birthday 3.0

dear penny:

as i started thinking about what to write to you for this birthday, it occurred to me that this is very likely the last letter that you will not be able to read by yourself.  you started school in september, and fit right in, and are well on your way towards recognizing all of the letters and their sounds.  you are an  incredible artist, and i finally relented and got you paint for this chanukah.  all of the other parents in your class tell me that their kids talk about you all the time - about how nice you are, how funny, and how much you love to give hugs.  you had your very first after school playdate this week, and it went super well!
you gave up your pacifier six months ago.  you are totally potty trained. you run the blender when we make smoothies.  you can tell jokes and solve puzzles and cut with scissors.  you can zip and buckle and button.  you have a library card.
it gets harder each year to tell you how amazing you are, which is very gratifying in itself.  you are observant, articulate and very, very sweet.
this has been a rough year for the world, and there were some tough times for us.  i think that we are all on an upswing - the future is going to be amazing for you, i can feel it.
some of my favorite moments of this year are from just before you fall asleep, whether i'm rubbing your back or your tummy, chatting about your day and our plans for the future.

all in all, the twos were not so terrible, and three is looking REALLY promising.  i am so proud of you and all you've accomplished so far, and i can't wait to see what comes next!  thanks for letting me be your mom.

ps: you call instructions "constructions" and i am never going to correct you.