Something has happened to our precious girl in the past four weeks…and it happened suddenly. I hear my sweetie will return in a year or two, till then, Eden has begun…to…MELT. DOWN. And, she has hit her mama a time or two. HIT me. I have since taught her to “stomp, stomp, stomp.” When I see the hand raised…I remind her, “stomp, stomp, stomp.” Sometimes it works. Sometimes. When it doesn’t, I just pull her close, hug her, and remind her that we don’t hit when we are angry…sigh. Then I wrestle her off of me, cause by then she’s clingy and confused…and angry…and such a precious mess of emotion. (Suggestions for healthy ways to express anger welcome.)
At the same time, she is becoming such a caring big sister. She really is precious with Darling…holding her hand, guiding her, boosting her. This is a change from trying to run over her with the bike. We are so proud of her.
And yet, all the new behaviors beckoned me to check out a book on three-year-olds. Whew. Happy to discover that this behavior is normal. Phil and I just keep calm, love on her, and hold those boundaries steady…but MAN, does she push them…HARD.
Nonetheless, we are desperately in love with this girl.
At two years and eleven months, Eden:
- asks me and Phil separately for permission to do things. Phil and I were slow to catch on…and we still miss it from time to time. We are learning to check with each other before answering!
- loves to declare to Phil, “My mama said ________” anytime she wants to do something. Sometimes I have said such a thing. Sometimes I have not. Sigh.
- has become very sensitive to clothes that are too tight…even the line in the toes of socks send her over the edge. I feel her pain. I have the same sensitivities. Looks like turtlenecks will be out…and long sleeves…and socks.
- has become very aware of my sensitivity to wheat. She will offer me food and ask me if it has wheat in it. OR she will comment randomly when she is eating something with wheat, “Mommy can’t have this.”
- thinks that Darling is “so cute!”
- “read” her first book on 10/10/14. It was “I Went Walking” by Sue Williams. She gets the inflection right and everything. I could die from pride…and just her cuteness. Since that time, she has also “read” several other books: “Mrs. Wishy Washy,” “Now It is Fall,” and “Rosie’s Walk.”
- yells, “What’s going on out there?” from her bedroom when we are making too much noise in the kitchen. Hilarious. (The wall between her room and the kitchen is paper-thin.)
- sleeps with her door open…this is a new one. Perhaps it is due to the dragons that live in Nana’s room and her bathroom? This, too, is new. She will not walk the hallway alone…cause, you know, the dragons and all.
- answers most requests, like “Will you throw this away?” with “Of course I may.” Too. Funny.
- has a toddler light switch that is in the shape of the moon. When she wants me to turn on the light, she will say, “Get the moon up.”
- is still a huge fan of Diego. Diego is her best friend, and she wants me to tell Diego stories about the two of them rescuing animals.
- wants group participation…must be from Diego. She’ll say “count with me,” or “say it with me.” Sooooooo adorable.
- likes to play with volume…again with Diego? Not sure, but she’ll have me say words “louder” or she’ll have me “whisper.” I could die from her cuteness.
- is bold. I love it. She walks right up to people and introduces herself…and wants to know who they are. If said person is an adult with a kid, she will ask, “What is your kid’s name?” OR “What is your baby’s name?” This boldness works for her, most of the time. Of course, it is the same boldness that leads her to take food from people…right out of their hands…or off their plates. Two sides to every coin, right? I’m glad she’s bold. We’ll work on boundaries.
- has a new nightly ritual. She makes the following request of me every night, “Will you tell me a story, sing to me, and tickle me?” (Story MUST be a Diego story. Must. Be.)
- enjoys listening to me sing. This works out well for both of us, as I love to sing to her. Plus, I can squeeze in some good theology. I sing hymns from my childhood and “church camp” songs. Her favorites right now are “This Little Light of Mine,” “Blue Skies and Rainbows,” “I’ve Got Peace Like a River,” and “Come Let Us Sing with Joy to the Lord.”
- likes to know the plan. She frequently asks, “What are we doing today?” or “What time is it?” Me thinks she takes after her mother.
- is intensely interested in all bodily fluids, and wants to see everything. Everything includes the blood from my glucose monitoring, throw up…you know, when it happens, and the deposits in the toilet and her diaper. Ummm, is this normal? I just roll with it. Figure she’ll go into a science field of some sort!
- proudly announces, “This is the street where we live” when we turn onto our street.
- pumps. her. legs. on. the. swing. This one was just too much for me to handle. I may or may not have cried.
- thinks she has “grey hair like Daddy.” Hmmm.
- kindly, yet firmly, put her hand on the chest of the little boy standing behind her in line for the slide and said, “It’s my turn, buddy.” Just so we all know. Right? Her turn. Buddy.
- dressed as Angelina Ballerina for Halloween.
- visited the pumpkin patch almost every day it was open. By the end of the month, we were known by name.
- thoroughly enjoyed the half-price costumes purchased the day AFTER Halloween. (Thanks Papa, for the Halloween “pretty paper.”)
- has discovered her loveliness. Toooooo adorable. She put on a peacock dress, and game over. She preened like a…well, just like a peacock. She held out her arms to see the lovely fabric. She twirled. She wanted to go for a walk in the neighborhood (to show all the neighbors.) I could just see the wheels spinning…she was thinking I look goooo-oood!
- loves, loves, loves to read books. I love, love, love to read them to her.
Consider the Hippopotamus 