Month 42

Dear Lia,

Happy half birthday! You are officially three and a half. I think it's amazing. On one hand, wow! You're already three and a half. And on the other, Wow! You're not even 4 yet? How can that be?

The past 6 months have been beyond leaps and bounds for you. As you have been pummeling through milestones and achievements ever since you were born, developing as if you have no time to waste, so have you zipped and zoomed since you turned three. I can't even begin to start describing what a big girl you are now. And how thoroughly entertaining. As I tell people over and over again, you don't need a TV if you have a Lia.



When you turned three, and completed your potty training, I knew I had to get serious about finding you a school. Not really because your would-be teachers won't have to change your diapers anymore, but more because I've noticed how desperately you want to make friends. You would approach kids in the park or in Gymboree and try to introduce yourself, and they would either be too shy, too little or too big to make friends with you. I knew then that even if we do at home nearly everything kids to in school, like color and read and sing songs and play games, you needed to interact with children your own age.



I brought you to several schools. You loved them all, and all the teachers who met you were very impressed. However, after much discernment and discussion between your Daddy and me, we decided that, since you already know how to read, and know all your numbers, colors, shapes and letters, what you really needed to learn in school was how to write, and how to speak in Filipino. Unfortunately, most of the schools in our area have kids and teachers and yes, even yayas, who are like us. Speak in English all the time. I was so grateful to find a small school not far from our house, where not only do the kids and teachers speak in Filipino, but the classes are very small and you would get a lot of individual attention from the teacher, even if you're already so advanced. As an added bonus, you had an instant rapport with Teacher Jing when you went there for your one week trial class over the summer.



Oh how you love school! Every morning, you excitedly eat breakfast and get dressed because you can't wait to play with your friends. You're very friendly to your classmates and polite to your teacher. You proudly show me your "very good" stars after school and you even love to do your homework. Last week, you learned a Filipino song in school called, "May Tatlong Bibe" and we make you sing it over and over and over again, because we love how you shake your butt to imitate a duck, and moreso because of how precisely "slangish" you pronounce the Filipino words. You are speaking more and more Filipino everyday and I am so proud of you and how quickly you learn. You can even scribble a wobbly LIA on your magic slate and you haven't even been in school for three months!

It almost breaks my heart to have to put you in a new school next month, knowing how you love it in your current school. But I'm afraid it's unavoidable. You see, we are moving to a new house next month, and your school will be too far to go to once we're living there. But with your confidence and love for learning, I'm confident you'll make the transition with little fuss. I hope.



Speaking of new house, I've been telling you about it for some time now, and you have specifically requested a pink house. Of course I told you the house won't be pink but the room you will share with Desi will certainly be pink, as per your specifications. When I asked you what color you want your new room to be, you said, pink. Pink walls, pink bed, pink closet, pink floor, pink pink pink everything. You are right in the middle of the Pink Phase. I can vaguely recall going through the same phase when I was a kid, insisting on wearing only certain pink dresses to all occasions all the time, even if I've outgrown them. And you do this too, but raised it to a higher level. Because you go so far as to favor pink food. Strawberry Poki, strawberry milk, strawberry yogurt, and for me, the weirdest so far, strawberry butter. You love how when you spread the pink butter on toast, the whole slice of bread turns pink. If only I can find pink vegetables. That is sure to get you eating right.



Aside from the super smarts, and the quotable quotes, the thing I'm most proud of you for is how good an Ate you are to Desi. This is something I feel cannot really be taught, but that you seem to have slipped into naturally. Desi dotes on you and follows everything you do, and you in turn, treat her with great care and affection. When she barrels into you, or bothers you when you're playing, you are never angry or hurtful, in fact you often laugh at Desi's antics. You are often willing to share your toys, (not always, but often enough for a three and a half year old) and when we tell you we will give you something or take you somewhere, you always say, "And Desi too?" Of course you sometimes try to grab attention from Desi by copying what she's doing and pretending you're still a baby, but understandable at your age. But seeing how you care for your sister, and how you like being with her and playing with her, gives me a glimpse of the strong sisterly bond you will share when you are older. That you be each others' best friends is one of my most ardent prayers.



Lia, you are growing up so fast and so well, getting more and more beautiful everyday, and displaying such a bright spark of wit and character. You have a very grand imagination, with your daily musings about flying in the sky on a pink unicorn. You have a strong sense of right and wrong and everything should be in its place in the way you want to strictly adhere to routine. You want to control your world with your wanting to decide not only what you wear everyday, but what I wear, and what Daddy wears, and what Desi wears when we go out. But you are also learning, slowly but surely, to deal with disappointments when things cannot turn out the way you want. You will burst into tears and cry in frustration, and we allow you to fully express your feelings. When you are ready, you will wipe your tears away with a tissue and smile and laugh again. You are going to grow up to be a powerful and compassionate woman. And I am honored and proud to witness your life.





I love you very much,

Mommy