3 Years Old

In honor of A's belated birthday, I'm going to copycat my friend Lauren who had a smarty-pants idea to commemorate her daughter's birthday. Here are A's top 3s:

Favorite Foods: sprinkles, steak, cupcakes

Favorite Toys: Cinderella, trains, Tinkerbell

Frequently stated phrases: But first I need to..., that's a good idea, I'll do it by myself

Best Friends: Lily Ana, Kit, Beatrice

Favorite TV Shows: Angelina Ballerina, Dora, Curious George

Favorite Movies: Tinker Bell, Jungle Book, Cinderella

Favorite Books: Fancy Nancy, Jake Baked the Cake, Disney Princesses

Favorite Places to go: Target, the playground, the pool

Scary things: bad dreams, smoke detector, bugs

Career aspirations: A dancer on the Wiggles, a veterinarian, an artist

Hopes to marry: Daddy, Tucker, Jonah

Biggest Battles: picking out clothes/getting dressed, eating meals, wanting to wear lip gloss

She is the craziest, funniest, most spirited kid I've ever known, and of course I'm biased, but I think she is a 25 year old in a 3 year old body. She is still a Daddy's girl and has learned quickly how to play Ben and I to get her way. We are constantly commenting on how we must stay on our tip-toes at all times to stay a bit ahead of her. She loves figuring things out, asks tons of questions, is sensitive to animals, loves her baby sister, and is a strange mix of girly-girl and tomboy. She is a leader among kids her age, but seems to know her place among older kids. She has gotten to be more physically capable but thankfully isn't too much of a risk taker. She has a crazy memory (like Ben) and can apply and merge the most remote ideas into things that leave me speechless.

This year, I continue to lift her safety and health, friends, future husband, relationship with Clara up to my Almighty. I also pray specifically for my relationship with her, as the mother/daughter tension that bites the best of us has arrived. I also pray for her self image. That her identity and beauty would be found in Christ and not in the dresses she wears or the lip gloss that I won't let her wear. I tell ya'. Vanity and worth and appearance are issues I was too blind to realize I'd deal with, especially at age 3. I have blamed Disney for most of this, but I now see that regardless of how feminist you are, a girl's deepest longing is to be beautiful in some way or another. I pray for Adelaide's inner beauty to outshine her blond hair and big brown eyes.

Adelaide, we play a game inspired by one of your favorite books, and I love you in all the ways you've recently told me how you love me: More than a brontosaurus loves his neck. More than a T-rex loves his teeth. More than the sun loves the moon. More than a voice loves it's "necho." More than Tinkerbell loves her wings, and more than Eli loves to toot. I love you more than Clara loves her milk and more than Thomas loves his steam. You are my special-special and I want you to stay just how you are (minus the tantrums, wild streaks, and meltdowns) forever. Love, Queen Mommy