Note to Self

Always remove a princess' tiara before naptime car rides...

Baa Baa Black Sheep - Stella Style.

Enjoy Stella's ever-changing rendition of the good old classic, "Baa-Baa Black Sheep"

First Picnic of 2013!

As a native New Englander, I hesitate to claim that spring has officially arrived until about, oh, June; however, today it felt like spring has finally arrived!  Stella and I enjoyed the warm weather by having a picnic downtown.  We love Newmarket and enjoy spending time together near the river, watching the ducks, eating ice cream, and just lounging around.  Here are some pictures of our time together:

Can't believe we live in such a pretty place!

Looking at the ducks.

Stopping donwtown for a break while running errands.



No socks (pasty white legs) and baby crocs = spring!

Stella turns 3!

Our little girl is three.  It's amazing, fun, unbelievable, crazy...it's, simply put, the best.  I often share with people how I cried while sitting on the floor of her nursery, folding up her 3 month old clothing for storage.  I honestly thought it would never be as much fun or as wonderful as it was back then...but every stage has brought with it new heights of joy.  I am so grateful for this girl and how much love, patience, grace and faith she has brought into my life.  She is nothing short of a gift from God.

 

Here are some of the favorite things Stella is up to these days:

• She often says, "No I ant."  Which is her funny way of saying she is NOT going to do something.  We don't use the word "ain't" in our house, so I really don't know where she picked this one up...
• She occasionally speaks in a British accent because some of her favorite cartoons or cartoon characters (Alfred/Archibald from Veggie Tales or Angelina Ballerina) are British.
• She is fully potty trained - HALLELUJAH!
• She loves the clay-mation show "Pingu" and runs around the house saying "Mook, MOOK!" (for those of you who haven't seen it, Pingu speaks in gibberish and this is one of his favorite sayings...)
• She enjoys spending time at home and often doesn't want to leave our house, but whenever we go out she rarely wants to return to home.
• She got her first bike for her third birthday and is excited to ride it with training wheels; she and Tim have been practicing in the aisles at Walmart for months.
• On Easter Sunday this year she enthusiastically shared with a couple of nine-year-old boy neighbors, "Jesus is RISEN!  He is ALIVE today...Happy Easter!"
• She has very specific taste in clothing and wants to wear dresses every day.
• She starts each morning by selecting which dress up clothing she would like to wear outside of her normal clothes...and this is how we leave the house on a daily basis (think: tutus, tiaras, ballet slippers, Cinderella costumes, etc.).

Long story short, I am in love.  So grateful for the privilege of being her mom!