Sunday, February 13, 2011

52 Blessings – Three Year Olds


            I love three year olds.  They have imaginations and imaginary friends.  They can feed themselves, but want to be held.  They mimic your face when you tell them a story, and sing one line behind you in a song.  They still need a nap, but can feed the dog by themselves.    

            Yesterday Grace’s friends held a going away party for her.  Three year old Daisy twirled in a ballerina tutu and then changed into a Cinderella dress.  Daisy told Grace when it was time to open her presents and handed them to her in the order Daisy wanted them opened.  Three years olds are adaptable.  Three year olds have an opinion. 

            Austin was a cute, little, stocky, three-year-old boy, with fine blonde hair.  We used to babysit him.  Every day he wore levis with a belt and buckle, a western shirt, and cowboy boots.  He was generally adorable.  He also wanted to be included in everything.  One day, however, he wouldn’t stay out of trouble.  He jumped in the puddles in his good clothes, fought whoever came in his circumference, and was generally irritable.  The last naughty thing he did was throw rocks at the big kids.  I brought him inside, sat him down on the bench under the kitchen window, and told him he’d have to sit there until he figured out how to be nice. 

            I continued to peel the potatoes for supper while the rest of the kids played outside.  They were playing basketball and roller-blading and having a good time.  Austin sat and listened to them – sheer hell for a little boy that wants to be included in everything.  Pretty soon he mumbled, “Bad agency, bad consequences.  Good agency, good consequences.”   Then again, “Bad agency, bad consequences.  Good agency, good consequences.” 
            I was a more than a little surprised at his vocabulary . . . and even more so at his correct usage:
            “Bad agency, I got in the mud.  Bad agency I fight with Sarah.  Bad agency I throw rocks at Abe.  Bad agency, bad consequences.  Now I have to sit on the bench.  Bad agency, bad consequences.”
            Three year olds are teachable.  Three year olds are capable.

            This week my sister sent notice that a friend of ours little three year old boy was killed in a farm accident.  He looked like a little version of his dad.  His cute smile and crinkled nose confirmed all that three year olds are.  Three years olds are sweet.  Three year olds make a happy difference in the world. 

            I love three year olds.  It’s one of my favorite ages and all week long I have thought about three year olds and our kids when they were three:  Cali spanked her dolls, Abe wore his overalls backwards, Ty stuttered, and Ande believed she hatched under the house from a dinosaur egg. 

            I’m so glad we don’t skip from two to four.  Three year olds are a great blessing to the human race.

7 comments:

Alisa said...

Right now I am missing three, and trying not to hurry four on to five.

I will remember today the cute things of three.

How in the world did she think she came from a dinosaur egg from under the house? That will be a story to hear!

Jill said...

Amen to everything you said here. When I watch home movies from when my kids were three it produces a rather painful ache in my heart.

tina said...

My middle boy was hilarious at three - still is at 5 (turning 6 in two days). When he was three and a half he was very, very upset that he couldn't enter "the Garage" - a special place at the Portland Children's Museum where you have to be five to enter. They use screwdrivers and hot glue guns to make creations out of all sorts of recycled stuff. He was so upset that for 6 months he told EVERYONE he was skipping four and was turning five on his next birthday. It was so funny. As I type this, he's reading it and begging me not to write this story. Funny kid. "That was a long time ago," he says. :)

michelle said...

I found three to be a difficult age - harder than two with my children anyway. But I do agree with all of the happy, cute things about three.

I'm sad about the three year old who was killed. His poor family.

Julie said...

I just watched a 2 and 4 year old for 3 days. They are darling, tutu-ed, busy, talkative, idea-full, bundles of energy. I was TIRED when I came home! They were a joy.
When are Grace and Calvin going to be here? Are they staying here? Just let me know. Tell Grace I went to an auction last weekend and they have one EVERY WEEK! Fun stuff. She should go with me and we can have her whole house furnished!

Becky said...

I have a three-year-old and it makes me hurt just to think of losing her. My prayers are for that poor family this week...

Thanks for the reminder to enjoy my children at whatever stage/age they are currently at!

Becky said...

P.S. Just read Michelle's comment and I'm chuckling because we don't have terrible twos at our house either...we have "terrifying threes"...but they are also soo adorable and amusing :)