Dakota Turns Three

It feels strange that my youngest child is now three. Three doesn't seem like a "baby" number, but rather a big girl number. Saying she was two made me feel like I still had a little one at home, but now, I've got a house full of big kids...it's weird. I know that three isn't really a BIG kid, but she'll be going to preschool this fall, and that's definitely a big kid thing.

A few more tidbits about my girl:

• She's learning to dress herself, how to play with other kids and how to use her imagination. 
• She's learning her ABC's and 123's and how to manipulate her parents...with skill. 
• She's learning how to fight for what she wants and how to make her brother laugh as well as scream. 
• She uses her manners (most of the time), her toothbrush (sometimes on things other than her teeth) and the lamp in her bedroom as a night light when it's too dark. 
• She's very independent but runs to mama the minute something doesn't go her way. 
• She's always happy when her dada comes home from work, and when her brother(s) come downstairs in the morning. (An image I hope to never lose is of my kids hugging each other and saying hello first thing in the morning.) 
• She adores Landon and it absolutely makes her day when he spends time with her. 
• She loves when her big sister stops by for a visit and ends up reading her bedtime stories and the way "nanny" (Brandon) chases her around the house. 

She is everything a little girl should be and so much more...

Since Zoe and Landon are in South Carolina this week, we decided to hold off on any kind of birthday party until Saturday morning. But, we didn't want to let her special day pass without any celebrating, so we took them to Build A Bear at the mall for a little fun.

Dakota found a purple bear with light up ears/nose and Harper chose a snow leopard. They enjoyed the whole experience very much and loved carrying their new pets around the mall. (I TOTALLY forgot to get pictures of them with their animals once they were finished! We were just too busy enjoying the moment!)

I let Dakota choose exactly what kind of cupcakes she wanted and we ended up with white cake, purple frosting, sprinkles and tiny flowers.  They were yummy!

My family in SC Face Timed with us while we sang Happy Birthday and let the kids blow out the candles. (We put a candle on a cupcake for Harper too, just for the heck of it. It made him so happy!) My video of that didn't turn out too great because I was trying to make sure everyone could see each other on the iPad while also trying to video the process and take pictures. I can multitask like nobody's business, but I didn't do such a good job this time. So, we'll all just have to use our imagination...

Before bed tonight she was playing with her bear, Glimmer and I thought maybe this would be a good time for a picture.

She kept playing the happy birthday song so I told her I'd record a video for her to watch later. I'm so glad I did because I just love the video! She was just so sweet (and SO tired)!