Hayes at 3 1/2

Our little Hayesie Daisy is growing up and getting so big. Every day is something new and I am not sure I want her to get any bigger. I can see how fast we got from birth to 3 1/2 and now she's about to start 3 yr preschool. She is funny and silly and sassy and independent and mature (mostly) and has a major imagination going on. I'm so thankful for that. You never know what she is going to say or come up with. She is in L.O.V.E. with her brother. They are 2 peas in a pod. She can't wait for him to get up in the mornings or from his nap. I wonder how long it will be like that? For now it's so sweet to watch. And then of course she can have some major, major fits and meltdowns. Behavior and discipline can be so challenging and we've had quite a bit of that around here lately.

A few of her favorite things at 3 1/2... She is a baby doll girl. She loves taking care of baby, changing her diaper, feeding her, making her color and play school with her. She takes care of Watson in the same way and lately we have found her disciplining him (popping his hand or leg and then running away b/c she knows she will get in trouble!). She wants to be his mommy so bad!! She loves to pretend her cousins are coming over and will put breakfast or snacks out for them at the kitchen table. She will even go and open the door and greet them like they're coming inside, take them to the potty, get their crayons out, etc. Again, a great imagination and/or hostess in that little mind!

She loves outside! She could play out there all day long climbing, playing chase and hide and seek, and swinging. She has been working on pumping her legs and I think she almost has it down but still needs more practice. She loves to have her afternoon snack outside and we do that every afternoon, just the 2 of us while brother boy naps.

She loves to help me cook and pulls her chair up to the counter to watch and help. She can make a mess in the kitchen, but I love that she wants to watch and help and learn, at least for now. I know our days at home are so short and 2 years she will go to kindergarten! I feel the need to cram everything in I want to teach her before those big school years start!!

Other things she loves...her ABC game, fixing her hair by herself, dressing herself, her little purse with $4 in it that she's been carrying around since early July, making tents, her Daddy, donuts (or any sweets), going to Publix (I know the bakery people are sick of us!), playing kindergarten, Dr. Seuss books, eating snacks, playing in the rain with her rainboots and umbrella, Dora and Umizoomi, videos from the library, really into asking what is healthy vs not healthy-kind of strange but I'm glad she knows there's a difference! Her new favorite food lately is broccoli-out of nowhere-also loves ham and cheese, yogurt, cheez-its, spaghetti or lasagna, cheese grits, strawberries. She is excited about ballet starting back soon, or maybe it's just that sucker she gets after each class. She also has learned to snap the middle part of her seat belt and one of the bottom buckles and is so proud. She also loves to sing songs and nursery rhymes. She often does this when Watson is crying or pitching a fit! It's hilarious to watch. She just got her hair cut last night and it's the shortest it's ever been! Her curly hair can get a little out of control and Nathan said it was taking over our house-hahhaa!Time is going too fast. I'm thankful for every day with her, even those really, really hard ones!!