Extra Double Happy

At three years old (okay, rapidly approaching 4!) Vivian is a talkative, enthusiastic, opinionated preschooler. In a lot of ways she's an 'old' three: already been skiing, ice skating, rides a pedal bike, likes 'reading' the teenage-girl graphic novels that her big sisters are into.

She imitates her big sisters, whether telling me that she has a loose tooth or asking me how to spell something and then writing a squiggle for each sound I tell her.

But as the baby of the family, there are still things we do for her: carry her more than necessary, help with clothing/snowsuit/shoes. Dave realized that she could be buckling her own car seat; it took a few weeks of frustration but now she is proud of doing it and won't let us help even when we're in a hurry.

But she's also quite a toddler still-- very stubborn about what she wants to wear, which blanket she wants to have, what she wants to eat ("something sweet!"). She definitely takes advantage of us being distracted to get away with things-- yesterday I caught her eating out of the sugar bowl and later decorating her 'annie' with CDs as bracelets and anklets.

She is shy around strangers, often turning her face away when someone talks to her. When a new babysitter came, she pulled her shirt up over her head the whole time I gave instructions. (Presumably she came out sometime after I left?!)

But she is getting more experience with new people and faces. In Sept 2014, she started going to Twoodles, a practice-preschool at the local rec center. It is for one hour twice a week, with two teachers and fifteen two- and three-year olds. She is very fond of her teachers and happily starts the activities with a quick kiss goodbye, so I'm confident that she will transition to a longer day preschool next fall.

Like many toddlers, Vivian finds that, if it's worth going somewhere, it's worth going on a run. And she is always trying to keep up with them. During the spring she learned how to ride a pedal bike and is repeatedly heart-broken that she can't go faster than her big sisters.

Also, this year, her major allegiance seems to have switched to her sisters instead of me. When she gets out of bed in the morning, she first checks the house for them; if I don't want her to wake them up I have to call her to me. Although she'll usually pause for a requested kiss or hug, she doesn't have much patience for cuddling, often telling me "Mom, we can't kiss all day." She is capable enough now to do many things with her sisters and, depending on their moods, they will indulge her or not. They, especially Mae, are more helpful than (perhaps) other seven-year-olds; she often gets them to help her get dressed, do her hair, even paint her nails.

Her current obsession with the Disney movie Frozen; every day she asks if she can "dye her hair white like Elsa's" and her favorite clothing is a dressup/nightgown like Elsa's. This morning, she had convinced one of her sisters to pin a blue sheet on the back, making a long train. We're using this to our advantage by having her earn this years Halloween costume: 7 good nights in a row gets her a wig, shoes, dress and then make-up.

During the year, we've had to become more strict about tantrums-- I think I was just too distracted to deal with it when she was two, for which we really paid a price. But after a few weeks of major fights and screaming in her room, she seems to have figured out that we mean what we say (finally) and, although she still pushes boundaries, now at least we can say 'no' without guaranteeing a tantrum. Sometimes. She's definitely pushed our boundaries: slamming doors, throwing things, screaming and hitting.

Her maturity is most clear with respect to books: although it isn't her first choice, she will now listen when we're reading Harry Potter out loud to Adi and Mae and she asks questions that indicate she's trying to figure it out. She's also recently become interested in how things work (this morning, examining my Camelbak water pouch, "So the water come down the hose to your mouth?"). Also, on her bike: "Why do my knees go up and down but the pedals go around?"

Naturally, we think she's brilliant. :)