Elsa is THREE!

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a "threenager" on our hands.

I fully recognize that term as the trendy buzzword that it is, but I also acknowledge that there is some truth to it. I had no idea toddlers could be so bi-polar. One minute they're red-faced and wailing over something that seems trivial only to suddenly break out into maniacal laughter. Lest you miss the transition, Elsa is quick to proclaim, "I'm happy again!"

Elsa is quick to proclaim a lot of things these days. She speaks extremely well...and a lot. But we love it. Not only is it infinitely more interesting for me to have someone to talk to at home, but it's also rather entertaining. Jon and I share a lot of glances with raised eyebrows about the things that come out of her mouth. The girl even tells jokes. I'll spare you the specifics, as I'm sure anything she says is much more hilarious to Jon and me, but rest assured that you're guaranteed at least a chuckle in her presence.

The biggest change this year has been Elsa's promotion to Big Sister. So far, she gets glowing remarks on her performance review. She truly loves her little sister, and it melts my heart to see them smiling and laughing at each other. I am so excited to watch this relationship develop.

Elsa's world is definitely expanding. Technically in preschool three days a week this year, she has been learning so much. Fortunately she is very forthcoming with the details of her day, which I cherish because I know the answer to "How was school?" will become "Fine" before I know it. In addition to school, we've rounded out our routine with playgroup and Kindermusik class. So, basically, we play a lot, which is great.

Once again, Elsa requested chocolate cake for her birthday, and we were happy to oblige. We kicked off the festivities with a birthday party at the park with her (and our) friends, complete with a face painter. We lucked out on the weather, as it was a beautiful day and so much fun.

Flowers on one side, a dinosaur on the other

Elsa's official birthday was on a work day, so it fell to me to make her favorite breakfast of scrambled eggs. She is still talking about how the "first batch was yucky, but the second batch was much better, like Daddy's." (I don't like eggs and had never made them before--the things we do for love.) Next, we met Dad downtown for lunch before heading to playgroup. Of course, we squeezed in the annual sheep photo shoot because it wouldn't be a birthday without it.

Enough with the sheep, people!

We rounded out the day with shrimp for dinner (which I also don't like--seriously, whose child is this?) followed by cake and ice cream. The birthday girl also got to talk/FaceTime with family and open presents, all of which made Elsa feel so special.

The celebration continues until the end of this month when Elsa gets to go to ballet camp. While she loves riding her bike and digging in the dirt, she is a ballerina in a pretty dress at heart. I'm not sure who is more excited for her performance.

I'm confident that Elsa enjoyed her special day, especially since she woke up the next morning asking, "Is it still my birthday?" That, to me, is proof of a successful birthday.