Lena, Lena Lou, where are you?

(Seriously don't know what is wrong with the formatting on this post... it's weird)

Helena then...

Helena now!

Today is my darling Helena Louise's 3rd birthday. Wow, I can't believe it! She was such a hard baby but she is now such a delightful child. She cracks me up all the time. We are so grateful to have her in our family! Helena is so much like me. She has such an attitude. It's cute now, but I'm pretty sure it won't be cute in 10 years. I guess I'm getting it for the way I treated my parents when I was a teenager. Sorry again, Mom and Dad. Here are some of the hilarious things Helena has been saying lately!

We gave Helena a child size backpack for her birthday. When she opened it, she said "My own pack-pack! Now I can go to school!" Later she took off her diaper and put on underpants, put on her sneakers, and tried to go outside to go to school. She was so sad when we wouldn't let her. I offered to let her come to my school upstairs, but she said "I want to go to a boring school--not with you, Mom!" (boring =normal)

Today Helena was bugging me for a snack, so I told her to go make something herself. When I came downstairs, she had a plate and a knife (a butter knife), a jar of peanut butter, a jar of honey, and a loaf of bread. She successfully made her own PB and honey sandwich--and didn't make much of a mess!

At the doctor today (for her well check), the doctor very gently broke the news to Helena that she needed a shot. She was just staring at the doctor with this glazed, frozen grin on her face, and as soon as the doc left the room, Helena said "I like shots. When the doctor shot me, I laugh!!" (But she didn't laugh, she cried)

Helena was opening presents at her birthday party very seriously. She opened something (I can't remember what it was!!), looked at it with a very blank expression on her face for a minute, and then set it aside. Then while she was reaching for the next package, she said quietly to herself "That is great".

We almost always listen to music while eating dinner. The other night, Jason put on one of our favorites: Michael Jackson's greatest hits. When "Billie Jean" came on, Helena put down her fork and said "I have to get down and dance". Yeah, MJ has that effect on me sometimes, too!