This week, my Little Miss A will turn three. There is non-stop talk here that 'I'm nearly three, but I'm two first' and 'I'm going to have a party, and Mummy and Daddy can come'.
Three.
This means the toddler years are officially over, and we say hello to the label of 'preschooler'. This has me reminiscing over the last two years...
Toddlers are intriguing - for little people, they live BIG. Life with a toddler can be fun, dramatic, frustrating, exhausting, inspiring and funny... all within ten minutes of being woken
For me, the toddler years were an unexpected delight. Everyone warns about the 'terrible twos' but we found it wonderful. It's been a time that we not only got to know Little Miss A's continually emerging personality, but so did everyone around her. She has gained the independence she was craving since birth, and yet remains a vulnerable little one at times.
She has learnt millions of things.
As for the two most famous toddler traits - tantrums and fussiness? What a let down. Tantrums started right on 12 months, but we soon learnt some strategies to avert them... most of the time. The fussy eating we were warned about never showed its face, and we watched with delight as she ate everything from prawns to yum-cha to curries and all-important vegetables.
These two years of toddlerdom have seen so many changes.
We've said goodbye to daytime naps, hello to more waking during the night than during her baby year, and she gave up nappies (except for nighttime) with ease. At swimming lessons she no longer needs me in the pool with her, she has outgrown her baby carseat, grown and grown and grown - in height and shoe size.
She has taken everything in her stride. Moving from a cot to a toddler bed to a big bed? No worries. Her first haircut? She sat still and it was over in five minutes. A major house renovation? She found it exciting and is in love with her new room. Toilet training? Done in three-and-a-half days. Childcare and babysitters and sleepovers? Whatever.
The most noticeable change, though, is probably her speech. At 12 months she could say some words, but at three years she can speak sentence after sentence, sing entire songs and boy, does she come out with some hilarious phrases.
Goodbye toddler years - I'm surprised to say that I loved them.
And hello to the next stage of our little girl's life. I can't wait to see what this brings.
11 comments:
I have to agree that the 'terrible twos' has little in them. In fact, it's only now - and the Sproglette turned three on Saturday - that we're starting to see some really untenable tantrums rear their ugly heads, and I think this may in part have to do with our prepping her for the new baby...
Have a great week. Happy birthday Miss A!
Happy birthday gorgeous little girl!
I'm with you.
Toddlertown was fun - for the most part. I love the creativity, the humour, the honsty, the affection, the busyness....
Aggh - preschooler. My boy just became a preschooler!!
Enjoy your special week.
:-)
Two was my absolute favourite age. Three and up got harder! Still lovely and lots of fun, just more willful and sure of what she wanted.
Enjoy! xx
My first three didn't have terrible twos, either, but they went on to become threenagers completely with eye rolls and hands on hips and door slamming... Fiercesome four also got a look in with all three of them... Luckily (for them) they settled right down by age 6! Master not-quite-three has definitely been through the terrible twos (since he was about 10 months old), so I'm hanging onto hope that he'll skip the threenager and fiercesome stages...
She sounds so delightful! :)
they areso cute when three... and then it comes so much more beauty from them. you wouldn`t beleive that either. our kids are so much brighter than we are. we just have to stopp and listen : )
I made a lengthy comment but blogger ate it ;( I have loved the toddler years too. It's great to watch them really grow into their own skin isn't it? It's been wonderful to watch Abbey grow. Well done to you & Steve on bringing up a delightful little girl! Xxxx
I remember loving the toddler years too, and three and four just as much.
Our Miss A turned 3 in July. So true that they live BIG! I am astounded at what she comes out with now. Just the conversation that she had on the phone with her father earlier today had me stunned.
Visiting from Dr Brons' linky.
They grow up so fast, don't they? Time just seems to fly by and the changes never cease, in fact I think they increase! Kudos to you for enjoying it all. A very happy birthday to your little girl!
Happy birthday Miss 3! I do agree that two is wonderful and she sure does sound like a treasure (toilet training in three and a half days?) Who does that?
Bless...
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