Fun at Nickelodeon

Dear Mackenzie,

To celebrate JieJie's upcoming birthday, we went to Nickelodeon Universe yesterday. We also brought along two of JieJie's best friends and arrived right when the amusement park opened. Spending an entire day at an amusement park while taking care of two extra kids was exhausting and I was definitely feeling it by the early afternoon when we were all in line for the Dora train ride. The line was the longest one but it was actually a fun ride because the tracks were in the air and went all around the park, so you were able to see everything from a cool perspective (we even spotted Daddy and Second GuhGaw playing at the arcade and called down to them but they didn't hear us)--plus it was a slow, calm ride, which I appreciated! The best part of the ride, though, was when you looked around and then leaned against me, hugged my arm, smiled so sweetly and said to me, "I having fun at Nickelodeon." And suddenly all of my exhaustion (and slight nausea from a super fast and spinny roller coaster I had ridden earlier) was totally worth it! By the way, you also got to meet Chase! The way you smiled and hugged him--OMG!

In other cute news, I was cutting pieces of mozzarella for JieJie's favorite mushroom pasta dish today and not only did you eat practically half the ball because you liked it so much, you kept calling it "marmella."

Love,

Mom

Not A Good Good-Night Routine

Dear Mackenzie,

-This morning, you were in my room and I started walking downstairs. You called out for me to wait for you, so I walked back to the top of the staircase. When I met you there, you said to me sadly, "You forgot me."

-School starts exactly at noon for you, so when you hear the church bells ring at noon, you know it's time to go inside the school building. We took a little longer to walk to school today because we stopped to look at Christmas decorations so when the bells rang today, we were still about half a block away from school. You got this really concerned look on your face and started running toward your school. You were so worried about being late! A few weeks ago, we were also half a block away when the bells started ringing and you started screaming, "Ms. Kiera! Wait for me! I'm coming!"

-Speaking of screaming, when I picked you up from school today, you screamed at the top of your lungs to your classmates, "Byyyyyyyeeeeee! Byyyyyyyyyeeeeee!" You really are nothing like JieJie, who was so quiet at your age that her teacher barely heard her speak all year!

-Yesterday when I picked you up, your classmate Finn walked past you and you demanded, "Finn! Say bye to me!" #bossy

-Every night, I do the same good-night routine with JieJie and Second GuhGaw where I say, "Good night! I love you! Sweet dreams! See you in the morning! Who's my favorite Lilabear/Sawyerbear?" I started saying the routine to you when I tucked you in tonight but you interrupted me and said, "I don't like saying good night to you. Only JieJie and GuhGaw like that. I just want to go to sleep. Mama, can you go away?" Ew.

Love,

Mom

Masking Up

Dear Mackenzie,

Since you were born right before the Covid pandemic, you have grown up seeing people wear face masks. It has never not been a part of your life and when you were younger, you would put on a mask even when you didn't have to, just because you saw all of us doing it whenever we went out. Now that things are a little better, masks are no longer required in schools but your school sent out an email earlier this week saying that masks were recommended now that the flu and RSV are spreading so quickly. I don't love you wearing a mask at school because you are still so young, but I put half a dozen masks in your backpack and told you that your teacher might ask you to wear one at school so that you don't get sick or get anyone else sick. When I dropped you off at school yesterday, I didn't put a mask on you, as none of your classmates or even teachers were wearing them. But when I picked you up, you had one on and I asked your teacher if you had asked to put it on. She nodded and said that after you had hung up your jacket and backpack, you took out a mask and told her, "I have to wear a mask so that I don't get sick." Oh sweetie! You are so responsible! And more conscientious than half of Americans, many of whom are 15 times your age!

Other cute moments from yesterday:

-You have a comfy bed. You were in the living room literally next to our comfy couch. But you fell asleep on top of your wooden play table. I guess it's better for your back?

