All good things come with lots of attitude

Happy birthday, Monkey! Tomorrow you turn 3, and I’ve been trying to make this a special birthday for you. It’s the first one where you’re actually cognizant of the fact that you get to receive presents and eat cake for no other reason than “it’s my birthday!”

On Friday, A and I went to your school and we had a pizza party with all your little school friends. You got to wear the fabulous princess dress you received from A’s mom and rocked the birthday princess dunce hat we got you for your special day.

You were a little weirded out by all the attention you received at school, which is so very unlike the you I know. At home, you’re the center of the limelight. When adults are talking, you pipe in with your little quips just so you can join the conversation: “I have a garbage can in my room!”, or “Mermaid has a long tail!” Your latest thing has been to interrupt me by saying, “Mommy, talk to ME!”

You made your wish on the cupcakes we made together. I had to convince you to blow out your candles. As soon as you did, you jumped from your seat and wrapped your arms around me. It was the highlight of my week.

On Saturday, we had a party for you at a local pottery store. All your non-school friends got together to let you know how special you are. You also got to hang out with Daddy on your special day.

You had a blast painting the pony that you picked out all by yourself.

I hope you enjoyed yourself this weekend. Tomorrow, you and I are off to the Museum of Natural History to look at dinosaurs and fishies and, maybe, mermaids. It seems that no matter how much we have planned for this birthday, it’s only a pale comparison to just how wonderful and amazing you really are. I always look forward to your morning smiles, followed by, “Wake up! It’s a beautiful day!” Your hugs and kisses, and neck squeezes and proclamations of “loving you so much.”

This has been a crazy year for you, but you’ve made it through with strength and resiliency…and, yet, you’re still sweet and loving and one of the most sensitive people I know – you make me proud to be Monkey’s Mommy.

I love you, my prettymonkey. Here’s to many, many more.

Monkey hasn’t really gotten to the stage where she names things. Her dolls are all obvious names: Princess, Princess Mommy, Kitty, etc.

She has one puppet, though, with a pouffy turban who she’s named “Tire Man.” I wasn’t sure what she was saying at first, but then I realized that, yeah, that’s still a pretty obvious name, too. At least we’re getting somewhere, though.

So, today we’re driving home from school and she’s telling me about the bunny that lives in her Easter egg.

Me: “Does the bunny have a name?”
Monkey: “Yes. His name is Bunnys.”
Me: “Bunnys?”
Monkey: “Yes, Bunnys. Bunnys Rabbit.”

Good thing I asked.

We’ve been teaching Monkey that words can hurt people’s feelings, so we should be careful and not use words to hurt. This includes making fun of people, whether on purpose or not. Sometimes, though, she makes it really hard and will say something that makes me crack up.

a few examples:

To A: “You have big cheeks like a chipmunk.”

(that one made me almost fall off the sofa laughing.)

To me: “Mommy, I’m going to eat and get a b-i-g butt just like you!”

(funny, I didn’t laugh as hard on that one…)

Given the choice between a chocolate chip cookie or toasted whole wheat bread for breakfast this morning, Monkey opted for the toast and left the cookie on the table.

At our last birthday party, all the kids were busy munching on cookies and candy while Monkey filled up on apple and orange slices. After she had her ice cream, she refused to eat the birthday cake and chose to eat even more apple slices.

She knows how to warm the cockles of my heart.

Some of your favorite things right now:

Princess Puppet and her Mommy. You like to take them everywhere.

Playing in the laundry basket and pretending that it’s taking you “up, up in the sky.”

Your Mermaid PJs (which are looking pretty ratty), as well as tuning A’s guitar when he’s not looking.

Taking your hair down as soon as you get home from school so that your hair can be “long like a princess.”

But, your number one favorite thing to do right now that’s kind of driving me a little crazy is running around the apartment with a strip of toilet paper and calling it your “Mermaid Tail.” You talk to it and the two of you have all sorts of adventures. That is, until you step on the tail and rip her. Then, you stuff it in the garbage can and go grab another tail.

We’ve been going through a lot of toilet paper.

Monkey got her first haircut this weekend. She’s very into the whole long hair thing because, according to her, that’s the way princesses wear their hair. She believes that all princesses have hair down to their asses, and that’s how she wants hers. However, I managed to convince her to go in “just for a trim”, and she did amazingly well! I only wanted to even out the baby hair in hopes of encouraging the curls, and to try and cut down on her normal ‘mad scientist’ look.

We took her to the salon where Daddy goes because we figured she’s familiar with it, and, well, it was like half of what one of those chi-chi places in Park Slope would’ve charged.

The whole thing was very serious business. Monkey kept her eye on the dresser’s scissors and watched her intently through the mirror. Afterwards, Monkey checked the back of her hair to make sure it was still at a princess-worthy length.

In the end, she turned to me and said, “Mommy, that didn’t hurt at all!” My brave little Monkey.