our princess is 5!

Two weeks ago, our Emily turned FIVE and I still can't believe it.  For some reason five has always been the daunting number for me. Those with older kids might think it sounds silly, but for me five was the age where they stopped being little and turned into a big kid. Now that I have a five year old I know that she still is little comparatively, and she hasn't even started elementary school yet, but I still can't believe how fast time is going and I wish it would SLOW DOWN!!

This year Emily requested a princess party. I was a little surprised because she never wants to watch any of the princess movies (except Mulan sometimes), but she does like playing with her disney princess barbie dolls and doing dress up, so maybe that's where it came from. At the last minute (two days before her party), we threw together this adorable princess photoshoot. Thanks to my sister-in-law, Shianne, for doing the girls' hair, and to our fabulous photographer Kaity, who is always so willing to help us and turn out a magical shoot, even last minute!! I am SO glad we did this and I think the girls will love having these cute pictures as they grow up!

Our Emily is a girly girl to the core. She will still tell you that her favorite colors are "pink, purple, and sparkle," and she LOVES dancing and singing! Her new thing is gymnastics, which she loves, but she still wants to try "all the sports" someday, so we'll see what's in store next. She also loves dress up, makeup, painting nails, craft projects, and is currently obsessed with all things My Little Pony. We can't wait to see the movie this weekend!!

Emily is very friendly and very bright. She still surprises me with her courage because I was so shy at her age and she has no problem doing many things that would've given me anxiety! She is pretty fearless when it comes to trying new things (unless it's food related). If you ask her what she's scared of, she will say that she's "brave of everything." She learns things pretty easily and sometimes surprises me with her quick math skills. Our main focus with her in PreK is getting her to pay attention!! She's lucky that she's so smart. I will be watching her and it doesn't seem like she's focusing, but then when I ask her about it later, she almost always knows the answer! 

Emily is a loving daughter and sister. She's always willing to give snuggles when asked and says the sweetest things. She is such a good sister to Addie and loves teaching her new things (though they still have their fair share of fighting). She LOVES babies so I can't wait to see how she interacts with our new little one. She's become very helpful lately. She likes to get herself dressed and sometimes will get Addie dressed as well. This usually means that Addie ends up in Emily's clothes because she can't reach the things in Addie's closet, but it's the thought that counts, right? She can also buckle and unbuckle herself from her car seat now and will sometimes unbuckle Addie to be helpful. I'm so grateful for her and her sweet spirit!

She is still itty bitty! At her 5 year checkup, she was in the 5th percentile for height and 3rd for weight!! The doctor said she's still following her curve, though, so she's not worried. I don't think it will be too long before Addie catches up to her. Emily keeps telling Addie "I will always be bigger than you," and we have to remind her of the difference between older and bigger. But for as small as she is, she has a BIG personality and doesn't let her petite stature hold her back from anything!

Addie refused to take pictures at first, but finally decided she wanted to at the end. How can you pass up a princess photoshoot?!

Happy Birthday to our princess! We love her so much! And have I mentioned how much I LOVE being a girl mom ;)