Hannalee Turns Three!

"I'm fffree!"

Dear Hannalee,

Happy Birthday my beautiful three year old girl! You are my world and I love you more than I could ever imagine. I was looking back at pictures and videos from your second birthday and you were still just a baby.

You have grown and changed so much this year. Here are some of your accomplishments:

• Your vocabulary and speaking is great. You love to talk, in fact there is very rarely a time when you are wordless for more than 30 seconds. Some of my favorite phrases that you say are:

"Okey, dokey, pokey."

"Holey, moley, poley."

"Hi, Mr. Tayo Man."
(I think you think that Tayo Man is his full name.)

"Black belly bushes."

"That's ok."
(You say this when you're doing something you shouldn't, but your trying to convince me that you can do it.)

• You know a lot of primary songs. The music leader, "Miss Jody", says you are one of the best singers in primary and know all the words to I Love to See the Temple. But when I ask you to sing to me you say, "Not today, maybe in nursery." But sometimes when you don't think I'm listening, I hear you singing in the bathroom, or to your baby dolls, or while your playing. Your favorite song to sing is I Am a Child of God. Though most of the words are not understandable, the tune is right. You also love to "listen to kids" in the car. (A children's CD.) You won't let me sing along with it, but you try to. One song goes "Polly put the kettle on." But you sing it "Polly put the cantaloupe." Close :0).
  

• You love to learn. You know all your shapes including parallelogram and hexagon. You also know all of your colors. You are starting to learn your letters and can identify by name an sound the letters: a, b, c, d, h, m, s, and t.

• Your large motor skills improved this year. You learned how to ride your trike, climb on the playground equipment at the park all by yourself, and how to hop.

• You can dress yourself. Sometimes this is not my favorite of your accomplishments when you are stubborn about what you will and will not wear. All summer you have had an aversion to pants and shorts. You insist that they should be able to be pulled up to your chin. You pull and pull them trying to get them up. You whine that they are falling down. Finally, I banned you from wearing them. Now all you will wear are skirts and dresses. You still love shoes. You change shoes all day long. 90% of the time they are on the wrong feet. (It is because it is easier to buckle them on the inside.)

I am so glad that you are mine. You are a very stubborn and difficult child. Sometimes I loose my cool and we both end up in tears.

But I love you, I love you.

I love to see your smiling face in the morning as you climb into bed with me. I love your giggles when you think your being so silly. I love seeing the look on your face when you accomplish new things. I love the look in your eye when you're being a good big sister.

I love you, I love you!

I love how excited you get when daddy comes home. I love how you insist on helping me with things like dishes and cooking. You make me smile every day.

I love you, I love you!

I love you my Hannalee!
Love, Mommy