Letters to my two-year-old

Dear Hannah-
When I say "no" it does not mean drop onto the floor kicking and screaming. Nor does it mean wait until I am not looking and do it anyway. It means no. Don't do it. Ever. Especially if it involves playing in the bathroom and eating vaseline.
Love,
Mom

Dear Hannah-
Skirts are not an appropriate winter item. Neither are dresses. And you do not have to wear one EVERY DAY. In fact, skirts and dresses are fun, but only if you have the right shoes and really you can't do much in them except look good.
Love,
Mom
P.S. You may not wear your cupcake dress 24/7. It needs to be washed. And it's getting too small.

           Hannah in her princess dress at Disney On Ice 2009

Dear Hannah-
The cat does not enjoy being shut into your drawer, various cupboards around the house, and/or small tupperware containers meant for toys. She doesn't really enjoy being thrown from the balcony either. Please refrain from grabbing her tail as well. The cat will not scratch you so much if you mostly just leave her alone.
Love,
Mom

                    Hannah with her mischievous face on vacation at Sequoia National Park Oct 2009

Dear Hannah-
Although I have discovered that rice krispies lightly soaked in milk are a wonderful adhesive, I would appreciate it if you could stop flinging your eating utensils about and move them in a predictable pattern from bowl to mouth, bowl to mouth, etc. Also, I would appreciate it if you would stop throwing your bowl across the table and yelling, "I DON'T WANT IT!"
Love,
Mom
P.S. We cannot have cold cereal for breakfast every morning.

 

Hannah enjoying a S'more at the family reunion July 2009

Dear Hannah-
Markers and crayons are for drawing on paper. Paper. Not kitchen cabinets, not tables, not cookie cutters, not the cat. Paper.
Love,
Mom

Dear Hannah-
It seems a little sneaky of you to grab a package of rice cakes to eat in your room while I cook breakfast. Please leave all food in the kitchen. And no snacks before breakfast.
Love,
Mom

                     Hannah loves ice cream and messes. Jan. 2010

Dear Hannah-
Perhaps it would be best if you stayed in bed once we put you in it. Your father and I get a little testy when you come out for the fifth time to tell us that your leg hurts, or that you need a drink of water, or that the balloons on the floor are bothering you. JUST GO TO SLEEP.
Love,
Mom

Dear Hannah-
Lip gloss is best used in small quantities, once or twice a day, not continuously until it is so thick that it smears off onto everything you walk by.
Love,
Mom

Dear Hannah-
Naps are lovely for the soul. Are you sure you don't want to take one anymore? Also, have you considered sleeping in when you don't go to sleep until 11:00 p.m.? It might help your disposition. It would certainly help mine.
Love,
Mom

   Hannah and Kenzie on the kid swings at Lagoon 2009

Dear Hannah-
Let me tell you a little story, a story about the boy who cried wolf. The boy cried wolf so many times and the townspeople ran to help him each time, until finally they stopped believing him. Then when he had a real emergency no one came. And the wolf ate him. (Okay maybe the wolf didn't eat him, just the sheep, but still.) So, you might want to tone down your use of the Emergency-tense. Maybe then when you really are going to pee on the floor because you can't get your pants off, I will believe you.
Love,
Mom

Dear Hannah-
I love you. I love it when you pat me. I love when we kneel down for prayers and you wrap one arm around me. I love in the morning how you stay in bed until I come and then you grin and hide your face. I love how you put a box in front of your face and say, "You can't see me. You can't see me." I love your happy giggle of delight when you are playing. I love how you say to Kenzie, especially when she has saved you a treat, "Kenzie, I love you."  I love how you make us laugh with your silly faces and words. I love how you say, resignedly, "Okay," after you have already thrown a major fit. I love how you ask me to hold you in the mornings. I love how much you love going to "school" until you get there and then you get all scared and clingy until I promise to come back. I love how when you see your cousin Gracie, your face lights up and you run to her yelling, "Grace!" I love how you get a worried look on your face and say, "But who am I going to marry?" (Don't worry, you'll find someone after college :) I love how much you love Spaghetti-Os and cheese, and I love how you try to sneak food into your room, but tell me all about how I can't go in there because that's where your treats are. I love when you say, "I love you," to me or Dad. I love our bed making ritual, where I ask you, "where is the sheet Hannah? What did you do with it?" and you grin and find it for me and help me pull it up.  I love how you don't like kisses but love hugs. I love how every night you ask for us to sing, "I am Like a Star Shining Brightly," and then pretend you are falling asleep when we tuck you in. I love how independent you are, forming your own opinions and doing your own thing, not just copying. Dear Hannah, I just love you.
Love,
Mom