Now We Are 3
Despite everything, Sara has defied us today and turned 3. This means she is no longer a toddler, she is now a little girl. I have a little girl and a boy, whereas just a bit ago I had a toddler and a little boy.
(Oh, hush you, let a mom get a bit mushy.)
The real dilemma is that, as tempting as it is to want to freeze them just like they are, they get more and more fun. And interesting. And they tell you about their day at school and how much they "like and love you". Crap. No winning this one.
So, what is not-so-wee Sara up to? Well, asserting her person all over the place. Ah, the power of a well placed "NO!" Also lots of "I do it!" and "My turn!" She is fluent in her Spanish colors and her Spanish numbers up to 12, thanks to a complete Dora the Explorer obsession. She never wants to color anymore but will beg to be able to do "homework" which is, to my eye, indistinguishable from what we used to do when we colored. I must be missing something. I am sure that it has nothing to do with her brother having to do homework when he comes home from school. She picks up songs amazingly quickly and will sing it back to me after I sing one to her a few times, with multiple verses and identical phrasing, except with all the "L"s replaced with "W"s and sounding more than a bit like a drunken sailor. It is rather nice, her wanting me to sing. Colin always responded with a horrified, "Mommy, no singing!!" and clapping his hands over my mouth. She also quotes extensively from the literature, including the complete works of The Cat In The Hat and assorted books by P.D. Eastman. She is thankfully very snuggly and doesn't overly mind my constant kissing of her.
Tonight, of course, we will have chocolate cake with chocolate filling and chocolate frosting with "Dora" motif, and Sara will open her presents. Then we will all collapse in a glucose-induced haze, probably with an episode of Dora on the TV. Sara needs to learn "trece", you see. Can't have her stuck at "doce". Any one up for a guess as to how many Dora gifts she receives? Bragging rights to the winner.
(Oh, hush you, let a mom get a bit mushy.)
The real dilemma is that, as tempting as it is to want to freeze them just like they are, they get more and more fun. And interesting. And they tell you about their day at school and how much they "like and love you". Crap. No winning this one.
So, what is not-so-wee Sara up to? Well, asserting her person all over the place. Ah, the power of a well placed "NO!" Also lots of "I do it!" and "My turn!" She is fluent in her Spanish colors and her Spanish numbers up to 12, thanks to a complete Dora the Explorer obsession. She never wants to color anymore but will beg to be able to do "homework" which is, to my eye, indistinguishable from what we used to do when we colored. I must be missing something. I am sure that it has nothing to do with her brother having to do homework when he comes home from school. She picks up songs amazingly quickly and will sing it back to me after I sing one to her a few times, with multiple verses and identical phrasing, except with all the "L"s replaced with "W"s and sounding more than a bit like a drunken sailor. It is rather nice, her wanting me to sing. Colin always responded with a horrified, "Mommy, no singing!!" and clapping his hands over my mouth. She also quotes extensively from the literature, including the complete works of The Cat In The Hat and assorted books by P.D. Eastman. She is thankfully very snuggly and doesn't overly mind my constant kissing of her.
Tonight, of course, we will have chocolate cake with chocolate filling and chocolate frosting with "Dora" motif, and Sara will open her presents. Then we will all collapse in a glucose-induced haze, probably with an episode of Dora on the TV. Sara needs to learn "trece", you see. Can't have her stuck at "doce". Any one up for a guess as to how many Dora gifts she receives? Bragging rights to the winner.
Labels: The Small-Handed Ones
posted by Diana at 9:00 AM
15 Comments:
I'm guessing "cinco" Dora gifts. And I must say this...
"Colin always responded with a horrified, 'Mommy, no singing!!' and clapping his hands over my mouth."
...made me laugh myself silly. :-)
Have fun!
hmmm, how many Dora gifts... is that Dora gifts for THIS birthday, or Dora gifts from this point forward?
If it's from this point forward, I'd say that the sum of the number of Dora gifts converges to infinity.
Otherwise, if it's just this birthday, I'd say "all of them."
My kids usually ask me to sing, except for Pockets, these days, but that wasn't always the case. I've been told to stop singing more than once.
We had a very Dora third Birthday too! Boots the monkey is very entertaining. I have a new peeve with all of the Dora toys that have recently come out. Do you find it weird that they have a Dora carrying her twin siblings in a front carrier? Is this a job for a little girl? Where is the Mother? Or the Grandmother for Christmas sake? If the Grandmother can grow a chocolate tree, I would think she could save Doras back from excruciating pain having to carry around her siblings...
Oh dear, I think I have had too much coffee.Sorry for the rant and if Sara got that for her birthday, I want a picture showing how happy she is with it! :) Have a great time tonight. Yum chocolate cake...
Jamie- Cinco seems a reasonable guess. (Well, maybe the word "reasonable" should be called into question.)
