Oh, The Places You'll Go!

Earlier this month we celebrated Mallorie's fourth birthday with a candle in her breakfast waffle, presents, and an afternoon BBQ with the extended family on the following Monday.

Four crisp dollar bills! Julie and Jim from next door joined the party and always give my kids new bills to match their birthday age. I wonder how long that will continue....

She is such a delightful little person (though she detests being called "little." She prefers the size of "medium"). Full of energy with a contagious laugh, Mallorie has really come out of her shell these last few months - she expressed an interest in learning her alphabet letters and is learning quickly how to spell her name and identify and write said letters. The level of detail in her pictures and the care with which she colors impresses many parents and teachers. There are many hours spent coloring and drawing at the bar in our kitchen.

She is totally into her ballet/tap class she started a few weeks ago and is probably one of the cutest "taparinas" ever - her face reflects a level of concentration and joy while she is learning the different positions or skipping across the dance floor with her little classmates.

 I never know where she will be when I check on the girls before I go to bed. This is pretty tame compared to some of her sleeping positions...

She has mastered riding her scooter and is willing to try and learn the balance bike. This medium sized girls loves to help and is a great support to Spencer, even though he may not always appreciate her efforts! My little snugglebug, she gives the best morning cuddles. And the halls of the house are often filled with the sounds of her chatter and songs.

Mallorie chose to have a hot air balloon cake this year, and thanks to Pinterest, I was able to create a fun one! Which reminded me of the Dr. Seuss book Oh, the Places You'll Go. That became my underlying theme and I now want to decorate our toy room with inspirational Dr. Seuss quotes.

The party wouldn't be complete without a few other balloons hanging around the house. They now reside in a pink cluster above her bed.

Happy birthday, Mallorie! I'm excited to see the places you'll go in the days and years to come. We love you!