

At school on Tuesday, you may a really cool little booklet all about our trip to the beach. You drew pictures of us doing different beach activities, and for the first time, I could tell what each activity was. It's so cool to watch you get better and better at drawing! You also wrote your name on the book without any help, and you wrote "The End" on the back with just a little bit of coaching from the teacher. Very impressive, my friend.

On Wednesday, you brought your imaginary brother with us to Target. On the way there, he tried to jump out of the car! Can you believe it? You calmed him down by telling him we could get him a new hat and some stickers at the store. Hmmmm... Luckily, he behaved himself and we were able to get him some stickers although I thought a new hat might be a bit much. Apparently, despite the fact that he's "very old and as tall as our ceiling," your brother really likes Disney princess stickers.

On Thursday afternoon you were determined to skip your nap, so you tried to convince me that playing prevents tooth decay. That's a new one and I have to applaud your creativity. I still made you nap, though, but I made sure to check for cavities when you woke up.

You arrived on the scene Friday morning in an apron and announced that you were a "cake artist." Cool! You got to work right away on a "big beautiful art cake." Very nice.


You were very annoyed about nap time again, and informed me that I was "making you a disaster." Trust me, we'll phase it out when you no longer need it - you're the one who complains about being sleepy every afternoon, silly! It's been awfully rainy around here, and we've been feeling a little restless, so we broke out some new games when Daddy got home. We played Chutes & Ladders (you can count to 100 now!), Barrel of Monkeys, and real grown-up dominoes. You always think I'm trying to trick you into doing math when we play games, so you like to flub numbers on purpose just to see if I'll notice or insert nonsense words when you're counting. You're always on the lookout for evil mommy plots these days. Guess I'll have to up my game!

I adore you, girlie girl. Looking forward to another great week of learning together.

Sincerely,
Mommy

Dear Kid Saturday

Welcome to this week's installment of "Dear Kid." As always, full credit to Christina of Cutest Kid Ever for the fabulous idea. Want to write a "Dear Kid" letter of your very own? Learn more about how to participate here.

Dear girlie girl,

This morning you've informed me that you don't like nicknames, so there! Isn't that a funny picture of you? I came across it this week and thought it would make you giggle. You were ten months old when I took this one. I think it might have been your first real tantrum. Check out those super chubby baby legs!

This week was pretty busy for us, but good. I'm starting to do some more work from home, so we're ironing out some schedule kinks around here, but all in all I thought we managed to juggle things pretty well. Monday morning we took turns doing what each of us wanted to do for a while. You played in the playroom while I got some work done, then we spent time playing together. You wanted to do your "grand entrance," so you got all dressed up and practiced coming into the same room over and over. You wanted to make sure I had the perfect reaction, so you asked me first to gasp, and then to say, "There she is!" every time I saw you come in. Once we had your entrance down, it was time work on your exit. You did your super fancy curtsy and instructed me to "look really disappointed" as you walked away. Girlfriend, I see a spotlight somewhere in your future.

Tuesday morning you arrived on the scene in your cowgirl outfit and told me it was time for your rodeo! You were worried about missing your turn on the bull if you went off to preschool, but I told you I'd keep him corralled til you got home. On the way home from school, you wanted to talk all about the changing seasons and you pointed out all the signs of spring, like green grass, rain clouds, and flowers on the trees. I thought it was pretty cool that you noticed that stuff.

We had thunderstorms early Wednesday morning, so you cuddled up downstairs with me while I did my early morning writing. You were super sweet and quiet, and I secretly loved having you here (even though I told you over and over how important it was for you to go back to sleep). Wednesday night you were in full superhero mode, and you went out to dinner with your grandpa wearing a pink princess dress tied around your neck as a cape. Grandpa's a pretty good sport for taking you out like that, huh? You told us your name was "Super Bonnet Speed." Hmmm... "Bonnet?"

On Thursday you decided you're going to start sleeping in your closet. Um... really? I suppose as long as you're comfy, safe, and rested, it's up to you, but I've got to admit that I feel sort of weird about it. The floor... your tent... your closet... Think we can ever get you back into a bed?

We had lots of places to go yesterday, which was a good thing since it's been raining all week and we've not been able to get outside much. You're itching for a trip to the park and so am I. You thought the pouring rain was pretty hilarious, particularly since we had "only one plain umbrella and zero pairs of galoshes." After carrying you, my laptop bag, my purse, AND the umbrella around all day, I decided we definitely need to get you some rain gear of your own!

You told me you had a very important "fairy meeting" Friday night, so you got all dressed up with your Cinderella dress, wings, and wand. You and Daddy decided to go on a "secret mission" to get me some dinner (sweet!), and he let you keep your pretty outfit on. You told me you did some magic on him while you were out, so now he's a prince. Nice work!

