Three Years Roll by for Pumpkin!

Thus little doll of mine is officially 3!  Being the youngest in the family makes you grow up fast as you are endlessly trying to 'catch up' with you siblings.  Also being the sister to a special needs brother really matures you quickly and so the number of your age is never truly indicative of your soul.  This girl has been 2 going on 18 forever!  Perhaps it because I'm too tired and busy with the others, or perhaps it's because she has so many roll models, but much of what she does is a  matter of her choice and not ours.

Take potty training for example.  There are days when I'll suggest it and it's a firm no that when I push becomes an anxiety ridden experience for all of us with little successs.   On the other hand if it's a day she consents of her own than this is hardly any accidents and I barely need to do anything aside from keep her entertained with a YouTube video in the tiled area and she will train herself , hopping on and off the potty as needed with on,y a few gentle reminders of proper hygiene.

Watching Bug do judo she was thrilled once It was offered into class by Sensei.  She quickly and dutifully learned her falls, impressing all the other students.  Her size and age are yet too small to practice much in the way of taking others down and she has since grown bored of only doing the falls so she goes to class as a social thing.  If her friends aren't there she has absolutely no incentive and nothing can be done.  Once they're there she becomes their little mascot to rally around and playfully wrestle on the mats.  They often tell me how cute she is and how they wish she could be their little sister so if she ever was lacking in older siblings she has a classful now!

With homeschooling she is quickly exposed to all her numbers and letters.  She loves playing with the Bananagrams when I'm working on spelling with the older two.  She recognizes all of them and is actively learning their sounds now.  Sometimes she can be heard to coach Bubby, much to his irritation, and like a little sponge she is trying to 'read' to herself.  My favorite was when reading aloud The Hungry Caterpillar and she could be heard to say with great emphasis, "but he was STILL HUNGRY!"

The perks of being young is that you are free to say what comes to mind with little thought to social implications.  She overheard me reeming out the older two and came up to pat my knee.  Looking earnestly into my face she said, "Mama, you fuss-rated?  Sorry.  Okay, time to move on, read me a book?"

The night before her birthday she had a special dinner out with just Mama and Baba.  We stopped to pick up her special gift at Build-A-Bear that she lovingly named Fluffy Bunny.  The following day we spent at the Family Fun Fair where she played games and ate cookies and candies to her hearts content.

Everytime she was asked what she wanted for her cake her list would grow longer and longer.  I quit letting the kids ask her for fear I could never meet her request.  It was a bunny, butterflies, flower, rainbows and clouds cake.  This was my best attempt, particularly with so little time to prep after our SLC trip.  Thankfully she's pretty easy to please and we shared it with a friend from church on sunday evening.

We are so grateful to have her in our lives.  Three years has flown by so quickly and she keeps us smiling with all her little spunk.  You are our pumpkin doll and life is so much better with you Leora!  Happy Birthday my little love!