Marin at 3!

Marin:
At three years old you...
... want to be a doctor and a mommy when you grow up
... know all of your letters and numbers and shapes and colors.
... like to point out that K is for Katy, L is for Lindsay, E is for Emilie and M is for Marin and O is for Ostrich. In all books.
... can count to 23... and then skip to 30, 40.
... know how to spell your name.
... love dressing like a princess and dancing around the house. You ask for music and watch your reflection in the big window in the family room, while you dance.
... call a seat belt a "belt seat"
... don't always like to wear pants.
... jump up and down when Daddy gets home.
... say your favorite meals are "basketi" (spaghetti) and mac and cheese
... have many stuffed animals, though your favorite is pinkie and you have 17 dolls named Emilie.
... sleep with a minimum of six "guys" every night. They are: pinkie, newbie, raffie, booboo, lambie and crabbie. And usually two or three more that you carry in with you on the way.
... are very generous and love to give hugs to all of your friends
... often announce, "This is the best family ever!"
... often tell each us that we are the best by throwing your arms around us and saying, "Mommy/Daddy/Emilie/Norries, you the best!!"
... say, "Know what?!" and " I have an idea!" Or, "That's a great idea!" or "Shoot. I 'got about'__." Which means "forgot about".
... are potty trained but wear a diaper to bed.
... like to be "nice and cozy". You love to snuggle with blankies.
... love to go to grandma and grandpa's.
... have a kind and generous heart. When Norah had her surgery you offered her your favorite blanket so she would be comfortable.
... say "may I please" and thank you with out hesitation or needing to be asked.
... say the prayer every night
... sing along in church- the alleluia is your favorite
... LOVE music and dancing
... love to sing and perform. You sing twinkle twinkle little star by sining, "twinkle little star, how i wonder what you are. up so high. like a dream up in the sky. twinkle little star, how i wonder what you are." and you sing Ba ba blacksheep by singing, "Ba ba blacksheep, have you any more..."
... like to do "sack of tatters" with daddy, which is when he throws you over his shoulder and says, "sack of tatters!" You do this to your dollies, too.
... ask to be excused from the table and thank whomever prepared the meal.
... negotiate everything
... nap for an hour and a half each day
... like to play "night games" which are games we play mostly on weekend nights. Your favorites are old maid, go fish, candyland, and matching games. And actually, you are really good.
... carry around a hard cover copy of Anne of Green Gables from your bookshelf, though you call it your "special fancy tea set book" because it has pictures of tea sets all over the cover
... love reading books. Sometimes you read to Emilie in your room. You close the door and say that it is school. We always read books before bed and no matter how many we read, you always ask for just one more.
... ask for "moon and stars" when you go to sleep. This is a projector that projects rotating moons and starts on the ceiling. You also listen to music from the same machine to fall asleep, as you have all of your life. You listen to "twinkle, twinkle little star" on repeat for a half hour, which is what we have the sleep timer set to. You used to call this mookicks, then muse-kicks and now you just call it music. We're glad you know the correct pronunciation, but it was admittedly adorable the other ways.
... ask to have your friends over to play downstairs (the playroom) with you.
... like to snack on "pirate booty" (pirate's booty) and "red sticks" (fruit leathers).
... proudly announce "I'm growing up!"
... dislike sticky hands
... like Greek yogurt unstirred for "bress-kiss" (breakfast).
... when you stir something you say you are "cooking it".
... know Daddy works in "cah-jo" (Chicago).
... get to watch an hour of TV a day (tops), and like watching "Lil' Steinsteins" (Little Einsteins), "George" (Curious George) and Mickey Mouse on TV. You say that Mikey Mouse is your "favorite show in the world."
... also like watching "'Livia" (Olivia) and "Princess Show" (Princesses) and "Toy Tories" (Toy Story) on DVD.
... ask to watch "a little news". You would watch the entire Today show if I let you.
... sometimes like to watch Ellen with me and we call it "the dancing show" because Ellen dances.
... call Emilie "'Lil Sweetheart" and "Sister Emilie". We're sure people think you are addressing a nun.
... order for yourself at restaurants and love to stand in line and pay for your own milk at starbucks. (with mommy's money, of course) :)
... chocolate milk is your favorite treat
... call the horizons milkboxes that you take in your lunchbox "school milk"
... love to make a new friend. Whenever we see someone your age, you address them as "friend" and aren't shy to talk to them at all. You tell them you are "Marin Jane Pa-erson" and that you are "free" (holding up three fingers) and that your sister's name is Emilie!
... know the first names of all your family members (ie- Mommy's name is Johanna, but daddy calls her Jo)
... like to wear your sunglasses whenever there is a tiny bit of sun.
... say you love us "to the sun and the moon!"

You are a smart little cookie and a firecracker for sure. You are also super loveable and sweet, but boy do you stick to your guns. What a joy you are, Miss Marin Jane!