Letter to my Sweet Girl: Lily is THREE

Dear Lily,

You are three years old, THREE!, and you are learning all manner of new tricks. These past six months alone, you have learned how to make a harmonica produce different sounds, how to write several letters in your first name (and Daisy's first name), how to cut scissors to cut along a line or make a paper snowflake, how to ride a scooter, and you have mastered the lyrics to several new songs.

Your maternal grandparents took you and your sister to Disneyland for your birthdays. You met Minne Mouse, Cinderella and Elsa. You now believe that Disneyland is the source of all the happiness in the world, except for any of the fast rides. Like the Carousel. 

Lily, I love watching you grow, and I constantly wonder what you are learning and what ideas you most fervently will express. This being said, you are so fiercely independent. You are passionate. You and I butt heads - I think it's because we are so similar. We cry. We yell. And then, half a second later, we snuggle up to one another and we laugh and hug and read. Some mornings we are the best of friends. Other mornings, it feels as though we have drawn up troops to march into battle.

That being said, your imagination is really blossoming these days. You spend your days pretending to be Rainbow Brite (a recent obsession), or a baby or a pirate or a dog. Recently, your absolute favorite is to play Cinderella with your father. He plays the part of Prince Charming and I play the part of the Evil Stepmother, Violet plays the part the Fairy Godmother, while Daisy is the beautiful Queen who sits upon her throne and sings the ballroom music for you and your prince to waltz too.  You start by engaging in a dramatic curtsy to the ground, and conclude the entire game with your prince slipping on one of my high heels for the glass slipper test. I'm not entirely sure how I got cast into the part I did, but I love watching your eyes sparkle and your face light up when you dance with your prince.

Meeting the real-life Cinderella. You were almost trembling with excitement. 

Also, you have started a ballet class (in which you insist on wearing tap shoes) that you absolutely love. Oh, and you've started drawing rainbows all the time. That's pretty cool too.

While visitng your grandparents, we also went to the beach. You now believe your grandparents to live in a magical place of sand, princess castles and unlimited ice cream. 

You are three years old Lily, and having you at this age is amazing and wonderful. Three is clever and curious and creative. Three is loud and three is quiet. Three is painted fingernails and whizzing by on your scooter and trudging up to the house covered head to to in mud and sopping wet from running through the sprinklers.

Watching the parade with you in my arms. 

I love you more than all the stars in the sky and all the water in the oceans.

Love, Momma