A Birthday Party and A Couple of Firsts...

On Saturday we celebrated Gracie's 3rd birthday at the Gladstone Community Center indoor pool.  We began in the party room where we played a short game, ate a light snacks and cake, and opened gifts.  Afterward, we headed to the pool where Gracie and her friends/family enjoyed sliding, jumping, splashing, and playing together.  It was a fun, fun time!  Gracie even took off her floatie and jumped in several times.   She's gaining her underwater confidence lately!  My camera battery died before the swimming part, but that was okay because I thoroughly enjoyed being in the moment with my girl, instead of trying to capture the moment with my camera.  Here are a few pictures from the first part of the party.

I can't take credit for the cake, but it was delicious and beautiful!

Just before Gracie's birthday, she had her first big girl class.  We only got to attend the last 3 days of a weeklong Dora and Diego class through Community Education, but it was such a good experience for Gracie.  Her teacher was Mrs. Greene, who also happens to be Pastor Frank's wife, Gracie's Sunday School teacher, and her soon-to-be Preschool teacher.  So needless to say, G is pretty comfortable with Mrs. Greene.  Kia was in the class, as well, so the conditions were right for Gracie to have a fabulous time.  

I was a little worried about how her first drop-off experience (aside from her Aunt Steph's house and Miss Barb's during her first year of life) would go.  When she heard that Kia was going to class, while we were on a camping trip, she asked if she could go when we got home.  I explained that Momma wouldn't get to go to the class with her, I would go to the store while she played and learned.  She seemed unphased by being dropped off, so I went with it.  I enrolled her and planned to get her birthday shopping and party prep done while she went to class.  

If you had asked me 6 months ago, I would have told you that Gracie would take several months to get adjusted to being dropped off at Preschool in the Fall.  I would have said that she would never agree to take a class without Momma or Daddy.  I would have said that dropping her off would involve some crying and screaming, and require peeling her off my hip.  But something matured inside her and she seems to understand that Momma will come back and while she's gone, Gracie's going to have fun!  And so she did.  She had a great time at Dora class!  There were no tears, only reports of the one time Kia cried because she was sad for her Mommy.  She was all smiles and eager to get going.  The first day, while I was signing her in, she asked if she could go on in and see what Mrs. Greene was doing.  I said she could, and off she went.  No squeezes or smooches good-bye, she was off and jumped right in!  I felt relieved that it went so well and so, so happy for her.  Here are a few pictures from her adventures in Dora class.

Using her binoculars to see me!

On the second day of class, it was raining all morning, so instead of exploring outside with their binoculars, the kids went to the "after teria" (cafeteria!) to look out the windows to explore.

Her Dora backpack!

The Great and Wonderful, Mrs. Greene and Gracie!

Gracie and Kia... the best of friends!

Last night was Gracie's first experience with dance class.  She's been talking about taking dance for a long, long time.  Aunt B found a dance class for little ones that's at a Christian Studio and using music from Frozen.  I mean, could it be any more perfect for Gracie and Kia?!  It's just a summer camp where they learn 'bal-la-lay' and tap.  We've been counting down the days for dance to start, so last night both little girls were ready to go!

Dance is so different from most other sports in that your parents aren't allowed to watch.  So when we arrived at the studio, Steph and I walked the girls back to their class and helped them get their ballet shoes on.  Then we left.  After waiting in the car for 45 minutes, we went inside to pick them up and Miss Cassie, their teacher and the studio owner, said the girls did great!  Then we headed outside to get in the car and we asked the girls what they did.  What songs did you hear?  How did you move your feet?  What did Miss Cassie show you?  The responses were all pretty vague and confusing, since both girls are only three.  When we got home, I played some songs from Frozen and had Gracie show me what she learned in dance.  It was pretty much the same moves she's always done to the Frozen songs, so I'm still not quite sure what she learned.  Now I realize that it's only the first week, so she will probably know more after a few more classes.  Whatever she did, she had a fun time!  She wants to go back again!  She did remember to mention that she herself did not cry, but one girl did cry for her Mommy.  Gracie would never do that!  Here are a few pictures from her first dance class.

Waiting for Aunt Steph to come pick us up!

They look like real ballerinas!  So cute!

When we were getting dressed for dance, I asked Gracie how she wanted her hair, and of course, she wanted a bun.  I had to google how to do a real ballet bun, because the kind I do always fall out quickly.  Rest assured, I found a new way and she was rockin' a tight ballet bun for her preschool ballet class!