Letter to Lucia: 37 Months

Dear Little One,

You have been three for a month now, and all I can say is that to be with you these days is to be constantly surprised. You are not the same person you were three months ago, or even one month ago; you are changing so much, so quickly, that it’s almost hard to believe. Suddenly, you want to dress yourself, and choose your own pjs. You come up with elaborate games and activities. You are drawing recognizable shapes, and you can write an L.

But more than all this is how you’re changing socially. You’ve been coming out of your shell for a while now, but lately it’s been shockingly apparent. We had a few kids over this week for playgroup, and though you always look forward to playgroup, usually you turn shy when so many people come over. Not this time. You played the whole time with the other kids, shrieking and laughing as you all chased each other around the house, you and another little girl playing with your doll, standing with the other kids to have sandwiches at the coffee table. You had so much fun, and another mother even remarked on how you’d changed—she said you seemed to sparkle.

This is true. You still drive me crazy a lot of the time, since, at three, you are demanding and persistent and impatient. But you are also hilarious and smart and creative. You’ve always been all these things to us, but now others are getting to see them too.

You and Greta continue to have your conflicts. Sometimes you love your little sister and enjoy taking care of her and playing with her; other times, it’s clear that you wish Greta would just sit still in a little-used corner of the house and keep out of your way. You’re not quite sure what to make of Greta’s newfound walking skills, since a toddling-around Greta is definitely a more in-your-face/in-your-stuff Greta who is growing more confident and feisty by the day. Deep down, I know you love her. Even on tough days, if Greta is upset, you generally run up with a toy or her bibi, sometimes saying kindly, “Here you go, Grets,” other times just throwing it at her—but making the offering nonetheless.

Winter is going to be hard. You need to run, to play, to be outside, and staying inside all day everyday is going to be trying for us all. We’ll have new rhythms to discover in the months ahead.

Favorite books: Pancakes, Pancakes by Eric Carle; Olivia and the Fairy Princesses; Silly Tilly’s Thanksgiving; Berenstain Bears and the Giant Pumpkin; Little Mommy

Favorite toys/activities: Watching Dora the Explorer; “playing” Candyland; arranging small toys and play food in elaborate “picnics”; making towers and castles with blocks; singing songs; taking care of your doll; feeding your doll in the high chair; going to preschool


In this picture, post-dinner, you're eating your "extra-special snack"--a new nightly ritual Andrew got you hooked on. Now, when you eat a good dinner, you request "a special snack--no, an extra-special snack!", and we give you a little bowl filled with an assortment of snacks. Tonight was Wheat Thins, pretzels, yogurt raisins, a fun-size Kit Kat (your current Halloween favorite), and one piece of candy corn.

Here you are with your snack, engrossed in an Olivia episode.