(42 Months) - 3 Years + 6 Months

Happy Half-Birthday to my girl! You may now accurately insist that you are "three and a half" rather than just three.

This month you started back at daycare, and are officially in the preschool classroom with Teacher Liz, and some of your old friends, like Asher, Charlie and Iris, Beckley, and Boudica. You insisted on wearing a fancy dress to your first day back to school because "it's preschool!"

You choose your own outfits. Obvi. I try to insist on putting your hair in a pony or a clip, but sometimes you win that one.

You love Daddy's new truck, and you always tell him how big it is. You like that you get to ride in the front seat and see what there is to see.

You've come to request a lot of "silly pictures" from Daddy while he's at work. You're easily impressed and have a beautiful, contagious laugh.

You say A LOT of funny things. I do my damnedest to write them down for posterity.

You still love the Children's Museum, and it's one of my favorite places to spend with you on a rainy Mama Day.

You've already written some inspired poetry.

Although you still remain very ignorant to gender and race differences, you embarrassed your mama at the Children's Museum when playing with the babies you loudly declared, "Only the black babies are sick." In front of a person of color no less. There I was, feeling all proud that you were playing doctor and "helping babies," and then you sideswipe me with that one ;)

You're always anatomically correct.

You are never shy to hold hands, cuddle, or kiss me.

You have a ball playing with friends like Harlow and Monroe.

You are so friendly when meeting and hanging out with my friends, like getting ice cream with Kegan.

You quickly get over being shy with friendly grown-ups, like Kegan.

You are practicing drawing smiley faces that look more like stern faces, and writing letters F, A, P, and M.

You love hanging out with Logan and Max, especially when we go on adventures and eat snacks.

You remind me of your Daddy ...

Daddy also thinks you say funny things, and he tries to be good about texting me what you say.

You are a fun Mama Day date.

Your mama is no good at art.

You insist on taking "selfies" of me. I find it embarrassing, like people think I asked my 3-year-old to take my photo.

You drew this family portrait at school with Teacher Liz. For the record, we've never eaten cake and watched movies, and you've never seen a dinosaur movie. Although we have been watching movies this month, like Toy Story, Winnie the Pooh, and even Frozen!

We took a flakily hike this month.

You were shy and then had a blast eating breakfast at Lovejoy Bakery and running around Jamison Square with Peter.

You are a prolific artist. The teachers at school say you go through the most paper of any of your classmates.

I love to be creepy and watch you sleep. Perfection.

You willingly pose for photos to send to Daddy and anyone else.

I love nothing more in this world than cuddling my nakie Bean.

Like I mentioned, you say a lot of cute and funny things. Sometimes it's not what you say but how you say it. And I want to remember:

"I was thinking we could ..."

"I got a good compromise ..."

"Mom? I like to go for walks with you too."

While reading Olivia Forms a Band, "mama, was this book writed by the same author."

While taking a bath:

F: "Look daddy I'm playing my vagina like a guitar."

A: "Gina-tar."

F: "Hahaha, yeah, a gina-tar!"

While reading a book:

F: "Do you think that's its grandma?"

J: "Hold on, let me check."

F: "It is! Because it has white hair. It's its grandma."

While playing pretend:

F: "My sister got hurt."

A: "Yeah?  What's your sister's name?"

F: "Mike."

Francie to Mama: "I just want to touch your fat."

Randomly: "Is Beebee going to die?"

While cuddling you to sleep:
"But mama, can you point your butt that way? I don't want you to fart in my face."

Mama: I love you. 

Francie: I love you too. 

Mama: Like how much?

Francie: Like, thirty-seven-ninety pounds. 

"Mama I don't have to go potty, I'm just rubbing my crouch."

"Daddy I love your little hairy arms."

You are obsessed with eating breakfast with your daddy in the morning before he goes to work, even if you have to get up at 5:45. You are napping at school, and learning to not wear a pull-up. At home, you do Quiet Time for an hour, using your fancy visual timer. You still like to ride your scoot bike to the park, and could swing for hours. You ask for treats almost anywhere we go, but I can't blame you because I basically have a treat anywhere we go. You still love playing Memory. We get several new books each week from the library. You like taking a stroller ride to Multnomah Village to play at Thinker Toys and read books at the "cat store" (Annie Bloom's bookstore has a cat). We often get coffee together, visit the park most days it's not raining, and you still insist on wearing fewer clothes that is normal. Your tantrums are fewer and further between, and while you are still learning to assert yourself and your opinions, you have been responding easily to redirection or compromise. You have developed some fears, mostly of deer or raccoon coming into your room when you're sleeping. I say a stupid "magic song" before bed that makes you feel better. You sneak into our bed every single night, usually after midnight or early in the morning, right before Daddy wakes up at 5ish. You are mostly cheerful, like to make us laugh, love going to school, and Beebee thinks you are an old soul.