3 Year Letter To Stephanie

Dear Stephanie,

Last week you turned three years old. Three. It is unbelievable to me that the past three years are already behind us. I am amazed every day at what you know and the things you can do.

You are such a smart girl. You've been able to recognize all the letters of the alphabet for over a year now, and you're starting to put them together to recognize and sound out words. You can almost spell your name (it has a lot of letters!) and want so badly to learn how to write. You know colors, shapes and numbers and love to point these things out to your brother.

Your favorite activity is reading. You love having Daddy and I to read to you (we once read 17 story books in a row) but you also love to read on your own. I often find you curled up on the couch with a book, retelling the story almost word for word. You have a fantastic memory. (This also means I need to watch what I say. If I tell you we're going to do something later you won't let me forget.)

You also love coloring, stickers, gluing and stamping. You've recently developed a love for puzzles and will sit at the table putting a small jigsaw puzzle together all by yourself. It makes me so proud to watch you struggle to put the pieces together and then cheer when you've completed it.

One of my favorite things about you is your love for your brother. You are always looking out for him and hugging him, and you hate when he is crying in his bed. Oh you certainly have your moments of not wanting him near you and you've been known to yell at him from time to time. But in general you two are best friends and I am thankful that you have each other to go through life with.

You love to watch TV and aren't always happy when I set limits on how often it's on in our house. But you've learned that you can watch a little first thing in the morning and when you wake up from your rest in the afternoon. Oh yes, I said rest. You gave up your naps before Christmas. This means you are often quite cranky by dinner time and we've gotten into a lot of discussions about whining. If you can't talk to me without whining, you know you need to go into your bed and rest until you can use a nice voice. But back to TV! Your favorite show is Thomas the Tank Engine. I love how much you love it, and the fact that you aren't exclusively obsessed with princesses. (Oh you do love princesses, but your love for Thomas is a good balance.)

You started nursery school in September, and although we had a rough start you've learned to love it. You talk about your teachers and friends with excitement and look forward to going to school so you can tell them things. I always hear you singing the songs you've learned and it makes me smile when I recognize them from my years of teaching at that school. I'm proud of how far you've come from the days of crying for the full 2.5 hours that you were there.

We had a wonderful year last year, and I can't wait to see all the new things you will learn while you are three. I have no doubt that you will continue to amaze me as you grow and change. You are a sweet, loving, smart and beautiful little girl and I feel so blessed to be your Mommy. I hope you always have the strength and perseverance that you exhibit now, and that you will always be as happy and carefree as you are at 3 years old. Thank you for being all that you are.

I love you a million billion sweet girl!
Love,
Mommy

Tweet

Thankful Thursday, Christmas Edition: Week 2

Happy 2nd Thursday of the Christmas season! We had a bit of a rough week, but I still have so much to be thankful for.

This week my list includes:

~Our Christmas tree. I finally got my husband to put up the tree after days of nagging asking. I find myself getting frustrated whenever I see it standing there in my living room, waiting for him to put the lights on. I'm trying really really hard to focus on just being thankful that it's up and to remember that i'll be even more thankful for it once the lights and ornaments finally go on.

~Holiday birthdays. Both my niece and Dan celebrated a birthday this past week. Even though those days aren't necessarily related to Christmas, they always occur during the season, which gives them a little extra magic.

~Christmas movies. Stephanie was sick with a stomach bug all weekend and holiday movies were our saving grace. We watched Thomas' Christmas and the Elf on the Shelf movie over and over and over again while she rested on the couch.

~Wrapping gifts. I've been spending a little time each day getting this job done, and I love it! I brew a cup of Mocha Nescafe Memento, put Christmas carols on the radio and wrap. It's a peaceful activity, and i'm excited that I've already make a big dent in the amount I have to do.

~Holiday gatherings. We celebrated an early Christmas on Saturday with two of our best friends. It's a tough year for them (you might remember the story about how their beautiful daughter Maya died in June) and it was a bittersweet celebration. But we were happy to see them and spend quality time together.

