A little over 3 years ago....

My sweet little girl was born.

Happy birthday Gracie Girl!

I wish this picture didn't have red eyes, I'll take them out when I develop it, but couldn't figure it out with blogger.... She was so happy on her birthday!

Grace kept saying she wanted a Cars birthday cake, but I wanted her to have something girly... She was so funny when we went to pick her cake, she wanted most of them, but then changed her mind quickly. Finally we found a Care Bears one and she said that it's I want that one, but just as I went to order it she said she wanted Cars again. Then we found the Princess and the Frog cake, it was so cute and she said yes!

Grace got spoiled by everyone... She had two birthday parties, and of course I forgot my camera for the 2nd one. She got fancy new shoes, an Fur Real pet Elephant, some cute clothes, a V-tech computer, a little phone/piano, a leapster and a puppy vet set with a kennel.

We played Kiss the Frog at Grandma Ruths too. Seeing the kids in their blindfolds was so stinking funny, they looked adorable! Travis and Tylor were good sports too!

I think this video is so funny, Grace could not leave the blindfold on to save her life!

A little picture from the past - one of my favorites!

At three years old Grace amazes me at her communication skills! She talks so well, she keeps us laughing and smiling. She is highly opinionated and always wants things her way, right now. I love the few minutes each day that she wants to be held, because usually she is "go go go!"

Grace would rather be out of the house, shopping or playing at the park - but she does like her movies. Right now she loves Up!, Pete's Dragon, Car's, Finding Nemo and the really old claymation Curious George. She rarely naps - and has a hard time with the concept of quiet time.

Grace LOVES books. We could read together for hours. She is good at remember which page says what and fills in the blanks when we read her favorites. She loves "But No Elephants!", And of the Little Critter books, but especially "Going to the Dentist", "Jenny in the hospital" and the little Elmo series from Target.

Grace used to be able to count to 10, but she WILL NOT do it now. She counts to three, some times to four or five but then she stops. I try to count with her, but she ignores me. That's my stubborn little girl!

Grace also loves her puppies and kitty, her snake, her elephant and her teddy bears. Much to my sadness she is not a baby doll lover. How could MY child not love dolls? My mom thinks it's funny because I hated stuffed animals, but not Grace, she plays with them all day long.

She loves to "help" in the kitchen, dress in her princess dresses and walk in the snow.

This past year she has changed so much, her feet are starting to straighten out, she still wears braces every night and is doing better about keeping them on. The doctor really wants her to keep up with the braces instead of casting them, because even if we cast them she will just have to wear braces at night to keep them from turning in. Grace also "lost" her binka this year, or at least the nipple off the end of it. She went for several months without one and then got an ear infection and cried for her Binka again, I was strong, I didn't cave. Even though I found a whole plastic bag full of them in my drawer a couple weeks ago.

Love you baby girl!

My funny girl

Grace says the funniest things sometimes - well most of the time. She remembers everything, good or bad and she can be quite a pill - but she makes me smile!

Yesterday Max was stinky - she came in my bedroom and said "Mom, you've got a poopy bloke!" How she knows what a bloke is I have no idea.

The other day I tried to make the kids take naps after lunch so I could go do some scrapbooking. After two hours I moved Grace to my bed and told her if she got off my bed before Dumbo was over I was going to have to beat her. Max feel asleep quickly so I went downstairs. After about 10 minutes I heard her get off my bed, go down the hall and proceed downstairs. When she came in my scrapbooking room she said "Mom, I'm just coming to make sure you're okay. I'm just checkin on ya." How does a mom get mad at that? "I'm good Grace, go back upstairs and take a nap." "Mom, I've got to do my excersizen." To which she gets on my eliptical machine and starts huffing and puffing. (I don't know where she got that from!)

During Christmas Grace's aunt Caitlin asked what she wanted for Christmas - she replied "How about a kick in the head?"

Mike's mom watches the kids while I work, the other day she said, "Grandma, do you know why you're watching me?" Grandma says "Why?" and Grace said "Because my moms at work and my dads in therapy."

The other day Grace started singing Row Row Row your Boat "scarily down the stream". I just laughed, Mike went to correct her and said don't - it's better that way!

We've been planning Grace's birthday party and she told me she wants to write Santa a letter - I told him that would be nice. "So he can come to my party." Hmm - I wonder how sad she'll be when Santa doesn't come?

When Grace prays over dinner at night she always says "Thank you for Heavenly Father, thank you for prayer, thank you for foo (which sometimes sounds like poo)."

I need to do better about writing these down - I think I will remember and then I don't - but seriously the girl keeps me laughing!