Three seems to suit The Poo.
There were some tense moments just before her birthday, but she’s settling into this new age with serious aplomb. She’s been outstanding ever since we got home from our holiday travels, content to sit with us in the family room and play or read.
She tells the most imaginative stories, and she gleefully runs to the door when her sitter arrives, anticipating the special outings and one-on-one time that Bethany is so good at providing for her.
And speaking of our holiday trek, the child traveled beautifully. I could not have asked for more from her. On the horrendous 12-hour drive home across four states, she played pretend games with her lovey, watched DVDs and cheerfully ate whatever road food we threw at her.
She even – gasp! - fell asleep twice in car, an event so striking that surely it must signal the end of the world.
When we made an unexpected trip to the ER last weekend, she was all concern and kindness for her father, and as we pulled into the garage after an excruciatingly long wait at a 24-hour pharmacy, she did not complain about having been strapped into her car seat for well over 45 minutes.
Instead, she looked at me with an angelic expression.
“Mama,” she sighed, as her lashes fluttered with sleep. “My eyes are falling down.”
I fear that speaking of The Poo’s excellent behavior will somehow jinx me, but I can’t help but share my amazement about this incredible new person blooming before my eyes.
Sure, she still has her moments. Like when she obsessively recalls how a child much younger than her tried to “steal” one of her toys. Or when she refuses to say please. Or when I make her macaroni and cheese only to have her reject it on the grounds that it’s “not fresh.”
She still has tantrums and stamps her feet in defiance. In fact, I asked her to clean up some toys yesterday and her response was vintage Poo: “Mommy, I am so frustrated with you!”
But then there was the rare moment when my exhaustion got the best of me and I laid down on the sofa Sunday afternoon, to try and catch a quick nap. With my eyes closed, I felt a small, warm hand on my head.
Cooing to me softly, The Poo brushed my hair back from my forehead, as I do for her when she’s sleepy or upset, or just when we’re snuggling.
I felt her breath on my cheek, and then, the most gentle of kisses.
“I love you, Mom,” she whispered, against my face.
These moments are so fleeting and so precious. These times when it is just her and I, mother and only child, are nearing an end.
And because of that, the sweetness is almost unbearable.
{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
i really liked three, for both my boys. three is a wonderful, even magical, age, i think
She sounds like such a darling, my heart melted!
that is so lovely. can i UPS my three year old to you?
Don’t you wish you could bottle all that sweetness up?
I had that same feeling when I was pregnant and rocking my toddler each night. Such beautiful moments…
Three is darling indeed. There is something special about the older sibling cooing over the new baby as well!
*sigh* that is beauty.
We are looking forward to those waking moments… and of course we are not looking forward to brokering deals with various unwanted behaviours
Moe’s behavior changed for the better when she hit three as well.
3 is AWESOME. I love three! (I also love two!)
4 is interesting so far, but with my youngest turning 3 in two months (how did THAT happen?) I’m looking forward to my girls both being “big girls”.
I needed to see this because lately whenever the topic of “age 3″ comes up in conversations it’s riddled with horror stories. One friend tells me “3 is the new 2″! Thanks Poo, for proving that theory wrong.
I love 3 too. I felt like I could finally go out and bring him with me and we’d have FUN together.
Six is having its ups and downs though…
Oh man. I need to exchange my 3 year old then.
So very sweet but I love the fact that she said: “Mommy, I am so frustrated with you!” That’s a classic.
I love three.
Oof. My heart!
I know, at bedtime Henry strokes my hair and tells me that he misses me when he’s at school, he loves me and I have the prettiest softest hair. Melt.
But then this morning he threw a beer bottle against the tv smashing glass all over the basement room and it’s like WFT is wrong with him.
So darling, that girl of yours. I hope that is what my future holds. Almost two isn’t quite working out for Sammy! I’m sure she will be a wonderful big sister!
Oh, this is so beautiful! I’ll do a super-snazzy anti-jinxing dance for you (not unlike the old cootie-shot thing we used to have to do for friends in middle school, remember that?) that all the loveliness continues. She’s a sweet girl, your Poo.
That’s awesome! I hope I’m as lucky as K gets older.
Yes… it does seem that three suits her!
Simply beautiful.
I think you just described 3 perfectly. The tantrums are terrible because you know they are manipulative, but the sweetness is SO sweet.
Maybe it’s the hormones in me, but the “I love you, Mom” part almost made me loose it.
It’s amazing how they transform from a little ball of cells in your belly to an actual person in such a short amount of time.
Shhh. Don’t ever say this stuff out loud. I believe in jinxes. As a matter of fact, I’m just going to back away slowly and forget this was ever mentioned.
So beautifully written. Moments like these are so great, I re-call my own children at that age doing those things. Now they are older it is still just as precious and heart filling when they do that stuff.
wow I am crying here, thats so lovely, what a lovely child, you will have different lovely times together when baby comes, Best Wishes.
What a magical moment. I can’t wait for that. If it ever happens. I have kind of a tom boy. The not sleeping in car seats though – we’ve got that plenty.
That’s so sweet!