Almost 3

As it has become my tradition, tonight I am sitting down to write a post to Maggie and Ben, the night before their birthday.  I can't even believe that they will be three tomorrow.

Three is old, three is independent, three is preschool and friends, and band aids to make it better.  Imagination, creativity, coloring, learning, telling stories, telling lies.  Hugs, kisses, I love yous, and snuggles.  Before we move forward, I want to look back.

Dear Maggie and Ben,

This was a very big year.  One year ago when you turned two, you seemed so big, so much less like babies, and I was amazed at your growth.  This year you have grown again, not so much in size, but in maturity.  You have senses of humor, memories, and imagination.  You have gone from words, to phrases, to sentences to now, where I can barely get a word in if you have something you have to tell me.  Just now, in fact, as I was upstairs trying to get you to bed, you both had to stop me with a "Mommy, I have to talk to you."  If I try to have a conversation in the car, without you being able to talk on the Bluetooth, I get yelled at.  When we are on the Bluetooth, I am not allowed to have conversations with Nama, or Daddy because you "Need to tell them something."  The other night, this most important conversation was about a biting incident that happened a week ago.  And the kind of band aids we have in our medicine cabinet.  They passed my phone back and forth for fifteen minutes, talking to Nama and Grandpa.

We have drama, we still have tears.  Maggie, my dear, you are still quite a drama queen.  It is getting better, it is, and you are not running to me for every little thing anymore.  Just half the little things.  And Ben, I know you know how to make your sister mad, but you don't have to do it so often.

The problem right now as I see it, is that you love each other and like each other just a little too much.  You spend all day every day together, watch the same shows, read the same stories, share the same toys and share a room.  You are comfortable in each others space, and you have so much fun together.  This fun is great sometimes, and other times (like bedtime) it is not.  You can play together independently for long periods of time.  You do these big, complicated puzzles all by yourselves.  I love listening to your games, when you pretend.  People ask if you ever had your own language, or could understand each other when we couldn't.  The answer to that is no, but you do have your own games that you play that I don't understand.  You can make a mess faster than I can imagine.  You pile things here and there, making picnics in the foyer, going grocery shopping on top of every bin of toys we have, hiding with all of your stuff of the moment under the dining room table, putting the trains to sleep under the blankets, running and chasing.

You laugh, and giggle, and sing and dance.  I like to think that if I only had one of you, if we had one gender at a time, that we wouldn't just automatically buy into this is for boys and this is for girls, but I do love that for now, you do like each other's stuff.  Ben just announced to me today that he likes Cinderella movies.  He plays with the kitchen stuff, undresses Cinderella so she can have a shower, has picnics and plays with the dollhouse.  I would never say though that he is at all girly, that boy is all boy the rest of the time.

Maggie, you're not as into the cars and the trucks, but at least you have learned to wrestle back.  Daddy thinks Ben has natural moves, and you are no longer freaking out every time he tries a move on you.  I'm sure you would lose, and I don't think you're quite the natural, but you give back a little bit more than you used to.  Daddy is proud of both of you.  Mommy still doesn't want wrestlers.

You are both potty trained, and oh so independent.  You can dress yourselves (even socks!), undress, put on your pull ups.  Get your own drinks from the refrigerator, help your selves to snacks in the pantry, and sneak things off the counters.  You are getting too tall.  Too sneaky.  Too good at hiding.  

This year, I have been trying to teach you more.  I still think you are clearly gifted :-)  You know your alphabet, can find M's and B's, can count to 20.  Well, kind of.  You have started counting using one to one correspondence, you have met and passed many of the milestones I have read about for kids who are 3.  You talk about past and future, using yesterday and tomorrow.  One of my favorite things is listening to you talk about things.  Ben, in particular mixes these up in ways that I love.  "Mommy, maybe yesterday we can have some candy?"  Sure buddy, maybe yesterday.

Tonight we snuggled in bed and read "Happy Birthday to You" by Dr. Seuss.  You LOVE stories, you love books, and we read them all the time.  My library card is very well used.  You have some favorites, and even can "read" them alone.  I'm amazed at some of the things you have memorized from books.  You can both recite almost the entire "Over in the Meadow at the Big Ballet" book.  A current favorite.  I try to remember that wanting the same books again and again is how you learn, but man, I do keep trying to get you interested in new books.

The biggest change this last year was adding another person to your lives.  At 26 months, you became a Big Sister and a Big Brother.  You love your baby sister and the feeling is mutual.  As your Mommy, I have had more heart melting moments watching you with her.  You watch over her, you feed her, you sing to her when she is sad.  The other day, I had you watch her so I could take a shower, and when I came out, you had taken her pajamas half off, unfastened her diaper (you claimed she had pooped - thankfully she hadn't), and had the nail clippers out.  I guess you could say that you were a little too good at taking care of her.  I do need to remind you sometimes that she is not a doll, and as a real baby, there are things you cannot do with her.

I am looking forward to the next year, the changes you will go through.  I know you will enjoy Preschool, will love learning, will make friends.  I have heard great things about three.  I have also heard that four is a nice age, and you have to survive three to get there.

Babies no more, toddlers no more, but children.  Preschoolers?  Still my babies, always my loves  This year,  I think you will remember your birthday.  Daddy and I hope you will enjoy yours tomorrow.  We are doing a lot of your favorite things, having cake for breakfast, and spending the day together.

I can't believe it has been three years.  I can't believe you will be three.  Three years ago, I was full of nerves and anticipation.  Tonight, I am just tired.  That is less your fault than it is your sisters this time.  I am looking forward to the morning.  You come straight to our room, lovies and blankies in hand to snuggle and watch some TV.  It is my favorite time of day, and I look forward to it every day.

Happy Birthday, my dears.  Mommy and Daddy love you so much, and we are so lucky that you are ours.

Love,
Mommy