The Thathhy Threes

Apparently, I missed the part of Keira's third birthday where her Offical Three-Year-Old Attitude was bestowed upon her by mischievous fairies (probably the same ones who convinced me that eating a theater-sized box of Reese's Pieces for lunch the other day was a good idea....ughghghgh, my gall bladder!). This newfound attitude can be quite a challenge to my parenting skills, primarily because she has no idea how hilarious she looks when she tries to be sassy at me.

Well, she had no idea how hilarious it looked...until she discovered that my Stern Face magically transforms into reluctant giggles every time she busts out her 'tude. I think she's attempting to put her hands on her hips, but instead, they go under her armpits in a monkey-like pose; the look is completed by pursed lips and squinty eyes. Tell me you could give a Stern Faced-Lecture when faced with this:


Oh, and behind her? That would be the gate around our Christmas tree. A certain someone has knocked it over three times now, cueing a "Haven't-I-told-you-the-tree-is-for-looking-at-not-touching" lecture that was thwarted, of course, by her Miss Attitude stance, and ended in giggles on both our parts.

Ditto for tonight, when I went in to put Elliana down for bed and came out to find that Keira had gotten out a step stool, swiped the fourth cookie of the day that I'd told her she couldn't have from the hiding place I thought she couldn't see or reach, opened the fridge and took out my bottle of Diet Dr. Pepper, and kicked back on the couch to revel in her Home Alone-like glory. She even had the gall to belch my own stolen soda in my face (accidentally) during her post-discipline bedtime story!

If I don't learn to get it under control, she'll be shoplifting purses and dealing pot before I know it--and I hear the police are pretty good at resisting all forms of preschool sass, however humorous their parents might find it.

Ellie, for her part, has a new trick: she waves! I may be a wee bit biased, but I am fairly certain this is the cutest thing ever done by a human child in the history of the universe. She does it with a closed fist, as if revving a Harley:

I cannot get enough of it. So much so, in fact, that I feel a still photo is not enough to fully capture the cuteness (plus, it really looks more like a Black Power fist in that photo, doesn't it?) and feel compelled to share a video, complete with my dorky mom-voice:

Such a sweet little wave. Wave buh-bye to your big sister's Not-So-Terrible Two's, Ellie Bug, and wave hello to the Thathhy (that would be "sassy" with a lisp, people...keep up) Threes!