Charlie has always been fiercely independent. As soon as she could walk, she’s been attempting to carry gigantic loads way heavier than her own body weight without our help. A few days ago, Vivi complained that she couldn’t lift the lid to our storage footstool, and Charlie cheerily replied, “Sure we can! Just grab that handle, and I’ll get this one.” She prefers to push the stroller to being put in it, such that you can often find our family of four walking down the sidewalk with Vivi in the stroller and Charlie pushing it. Hence our nickname for her: Hulk.
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| The Princess & The Ladybug |
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| Christmas in Florida, c. 2011. Charlie is 16 months old here. My original caption read, “Charlie, our work-dog.” |
Three year olds are full of contradictions. They want to be snuggled but treated like big kids. Charlie’s picking up on the cues of older girls and so has begun the princessification process, but she’s also still into frogs and mud.
Charlotte’s desire for independence has never been as evident as since she turned three.ย She is quite the interesting mix of easy-going and opinionated, and you never really know which version you’re going to get until the action begins. I love our daily strolls to get Vivi from school. We skip, dawdle, and mosey, the two of us in quiet pursuit of Thoreau’s great art of the saunter. At times this activity is more fun…
…Than at others…
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| Me: We need to walk. Charlie: No thanks. |
Her primary party trick is the ability to entertain herself for nearly hours on end. It is a talent that is universally commented upon by guests when we are able to sit and chat for long periods (n.b.: this is while Vivi is at school. When she’s home, all bets are off). Oh, and for her next party trick, she’ll sing you a medley of show tunes: