COOKIES!!

We got together with a few of the kids from Claire's school a few weeks ago for some cookie-baking fun. The kids were all about the frosting, sprinkles, and of course tasting! It was a great way to get in the holiday spirit!

Ho, Ho, Ho

After spending the morning at home the day of the big snowstorm, we decided to venture out to Bachman's to see their annual Christmas show. It is about a mile from our house, so we figured we wouldn't get into too much trouble. The show was great and the girls especially liked the end when they got to go up on stage with the other kids and sing a few songs. Afterward they were able to visit with both Santa and his elf Albert. It was such a fun time and I loved how real and down to earth Santa was.
Good thing we were in good spirits on our way home because it was quite the adventure. We got stuck in the snow not once, not twice, but three times on our way home. It literally took us an hour to get home safely. It was crazy, but worth the trip.

Holiday Cheer

Claire had her preschool holiday concert last Sunday. It was WAY more entertaining than I anticipated. Imagine lots of loud singing, complete with actions to go with them. Claire was really into it, as evidenced in the many pictures below.

Finally Three!

After about six months of telling everyone that she is "almost three", Claire officially turned the big THREE last Sunday. It was a weekend full of celebrations with a party on both Friday night and Sunday afternoon. There were plenty of cousins, balloons and, most importantly, CAKE! Claire loved being the center of attention. From the birthday song to opening gifts to running around like crazy from all the sugar, she had a fabulous time.

At three years old, Claire is one busy girl. She is constantly learning new things and continues to amaze us all the time. She moved to one of the preschool rooms at school in August and is doing great. The transition went surprisingly well, which was a huge relief for all of us. She has been busy learning letters, writing her name and practicing cutting. Most days she brings home some sort of "work" from school and she is always so proud.

She is definitely a first-born child. She loves rules and has no problem letting you know if you forget to say excuse me, please or thank you. She also has a tendency to boss everyone around, especially her younger sister. Just this morning when I was getting ready, I overheard her telling Charlotte to "sit here", "lay down there", "follow me to the other room". She likes to be in control, that is for sure.

She loves pretend play. She can play with her babies for hours...putting them down for naps, giving them bathes, and changing their clothes. She pretends we are going on airplane rides to the beach or that we are going to school. Give her some dress up clothes and she is all about putting on a fashion show. There is no limit to her imagination. She loves doing projects. She could sit at the table for hours coloring and painting. She also loves to help around the house. She helps with cooking dinner, washing floors and dusting. I'm sure that will change with time, but for now I will take it!

She is sweet and gentle. I'm pretty sure that Charlotte is her favorite person in the world and watching the two of them together is enough to make anyone smile. I sometimes wish a could freeze time and keep the two of them just like they are right now. They play together all the time and are constantly giggling with one another. I know that they will always be sisters, but I really hope they will always be such great friends.

While she is pretty perfect most of the time, she definitely has her moments. Lets remember, she is only three. She is still a super sensitive kid. Her feelings get hurt easily and crying is usually a daily occurance. She still throws a good toddler tantrum every so often, but they have gotten a lot less frequent over the past few months.

She is still a really great eater. She will try pretty much everything, at least once. While she still isn't a huge fan of vegetables, we can usually get her to have a few bites of corn, peas or carrots. She has a definite sweet tooth, which she must get from her mom. :) She had her 3 year well-check this morning and everything checked out great. She is now 35.5 inches tall (16th percentile) and 30 lbs (42nd percentile). She had a hearing and vision check as a part of her check-up and did fine with that as well.

The last 3 years have been such a fun ride...I can't imagine our life without her!

CELEBRATE!!

Somebody turned THREE on Sunday and we spent the weekend celebrating! More details to come later this week...