So I'm always doing all these posts on Sierra (just like I used to do for Keira) but Keira gets somewhat left out. So here are some updates on my big girl.
Keira is almost three and a half (at the end of February.) I know it's different for everyone, but usually I hear that three is a harder age than two. Not for us. Trust me, we still have our challenges, but I think she can reason better and understand things better, so she doesn't throw as many tantrums and they're easier to control when she does. However, I think the terrible twos started at like one and a half.
Keira is a pretty independent young lady. And she does think she's a Young Lady. She is all about growing up. She can't wait to be a mommy. She often tells me "I'm a mommy. Rapunzel's mommy." Or she'll say things like "When I'm a mommy and can wear that on my eyes too..." She loves to imitate me and do what I'm doing. Often she'll nurse her baby Rapunzel, or want her to sit in Sierra's little chair at the table and eat with us. When I'm doing my hair to get ready for church she'll use her toy hair dryer and curling iron and do hers as I do mine.
She's a very good helper. I really hope that lasts. She loves to get a diaper for Sierra or a kleenex or toys or her paci. She loves to let Jason out of his "bed" when we get home, feed him, help me vacuum, clean the bathroom, cook, and especially bake (mostly taste test). Although it slows things down, I love her company and her willingness to help and I hope it lasts forever.
She's becoming impressively artistic, mostly because I'm probably the least artistic person in the city. A trait I hope she doesn't inherit from me. Here's a picture she colored all by herself. I didn't help her at all. She even chose the colors, although I may have helped her with the beige.
Wow! A good smile? That's rare!
We had so much fun on our hike! It was a beautiful warm, sunny January day but unfortunately we waited a little too late in the afternoon when it started getting a little windy on Green Mountain. It was still super fun though. Sierra was perfect in my front carrier and Keira did the whole thing (1.84 miles) by herself mostly. I gave her a piggy back from about a total of 5 mins the whole way. And the whole hike was only done about 10-15 minutes slower than if she was riding on my back.
My girls are going to have some adorable baby clothes for next winter! Gymboree was having an awesome winter sale and I had a coupon for $25 off $50 so we went on a shopping spree!
The girls love each other! (Most of the time!) Keira can be a little overwhelming though, and loud, and "in your face" to Sierra. She sure keeps Sierra entertained though. It's a little sad, often she'll say "Sierra, can't you just play with me?"or she wants to do something with Sierra that she can't do yet. I wish they were a little closer in age. But hopefully in about a year they will be best friends and play buddies! Keira especially likes to "help me" and correct Sierra if she ever has toy or something else she's not supposed to have or that's too small for her. Sometimes it's kind of cute because she'll take something away, but immediately give her one of her own toys to replace it. She also likes to verbally correct Sierra if she's doing something she's not supposed to. Sometimes I could use a little less help from my big helper girl. :o)
Keira's first ice cream cone. Yeah, I know, I'm a loser mom. We've been out for ice cream before, but I guess I've always gotten her a bowl, since that's what I get. We ate out at a delicious BBQ place and they gave you free ice cream cones. Double score!!!
We had a blast going swimming! It was a fun kids' pool and Keira is sometimes a little wimpy when it comes to play areas for some reason. But it was still really fun! We're going to do a month of swimming lessons in April, and I think that will be good for her.
Another good smile?
She thinks she's a princess which I'm not a fan of. I've always been against princesses due to the "princess complex." But now almost everything is about princesses, it's almost hard to escape from it. Before my friend Maria moved, she let us borrow (while she's in Canada) a chest of princess dresses. Keira pretty much thinks she needs to be wearing one every single day. I guess it's kind of good in some ways because I can kind of bribe her with them and make her take it off if she's not acting like a princess. I also sometimes tell her she can't wear a princess dress tomorrow if she's acting bad. Then the following day when she asks to wear a princess dress it provides another opportunity to talk about how she misbehaved, or most likely, didn't obey me.
She loves puzzles and is surprisingly good at them. I never was a fan of puzzles. She can pretty much always do them by herself. She got the below set of three and did two of them by herself the first time. She had a harder time on the third and had a little fit whining and messing up everything she had been working on. She was able to do it the next day with help on two of the pieces.
In general Keira is a very happy girl, minus the thankfully shorter-lived tantrums. She's always singing, dancing, talking, talking, and talking. She has an amazing memory and is sooo good at remembering songs and stories. I love how I can teach her things and she actually learns and remembers.
She loves going to church and is now in Primary. She had a super hard time the first time she went but has been fine since then. We love her teacher! Keira always tells me what she learned about in church and will sometimes come home singing a song I don't even know. She is really good about saying prayers. It was sooo cute, we were at a birthday party a couple of weeks ago and she was one of the first to get her cake. She just sat there waiting until almost everyone had theirs because she was waiting to say a prayer. She loves to say the prayer and is becoming good at coming up with "other things" to pray about, instead of just the food, or just a good night. It's sooo cute, sometimes when I'm having an especially rough day with the girls (mostly Keira) I pray for patience and that the girls will be good. Sometimes Keira will pray for me to have patience and for Sierra to be good. It's so funny!
We've recently started her in gymnastics and she loves it! Unfortunately I was unable to be at the first two classes she went to, but she came home and told me alllll about it and showed me tons of new moves. She even remembered a lot of the names of moves. She loved it!
She's usually a pretty good eater and not terribly picky. She often gets tired and needs a nap in the afternoon but when she takes one she can't go to sleep and talks and sings for hours it seems in bed, often coming out several times for something.
I'm afraid she's a bit competitive. And I'm afraid I might have caused this. I'll often race her to get her moving, and now she REALLY likes to win. She gets pretty upset if Sierra beats her into the bathroom, or anything else really.
All in all, Keira is such a JOY and a blessing to our family. I adore her.
