Delightfully Three

   My youngest is three right now and since she is the baby of the family she seems so little but at the same time I have to acknowledge she is growing up. I am still nursing her and I know in this society and this day and age some might be horrified at this and judge me. She still needs it emotionally, still loves it, and I am happy to connect with her that way. She has never been one to take a soother, blanket, or bottle so I am that right now for her. She won't always need this of course but this makes her still feel more babyish as well.

However, why am I writing about her? So lately she has been getting very opinionated and vocal about many things. It is hard not to laugh about her loud and passionate opinions that are often not totally logical. 

My example from today: We were headed out the door to get groceries and she needed to be properly dressed. Right now she prefers different stages of not being dressed and it is a battle to keep her somewhat decent if we have company over. So I had asked her brother to get her dressed knowing that probably would not happen but thought I would try as I needed to get ready myself. He eventually came to tell me she INSISTED on wearing a pair of nylons and a t-shirt and nothing else. It is a very hot day here and nylons with nothing underneath were out of the question for multiple reasons. Cue my long sigh in preparation for the battle I knew would ensue. I try to use my patient explaining voice all my kids hate to communicate that nylons on this hot day are not appropriate and she also needs a diaper or something of that nature and then a skirt or shorts! I was told VERY clearly that she was NEVER wearing shorts EVER again and this style of attire was FINE (her tone of voice is hysterical as it mimics my patient voice with a sigh at the end to communicate my total lunacy at what I am insisting on). I was not about to try to wrestle her into other clothing but we really needed to get out the door. In the end, her sister convinced her to wear something much more seasonally appropriate and we headed out the door to the store. When we got there she needed to get her shoes on which was fine but then she decided she just HAD to have her umbrella with her in the store. This battle was not one I felt the need to fight. So in the store I went with four children, her in the cart, with her umbrella raised. I was actually meeting my husband there and he had another cart. So there we were two carts, four children and the umbrella. I almost lost an eye a few times and eventually begged her to put it down as I could not push the cart and shield my eyes and other customers at the same time. She eventually complied. This is one small example of my days with her right now. I try to say yes and not make a huge deal of many things because I've done this stage with two other girls and have not done it very well at times. It is cute and precious and hysterical and exhausting. 

God bless the mothers with the two year old, the three year olds and the four year olds. You may realize when they are seventeen that you are still having discussions about the same things with the same outcomes and that's life :)

Tansy