Christmas Monkey

Claire (looking at Christmas tree): Mom, we don't have a monkey on our tree. We should borrow one from the store.
Me: We need a monkey for our tree?
Claire: Yes. But not a talking monkey.

I wish I could get inside her head sometimes.

Christmas, thus far.

Enjoying a hot chocolate at Butchart Gardens

Decorating the tree (it was a wee bit bottom heavy!)

Santa comes to school!

Claire LOVED Santa...she was so excited to sit on his knee- and was pretty reluctant to let him move on to the next child!

Her first dance recital

Claire enjoyed showing off her new dance moves at her first dance 'recital'- and while she wasn't always following the teachers instructions just so, she did pretty well during her first performance in front of 20+  moms, dads & grandparents!

These two were up to a little mischief during the recital and had to be separated!

Not staying the corner as their teacher is instructing them to do.

Again, not listening to the teacher so much....

The hug-a-bug dance routine

Showing her moves

Fall girl

Hanging out in the leaves with baby Ava

Tradition

It seems to have become a birthday tradition to take photos at this particularly spot.....a beautiful old Maple on the grounds at Queen Alexandra.

3rd Birthday!

 Happily showing off her "My Little Pony". Yup, she's a girl:)

 Posing for her mama.

 Snacktime with Noah, Mila, Marley and Liam.

 Santa Parade!

Family Birthday party at Nanny Marion & Grandpa Bob's house- complete with her requested "strawberry cake" made by daddy.

Hard to believe she's already 3....she's turning into such a fun little person- strong-willed, sweet, funny and a bit of a nut....I can only hope the next 3 years are as great as the first 3:)

3

What 3 looks like. More to come.

Word

While driving downtown to the Santa Parade tonight, Claire saw a man walking on the sidewalk and said "Look at that poor guy, he just has to walk in the rain"....then elaborated... "he doesn't even have a jacket, just a fleece". Sometimes she just makes me smile:)

Halloween

 

 Ladybug at Oldfield Farm

 Beegirl. For some reason she insisted the necktie go around her head. And the wings lasted all of 2 minutes after arriving in her classroom. But we tried.

 Monarch Butterfly compliments of her Nanny Mare.

Ladybug, Bee and Butterfly.....Claire decided Halloween is pretty great after realizing people were filling her pumpkin with chocolate!

Goldstream

 Checking out the salmon run at Goldstream...

Bedtime.

Me: It's time for bed Claire.
Claire: No. That's not cool. Not happy. Kind of sad. That's not very cool.

Cannon Beach

 Haystack Rock

 Window shopping.

 Manzanita.

 Cannon Beach library