LBD at 2 and 3/4

• Ugh.  STOP GETTING OLDER.
• You have a doll named "T-Y-Yopa."  And you often correct me when I say it because you want to make sure the emphasis is on the Y.  Sometimes she sleeps with you, sometimes she gets big long time outs.  Sometimes we all have to be quiet while she is sleeping.  
• Sometimes in the morning you will try to do sit ups next to me (meaning sometimes I do that briefly, not that sometimes she participates).  You'll say "Mom, I do hiccups with you." You'll lay down and kind of beat your head against the floor.  Sort of how the "hiccups" make me feel because I can tell they aren't doing any good. 
• You LOVE to dance.  Case in point: (and btw, your sisters are big fans of this song...only wish I had a video of them singing "Another one pass the test" because that is what they think it is...). And that is C showing sisterly love at the end.
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Here you are rocking out with Daddy in July and it makes me sad to see how much older you have gotten since then.


• You still talk about Big Paula and "All the little Paulas."  You occasionally blame them for things.  "Goags, did you spill that?" "No, all the little Paulas did."  It is often Big Paula's birthday "tomorrow," and we have to wrap up 'presents' like rolls of tape, bandaids, dish towels, or art you made. You will often lay out clothes to wear to a playdate at "all the little Paulas" the next day. 
• You might be a hoarder.  A few weeks ago I switched out a floor lamp in your room for a table lamp sitting on a side table.  Maybe because your sisters have side tables with little cupboards in them for their special things, you immediately became attached to "your side table."  You quickly started putting things on your side table--bandaids, plastic phones, a ball, cards you received, candy.  Sometimes we would be in the middle of something, you'd jump down, grab a plastic bag, throw whatever we were working on in the bag and run back to your room. You'd come back and I'd say "What did you did you do?" and you'd answer "I put the bag on my side table." I recently found one of my oven mitts on your side table.  And God forbid I try to remove something from your side table.  I can't decide if it is cute or prelude to a really bad episode of "Buried Alive."  But for now I will assume it is just your way of having a few things to call your own--something that is hard to do as the youngest in a household of 5.  
• You still say "What" and "Why" like an old Russian Lady--"Vhat?" "Vhy?"  When we play doctor I am the patient visiting Dr. Baryshnikov--C and D think it is pretty funny. 
• You are destined to have a lot of cavities.
• You are a bad parenting test case.  (Show me a kid who loves tv and I will show you a kid who got it early and often).  You already like videos more than C and D.  C and D could take it or leave it and burn out very quickly.  I practically have to force them to watch a movie.  You were exposed to it earlier because of c and d, and you love it.  (I also appreciate now how much having twins made it easier not to show them videos--they had each other to play with).  Your favorites are Chloe's Closet, Caillou, and Berenstein Bears.  You only get Dora on trips because her shows are too long (we do draw the line somewhere), but you love her too.  You also love her because you dance to her song in ballet.  
• You can swim like a fish.
• You like school but you are still a little bit of a loner there. You will come home and tell me that you had a treat at snack for someone's birthday.  I will ask you whose birthday and you'll say with wide eyes and a long O, "I dun know."
• You like to help.  The other night D was on the toilet and she yells to me that she needs my help. D and I both hear you running and yelling...
• L: "I don't like Dylan!"  
• D was upset and so was I. Me "Lila, why would you say you don't like Dylan?"
• L looking at me like I was crazy, "I not say I don't like Dylan. I say "I WILL WIPE Dylan." 
• And you lunge for the toilet paper while I laugh my *ss off.
• I spend most of the time with you wishing I could freeze the moment in time and revisit it any time I want for years to come.  I'll eat you up I love you so.