1. What makes you happy?
Audrey: my green kitties, my purple zebra and Banjo makes me happy too
Elliot: Legos … sock monkey and Banjo!

2. What makes you sad?
A: Having time out.
E: Losing sock monkey. If I lose any of my favorite things.

3. What makes you laugh?
A: tickles
E: jokes from Where The Sidewalk Ends or a poem from there … tickles

4. What is your favorite thing to do?
A: play with my green kitties
E: play Legos

5. What are you really good at?
A: doing a tickle fight, I’m really good at some games
E: building things out of Legos; I’m really good at hiding Audrey’s green kitties

6. What are you not very good at?
A: playing Legos
E: brainstorming, but I like brainstorming, except it’s not my favorite

7. What is your favorite food and drink?
A: rootbeer float, macaroni & cheese
E: rootbeer float, breadsticks, pizza and sushi

8. What’s your favorite color?
A: turquoise
E: don’t have one

9. Where is your favorite place to go?
A: bowling alley
E: Dave & Buster’s

10. Who are your best friends?
A: Madeleine, Robert & Emily
E: I don’t really have a best friend. I have lots of friends but not really a best friend.

11. What are your favorite movies or TV shows?
A: Scooby Doo
E: Scooby Doo … wait, Tom & Jerry

12. What are your favorite books?
A: I don’t have a favorite book.
E: How to Train Your Dragon

13. If you were a cartoon character, who would you be?
A: The small Yogi Bear (Boo Boo)
E: Bugs Bunny

14. What does Mommy do when you’re not around?
A: read a book
E: type or take a nap

15. What do you do when Mommy isn’t around?
A: go to school
E: play Legos

16. What is something Mommy always says to you?
A: you call me pumpkin head because I have orange hair
E: there’s nothing really that you always say to me, you say lots of words to me

17. What do you and Mommy do together?
A: play games
E: tickle fights, play sudoku

18. How are you and Mommy the same?
A: we both have freckles, we both have red hair (Elliot added that he has more freckles, calling himself a “freckle face”)
E: we each have blue in our eyes, we each have brown in our hair

19. How are you and Mommy different?
A: you’re taller
E: you’re a girl and I’m a boy, we’re different because I only have red hair in the summer

20. How do you know Mommy loves you?
A: you give us kisses and hugs
E: yes, that’s pretty much all

Let’s begin, shall we? Elliot and Audrey dressed in their coordinating outfits headed to a family birthday party. I was asked if I sewed the clothes. Uhm, no. A ruffle on a dress? Yes, I can add that. An entire shirt? No.

We had a teeny celebration at breakfast for her. She loved her card, in which Elliot wrote, “Good job Audrey! Love your Elliot”. Her face beamed when I read that to her. It’s all fine and dandy when mom and dad are gushy and lovey but when Elliot is lovey? Break out the ticker tape parade, it’s the BEST DAY EVER.

I think I’m in shock. I know she’s heading off to Kindergarten this Fall. I’m thrilled about that (not as thrilled as she is though). She’s independent and doesn’t need constant supervision, yay! But that also means there are no babies in this house. Actually, we’ve been baby free for some time. There are no little kids in this house; no walking babies. In this house people say their words properly, eat with utensils, go to the bathroom all on their own. In this house kids choose their own clothes, do their own hair, choose what to have for breakfast and occasionally make it themselves.

They’re growing up. And I’m not sure I’m entirely on board with that plan.

These milestones that are supposedly about our children seem to be put in place to remind us to let go.

Here’s what I was looking at three years ago.

*that’s my mom’s title of the performance, not that she’s biased or anything