Larkin Grows Up

It’s hard to believe that Larkin is 3. Not in the “OMG, it feels like she was just a baby yesterday” kind of way, more in the “I cannot believe I’m having this conversation with a 3-yr old” kind of way. When I was a kid, they used to say I was like a little adult…carrying on conversations with the adults in the room rather than running around throwing mud or coloring on the walls, you know, typical kid stuff. As I sit and have debates that I’m starting to lose discussions with Larkin, it’s becoming evident that I may not be the easiest person to deal with. My poor parents…my poor friends…and poor Patrick because now he’s stuck with TWO of us.
But hey, we’re cute and sweet and smart and loving…isn’t that enough to make up for being bossy and prissy and moody…and always right? ; )

I had one particularly interesting exchange this weekend.
Larkin: Mama I want cereal for breakfast.
Me: No Larkin, we’re making Daddy omelets today because it’s Father’s Day. I told you that yesterday.
Larkin: No you did not.
Me: Yes I did.
Larkin: Unfortunately, you did not tell me that yesterday.

I had no comeback for that one…unfortunately.

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The good thing is that she does show promise in the area of science.
Me: Larkin quit banging your feet against the kitchen counter, it hurts the fishies’ ears.
Larkin: But Mama, fish don’t have ears, see? How can they hear if they don’t have ears?
**Fleeting glance between Patrick and I as we realize we will never get the repeated “Why?” questions from her but rather explanations of the fundamental flaws in our responses**
I then attempt to explain that fish hear through their skin by feeling vibrations through the water. My biology teacher husband did not correct me, so I’m hoping that was some semblance of right. She absorbed the entire concept and proceeded to repeat it back to us. I can picture her this morning reciting this entire exchange to her preschool class…Little Miss Know-it-All…Version 2.0.
She’s me…but with WAY more confidence (and taller)…Lord help the friends who tolerate her…the man who marries her…and help us to keep her just the way she is ; )

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But the biggest change for her as of late is the “big girl bed”. She’s been ready for it for a long time, but I’m really glad we waited. It went off without a hitch. She was so excited! Over and over she just kept saying “Thank you”. It felt really good. She did great, and we’ve pretty much had zero issues with her not following the bed rules. She stays in her room, she mostly stays in her bed except to turn on her bedtime music or grab a book. She has really impressed us with how well she has followed our directions.

Someday we’ll give Kellen the same freedom…but I have feeling we’ll catch him out on the couch turning on the DVD player in the middle of the night just for fun. ; )

The first night was pretty entertaining though. About 3am we hear her crying, I go in thinking she’s had a bad dream. She tells me she hears squeaking. As I start some response about how it’s probably squirrels outside, my thought process is interrupted by *BEEP!*. At this point, I begin talking to the video monitor about the fact that there is in fact something squeaking and honey, can you hurry up and get in here *BEEP!*? Patrick walks in the *BEEP!* room, and we realize that of all the nights of the year, Larkin’s first night in a big girl bed coincides with the night the battery in her fire alarm goes on the fritz! After locating a chair to remedy the situation, she happily went back to bed in her squeak-free environment. We woke up at 5am to find her still in her bed but with her music playing…guess she wanted to avoid any other interruptions ; )



You may wonder why these pictures are so yellow...that would be my fault. When I designed her nursery, I fell in love with this light from Ikea...you know because it was the sun and stuff.

I'm pretty sure Patrick still has nightmares about installing this light. Turns out the Europeans make cute/cheap stuff, but they're not very good electricians. After numerous tries, the light was installed and does work...but it makes the entire room yellow. Which is a little funny because the room actually IS yellow, but the color effects require you to take outfits out of the room into the game room in order to not send her out into the world with red shorts and a hot pink shirt. Anyway, I think I'm finally ready to change the light...but I don't know how to break it to Patrick : )