Whoever said 2s were terrible, hadn't yet had a 3 year old :) While my little Brooklynn loves her family to pieces, speaks in this sweet, high-pitched voice, knows how to work her please and thank you's and snuggles and smiles, she also knows how to drive her mother CRAZY!
We have come to a point where discipline is a daily necessity. Yes, we do bum swats, and time-outs, and privileges taken away, but they don't always work. By the end of the day I am usually so spent that I can't even muster up enough energy to win the fight about bedtime. See, when we moved out of our Utah house 3 months ago she was still happily sleeping in her crib, and I loved it. I looked forward to bedtime when I would just put her to bed and no matter what her mood- happy or sad it was bedtime- I always knew she would be safe and sound in her crib. But in the midst of staying with family for 2.5 weeks, and then hotels when we first got to Florida, and then having to be kicked out of her bed as soon as we moved into our rental because of the needed room for other company, she had a bad month of no stable bedtime routine and own bed. So what happened? She got used to sleeping with mommy and daddy- something I have always been against. And now I know why. It's an awful habit to break, and a damper on Paul and I's relationship if you know what I mean.
At nap time she is amazing! I say, "Brooklynn, it's nap-time" (well actually I usually put on one 30-minute show and tell her when it's over it's time for a nap), and she goes all by herself to take a nap, and can actually do her whole routine (changing out her big-girl panties for a pull up, grabbing her blanket and pillow, turning on her night light and fan, climbing into bed and under her covers) by herself! I go up about 10 minutes after her just to check and 99% of the time she is already sound asleep! But to go to bed at night is a whole other story. She wants somebody to sleep with her, so one of us, usually ALWAYS me, lays down with her til she falls asleep and then I sneak out- only to have her appear at my bedside a few hours later to climb into bed with who else? Paul and I! A few times I have woken up enough to take her back to bed- only to have her again return to me a few hours later. I just give up. My solution, I'm buying a $35 crib off craigslist today so that I can put her to bed and she'll have no other choice but to stay. She was perfectly content in the crib before moving and wasn't ready to be in a toddler or twin bed, so we are going back to it until she is ready. Hopefully bedtime returns to the time of day that I look forward to rather than dread.
Aside from that, she is in love with being a princess ballerina with all her tutu's and dress up dresses. I have found a local studio I want to enroll her in for a pre-ballet class and I am so excited about it. One of her cute new friends, Sofia, from church just started the class and I know B will be trilled to do it with her!
Brooklynn loves to be outside and play- what 3 year old doesn't? So we jump on any play dates that come our way. Isn't it funny how mothering is so much easier when your kids have other kids to play with? You would think that more kids means more chaos, but it's just the opposite.
This is mostly how we spend our days... hanging out at home, playing and running around- usually to the bathroom several times (hence why she is just in her big girl panties... makes those potty breaks so much easier and faster).
I love dressing her up on Sundays and she looks forward to it too because her church dresses "spin" and make her feel like a beautiful princess. After always helping herself to some of my lipgloss (naughty pup), she always comes in and asks me, "Mom, how do I look?"
So if you hadn't yet noticed, Miss Brooklynn is potty trained! it took all of one week to get her in a good routine and to finally go #2! Once I put my mind to it to really focus on helping her, it was a breeze. She wears pull ups whenever sleeping because she hasn't quite figured out going to the bathroom while sleeping (a few times she has woken up during a nap to use the potty and then climbs back into bed to go back to sleep), but I'll take 2 pull-ups a day vs. 4-5 diapers a day. We are all really proud of our Brooklynn...she is becoming such a big girl and she will be the first one to tell you!
Other fun facts about our 3 year old;
* She is very aware of "Boy things" and "Girl Things" and she only play/touch/wear girl things.
* She is obsessed with Bubble baths and washing her sister.
* She loves to shop
* She loves to stand behind sister while she climbs up the stairs to make sure she doesn't fall and hurt herself.
* She is still obsessed with her sippy cup and drinking anything I will give her.
* She HAS TO give daddy hugs and kisses everyday before he leaves for work or we deal with a major fit.
* She is SO anxious for sister to be a little older, bigger, and a better playmate. She never wants me to put Maylee down for her naps because, they are "playing". Sorry honey... sister needs her beauty rest :)
* She is the pickiest eater. Getting her to eat is not fun!
My mom keeps reminding me that it's just the age and she will grow out of all of it, but enjoy the moments now because they fade to quickly. My cousin, Amy, also laughed with me and said her little girl was lucky to live to 4 because 3 was a rough year. We'll see how the rest of this year goes.
No matter what, I love my Little Mini-Me/Mama's girl to death! xoxoxo.
While my life seems to be a ground hog day of cooking, cleaning, bathing, and disciplining most of the time, how can I not count my blessings everyday that I get to be home, playing in the bathroom with these two sweeties?
