4 years old!

Claire had a wonderful Birthday despite the severe weather warnings later in the day. She opened presents in the morning, made and ate a cake and blew bubbles while nannying, and played with her new toys while waiting out the storms!

 Thank you Grandma Hebdon for getting two so that Todd could claim one! They love them!

 Thank you Mom and Angela! Claire confessed that she peaked into the gift bag that the Pegasus head was in, before we came together to watch her open her gifts, and gasped.

 A very pink cake for a pink-loving girl.

I don't know why, but it was amusing to me to let the kids ice the cake and cut it on their own. Claire wanted the piece right in the middle of the cake first.

 Sunday naps on Dad.

 This was the combined girl birthday party. Pink and Princesses everywhere!

 This area was covered in costumes and the girls played dress up for a majority of the time together!

 Each girl got a ribbon crown and a flower or butterfly ring.

 Claire was delighted to get a sucker. You can look behind her on the left to see the Cinderella pumpkins (peeled cuties with celery as the stem), popcorn and watermelon they ate.

This is at the end when there were parents there to pick up their little princesses. We found popcorn, hot pink feathers, pink streamers, costumes and pink balloons all over the carpet! They had a blast.

Staying home

Once again we are trying to stay away from people due to sickness. Sometimes it's nice just to stay home, even if you aren't feeling amazing. 

 I usually try to have all of us take naps at the same time, but this day Claire was in her room, I fell asleep on my bed and then I found Todd asleep in his old bouncy.

 Movie time!

 We love watching Cinderella!

 Our newest find: a water table that looks like a boat. It looks like some things are missing on it, but it holds water just fine! Todd and Claire volunteered to help me scrub it clean. They're awesome like that. We'll get many hours of play out of it this summer.

 We also found this Little People house. It was a lot harder to clean, but worth it in the end. I know Todd and Claire will get many hours of play out of it. I'm surprised how many little plastic dolls we have the fit in it.

April Showers

 We've had a lot of rain over here. Last year there were many flood warnings and several tornado warnings. This year we haven't had much of either, thank goodness. We've been keeping busy with the primary activity, which was a ton of work and fun. And now we're preparing for an all-girl Birthday party for Claire (turning 4) and her friend Isabel (turning 3).

 I love this wire garland that I found on Amazon. Thankfully I had some wire cutters.

I decided to make these instead of buy the dollar store tiaras because I figured most little girls already have one, and if they step on these they won't break!

 Notice the Elsa blue colored ribbon? I would have never used blue while making crowns. Elsa has changed everything in the pink-loving world of girls.

 13 crowns We're expecting that many girls. I ran out of garland, so I hope we don't have more than that!

 Claire and Todd look like a carousel going around on our little back patio, riding their bikes.

 We've been seeing a rabbit (very similar to the Easter bunny) next to Skyler's building on campus

 Bedtime story with Dad

 My first attempt at making a rag doll animal. It's okay. It was more work than I would have liked, but that's how it goes making something for the first time.

 Skyler working at the computer

We thought it was funny when Claire went to put a container of ricotta cheese into a bowl and the whole thing came out at once!

Tangled

Yes, for all of you Tangled fans, this happened today. I love how simple, yet awesome it is! Pretty much, I made a Rapunzel wig out of yarn, ribbon, flowers and hot glue. Claire's birthday is coming up, as well as her friend's, so they're having a combined party. I made one for each of them to wear on the day of the party! Thank you random blogger, and of course, Pinterest! 

http://www.andbabiesmakefour.com/2011/09/how-to-make-cute-rapunzel-wig-for-less.html

Spring Time!

 Todd loves croutons as much as Skyler-straight out of the bag

 I found this sweet little picnic set up in the middle of the family room

 Free new costume

 Love this

 Soccer field near campus

 There were huge patches of clover, very appropriate for St Patrick's Day

 We got stickers when we dropped off a donation to Goodwill. Noses are the best places for them.

 The tradition of dying Easter Eggs continues!

 Todd was more interested in eating them.

 Ballet class

 I love how boxes are always exciting to children; the possibilities

 Snuggling on the chair together!

 Love this Father and son moment

 Todd had a one day fever and cuddled with Skyler.

 You can tell by Skyler's face, that he loves cuddling.

 Easter Sunday! Todd and Claire got matching bunnies from the Easter bunny and went on an egg hunt the day before.

 Trains at the library

 Occasionally Claire and I will nap together on my bed.

 The day of the medieval fair! The kids loved their new "outdoor" sippies.

 A fairy ready for the fair. By the end of the fair she wasn't wearing any of it because it was so cold, and Skyler was holding her a lot!

 Jousting

 One of my favorite pictures of us!

 Jacob the knight.

 Turkey leg! It was our first time trying one. I felt like a Lord chomping down on some meat in the hall of a castle, like on Sword in the Stone!

 Claire absolutely loved her carmel apple.

 We got this dragon stuffed animal the day after the fair. It can turn into a unicorn and a pheonix too!

 A tea party with pink lemonade in the back yard

 Reading Snow White from one of the big, classic Disney books that I grew up with

 Todd chilling with me during ballet class

 Our little ballerina!

 One of her favorite ballet moves "tawn-Do"... something French

 Our neighbors let us borrow their push bike and the kids love it!

 One of our favorite Mexican dishes

 Lots of open space at the park

 Claire said that she was drawing in the dirt like Toothless does on How to Train a Dragon

 My little chefs

 Rice sensory activity.

 Todd holding Claire's finger