toddler girl in princess costume

Photo by Cafe Cynthia

My daughter is 4 going on 5 in another two weeks! So, we are leaving Toddler Land for good. I'm trying to decide how I feel about that. On the one hand, I'm sad because my little girl is getting so grown up.

On the other, I'm excited about kindergarten and sleepovers and everything the next stage of growth and development will bring. The other day we went shopping together, and my daughter helped me pick out a shirt. No whining to go to the toy aisle -- she was actually thrilled to be looking at clothes, even more than I was.

The first thing she does when she gets up in the morning and sits down to breakfast is grab a marker and start doodling. Writing letters and copying words has become her new favorite thing to do. Today she found an old birthday card of my son's and jotted down the words: fish guts, hair, this, and mother love. I think her sentence went: "This mother love fish guts of hair." Oh, what prose. I think she's going to be a writer just like mommy!

Come to think of it, I LOVE this transition stage. Here are a few other reasons why:

-- I still get hugs anytime I want them, and now they are really strong bear hugs;

-- The whining is definitely on the decline (being replaced with manipulation tactics, however);

-- She is willing to wear more than the color pink. The other day she went to school wearing her brother's outgrown Irish soccer jersey in green, orange and white. (This total tomboy is so loving this.)

-- She wants to start dance lessons so she can practice with Mommy (awwww);

-- The other day as we were barrelling out of th grocery story, she stopped me to remind me to donate money to the Salvation Army to help the "little children who don't have clothes."

And I will leave it at that.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your toddlers!