Elaine is 3! (2 months ago)

So I'm a little behind . . . . but life has still been happening at the George house.  I had my sisters' weekend back in July. Then we all went to Utah for 3 weeks. Then I've been working my tail off to finish Elaine's digital baby book so I could use a groupon I bought months ago. Etc., etc., etc.

Life might settle down one of these days, but I'm going to try to catch up a bit at a time.

So, way back on July 10, my Laney turned 3.  She is a beautiful, sweet, smart little girl with a whole lot of fire and personality packed in.  She loves to dance, sing, play outside, read books, swing, "swim" in our teeny tiny blow-up pool, and do whatever Mariah is doing.  She asks every day, "Is today a water day?" (We can only use outside water on odd days.) She hates to have her hair done.  (I think she has the most sensitive head of anyone I've ever met.  She screams the second I get anywhere near her hair.  I hope she grows out of this . . . soon.)

I love Elaine's smile and laugh.  I really love the look she makes when she's very pleased about something but embarrassed to show it.  She sticks her tongue in her cheek to keep herself from smiling.

Laney says lots of funny words. My current favorite is "pipple" (purple). She says this a lot because purple is her current favorite color. Her favorite number is 13. I love the way she says that too.

Elaine tells everyone she meets, "I'm 'free!' I just had a birthday!"

Here are some of my favorites from her baby book:

And here's the big day:

She got Gorilla Munch cereal for breakfast.

I made pistachio cake with cream cheese frosting. (The frosting is trying to be "pipple," but it turned out kind of a lilacy pink.)

Mariah bought her a purse with jewelry at the dollar store. Pipple, of course.

We gave her this (hand-me-down) tinkerbell dress and a strider bike (no picture because we got it in Utah, and I haven't gone through those pictures yet). And tons of balloons. She's been asking for balloons for her birthday for months. Every time we go to the store, "Mom, can I have a balloon for my birthday?"

Grandma Orva and Grandpa Paul gave her Oh the Thinks You Can Think.

Grandma Shirlene and Gramps (Elaine's great grandparents) sent $5. I took Laney on a special outing, and she bought these doll accessories with her money.

Grandma Shaunna and Grandpa Jim sent a Dr. Seuss game that has been a huge hit with both Mariah and Elaine.

More Photos with Cousins

I love this series of Elaine and Alice.  (Take a look at those chubby hands (and thighs, of course)!)

Lots of princessing and dancing:

Admiring Baby Victor:

My White Jedi:

Happy Fourth!

We went to my sister's for the weekend.  The kids (and we) had a great time!  Mariah made it with very few melt downs, and I was happy, for the most part, with how things went with her.

Packing up to go:

M has been wearing headbands as chokers lately.  Funny girl.

We went swimming in their neighborhood pool.  Both girls loved it:  Mariah learned she could be self-sufficient in the tube, Elaine loved sitting on the side, and Sal lounged in her boat like a pro.  (It's so hard on me to have kids who are afraid of the water.  I'm more comfortable in the water than out, and it kills me that my kids still don't know how to swim!  We just haven't had inexpensive access to a pool.  Maybe we can do lessons next summer . . . .)

Mariah doing "dolphin" with Marian

We did a few little home fireworks on Saturday evening.  My older two get pretty nervous about the noise; Sally didn't seem to care one way or the other.  (Mariah informed me afterwards that she will not do fireworks with her kids when she's a mom.)

Marian's kids were so funny running away after lighting each one:

A little bit more brave:

I love this one of Elsa and Alice:

Dressed for church:

Mike and Elaine went to the parade with Chad and their older 3 kids.  Mariah stayed home and went swimming again with me while Sally napped at the house, supervised by Marian.

Elaine came back from the parade and wanted to swim.  We let her sit on the side with her toes in the water.  That quickly turned into lying on her belly with her hands in the water, and then lying backwards on her belly with her legs in the water.  Her pants were soaked.

We drove home after lunch on the 4th.  That evening, we went over to some friends' house for a little party.