My baby girl turns 4 next month! And while 3 has not been a walk in the park, there are some things I will miss about this age once it’s gone. This was the year my Miss O blossomed, both emotionally and intellectually.
This year she has started to write letters and numbers, spell her name, make up songs, and her imagination is absolutely out of this world! I love her sense of humor and infectious laugh. I love her sense of empathy and that she gets truly sad when something bad happens to someone else, even movie characters. She’s on an eternal quest for what’s “fair”. She’s becoming more independent, but she still wants to spend time with us.
So yes, age 3 has its challenges. When my sister, a new mom, recently asked what was harder, 2 or 3, I had replied “3!” before she’d even finished the question. But it’s also full of magical moments and the blossoming of her sparkling personality.
Here are my 3 favorite things about age 3:
Unbridled Enthusiasm
A book from the dollar section at Target gets this reaction.
At 3 years old, everything is exciting. A trip to the grocery store? Yay! Helping Daddy rake? Yay! Swim class? YAY! Any gift is accepted with a big smile, and an adorable, “Oh, thank you!” On Christmas this year she hugged a package of socks like a teddy bear. It’s impossible not to get excited about even the most mundane things with a 3-year-old around. Miss O loves to put her own waffles in the toaster and watch them toast – and because she finds it exciting, I do, too.
Love & Affection
Kiss for her cousin, Baby V
Every morning when I wake up Miss O for school we sit in our rocking chair and snuggle as she transitions from sleep. Once in a while I won’t be holding her tightly enough and she’ll grab my hand and wrap it around her just where she wants it. In the middle of a game of tag she will yell, “Stop,” give me a hug or kiss, then keep running. And her favorite seat in the house is wherever Mr. O or I are sitting. I know that these years are fleeting and I’m enjoying every moment, every kiss, every hug, every pat on the head.
Determination
Must. get. chicken nugget.
If Miss O sets her mind on something, she’s going to do it. She wanted to hit a ball with a bat so I tossed the ball 4,000 times until she hit a line drive at my head. She wanted to do a sommersault, so she practiced, and practiced, and practiced until she could do it without any help. She’s fiercely independent (in a good way… mostly) and is learning that the best way to get what you want is to decide you want it and make it happen.
Yes, 3 is a tough age. Determination often crosses the line into stubbornness, even defiance. She has a difficult time accepting the word no, though she has no trouble saying it. Every day she pushes boundaries and buttons and questions everything. There are days I look at the clock and try to will it to go faster.
But then she does something sweet, or kind, or even kind of ballsy and I am reminded that she’s doing exactly what she’s supposed to do. She’s learning about the world around her and how far she can go.
Well, baby girl, the sky’s the limit. With your enthusiasm, open heart, and determination you can do anything you choose and I couldn’t be happier to be your mommy.
