Dear Mackenzie

Where do I start?? I have no idea how we are here already. You are three. Three has always seemed so big to me (though I'm pretty sure next year I'll look back and be telling myself how little you looked at three if history tells me anything!). In some ways it seems so much longer than 3 years because I hardly remember my life before you and we have been through so much in three years and I have grown so much being a mother. But most days, I feel like you just grew up in a blink of an eye. Where did that little tiny baby go?

I love so much about this age. You are now developing your own friendships & are learning to play with friends so well (a far cry from your biting days!). You have such big thoughts and use what seem to me to be big words for a three year old. Tonight a friend visited and enjoyed your talkative self, telling her you wanted to watch another 'episode' after the show you were watching ended. And speaking of talkative. You LOVE to talk. And it always is particularly fun when you talk to anyone and everyone at a store we're at. Yesterday, you brought a pad & pen into a store and were drawing while I shopped. Then, you proceeded to give them to everyone who passed and started up a conversation with them all! These folks enjoyed you, such a precocious little girl!

You are enjoying going to school again this year two days a week. Your teachers said you are doing great! I'm so glad you are enjoying it because a) it gives mommy a little break and b) I like that your getting some formal education because you have very little interest in listening to mommy try to teach you! You'd rather explore on your own it seems. You really do have that independent streak. Sometimes you want to play with friends, other times you like to do your own thing & that's okay and I even think it's good that you are comfortable doing your own thing!

Speaking of doing your own thing.....you truly have an opinion on your clothes these days! You really have an opinion on shoes. You love high heels, sparkly shoes, and anything else really girly/princessy! You have for the past 1/2 year or so, insisted on pretty much wearing only pink dresses! We don't always have one clean, so you do wear others, but if it's clean, you want pink! And if you could, you'd wear your Sleeping Beauty princess dress all the time & everywhere (which I limit you on, and you do not appreciate!). I'm gearing myself up for some clothing battles in years to come......

You are beginning to develop some hobbies. You do ballet/tap and gymnastics at the local community center. And you love it! I can't wait to see how much you have learned at your end of the year performance!

You are becoming such a great big sister. Slowly, as Keelyn is growing, you are starting to play together (or at least playing at the same time in the same room near each other!), and I love to watch that and the beginning of such a great little relationship. You sometimes still smother her with love, but you are learning to obey our cardinal rule......"If she starts screaming, STOP whatever you are doing!". You follow this rule.........sometimes! You have started wanting to comfort her after naptime & love to run into her room and climb into her crib when she wakes up crying! Love. It.

You are a blessing & I pray that I am able to be the parent you need me to be. I can't wait to see where this next year takes us!

Love always,
Mommy