Little Miss Independence

Thing 3 has embraced a few rather peculiar habits lately.

For the past couple of months, she has staunchly insisted upon dressing herself. Not bad, you may be saying to yourself, for a child not quite two-years-old yet. Yes, independence is grand. However, arriving late everywhere you are required to be over the course of a week eventually wreaks havoc in your life.

Our little sprite soon decided she had graduated from wearing her own apparel and was indeed in desperate need of her older brothers' ensembles. So every morning we dress her in a cute size 2T outfit that - before I have finished drinking my morning coffee - is discarded on the floor in her room. She makes her way into the boys' room and shuffles through their drawers until she finds something awkwardly too big for her. And then she puts it on.

And on any given day she will layer four or five t-shirts on top of one another. Pants are optional, of course.

She has also learned to forsake her diaper. She rips it off whenever and wherever she feels like it. I have feverishly tried to potty train her but my efforts are not yet being rewarded. I am cleaning up a lot of "child waste" from the floors. Earlier last month I purchased some little girl panties for her, assuming she was indeed ready to be among the other toilet users in our home.

But, really, who would put on pink Dora undies with white bows when you could wear your oldest brother's HULK underwear????