Five Years

I'm having a hard time believing Clara is five...five just sounds so old! She's such a big girl now and can be so self sufficient (when she wants to). She's developed such a big personality! She's bossy but also so empathic and caring. She is very concerned about others and always wants to make sure they are ok. She loves music, ballet, crafts, and riding her bike. Clarita is such a little mama and takes care of her babies including nursing them and pumping milk for bottles! She's insightful beyond her years and often surprises me with observations she makes.

She organized and hung her costume

Clarita constantly tells us she loves us and that we're the best family in the world. She constantly talks about how cute Emmett is and how he's the best little brother. Clara loves Bailey and Elise and always says that Elise is the cutest baby in the world. She still refers to them as her sisters and if Clara and Bailey go a day without seeing each other their reunion makes it seem like they've been a part for months! Clara literally cried when she found out kindergarten was the whole day because she wouldn't be able to spend as much time with Bailey.

Thankfully the tantrums have drastically subsided. Don't get me wrong, she still has her days, but they don't usually involve 20 minute long poltergeist tantrums anymore. Clarita can reason now and generally talk about her feelings rather than screaming. She's a great helper and often gets Emmett out of bed and brings him downstairs at my request on the weekend when they wake up early and I'm tired. She will entertain Elise in the mornings while I am getting Bailey and Emmett ready too which is nice because otherwise Elise screams. I'm liking this new stage!

Clara is still stubborn as can be and not at all swayed by what other kids are doing. She's a social butterfly but definitely marches to the beat of her own drum! She is super girly and only wants to wear dresses and look "cute." Yet she also loves playing in the dirt, smashing snails, and playing with worms. Bailey and Emmett are afraid of bugs and worms but Clara carries them around exclaiming about how cute they are!

Trying on her dance costume

My little Snuggle loves to learn and is constantly asking how to spell things. She is getting pretty good at sounding words out and figuring how to spell them and wants Aba to teach her how to read this summer. One day she randomly started doing addition and telling me what 1+1, 2+2, and so on was. I asked her to add other numbers and she did so without using her fingers...not sure where she learned it, but it definitely wasn't from me since I hate math!

My girl is a planner and of course planned her birthday party. She has also planned the next several, one of which is "Jesus and God" themed! For her birthday I always try to make the day super special. This year I had to go to a conference and leave the afternoon of her birthday. I felt bad that I wouldn't be with her at night to celebrate, but we made the most of our morning opening a present from Emmett, getting donuts, and she got to choose where to eat lunch with Mama and Dada. Unfortunately she chose Kady's Kitchen which apparently is closed Mondays. She was pretty upset, but agreed to get a burrito at Robertitos. The rest of her day involved ballet, McDonald's, and Yum Yum Yogurt with Dada and Emmett and she didn't even care that I was gone. Her celebration continued through the week with dinner and cake at los Tios and lots of ice cream!

She insisted on bringing candles and pretending to blow them out

Birthday VIP is the best!

Clarita continues to keep us on our toes and also bring us so much joy. She can nearly always bring a smile to my face and I love watching her with Emmett. She teaches him things, "reads" to him, and is the best big sister. I can't wait to watch her grow and see who she becomes!

Pictures

Stats

Weight: 35.5 pounds

Height: 42.5 inches 

Wearing

Clarita continues to be tiny with long legs like her mama. The only pants she can wear are leggings, everything else literally falls off! She moved up to 5T purely because her pants and sleeves got too short. Now her clothes are swimming on her again. She could probably fit into 3T clothes tightness wise. She wears a size 10/11 shoe.

Likes

Mama and Dada and Emmett, playing outside and going to the park, helping us cook, reading, riding her scooter/bike, playing with her cousins (especially Bailey who she claims is her sister), playing with the cats (especially Baza who she decided is her cat), singing, dancing, taking baths, anything craft related, bubbles, bounce houses, playing with her friends, dressing up (especially like a princess), Barbies, dolls, movies, ballet and tap, Shopkins, Num Noms, watching movies.

Dislikes

Not getting her way, being told no, waiting, having to go potty if she doesn't want to, not getting to eat dessert.

Sleeping

Clarita has been napping less and less. She still almost always naps for me, hasn't napped at los Abuelos in ages, and doesn't even nap for Aba most days. When she does nap she goes down between 2:00 and 3:00 and sleeps 1.5 to 2 hours. She goes to bed between 8:30 and 9:00 and generally gets up between 6:30 and 7:00. She now makes her bed and gets dressed before she comes downstairs and often gets Emmett up if I ask her to. She sleeps in a twin bunk bed, alternating between top and bottom, with a million animals and a bottle of water. 

Nicknames

Clarita, Snugglepuff, Snuggle, Wiggle, Munchkin, Birthday Twin, Loqs, Puff, Wewah 

Talking

Clarita still talks up a storm and seems to have a good understanding of grammar. Sometimes she uses words and phrases that I have no idea where she learned and probably speaks more correctly than many adults. She says more quickly instead of faster, delectable, and so many other things that blow my mind! She  continues to speak more and more Spanish and now says some complete sentences in Spanish. She's still pretty into learning other languages and often invents words and speaks to Emmett in gibberish claiming it's Japanese or French.

Eating

Clara is picky, but will at least nearly always try everything (except meat which I don't force since I don't eat it). She loves fruit, and a lot of vegetables, especially salad. She also loves yogurt and cereal (Grape Nuts and plain oatmeal are two of her favorites). Everything else is hit or miss. She will generally try anything if it means she can have dessert. She continues to love dessert and says that pizza, burritos, and sugar are her favorite foods!

Favorite Colors

Pink, purple, red, and now blue. 

Best Friends

She almost always says Bailey and Grace (from preschool) are her best friends. Sometimes Teagan and other of our friends' kids are thrown in. Sophia is always her "bester" friend and Drew (aka Lyla's dad) is always her best friend too.

Future Career
Princess, Superhero, Artist, Teacher.

Exciting Events

October 28, 2017: First face painting

January 3, 2018: First nail polish