3!

Today Cassidy turns 3! This is so hard for me to believe, although she's been ready to be 3 for a long time now. I wanted to write a post about what she's like at this age, because I know that it won't be long and I'll have forgotten a lot of these things. I already find it hard to remember what our first days together were like, and that makes me sad. So, in honor of Cassidy turning 3, here is a post all about her! I hope you enjoy getting to know her better!

Things Cassidy Likes:
-dancing
-reading (favorite books are Franklin, Dora, the Pigeon books, any books about Christmas)
-movies (specifically Veggie Tales, Despicable Me, Dora and lately Bambi)
-going to the park
-hugging Maya when she is sad
-singing (favorite songs are Precious Girl, Jesus Loves Me, and anything from last year's VBS CD)
-Dominic and Jarrett (Dom and Jerry)
-church
-waking up
-painting
-going on trips
-all of her grandparents
-teaching piano to Mommy
-Flintstone vitamins
-Christmas. And really any occasion where presents are involved

Things Cassidy Doesn't Like:
-sleeping (although she sleeps very well, it's just the going to bed thing)
-missing goodnight hugs from either Mommy or Daddy
-when Maya growls at her
-sitting still
-needles
-listening (most of the time)
-cleaning up her toys
-potatoes and especially mushrooms

Favorite Foods:
-cereal
-yogurt
-broccoli
-Kraft Dinner (or any kind of noodles)
-chicken nuggets
-dessert of any kind
-crackers

At 3 Years Old, Cassidy can:
-go the bathroom by herself (with the aide of a stool)
-sing her ABC's
-count to 13 (sometimes 15)
-get dressed by herself 
-memorize songs fairy quickly
-say her full name (Cassidy Christine Adele Lekadim!). Ok, she can properly pronounce 3 out of 4!

Cassidy Catchphrases:
-"I don't think so!"
-"That makes no sense"
-"Well, actually..."
-"Good enough!"
-"This is how we dance!"
-"You can play with me, if you want"

What I Want to Remember:
-she sings all day long, usually just snippets from songs mixed together
-from the moment she wakes to the moment she lies down at night, she is talking. Talking to me, to Maya, to herself in the mirror, just talking!
-she is very good at playing by herself and making up games, yet she much prefers when I play with her
-she likes to call people on the phone and ask them to come to her house
-when  she prays for her meals, she points at all the items on her plate and calls them "this". "Dear God, thank you for this, and this, and this, and my cup, and my fork, Amen!"
-she has to take off her shirt when she does her exercises
-if the baby is a boy, she wants to name him Carson. If it's a girl, she wants to name her Suey. Carson is good, Suey not so much.
-the times when she stops what she's doing to come give me a hug and say "I love you Mom." 
-how fiercely independent she is. She insists on doing everything herself. She is brave, yet cautious, a wonderful mix!

Cassidy is just at the best stage right now. It's so nice to have an actual conversation with her that make sense. We are able to reason with her (most of the time) and she is incredibly bright. She usually only needs to hear something once to understand. She is a very caring little girl. One day during Sunday School, another kid was crying and Cassidy stroked her arm and said "It's ok sweetheart." One thing both John and I really see and are amazed by is her ability to charm anybody. It's hard to describe it in words the effect that she has on people. I have already recognized that this is a gift she's been given, and I'm excited to see how God will use this in the future. John and I pray every day that she will grow up with a deep desire for God, to know Him and serve Him, and that her life will reflect Jesus in every way. Cassidy loves reading the Bible with us at bedtime, and the way she already knows how to pray blows me away. Often I feel like I'm I make so many mistakes with her, but when I hear the way she talks to God, I know I must be doing something right. We are so humbled and blessed everyday that we get to be parents to this amazing girl. We love you Cassidy!! Happy Birthday!