Oh, who am I kidding? I'm not going to get around to recapping your birthday party. Life just moves too fast. I will say that you enjoyed your big day. You loved having everyone sing "Happy Birthday" to you, even though you got a bit shy when you realized they were all looking your way. You picked a yummy Costco chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting and creamy strawberry filling. And big fat balloons for decoration. You received plenty of lovely cards and gifts from your family and friends. It was a good day.

You're three now. Three. Three. It's not quite sinking in. I swear you just turned one!

But three is so wonderful too. New things. New experiences. New discoveries.

Tonight, for example, I think three was a wonderful age for you to be.

Because right when it was time for me to leave your room and for you to go to bed, a spring thunderstorm rolled in. (Such timing!) I thought I'd see how you'd do with the thunder, which you're definitely not fond of. But I couldn't leave you in there for long. I know how scary it can be. So I advised you that these were special circumstances and that you could come lie down with Mommy in our room until the storm passed.

First you wanted to watch out the window for a few minutes, so we had the opportunity to talk about the rain, the clouds that make rain, the way it hits the pavement when it comes down so heavily, the way lightning lights up the sky, and how thunder always follows the lightning.

Then we snuggled under the covers together. You laid your head on my arm and I looped my other arm around you. And we just laid there. Something we don't do very often. It was so nice. You settled right in and I listened to you breathe and felt your chest moving up and down.

After a few minutes of this, and hearing your breathing turn deeper, I decided to leave you in the bed to sleep for a bit. But you weren't quite asleep and asked me, "Mommy, what you doin'?" I got back under the covers and we talked for a bit.

"Please, Mommy, I no like Juliette."

"You don't like her?"

"That's right."

"Why not, sweetie? She's such a good girl."

"She has sharp claws."

"Oh. Well, she has claws, but she never hurts anyone with them. And we always keep them trimmed so they stay short."

A minute later...

"Mommy, we go to Wanda's house in the rain and thunder?" (You call daycare "Wanda's house" since she was your teacher for so long.)

"It probably won't be raining in the morning when we go."

"Why not?"

"Because the rain will probably pass right over us."

"The thunder is on the roof?"

"No, actually it's in the sky."

"Why?"

Pause.

"Well, because that's where the clouds are." (Um, good answer, Mommy!)

A few minutes later, after a bolt of lightning lit up the room.

"We both light up!"

"We sure did."

"Both of us!"

"Yeah. Lightning is pretty cool, isn't it?"

"I like lightning."

"Me too."

"Nobody like thunder." Said with much conviction.

I'm glad you're three, sweetie. The conversations are so much fun now!

Posted on March 21, 2007 09:04 PM