2.11

To my almost three-year-old...

You love to draw and most of the time what you draw is pretty unrecognizable, but one day you came up to me and said, "Look mama! I make two smiley faces!" I was nursing your sister and looked over and was so amazed! Yes! You did, Greta, my love. You did, in fact, draw a round face and two eyes and a mouth. Twice! I was so proud I almost cried. You even progressed to giving your faces hair and little bodies.

You keep asking to go to your other home...in Seattle. And I love the way you pronounce "See-AT-all".

When you sing, you announce the name of the song you are about to sing. "Twinkle, Twinkle"...pause..."Twinkle, Twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are!"

You went on your very first carousel ride at Navy Pier. You didn't want to go on the horse, so we sat on the bench. After we got off, you wanted to go right back on.

You are just the sweetest big sister. You love to kiss Estella and feed her and you play so nicely with her...most of the time. I just love you for this.

You have never liked loud noises. Therefore, you didn't watch the fireworks this year. They started going off as your daddy put you to bed and you complained that they were too loud, but as soon as your head hit the pillow, you were asleep...and the fireworks were still going off.

You are becoming increasingly interested in learning your letters. I try to tell you what the letters are when we are building with your ABC blocks, for example...but no. You don't want me to tell you what letter is what. You prefer to tell me. 

Oh Greta, my Greta. A wild yet tame heart. You cannot be told what's what. You must find these things out for yourself...which makes teaching you a new thing very, very difficult, I'm afraid.