Stats, 36 months

Height: 3' 2" (66 percentile) Weight: 32 lb (65 percentile) Blood pressure: 98/61

Another Year, Another Photo Shoot

Thanks to our neighbor, Kate Medley, we were able to capture our little girl at age 3. This link has all of the photos, and below are my favorites.

The Pink Elephant Birthday Party

Carolyn invited her closest 30 friends to an afternoon at "Jump Around Utah" -- an indoor bounce house. Seriously, she has thirty friends and we had to even cut out a few to keep our numbers to 30. Lately, Carolyn is obsessed with elephants and the color pink, so I figured the best theme for the party would be "pink elephant." I found a cute t-shirt on etsy that became my inspiration. I then matched the invitations, cakes, party favors, and thank you cards with the same design. A few days before the party, Carolyn found the t-shirt that I had "hidden" in the guest room. She brought it out to me with really wide, excited eyes and said, "Mom, look what I found. It would be perfect for my birthday party. Can I wear it to the bounce house?" Yes, I made the birthday cakes, but I admit, I had a bit of a cake disaster. I hate to bake and inevitably screw things up when I bake, but I was determined to give Carolyn an all-pink cake. Steve and Carolyn made me a delicious pink cake for my birthday, so I figured we could make it again for her birthday party. Afterall, it was just a box cake mix with fresh strawberries and jello added to it. How could I mess that up? Steve said he would bake the cake, but for whatever reason, it ended up on my to-do list for Saturday. When I pulled the cake out of the oven, it was so crumbly and broke into about 25 pieces when we tried to get it out of the pan. It tasted delicious, but was not going to work. I probably - no, I know - I said a few bad words at that moment. But thankfully, I had 15 minutes to get to Costco before they closed. I ran straight back to the bakery section with Carolyn in tow, barefoot, mopsy-haired, and dressed in a formal princess gown. They had one sheetcake left, but it had green flowers all over it. No problem. I can scrape those off, re-ice it, and decorate it with a pink elephant. The cashier told Carolyn how much he liked her dress, and she proudly said, "My grandma made it. I am a queen." She then told the cashier, "My mommy made me a pink cake at home, but there was a screw in it, so we have to buy this one." (I think she meant to say 'my mommy screwed it up'). OK. Crisis averted. We were back on the road by 6:05, ready to transform the green flowered cake into a pink elephant. It was not perfect, but she loved it. She cried when everyone sang happy birthday to her, but blew out her candles nicely. She insisted on eating a piece that had the elephant trunk.

Here are some pictures of the jumpers. With all of the movement, I wish I had a better camera with a faster shutter, but as you can see, despite how blurry the photos are, both kids and adults loved the place.

This last picture is of Carolyn and her best friend at school, Nora. It is uncanny how much they look alike, huh?

By the end of the party, she was so tired. She grabbed her elephant and curled up on the floor. I am pretty sure her eyes fluttered a few times as all of her friends said goodbye to her.

Oh, and when we got to the car, see the video below.

And this is what happens when the party is over a video by boo4172002 on Flickr.

Unfortunately, this is what we got from the birthday girl as we left the party to drive home. Thankfully, she did not have her breakdown in front of her friends.

It is hard to believe.... she is 3

To make the day extra special, we snuck in her room after she fell asleep (notice she is asleep in her bed) and hung pink balloons everywhere. We also placed her new bike in the middle of the balloons and hung a new "art studio" on her door (Thanks grandma Lynn & grandpa Mike). We almost always wake up before her, but on her birthday, we were startled from our slumber when we heard a little voice yelling downstairs, "I need a helmet." She was standing at the top of the stairs, with new bike in hand and a big smile on her face.

Below are a few pictures of her first bike ride. She was wearing one of the dress-up outfits sent by Grandma Lynn and Grandpa Mike. This one is a fairy. She thought being a fairy would help her fly, which might help her ride her bike.

Dear Carolyn,

Today you are three. During the past year, you have turned from a toddler to a kid. You are fast on your feet, quick in your wit, as logical as can be, and make me laugh almost every day. Don't get me wrong, your independent and strong-willed nature can also try my patience, but I would not want it any other way. I am proud of who you have become, and look forward, with great anticipation, to what you will become.

I have been with you nearly all of your 1095 days on this earth. And I honestly do not know when or how you transitioned from the tiny 6 pound infant to this adventuresome little girl.

I love you with all of my heart, and I always will,

Mama

House Updates

It is still a work in progress, but the good news is that there is progress.... the wall is done. The garbage can screen is installed. Some plants are planted. Some mulch has been spread. Most of the sprinklers have been replaced. Grass is dying. Once the rest of the grass is dead (and once we are back from our vacation in Ohio), we will turn it over, plant some more plants, spread the remaining mulch/gravel, and be done with our front yard makeover.

Well, done with the installation. I guess maintenance and weeding is always on-going.