(Not) Quiet As a Mouse

Dear Mackenzie,

While I was doing laundry the other day, you were marching rather forcefully around the hallway in a circle and singing/yelling at the top of your lungs. The funny part was what you were singing: "Tiptoe tiptoe like a little mouse! Tiptoe tiptoe back into your house!" It was all "TIPTOE [stomp stomp] like a little MOUSE!! TIPTOE TIPTOE [stomp stomp] back into [stomp stomp] YOUR HOUSE!" I don't think you quite understood the lyrics, hahahaha!

Love,

Mom

Mama's Booboo

Dear Mackenzie,

Cute things you did/said today:

-We were both brushing our teeth while standing next to each other at the tub this morning when you reached over and took my hand in yours. Then we brushed our teeth while holding hands and it was just the sweetest moment.

-I asked you a series of questions for fun and here were your answers:

What is your name? Mackenzie

How old are you? Three

What is your favorite color? Purple

What is your favorite food? Staw-bees (strawberries)

What is your favorite toy? Peppa Pig

What is your favorite book? Olibeeah (Olivia)

What is your favorite show? Mickey Mouse

What is your favorite thing to do? Hug Mama (awwww!)

-After I tucked you into bed tonight, you came out and told me, "There was a booger. I got it out. I threw it in the garbage. [pause] I used my finger." I said good job on getting the booger out but you had to wash your hands. As you walked to the bathroom, you turned your head and asked over your shoulder with a smile, "Okay, and then you hug me? We can hug?"

-When you popped out of bed yet again several minutes later (I put you to bed at 8pm tonight and you pretty much got out of bed every five minutes for one thing or another--OMG, you literally just got out of bed and came into my room AGAIN as I was typing this sentence and it is 9:17! Gah!), I had a tiny cut on my elbow and you came with me to get a Band-Aid. As I was getting one out of the closet, you went to go tell Daddy, "Daddy! Mama has a booboo! Your wife has a booboo!" Hahahaha! After I put on the Band-Aid, we were cuddling in your bed and you said, "I'm sorry, Mama. I'm sorry you have a booboo and that it beed [bled]. It will feel better in the morning. Sometimes I get booboos and they beed and I put on a Band-Aid and then they feel better." Awww, thank you for comforting me, sweetie!

Love,

Mom

Sibling Rivalry

Dear Mackenzie,

Ohmygod, you and Second GuhGaw were fighting SO MUCH today. Fighting over who gets the toys, fighting over how to play with the toys, fighting over who should clean up the toys. There was so much yelling, both between you two and me at you two. At one point, I asked you, "Can you guys please stop fighting? I don't like yelling this much. Yelling doesn't make me happy." You replied, "Yelling doesn't make you happy? Being happy makes you happy?" And then you started making silly faces at me and said, "My faces will make you happy." And you know what, they did! Thank you, sweetheart! But you still need to stop fighting so much with your brother.

Love,

Mom

So Fresh So Clean

Dear Mackenzie,

Today's Mackenzie funny: You were talking to Daddy and you said, "I clean. I smell good. I brush my teeth."

Also, I love the way you say "pway" instead of "play."

Love,

Mom

A New Style

Dear Mackenzie,

Today's Mackenzie funny: You found an old tutu skirt of yours and for some reason, decided to take off your shirt and put the tutu around your chest. I found you like that in my closet, looking at your reflection and cracking up! You're so silly!

Love,

Mom

Ithaca Memories

Dear Mackenzie,

I was helping you get ready for bed tonight when you asked me, "Remember when we went on acation [that's how you always pronounce "vacation"] and we played that game with the balls on the table?" You were talking about our trip to Ithaca, where we stayed in a house with a pool table, and I was floored because that was last July and how did you remember that?! You were only two years old! When I told Daddy what you recalled, he told you that that was our vacation to Ithaca and asked you what color the house was. You answered correctly, "Blue!" Whoa, good memory!

And later, when I was reading to you, I coughed and you held out your arm and asked, "You okay? You want to cough into my arm?" Such a sweetheart! Also sweet is whenever I ask you if you're okay and you reply matter-of-factly, "I fine."

Love,

Mom

Busy Girl

Dear Mackenzie,

You always want to help me sort and fold the laundry so I asked you to organize the load of socks I washed. You spent several minutes putting them in random piles and then you walked away to play with your toys. I said, "I thought you wanted to help me with the laundry." You replied, "I'm busy. I have a lot of work to do. I can't help you with the laundry right now." Um, okay.

Love,

Mom

Spongy Tofu

Dear Mackenzie,

Daddy was scrolling through things to watch on Hulu and something caught your eye. You asked, "Can we watch the tofu man?" Daddy was confused and you directed him, "Go back up, go back up." He scrolled up and you said, "There! The tofu man." When we looked on the screen, we saw what you were looking at: SpongeBob SquarePants! Hahahaha! I guess he kind of resembles a block of tofu?

Love,

Mom

Loud Steps

Dear Mackenzie,

As I type this, you are using a wet washcloth to wipe down my desk, chair and floor mat. I asked you why you are cleaning and you said, "Everything is so dusty. I want to make it nice and clean. If there is a dust on it, you clean it up. Your floor is dirty. You have to clean the dust off."

In other cuteness news, I was washing my hands and you were standing next to me making silly faces at your reflection on the silver faucet head. Hahaha! 

And in loudness news, I feel as if I came back from Miami and you now THUNDER through the hallways. You used to pitter-patter across the floors when going from room to room but now your feet go STOMP-STOMP-STOMP. And when you go up and down the stairs, the THUMP-THUMP-THUMP sounds as if an elephant is clomping around, not a 3-year-old! Dude!

Love,

Mom

A New BFF

Dear Mackenzie,

I love the way you say "you-corn" instead of "unicorn" and the way you say "yeyoh" rather than "yellow." I like that you have started saying, "I want Mama Uppee Time." And when I was washing my hands tonight, you said, "I turn off the water when you done because I'm a good little helper." Yes, you are!

I also love the way that you have bonded with your classmate Emma. She joined the class in January and you two immediately became buddies. When she cried on her first day, you hugged her and gave her a cup of water. On her second day when you saw her waiting to go inside the school, you went right up to her and held her hand. We went over to her house for a play date a couple of weeks ago and you two were soooo cute together, holding hands while you walked around the playroom and you leading Emma around because you guys were pretending she was your pet cat. A few nights after the play date, you were looking out my bedroom window when you started crying softly and saying, "I want Emma. I want Emma." You don't even do that for Daddy when he is away on business trips and I was so surprised and saddened. I texted Emma's mom to tell her and ask if you and Emma could do FaceTime but Emma was already asleep. However, her mom told me that when Emma went to bed that night, she was crying inexplicably and her mom had to hold her; she said it was odd because Emma had never really cried like that at bedtime before. When Emma's mom told me that, I got goosebumps! What a strong bond!

Last week was mid-winter break, so you didn't go to school or see your friends. You returned to school today and when we were about a block away, you saw Emma. Your face broke out into a big smile and you started running so quickly toward her--I had to hustle to keep up with you and make sure you didn't fall or bolt into the street! Once you crossed the street, you two ran toward each other and shared the CUTEST hug!! I couldn't see your face but Emma had the happiest smile on hers. The whole thing was so adorable that a woman standing on the same corner and who we don't even know tried to get out her phone to record the moment for us (she wasn't quick enough to capture it, though, darn it!). Omg, so. Friggen. Sweet!

Love,

Mom