Claire was so excited to be turning 3! She asked about it over and over again until it finally came. Still, she was very easy to please: chocolate cake with sprinkles, ice-cream, and a small gathering of her closest friends.
Presents weren't expected, and not even necessary. She was just so glad to officially be a BIG girl now! We've been talking about all the things that BIG girls do, and she wants to live up to the challenge. Big girls are potty trained, stay in bed at night, dress themselves, ride a bike, and help mommy out so much! We've been working on these things.
We went around the table, as we always do, and talked about the things we love about Claire. We love her smile, her humor, and her laugh. She is fun to be with. And she says the funniest things.
She loves a good time, and is always up for a playdate. It's just not acceptable for her if she isn't going somewhere to play. So she makes her way over to Jane and Abby's house at least once each day--we are so glad to have them as neighbors and friends! I wonder how Claire could survive without them.
When she is there, I'm sure she asks for treats. They have an ongoing agreement that Jane will give her treats when she comes over. They talk about it all the time. One day when Claire got hurt, Jane said in a mothering voice, "Claire, as soon as you stop crying, I'm going to give you all my candy! ALL of it!" That gave Claire the determination to be brave.
She is really obsessed with treats! She talks about treats in the first few minutes she is awake, and then throughout the day. Our evening conversation usually revolves around them too. She mentions them in her prayers and with friends. She loves her backpack, or any little bag for carrying treats. And lately, she only wants to wear clothes that have pockets for treats.
Luckily, she still loves food and is almost always willing to try something. Her favorite foods are probably yogurt, cereal, chips and salsa, avocados, olives (which she calls pickles), burritos, and pizza. She stuffs her mouth full of food and then shows us how big her bites are. And when she is finished, she is sure to tell her sisters that she "won" the eating race.
She is a huge helper in the kitchen, always willing to pull up a stool and join in the preparation. She likes peeling and cutting by herself. And she loves helping to crack eggs. She is awesome at remembering to wash her hands and taking her dishes to the sink.
For activities, she likes puzzles, books, play dough, ballet, soccer, jumping on the tramp, swinging, playing with guns, trains, games, etc. She and Grace love playing a fun falling game on mommy and daddy's bed. Her favorite shows are Backyardigans, Barney, Super Why, Word World, and the Letter Factory. And of course, she loves playing a game on mommy's phone while she gets her hair done! She has long curls most days, because she won't leave a ponytail in for more than an hour. She refuses to wear flowers and bows in her hair. It's okay. She is a natural beauty.
Claire is a great helper with Ivie. She plays cute games, gives her toys, helps her learn to walk, and still begs to hold her (Ivie doesn't like it, but Claire insists on just trying). She has taken upon herself the responsibility to be our "gate" to keep Ivie from going down the stairs. If Ivie makes her way over by them, Claire runs over, and lays down at the top to block Ivie. Then she patiently tells Ivie, "No, no, Ivie...you can't go down there!"
Our family sure wouldn't be the same without our Lulu. She is a ray of sunshine and happiness! We love her so much!
