Emmylou is 4-4

Dear Emmylou,

Here you are, well into the 4's now, and you are still a firecracker. Maybe more than ever.

Here's what you like most these days: swimming like a fish; buckling yourself in and opening/closing the car door all by yourself; reading "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" to your brother; wearing sparkly shoes (but not really dress-up clothes much anymore); asking/begging that we buy you anything you see advertised for children ages 0-18 in TV commercials; and asking questions about anything and everything you see around you. You want explanations on how and why everything happens as it does and you're trying hard to make sense of it all. I love your curiosity.

You're also really smart. Because you're still throwing temper tantrums more than ever, on one particularly desperate night I succumbed to ordering a ridiculous number of books from several different parenting programs. After reading the websites, I was able to start using some of the Love and Logic techniques the very next day and actually had excellent results. But within 48 hours you were already using the techniques with me. One of the lines I'm supposed to use when you're throwing a fit is: "I love you too much to argue." After I used that once or twice you got really annoyed and started saying "Stop saying that, Mommy!" But then I guess you decided you liked it because two days later when I asked you to stay with Daddy while I went to look for something (and you were not happy about it) you told me, "Mommy, I love you too much to stay here without you." In shock, I had no response except to say, "okay, you can come." I knew I was in trouble when you figured this out before the books even arrived.

At least, yes, after many challenging months, you are actually behaving a little better. Being sweeter to your brother. Things have been nice this past week. Not to say that you've become the most laid-back, eager to please child, but that's okay, because I never want you to lose your personality or not be confident enough to go after whatever it is you want.

Thanks for keeping it fun, Lulu. I love you to the moon and back a million, billion times.

xoxoxo,
Mommy

Another stroke of brilliance: After our toilet paper holder fell out of the wall (and after I filled the empty holes with wall putty), you called me in to show me that your giant Chicago souvenir pen could also double as a toilet paper holder when jabbed into the old holes. Genius, my love!