A Few of My Favorite Things

My little Lorelai --

On this first day of June, you and I are both looking to summer.  You are officially done with another year of school, and I have just a couple days left.  Based on our talks, you have decided that summer means...
"I hang out with Mommy."
"I wear sandals." (Daycare doesn't allow them.)
"I go swim class."
"I go gym class."

And all of these are true.  I have a feeling our summer will also involve a move to a toddler bed and (hopefully) potty training.  I don't want to rush either of these things, but you're showing signs of big-girl readiness.  Lately, you'll usually use the potty 2-3 times a day if I ask you -- and as long as you get a sticker.  I think we'll have to stock up on stickers for awhile.

These days, you're so independent and yet so Mommy's girl.  I often hear little choruses of...
"I help you."
"I do it."
"My turn!"

And yet, I'm also lucky enough these days to hear...
"I just love you."
"I miss you."
"Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!!"

So, our summer of "hanging out with Mommy" seems a good thing for the both of us.  I'm sure our summer will involve lots of outside play and many, many books.  (I'm pretty excited about that.)  Your attention span for both surprises me at times.  

Outside, you're all about acorns, grass "crowns," and a big pink ball.  You and your daddy are having some wonderful playtimes outside, and I get to join in, too.

And maybe because of all our books, your language connections are so cool (and sometimes funny) lately.  The other day, we read a book about Llama Llama, and the llama starts to whine.  I asked you if you knew what whining sounded like, and you demonstrated.  And then interjected: "I whine when you wipe my poop."  Um, yes.  You're making distinctions, too.  As we walked into school one day, I laughed and said you were a silly girl.  You responded: "I don't silly. I funny."  Hmm :)

My most recent delight (and proof that you are, indeed, my girl) is hearing you sing. Everything. At random times. We often play Baby Einstein on Pandora in the evenings, and your mommy is reliving her nostalgic Disney movie moments. The other day, I started singing along to "Part of Your World" from Little Mermaid, and it made no matter that you didn't know the words.  You ran over, flung your arms out, and started singing with me.  (We had quite the diva moment sing-off.)  And the pattern has continued.  You've jumped in singing along with songs from Mary Poppins (which you haven't seen) and each song I volunteered for the princesses on one set of your pj's (Aurora/Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Snow White).

So in the spirit of our movie songs, I'll borrow from another -- "My Favorite Things."  Now that we have arrived at another summer, and you are firmly a little person, I hope we'll continue to discover new things to call favorites.  I feel sure we will.  

Maybe my notes to you will be frequent, or maybe not.  But I want to remember our favorite things.  And I want to be a part of your favorite things for many years to come, my sweet.

'Til next time -- and for all time,
Love to my Lorelai