Everyone talks about those milestone moments, those moments that you realize your baby is just a little less of a baby. Those moments that you look around and realize how many other children are younger than yours. Those moments that you think, how did time go so fast? I had several of those moments last week. And all I can think is Please Lord, just let time go a little slower. Somehow I've escaped many of these moments over the past two years, eight months, and nineteen days. Sure I notice some of them and think about how quickly Emma is growing and learning but for the most part I take it in, enjoy it, move on and brace for the next change. Yet, something about her being nearly three years old has hit me. She seems to be the furthest thing from a baby. Emma no longer just walks, she runs. She no longer just talks, she regularly converses and has unique thoughts. She no longer just cries when she is hurt, angry or sad, but she cries and feels sympathy when I am hurt. She no longer simply tells me she can't do something but she looks for a way to do it on her own and she will. not. give. up. She is a problem solver. She is a thinker. She is stubborn. She is a sassy, funny, loving, sometimes lying, two-halves year old as she likes to tell me. She is mine. For some reason God entrusted me with one of his most beautiful creations and everyday I thank him for thinking for some reason I was deserving of it.
Can't get enough of these giggles.
Nor enough of these smiles.
Brutal honesty.
Always my grocery helper.
Just barely big enough...
Playing "I'm a baby, teenager and working adult simultaneously.
Last week Emma's preschool told us she would be moving up to the Strawberry Room (aka the three year old room). You would almost think she had graduated from college I was so excited for her. Although she still has a few months before she turns three, the Cherry Berry Room (aka her current two year old room room) is getting full and evidently the teachers think she is ready for the next step (either that or her teachers in the two year old room have had as much Emma as they can take). She can't stop talking about going to Miss Kim's room with some of her other friends. We previously talked about how she would go to Miss Kim's room when she turned three, but now with her moving up earlier than planned I remind her daily that she will go there starting next week and her water cup will be there, her tub, her hook, her cot, her name will be there and she gets the biggest, most excited grin on her little face.
We had some good multicultural lessons the past month... Chinese New Year celebration at preschool
...eating with her chopsticks....
...Out for Spanish tapas.
...what else, but traditional Swiss?!
Speaking of friends... I love the fact that Emma now has school friends. But wow do I feel like that is entering new territory. No longer is she forced by association to only be friends with kids of mommy and daddy's friends. She now has her own friends and got invited to not one but two birthday parties of her school friends this past month. We went to one yesterday and it was the cutest thing ever to see one of her friends excitedly say "Hi Emma!" when she saw her. Even better is the feeling to know the other kids in her class like her and are happy to see her. I'm already envisioning years from now when I will be concerned or wondering who her friends are and what she is doing with them. Thank goodness for me I have a few more years before solo parties and outings. Unfortunately for me she's already figured out this lying thing, but luckily she's really really bad at it.
Finally, one of my favorite things about this new found age is her ability to think for herself and express it in words. While I'm not sure I appreciate her telling mommy and daddy what to do, the "Don't tell me what to do, AT MY FACE" comment a few weeks ago was too funny to think a second time about. I am not sure the demanding "Only ME talk" at dinner this weekend was quite as funny, but it still caught me off guard enough that I didn't know how to respond and for the short term Emma got what she wanted - only her talking!
She still has to play with kids of some of her mommy and daddy's friends... luckily she seems to like them.
Emma's newest hobby is photography and videography
Had to try on my derby hat!
Foam rolling and alphabet singing in the morning...
Cutest doctor in town.
Friday night fun night... dance party!
Without a doubt my favorite unsolicited statement to come from Emma as of late was the one that made me stop and take a deep breath, telling my heart to be still. The "I love you so much mommy" was just too much. There was no first "I love you" on my part, no specific action to make her say something like this. It was the dead stop in the middle of playing with something when she said "I love you so much" that made me suddenly want to stop time as I felt like every moment around me was fleeting. It was so simple, so perfect, she had no idea how big it was. I got a big bear hug around the neck and then it was back to playing with whatever she was playing with, it was back to picking her nose (me reminding me that it makes her face hurt), yelling, pulling Dakota's fur, and doing whatever else she could do that brought me back quickly to earth.
I can't believe she's almost three, no longer a baby, nearly no longer a toddler, almost a small child going on teenager and adult. Please Lord, make time stand still.
Enjoying the last snow of the season.
A dinner time ritual at our house lately when Emma tells us to be happy or be sad and we take selfies... talk about being a product of modern day technology and social media
Everyone talks about those milestone moments, those moments that you realize your baby is just a little less of a baby. Those moments that you look around and realize how many other children are younger than yours. Those moments that you think, how did time go so fast? I had several of those moments last week. And all I can think is Please Lord, just let time go a little slower. Somehow I've escaped many of these moments over the past two years, eight months, and nineteen days. Sure I notice some of them and think about how quickly Emma is growing and learning but for the most part I take it in, enjoy it, move on and brace for the next change. Yet, something about her being nearly three years old has hit me. She seems to be the furthest thing from a baby. Emma no longer just walks, she runs. She no longer just talks, she regularly converses and has unique thoughts. She no longer just cries when she is hurt, angry or sad, but she cries and feels sympathy when I am hurt. She no longer simply tells me she can't do something but she looks for a way to do it on her own and she will. not. give. up. She is a problem solver. She is a thinker. She is stubborn. She is a sassy, funny, loving, sometimes lying, two-halves year old as she likes to tell me. She is mine. For some reason God entrusted me with one of his most beautiful creations and everyday I thank him for thinking for some reason I was deserving of it.
Speaking of friends... I love the fact that Emma now has school friends. But wow do I feel like that is entering new territory. No longer is she forced by association to only be friends with kids of mommy and daddy's friends. She now has her own friends and got invited to not one but two birthday parties of her school friends this past month. We went to one yesterday and it was the cutest thing ever to see one of her friends excitedly say "Hi Emma!" when she saw her. Even better is the feeling to know the other kids in her class like her and are happy to see her. I'm already envisioning years from now when I will be concerned or wondering who her friends are and what she is doing with them. Thank goodness for me I have a few more years before solo parties and outings. Unfortunately for me she's already figured out this lying thing, but luckily she's really really bad at it. 
