Claire - 5 years

Our Claire turned 5 years old on January 8th!  Here are a few of my favorite things about our 5-year-old:

-Claire is so much fun to be around and is full of spunk!

-Claire loves school and is disappointed on the days she doesn't get to go (she goes Wed-Fri).

-She has THE hardest time going to sleep at night.  She's just wide awake and gets up many many times for different reason. Sometimes (okay, most nights) we'll tell her to "stay in bed," to which she'll reply, "But I don't know how!" ... Thankfully, she's also our latest sleeper.

-I took her in for a speech evaluation because she still has 6 or 7 sounds that she's not saying correctly.  Even a stranger can understand what she is saying, but it's not perfectly clear.  The speech therapist said that she is still on track for her age and doesn't need speech therapy right now.

-She likes to watch shows and movies, but I definitely wouldn't call her a movie lover.

-She's shy in public and isn't usually chatty with people at church or school, and certainly not with new people.

-She doesn't like Capri Suns, which is unusual for a kid her age.  She prefers to drink water out of her cup.

-She likes marshmallows, peanut butter sandwiches (sometimes she adds jelly, sometimes it's just PB), banana's.....  She's really not picky at all and eats most anything I give her.

-Claire tells us exactly what she is thinking and I love it!

-She LOVES her dance class and gets so excited about going every Tuesday night. She's in a class with her friend Charlotte.

-She sleeps in a room with her sister Abby (as of about a month ago) and that transition has been just fine.  Abby usually goes to sleep quickly and then Claire feels free to get up and down.  Ha!

-She doesn't love taking baths because she doesn't love water in her face.  She was very cautious about getting her face wet at the pool last summer, but I'm hoping she'll be a little more comfortable with it this summer.

-She's a thinker. She's very logical and will sometimes figure things out before her big sisters.

-She gets frustrated if she can't do something easily...like buckle her 5-point harness seat belt.  She's actually done it by herself a few times recently, but I had been working on trying to get her to do it for a long time and she absolutely refused.

-She's really good at driving the Power Wheels jeep, riding her bike, and skating.  She loves playing outside with her sisters.

-Nicknames - Claire Bear, Clairey, CK

-Claire loves to help!  I will often say (aloud) something that I need and before I can get up to go get it Claire has run to get it for me.  If she hears my phone ring she runs to get it and bring it to me, and she actually enjoys putting her clothes away.  She also loves to help make anything in the kitchen and help put the groceries away.

-Claire and Abby play so well together and Abby really misses her when Claire is at school.

-She especially loves to play with their play kitchen, magnetic blocks and legos.


Here is an interview I did with our sweet 5 year old....
What''s your name? Claire
How old are you? 5
Where to you live? I don't know where I live. (I said, "You know where you live." And she replied, "I know Greenville, but I don't know the number!!!")
What is your favorite color?  Can I have 2, I mean 3? Purple, pink, and silver
What is your favorite toy? the yellow vacuum
What is your favorite food?  Pepperoni pizza
What is your favorite drink?  Water
What is your favorite thing to do? Play on my Leap Pad
What do you want to be when you grow up? A Mom
Who is your teacher? Ms. Wentzel
Who is your best friend? Monty (friend from church)
What is your favorite show?  "Mia and Me
What is your favorite book?  Olivia
What is your favorite movie? Rapunzel ("Tangled")
Who is the funniest person you know? I don't know anybody funny.
Where is your favorite place to go? Chick-fil-A (she loves their playground, and often asks Bert to take her there on a Daddy-Daughter date.)
What does Mommy always say to you? I don't know
What does Daddy always say to you?  (here, she just shrugged her shoulders with a scowl.)


Claire, you are a precious gift to our family and to everyone who knows you!  Mommy and Daddy are so proud of the beautiful, fun, sweet 5-year-old that you are!! We love you!!