Charlotte Eve: 2 1/2 years old

First pony ride

Charlotte is 30 months old!  I told her she is now 2 1/2, and she said, "No, mommy. I'm 2. I'm not 2 1/2 yet!" Then she told me, "On my birthday, I'll turn 5!" Which confirmed what I have always known- she is in a hurry to grow up.

Charlotte never ceases to amaze me. She talks nonstop, some of it interesting and significant, and some of it nonsense.  She has a great memory.  She will repeat whatever we say like she is a parrot (for better or for worse!).  She asked Eric what he was eating while he was eating an egg and cheese croissant and he said "It's a san... breakfast sandwich." To which she said, "Ohhh. A san-breakfast-sandwich!" 

Riding the swings at Sesame Place

She uses her excellent verbal skills to express her many opinions, which are subject to change without notice.  One second she wants something, the next second it's the worst thing in the world.  I don't remember the boys having truly "terrible twos," and Charlotte isn't anywhere close to terrible, but she is much more complicated and opinionated than her brothers were.  Eric sometimes calls her "our little Mussolini." One evening she asked Eric to pick her up while he was making dinner and he said no. She said "Pick me up!" and he asked, "Why?" to which she responded, "No whys. Pick me up NOW!"  I think that maybe, when she is a teenager, one of us is going to have to move out.

She is also so much fun, and funny.  We have a great time with whatever we do- errands, museums, playgrounds.  She is independent, and has no problem going off to do whatever she wants wherever we go. She doesn't seem to have the same fear that the boys do about staying close to me to stay safe, so I try to keep an eye on her when we're out. Charlotte is so strong and agile, she can climb and play and do things that older kids are doing, which I guess helps her get the impression that she is going to be 5 on her next birthday.

Strawberry-picking selfie

Charlotte is cheerful and friendly, and loves interacting with anyone and everyone.  She's well known in the places we frequent (Trader Joe's, the JCC) and I always hear people call her name and greet her.  I think her trademark bob also gets a lot of attention- it really fits her personality, and I like that there is minimal time and fuss spent on her hair each day.

Unsure of Clifford

My once-omnivorous girl has become pretty picky when it comes to food.  She still eats most fruits and vegetables, but dislikes almost all meat, except processed meat.  So she will eat hot dogs and meatballs and that is about it. She says she doesn't like chicken, but will eat it on occasion.  She will also eat fish sticks.  She loves hummus, yogurt, fancy cheeses (no kidding, she will eat stinky blue cheese and ask for more, that's my girl!), strawberries and watermelon, and Trader Joe's frozen waffles with Nutella on top.  She has definitely become much more lean than she was as a baby- it is hard to believe she was ever a roly-poly chunky monkey.  She has the family sweet tooth, but won't be bribed- if we tell her no dessert unless you eat some dinner, she will just refuse dinner.  

We have tried to bribe her to use the potty, too, but no luck at all so far.  She is getting to the point where she doesn't like wet diapers, but still can't go pee on the potty.  I had said that I would just take away her diapers come June, but I am too lazy to deal with the mess and the anxiety around it, so she is still in diapers. I do want her potty-trained by fall, because I'd love to have her in a dance class, which she has been asking to do ("I be a burr-ina, mommy?").  She is smart enough to figure it out, but I think it is really a matter of my making a decision and sticking to it, and her seeing that it's not a debate.

Princess Charlotte of Wynnewood

She is beginning to engage in imaginative play, and it is so fun to watch.  In the past week, she pretended to be Queen Elsa, to take the truck to the fire station, and to go shopping.  She also knows how to joke and play- very funny.

Black-and-white Kitty and White Kitty wait for Charlotte to come home

Her favorite things are her family (including Meema and Papa Nick), her black and white kitty- although she will really only take #1 Kitty and #3 is barely allowed in her bed, DCTC videos on YouTube, waffles with Nutella, and playing with her brothers.  She loves pop music and always wants to know, "What song this is?" when we are listening to the radio in the car. She loves to dance, too.  She is 80% wonderful, sweet, and funny, and 20% nothing-but-trouble.  I hope that her independence and confidence stay with her into adulthood and that nothing comes along to take them away.  She keeps me on my toes, and keeps me laughing, everyday.