Dance lessons

A few days after her birthday Claire got to start "dance wessons". She talked about it a lot, we tried on her dance clothes and talked some more about it. Then the day came, and it wasn't until after lunch, can you believe that she had to wait all day long to go. We tried to tell her that she would have a new teacher, not the same teacher she has for primary, she didn't quite understand that. Then we tried to tell her it was her friends mom and that didn't make sense. So I just let her find out for herself who her teacher was. After lunch we rested a little bit and then started getting ready, as we were putting her dance clothes on she said "Mom I am so excited, so excited!" I think she said it like 5 or 6 times before we got there. When we got there I was nervous for her, her teacher asked her to go sit on the bench and wait for everyone to get there, and she said to me "I don't want to sit there mom". So I asked if she wanted to just stand next it and that was better for her. I am glad that she let me leave though, that was what worried me a little bit.

After I picked her up and I asked if she loved dance and she said " Mom I just really did love dance wessons"  She had a huge smile on her face and started telling me and showing me all she learned there.

We happen to live in the same ward as her teacher so we talked later about how she did.  her teacher said she told her she didn't want to dance so she didn't for the first half, and then she started to do the moves halfway, and when her teacher looked at her she would stop doing it.  Then one time she saw Claire doing it, she said "Claire you are doing such a great job"  that is all it took and she was hooked.  She remembers almost everything she learned and will show you if you ask, unless she is busy and says "I will do it later, okay?"  I am glad we have found something that she loves.

Happy 4th Birthday

This luck lady got to celebrate her birthday twice, once on her actual birthday and then the next day with a family party.  We were in Delta for her birthday so we had a little celebration for her.  She did so well waiting for everyone to get in the room so she could open presents and then have some cupcakes!

she humored me by smiling when I asked her to

Loved Minnie Mouse and gave her a huge hug

Loved Rapunzel, her favorite Disney charactor these days

Then we got cupcakes

but not until after she blew out her candle and of course had to have the cupcake with green frosting her favorite color ever

Then on tuesday the 4th she had a Rapunzel tower birthday cake, made by her Aunt Heather.  She loved it and couldn't believe that she would have brought he a Rapunzel cake!

Happy Birthday Claire Banner

blowing out her candle and then we got to eat it.  Claire really wanted to eat the tower, which was just fondant she she ate that

until I think she got sick, and then we were able to throw it away.

As we laid in bed that night, I let Claire lay by me that night, she would say over and over "Mom, I had such a great birthday, thank you so much for my presents and my party"  Just a great feeling to know you daughter had such a great couple of days for her birthday.  We must have done something right for her this year.  She has been doing so well, she is learning her letters and numbers and colors.  She can't wait til she is 8 to get baptized and to get her ears pierced.  She can't wait to get married to her daddy someday or date and drive.  She is such a loving girl, worried about how you are doing and if you are okay, and loves to tell me thank you for dinner or something else that has made her happy.  She is also great at saying sorry for something that she has done on accident.  Happy birthday sweet girl we love you so much, and can't wait to see what the next year brings to you!

Mom, when I am...

Claire tends to talk about growing up a lot, almost daily I hear Mom, when I am 16 can I date?  When I am 8 I will get baptized and earrings?  Mom, when I get (insert any age that she is thinking of) can I get married?
What is it about little girls that they want to grow up so bad.  She just needs to stay little just a bit longer, she loves being a kid, maybe I can get her to stop thinking about skipping childhood.

I had some extra make-up laying around so I let her have it and she loved it, and puts on her "ake-up" a lot, this day she got a little out of control and put it all over the place, but she did well!  "Cheeks, lips and eyes, mom, right?" she asks me just to make sure she has it right.  Hopefully she gets just a little better by the time she really wears make-up out of the house.

can't help but love this face

this is a face that I have the great honor of seeing everyday, he seriously has the cutest face ever. The only issue with that is that he knows that he is cute and that he is trouble and he enjoys it, I think as well.  But, lets not think about that and just check out the most handsome little man that I know!

Splash pad fun 2012

We have been to the splash pad a few times this summer and Claire loves the water and the play ground, and Landon will only play on the play ground. they stay happy for the most part we are there. Landon steals things from people when they are not looking, he brought me a water bottle once, and he started to take off with someones stroller another. Crazy kid!

of course we have our heart with her fingers. 

Loving the slide

he tends to take over the slide sometimes, and I have to remind him to share, then he remembers to let others go down.

Claire waiting for the water to come back on, she is excited and can't wait to run through the water!  I love how much she loves the water, it makes things easier then it use to be, where she wouldn't even go near it.

Go Utes!

GO UTES!!! Landon wearing Claire's boots and hiding from me while waiting for Claire to get there so we could show the world our Utah Pride!

Here is the Utes sign, Landon is getting better and it almost looks like a U! The best is how he says it. It is the cutest thing ever

Then Claire makes her U into a heart, and we can't forget the heart ever!

Delta weekends are always fun, Claire asking when we get to go and when she gets to play in the water. She has grow into quite the water rat.  She wants her swimming suit on as soon as she wakes up and will play and play and play.

Landon on the other hand, does not love the water so he hangs out on the shore most of the time.  And usually like this, with his life jacket on he can't more his head and have noticed he tends to stay more quiet with it on. 

Getting in, so ready can't wait!

The boat is where Landon loves and for the most part will fall asleep everytime

We finally got Claire to ride the tube, while it was being pulled by the boat, she is and has been for her 4 short years, afraid of most things that she is not in control of, being thrown in the air, riding on the tube.

So here she is sitting right by me, big smile on her face and then all of a sudden she switches seats, she thought it was the funniest thing ever.  Couldn't believe she did it and wasn't even scared that she did it twice.

after our tube ride going for a boat ride, love these kids

hanging out on the tube

then we got both of them on there, Aunt Tara enjoyed this ride, not quite as wild as the ones we go on when Aunt Shannon is there ;)

We had some visitors the last couple times we came down and we became best friends in no time, with a little popcorn and bread.  We got to feed these pretty ducks a few times a day everyday we were there.  They got very brave and came right up to us to see where the food was.