Jenny On the Spot

Wow! You are 3 years old - Congratulations Princess!!!

You have grown into quite a young lady. You are adored by all who meet you. Your fire for life grabs the attention of others. Your wit and curiosity is a draw and brings smiles. Your speech and observations amaze me and Daddy and all who listen. You are not easy to ignore because you demand attention with your loud tone and the small amount of personal space you require:) Your blue eyes and curly hair only accentuate your beauty and flare.

You love people. You love to talk to people. You love to ask questions about people. For example, recently you asked Grandma Linda (LOUDLY) why the man had throw-up on his face . . . it was his beard:) At church on Sunday you went from person to person asking for candy and gum. We really need to work on the concept of \”stranger danger\”.

I would say your favorite things right now are: anything pretty, suckers, chocolate, dresses, playing dress-up snuggling, being scratched on your back, and nail polish! If something does not fall into the \”pretty\” category, it becomes \”pretty\” merely by you calling it \”pretty\”, but all things MUST be \”pretty\” for you. For example, you may tack on the word \”pretty\” or \”princess\” to the word sword. Even the way you fire your imaginary Star Wars gun as you battle with your big brother is \”pretty\”. Soflty you spew, \”pew pew . . . pew pew . . . pew pew.\”

Though you are obsessed with all things pretty, you can take a tumble or hit like any linebacker. Daddy and I are often amazed at the bumps and tumbles you shake off. Others are even more amazed because they don\’t see it as often as we do! At a big boy\’s birthday you rolled, tumbled and dogpiled like a master, unaware of the parental jaws that were on the floor. Super Girl you are!

You are a mess. Your brother cannot stand to be dirty while eating, or during any other tasks. But you are the complete opposite. You like to draw pictures on the counter with your chocolate milk and straw, or hands. You like to see the splash of all things liquid. I have given up on keeping your face clean - you will notice this as you look back on your pictures when you are older. You draw on your face, our furniture and walls with greater passion and quietness than I ever expected.

You are a clumsy mess. You CAN drink in an \”open cup\”, you WANT to drink in an \”open cup\”, but a warning to all who allow you to \”go there\”! I cannot think of a meal where something has NOT spilled or toppled. We laugh, out of amazement and survival. If we did not we would surely go mad!

This past year has been such a big one for you. You have learned to go potty on the big girl toilet. You stopped sucking your thumb (yay nail polish!!). You have become a big sister. You have added an uncountable number of words to your vocabulary. You have learned to dress yourself, feed yourself better, drink from an open cup. You have gone from toddler to preschooler, taking care of more and more things for yourself. I have discovered you are a complex thinker, a challenger. You will go around a problem to attain your goal. You can do a rockin\’ summersault and quote Napoleon Dynamite like no other 2 to 3 year old I know!

When we named you Olivia Grace we never envisioned the clumsy or the mess:) Olivia means peace, and Grace, well, means grace (a characteristic or quality pleasing for its charm or refinement)! I am discovering perhaps your name meaning may not be reflected in your mannerism or balance. You are rather charming though! This is just fine, everything about the way you tackle life gives us great joy. I am realizing now that the peace and grace in you comes from the way you touch hearts. Your \”grace\” may or may not be the way you carry yourself on the outside, but perhaps it is the mercy side of grace - which is more desirable. It is the grace of God that draws me to Him… that is a quality I can see growing in you. And I think it is through God\’s grace that you\’ve been given to me and Daddy for our daughter:)

I love you Livi. I am not a perfect mom, and I know that. I will never pretend I am. I am always working to be a better mom for you, for Joel, for Lucy. I pray I am disciplined enough to listen closely to God so I can make the best decisions for you. I pray I can lead you righteously, as you grow and learn how to lead your own life. I pray for your protection - of your body, heart and soul. I pray for protection from my mistakes and protection from the world. I pray for a life filled with joy - not merely happiness. I pray for our relationship. I pray as we tackle the complexities of a mother-daughter relationship, we find the blessings of a special bond given by God. I love you my daughter . . . You are precious to me, beyond words. I pray the peace of your heart and the grace of your spirit, both given by our Heavenly Father, flow from you to this world as refreshing waters to a dry desert.

From the depth of my heart,
Mommy