how quickly we forget

gillian is with me tonight. she is almost 3.

we share the same birthday. she is very very smart. gillian and i have an aunt/niece night tonight. we go to mcdonalds and to target. at mcdonalds we talk about who is related to whom in our family. she tells me about how daddy picked her up and put her on his shoulders "last year" (everything happens last year) and they went to toys r us but it was closed. she starts every sentence with "um" or "remember". she is talking non stop.

it all comes screaming back to me. chelsea was just like that at almost 3. she could talk about anything. i used to have to tell her that my ears needed to take a "time out" for a while and then they could listen to her. she talked non stop about everything. gillian is the same.

there is one thing that is different though...thanks to james and/or ramona...gillian is my backseat driver. "um, ellyn? remember that when the light is red you have to stop." thank you james and ramona.

at target gillian gives me this sob story about how she has...and no i am not exaggerating, these are her words verbatim....she has no tea set. she has always wanted a tea set but mommy won't get her one...she has always wanted one. she also needs more polly pockets. oh yes and she always wanted dress up clothes, she is sad because she does not have any dress up clothes.

so what did i do? yes, i bought her waht she wanted. well, she had to pick between the polly pockets, dress up clothes and the tea set. we found all 3. she chose the polly pockets.

then she see the clothes and she talks about how she needs new pretty pink dresses. so what do i do? yes, i buy her a pink shirt with a sparkly elephant and a green skirt. it was her choice.

oh then, she pulled at the thread in her pink tights she was wearing. now there is a hole. she is sad. what do i do? yes, i buy her new pink tights with no holes. that's what aunts are for.

on the way home, she reminds me "remember ellyn, red lights are for stopping. God wants us to stop at red lights." that's what almost 3 year old nieces are for.

there is a deep lesson there...everyone...God wants you to stop at red lights!

now we are watching monsters, inc. she keeps reminding chelsea that it is pretend...even though she is digging her nails into chelsea's arm.

i don't know what's up with the no caps, other than i am tired. notice that i did however, cap it up for the big guy.