Jane at 3 and a half

Just a few tidbits about our sweet, defiant, adorable little rascal, Jane.

Jane's blanket is getting old and warn out, but of course she still loves it.  She refers to it as her "scratchy blanket".  Sound so inviting.

"When you're done computering, can you get me a snack?"

When my parents were visiting, my Jane loved having my dad sit down and play with the farm animals with her.  At one point they got into a little disagreement over the correct identification of a particular animal.  "This is a bull," my dad said.  "No, it's a cow," Jane countered.  They went back and forth for a little and then Jane said, "Ok Grandpa, we can pretend it's a bull."

For the last several months, Jane has requested to sleep on the ground next to her bed.  I don't know why she wanted it, but she probably slept there 5 or 6 days a week.   A few weeks ago, she came to Chris in the night complaining that a spider bit her and then crawled into her underwear.  That would be pretty traumatizing to me too even if it was only a dream.  She hasn't slept on the floor much since then.

Jane is really starting to explore the world of dishonesty.  She lies all the time.  Peter gets blamed for everything (and sometimes Alice) even when the marshmallow powder is written all over her face.  I left Jane and Peter to finish their dinner on their own while I went around the corner to nurse Alice.  They both had apple slices on their plates.  Peter was going to town on his and Jane was avoiding hers.  From the other room, Peter called over "May I be excused?"  (only in an adorable slurred together way that perhaps only his parents could understand).  I dismissed him and a little bit later, Jane called to be excused as well.  When she came into the living room to see me, she made a point to tell me, "I ate all of my dinner, but Peter still has some food left on his plate."  When I returned to clean up the table I found all of Jane's apples piled up on Peter's plate.  She's a stinker.

Jane wakes up all the time in the night; almost as much as Alice does.  It's been going on for several months and I really have no idea why or how to change it.  Sometimes she needs to go to the bathroom.  Sometimes she's scared, or hungry, or sick, or just misses Grandma and Grandpa.  Often we can guide her back to her bed pretty easily but sometimes it takes a frustrating amount of time to get her back down.  Peter can get out of his crib, but he doesn't.  He did it a few times and got in trouble, so he never even tries any more.  Even in the morning when I would like him to get out by himself, he stays put and calls for us.  When it's time to go to bed, though, he insists on climbing in by himself.

Alice is lucky to have Jane as her adoring sister.  She gives her a respectful amount of space, but is constantly declaring how much she loves her and just how cute she is.  Jane definitely had an adjustment period coping with the new family member, but at least she never takes it out on Alice.  She mostly got a little more sensitive and emotional.  If I didn't hear or respond to her right away, she would quietly go away and start crying.  So sad.  She needed lots of love those first couple weeks.  She also reverted in her potty training and started wetting her pants again.  This was frustrating and lasted more than a couple weeks, but things seem to be getting back to normal now.

I love that Jane refers the brachiosaurus in her book as the broccoli-saurus.