Evie is 3 1/2

Our Evie doll is a whopping 3 1/2 years old.  She's amazing in all sorts of ways!  She's at such a fun age where we probably should be writing things down at least once a day of things she says or does.  She is full of personality and loaded with confidence.  She keeps us entertained, on our toes, and young-at-heart.

Here are a few highlights of Evie at 3 1/2.

• She loves to sing and dance.  She constantly asks to have dance parties.  We oblige, of course.  She'll tell us that the music is "making her bones move."  It's also VERY common to see her lip-sinking, while she pretends to hold a microphone, as she dances.  She loves her kid music, but she's starting to really like pop music too.  Some of her favorite songs include Geronimo (Shepperd), Fight Song (Rachel Platten), Shake It Off (Taylor Swift), What Makes You Beautiful (One Direction), Heartbeat Song (Kelly Clarkson), Call Me Maybe (Carly Rae Jepsen), Celebration (Kool & The Gang), All about the Bass (Meghan Trainor), Happy (Pharrell Williams), and Sugar (Moroon 5).  
• She loves to pull funny faces.  Her favorite one right now is with crossed eyes (see picture below).
• She LOVES anything Halloween.  And . . . it's not just because we just had the holiday.  We're constantly talking about "spooky" things.  They really aren't that spooky, but she loves to talk about Halloween figures (mummies, zombies, witches, ghosts, jack-o-lanterns, etc.).
• While Halloween is over and we're still talking about it, she is already starting to transition to Christmas.  It probably helped that her Grandma Yvette gave her an Elf on the shelf (Thanks!  She loves it!) who has taken on the name Snowflake thanks to Evie.  We've already started the Christmas music in our house (her request, but I certainly didn't object) and she's soaking in all the songs.  It's amazing how fast this girl learns and can retain information.  
• We didn't enroll her in Preschool this year.  She is so bright and already knows all the things she would learn . . . . at least scholastically.  I think I've written this previously (because she's known most of this for a while now), but she knows all her ABC's by sight and sound, she knows her numbers by sight and sound, she can count to 20, she's even starting to ask me how to read words (so I'll sound it out for her).  We know there are more aspects to learn at preschool such as sharing, playing with kids, listening to a teacher and following instructions, etc.  However, we waited so long for our sweet Evie, that we just couldn't give her up for the time she would spend in preschool when she already knows so much.  Instead, we decided to spend our money doing something different that would still help to teach her the other skills she would possibly acquire and . . . 
• She started gymnastics and LOVES it.  This kid is a machine and is built so athletically.  She constantly amazes her teachers with what she can physically do at her age.  Besides learning how to do front rolls, swing on the bars, balance on a beam, do backbends, etc., she's also learning how to take turns, listen to a teacher, follow instructions, etc.  It's been fabulous!
• She loves playing with "friends."  I'll set play dates up for her and she is in heaven.
• It probably goes without saying, but she still loves the animals and the farm.  She loves to feed with her dad.  She loves to ride the horses even more than she has before.  She loves the kitty cats.  Most of all . . . she loves her baby chicks.  Even when they aren't babies anymore, she still calls them her baby chicks, chases them, catches them, and loves them to death. 
• She really does love her baby sister.  She is really good to her (with very few exceptions).  I love to watch her be sweet and loving to her sister.  She helps her out, loves to do things to make her laugh, and constantly wants to hold her.
• Speaking of her baby sister . . . Evie also just loves babies.  She recently got a new baby cousin and Evie talks about her constantly.  We're getting another baby cousin in January and Evie cannot wait for her to come!  Evie talks to this baby cousin through her aunt's belly.  She even gives her kisses (on her aunt's belly).  
• We play "Barbies" a lot.  It's probably one of her favorite things to play while we're in our play room.  She always instructs me on how we play.  I'm always the mommy Barbie, while she is the kid Barbies.  
• She is a natural-born leader.  She is usually the one telling everyone what to do (or what NOT to do).  She's like that with me and Beau, but she's also like that with other kids and adults.  Some may say she's bossy, but I like to say she's got killer leadership abilities.  :)
• She's way into anything Hello Kitty. . . . from underwear to toys.  
• She loves to wear princess shoes everywhere!  And, I usually let her.  It's pretty funny.
• She likes to tell boys/men that they are her "good buddy."  So, she will put her arm around Beau and say, "Dad, you're my good buddy."  She'll tell me, "Mom, you're my good big girl."  Sometimes she'll say, "Mom, you're my good mom."  It's pretty darn cute!
• She still loves to be held and wants to "snuggle/cuddle" every night with me or Beau at bedtime.  She's really hard to resist in such moments.
• She loves to do anything active.  She wants to exercise or run with me, she loves riding her bike or tricycle, she loves to run and play at the park, or really do anything active.  She's like the Energizer Bunny . . . her energy just keeps going and going and going.  
• She loves to play games.  Her brain is amazing at figuring out stuff so games are a fun challenge for her.
• She's way into emotions.  She'll say things like, "I'm mad now." or "I'm angry." or "I'm happy."  or "I'm so excited."  We talk through them all.  Depending on the emotion I will usually follow up one of her statements with, "Why are you mad/angry/happy/excited."  It's insightful and pretty darn cute.
• She still loves to do anything that allows her to be creative.  She's getting better at coloring and actually realizing that you're supposed to color within the lines.  She loves painting, using stamps,  play-dough, etc.
• She loves to talk with her dad about big bucks.  She was elated when Beau brought home his big buck from the latest rifle hunt.  She wanted to get a picture with it.  Nevermind that she was just in a t-shirt and underwear when he got home.  She wasn't about to take the time to put pants on before snapping that picture with the big buck.  She's so funny!
• She loves Band-Aids.  Evie will find any excuse to put one on.  She looks for the most minute scratches, and if she can't find one, she'll just make one up.  She currently has princess, Frozen, and Hello Kitty band-aids.  She loves them!
• She loves the snow.  She loves to run in it, make snow angels, make snowmen, and eat it.  
• She got her first haircut finally (in August).  And, it wasn't much.  She just had a couple locks of hair that where considerably longer than the rest of her hair, so I just trimmed those up to match the rest of her hair.  Speaking of her hair though, it's got the perfect amount of natural curl.  I think her hair is so pretty.
• As you can probably gather from all the other notes, Evie is both a tough, farm girl as well as a pretty princess.  She loves to put her boots on and work on the farm, but she also loves to wear her princess clothes and shoes and play Barbies.  She's a good mix of both worlds. 

Beau and I are so honored to be Evie's parents.  We feel blessed in every way.