3 years and 6 months!

Even though she's closer to 3 yrs. 7 mos., we lost a month back there. Once the new baby arrives, we likely won't have time to update every month, but we'll try.

Overall, these are magical days, the kind of long summer days that are filled with butterflies and blueberries, picnics and painting. This summer is especially bittersweet since it will be our last as a fearsome threesome, but we're all excited to welcome baby Sammy into the family. (I am sincerely hoping that he will be as easy as Olivia was--not to compare or anything--but I loved the summer when she was a baby and we lounged around the yard listening to music.)

So, Olivia is quite the character. It's become apparent that she is very expressive in what she wears and what she likes. For instance, the other day, I was in the kitchen making dinner and when I came out to check on her, I found her like this:

To wit, please notice the water wings, goggles, and weird robot game on the iPad. I love that she's got her own thing going on.

She also really loves painting and drawing. Much to my chagrin (and for cleanliness sake, only, not because I want to limit her artistic impulses) but Chris buys her a constant supply of washable markers. Crayons just will not do, evidently. But she uses her washable pens to reenact the entire "Harold and the Purple Crayon" story. It's pretty amazing how she has memorized that story, and I mean the whole story which she can recite.

Here she is next to one of her paintings yesterday:

Another favorite thing to draw is faces and their many expressions. Here's a whole dry erase board full of faces:

One of her favorite games is "Mamma and Baby" and I love when I get to be the baby because then I can nod off. But usually, her babies are her stuffed animals that are tenderly put to bed, this time under comforting but ill-sized wet wipes:

Of course, Olivia loves to "read" and knows a few books by heart, especially "Monster At the End of This Book," and "Llama Llama, Mad at Mama" which she's reading here:

Such amazing days and many more to come!

What's the Fourth of July without a firearm?

Completely un-PC photo of Olivia at Oaks Park last night. We tried to make it until the fireworks but everyone was too tired. Olivia and Chris went on at least five rides, though. Next year we will see fireworks if it kills all of us..