Letters to Maddie Bear: April, 2014

Dear Madeline,

In the three years you've blessed this earth with your presence, we've had it pretty easy.  You have sometimes been a little too sassy, and sometimes a little too smart for your own good, but overall, you've never given us much cause for concern.  You have been sweet, polite, and eager to please...a real delight.

Much to my shock and horror, that sweet little girl vanished for a time this past month. Oh, Maddie Bear you have become a major handful.  

It's like you suddenly realized that you don't have to listen to us at all.  I mean afterall, we're not going to beat you.  We're not going to cast you out into the wilderness.  We will continue to love, clothe, and feed you no matter how rotten the behavior.

You yell at us, argue with us, and give us attitude.  Simple tasks like putting a coat on become epic battles.  

When I told you for the second time not to stomp your feet next to Vivi's head last week, you sassily replied, "Just calm down, Mumma."  

That is not okay.  

When I brought you to buy ballet clothing, you ran out of the dressing room without a shirt and threw a fit on the floor when I forced you to put it back on.  

That is not okay.

And this behavior is so out of character that I seriously worried that you were possessed.  

I suspect that part of the problem is jealousy toward your little sister.  Another is that you're sick of being cooped indoors with Mumma all the time. And it's partially part of being three and not knowing how to express your frustrations appropriately.  

The good news, Madeline, is that it's getting better.  We've changed the way we approach you.  We've become stricter with some rules (you can not yell at Mumma and Dada) and more lenient with others (I don't care what clothing you wear as long as it's weather appropriate.)  

I know what an amazing little girl you are, and I know this is a phase.  We'll figure it out.  

And although I won't tell you this, part of me is proud that you stick up for yourself.  Mumma and Dada try our best, but we're not always right, and we're not always fair.  We're being forced to reexamine our parenting, and that can't be bad.  Although it is often frustrating.  

In other news, you started ballet.  It's the cutest thing on the planet!  I felt like my chest was going to burst watching you tiptoe across the floor in your pink tights, a sweet, shy smile on your face.  

You're such a girly-girl.  Today you dressed yourself head to toe in pink.  When you played with the little boys on our street this afternoon we overheard you tell one of them, "Look, I have a skirt on today," while daintily curtsying.  The little boy you told could have cared less about your skirt, but you were so proud of it.  

You love being read to and listening to stories.  Not a day goes by without you asking to hear the story of a favorite fairytale.  Stories from when you were a baby are also a big favorite.  

You love to play pretend games.  You ask me to play Frozen all the time, but then tell me that I'm doing it wrong when I try.  Sometimes I can't wait till Vivi is old enough for you to boss around.  

We love you, little girl.  Even when you're frustrating us and I'm ready to drink a bottle of vodka...we never stop loving you.

Love,

Mumma