What a difference a year makes!

My sweet Abigail is three years old today!

I treasure her as she is right now and often think, how can I make sure I remember all these little moments? Like what it feels like when her little hand reaches up to hold mine. The look on her face when she tickles me. The smell (thats right, I'm a smell person) and feel of her little cheek when I kiss her. I know that it is impossible to remember most of it, so I try to treasure it all I can as it happens.

Abigail hides every single night before she goes to bed. But she tells you where she's going to hide before she does. For weeks, she hid on the rocking chair with a pillow or blanket on top of her. Last week and this week, her new favorite place to hide is the stuffed animal box. In case you are wondering, it is really hard to come up a with a different reason 25 days running for why you can't find Abigail... (now that I think about it- why did we think she'd care if it was different?)

Last night Jake and Abigail waved goodbye to the 'terrible' twos. But we loved them!

July 2009

Click on the picture to see July!

Proud

This morning Abigail was playing in the living room, getting out a lot of toys. I came upstairs for something and a little while later I heard Abigail singing, "clean up, clean up, everywhere!" (Repeat) and picking up her toys! She came upstairs and said,
"I clean up my toys!"
"Yes, I know, I'm so proud of you!" I grinned at her.
"Jon-nah-tan, Corky, everybody is so proud of me!"
(she knows that I know her Daddy is so proud of her)

Some good ones

Today:

Abigail found a deceased millipede, curled up like they do, and came to Jake with it in her hand, saying, "Look! It was running away! It was disobeying. Big no-no."

We had dinner with the Mizes and Abigail was mommying Jonathan, as usual (he is 9 months younger). They held hands as they got out of the cars and began to walk across the parking lot, but as soon as Abigail saw they were in the street, she turned around and dragged Jonathan back to a safe place next to our car, "Be careful cars Jonnahtan." Later, he tried to take a book that she had and she said sweetly but intently, "We not take things away." A minute later she grabbed a napkin and wiped his nose.

As we were getting Abigail into bed she turned and looked behind me with a surprised expression and exclaimed, "Look at my clock! It's time to read a book!"

Sweet Little Girl

Playing in the rain today.

Some things Abigail has been saying:

Gracious! Gracious!

I'm so sorry Mommy! (This is so much cuter when you hear the way she expresses it...)

Mommy! Don't make Daddy sad, okay?
Daddy! Don't make Mommy sad. Okay?
(this was said in the car while Jake and I were in conversation about normal things, in response to our subtle reactions)

Is he not? (Abigail's word for 'mad')

That makes me sad (yea! expressing emotions!)

Abigail has started helping me with chores at the house, which is great, because now it's more likely I'll actually do them. I'm not so great in that department! Anyway, we were cleaning our downstairs bathroom and I asked Abigail to dust the whole floor under the sink. I gave her a little dust rag to do it (our swiffer is currently incapacitated because it is being used for a sewing project- does that show you where my loyalties lie?). Abigail was very excited. "Oh! The whole floor! I clean it ALL for you!" She is down on her hands and knees, happily cleaning. I thought, "Wow, I wonder how long I can get this to last!" And, "It certainly makes it funner to clean when you do it with someone who enjoys it!" And, "She is SO cute!" Then Abigail said , "I Cinderella!!!" Oh sweet girl.
Ever since that one fateful day at the dollar store in May (read about it here), Abigail has talked about her birthday almost every day. She is going to have a princess party, specifically a Cinderella party (though, for my part, I'm trying to not make it very Disney... more generic princess) and she will tell you all about it. Every time there is something she likes or wants, "I'm going to have that for my birthday, okay mom?" The other day we were in the car and Abigail said, "Mom, you remember that? My birthday?" "Yes Abigail, I remember. You are going to have a princess birthday." "Mm," she nods and seems content.

June 2009

June 2009
(click on photo to go to pictures)

May 2009

May 2009
(click on the photo to go to pictures)