You're SUPER excited to go to California this week and so am I. Can't wait to see the look on your face when you see Disneyland, and I know you've been missing your aunts, uncles and your little cousin Twinkle. We're going to have a great time!

I love you, sweet girl.
Mommy

Dear Kid Saturday

Welcome to this week's installment of "Dear Kid." As always, full credit to Christina of Cutest Kid Ever for the fabulous idea. Want to write a "Dear Kid" letter of your very own? Learn more about how to participate here.

Dear Super Speed,

You're back to changing your name now and then, and I love it. This week you were all about superheroes and your super power is, you guessed it, SPEED. You love to show us your "super speed moves" and you like us to call you by your superhero name. Also, check out the big girl haircut! We had six inches taken off last weekend and you were really brave. You even gave us a little twirl when you were done, so I knew you felt extra pretty.

This week started with a little bit of drama at our weekly play date. You gave me some serious attitude when I asked you to help clean up. I had to start taking away privileges. You were determined to win, so you pushed it and pushed it, and finally we had to go straight home for a time out and a discussion about listening. Every now and then, you decide to make a play for some more power around here, and this was just one of those days. All I can do is be patient and consistent, so you know that the rules DO still apply.

You'd made a turnaround by Tuesday and were back to your funny little self. You suddenly love nothing more than to make jokes about toots and burps; you absolutely crack yourself up! You had a great time at school on Tuesday and had lots to tell me about your friends when I picked you up. Mommy got some sad news Tuesday afternoon, and you were so sweet. You knew I was feeling down and you made me a card. You told me you'd take great care of me and you sure did. We played some nice, quiet games til Daddy came home and you were an absolute angel. Thank you, sweetheart.

You've been waking up super early, which is throwing a bit of a wrench into Mom's ability to get things done in the morning. Wednesday we decided to make a deal - thirty minutes of playing together followed by thirty minutes of doing something on our own. It worked out great, and I was very proud of you for being patient while I got my chores and "computer work" done. It's a very grown-up thing to take turns like that. Great job, kiddo.

You did something VERY cool when we were working on a project for your preschool class. First, you wrote your name all by yourself, very clearly and without even asking any questions. Awesome! Then, we were looking for pictures of things that start with "n" to cut out of a magazine, and you saw the word "no." You said, "Look! That says 'no!' 'No' starts with 'n!'" You also recognized the word "yes" on the same page. It took me a minute to realize what had happened - you were reading! Later we went through one of your board books and you pointed out several other words, like "bed" and "cat." How great is that?! I can't wait to see what other words you know.

The end of the week was a hard time for Mom, with some grown-up stuff to deal with, and I know it was a little scary for you. Now that you're older, you get very anxious if something is happening that you don't understand. I don't like to see you worried, but I also don't want to lie to you or pretend like nothing's wrong. Instead, I was honest with you about being sad, but made sure to give you lots of my time and attention. We took a couple of nice trips to the park, made a birthday party for your imaginary brother (he's still very important), played some great games of dominoes, and dressed up like princesses together. You really have a knack for making me feel better and I sure do appreciate it.

I love you, sweet girl. I'm looking forward to a nice, relaxed weekend with lots of family time. And I can't wait to see what kinds of fun activities you'll think of for us next week!

Sincerely,
Mommy

Dear Kid Saturday

Welcome to this week's installment of "Dear Kid." As always, full credit to Christina of Cutest Kid Ever for the fabulous idea. Want to write a "Dear Kid" letter of your very own? Learn more about how to participate here.

Yeeeeeeeehaw, cowgirl!

This week was "Texas week" at preschool and you were really into it. I find it hilarious, by the way, that every time I break out the camera now, you feel the need to model for me. Where in the world did that come from? You silly thing.

Our week got off to a bit of a rough start. Sunday night I caught you watching TV in the playroom at about 10:45. That was a new one - you'd never come out of your room after bedtime before, and I certainly never expected to find you hiding up in the playroom. We had a little talk about how important your sleep is (and how sneaking around is not OK), and got you back to bed, but you were up bright and early the next morning at 5:15. Although you insisted you weren't tired, you sure were grumpy all day. This not-sleeping-much thing seems to be a little bit of a trend, and I'm hoping it doesn't last long. I'm kind of thrown for a loop - it's not as though I can make you sleep. Maybe it's just another way you're trying to exert some control over your world. It's hard to be three, huh?

