Claire's Minnie Birthday Party (2012 edition)

Last year, Clairey loved Minnie so much there was no way she was having a birthday theme other than Minnie Mouse.

This year, Clairey loved Minnie so much there was no way she was having a birthday theme other than Minnie Mouse.

Since we traveled to my Grandma's funeral on Claire's actual third birthday, we celebrated with a family birthday when we returned several days later.

Since Claire was in charge of picking her birthday meal, you would think we would dine on typical 3 year old fare.  Mac and cheese? Chicken nuggets? Mini corn dogs? Cheese pizza? A classic PB & J?

Nope.

Claire picked steak.  Steak, baked potatoes, rolls . . . man food.

We didn't complain.

Waiting to open presents took extreme patience.  But, she made it!

Daddy "helped" Claire blow out the candles. 

We laugh so hard every time we see this picture.

What a fun night for our favorite three-year-old!

The girls

I have so many Grant pictures, I don't want the girls to get lost in babyland.  Here are some of my favorites recently . . .

Things Claire says that I LOVE:

• "Oh, I been dreaming of that!" or "It's just like I dreamed of!" She says this when we give her a treat or surprise or take her someplace fun.
• "I don't like that!  I should throw it in the trash!"  She says that about any food she deems yucky. Or when she talks about fire (pronounced fie-yuh).
• "My hands smell like Santa Clause!" This was said after she played with pine cones in the park.
• "Mom, your ploblem is just Cinderella's ploblem." Huh?
• "Mom, I just don't recognize!!!!" This is said with tons of attitude.  Why does she say this?  I have no clue.

More Claire traits of late:

• She loves to get out of bed after being tucked in to tell us about the "bad dreams" she had.  Most of the time, she hasn't slept a wink.  You know it is a real account if her face is all smushed from sleeping, her hair is sweaty, and she is crying.  Last night such a thing happened.  Alas, she dreamed a monster took her blanket.
• I love that she has a psuedo-Bostonian accent.  She could totally fit in with most of my co-workers at the main office back in Massachusetts. 
• Whenever the girls come out of their room too early in the morning or too late at night, Claire is always the spokesperson.  "Uh, we just have to go potty!"  "Um, we had a bad dream!" "Uh, guys? We're just sirsty, kwee have uh dwink uh watow?" (Can you hear her accent in play?)
• Her nap time ritual must include the reading of her favorite book Someday.  She has a set routine for each page.  When I read "One I counted your baby fingers and kissed each one," I have to kiss each one of Claire's fingers. When I read "Then you were my baby, and now you are my child," she rambles about "the baby and the bike and the big girl and the bike." 
• Other naptime favorite books are: Goodnight Moon, The Napping House, Bunny my Honey, and Each Peach Pear Plum.

Things Hallie has said that I LOVE:

• "Last night I dreamed that Mulan turned into a dragon and called herself a enchilada."
• "Is it just safe up there?" She is afraid of monsters attacking when she goes to the bathroom alone.
• "Oh, look Mommy, there's our joc house."  For some reason, unbeknownst to us, Hallie still calls the townhome we lived in three years ago the "joc house."  I asked her why again yesterday and she said because "joc" means "old."  In what language?! Hallie-ese?
• She calls Claire "Clairey-cha-berry."

In the fall, both of our big girls go to school!