Jill is Three and a Half

Three and a half! Suddenly the fact that we have only a year and a half until kindergarten is really kicking me in the heart. Sad! I keep telling her to stop growing, and that's now become a running joke. "Mama, ask me how I can stop glowing." (She substitutes /l/ for /r/ in her speech.) So, I comply by telling her that I'll stop feeding her, stop letting her sleep, etc., to which she replies, "But don't you want me to hewp you do stuff? Don't you want me to have babies? Well, then I have to glow up." Damn. She's got me there.

At this age, she is into a new obsession, which is Batman. She loves the show, loves the Super Friends, loves all of it. Steve has to pretend to be "the Batman guys" all the time. Jill shows them things, talks to them, etc. It used to be Luke and Leia, but she's move on now. It's really cute, but she also loves her morning does of Sesame Street, Cat in the Hat, Sid, and Super Why with the occasional Dora/Diego, Mickey, Oso, princesses, and Strawberry Shortcake mixed in for added variety. Star Wars has been moved to the back burner, but she still does love it. She has gotten more into her baby dolls lately which is fun to see, and the princesses are in constant rotation as damsels in distress for whatever game she is playing. She's really good at playing by herself but prefers for one of us to play with her. She loves to do art projects, and is really enjoying going to Paint Me a Story on Fridays. When we go to the museum now, she spends the bulk of her time in the art studio.

The other night she told Steve that we would need to get a new daddy after he came home from a doctor appointment. He asked what would happen if the new daddy wasn't as nice as he is, and she said, "I would just kick him out the door!" Our work is done in that arena!

We are doing preschool at home, which she LOVES and she is really coming along. She is meeting all but 1 of the first report card standards for kindergarten, and she is sounding out three and four letter words with ease. I am agonizing over whether or not to start her in kindergarten at 5 because so many people are waiting until their kids are 6 and she already has a late birthday, but she's so READY right now. Tough decisions.

She is our joy, and she is just the sweetest, most polite, kindhearted girl I've ever known...except for when, you know, she pulls down her pants for a laugh. I guess you can't be perfect all the time! She is earning quarters for her two behavior goals which are "Listening and Following Directions the First Time," and "Not Throwing a Fit When You Get Upset." She spent the first of her money the other day, but hadn't planned on it, so we didn't have her money with us. I told her I'd buy the toy (Catwoman) but she would have to pay me when we got home. "But I don't want to give you my money, Mama. I need to fink about it." She thought, and decided to do it, so when we got home I carefully explained the process so she would understand that I wasn't just taking her money. Afterward she looked at me and said, "Mama, I unnerstand, but it makes my heart sad to give you my money." Life lessons are hard.

Enjoy our little Jill. All photos are from December.

she needed to paint a rainbow first thing in the morning

getting ready to make pumpkin muffins

all dressed up and ready to bake

with the candle she made at the museum

decorating the gingerbread man

dress up time

at lunch with Great Grandma

she was sick, so we built the Lowe's project at home

putting the stickers on it

the finished coal car

posing

decorating the tree

little egg cracker

making Christmas cookies

mixing

pouring

getting her hands floured was not her favorite part

Christmas 2011

It was so much fun! We have made a million crafts and treats this year. We stayed home on Christmas Eve, playing, eating pizza for dinner, and making treats for Santa. Then on Christmas, we opened our gifts and then enjoyed waffles and bacon for breakfast before heading over to Dee and Pop's house to celebrate with the family. Here are some photos from Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

opening her new mixer on Christmas Eve

Daddy opened his Superman on Christmas Eve

new PINK! mixer

reindeer cupcakes for Santa

so much fun, and so yummy

note, cupcake, and milk for Santa, carrots and water for the reindeer

passing out presents

opening the first one

Santa brought Clayface!

and the joker!

and the Batmobile!

The Batcave, the Batcave!!

Mommy got a new vacuum

Daddy got a Superman shirt

Santa brought the family the Star Wars movies on Blu-ray

Jill and her gift to Pop, her favorite person on Earth

Ants in the Can

a puppy to love

a new umbrella!

Santa 2011

We had a great visit to see Santa this year. We have gone to see him at the Children's Museum for the past 2 years and he is great. Jill had a wonderful time telling him about how she wants "the BatCave, the bad guys like The Thing and The Joker, and the BatMobile." She got a very nice video message from Santa this year, as well as a letter, so she's pretty excited to be on the nice list!

So happy to be there! She was initially a little shy, stopping about 3 feet in front of him and looking at the floor, but once he invited her over, she was very excited.

with the carolers...oh and she kept asking random museum employees who all of the wrapped presents were for...as though she might get lucky!

"Messy Monday" making wrapping paper...this year Daddy is the lucky recipient

nearly finished product

November

Wow, I'm so far behind! Here's a glimpse into November. It was a great month around here, as you'll soon see!

our two sweet girls

Our last trip to the zoo, a month and a half ago. What's going on around here?! I don't think we've ever gone that long between visits, but it's been really cold. That's my excuse.

riding Smoky at the zoo

picking up leaves at the zoo

I had oral surgery on November 10th, so Steve took Jill out the following day to let me rest. They went to the museum, but it was too crowded due to school being out for Veteran's Day. So they played in the leaves and went to the fire station instead.

playing in the leaves at Seattle Center with Daddy

Daddy/Daughter trip to Daddy's work

Daddy had been unable to accompany us to any of our Lowe's trips because they are always scheduled on his work days. So, we bought one that he and Jill could do at home. They had fun.

building a school bus

We went with our friends to the science center one day and had a blast. We're looking forward to a membership there soon.

playing in the design exhibit at the Science Center with Connor and Caleb

making a pattern at the Science Center

in the Butterfly House

Watching the butterflies eat...I swear she had a really good time!

in the dinosaur room

water table

I found some Star Wars pancake molds online. The Millennium Falcon, a Tie Fighter, and a Y-Wing Fighter. Jill loves them.

tie fighter pancake

Since I have 2 education degrees and no job, we decided I'd just do preschool at home. We've been getting to it at last 5 days a week, usually all 7. Jill is now sounding out words and has read 2 of the Bob books to us. I'm SO PROUD of her!

homeschool

We headed down to my parents' house for Thanksgiving. Every year we bring the ham. This year Jill helped make it. She loved attaching the pineapple with toothpicks.

making the Thanksgiving ham

Jill has been working really hard to earn stickers on her "Good Girl Chart." She is working on Listening and Following Directions the First Time, Not Throwing Fits When She Gets Upset, and Listening and Obeying at Dance. She met her goals and chose a trip to Build a Bear as her reward.

Sally the Bear

She tested out her new apron and hat while we made pumpkin muffins. She LOVES the apron and hat. LOVES.

little chef

she requested a 2nd picture so we could see the cherry on the hat

Now that Daddy is gone for 24 hour stretches she is soaking up her time with him any way she can get it!

sitting in Daddy's work car while he fed Henny