Dear Third Child

Oh Coraline! I am sorry I have failed you. I just went back and looked over Reid and Nell's first day of 4K posts and I'm like, "I don't know, I think Coraline rode the bus and she wore a really cute outfit ... so" ...

I wrote novels for your big brother and sister. Novels! And here I am with nothing but pictures for you.

It wasn't even that long ago, just like 10 days ago. But the only thing I remember is how surprised (yet not surprised) I was that Mara didn't cry when you left.

But oh dear Lou B, I'm going to try to narrate this story while I load up just 9 of the 43 pictures I took. Yup, 43 pictures of your cute self. I love you girl!

Dad bought you and Nell nice Jansport backpacks a year or two ago when he saw them on a great sale. You've been using yours for travel and play, but we mostly kept it put away for school. However, during a trip to Aldi in early August you saw this Vamperina backpack and just had to have it! I couldn't say no, because I loved seeing your first bit of excitement as the reality of going to school set in. PS, you also have Vamperina underwear ;)

Ah, I love how you are trying so hard to follow all my directions here. "Hold still. Keep your arms down. Smile big." You have really worked hard at being better focused ever since you became an official big-kid-going-to-school little girl. 

Here's another "poor third child" reality. I didn't buy you any new school clothes. #sorrynotsorry For the most part you still fit into all the size 6/6x clothes I bought for you last winter, but you are also just starting to fit nicely into Nell's old size 7 clothes. I remember Nell wearing size 7 clothes for a grand total of 3 months. She grew into them in the middle of summer and was already out of them by early Fall, so the good news is they all look incredibly brand new. Your shoes are new though, you picked those out when Payless Shoesource went out of business earlier this summer. 

Okay, one last poor 3rd child thing. I totally missed the e-mail about your special back to school parent teacher conference. About a week or two before school started I saw a bunch of friends posting pictures of their own kids going to the conference and I was like "whoops!" Sure enough, the e-mail was buried under all my junk mail. Anyway, your teacher (who we all love to pieces) kindly let me schedule one for the same night as Reid and Nell's meet your teacher night (which subsequently, was the same night as their first piano lessons -- as noted in another e-mail I had actually read but just didn't take the time to fully process -- so they missed their lessons that night (I've been really on top of things lately, can't you tell?)).

After your little photo shoot out by the tree (our traditional first day of school photo spot) we came back inside to wait for your bus (which had like a 15 minute drop off window). You could hardly contain your excitement! This photo just might be my favorite of all these favorites. I can practically hear your "eek" squeal for joy. 

It was a bit windy when we went out for photo shoot #2. You were giggling as the wind blew through your hair. You sure do love to be silly and funny. It's one of your strongest traits.

After you headed off to school Mara and I went to Festival to buy the fanciest frosted cookies we could find. You were so excited to gobble it up when you got home. You eagerly told us the highlights of your day. I think your #1 favorite thing was having your big brother and sister sit with you on the bus ride home. 

I know you are going to have such an amazing year. You are in an integrated class, and I think it is the perfect fit for your kind, loving heart. Sometimes I really admire the carefree way you live your life. You give absolutely zero thought to what anyone might be thinking about you (or how they might want you to behave) but you regularly think about what you should do to help others feel happy. Your top goal is to make others laugh when they are around you, and you nearly always succeed. 

Of all my kids, I think I was the least ready to send you out into the world. Dear third child, I may not document your life very well, but your rank holds such a special place in my heart (after all, your father and I are both the third child).  Your big milestones aren't new moments in motherhood for me, they belong entirely to you. You are that sweet 3rd spot. Your moments run smooth; they bring comfort. They remind me that all of this is almost over, and then I want to hang on to you just a little bit tighter. 

I love you dear third child.