Once again i'm linking up with Joanna at Baby Gators Den. I'd love to know what you're thankful for, so feel free to link up or comment! And check out the other great Thankful Thursday posts when you have time. Have a great week!

Tweet

Joseph is 1!

This past Saturday, October 13th, my sweet, happy, adorable baby boy turned 1 year old.

2011

2012

It is unfathomable to me that he has been with us for a whole year. In fact, I find myself thinking about how exciting his first Christmas is going to be this year. Then I stop myself and realize...this will actually be his second!

We bought Joseph a Mega Blocks workshop as his birthday gift from us, and he loved it!

After some play time, we headed out to Spring Hill Sugar House to pick pumpkins. This farm is fantastic. They have a corn maze, a pick-your-own pumpkin patch, cider pressing, photo-op set-ups, and a fun play area for the children. The day was freezing so we rushed a little, but I still think Joseph enjoyed it.

When we finished, it was home for naps and a walk in the crisp afternoon air. After dinner my parents, sisters, brother-in-law and niece came over for dessert. We sang Happy Birthday, ate homemade chocolate chip cookies, and Joseph opened some presents.

When I put him to bed that night, I held him a little longer than usual. As I cuddled him close, I closed my eyes and thought back to that day 1 year ago, when he entered the world and made us a family of four. It seems like just yesterday, and yet seems so long ago at the same time. His baby-hood is slowly ending, and he's turning into a toddler before our eyes. I can't imagine life without this precious little boy. Happy Birthday little man, Mommy loves you so much!

Tweet

Saturday's Top 5 Laughs

Happy Saturday! I'm linking up with Melissa from the  Mommyhood Chronicles again this week for Saturday's Top 5 Laughs. Enjoy my weekly dose of amusement. :)

1. Stephanie was eating a sprinkled donut in the car, and she said "uh-oh. Mommy, we need a tain-ticket."
    Me: A train ticket?
    Stephanie: No. A tain ticket
    Me: Plane ticket?
    S: NO! Tain ticket
    M: Train ticket?
    S: NO! WE NEED TO TAIN TICKET!
    M: (Lightbulb goes off) ooooooh, did you make a mess? Do we need to stain stick it?
    S: Yes mommy. Tain ticket.

2. We out to dinner for my mom's birthday on Thursday. Stephanie wanted a cupcake so my mom, Stephanie and my niece ordered a giant one to split. When it arrived, my mom put Stephanie's piece down in front of her. She looked at it for a minute, and then proceeded to eat it like a dog, just leaning over and eating it with no hands.

3. One night at bedtime this week Stephanie and Dan sat in front of our sliding glass door saying goodnight to all the things outside. (Goodnight to the trees, the sky, the moon, the flowers, the grass, etc.) All of a sudden I heard her say "goodnight Daddy's pot." I looked up and realized she was saying goodnight to his grill, which is this little Webster that she assumes is a pot to cook in, since that's what Daddy uses to make hotdogs and hamburgers outside. I couldn't help but laugh. It is so funny to think of the world the way a two year old does.

4. Dan decided it was time to see if Joseph likes lemons as much as his sister does. (She will eat entire lemon slices without making any kind of face. She loves them.) Joseph's reaction was slightly different....my poor baby.

5. I went out with a great group of women last night to see Motherhood the Musical. It was a fantastic show that had me laughing out loud. (And also crying at a few parts.) I can't recommend it highly enough. If you're a mom or a mom-to-be you have to go see this show! (A special shout-out to the ladies from Rhody Mamas who organized a group of us to go together.)

*I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! If you want to laugh some more, come on over to Melissa's site and check out the other bloggers who have linked up this weekend. 

*And don't forget to enter my BabyGanics giveaway for your chance to win a free bottle of sunscreen! It ends Monday morning.

Tweet