Some constants from last year’s birthday post: she’s still a big mama’s girl, her imagination is still running wild (constantly telling us to, “Be _(fill in the blank)_”), she is still a Bossy Bess with her friends but more reserved with strangers (Mrs. Maureen said she was quiet at school???), and she continues to be an extremely compassionate caretaker.
The random meltdowns have been switched out for the relentless WHINE. She is generally easier to deal with when she’s in a fit, or else we’ve figured out how to get her to calm down. We rarely have to spank- just the threat is usually enough- and we send her into another room to cry it out and she’ll come back when she’s calm.
She has completely conquered potty training and doesn’t even sleep in a pull up anymore. I take them on trips for overnights in hotels, but she doesn’t need them.
With our trips lately, we’ve gotten her sleeping arrangements out of whack (she prefers to sleep in Mommy’s bed), but after a few nights of fighting with me, she is back to calmly going to her bed, having me lay down with her for about 15 minutes after story time and prayers, and then letting me go to my bed with a hug and a kiss (and not getting out of bed 10 times). About half the time, she’ll show up in my bed in the middle of the night, but I have to admit I kind of like that part. If she sleeps well during the week, she can sleep with us on Fridays. She’ll go to sleep between 9-9:30 each night and wakes up around 6:30-7:30, and she still needs a two hour nap.
She weighs around 38 pounds and is 42 inches tall. She is probably ready for a booster seat, but I’m waiting as long as I can to switch her over.
She is a great eater and will try anything once, although she rarely cleans her plate. She loves sushi, shrimp, edamame, cran-raisins, cucumbers, etc.
While she’ll mostly tolerate my cutting her finger nails (if I bargain with her), she HATES for me to cut her toe nails. Like crying, flailing, etc. Apparently, she gets that from her daddy. I am counting down the days until she can cut her own! Also, she hates for you to brush her hair, but lately, she does ask me to braid it or put in a ponytail.
We’ve learned that the best way to motivate her is to tell her she can’t do something. “I don’t think you can pick up that mess; I don’t think you can eat all of that.” Her face lights up when she responds, “Yeah huh, I can too do that!” Can you say defiant??
This is the perfect age. She’s remarkably independent. She can go potty by herself, basically brush her teeth (although make a mess) on her own, get herself dressed and undressed, etc. She can carry on such detailed and animated conversations. She follows extensive directions. For example, she wanted to try karate, and before we realized how much of a time commitment it was (3 nights a week), she loved watching the teacher and trying to duplicate her movements down to the precise hand placement. I was impressed how much she picked up without too much direction.
After reading this article, I have made extreme efforts to try to avoid constantly mentioning how ‘cute’ she is and instead try to point out how smart, funny, and kind she is. Despite all of my attempts, she is quite confident in herself (or maybe even on the verge of vain). She’ll proudly tell you how she has the cutest little tummy or the cutest little toes or the cutest little belly button. Think she’s heard that a time or two before? She’s recently started saying, “He’s so cute- he’s cuter than me!” Lawdy!
She LOVED Maples this past year and is getting ready to start St. Agnes for 4K in August (five days a week, 8:00-2:45). She’s been excited about it, but just a time or two lately, she’s said that she isn’t looking forward to being the new kid and that she’s just not “used to it yet.” Lord, help her to adjust easily and quickly. She’ll go to two camps there in July- one theatre camp and one for back to school, and she’s taking dance/gymnastics at Kids Only Gym and swim class this summer. In the fall, she’ll play soccer with Olive Branch Park & Rec and dance again with Stars in Motion.
“I’m all full up.”
“I got my tippy toes on.”
“I feel much more better.”
“You got it” and “forget about it” from Grandma
“Ok, I’ll try for you, Mama” when she’ll agree just to ‘try’ to potty (when I ‘know’ she needs to go)
Chocolate and vanilla ‘squirrel’ instead of ‘swirl’ ice cream – overhead by Bubba and me at Seafood Junction. She quickly corrected herself, but Bubba and I got a good tickle out of her slip up.
She insisted that the skirt she wore to ballet was a ‘tattoo’ instead of a ‘tutu’ for a whole day. That was really awkward when she kept asking people if they liked her ‘tattoo.’
She got a beautiful silk gown for her birthday, but it’s a little big up top. Grandma made a comment to me that it was a bit S-E-X-Y (spelling it out so HG wouldn’t hear the word), and HG turns to me and responds, “That spells ‘big.’”
Grandma, Peggy, HG, and I were in the car together and passed a CVS. Grandma warned me about taking HG inside because she knew where all the toys and snacks were. We thought HG was lost in her movie, but she quipped, “I heard that.”
When we were at the beach, Spiffer and I were giving her a bath and telling her about Mother’s Day brunch the next weekend, listing off who all was going to be there. HG said, “And GG too, right?” GG’s been gone almost two years, but that sweet little girl still has her in mind with her family’s mamas.
“Our family is the huggy-est family!”
As we arrived at LaGuardia, I was quizzing her on what her daddy’s name was, her mommy’s name, where she’s from- to which she responded, “Byhalia!”
One random moment, she grabbed me around the neck and flooded me with kisses. I said, “Wow, I sure feel loved!” HG responded, “You ARE loved from your baby girl!” My heart melted right then and there.
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