4 Years Old!

Miss Calista Diane is 4 years old!

This blog post is way overdue - things have been a bit busy and crazy lately (more on that in another post).  But better late than never!

Cali has grown SO much over this past year.  She's really blossomed from a toddler to a full-blown preschooler.  We often joke that she's 4 going on 14 with all the sass, attitude, style, confidence, and unique opinions she shows.

With her birthday falling on New Years Day, we try to find fun things for her to do at places that are still open on the holiday.  This year she chose the trampoline park, seeing Frozen 2 in the theatre (for the second time), lunch at Wagamama, and dinner at home with cake!

Trampoline park - very quiet at 10am on New Year's Day!

Waiting for the movie to begin

Cali's Rainbow Unicorn Cake

A couple weeks after her birthday, she even had her first big girl birthday party with lots of friends!

Cali, of course, picked out a special outfit for her Rainbow Unicorn party.

We had an entertainer but Cali basically ran the party!

Unicorn dress, unicorn tights, unicorn cake!

Some of Cali's favorite things this year have been:

Her Christmas ballet recital

Being creative, especially with paint

All things "fancy" and girly, especially makeup, jewelry, nail polish, and dresses

Having fun at school

Pretend play, especially being a mom or a baby

Helping in the kitchen

Going to gymnastics class (and the cafe afterward)

Some other big themes include...

Falling asleep anywhere and everywhere. Cali doesn't officially nap anymore, and as she does 4 full days at school (9-3) there's no space for a nap on a normal day.  But if she's tired, she'll find a way to get a little snooze in anywhere at any time...

...in the car...

...in Mom's arms...

...on daddy's shoulder...

...especially in the car...

...even just on the floor!

An obsession with clothes. She almost never wears trousers (aka pants in the US) - I think I can count on one hand how many times I've seen her in leggings in the last year - preferring instead tights with dresses or skirts.  She picks her own clothes every day (often multiple times a day) and usually wakes up with a clear idea of exactly what she wants to wear or at least the type of look she's going for (today I'm a pink girl, today I'm a rainbow girl, etc.)  Her outfits include accessories, specific shoes, and are usually paired with another favorite, a cardigan.  She also LOVES any kind of dressing up, and more than once she's gone to school in a costume!

A Cali creation, complete with wand and brand new "step shoes" - her first pair of high heels that she begged for days for, and now wears everywhere - school, the playground, out to dinner, in the yard.  She can run in heels better than I can walk in them!

Seriously, the things she can do in these high heels:

   

A huge favorite is her bride costume (or as she called it "my marrying dress") - she wore this one to bed, to school, out to dinner - everywhere!  And complete with a veil of course.

Casual motorcycle ride for princesses

She was a princess for Halloween at school

I don't know with this one - a little winter in the summer?

For Christmas Eve mass, all the children were invited to dress up for the Nativity.  Nearly every other girl chose to be an angel (including Ceci).  Cali chose to be a pig!

The sparkliest superhero there ever was.

 

An outfit is rarely complete without a tiara

This kid knows how to put together a look

Adoring her sister.  They are such fantastic playmates and I feel so blessed that they get along so well. 

Cali, you are such a gorgeous little girl with a wonderfully big personality.  We love how cheeky, silly, dramatic, kind, creative, clever, and determined you are. You make every day a fun adventure, and we simply couldn't imagine our lives or our family without you!