Violet is Almost Three!

This is the last individual monthly post that I will write about Violet, and that makes me sad.  In less than a month, my baby girl will be three years old and already I can see that her month to month changes are slowing down and she is weaving herself more and more into the regular everyday stories of our family.  In fact, this past month especially, Violet is proving that she may in fact be the biggest storyteller in our family!  She has begun to tell us elaborate, imaginary stories where she is usually the main character, is five years old, and likes to do silly things.  The stories usually start with, "Remember when I was five years old and I..."  Besides her silly stories, she has also been relaying fiction as though it is fact.  When we were at my nephew's birthday party a while ago, he opened up a present that was clearly his favorite out of all of the gifts he had received, based on his reaction.  Violet didn't miss a beat, and told him quite proudly that we had given him that gift.  It was a little awkward when I had to explain that no, we didn't give him that awesome, fun gift.  At that same party, Violet announced to a roomful of family members that I was pregnant and had a baby in my belly.  Again, the awkwardness as I tried to explain that Violet likes to tell stories all the while feeling like my family believed the two year old more than they believed me!  To me, Violet is testing out the differences between fact and fiction and so in times when it matters, I will state, "Violet you imagine that there is a baby in my belly because you love babies so much!"  Let's hope I'm NOT making a huge mistake and raising a pathological liar!  Here's to my creative girl and may I be the first person to receive the signed copy of her New York Time's Best Selling novel.  I'm going to be truthful when I say a dedication to her mom would not make me unhappy either.  

Here Violet is below, after she asked me to take a picture of her and her doll Rosie who were wearing matching clothes - "pink pants and striped shirts mom!" I just love the excitement level of two year olds and it is one of the things I miss as my kids get older.

Violet loves babies still, and while shopping she will beg to visit the baby dolls.  Each time we visit the resale shop by her sisters' dance studio, she picks out a baby doll and something to push or pull the doll around the store in while I browse.  She has always been really great about putting the baby doll and the stroller or wagon back when it is time to go get her sisters from dance class.  Except for this one time last month.  I knew we were in trouble when she told me her baby's name was Lil' Cutie as she had never named the dolls before.  I knew that hearts would be broken when she gave the doll a pretend bath in a used baby bath tub.  And, I knew that this baby doll was as good as ours when she hid the doll in a changing table that was for sale and put a kids basketball net in front of it when I said it was time to go.  She had never done that before and I was so torn - mostly I was afraid that if I let her buy this baby doll, that every time we ever went to a store again she would expect me to buy her a baby doll.  But also I was worried that when we came back next week and Lil' Cutie was perhaps gone, that Violet would be heartbroken.  In the half hour that Violet and Lil' Cutie had together, clearly a bond had been formed unlike any other previous baby doll.  And so I noted the times on the door of the resale shop and realized that despite Will working late that night, he could in fact swing by there on his way home from work as they would be open until 10 p.m. that night.  All the way home from dance class, Violet told Lucy and Emma about her daughter Lil' Cutie and all the memories they had made together.  After I had tucked the kids into bed that night I called Will and told him the story.  He didn't even hesitate when he asked me how late they were open.  Below is the text message he sent me, confirming he had found the right Lil' Cutie, (exactly where Violet had hid her!) and next to that picture is Violet, reunited with Lil' Cutie the next morning.  It all worked out because Lil' Cutie is 100% plastic so I was able to wash her clothes before I went to bed that night, as well as give her a thorough disinfectant bath.  I even got the sticky residue from the price tag that was on her forehead off.  And the best part is, Violet loves her Lil' Cutie so much, and has never once asked to buy any doll after this.  What a happy ending to the love story between Violet and her long lost daughter Lil' Cutie.

I cherish my time with Violet while we are waiting for Lucy and Emma in their various classes.  This past month we were able to enjoy the playground together each time Lucy and Emma were in their yoga class.  Will even got to tag along one night as the girls had a make up class in the evening that week.

I feel like I never have enough time at home to play with Violet one on one, which is why I am even more grateful for our time together when her sisters are in class and I am away from the household demands and can focus just on her.  Below are all the ways that Violet finds to contentedly play by herself.  She has been spending more time playing Legos and Barbies lately, and still loves playing with PlayDoh.  Lucy and Emma always play together, and so most of the time if Will or I can't play with Violet, she is on her own.  It doesn't seem to bother her too much, but it does make me a little sad that she doesn't have a Lucy or Emma of her own.

 Will worked a lot of late nights in March, and it was definitely a push for me to pull off after school activities, dinner and bedtime.  Violet wants "Uppie" when she is tired, and I can't make dinner holding an almost 40 pound child.  One night I sent Violet upstairs for a time out in her room after she started throwing a tantrum.  Violet's temper is very short lived once she is in a timeout, and so I didn't think anything was wrong when it went quiet upstairs not long after I had put her in her room.  When the timer went off and I didn't hear her come downstairs, I finished cleaning up dinner and headed upstairs with Lucy and Emma for bedtime.  Imagine my shock when I turned the corner on the stairs and found Violet sleeping on the top step.  I (almost) always put the gate up at the top of the steps too when Violet is in a time out, so I was kicking myself for forgetting, while simultaneously thanking God she didn't roll down the steps in her sleep!

 In the right hand picture below, Violet wasn't so lucky as when she fell asleep on the stairs.  She was twirling in our dining room and hit her head on the piano bench so hard that an instant egg-sized bump formed on her head.  This was of course on another night that Will was working late, and I started to panic.  I had never seen a bump like that before and I am usually the type of person who doesn't hesitant to go to the ER or even call an ambulance.  Will is usually the more calm parent and likes to avoid the ER and especially an ambulance at all costs, as he know the precise dollar amount our copay is and how much is left of our deductible at any given time.  As Will wasn't home, nor able to answer his phone I was extremely worried.  I called our doctor and he was able to give me practical tips and insight that helped us to avoid an ER visit.  Needless to say, I didn't get very much sleep that night as I was watching Violet for concussion symptoms but by morning time Violet was back to her old self.

 In the left hand pictures above, Violet and I are snuggled on the couch as we both had the stomach flu.  Violet of course bounced back much quicker than I did and so the books and snuggles were me trying to find a way to stay on the couch for as long as possible which is nearly impossible with a toddler.

All of the girls were a big help to me while I was recovering from the stomach bug and Will was working crazy hours.  Here Violet is below, restocking the toilet paper in the bathroom.

 Violet is a complete goofball and may be my funniest child yet.  And although I hesitate to say any of my kids are better than any other sibling at something, I think Lucy and Emma would both agree that Violet is a comedian.  She can impersonate anyone from the tone to the sarcasm in their voice, and is always trying to do things to make us laugh.   Half the time she is just being herself and her quirkiness makes us laugh, but the other half of the time she is playing her audience.  In the bottom pictures below from the top left in clockwise order: Violet pinching her own cheeks while mimicking me, saying, "I just love your chubby cheekers!", Violet sucking on an icicle she found in our garden, Violet asking Will to carry her sideways on his shoulders, and Violet "sleeping" on a bed that she made for her "own-self."

 Violet, sharing your second year of life has been delightful despite our various challenges (sleep, Ectodermal Dysplasia and more potty accidents than I could ever keep track of).  You have grown so much in this last year though and have almost conquered potty training, sleeping and have even started to understand how to help yourself not overheat.  I am sad that I can't keep you a baby forever, but at the same time I can't help but smile when I think about the honor and joy it is to watch you grow up.  I am so glad that I was picked to be your mom!