Teri- For just this birthday. I really, really hope that you are wrong, for my sanity's sake. *shudder*
Kate- Oh, dear. I sort of saw that Big Sister Dora in the store and fled to the next aisle, so really didn't look at it. Where is CPS when you need them. There is also the one where she dances different dances depending on the skirt. Sara already has the Bedtime Dora, the Princess Dora with magic growing hair, and another one which I forget, but also is battery operated. She has a soft stuffed Dora and matching Boots, as well. I might add that her paternal grandmother is responsible for the mechanized, loud Doras. I will be sure to send a picture or so. Colin was into Blues Clues, which I preferred, as long as we are talking Steve, and not that irritating Joe. I miss Steve and Blue....
Wow! Three already...wild guess- 6 Dora related gift items.
Allie too, hated my singing and loved "Blues Clues"- with Steve, of course! My husband tells me that Steve from "Blues Clues" has moved on to be a successful rock musician. Allie was "too grown-up" when the Dora craze hit. She was devoted to "Blues Clues" though.
Joe at least changes his clothes once in a while. Don't you think Steve was starting to smell a bit, what with waering the same clothes day after day?
Wow, I'm way out of touch; I'm not even sure who Dora is, but she must be the latest and greatest from what I read here.
I hope Sara has a choco-licious birthday. Hold her close and kiss her often; they are little for just the blink of an eye.
I'm going to guess tres Dora gifts.
Sara sounds like a smart and delightful little girl!
I hope she still finds homework so enthralling when she has to do the real thing.
3? Already? Wow.
Josh just turned two. There goes my plan to have them marry. Sigh. But maybe she'll like younger men when she gets older? I know I do.
I'm not really sure who Dora is or Bob the Builder or this Blue's Clues person. Although I am quite fond of Cookie Monster. Cookie Monster's still cool, right?
Happy Birthday to Sara! Or should I say Feliz Cumpleanos? We have Dora fans here, too, though C doesn't admit it to anyone. Luckily we only have the Dora dollhouse and some Dora legos. KR will watch it but prefers Baby Einstein, Wiggles and Sesame Street. I'm with you on liking Steve over Joe. K watched it when Blues Clues first began and can you imagine that we couldn't find any BC toys anywhere??? LOL!
Funny, C has never wanted me to sing either...*sniff, sniff*
I'm a day late, as usual!!
I'm just glad to see she isn't fond of that hideous purple dinosaur.
Stacy- I've been meaning to google Steve and see what the real story is. I heard he was fronting a punk band in Toronto. The image of that is just beyond what my imagination can create.
Teri- Oh, but don't you remember seeing in Steve's closet, all ligned up, about 42 green striped shirts! Plus the landmark episode where he wore green striped pants and khaki top. Steve just knew what he liked and stuck with it. Actually, there are some sad similiarities between my closet's lack of variety and his, come to think of it.
Listmaker- I should do a rant on kid's TV. All about me, of course. They do grow in quantum leaps, don't they? We rocked extra-long last night.
Rozanne- I agree, very smart and delightful, at least as long as the universe is going her way. Here's hoping the homework stays enjoyable. Otherwise, we will be forced to call it "coloring".
Dana- Ok, I will do a post about kid's TV shows, at least the ones I know. I feel like spreading the knowledge, then you can truly appreciate the nuance of all the dreck assaulting you over the holidays in all of the stores. From my perspective, Cookie Monster will always be Cool.
Becky- I have a feeling Santa will be bringing the Dora legos and some Dora characters to inhabit the dollhouse. I am NOT buying the Dora dollhouse, which means someone else will, along with the last remaining mechanized Dora she is without.
Babs- Believe you me, this is a Barney-free-zone. Any "hideous purple dinosaur" crap that crosses the threshhold by the misguided clandestinely disappears. We all must take our stands.
A big Happy Birthday to Sara! I'm sure you had a wonderful evening with her and I hope she got all the Dora presents that she wanted.
They are so cute at that age.
I swear we are raising the same child, although Sara is a few months Kyra's senior...
I loved this post. I enjoy hearing about your children... And, I secretly wish that you'd post some photos. But - would that be weird? Would it ruin my fun of imagining what they look like?
Hmph.
Well, happy THREE to Sara. A little spanish-counting girl now, and a baby no longer! (Sniff, sniff).
Beth- Oh, she had a ball: Chocolate and presents. What more could one need. Fortunatley, for my sake, she got Dora, but NOT as much as her heart would desire. Now there's a scary thought.
Gerah- I will happily e-mail you pictures galore. See, I "know you", so that is fine. I know I am being silly, but with what Charles and I do, I am a bit squeamish posting their adorable little selves for just anyone to see. Pictures coming your way. And, yes, she and Kyra are waaaay too alike, as I have often thought as well.
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