Beatrice Virginia Jarvis: Happy 3rd Birthday!

Oh Beatrice, I can't believe you're a big three year old girl! Daddy and I just have the best time with you. Given it's your big day, I thought I'd attempt to summarize some of your 'things' for posterity. It's impossible to capture your spirit, but I'll try. I think the photo Tom took of you on the swing out back does a very good job, but even that isn't close to capturing all of you. So here goes:

* Your latest 'thing' is nursery rhymes. "Black sheep, black sheep, have you any [mumble], yes sir, yes sir, three bags full, [you can't remember the words, so you mumble some more] some for the little boy that lives down lane." Today you informed Daddy that the little boy lives down the FAST lane, not the slow lane. Good to know.

* You also love books. And we love that you love to 'read' on your own. For a good 25-30 minutes. Love it. Though every now and then you insist that we read to you non-stop. I will admit to threatening you with TV if we didn't stop after one particularly long session. Your Daddy loves reminding me about that one.

* You are still very much a people person. Though now you have to at least know the person first. Still at your party you ran and jumped up to kiss everyone as they arrived at your party.

* While you don't yet actually care what you wear, you have put your foot down about hairstyles. No more ponytails. Barretts only.

* You have an absolutely amazing sense of direction. We were driving near Aurora and Amalia's house (you call her "Tamalia") the other day and you pointed out the rough direction of their house. It was incredibly impressive given we hadn't been there since a party there the previous December!

* You, like your Daddy, love maps. Any and all maps, but especially ones with England included so we can point out where you were born. It still slightly freaks me out how many of the 50 states you can name by shape / location on the US map.

* You really enjoy school. Your teachers, Betsy, Sheila and Lorena, tell us the ~5 month age gap with the other kids really isn't noticeable. And that your fine motor skills are amazing (thanks Sarah B and all those stickers!) Every morning you rush to get there to be first on the swings. I think you must swing at least an hour a day.

* Sharing is still not your favorite activity. But you're getting much better at it. When Anna and Eleanor came over recently you decided the only way you could share was if you just watched them play with your new toys. Joining in with them was too tough. It was adorable and hard to watch, all at the same time.

* Daily routine: Wake up, call out for Mommy or Daddy depending on the day (Mommy on weekdays and Daddy on weekends). If a weekday, we cuddle together for a few minutes and then I begin the long drawn out process of getting you dressed and ready for school. While you love school, getting you dressed takes a battle of wills. Still not sure why. Eventually I get showered while you read books in the bathroom, and then I find some sneaky way of getting you dressed. Then we go downstairs, you get the paper from the front porch and we have breakfast (usually cereal) together and check the weather and the funnies. Your favorite is Family Circus and Garfield. Then we aim to get to school between 8:30 and 9, though you try to be first to be sure and get one of the swings. Weekends are much slower and we all go downstairs in our PJs for a bit.

Weekdays you get picked up from school at 12 by Jessica. Then it's lunch and nap and playtime. You and Jessica go to the library LOTS. Jessica leaves at 5:30 most days and then you and I hang out till Daddy gets home. The more pregnant I get, the more we've been watching Sesame Street on the couch together. Then it's dinner, Daddy home, reading, bath time, battle over going to the bathroom, and Daddy puts you to bed at 7:45 or 8.

Weekends are a toss up. Anything can happen. But whatever we do, you are very involved - asking questions and wanting to help plan. And trying to sneak in a trip to Babies R Us. "Daddy, where we go next? After that then we go to Babies R Us, ok? Ok Daddy?"

And in between all of our daily activities we have some of the most wonderful, joyful moments. Along with moments that make us all want to tear out hair out in frustration.