She's Three

It is about time that I finish up where I left off and include some tidbits about Miss June, now three years old. {Ahem, three years and two months old.}

This photo is from her birthday party, which we held with a few friends at a spot in town called Arctic Playgroundz. It was nice because June had never been there. It was also nice because all June wanted for her birthday was purple cupcakes and a chance to play. She got both, and then some.

I will try to play some catch up here on the blog, but I think for the most part it will move on with the present. My goal is to post about each child once a month at a minimum. We'll see how I do!

Here are some little Junie things, some fading out of use but still needing to be recorded, and some displayed every day:

She is often "The Amy Mom" and she tells us what to do. Usually she directs me to be "The June."

In the bath, she likes to play a game I started where each of us pretends our front two fingers are a person and plays. My right hand always is Mommy, left hand is Daddy. June set this strict rule. And since "The Amy Mom" was invented, this is one of my only chances to actually be the mom when we play together.

She is often very rude. She scowls at people. And she shouts "Don't look at me!" or "Don't talk to me!" or "No!! Only Mommy can do it!!" We are actively working on it right now.

She still sleeps in a Pull-Up, but is beginning to show interest in being a really big girl and sleeping without one.

Her memory is astounding. She remembers toys, pictures, furniture, all kinds of things that have been stored up at my dad's house for 6 months now.

She loves her brother and likes to squeeze him a little too hard.

I think she is feeling the lessening of attention due to Miles. She sometimes seems moody and sad, and I worry over that. But then I think feelings are normal and she needs to be permitted to experience them. And so I turn that over and over.

She has gone through a long phase of not letting me take her picture. It started around the time Miles was born. When I'd go to take her picture she would just show me the back of her head. And so it's gone. Now sometimes she will only let me take her picture if I start to take photos of Miles.

On a similar note, she is most easily motivated through bribes and threats. Perhaps I could use a nicer word for this but there is no motivation like dessert or movies, or taking babies out of her room.

She is still learning to talk, but there is very little babyishness about her speech. She says words like "consequences" and knows what they mean. She frequently asks for privacy.

She is thriving in Montessori school (though we will always miss Casita Feliz, what she was calling her "special school" for a long time.)

And oh my God, she loves Dora. And all things Princess. She got half a dozen princess dresses for Christmas and would wear them constantly if she was allowed to.

Her imagination is impressive. We are often playing make-believe nowadays. June and Adam like to play "blue kitty" where the pretend blue kitty is attacking them. Speaking of games, June plays hide and seek with us now. But she always hides in plain sight! Or she hides exactly where we just hid. Or hides in the same place over and over. It's adorable.

I think she grew in the last few weeks. She was just measured at school at an even 38 inches.