The Big 0-3

Lillian turned three a couple of weeks ago so it's about time I told you about it. Apparently, 3 is a magic number. Lillian can now do everything by herself. Any time I try to help her with something like put on her shoes or wash her hands she says, "Mom, I can do it by my own! I thwee!" Today she asked me to help her lock the baby lock on the kitchen cabinet. Before I could get to her, she figured it out. She turned to me and said, "I got it! I thwee." That explains it all.

Being three also makes a difference when you go to the dentist. Six months ago Lillian kicked and screamed when they tried to take pictures of her teeth and we had to practically hold her down while they cleaned her teeth and fixed her cavity (which I'm ashamed to say she had, but I blame it on her bad teeth genes). This week she had her 6-month check-up and she was a champ!! She sat in the chair all by herself and played with the chair up/down button. She chatted with the hygienist and the dentist and she even let them use Mr. Thirsty (remember him?!). Wow, what a difference six months make.

I'm still waiting for the three-year-old magic to kick-in in the temper tantrum department. That's one area where we haven't seen any progress yet. Oh well.

To celebrate the special day, Grandma B, Mommy, and Sydney took Lillian to the Crayola Factory in Easton, PA (it was a hike, but worth it!!).

So many crayons!!

There was also a free Canal Museum that was lots of fun.

The tiller made the floor rotate, simulating a boat.
It was Lilly's favorite part of the museum.

When we got home we had Lillian's favorite foods for dinner- flower noodles with butter, shrimp, edamame, cheese, and olives (she has such refined taste).

Then she tore into her presents.


We sang Happy Birthday, she blew out candles, and we all enjoyed some birthday cupcakes.


We couldn't get enough of birthday festivities, so on Saturday we had a little birthday party. There was more cake and ice cream and lots of birthday fun.

Happy Birthday, Big Girl!!

Tacos

Dear Tasha,

We had tacos for dinner last night. It reminded me of you because tacos were your favorite thing to have for dinner. It was one of the first meals we had together; you stuffed yourself with six whole tacos and had a stomach ache afterward. Later you told me that the reason you like tacos so much is the conversation they create around the dinner table- there are so many toppings sitting all over the table, that in order to get what you want, you have to ask, "will you please pass the ____" and, "could you pass the ____ please." This interaction and passing around of food was appealing to you. I always thought that was endearing.

Little things like this remind me of you on a daily basis. I'm not the only one who remembers. Lillian saw a blow dryer in the YMCA bathroom a few days ago. As she blow dried her hair she said, "Tasha have a pink one!" She frequently asks me, "Where Tasha? Where her bed?"

I ask myself the same questions. I wonder where you are, who you're with, how you're feeling, if you're safe....if you're thinking of me. If you know that I'm thinking of you.

I miss you.

My relationship with you made me a better person and it made our family stronger.

I wish I knew how you were doing.

No matter how much time goes by, I will always want to hear from you.

I love you,
Amanda

Photographer In Training

Lillian is a budding photographer! All of her practice is paying off- no more knee shots or cut-off foreheads! Here is some of her recent work:







Here are some that Mommy and Daddy caught:



So...who's ready to book a session? :)

State of Emergency

I found this photo on my camera today. It's from a couple of months ago.


Holy smokes! It looks like Hurricane Lillian passed through in full force. President Obama must have declared a Federal State of Emergency that day. I'm still waiting for relief efforts to arrive . . .

Poo-Pee-Palooza

Sydney has been on a roll lately. Yesterday she sprinkled me with a fountain of pee while I was changing her diaper. Later that afternoon she soaked her carseat with pee (in her defense though, she was wearing a swimmie diaper because she was on her way to the pool....proves every mom's theory that swimmies don't hold a darn thing).

But today was the kicker. I finally got the girls and the jogging stroller loaded in the car and we were heading out for a nice, leisurely jog down by the river. I heard Sydney grunting in her carseat behind me, which was soon followed by the unmistakable smell of poo. No big deal, I thought- BEFORE I saw the mess. Sydney blew the poop straight out the right side of her diaper, all over her leg, her arm, and even some on her face!! Ewwww! I drove right back home, stripped her down and put her in the bath tub. So much for my jog. Too bad the effort alone isn't enough to burn the calories.