FIVE YEARS OLD!!

We can hardly believe it has been five years since our little ballerina princess entered the world. She started out as a round, bald eating and sleeping machine. Five years later, she has blossomed into a petite, graceful, enchanting, charming, compassionate and outgoing young lady.

HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY CHARLOTTE ELISE! WE LOVE YOU!
4TH BIRTHDAY:

3RD BIRTHDAY:2ND BIRTHDAY:

1ST BIRTHDAY:

BIRTH DAY!

Dancing Queen

It's official! I have been bitten by the performing bug! Last week I performed in my very first big dance recital. We had been practicing for months, and I was so excited to show off my hard work to everyone! My two ballet BFF's - Ella and Amelia, were as happy as I was that it was FINALLY recital day!

Waiting patiently backstage!

"On The Good Ship Lollipop" - I am third from the right :)

My teacher, Miss Elaina, was the best ballet teacher a dancer could ask for!

I was so happy to be able to perform for my Aunt Barb, Grandma Betsy, Claire...

JoePa, Aunt Amy, Aunt Sammi,

and Mommy and Daddy!

Daddy and Aunt Amy gave me beautiful flowers after my performance. I told Mommy that I LOVED being onstage, and I wasn't nervous at all. I could get used to being a ballerina!!

The first ten seconds or so are cut off, but here is some of my debut!!

Down on the Farm

A local dairy farm recently had their annual Family Farm Days, and Drew, Reed, Claire and I had a lot of fun pretending to be farmers!

Only the coolest farmers have the greatest combine ever designed - this is one of my daddy's :)
If you're going to be a dairy farmer, it's a good idea to check on your cows often. Make sure they have plenty of food and water!

Drew, Reed, Claire and I felt that these cows were very content and ready to provide lots of delicious milk.

Even though cow's milk makes Claire irritable and uncomfortable, she doesn't seem to hold a grudge against the cows. She has enough love for the cows and for her soymilk!

After tending to the cows, we checked on the new baby chicks. Our hands are the perfect size for them to curl up and take a nap.

I want to take this one away from the farm and bring her home with me!

Ooop! I forgot there was one more cow that needed to be milked...

We milk cows Amish style - no machines for us ;)

Checking up on my "radiant" pig, Wilbur. He is my best friend, after all!

Every good dairy farm has to have a straw maze.

And what farm would be complete without a corn table?! It's a good stress reliever!

Cows are cute, but alpacas are soooo soft!

What's the point of having your own dairy farm if you can't enjoy some ice cream at the end of a hard work day??

Oh, The Places You'll Go!

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.

You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
And YOU are the girl who'll decide where to go.

So...be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So...get on your way!

This week I graduated from preschool!! We've been practicing a long time for our commencement ceremony. I even introduced one of the songs that we sang (hopefully there will be a video to follow on my blog in a few days!)
While I am VERY excited to start kindergarten in the fall, I am very sad that I have to say goodbye to my love, Brandon. He will be going to a different school :(


I am also going to miss my girls, Alexa, Claire and Nora. We always had so much fun playing together!

Claire and Claire!

Claire was very proud of me. When she saw me in the front of the room performing, she became very excited and started waving wildy at me :)

If things with Brandon don't work out, I know that Mason will step right up to be my new love!

Daddy took time out of his very busy work schedule to come to my graduation. I was SO happy that he came!!

Mommy keeps telling me that she is very proud of me (at least one hundred times a day!)

This is one of my teachers, Mrs. Fry. I loved doing crafts with her this year.

This is my other teacher, Mrs. Kirchner. I learned so much from her!

After the ceremony was over, Mommy, Daddy, Claire and I went to Isaac's for a celebratory lunch. I got my favorite peanut butter, jelly and marshmallow sandwich on rainbow bread, and of course I topped it off with a delicious sundae!

I loved every single day of preschool (and it was literally every day - I had perfect attendance!), but I am very, very much looking forward to being a kindergartener. Is it August 30th yet?

Carnival!

Last week was the big spring carnival at my preschool. I had so much fun! This is my friend, Mason. My mommy and his mommy say that he likes me a lot :)

My favorite part - the bounce house!

I amazed Mommy with my incredible balance.

Claire had a great time, too, even though I'm a little upset that she took away some attention from my boyfriends.

I asked the balloon man if he could make me a kitty. He whipped on up in less than a minute!!

This is my good friend, Nora. Don't we look pretty in pink?!

Digging for dinosaurs and trying not to get dirty...

Luckily this tiger seemed pretty tame :)

Modeling my face painting masterpiece - a butterfly!

Claire, Mommy and I had a really good time at the carnival. Claire was so good that we were able to stay for the whole two hours!! I'm going to miss all of my preschool friends when we graduate at the end of May.