Almost 3

It's been such a long time since I've posted. Hana is a nonstop whirlwind of activity, leaving little time for writing.

Hana is very much looking forward to her birthday party. She has declared that she would like to have it at Fairyland (the local amusement park) and that she would like both cupcakes AND cake, all strawberry. She would also like one of those candles shaped like the number 3.

Her favorite colors are pink and purple, and according to her, she doesn't like any other colors. She loves to dress up in outlandish layered outfits - skirts upon dresses, different colored socks, fancy shoes, and stylish sunglasses. Dramatic play is one of her favorite amusements. We play waitress, circle time, riding in the car, going on a train trip, mommy/baby, and lots of other games. Chase and hide and seek are also favorites.

She is doing fabulously in school. She is known there as the "mama hen." She likes to remind her classmates of the classroom rules, and often helps out the littler ones with putting on their shoes and jackets when teachers are busy. She is a one-woman welcome wagon for new classmates, adopting them on their first day, holding their hand, showing them around the school, and explaining how things work. She is very loving and nurturing to her friends and loves to give hugs and kisses.

She continues to have a fierce independent streak. Everything is "I can do it myself" (unless, of course, she's "in a mood" in which case she whines for help with even the simplest of tasks, such as walking. :) Usually, this self sufficiency is a good thing - except when we are in a hurry, or most recently, when she insisted on clearing the table after dinner and dropped some glass dishes into the sink, shattering several. She has mastered and honed her negotiation skills to the point where I wouldn't want to face her in court, and she is an expert at drawing out the bedtime routine. I am wise to it, though, and manage to maintain a small degree of control. Her ace in the hole after I put her down is to remove her diaper, requiring me to come back into the room to put her diaper back on and resume negotiations: "Pet me." "Mommy, can you lay on the pillow?" "Mommy, I want water." etc. The latest solution is I leave a few pullups in her crib. If she wants to change her diaper, she can do it herself! Now if I could just get her to go to sleep before 9:30 or 10:00 pm, we'd be in business.

She is finally daytime potty trained. We had a 2-month stretch last fall when she was potty trained. Then she announced that using the potty was not fun, and that was the end of that. About 2 months ago she began to show a renewed interest and now there are virtually no accidents and she likes to wear "unders" as she calls them.

So all in all, she's doing great and is a lot of fun to be around. Check back in a month for pics from her birthday party!