Kate: 3 Years, 1 Month

I was thinking about ending Kate’s monthly posts once she turned 3 years old, but then she goes and says something cute and I can’t help but need to capture it!

Case in point: G had left for a work trip out of state but his car was still in the garage because he got picked up by a coworker. Kate saw his car in the morning on our way to daycare and asked, “Is Daddy here?”

“No,” I replied. “He’s gone on a work trip, remember?”

Kate thought for a moment and then replied, “Did he walk there?”

Come on! How can I not document that for future laughs and memories?! The mom in me is powerless to resist, and so I will continue Kate’s monthly posts for at least one more year.

Something else I can’t help but capture occurred during one of our many trips to Target.  Kate and I were in the granola bar aisle to pick out a treat.  She picked up a box of granola bars, turned them around and said, “First I’ve got to check the ingredients, Mom.”

Awesome.

We moved Kate to her “big girl bed” when she was 28 months old, and although she was no longer confined to her bed like she was in her crib, she never left her bedroom – or heck, even her bed! – without getting our permission first. If she had to go potty she’d call for us and ask if it was okay. When she woke up in the morning she’d lay in bed quietly until we discovered she was awake. I couldn’t believe it! At first G and I didn’t mention anything to her about it being okay to leave her room because once you open that door you can’t close it! After a couple of months, however, I really wanted to encourage her to have more independence and to understand this wasn’t a “rule” Mom and Dad had set for her, so we started telling her it was okay to leave her room if she had to go potty and if she wakes up early – but she still wouldn’t! Finally, after being in her “big girl room” for 9 months and reminding her daily that it’s okay – Kate is finally comfortable leaving her room without permission. I’m so surprised it’s taken her this long, but she is now enjoying the freedom and independence of having the upstairs to herself, and taking potty breaks during naptime and after bedtime on her own.

I mentioned in Kate’s 36 month post that we’ve begun using the hands on the clock to help her understand time and ease through transitions. We still do that, but this month, we’ve also begun using the timers on our phones, which Kate loves! We’ll say “it’s 5 minutes until bath time” and Kate squeals with excitement saying, “Let me set the timer!” She spins the dial on my iPhone timer to set it to “5” and then goes through my phone’s list of alarm sounds to pick which one she wants. (The duck sound has been her favorite lately.) Before, bath time would be met with whines or crying that she doesn’t want to start bedtime yet, but now when the timer alarm goes off she stops what she’s doing, rushes to my phone to turn it off and then runs to the stairs to get started with her bath – it’s been so nice!

We took Kate to her first (and likely last) circus this month. Overall, she wasn’t impressed (and G and I were sad to see the animals like that) but the one thing she did enjoy was an elephant ride with her Daddy!

Toward the end of the circus there were some motorcycle and ATV stunts, and Kate really enjoyed that. I think she may be more of a monster truck show kind of girl instead of the circus.

Another first this month – Kate painted her first wall! I decided to paint a wall that runs between our living room and kitchen (pics seen here!) and Kate was my little “helper.” At first I had her using a little foam brush, but soon she graduated to the big roller and was loving it! To add to the fun, I played her favorite songs on my iPod and we had ourselves a little dancing paint party!

Last but not least, we took a mini family vacation to the Wisconsin Dells (a fun tourist town about an hour north of us) with two other families – our friends Andy & Deb and their two boys Anthony (age 9) and Carter (age 7), and our friends Todd & Robyn and their daughter Marit (age 6). The waterpark was pretty hit or miss for Kate (she’s not very comfortable in the water yet) but she loved the arcade games and rides!

After seeing Marit swimming at the waterpark, Kate informed us that she wants to learn how to swim like Marit. “That’s a great idea,” I said. “Daddy and I will start to look for swimming lessons for you.”

Kate’s response?

“We should look for swim lessons at Target.”

Additional Kate: 3 Years, 1 Month Posts:
Photo Recap: February 2013
Photo Recap: March 2013