I have been  impressed with Audrey and Megan’s school. For picking it out based on location, I think I did pretty good. Megan and Audrey have been singing the cutest Christmas songs the last few weeks and we finally got to see it in action. Well, Megan preformed, Audrey just stared…alot like last year as I recall. But I had my fingers crossed waiting for Megan’s class, and I am pretty sure I had a big, proud smile on my face for a solid 15 minutes. Pictures don’t do these type of things justice, so you will have to watch the video.

Today, Audrey is 3. I hung her birthday banner up all week to get her excited, and it worked. She likes to look up at it and say “Happy Birthday Audrey.” One thing about not having many connections in town is that I don’t feel obligated to have a party. And I like parties, birthday parties anyway. I tend to start simple and get very detailed as the planning goes. Which is why after each party I say that I am not doing this again. I figure this is the last year that I can get away without a real party for Audrey. Then I began to think about her 2nd birthday and realized that I played the exact same card last year. Poor third child.

After a normal day of school, we went for a short walk to get the mail. Along the sidewalk, Audrey begins to throw-up. Megan and I are standing with our legs sprawled apart trying not to get the backsplash as she is hurling in front of the neighbor’s house. About an hour later, she learned the very important lesson of leaning over the toilet. I really think that this is the first time that she has ever thrown up. That was about 3:30pm, and Alyssa and I knew for sure that our Chuck E Cheese family party was canceled. I think I was just as disappointed as them. Not that I like that place, but I do love watching my kids enjoy themselves.

Despite the events of the day, and there were more, she remained in a good mood, bouncing back to her normal self after each “event”. She had some typical BRAT food for dinner but I was not going to let this ruin her birthday cake. She sat and smiled, we sang, she blew out the candle, but she declined on her own piece of cake. She was such a champ today. I hope she will feel better tomorrow and can enjoy a piece of that cake. For now, she is cozy in her bed and I am hoping she can stay there all night. Sweet dreams, big three year old. More

The single most popular word said around our house is Auuudrey! Any given day that word can come out of any of our mouths, and what it really means is things like this:

You just spilled milk all over the floor.
You knocked over Megan’s Lego tower.
You just colored all over Alyssa’s homework.
Get off the counter.
You do not need another pack of gummies.
Why are you wearing a completely new set of clothes?
Why did you take your shoes off?
Bubby does not go outside.

Ah, this age is a good one. She will be 3 in a short month and I am nervous if she is going to be better or worse as a three year old. She is defiant, independent. She gets into everything. Not in a destructive way but just an annoying way. She changes clothes every time she is locked in her room for time out – which is often. She is fully potty trained, but never flushes the toilet. She and Megan can fight like no ones business and neither of them will give in. She lays by her door every night whining. She kicks, she screams. She has 3 Bubbies, her favorite stuffed animal, which instead of replacing each other she just has to have all three. But at the end of it all, she has to read her books in bed, she must get back up to hug and kiss her sisters, and really just wants my attention. She is funny, sweet and completely lovable. And despite being my earliest riser, I love to see her happy face each morning and start the day with a new set of Auuudreys!

My little girls started back to preschool yesterday. It is hard to get one kid in school and then wait 3 weeks before the others get to go. After waiting so long, they were both ready and excited. They are going 2x a week at a church minutes from the house. I picked solely based on location, but I think the school will be good as well.

Megan, of course, had to pick out a “beautiful” dress to wear to school. There is no convincing that girl of picking an outfit based on seasons, weather or an activity. She was also determined to play a little hopscotch before school. She got out her chalk and found her rock and had a few rounds before we got in the car.

Audrey was a little hesitant when I left. Probably because she has been glued to her “bubby” since she was born and I decided to break her of that habit on the first day of school. I have a feeling she convinced her teacher to get it out of the backpack just this once. She had a good day, did not nap, but who can blame her.