After the crazy game of family freeze tag we played Monday night, you'd think you would have slept in Tuesday morning, but you were up at 5:00 again. I was a little worried that you wouldn't make it through preschool, but you actually did fine. You wore a fabulous outfit that day, by the way - brown skirt, bright pink and yellow striped socks, light-up tennis shoes, too-small Colts jersey, and a tiara. Lately you really like to choose your own clothes, and I feel like it's a good way to let you express yourself a little bit. I tend to think if I let you have control over things that don't so much matter (what's for lunch, what you're wearing, what kind of craft we'll make, etc.), you're be more likely to listen when it's time for me to be in charge. So far, so good. Besides, what's the harm in mismatched clothes if they make you feel like a princess when you walk out the door, right?

We had a very interesting conversation on Wednesday about "showing off." For some reason, you pressed hard for a precise definition of "show-off," and then spent a long time trying to convince me that you "never ever ever are one." I asked whether something had happened at school, but you insisted that you were just "wondering." I think there's more to that story, but I didn't want to push it.

On Thursday, you got to wear your cowgirl outfit to school. Fun! That hat sure did look funny on you! When I picked you up, though, you seemed sort of sad, and you told me that one of the girls had forgotten her cowgirl stuff. I asked if she'd been upset and you said, "No. I just felt sad for her." That's so sweet, girlie girl. I'm so glad to see that you're starting to think about how others feel - now we've got a great foundation to work from on a whole lot of interpersonal issues.

You were bored Friday morning, so I decided to let you "cook." I pulled a bunch of old stuff out of the pantry, gave you some water and some measuring spoons, and let you go to town. Here's what you made:


Mmmmmm.... muffins! That was fun, huh?

I love you so much, sweet girl. Can't wait to see what next week has in store for us.

Sincerely,
Mommy

Dear Kid Saturday -- Half Birthday Edition

Welcome to this week's installment of Dear Kid Saturday. As always, credit for the great idea is due to Christina of Cutest Kid Ever and Uncharted Island (which, fellow LOST fans, is just for you). Please pop in and say hello after you're finished here.

Dear sickie,

You poor thing. You got sick right at the end of the week and had to miss several things you were looking forward to on Friday. Today it looks like we're not going to swim class either. Sorry, kiddo. Let's get rid of that fever so we can have lots of fun tomorrow, OK?

Monday morning started with some very serious pretending. You wrapped up one of your stuffed puppies in a blanket, put her in a cradle, called her "Bella," and told me she was a real baby. You took very good care of her until you decided to be a hockey player instead of a mommy. We set up a fun game of hockey in the kitchen with spatulas and marbles, and you ran around like crazy. You were pretending to be the announcer and you insisted there were three players on your team - you, your "brother," and your "sister." Your pretend brother and sister are becoming pretty important around here lately. I need to be careful not to sit on them, we need to bring them a fork at dinner time, and we have to always be on the lookout for your brother's car on the road (apparently, he always parks right next to us at the store). You tell everybody we meet that your brother is a super fast runner and that he's as tall as our ceiling. You have such a great imagination. Speaking of imagination, you told me a pretty fabulous story on Monday too. It went a little something like this: "When the princess was born, she got killed by a witch. The end."

You were super funny this week in general. You told me you loved me "under God, with liberty, and Justin for all." You were watching something about a dog show on TV, and you told me you wanted to "trade in our dog for a precious poodle." And, on a sweet note, out of nowhere you said, "The reason why I love you is the reason why you're my best friend." Aaaaaw. Thanks, Sweets.

On Wednesday morning, you were all business. You informed me that you had a lot to do and disappeared into Daddy's office, and then later, to the playroom. It's so strange for me that you're so independent all of the sudden, but I know it's good for you. Aside from "checking on me" (thank you, by the way), you stayed out of sight most of the day. I could hear you singing and playing upstairs with your stuffed animals and the dog, but you didn't need Mama one bit.

Thursday was your half birthday and you were ALL about it. When I picked you up from preschool, we went to get cupcake ingredients at the store. I let you pick out the cake mix, the icing, and the sprinkles, and you literally danced through the aisles to the checkout stand. You were singing a little song about "cupcakes for my half birthday," and you made sure everybody in line knew about it.


It's so much fun to make things together in the kitchen now - there are lots of things you can help with, and you stay interested for a long time. You got a teensy bit anxious about waiting for the cupcakes to cool, but, overall, you were incredibly patient.

I felt so bad for you when you woke up yesterday with a fever. No dance class for you, and it was supposed to be your performance day. I know how hard you worked on your dance, and how excited you were to show it to me, Daddy, and your grandma. You were disappointed, but you understood why we had to stay home. We don't stay home all day very often, so we had to really get creative to keep from getting bored. We played the world's looooooooongest game of Memory (look!), watched a movie, and finally broke out the craft supplies to make some super cool jewelry.


Seems like you're feeling better this morning, and I'm so glad. I want you back to your usual silly self as soon as possible. Get well, chickadee. Can't wait to see what kind of fun you have in store for next week.

Sincerely,
Mommy