a milestone diary of marlows fourth year

how can i sum up each month of you into one short paragraph… its a challenge but ill try to do you justice you sweet, funny girl

Three years and a month (OCTOBER)

quote of the month… “be kristoff […] talk!”

princess obsessed and becoming less interested in your toy cars

you can intermittently sleep through the night (and are rewarded with nutella toast for breakfast if you manage it!)

your daddy reads you ‘the dark’ by lemony snicket in bed every night, by the light of a flashlight and you cuddle him so tight as you drift to slept

repeating phrases you have heard like “darling” courtesy of nama and referring to rua as a “cheeky minxy” (which sounds oh so much cuter when you say it) courtesy of myself

yogurt raisins are your favourite treat.. or a spoon of nutella

we love to hear the stories of your day when you come home. your best friends in pre-prep remain ‘edie and alex’

you have persistently disliked the colour green for about a year

Three years and two months (November)

still love splashing in puddles and wear your welly boots to pre-prep every morning

your new favourite toy is elsa - hoppy bunny you are over and out

love to “trick us” by telling us you have had a "leak” and other equally hilarious jokes

you can play endlessly on your own with the dollhouse and i love listening in and watching your little imagination unfold

you sing rhymes and songs to yourself

you would rather play than watch a movie

you like to pee in your nappy before bed

you refer to pre-prep as your ‘work’

Three years and three months (December)

sang for us in your first christmas concert

singing ‘when santa got stuck up the chimney’ on repeat

hate when your sister tries to steal your dody or pull your hair

sleeping through the nights frequently until around 4 , 5 or 6am (you star - we are so proud… and grateful for the rest)

shy on occasion

you can make rua laugh out loud at your antics and we love watching you bounce off one another

your face drawing is so sweet, two dots and a line beneath (sometimes with two vertical lines alongside for ‘arms’)

Three years and four months (January)

she changes her favourite book at night frequently, its currently ‘the see saw’, but we also read ‘the little reindeer’ for half of january along with renditions of your favourite christmas songs

mamas girl this month

growing confidence in your bike

early bird - waking up around 630/7

currently when you grow up you want to be ‘a boss’, ‘elsa’ and a ‘mummy’

remind us constantly that the trains and doctors are on strike

sphagetti sausages

Three years and five months (February)

you LOVE to read and we consume countless books each day and new ones every night (as well as ‘the sea saw')

constantly drawing us “maps”

so proud of your star and rainbow stickers you bring home for good behaviour from pre prep

determined to take yourself to the toilet on your own from start to finish (and to put on your own coat)

youve mastered putting on your own gloves

sometimes sleeping with a light on overnight

lego MAD

oh and did we mention ‘the sea saw’

Three years and six months (March)

trying your luck

you could eat ALL the mints this month and would drink toothpaste if we let you

first holiday abroad

first time at wedding

youd wear an elsa dress every day of the week

and watch ‘elsia’ and ‘ania’ “videos” to your hearts content

Three years and seven months (April)

you are ‘very very very very very very thirsty’…. ‘so so so so so hungry’…… ‘really really really really warm’ etc. all day long

hate wearing jumpers and jackets

love to wear dresses which are specifically good for ‘twirling’

our flower child

so articulate and expressive. your vocab has exploded and you tell us about every emotion you are feeling

id like to remember your conversations/arguments with grandad on your holidays

you caught chickenpox and it was TOUGH

Three years and eight months (may)

cold orange juice or nothing! so particular about your food and drink

love to run and play enchanted forest

you can play for h-o-u-r-s imaginatively

Three years and nine months (June)

you mastered colouring in the lines and it made is oh so proud

when we tell you to stop doing something you have a cheeky streak and it goes in one ear and seems to come out of the other

your insult of choice is, ‘you silly old nail polish!”

you constantly ask, ‘when is rua going to grow up’ and ‘when is my hair going to get longer?’

every single morning on nursery drop off you beg to go into the baby room for a little bit (which francesca occasionally makes happen for you)

Three years and ten months (july)

you now dress accordingly and wear jumpers if appropriate, but will still only really wear dresses

worst appetite ever

already thinking about your birthday party and the things on your wishlist are growing

really keen to help around the house and do chores

secretly adding stickers to the food reward chart (which has been stagnant for weeks given that you never want to try anything new)

so sensitive

Three years and eleven months (august)

we swapped out the food reward chart for a ‘chore chart’ and you are smashing it!

everything is princesses, unicorns, rainbows

art is your favourite activity

you colour in the lines and your art is so sweet

so protective and loving towards your baby sister

bouncing on the couch is your favourite cheeky activity meaning your mama has to pick up the cushions on the daily

Four years young (September)

BIG MONTH!

getting rid of your nappies at night and santa is taking your dody - you brave girl

your excitement for your birthday is rubbing off on us

suddenly developing a competitive nature in your four days at nursery

so loving with your sister, she wants to do everything you do…

you grow more sensitive and gentle as you grow and each day we are prouder of you. our beautiful daughter both inside and out.