FOUR years old!

Happy 4th birthday to my sweet girl, Adelyn Grace Thomas! She was born the day after Mother's Day and this year, we celebrated her birthday the day before (May 11th). She's definitely the best gift I have ever received!

This girl:

• loves her baby dolls and takes extra good care of them
• is earning allowance 
• is so close to reading...if she'd only see it as something fun and not a chore when I ask her to do it
• can just about count to 100 (with assistance) 
• is constantly adding and subtracting to figure out how old she'll be when James is 8 or how old James will be when she's 15
• loves Doc McStuffins, Dora, Sophia the First, and will still happily watch Sesame Street :)
• sings and makes up songs all day long (I need to videotape the one she sings when putting away silverware)
• will NOT wear jeans (or really pants for that matter) because they're "too hard". A dress or skirt, especially one that twirls, is more her style
• loves to "read" long after we've said goodnight. We have caught her several times reading by the light of her digital clock. She will hold it right up the book to see. We usually don't say anything because it's hard to be mad at your child for that!
• still naps an hour and a half each day. Adelyn has NEVER skipped a nap- she will find a way to squeeze it in somewhere (and there have been some pretty odd places)
• sits in our bent legs on the couch and calls it the bird's nest
• is a sweet big sister to "Jamesy-James"

May 3rd: Adelyn at her school birthday celebration (with 4 other classmates since it's the end of the school year). They had ice cream and toppings, fruit, and cheese its. 

Friday night (night before her birthday): Opening gifts from Nana and Grandeddy. I WISH I could capture her reaction. She was covering her face and making the sweetest comments ("Oh it's adorable!" "I LOVE IT!!").

Saturday morning, we ate breakfast at Cracker Barrel and then came home and she opened gifts from Seth and me. 

Adelyn has never liked riding anything with wheels. However, she loves this bike- especially since Kate can ride along in back. She rode this bike up and down Fast Lane. This is a new child!

And of course, James has to go for a bike ride too!

Adelyn's first ballet recital was on her birthday. It was a circus theme and her class was lollipops.  I put her hair up in a princess bun and she wore mascara, blush, and lip gloss. She looked about 14 years old. I couldn't wait to get it off!

She had both sets of grandparents, Seth, James, and me in the audience clapping for her. She did great! Seth and I got her roses and she would not let go of them! I am very proud of her for getting up in front of all those people and performing!

Grandma and Grandpa came over to deliver their gifts

We grilled out hamburgers with my parents Saturday night and then she got cookie cake!

It was a great birthday for her! We are doing a joint birthday party for Adelyn and James so we'll celebrate again in a few weeks! Seth and I are proud, proud parents of a 4 year old.