3

I just put my 3-year-old to bed for the last time.  In the morning, she'll be a 4-year-old.  Bittersweet.

Three seems to get a bad rap.  I think I've mentioned on here before than when working with other people's kids, I have found 3 to be one of my favorite ages.  Numerous friends assured me that it would be different when it was my own child being ridiculously stubborn and emotionally (and physically) out of control.  And we definitely had plenty of awful 3-year-old moments.  Becca is not a mellow kid.  :)  But 3 has also been, by far, the most entertaining age.  Her little mind is so busy making connections, and you never know what she is going to pop out with next.  For example, on the way home today, she said, "When boys come to my house, I'm going to punch them."  What what?  She's a trip.  If I'm wearing black, she pretends that I'm Ursula (of Little Mermaid fame) and runs away.  Obnoxious, yes.  Hilarious, yes (for a while).  Tonight after John got her out of the bath, she ran around the house naked and hid in the pantry.  Dripping wet.  Crazy kid.

Anyhow, Becca's third year has been a good one for us.  She's done pretty well health-wise, she's made a LOT of progress on eating, she's grown fairly well, she's made progress in school, and she'd getting close to being fully pee-potty trained (not so much with the poop).  Considering where we were 4 years ago, praying for a few wonderful minutes with our sweet girl, I'll take every single one of the 2,101,290 minutes she's been in this world...even the obnoxious ones.

Some recent shots of 3 in all its glory...

Sleeping in her humongous big girl bed, passed down from another Rebecca at church!

Modelling her Big Sister shirt she made with Miss Becca

Tinker Becca

Ready to swim!

Strawberry pickin' with Grandma

First braid!  Her hair is finally long enough!

Becca and Daddy pretending to be Lady and the Tramp.  That's amore!

Community Helpers

Becca's class has been doing a unit on community helpers, learning about public servants like firefighters, police officers, teachers, construction workers, mail carriers, nurses, and doctors.  At the end of the unit, they had "Dress Like a Community Helper" day.  Not surprisingly, Becca chose to dress like one of the helpers she is way too familiar with - a doctor.  Apparently, the day before, when they talked about doctors, Becca told the class everything a doctor does at an appointment.  It seems she's been through a few of those.  :)  Here's our Dr. Becca!

Becca Hill, Minister of Music

Okay, I know I'm going a little video-crazy this week, but I just can't wait to show you this one. John was playing guitar instead of reading books at bedtime, and Becca was WAY into it. Note the guitar on her pajamas - she was totally rocking out on it and then she switched to the xylephone and grabbed her stole. She really wanted that stole to stay diagonal like our music minister Anne's. And that would be "Alleluia," she is screami--I mean--singing. And then she makes her directoral debut...which I happily dedicate to the hand-waving Uncle Doug and Anne Hook!

 

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Baby Rosie

Santa brought Becca a very special baby!  Meet baby Rosie, the newest Bitty Baby in the Hill house (the first, of course, being Becca).  (And yes, the Reverend Cheap-O (that'd be me) did actually purchase a brand-name baby doll.  I mean, how could I not?  They named the entire line after our Itty Bitty!)  Becca loves baby Rosie and, frankly, I love her, too.  Maybe if this whole conception thing never does work out, I'll get one for me, too. But I digress.  Actually, that's about all I have to say about Rosie.  Can you believe that?  Few words from me...who knew it was possible?

In sum: Rosie is pretty swell, and her presence somehow makes Becca even cuter.  See for yourself:

She's fascinated by Rosie's fancy open-and-close eyes.

And she loves to de-clothe her.  Theoretically, she likes to change her clothes, but she
hasn't figured out how to put them on her...so she gets her nekked, and I dress her.

The moment before Becca, of course, tipped over backwards.

Again with the eyes...or maybe doll CPR.

  

Recalled stroller or user error?

Awwww...

I can't get over how old Becca looks here!

What every newborn needs: a cup of water, a spoon, and a hamburger bun.

1-2-3 Blast Off!

Lately, Becca has been obsessed with space.  It started with the moon, spread to the stars, and then encompassed all things space.  She'll tell you that she wants to be an "AAAA-naut" (astronaut) when she grows up, but I think that with this spacesuit from Aunt Jenny and crew, she makes a pretty good one now.

p.s. Don't forget to contribute to Aubrie's Angels through the link on the right!

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The Naked Chef

My apologies to Jamie Oliver, but this is too cute not to share...

And on a proper developmental note, we are seeing Becca play pretend with things more and more. I'm sure I had to eat whatever it was she was preparing in the kitchen. It is not at all unusual to have to do everything that we do to/with Becca to/with Puppy or Elmo. And it's beyond adorable when she makes them dance or ride her bike. (Yes, a bike...more on that after Thanksgiving when she officially receives it!)

Here's a picture of snacktime with Puppy. He HAD to sit in the highchair, and he HAD to have Cheerios.

She sat in the big girl chair (on top of a large cookbook - thanks, Aunt Susie! :) ) and also ate Cheerios.