Lauren Turns 4!!

Once again, March 15th has come around and Chad and I have been walking around in disbelief...how on earth is Lauren Bear 4 years old?!?!  I look at this confident, sweet, and goofy child and can't even believe she was ever a tiny baby.  It is amazing how much they change, year to year, and how fast the time as flown.  I look forward to watching her grow up and yet, I want to freeze time and snuggle up with my beautiful and amazing little 4 year old.  These emotions have made it clear that March 15th will always be a bittersweet day for me.  Happiness that Lauren is growing up to be such an incredible girl, excitement to see what will happen for her in the future, and sadness that she is growing up.

Right now, Lauren is 3 feet, 5 inches and weighs 34 pounds.

She loves:

• to dance
• to swim
• to ice skate
• to make Charlie laugh    
• to race around the house
• to play with her musical instruments
• to play with her Scooby Doo toys
• to play with her Legos
• to color  
• to sing songs
• to play dress-up in Princess clothes or Super Hero outfits

Her favorite shows/movies are:

• Mary Poppins
• 101 Dalmations (thanks Sarah & Kevin)
• Scooby Doo cartoons
• Inspector Gadget cartoons
• Any cartoons with Captain America, Iron Man, the Hulk, or Thor
• Any cartoons with Spider Man or Batman
• Fantasia
• Woody Wood Pecker Cartoons
• Sleeping Beauty

Her favorite foods are:

• Grilled Cheese sandwiches
• Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches
• Mac-n-cheese
• Chicken Nuggets
• Spaghetti
• Eggs & Pancakes
• Pringles
• Banana Bread
• Cereal (Fruit Loops, Cheerios, or Frosted Flakes)
• And finally Pizza!!  Woo Hoo

Once she turned 4, we stopped making a separate dinner for Lauren and she now has to try mommy and daddy's food.  She fights us every night and even though she does try a bite, she refuses to like any of the food so far.  We make sure she has fruit or yogurt along with our dinner, so that she won't go hungry, but we plan on continuing the process.  It is very frustrating, but I know it will eventually pay off.

For her party this year, I tried to convince Lauren that she wanted an ice skating party, but she was adamant that she wanted a Lego Party.  So, we had a Lego party!!

Party Prep!!

We had decorations in bright primary colors, had a "Pin The Head On The Lego Man" game, had a "Lego Bean Bag Toss" game, had Lego sets for the kids to assemble, had a "Guess How Many Legos" game (the answer was 214), and topped it off with an incredible Lego cake, from Susannah Gillespie!!  We had a bunch of our friends and family here and it really was a wonderful party.

                     

  

                     

           

After the guests went home, we settled down and opened some presents.  Lauren was especially excited for all of the super hero related gifts, and tried on ALL of her dress-up costumes.  She was especially happy to get her Captain America shield and mask.  Eventually, Chad brought her big gift up from the basement, and Lauren was so excited to finally have a dollhouse.  She received her dollhouse furniture from the grandparents, and we all had a great time decorating the house.  Mee-maw and Grammy did an especially good job at fitting all of the furniture in the different rooms.  We finished the day with a Pali/Fisher tradition...popping off a bottle of champagne!!

           

The next day, Mee-maw, Grandpa, Grammy, Grumpa, Chad, Charlie, Lauren and I headed to the Ashburn Ice House for Ice Skating class.  Lauren and Chad have been working on her skating skills and it is really fun to watch her progress week to week.  We finished the day with some chili dogs at the Vienna Inn, a little shopping, playing with Lauren's new toys, and most importantly...measuring Lauren on her growth chart!!  By Sunday evening, we were ALL exhausted.

                               

 It was a great birthday celebration, and I think Lauren had a wonderful time.  Now we have to re-organize the playroom to make room for all of her new toys, and it is time to gear up for another party.  Next up...Sarah and Kevin's wedding shower!!  Woo Hoo!!