Reminders

I've had a few reminders lately that Mags' isn't exactly a baby anymore. When people ask me how old she is, I tell them she's three and their eyes bug out. But really, she's less 'three' and more 'almost four', which at the very least makes her look a little bit more size-appropriate.

A few things that have been happening:

*She's gained about 10 lbs. She gets harder and harder to carry all the time.
*Her new favorite story is a good 40 pages long. Full paragraphs! No rhymes!
*She was next door at Whizz's house yesterday playing the game Sorry...and she actually pretty much got it.
*She's adding and (sort of) subtracting
*She's discovered the fine art of lying (just once, but it was a doozy; designed to manipulate)
*Next week she offically starts four year old preschool
*Dressing herself is a constant, as is the phrase "I can do it myself, Mom!"

I realize these are not huge things. Every child goes through these steps. I do not feel as if rays of light bathe my child as she walks the earth. They're just a few eye-opening things that remind me that however much Mags likes to pretend to be a baby and wants me to carry her around baby-style, that however long and neverending some of those rough newborn/baby/toddler days were...she's growing up.

My god, does anyone else hear the strains of "Sunrise, Sunset"?

Is this the little girl I (ooompf!) carried,

Is this the little girl (my spine!) at play...

I'll be right back. I obviously need to go get all verklempt with "Fiddler on the Roof" for a while.