Catching Up: Olivia

Olivia turned 3 at the end of May! Leading up to her birthday, she got mad if we said she was about to turn 3, insisting she was still 2. Fortunately, she got over that on her birthday and has accepted the fact that she is 3.Good thing - it would have been a long road ahead if she were already in denial about her age before pre-school.

Olivia staged this picture all on her own. We were sitting on the patio behind Seth's parents' house and she suddenly came to get me and insisted I take a picture of her between the flower pots. 

It comes as no surprise in this family that Liv is quite the talker - and she is right up there with Charlie in volume. She's got a huge vocabulary, but still mixes up and makes up words here and there as 3-year-olds will do. She says got-for instead of forgot. And she only uses the past tense of find - "I can't found it!"

She still doesn't quite get the word because and often uses it in place of and or but. For example, she might say, "Mom! I'm hiding because you can't see me!" The other day she said to Frank, "Frankie, we had a party because you weren't there!" Frank was understandably offended thinking we were celebrating his absence so I let him know that she doesn't quite know how to use the word because. I have no idea what party she was referring to, by the way.

She also talks in her sleep nightly. By morning, I usually can't remember what she said, but here are a few quotes I can recall.

• "Bugs can talk! I can talk like bugs."
• "Don't put a snake on my head!"
• (while laughing) "My face and my...booty-cheek!!"
• "Why is the hee-hee talking to Sam?" (Hee-hee is her word for witch, imitating the sound they make when they laugh)
• (Variations of yelling at her brothers come up frequently) "Charlie/Frank! Don't take my candy/baby/toy/etc!"

And this was yesterday's conversation in the garden. 

Olivia: Mom! I see a crib!

Me: A crib?

Olivia: I mean...a ribbet. 

Me: Do you mean a cricket?

Olivia: Yeah, a cricket! (It was a grasshopper, but she was close)

Matching pigtails with cousin Briar

Olivia is finally taking off with potty training! Like the rest of our kids, using the potty has to be her idea and she does not take well to the suggestion that she should maybe just try using the potty before a long car ride or first thing in the morning. But progress is being made. Once she starts going, she can usually stop herself and run for the potty. So still a lot of laundry, but not too many messes on the floor. Of course, as predicted, she started to really take off after I finally bit the bullet and bought more diapers. 

Taken on her 3rd birthday when we went to a park in Monevideo. It was still quite cold outside!

Papi is 77 years old and still giving (double) horsey rides!!

And to finish, here's a video from a few months ago. It captures her well.