Alma's World

 Writing her name on everything and constantly wearing (or finding) her pile of necklaces

 Doing crafts at the dining room table (while James reads close by)

 Wearing her new Cinderella sunglasses (a gift from Grandma Chisholm, who is wonderfully and equally as bonkers about Cinderella)

 Dancing with James and making anything into a "beautiful gown" for dancing with James (James is usually multi-tasking and either reading or playing ball while he dances)

 Eating peanut butter sandwiches with so much peanut butter that she eats it off with a spoon

 Posing like a ballerina

Seemingly endless breakfasts as we try to get her to eat before leaving for school

These days Alma is a sweet but challenging little girl.  Her independence brings us so much joy and brings me a good number of headaches as well.  There is so much work to raising a three year old.  The dual feelings of being thrilled when Joshua comes home at the end of the day so that I can get a break from the negotiating and whining but then after she is in bed I wish we could play some more. 

Having her in school five half-days a week is difficult for me.  I seem to only experience the transitioning, maxed-out, hungry and tired version of my lovely child.  And I'm working through these maxed-out times while also trying to entertain and nourish a one year old.

Things are the worst when we are with other families and I am also trying to parent James.  I'm sure that I am not being as present to her -- trying to talk to another parent and watch after James obviously impedes me from giving her even half of my attention -- and she reacts by acting out (crying, whining and yelling).   I'm grateful that Joshua encourages us to have "girl time" on the weekends which we gladly take to do something fun together.  And she is an angel during these times with just the two of us. 

 I strongly believe that soon enough we will enjoy the fruits of her intense Montessori education, these occasional but traumatic "thinking times" (a.k.a. time outs) and all the other bumps.  I'm trying to enjoy our days, not have the bumps take me away from the joy of raising two lovely children and have the children grow to love and respect each other in the process.