Threenager

I recently heard the word "threenager" used to describe three year olds. It's hilarious. And very true. Our little Maddy is growing up and as she asserts her independence she reminds us so much of a teenager. Here are some examples of her threenagiest moments:

1) She says no to even the most reasonable requests.

"Maddy, can you please take a bite of your carrots?" says Dad.
"I won't!" she shouts (as she picks up and takes a bite of a carrot).

"Maddy, come to the table to eat your dinner," Mom says.
"I'm never going to do that," she replies.

"Maddy, please put your shoes in the shoe closet."
"No. There's nothing I can do about it. That's just the way it is."

2) She's emotional. 
On one of our last nights of the summer we were having dinner with friends and their kids. We were all sitting around the table enjoying sushi, chatting, and laughing. Suddenly, she gets up from the table, runs into our room and shouts, "I'm sad!" as she slams the door.

I followed her into the room and asked why she was sad. Turns out she missed grandma.

3) She doesn't need Mom. 
Caregivers are welcome to stay in the classroom for the first 15 minutes of school. I love this time as I get to play with Maddy at the craft table, read her a book in the classroom loft, and observe her interacting with her friends and teachers.

She usually can't get enough of me. But last week, after reading her some stories I said, "Maddy, we have a few minutes left before Mommy has to go. What would you like to do?"

"I want you to leave," she replied.

I can do it by myself.

Beading a necklace at the craft table.

4) She's trying on different personalities.
Maddy is a very friendly little person. She smiles easily and talks to pretty much anyone. But every once in a while she will decide she doesn't want to be friends with someone: Aunt Ashley, Grandma Barbara, Cousin Mara, her brothers, or some of her playmates. It happens seemingly for no reason at all and for varying lengths of time, from 2 minutes to several months. Ryan and I try to talk to her about it. We remind her that she's a kind girl. "I'm not kind," she tells us.

Sometimes she's into her brothers.

Sometimes she's not.

When she's not in the throes of threenagehood she is such a lovely little ray of sunshine. We adore her despite of and sometimes because of these minor acts of rebellion.