Sometimes I feel as if she is my first and only child. Because she is such a bundle of tumultuous energy that cannot be defined or confined. She’s currently ruler of our household and loving it. One minute she’s queen of her kingdom, the next she’s running for cover yelling “Mommy” when her frustrated brother and sister makes after her for doing something naughty to them or their possession.
Recently my oldest girl came to me wailing, “Mommy Amanda has put water in my makeup, all of them!” I look at her with frowning brows because I didn’t even see her do it; I have no idea when she did the deed. I apologize to my poor daughter for her sister’s rash behavior.
She can be a happy go lucky munchkin one moment and an unhappy, wailing child the next minute! She demands attention constantly and loves to play around and pull practical jokes on everyone within her reach. Sometimes a bit too much!
She’s pretty feisty and stubborn. I have no idea where that came from. Yeah right! My sisters tend to be on the feisty side, my mom was too, and we’re a stubborn lot. We will dig our feet in and not move when we feel pretty strongly about something!
She loves to take bubble baths with her toys or showers with me. Sometimes I’m taking a shower and the next thing I know she’s behind me telling me she wants to shower too. Egads, no privacy! If I want alone time I have to lock the door. This usually brings on a fit of banging and yelling to be let in so I don’t do that too often. I try to explain to her that mommy needs alone time but she has no concept of what I’m talking about.
She likes to color and paint. She loves to draw, the walls of our home shows a lot of her handy work! Most recently my off white sofa too. A nice big blue drawing of something she felt like doing! One day she appeared to me in underwear only with one leg fully painted green! I look at her in amazement and all I could say was “wow, you did a good job”! Then I ask her if she thinks that’s going to come off. She promptly answered yes and proceeded to wipe her leg down with the baby wipes. Lo and behold by the time she was done, her leg was back to normal, except for a feint greenish/yellow look which went away after her bath.
Anything that her brother has she must have too. If he’s sick and is taking medication, she wants it too. If he has a toy, it’s her toy. She gets pleasure in hearing him yell in agony or frustration at her. I’m constantly pulling her off of him. She will hold on to him with a body lock anyone of those WWF wrestlers would be proud of!
She confiscates his toys, games, crayons, anything she can get a hold of. She’s like a pirate because they’ve become her treasure.
She says things sometimes and I look at her in amazement at her capacity for understanding which is impossible for a child her age. Other times she tries to be smart and gets “punished” (and I use that word very lightly – i.e., she loses use of a toy or watching a fav DVD) for being rude to me or her siblings. She can sometimes have the mouth of someone who is a lot older than her. At times like that I sit her down and talk to her explaining to her why it’s not acceptable for her to say or do what she did. Then she feels guilty and starts crying. Or she’ll run off saying it again. When she does that I totally ignore her until she gives in and says, “I’m sorry mommy”. She’s been saying that a lot lately too.
She tells me what she wants to wear for the day; we fight over whether she should keep wearing her favorite old sneakers with the flashing lights or her new ones which will fit more comfortable. They’re getting “ratty” looking and tight. She likes her hair combed a certain way. Part down the middle with two big puffs on the side. Nothing I say or do can change her mind. And I in total resignation comply with her demands, especially for my own peace of mind!
She loves to dance and sing, and is very kind to others, even her siblings, and loves to socialize. When I walk with her around my complex, everyone knows her and calls out to her, even the teenagers! I’m amaze at her adeptness in handling her adoring crowd.
Now at the ripe young age of three, soon to be four years old (in two days) I look at her my third born (and last one!) and I am amaze at who she is and wonder what she will be like when she’s 8, 13, 16, 20? I wonder if she will be a staunch feminist or a free loving artsy person. Will she be as head-strong as she is now? Only God knows.
One minute she is the independent person who doesn’t need mommy, another minute she wants to be held and cuddled and spoon fed. My little soon to be four years old! She drives me up the wall with her antics. I threw out the book of knowledge I had on child rearing because she is like none of my other two. She’s her own persona, ever evolving.
I will love her always. And I can’t get enough of hugging her and telling her so. My little minx, my Mandy!