My Dearest Avery,
This summer has been so very full of changes for you and the entire family. Once you turned three, we turned on the potty training to high order, as you'd have to be day-trained by the time you started preschool. You managed to get there just in time! And you're doing great today. You also moved with us to a new house (the one we built), and you LOVE your pink room :) and your blue room (game room). In your pink room is your new big girl bed (a double) and you've managed so well with the transition from your crib! You also started riding a bike with your friends across the street, started swim lessons in the big pool without mom in the pool with you, got your first haircut and you started your new preschool!
Your personality is so much like mine, it's scary. We also see a bit of your grandfather (David Stein) occasionally too :) When you see dad and mom hugging, you run over to be a part of the hug too! You say "I wove you too" when you get a hug from one of us, and you always ask mom if she will lay down with you when she puts you to bed! You love "making" with dad in the kitchen, while standing on your "perch" and you're good about eating almost all of the special lunches he packs for you each day. You are afraid of pumpkins (much to mommy's dismay) and you don't like going to dark parts of the house by yourself despite the fact that you know how to turn on the lights. You say "ride ride ding ding" when you ride your bike because you have a bell on it and you LOVE following older kids around the pool, whether they like it or not.
You're so very social (opposite of mom and dad) and want to be the first at school and then the last to leave. You say "hi friend" to everyone you see outside the house and repeat yourself when you're really excited. You LOVE going to sporting events - oh my goodness, it's almost a sad day when you ask and we can't go. You're very caring for anyone who is not feeling well (like daddy at the moment) and you sometimes like to hold mom's face/chin/hair to tell her it's going to be ok :)
You've also tried to send us to timeout or your imaginary friends to timeout (or the calming corner, which is what they call it at school). I imagine you've been there a few times at school by now but you keep telling me no. You love your homework of tracing letters and numbers and you love to color.
You pick your nose and somehow learned to start eating it - yup, don't know where you learned that but it's proving hard to break. You speak very loudly in public, even when it's about you farting or you having a booger in your nose. We will have to work on how to say what you mean, because we taught you those words at home - oops!
Here is your life in pictures right now....
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| You're doing great in soccer...except the time you took the purple ball from the little boy and then pushed him down....daddy ejected you for that one...... |
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| Always with a skirt on.....always! |
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| You upgraded swim classes too! Sigh, I don't get to be in the pool with you anymore |
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| Good job! |
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| Ready for the car ride to get to KC! |
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| At the airport! |
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| All these new toys at cousin Emma's house! |
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| Playing at the mall |
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| Hi great-grandma Elinore! |
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| Getting the feels for a toddler bed with Emma |
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| You were so good with little William! |
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| Ready to pick strawberries! |
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| You go girl! |
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| With grandma Dotty! |
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| Like mommy, like daughter - waiting for carousel! |
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| No clue why you feel the need to be naked when you put on an apron....I promise, dad and I don't set this example for you :) |
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| Some of your personality showing here. |
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| You love your water table - never gets old! |
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| Worn out! You picked your outfit! |
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| Princess diva |
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| Riding in friend's car |
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| Learning to ride your new bike with your new helmet! |
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| Painting |
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| Cooking with dad |
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| Still love the train |
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| Because princesses go with legos 100% of the time! |
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| You love your new closet and picking out your own clothes to wear |
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| Ready to roll! |
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| Posing while picking out our new couches |
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| Always posing, actually :) |
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| Last day of daycare with Ms Patsy (they threw you a farewell party) |
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| First haircut just in time for the first day of preschool! |
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| Look at those locks! |
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| Yup, I took you some place fancy....was nervous! |
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| Of course, you get the princess smock |
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| You were so good for the entire thing - I thought you'd be like you are at the dentist but you weren't. You keep asking to go back! |
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| Finally all one length! |
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| Bringing supplies and checking things out the night before school starts.... |
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| You were instantly in love with all the toys |
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| Lunch a la daddy |
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| Attitude - you have a tattoo on from soccer (no, I didn't think it through) and the look to go with it... |
Avery, we love you so much. Every day gets better and better and you're such a happy kid. I worry about everything that could happen in your future and am determined to keep you little as long as possible. I hope that your independence, determination, and strong-willed spirit stays with you as you grow older.
All my love,
Mom