Megan did great. She walked right in, scoped things out and began playing. I can’t believe this is her last year of preschool. I have to intentionally remind myself this is our last year together. I am hoping it is a great year.

Then there is Audrey. There are few adequate words to describe this fireball. Like tonight at dinner, I thought she could just sit next to me in the booth. I am so tired of highchairs. She jumped, she twisted, she had her hands through the nasty blinds, she bounced, she was under the table at one point. All the while, Ethan calmly asked again and again, “do you want a highchair?” Finally, I gave in. She is full of energy, full of persistence, full of her own way. Here is a peak at bedtime.

Audrey has been sitting successfully on the potty for several days in a row now and actually is excited about it. So, “Toilet Training in less than a Day in hand”, let’s see if we can go 3 for 3.

What is cuter than a little bum in panties?

Audrey and Megan are excited. They watch and wait while I put the bed together, just waiting for the chance to play on it.

Audrey takes her first nap in the bed and does quiet well. She came out one time, but then stayed in bed and took her normal nap. When the night came, we read books as normal and sang our songs.

Then came patience. I think we lost track of how many times she got out of bed and came out of her room that night, but it was more than I wanted to admit. (Crazy child with a mind her own. Why can’t she fall into the plan laid out for her?) From my one experience with the Super Nanny, I took her hand, led her back through her dark room and placed her in bed. Closed her door and sat.

I sat on this stool, just waiting for the next time. Over and over, until she got mad enough and cried herself down. All in all, she did well. Naps have continued to be easier and bedtime has been a battle. But it was after her 6:30 am wake and walk down the hall this morning into her sister’s room, that I began to regret my decision. Yes, she is ready and eventually we will have to make the transition, but with all going on in my house right now, maybe the stress at bedtime is not worth it. Could I put the crib back in and expect her to stay in it? Or would she then started to climb out though she never did before?

I decided against that idea. I made my choice and am determined to stick it out and make it work. And I put a child lock on the inside of her door tonight. So now it will work. She can’t get out. Calm down, all you crazy people who think this is wrong. It is perfectly safe…. we did it with Alyssa too and she is fine. For now, I see hope. Hope that she will stay in her bed (or at least her room) tonight. And hope that I will not wake to the sound of footsteps down the hall. But hope that this is the beginning of her journey to being a kid!

If you were around to see Alyssa preform at age 2 or even age 4, you would know why I had such a huge smile watching these two today. I was so proud of just the fact that they were on stage and then participating was a bonus. Megan was even prepared for a … wait for it … speaking part. But another girl ended up doing it, so they didn’t use Megan. But she was standing there ready and that counts in my book. They had a cute little program today, and I was so glad to sit and smile upon my girls.

You are from God. I tell myself  as you are climbing out of the shopping basket, into other people’s strollers, on the counter or the kitchen table. You are a blessing. I tell myself as you are stomping your feet in frustration, hitting your sister or making growling noises in anger. It is only a stage. I tell myself as you are running through a parking lot ignoring my plea to stop or shoving your food across the table and refusing to eat. And I say, oh, how I love you as we rock before bed, watching you name the objects you didn’t know a year ago, and singing Twinkle Twinkle together. You tell me “no bed, mommy”, you whine for  milk, and then we rock. You eventually lay your head on my shoulder, trying to adjust so that your big 2 year old body can fit in my arms, and finally give in. It is in that moment that I can truly thank God for you and your zeal for life. I can thank God for knowing the end while I was stuck in the pain of losing Noah. I thank Him for completing our family in a way that only He could. Little Audi, you wear me out,  you frustrate me beyond words. But you are precious to me. My baby. You make the whole family laugh. You make your Daddy smile. You bring fun and joy into this family. You stand out in the crowd with your white hair. Your beautiful grin each morning makes me want to cover you in kisses. I love you. And a year from now, as I post your 3rd birthday, I will miss the sweetness of this age. And then quietly thank God again for bringing me through it.