Four

Clara turned FOUR this weekend.  

The fact that she is this old already blows my mind.

Investigating sprinkles that were dropped at the party the night before....

Here are some of my favorite things my FOUR year old does these days....

• Price-a-be - I'm never allowed to be in the bathroom by myself.  Ever.  But if she goes in one, even if it is just to wash her hands or blow her nose, she say's to me, 

"Get out, Mama!  Shut the door!  I need my price-a-be!"

For her birthday, Rhiannon made Clara an amazing fort.

• Hos-ti-ble - If she, or any other person, animal (stuffed or real), or sometimes even her imaginary friends Lisa and Ana ever fall, get a headache, a scratch etc, we have to pretend to take them to the hostible, and right away, too!

Constructing her pizza at her "make your own" pizza party.

• Sleep - Okay, I don't actually appreciate this one.  Clara inherited my night owl and The Mister's early morning personalities.  What does this mean?  It means it doesn't matter if she stays up with you until 1 am.  She will still wake up smiling, laughing and wanting to chat at 5:30 in the morning.

I tried to remedy this by telling her she's not allowed to get out of bed until the sun comes up. She takes this literally.

(The sun sure does rise early.)

All her friends helping her open her gifts!

• Spunk - I have no idea where she got it from, but this kid has perfected her sarcastic looks and snarky comebacks.

Making slides for her new microscope.

Playing with balloons before that beautiful fire filled the house with smoke...

• Stories - Clara tells the best stories with some pretty intense details.  She also likes to tell me things like, 

"Mama, when I grow up I'm going to be a doctor.  Yup, I'm going to be a doctor who works in the grocery store."

Always eat cake for your birthday breakfast.  Always!

• Time - She tells time like a champ. 

 In case you are wondering, it's 49 'o'clock.  

Always. 

Figuring her new microscope out.

• Rocks - I didn't know this was a hereditary thing, but apparently I have passed this gene on to both of my girls.  

They collect rocks.  

Not just pretty colored rocks that you can use to decorate with, either.  I have baggies upon baggies of rocks they find everywhere.  

Nobody should be forced to house concrete chunk collections for 10+ years.  

What is that they are using my mortal and pestle to grind so they can look at it under the microscope?

Oh, that's right.  They're grinding up some rocks.
But not just any rocks, these ones were from a trip to Beverly Shores Rhiannon and I made.

 (We made that trip before I ever met The Mister.)

Happy birthday little miss Clara!  

We love you to the moon and back!!!!