So I was feeling particularly guilty that I hadn’t managed to take Carrie out to build a snowman this winter. And winter was over, of course.
Until a few inches of the most perfect snowman-making snow fell last night! It was lovely coating the trees in our backyard:
Dear Carolyn,
Every day you surprise me somehow. Usually it’s how late you can stay awake before you finally crash, but just over this past weekend you really shocked us…
You can read! A little, anyway. I totally blame it on all of the Leapfrog products we have, but you can sound out short vowel sounds words, like “dog”, “cat”, “get”, “pig” and “mug”. When we were dyeing the Easter eggs you looked at the egg carton and read the word “egg”. And then in a story we read later you sounded out “hen”. I’m not sure how to help you from here, but we’ll figure it out. Of course, now I’m starting to realize how many words in the English language don’t follow any rules for pronunciation!
It seems, though, that we’ve traded off reading for sleeping. You regularly stay up until 10:30, or later, because as you say, “my imagination jumps out of my head and goes under my bed!” I’m tempted to put a twin-sized boxspring and mattress on your floor so there is no “under the bed”, but then your imagination might go under your dresser or behind the chair next. So for now we’re all settling for way too little sleep.
The idea of having a baby sister has really grown on you by now, and you love to talk about all the things you’ll do with your baby sister, like teach her how to roll over, sit up and use the potty. I’m sure you’re going to be the best big sister ever, and I can’t wait to see how you grow and change…and at the same time I’m already a little sad about how things will change between you and I. I’m sure we’ll figure it out as we go along, but I can’t help but worry that you’ll wonder if there’s enough love to go around for both you and your sister. And of course there is, because I already love you both with all my heart.
Love, Mommy
Easter is just too early this year. I like my holidays to have more than a few days between them, and St. Patrick’s Day was less than a week ago. But despite that, we managed to fit in cookie baking:
Cookie decorating:
Cookie eating:
Egg coloring:
And an egg hunt:
The rest of Easter morning involved Calico Critter bunnies and standing-room-only at church. Then it was off to Great-Grandma’s for Easter dinner, cousins and another egg hunt! Now it’s just a matter of rationing the chocolate and black jelly beans. (Yes, Carrie adores black jelly beans. Apparently she gets that from both of her Grandpas.)
I will freely admit I’m crazy. The show closed last night, my house has not been “clean” in weeks, and the past couple of weeks at the shop have been rather busy because the two full-time partners have been out sick with the flu. But because Easter is next weekend, we decided to go ahead and have our annual St. Patty’s Day party on schedule today. I. Am. Exhausted. But it was worth it to see all of our friends and have a nice, relaxing party. Especially since Denis did almost all of the cooking and tidying up beforehand.
We took hat pictures last year, so this year we took crazy headband pictures. Next year, who knows…?
I’ve really enjoyed every show I’ve worked on, but I have to say, this is the first time I’ve ever wished we had a two week run. I think I can honestly say this is the best musical experience I’ve ever participated in. I am going to miss sitting at the Steinway, surrounded by the cellos, playing this wonderful music.
Carrie came to the matinee this afternoon, and was very excited to see some of her school friends there. She got to take a backstage tour and then went out and met some of the cast. The funny thing is that she’s met all these kids before, but with them in their full costumes and makeup she was all of a sudden very shy about talking to them. And then I let her play the Steinway. Because, really, how many three-year-olds get that opportunity?
Did I mention how much I’m going to miss playing that piano?
…another girl!
We had our 20 week ultrasound today, and the baby looks healthy, active, and completely immodest. So now we know that another little girl is going to join our family this summer!
Carrie wanted a brother, apparently, and was pretty disappointed to hear she would be getting a sister instead, but I think she’ll get used to it eventually. I’m excited because I always wanted a sister (not that I don’t love my brothers, of course!) and now I’ll get to vicariously experience that relationship with my girls.
Plus we’ll get to reuse some of those cute girl clothes that Carrie barely wore before she outgrew, and we can hand down her pink and purple tricycle eventually…
Now we just have to think of another girl name. And feel slightly bad for my poor nephew, who’s still the only boy among a sea of girl cousins!
Carrie’s been begging for a Belle dress for her dress-up box, so I finally gave in – after all, she’s been so patient and well-behaved at all of the rehearsals I’ve been dragging her to. And with all the dialog and vocals she has memorized, I think she’d make a pretty good (although perhaps slightly short) understudy for Belle!
(P.S. Happy Leap Day!)
Dear Carolyn,
Some of my very earliest memories of childhood are from when I was exactly the age you are now. So I wonder what you’ll remember when you’re all grown up? And even more, I wonder what I’ll remember of you being this age…which is why I keep trying to write it down!
With the musical opening in just a couple of weeks, we’ve been at rehearsal a lot. And you have pretty much every song, including all the dialog over the underscoring, and most of the scenes memorized. I just have to play the opening bars of any song and you’ll immediately start singing along. Your favorite line, though, is when Chip says “See? I told ya’!” to Mrs. Potts. So now whenever you tell me something it’s usually followed with “I told ya’, Mommy!”
And I have to admit, aside from rehearsals, we haven’t done much else besides your daily activities (school, playgroup or dance class) and watch TV. I have been so incredibly tired lately that I have to just close my eyes for a few minutes after lunch every day, and that translates into you getting to watch however much JoJo’s Circus, Word World and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse you want. I feel like a horribly mommy, but you’re just plain thrilled. I’m just glad we have a Tivo!
This month has been a bit…dramatic. Everything is meltdown worthy, even though you’re generally an easy going kind of kid. I don’t know if it’s the extra on-the-go time we spend at rehearsals, or if it’s just that the idea of a new sibling is finally catching up to you? If it’s that, I know we’ll have to show you and not just tell you, but we’ll never run out of love for you just because we’ll have another baby in the house to love, and you’ll always be my baby.
Love, Mommy
Tonight at dinner, Carrie said, “Mommy, I finished all my green beans, can I have some salad now?” That’s just so not normal for a three-year-old.
She’s decided to name the baby “Teeny”. So when I went to pick her up at preschool the other day she ran up to me, wrapped her arms around my stomach, and said “Hi Teeny!” into my belly button. Oh, and the baby’s nickname? It’s apparently going to be “Tiny”. Watch this kid turn out to be a football player, with nicknames of Teeny and Tiny.
Carrie also asked the other day if the baby is wearing an itty-bitty pair of pajamas in my tummy when he or she is sleeping. Uhhh. Not exactly. “But why not, Mommy? Won’t the baby be cold?” I just have one question…why did we have to hit the “why” phase right in the middle of my pregnancy?!?
She is just all about the baby lately. We bought her a new carseat today (the Graco Nautilus) for Denis’ car, because she’s too tall for the ComfortSport that was in there and we’re not ready to put her in a booster seat just yet. We haven’t really shopped in a baby department lately, and Carrie apparently had no idea the range of things you could buy for a baby. If she had had her way we would have come home with dozens of little socks, tiny pairs of shoes, bibs, washcloths, toys and an exersaucer. Oh, and another stroller. I had to promise her she could pick out a special toy for her to give to the baby just as soon as we know whether it’s a brother or sister just to get her out of the store!
For Christmas, Carrie got a sled from Uncle Dan & Genevra. She’s been so eager to use it, but the only days we’ve gotten enough snow were days I had to work at the shop all day, and then by the next day it would all be melted. Well, today the stars (and clouds) aligned and Carrie finally got the chance to sled!
Denis pulled her around the yard a bit, and then let her slide down the tiny little hill next to our house…which is perfect for a tiny little three year old!