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Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Nearly three

I think I've always enjoyed three-year olds. They are fun creatures. Delightful, despite their continuing tendency to have a tantrum or two. Little pint-sized humans that giggle and dance and say biggish sentences in their unbelievably small voices. I enjoy Juliette at this age (not that I didn't before). I like teaching her about the world and seeing how she processes it. And how she repeats things she hears me saying, mannerism and all.

Tuesday morning we didn't have a lesson at my school (hard to find teachers who aren't on vacation in July, I think), and I was happy to spend the time with Juju. I'm more conscious of appreciating my time with her now that I have less of it. So it was off to the bakery for a loaf of bread and a pain au chocolat that we shared on the way to the the little playground nestled in the trees. We were alone there except for some teen girl who kept sending texts on her phone. I tried to teach Juliette how to pump her legs as she was swinging. We've still got work to do but she did like repeating "up and bend" as she swung. That look of pure joy on her face as she went up and down, leaning her head back to look at the leaves above is just priceless. I swung beside her and looked up at the trees, too. Being at the playground in the cool of the morning and staring up at the sky brought me back to my own childhood and similar, blurry memories. When the air is fresh and life seems limitless. Oh, to be three again, not a worry in the world.

She's also entering that DVD mania stage. While my mom was here she bought a few pre-birthday gifts for Juliette of some DVDs that will play on our French-bought system. (Ones from the US have to be played on the computer.) So now my little one often asks for Pinnocchio or Nemo or Chim-chiminey (Mary Poppins) and Strawberry Shortcake (the older ones, thank you. The new CG characters remind of Manga girls or preteens who hang out at the mall. But that's just me. No, it isn't, check out this like-minded blogger!). It's amazing how she can get so absorbed in these, though her attention span is still short and she will take her Dora book at the same time. We can watch all these DVDs in English by the way.

She's definitely more little girl than baby now. Longer body, of course. Much more hair than this time last year, often curly. The sitter wonders if she'll be taller than me when she grows up. Juliette looks at clothes in the shops and says "That's cute," and again I know that comes frome me. She's also a little Monkish: if she sees dirt on the floor, she'll tell me to "clean it up!" I can't tell you how tickled I am to hear her saying so many things in English at home. It helps that Remi is willing to converse in English with her, too.


So an early happy birthday to my little one! May three be a great year for us all!

6 comments:

Crystal said...

beautiful post..I could imagine myself in the park with you guys :)

I can't believe it's been 3 years since we came to see a newborn Juliette in the hospital and a glowing new mommy :) She's absolutely gorgeous and I hope to see you both again one day soon...

Hugs.

Chad said...

Based on that blog you linked to, I think you might enjoy this things I read the other day.

https://judgmentalobserver.wordpress.com/tag/my-little-pony/

I had no idea they sexed up all the old toys. Booo.

Jenenz said...

Thank you for your heartfelt post about Juliette. Three is a good age. They can communicate with you and they do absorb so much! The pain au chocolat is so delicious! How wonderful to share it together.

Lindle said...

Such a sweet post about swinging with your Juliette. That's a memory I now have too from my visit just about two weeks ago. She loves the swings, and unless another child catches her eye who might be heading for the sliding board--she could stay on them almost forever.
Yes--she's growing up. Preschool in just a couple of months, but there's still enough "baby" to satisfy those need-to-cuddle moments.
Happy Birthday, ma petit fille!

Mil said...

Thanks for the positive feedback, folks. And that's a brilliant link you found, Chad. She said exactly what I was thinking. It is pretty worrisome how sexed up girls characters, even cartoons, are becoming. We parents have got to watch out and censor as needed.

Amber said...

Gorgeous girls! Glad you got to spend a nice day together. I'm looking forward to days like this with my little guy but trying to "enjoy" his baby stage. Time seems to go so much quicker when there's a little one around.