Three

Paigie turns three on Monday and she is happily anticipating her big day.  Ashlee and I went shopping for gifts today and when we returned home, she came running out to the car asking "Where are the presents?"  I told her we couldn't find anything we really liked so we would have to go shopping another day.   That was a lie - I don't have time to go shopping another day and there were indeed gifts for her in the back of the car, but also true - I didn't find anything I really liked.  There is a big, green moving truck in the driveway and Paige's big day unfortunately falls in the middle of moving week this time, so we only bought small gifts that can be taken in the car without a lot of thoughtful planning.  Luckily I had some chocolate covered strawberries back there and those made her forget about the gifts. 

I am happy to have a three year-old who is happy and strong and healthy - both body and mind.  I am grateful for it.  But I am a little heartbroken that she is three, because it means she is no longer 2, or 1, or just arrived.  She's just growing so fast.  She is a daddy's girl, just like her two sisters.  When she is hurt or offended, she comes to get her daddy and has him beat up the offender, even me,  if I have given offense.  He started it when Paigie came to him one time over some offense and he asked "Should we go beat her up?"  Right now it's all jovial fun - hopefully she doesn't start to take it too seriously.  She is very particular about clothes (only dresses, please, unless it's her favorite green skirt.) and shoes and hair.  She likes to do tricks for us and color and write us notes.  She has vivid imagination often plays very elaborate games with inanimate objects given voices and personalities.  She needs a nap, but hates to take one.  For the past week she has been sleeping on the floor with her sisters and loves it in there.  She still loves her blanket.  She loves carrots and broccoli and lettuce, but really no other vegetable.  She loves to help - especially if the task seems like one only an adult can do.  She hates to pick up her own toys.  We love her and are so grateful to be a part of her family.  SO grateful.

Here is a picture from last year on her day - because that big green truck isn't exactly going to pack itself.  Oh how I wish it would.

Because, that's why!

Sometimes, when Christopher dries her hair, it looks like this.  FRIZZY, the picture doesn't do it justice.

Some funny things she says lately -

I'm being serious.

Oh Shasta (learned from me - woops)

Because that's why.  (If we ask why about anything.)

today she was singing "I Am A Child of God"  - her version is -

I am a child of God, and he has set me free....,

which is just as true as the regular lyric.

Boston

We went to Boston a couple of weeks ago - somebody had dressed the Make Way For Ducklings  ducks in Easter Bonnets.  It was very....charming, that's the only way to say it.  I was also completely charmed by the city and daydreamed a few hours away about how GREAT it would be to live there. 

Here are all the ducklings, following their Momma, wearing their Easter finest. 

In the pictures above: Ashlee listening intently on our walking tour of part of the Freedom Trail.  She is so great - she raised her hand to answer almost every question, always stood near him so she could see/focus - I love that about her.  She also got a sucker for volunteering  to demonstrate what it was like to stand in the "blocks" on Boston Common.  Our guide easily consumed 10 Blow-Pops during our tour.  After Ashlee was given her sucker, she immediately turned it over to Paige, which kept Paige occupied for nearly 30 minutes.  When we were about an hour in, Christopher leaned over and whispered "Look at Ashlee"  She was standing very near our guide, looking intently at his satchel.  "She's trying to burn a hole in the bag with her eyes to get another sucker."   After we walked to our next stop, she came up to me and said "I wish I could have another sucker."  He knows her pretty well.  She's so sweet to just hand that sucker over to Paige, no questions asked.

We also spent a few hours across the river in Cambridge...we walked around part of Harvard and the girls rubbed Mr. Harvard's shoe for good luck getting in.  (Although apparently it's not really him, because all of his likenesses were burned in a fire....just a little something we learned while eavesdropping on a guided tour.)  So, we'll see in a few years if it works...:)  If it does, it will be Ashlee who gets in, Maggie barely touched it.

Anyway, I liked Boston.  I am not that excited about California.  Its bonus - closer to family. And even then, it's still 1 entire day of travel to Utah family, and 2 days to Denver family, so it's not super close.  That's about all I can think of.  Christopher is looking forward to it much more than I am.  When we used to talk about future assignments, if  California ever came up, it never seemed great.  It still doesn't.....  I will try to adjust my attitude about the "governator's" state soon.  In the meantime, I am looking forward to de-junking some more and living for a couple of months with just a few of our things - we have way too much.  (Although I have already packed a mason jar full of popsicle sticks - that can't bode well for the de-junking part of the packing.)

Her Expressions

Paige was a big contributor to Family Home Evening last night.  She was reading to us from her "scritshures." (The mini-hymnal that I took on my mission with me.)  We had to keep reminding her that other people might like a turn to talk.  We were also surprised to learn that the "scritshures" contain references to cookies, oreos, and candy.  I love how Ashlee was laughing at her/ listening to her/ encouraging her. 

An Easter Picture

Our girls on Easter Sunday - Chris was in charge of taking a picture while I got dinner ready in between sessions of conference, this is the best of 2. 

We are having GORGEOUS weather after what felt like weeks of snow and weeks of rain.  I love these girls.  With all my heart and then some, probably.  I was so glad to listen to General Conference - it always helps me see things better, more for what they are and less for what I wish they were or imagine them to be (in both good ways and bad.)

Things that I noticed in this picture:

Paige's feet are getting much too big - that means that the rest of her is getting much too big, darn her.  Darn time that is speeding along whether I am ready for it to or not.

Ashlee's hair is getting really long.  She continues to be in constant motion. which is why it's hard to get a good picture of her. I'm sure that she is either mid-laugh or mid-joke or mid-dance move here.   We were in line at a store today and music was playing and she was dancing, she can't help herself and most times I love it.

Maggie is the only one posing - it looks like Paige is pouting.  I asked them when they came in if they got a good picture.  Maggie said "No, but we got a picture."  She is going to a baby-sitting class tomorrow.  She is excited to be getting more responsibility.  She has also started talking with friends on the phone, just to talk, not to make plans or coordinate things. 

We are on spring break this week.  We have hopes to travel somewhere at the end of the week.  Our list of places to visit/things to do is getting smaller, we are running out of time. 

72 Degrees

It is supposed to get up to 72 degrees today. . . . I want to pack us all up and take us "down the shore..."  I know it's not summer yet, but if it was, I would have some things done.  Things like - packing up the house, helping C. finish his master's course, going through and cleaning out and getting rid of lots of stuff before we pack up.

Oh, I am goind to miss the shore  and we are going to go lots of times before we leave.  I promise.  We will soak up the sun and the salt water, we will walk on the boardwalk, we will eat water ice,  and we will be so glad that we got to live in "The Garden State."

2 Snow Day Pics

Some things to notice about these 2 pics:

1. Paige has some serious road rash on her face - she fell when we were at the park before the snow.

2.  After the tent came down we decided to put a mattress on the floor in the living room - for the snow day.  We had so much snow this week, we left it up.  C. hated the idea at first, but now we all sort of love it.  I have been looking around for ideas that assimilate this but aren't so trashy. 

3.  Maggie and Ashlee are both soaking wet up to their waists.  They have been having a lot of fun playing in the snow.

4.  Paige isn't wet because playing in the snow goes against her core values.  She stays inside and eats snow day food - cinnamon rolls, hot chocolate etc...  She is also air-born in the bottom picture.  The picture probably doesn't show this, but she is also the cutest 2 year old we know.