I feel like turning three years old is a special age. Maybe it's because the first memory I have in this life is the night before I turned three. It's a magical age where you cross the line from toddler to kid. Imagination is king and you are more capable of many skills.
To mark this birthday we decided to pay my amazingly talented cousin, Alycia, to illustrate a book for June back when she turned three. So of course we had to do the same for Hazel. And of course we'll have to do the same for Rose one day. It's been fun to think of their different personalities and pick a story that best fits them.
Hazel has a long time love of "
The Choosing Book," as she calls it, where on each page you get to choose where you're going to go, with who, what you'll wear, eat, do, etc. Every night for a year and a half that is the book we have to read every night. Hazel loves choices. She has an independence about her. She likes things simple and fun. We knew giving her her own choosing book was perfect for her.
On the first page we had my cousin draw in certain toys, stuffed animals, and her two special blankets. For the other pages we incorporated other loves of hers: Hazel loves ocean life and says she wants to be a scuba diver when she grows up. She loves her tumbling class, being brave, and physical play on things like swings and the teeter totter. And she's obsessed with all things cupcakes. The last page shows how special she is to US and for me represents her selective trust and affection that she only gives to us. And with that- now here is her book!
And since I never really made a post about June's book, I thought it would be fun to add here. June is sensitive and all about emotions, connections, and doing the right thing. So for her we made an emotional journey full of life's lessons. Her two long time favorite stuffed animals, Sass and Pirate Ship, are along on her adventure with her.
The story goes that Princess June is on a journey home,
And along the path a monster pushes her down but does June push him back? No, she tells him that that wasn't nice but then continues on her way.
She crosses paths with a witch who tells her that princesses don't have dirty dresses and she doesn't look like a princess to her. Even though it hurts June's feelings she is kind back instead and says that she the witch looks very lovely in her pointy hat and she hopes she has a good day.
Then she gets lost in the dark woods but remembers that her parents taught her if that ever happened to follow the light and she would find her way home.
So she does and she finally sees her castle,
And returns home to her parents. (naturally we're a king and queen.) ;)
Thank you again to my wonderful cousin! She is truly amazing, isn't she?! I'm grateful for the opportunity to give our girls some meaningful gifts that I hope they treasure forever!
