Dear Mackenzie: Could you BE any cuter?

Dear Mackenzie,

Wow. Thirty-eight months old and you definitely have the world on a string. You have gotten almost as many presents in the last month from two of your godfathers as you got at Christmas. So many people love you so very much — you are an extremely blessed little girl.

One thing I learned in Florida is that “the birdie” (my hand making a bird-like head and me talking with a silly accent) will get you to do just about anything. While sitting at dinner, you were totally uninterested in your food (which happens a lot lately) but with some help from the birdie and a bit of time, you managed to gobble down everything on your plate.

We both learned that jet lag sucks. Your schedule was completely turned upside down in Florida and we had a few mornings where you were up at 5:30am — but it did allow us to go look for shells super early without any competition. So once we got back to Germany, we had to get you back on track yet again.

Your own DIY ball pit with PlayMais

Although you are full of energy when you wake up on your own in the morning, you are the sleepiest little girl I have ever seen when someone else gets you up. Thankfully, after about a week, all was back on track. Since you can get out of your bed in the mornings, you are up between 6 and 7 am, raring to go. Quite honestly, I would appreciate a bit more sleep…but I guess I’m just going to have to find it somewhere else.

You are officially sleeping in a big girl bed (and you fully helped your daddy convert your crib to a bed.) We found out that one of the best ways to keep you in bed is to let you know that your stuffed animal friends are so, so tired…and if you don’t stay in your bed so they can sleep, they’re going to come and sleep in our room. It took a few days (and some tense moments of trying to get you to stay in bed) until I came up with that scenario, but once you’ve had a refill of milk and had your diaper changed, you usually settle down pretty quickly.

While we were in Florida, you got to visit the beach for the first time. You loved splashing in the waves, despite it being just a bit chilly in the water. And we also built our first sandcastle — which was totally awesome! You’re quite the construction worker.

You’ve become quite adventurous with food lately and have basically not turned down anything I’ve offered you in a while. You especially love foods that you’ve cooked yourself — and your absolute favorite meal right now is a mixed salad with tuna on top and a light vinaigrette.

Speaking of helping me make food, you love, love, LOVE helping us do things around the house. And you’re actually starting to do them without causing a mess in the process. Stirring things, helping to add ingredients to pots, using a screwdriver (you helped your daddy put together our new PC a few weeks ago and have definitely got the screwdriver thing down pat) and all sorts of other good stuff. It’s just crazy how far you’ve come in 3 short years.

You also love to tell me all the time that you don’t need me anymore for things. While I’m happy that you want to express your independence, it is rather sad for me that you’re growing up so darn fast.

As I sit here finishing this up, you are launching plastic building blocks across the room…which makes me thankful that you’re pretty good about cleaning up after yourself. Apparently that is the best way to find the pieces you need to build a house. I guess I didn’t know. At least they’re bigger than the little packing-peanut-sized PlayMais you also love to throw all over the place.

While we were in Florida, you got to spend a lot of time in the pool, and we were working on teaching you swimming. Although your fear or water is next to nothing now and you are getting the dog paddle down pretty well, we still have a little ways to go before you’re ready to start swimming on your own. We had hoped to start you in your first swimming-related course next week, but it was all filled up before we could sign up. So I guess we’ll just have to hope for better luck the next time around.

You came inside a couple days ago after playing in the courtyard and announced you were looking for a little ball. When I asked what color it was, you reponded, “It’s got black hexagons and white hexagons.” Oh sure, cause that’s how every kid would describe a soccer ball, right? I think hexagons must be your favorite shapes right now — but everything from pentagons to decagons gets identified as a hexagon.

And your daddy FINALLY managed to get you to wear a pony tail for more than a few minutes. In fact, you even ask for it now. All he had to do was tell you that wearing a pony tail makes you jump higher and you were sold. Speaking of which you are also now a master hopper, jumper and can even balance on one foot for 5 seconds or so. Maybe you’ll join the circus…

“Yo” is apparently the funniest word ever. On the rare occasions that I say it to you, you laugh hysterically a if I’ve just started tickling you with feathers. But you have one of the best laughs which is just filled with heartiness and thrills. You throw your head back and just surrender yourself to the laugh…which is often induced by the round of tickling that you so love and actually even ask us to do.

I can hardly fathom that  next week you and I will be heading over to your preschool for a meet and greet with the teacher and the kids. I know it may be a little bit of a challenge at first (for both of us) since so much is going to change…but you’re going to love it. Especially once you get that crazy German language nailed down!

My deepest love,

Mama

2 Responses to “Dear Mackenzie: Could you BE any cuter?”

1. Weissdorn says:

   January 25, 2012 at 4:01 pm

   No! She really couldn’t be any cuter! Seriously! You should send this blog to Germany’s Minister of Family Affairs. I’m sure that every time they would use her pic, peoples’ hearts would melt.

   Reply
2. David says:

   January 26, 2012 at 1:27 pm

   “Dear Mackenzie: Could you BE any cuter?” Well…..yes, she could be holding a puppy.

   Reply