-We were watching TV and you saw a commercial where two men exchange holiday gifts and then kiss. You said, "Yuck! Two daddies kiss." I explained to you that men can kiss and women can kiss and that some families have two daddies and some have two mommies. You looked utterly astounded and confused by this revelation and I felt as I was blowing your mind. When you finally gathered your bearings and spoke, you said, "Can daddies go away? Can Daddy leave? I want another mommy!" Oh boy!

Love,

Mom

Giggly Girl

Dear Mackenzie,

I wish I could bottle up the sound of your laughter and listen to it whenever I needed a boost! I have videos of you laughing but it just isn't the same as hearing it in real-time. Little-kid giggles are the best and they are so contagiously happy! This morning, I went to the bathroom to moisten a small towel to wipe your face. When I went back to your room, you were laying on your floor so to be silly, I stood over you and dropped the towel onto your face. You erupted into a fit of giggles and when I took the towel off, you shouted gleefully, "Again!" Every time I dropped the towel on you, you giggled like crazy and shouted, "Again!" A few times, you caught the towel before it hit your face and threw it up in the air; when I caught it, you erupted with laughter. We must have tossed the towel back and forth two dozen times, until the towel was ice-cold and I said no more. *squeee!* The best!

Love,

Mom

Out With the Old, In With the New

Dear Mackenzie,

Notes from today:

-When you heard the front door chime go off, you said, "Eeek! Who home?"

-When I said you couldn't wear your Christmas pajamas yet, you asked, "Can me please wear dem?"

-After you woke up from your nap, you made your bed all on your own! I didn't even tell you to do that!

-You said "yep" and "nope" today and it just sounded so darn cute.

-I gave away a few things that you and your siblings haven't played with or even noticed in a very long time, including a small basketball hoop, baby activity table, Thomas the Tank Engine pillow and Snoopy lamp. I set these items in the living room and you of course started playing with them and declaring them your "favorite." I told you that you hadn't touched any of these in months, that you have plenty of other toys and that we need to make space for the new toys that you are going to get for Christmas. You seemed to understand . . . until the woman came to take the toys. When I opened the door, you were sitting at the top of the stairs and suddenly started screaming, "Don't give away my toys! Don't give away my toys!!!!!" You poor thing, you had the biggest tears streaming down your face. After the woman left (with your toys), I held you and talked to you until you were okay. I'm sorry I gave away your old toys but I promise you that you will love your new ones!

Love,

Mom

On Your Own

Dear Mackenzie,

A few nights ago at bedtime, you climbed onto your bed, took out your hair tie, put it back in the box, turned your llama night light on to the pink setting you prefer and laid down in bed--all by yourself. The next day, you knew to turn off the space heater when you left your room and when I asked you about it, you said matter-of-factly, "I turn it off because nobody in there." You also asked me, "Can I drop off myself to school?" And then yesterday, we went to a party at our friends' house and you were so good about asking to go to the bathroom every time you needed it. You were wearing underwear and you didn't have a single accident. I think maybe the third or fourth time you came over to us and said you needed to go potty, I asked Daddy to take you and he asked me to take you (even though I had taken you all of the other times!). We were still mid-debate when you turned around, walked toward the bathroom and said, "I take myself." Oh my! You're such a big girl now!

Love,

Mom

Getting Organized

Dear Mackenzie,

Memorable moments as of late:

-You like to keep me company in the kitchen while I am cooking and the other night while I was holding you and stirring the pasta, you said to me, "I love watching you cook. I love watching you do laundry. I love hugging you. I love kissing you." O.M.G!!!!!

-When I got a package from the porch and coyly said, "Oooh, there's a Christmas present in here!" you jumped up and down in the hallway so hard and shouted, "Kissmas! Kissmas! I so thited for Kissmas!"

-I went into your room and you had laid out two pairs of socks in a line on the floor. I asked you why you did that and you replied, "I organized my socks." My 3-year-old used the word "organized!"

-I was holding a cookie and feeding it to you. When I started talking to Daddy and got distracted, you said "Aaaahh aaaahh" and pulled my hand to put the cookie in your mouth. Hahaha!

Love,

Mom