Three and a half

My Verity. Three and a half! I can't believe it! Every day with you is an adventure. You are our little cup of espresso - always full speed ahead. You are such a delight in every sense of the word.  You say the funniest, craziest things. You make me laugh, run after you, and smother you with kisses all day long by saying the silliest, most original things. I write down the little things you say on napkins, my grocery lists, receipts - whatever is closest just so I do not ever forget. When I tell you I am making something you love for dinner, you go, " Oh THANK YOU, Mommy! You are so, so nice Mommy, you are so kind Mommy, you are so, so pretty!!!" :) Not complaining about THAT one. :)

I love seeing how your brain works. You chatter and talk to me all day long. I love it. I hope you always know how much I treasure everything you share with me. You are so good at memorizing. You hear something once and you remember it forever. You are so grateful for everything. Your latest craze the past week has been to spend all day going throughout the entire house asking me who gave you each thing, from who bought the toilet paper roll, to who bought Mommy's eyes, to who gave you each of your toys and clothing items. After I tell you, you gush thank yous.

As I type this, you and Gethey are spinning around in circles in the living room in front of me listing all the people you love over and over again in a sing song voice. You spin until you fall over and then you laugh and laugh. You spin with crazy abandon with your arms outstretched, with no fear, just pure delight. Sweet Gethsemane spins at a slow, plodding pace, with her jaw jutted out and she stops carefully before she gets dizzy. I love to see the differences in you two, and I love you both so much for who you are. My heart swells at moments like this.

You are picky with food, super opinionated, have the biggest, sweetest heart and love your family members fiercely. You are my little mini-me. Your daddy laughs about how similar we are, in so many little ways. You only like the chunky, goody parts of ice cream, you don't like pizza crust, you have to have your blankets just so, you are a little social butterfly, you love to sing, you are a back seat driver, you play "organizing," you have a thirst for learning, you love shopping and painting nails and girly girl things, you are a natural born lawyer, hesitant to try new things at first, creative and artistic, a SPITFIRE, and boy can you haggle and negotiate.
There are also ways you are like your daddy: you love to watch the same movie over and over, you like to quote movies, you love playing outside in the dirt, and you are superb at problem solving.

You know all your alphabet sounds and have started sounding out words with me. You cannot wait to learn to read. You ask me to teach you how all the time. You have just entered the stage of wanting to do everything yourself. You love to get dressed all by yourself. I am so proud of you, my Verity Majella, in so many ways. I love you.