About a year ago I wrote a post called 'Daddy's Girl.' I think we completely debunked that story a couple months later. I have been able to gain your confidence with more time spent with you but Mom is clearly your choice when you need comfort. At times when your mom needs to be engaged in something else but still in the house it can make things difficult.
I've got a couple of stories that illustrate your devotion to your mom. While we're sleeping if we pass the limit of three people in the bed, I take Sidra back to her bed and stay with her there. If she comes to our bed first I usually automatically go to your bed and sleep with you there. If I tried to take you from mom's bed back to your bed you would come unglued. Once you are in bed with mom there's no reversing that. At your second Kinder Gym class you had bonked yourself and were upset. The teacher tried to comfort you without slowing down the class too much but it wasn't working too well. The teacher brings you over and says "maybe you want to be with your daddy for a while." Sidra was right there and announces to the whole room "No, she usually wants Mom." I said, "but your mom isn't here right now." Sidra answers, "Yes, she is. She's right over there," pointing out where your mom had tried to hide after sneaking back in the room after attending to some business downstairs.
You are having a tough time growing out of a couple of things. I noticed also from a post about a year ago that you were keeping a tight grip on something all the time. You can see in these pictures that Spots or some other stuffed animal is a frequent companion. It doesn't have to be something soft. You've been known to go to sleep clutching a little hard plastic blowfish. You haven't met a stuffed animal that you don't like. Yesterday we were in a toy store and you went from one animal to the next trying everyone you could get your hands on. Later in the day we were at the library where they have a small bin with a few stuffed animals. You took out each one, gave it a hug and then declared, "I love all these."
Potty training. This is where the pain is. At least for your mom and I. You seem so grown up in so many ways but also seem to fight the potential independence of potty training. We've had some minor and sporadic successes in this area but you actively resist some of our efforts. As I write this I am thinking that perhaps your strong independence is one of the stumbling blocks. It's something that you need help doing right now and you (like me) hate to ask for help. The frustration is this- you could be attending preschool in the fall where Sidra goes if you are potty trained. So the pressure is on!
You have locked on to yellow as your favorite color. I am not sure if someone suggested it to you and you followed the lead but you are pretty solid with it. We now encourage it, too. We've bought you some yellow clothes and I've even bought some yellow shirts for myself. I just realized I haven't included any pictures that show your yellowness. I'll have to find some to add. When we did the children's parade at Mountain Festival, we decorated the wagon with yellow streamers, dressed you in yellow, and added a sign that said "I love yellow."
Just this morning I had probably the most moving experience I've had with you. Your mom suggested we go to the local sports club for the kiddie fun run. Actually, the idea was to enter Sidra in the run. But after reading the flyer I thought we could all do it together (except your mom who had to be at her Saturday Market). I got to pin numbers on both of you for the first time. They staggered the start so that families could go together without crowding as the route followed a wooded trail that we've used for Noah's Quest before. I had thought that it might be hard to get you to do it. I thought you would walk, I didn't expect you to run. Sidra took off like a shot and you did your best to follow. We didn't see Sidra again until the finish. But you ran for the first 3/4 of the route, all the while bursting with pride of your accomplishment. It was so much fun to follow you and listen to your commentary. Your joy and exuberance were boiling over. I was reminded that while Sidra seems to have an easier time than you with balance and coordination, you make up for it in spades with determination.
We've got a big family vacation coming up so there will be more stories to tell.
Love, aba
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| At camp with Spots |
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| My Favorite Ride is the Carousel |
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| In position at Kinder Gym |
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| Cheese means 'scrunch your nose' |
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| Tractor driving at the Zoo |
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| First run with Sidra |
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| This camping is pretty cool |
This is your tandem workout with Sidra
This is your solo workout
This is your second time at Kinder Gym, and your first "Wheelbarrow."
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