We have a THREE year old!!

We have a THREE year old... How can this be? Most days we have a really hard time wrapping our minds around the idea that our sweet lil' Clara Natalie is already 3 year old, and yet we still can't really recall what life was like before having children. Boy, we must have had so much time on our hands!! These days we are busier than we've ever been. (Yes, even when were in grad school.) While we are only a few days into life with a three year old, but we are having a blast!

Clara is such a sensitive and sweet little girl. She is really well behaved, so much so that we remind ourselves to lighten up on her when she does make a big mess or throw the occasional fit, keeping in mind that she is still really little and is learning so much every day about the world around her. She has an amazing imagination and most days enjoys pretending she is a character in a book or movie. Like a little sponge, she remembers just about everything she is exposed to and can act it out or tell us all about a book that she has only been read once or twice. Like every parent, we are convinced she is a genius, and one with a really great sense of humor at that.

On her birthday, Clara woke up to a lot of little surprises that we let her open throughout the day. Daddy knew she would love the plasma car and Potato Head toy while Little Sister, Janie picked out some cute Calico Critters. All were a hit with Clara!

The day before her 3rd Birthday, little Scout ended up having her first case of the flu. We did not make any big plans to allow her to rest, but she seemed to be feeling a lot better so off to Red Robin for a late lunch we headed. Clara LOVED getting the Sundae and birthday treatment!

After lunch we took Clara to her first trip to Build-A-Bear. She received a gift certificate for her first birthday and sadly we hadn't taken her to use it. She had so much fun picking everything out (So, Thanks Aunt Glenda & Uncle Chuck)!! She selected a rabbit, stuffed it just right, added a heart, gave it a bath, dressed her (with multiple outfits and accessories) and named her, birth certificate and all.

Welcome to the family, Rapunzel Flower Rabbit!

After Build-A-Bear and a quick trip to Kid's Cove at Bell Square Mall, we took Clara to Target to get a new princess dress. We picked up her beloved Snow White dress at a garage sale this summer and it is looking pretty shabby these days. Clara selected a Rapunzel dress for herself, which is sweet since Tangled is the first movie we took her to see in the theater a few weeks back.

After dinner, Clara opened a few more gifts - BOOKS!!

And FINALLY we sang our first sweet baby girl Happy Birthday and enjoyed some cake! She really is our little princess!