Kite Festival

The kite festival this year had the BEST weather.  We had a soccer game in the morning, then back to our house for a quick lunch and nap, then off to the kite festival before it was over.  Granny and Ainslyn surprised us by showing up at the morning soccer game, so we invited them to stay for the kites.  It was a great day!

Hannah has a few years of kite flying experience under her belt.  She's a pro.

We keep collecting kites.  This year we had the macaw kite, a fairy kite, two butterfly kite, and we also brought along some rainbow streamers.

 Olive and Ainslyn were more into the rainbow streamers.

But we did talk them into flying kites for a little bit.

We even got Granny to fly, too!

My favorite professional kite.

They had a dance off to the song Happy.  Olive was shakin' what her Momma gave her.  My biggest regret in life is that we didn't get video of it.  She actually had a fan club of strangers that DID take video of her.  So proud of my little dancer!!

The girls' first time tasting cotton candy.  Well, my girls.  Ainslyn is a woman of the world and has had it several times before.

The cousin stair-steps.  We just needed Gwendolyn for the bottom step.

Olive Stats- 3 years old

Olive is now 30 lbs (50th percentile) and 38 inches (75th percentile).  She gained 5 pounds and grew over 3 inches this year.  Here are her stats from year one and two.  Again, at one-year-old I described Olive as having a lot of personality...and she still does!  She is very emotional.  When she is in a good mood, she is giggly and sweet.  She loves showing off and talking to strangers.  When she is in a bad mood- watch out!  She is extremely strong-willed and sometimes personifies the expression "bite off your nose to spite your face," although it is usually "to spite Mama."  But the terrible twos are over, right?!

This year Olive learned to count to 20, name most of the letters, dress herself, and most importantly...she is daytime AND nighttime potty trained!!  Oh, it wasn't easy- I've got stories!  Olive loves to listen to books and flip through pages on her own.  It doesn't even seem like she is paying attention, but she just soaks up information.  By being in the same room while I work on sight words with Hannah, Olive has memorized words herself and will read them if Hannah pauses (much to Hannah's irritation)!  And more big news: we haven't been to the doctor AT ALL for breathing treatments since she stopped going to preschool in May.

What I love about Olive:
I love how much Olive loves Hannah.  Although she is very independent, Olive will do just about anything Hannah wants her to do.  I love listening to their conversations.  They are best friends.  I love how Olive is smart, cute, and feisty.  I love how she hugs me at random times.

What Steve loves about Olive:
I love how sweet she can be.  I love how she stands up for herself.

What Hannah loves about Olive:
She plays with me.  She's my little sister.

What Olive thinks about herself:
I yike to pay with Annah.

Olive's Favorite as a Three-year-old:
foods: chicken, turkey, hamburger, green beans, all fruits
drinks: chocolate milk and apple juice
song: ABCs
books: Berenstain Bears, Pinkalicious
TV shows: Team Umizoomi, Olivia
toys: baby dolls, tricycle, blocks, iPad
activities: DRESS UP, reading, painting, crafts
saying: "I don't want to play that game!"  "Ewwwww!"
least favorite thing: getting her hair brushed

Mom's Group Playdate

We've had a few playdates with the mom's group I joined in February.  Most of the kids are Olive's age or younger, but Hannah doesn't seem to mind.  She likes being the oldest.  I've met a few friends, too.  Funnily enough, they are mostly former teachers.

This time we went to a park we haven't been to in years...and in the mean time they got all new equipment!  

Hannah remembered we had our kite in the car, so she wanted to fly it.  She was the hit of the playgroup!

Mall Playground

Very Hungry Caterpillar Show

For Olive's special birthday outing we went to The Very Hungry Caterpillar at the Folly Theater.  I might have been more excited than the girls.  It was our first time at the Folly. We learned it is the oldest theater in KC- 114 years old.  The show was awesome!  It was a puppet show with blacklights.  You can see a sample of the show here.

For her birthday meal Olive chose....McDonald's.  It doesn't take much to make these girls happy.  We went to one with a playplace and got Happy Meals (maybe the first ones I've ever purchased for the girls) and ice cream.  

Olive's 3rd Birthday

Olive decided on a ballerina-themed birthday this year.  We did our usual family party at our house and invited her cousins, aunt, uncles, and grandparents.  I even did some Pinterest decorating and the girls painted these ballerinas in watercolors.  The streamer decoration is from Hannah. :)

Getting balloons dumped on her

Sub sandwiches and fruit for lunch

Olive said she wanted strawberry cupcakes for her party.  She helped me make them and then asked to eat them every 10 minutes for the rest of the day.  I think the cupcakes were her favorite part of her birthday.  She ate seven of them!!

 No, you can't help blow it out!!

Can I have another one?

The cousins performed a Frozen sing-along for us....several times.

Presents!  Olive tried on or tried out presents immediately after opening.  This including stripping off her clothes to put on her new nightgown.

She was very excited about her new Apple Jack (her favorite My Little Ponies).  She ran right upstairs and shoved all the other stuffed animals off her bed and replaced them with Apple Jack.  

I get the girls a special book every year for their birthdays.  Olive's book was about a girl who wouldn't take off her tutu.  It reminded me of Olive who wants to wear dress-up EVERYWHERE.

Olive received several dolls: two baby dolls, a ballerina doll, and Barbie dolls.  

The best picture we could get of the cousins.  Notice another nightgown on Olive.

With her big eyes and brown hair, Olive looks a lot like Princess Sofia on her nightgown.

We didn't get a family picture...but we did manage to get these gems with my siblings and in-laws.

A bad case of the-party-is-over blues

Earth Fair

Hannah had her first sleep over (all by herself!) at Ollie's house.  Olive was a little put out that Hannah was going some where she was not going...then we gave her some ice cream and she forgot all about it!  Although she did ask about Hannah again as soon as she woke up on Saturday.  It's tough to lose your favorite playmate.  It was very quiet around our house without two girls talking, giggling, and yelling.  We were happy to get our Hannah back at the Earth Fair on Saturday.