Clara the Daisy

 

Photo by RSutherland Photography

 

A group of girls that attend Challenger Elementary for Kindergarten, but will be transferring back to Grand Ridge next year were put together into a Daisy Troop.  Clara knew several of the 9 members before joining the troop, but has met some new friends and will be able to continue to build friendships, leadership and service skills with these gals in the coming years.  We are only starting to participate in some of the many activity options for local Girl Scouts, but each has been a good experience for our sweet girl.

 

The Friday before her birthday, Clara and Kevin attended the Father Daughter dance.  Clara was a little timid about dancing with Dad but liked seeing some friends and getting dressed up!

 

 

 

More recently, Clara participated in a World Awareness Day where each troop was responsible for educating the other troops about a country.  Clara's troop choses Canada and handed out maple cookies and Canadian flags. 

 

Now we are onto selling those yummy cookies and am sure Clara will have many more wonderful experiences as part of a troop!

Sweet Vantines ~ 2014~

 

Chehalis...Snow & Ninja Turtles

 

Happy 4th Birthday Sweet Brendan!

 

 

Janie, Clara & Mommy decided to head to Chehalis for a weekend while Daddy caught up on work at home.  We were able to attend Brendan's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle birthday party and had a lot of fun hanging out with family.  (So awesome that Brendan is a TMNT fan, because Matt & Ryan went through their own TMNT phase.)

 

The other perk of our fun weekend was getting to experience the snow!  This winter has not brought us too much snow and when it did come last, it was wet and melted quickly so the girls were not all that excited about playing in it.  This particular weekend we made it to Chehalis right as the big flakes started falling.  They fell hard all afternoon and into the evening so the girls work up to over 4 inches of nice, compacting snow.  In the morning these kiddos were super excited to get out into and play....

So did Grandma & Grandpa!

 

 

I was amazed at how Clara jumped right in and started building her own snowman.

 

 

Janie liked making snowballs for a few minutes and then had the snow... like in FROZEN, realization and then spent the rest of her snow play acting like Elsa, running into the neighbor's trees, throwing off her gloves singing and eventually dropping her coat. It was precious how into the imaginative play that she was. 

 

 

By mid day the snow started to melt and by the time we left in the early evening, the roads were clear.  Really our snow adventure worked out perfectly!  Too bad Daddy wasn't along to enjoy the fun with us.

SUPER BOWL BIRTHDAY Clara!!

 

We have a SIX year old!!  WOWZA!

 

It really doesn't seem possible that we have been parents to this sweet brown-eyed, dimple faced girl for SIX years! 

 

Knowing Clara, it wouldn't surprise you that she is six, or maybe it would if you combined her height, large vocabulary and (often) mature behavior, you may assume that she is actually older.   At six (occasional "normal" childhood behavior aside) she is everything we had hoped that she would be: sweet, mild-mannered, intelligent, loving, embracing a strong sense of who she is and the things she likes, interested in the world and others in her life, and is amazingly imaginative.  She is really fun to parent and observe as she grows and learns.  At six, she isn't the cuddly toddler, but understands that Mommy & Daddy need the occasional cuddle from her still.  She has learned to read in the past few months and has taken off with fairly independently achieving the highest reading level in her class.  She is always inquisitive and wanting to learn, yet is the best teacher to her little sister.  She has her own sense of style, and is aware that multiple patterns or clashing colors shouldn't go together but will occasionally decide to wear it any way because it pleases her.  She still idolizes her big cousin Taylor and her best pal, Davis, but her relationships with both have had to evolve within the past year.  With Taylor, she is learning to stand up to her older cousin and with Davis, she has had to learn to accept him going to play with the boys while at school, understanding that their friendship will still be strong even as they embrace new friends.  Clara has some difficult days or situations, but for the most part, our girl is a dream come true and we are so darn proud of her!

 

 

 

 

This year Clara's birthday actually fell on a very important day...SEAHAWK SUPER BOWL DAY!

As a family we were invited to a big super bowl party with many of our neighbors at a local theatre.  At first we were torn about going since it was Clara's birthday, but as the community excitement grew with the Seahawk success, Clara became quite the little fan herself.  The day after her big Frozen party, Taylor stayed the night with Grandma & Grandpa Stevens.  The girls had a blast with their little sleepover and Clara chose Krispy Kreme for breakfast for some 12 Man doughnuts! 

After Grandma & Grandpa left, we took Clara to pick out a Lego set and then she selected Taco Time for lunch.  They also celebrated the Seahawks with free festive chips. 

Mid afternoon we went to the Super Bowl party which was such a blast, especially for Kevin & I.  The kids watched the beginning and the end of the game, but sitters were hired to take them to watch a kids movie in another area.  Clara was so bashful, but also beaming with pride when all the kids at the party sang Happy Birthday to her. 

 

After the big win, and celebration that followed, Clara loved having the Super Bowl on her birthday.  What a fun gift!

 

 

 

Clara's FROZEN 6th Birthday Celebration

What lucky little girls we have!  Auntie Pat knew how obsessed Clara and Janie have been with the new Frozen movie, and how hard the dress-up outfits are to come by and offered to make our sweeties their own extra special Elsa (Clara) and Anna (Janie) costume!  They were SO thrilled when Pat & Julie showed up with the outfits.  Clara was especially in love with the long train behind her gown!  THANK YOU, AUNTIE PAT! 

The day after the girls watched the Frozen movie with Grandma Carol, Clara claimed she loved it so much it just had to be her next party!  The girls have come to expect a big celebration for their birthday, and honestly, this may have been the easiest party to decorate for to date...  I just left all my Christmas snowflake décor up! 

 

 As you can see, Mommy had a lot of fun running with this fun theme!

 

Clara invited 15 kiddos from the neighborhood, her class, long-time friends from the mom's group and of course, cousin Taylor.  Only one little friend got sick and wasn't able to make it but with Janie & Clara we had 16 little partiers!  It was a drop off party and really flowed nicely!  Clara had a blast with her friends, making and shooting marshmallow shooters, playing a snowball passing game and leading all the kids in freeze dancing. 

The day was topped off with Taylor getting to spend the night and stay in her room for a slumber party!