The Way She Is

I've been meaning to write some stuff about my eldest daughter.  She is 3 1/2 years old.  She talks most of the time.  If you ask her what her name is, she'll tell you "Gee-in Bythe".  The way that we say that is Gillian Blythe.  

She likes to help around the house & yard.  See her shelling peas.  Her favorite helping job is doing yard work with Daddy, or baking with Mommy.

I've been having a hard time taking good pictures of her lately.  She generally doesn't stop talking.  And, even if she was formerly still, when she sees the camera, she figures an action shot will be best & starts doing something hyper-crazy.  I'm not sure what inspired this dance, other than seeing than the camera.

At the beach yesterday while I was trying to take pictures, she was constantly doing something.  (As her brother was most often pensively watching the goings ons.)  Here she runs excitedly to me, to show me the "lobster plant" she found  

My daughter, Gillian, usually prefers "kid" songs, to most any other music.  It can get tiresome for an adult to listen to only kid music, day after day.  Other than kids songs, she really loves Elton John (Melton John to her)  and Billy Joel.  Here she is singing leave me alone over & over again, from the song, "My Life".

She's a good observer.  She remembers a lot.  I need to watch what I say & all that.  

She asks questions all the time.  She's learning about people being different.  She is always concerned when she sees people without kids.  "Mom, why don't they have kids?!"  I tell her that not everyone has kids.  "Oh! So.  Some people do & some people don't."  That seems to help her.  She states that a lot.  Some people do & some people don't.  It applies to a whole lot of things.

She is a lover of a good paradox.  She tells me, "I'm sick, but I'm not sick".  "That person is patient, but she's not patient."  "I'm tired, but I'm not tired."

If the dogs are smelly from being out in the damp yard, she usually screams like crazy, "Get out of here!  Go away from me, you stinky dogs!  Mom, make them go outside!"

But, sometimes, she doesn't care.  After snuggling with Murphy for a good while, she tells me, "Mom, I still love Murphy, even though he is so smelly."

She is enjoys make believe.  She got a box of Easter treats from Nana.  It included Pez toys.  Gillian has fallen in love with her lamb Pez.  She named her Archeesi.  She talks to her & tells us how Archeesi is feeling & tells Archeesi how much she loves her.  

She likes to play princess & tries to get her brother to be her prince, and dance with her.  

A couple days ago, she was playing something make believe & kept declaring, "It is my destiny!"  

We love our little character!