Not a Toddler

I was folding a pair of Taylor's pajamas yesterday, when I noticed the tag was different than others.  Instead of the normal '3T' labeling, this stated 'Toddler 3'.  I laughed out loud.  I don't have a three year old toddler.  To me, a toddler is the stage Connor is on the verge of.  Walks with caution, stands up just to fall down and laugh, eats with her fingers and still rubs it in her hair, still needs diapering, would eat a bubble wand if you gave it to her, and uses a language only her mommy & daddy understand.  Getting Connor to hold still to read a 7 page board book is like getting our dog to not shed his hair.  

Taylor is not a toddler.  I have a 3 year old with an expansive vocabulary and who is able to clearly communicate her thoughts & feelings.  She can run and kick soccer balls, climb ladders, go down slides, swing in big swings, hit a ball off a tee, and can blow all her own bubbles.  She can get into her own car seat and buckle it.  She is fully potty-trained.  She loves to be read to and to read to you.  She also still gets incredibly emotional, and can change from happy to monster in under 30 seconds.  I guess that is why they are called 'pre-schoolers'.  But I also understand that 3PS would look ridiculous on the tag of kids' clothes.  

We celebrated this 3PS birthday over the weekend.  We invited the kids from her class at school, and 5 girls and 2 boys showed up for the princess party.  Taylor had a blast.  I don't remember anything from that afternoon - it is all still a blur.

*Sidenote: I'm noticing that the pictures aren't organized at all as they are uploading, and I'm too lazy to try and drag and drop and fix them.  Eh - you get the idea.

Taylor in her Fairy Princess costume in front of the Princess cakes. 

Wee little Tinkerbell.

Aunt Steph helped T decorate her crown. 

Some of the other moms helping their kids with the crown decorating.

Bubbles! Little Princesses!

A true princess always wears her tennis shoes, and rides the nose of the bouncy lizard.

On her actual birthday...

Tink again (Thanks to all the family and friends who watched this one while I was totally engrossed in the rest of the party. I was so afraid of losing someone else's kid at the park, even though they all had guardians of some sort watching them too.

Oh - again riding the bouncy lizard.