A new season

I know I've reached another new and exciting season in my life when:

• The 3.5 year old has become the house's #1 bossy tattle-tale: (referring to Nathan...) "Mommy, I think he's not chelling the truth" and even the dog mopes around more because there's another person to boss her around, "No, Gracie! Go lay down! Put your head down and be still. Don't eat my food. Eat your own food."
• She is starting to get the concept of germs, "Are germs reeeeeeeealy little?"
• I find myself teaching her the concept of rhyming by conjuring up silly sentences like, "Once he peered, he feared the weird beard." "The king is going to sing with a ring on his wing." "The deli gave Kelle a smelly jelly belly." (That's her favorite) and "The fat cat wearing a hat sat on a rat lying on the mat." She did point out two rhyming words I unknowingly said this morning, so something must be working.
  
• She referred to me as "Your Highness" this morning (I'm sure it's too many times watching Cinderella).
• Nathan is letting me hold and cuddle him. He's also becoming interested in books.
  
• He bites his sister's arm, 1) out of pure frustration with not being able to communicate anything other than his normal high-pitch "Uhhh!", or 2) he's just plain rotten.

• My beautiful little girl is showing fashion-goddess tendencies that would give Tim Gunn the chills. (This morning was red, green and white striped velour pants, a shin-length teal summer dress with cupcake smocking, a pink polar tec coat and tennis shoes with pink and brown tiger-striped print socks). I know my mother is truly enjoying watching all of the fashion struggles in our home because it happened 30 years ago to her.

• It really is finally getting cooler.