LuLu Ladybird

Dear LuLu Ladybird,

Let's catch up on what you've been doing since you turned three!

You are still as silly as ever.  It's one of your most defining characteristics.  When you sing songs, you change the words to make it funny ("twinkle twinkle little hamburger" is a favorite of yours).  And you love making up funny little songs or stories.  Not only are you silly, but you want everything and everyone else to be silly, too.  And you are so chatty.  Yesterday at MyGym the teacher asked when your birthday is.  You responded "well, it just happened, and I'm three and Malcolm is three and my favorite color is purple and Malcolm's favorite color is blue and I'm going to be a butterfly for Halloween and Malcolm is going to be a minion and I have a Jelly Bean Worm."

You love rhyming and you've started taking a special phonics class at school because you've been showing so much interest in words and sounds and reading.  You love your "Ms. 'jelica" class, and talk my ear off on our way home from school about all the words you learned.  You've also gotten really good at coloring lately. You did this all by yourself last week:

You love leaves and flowers right now.  You always have a leaf with you, and pick one every chance you get to go outside. There's always a leaf in your hand, one in your carseat, one on our kitchen table, one in your bed, and one in your cubby at school.  The very first thing you say when you go outside, without fail, is "wait! I need to get a leaf!"

You are so strong willed, baby girl, which I love, but it also drives us up the wall some days.  Three has been a bit of a rough age for you.  You've had some anxiety and were pulling your hair out for a while.  Thankfully you've stopped that now, and it's starting to grow back (but you do have a bit of a bald spot for now).  You have a short fuse, and take your brother too seriously, so when he says you can't do something or play with something, you immediately melt down and start crying.  We keep telling you that he's not in charge of you, but I think you just want so badly for him to agree with what you're doing.  You are still a super grump if you wake up before you're ready and we've learned to just give you some time and space and then our happy girl will return.

But you're also a sweet little girl.  You give great big hugs and kisses, and are so excited to see us when we pick you up from school in the afternoons.  When you grow up, you say that you want your job to be "to give mama kisses."  I think you'll be great at that job!  But don't grow up too soon...