Letter to X on His 3rd Birthday

Dear X,

I ended my last birthday letter to you this way, “You are easy to love.  You are a delight.  I have learned from you once again how to play and delight in the world around me.”  Would it be terrible to say that this year can be summed up the same way and sign off now?

You’re the second child, so I can’t help but compare you to the first.  And yet I try to consider you as your own separate person, frustrations and delights and all.

The most frustrating thing about you is that you never want me to change your diaper.  (This is about as harsh of a criticism as I can make, my dear one.)  You run around as cute as can be until I tackle you and force you to let me clean you up.  Go on the potty? Ha ha ha ha ha.  No, you’re not interested.  You laugh every time we suggest it.  I’m not worried, though with this new phase of never wanting to be changed, it would sure be nice if you could take care of things yourself.  I’m allowing myself to not think about potty training until you’re 3 and a half.

The most delightful thing about you is everything else.  You still play so well, zooming planes and having conversations with your toys.  You eat well.  You break into song spontaneously.  You’re very physical and have recently mastered climbing on the roof of the playhouse on the porch.  You participate in school time nicely or play nicely while I teach KLC.  You surprise me by reciting verses or part of poems that I am teaching her.

On your birthday on Monday, KLC was sick, so we canceled a play date we were planning in your honor.  A friend with two boys came to pick you up and take you out for a donut instead.  When I told you who was going, listing the names, you said, “And KLC???” Aww, you love your sister!

Speaking of sisters, you love Baby LF!  You give her kisses and hugs and want to hold her.  You’ve only asked a couple times if we could put her back in my belly.

We did celebrate your birthday Sunday with two families from church.  They came for a chili lunch and a pirate treasure hunt.  The treasure at the end of the hunt was your cake.  It was a simple, sweet celebration.

X, we look forward to seeing how you grow as your fourth year unfolds.

XO,

Mommy