ELEVEN!

How did my first baby turn eleven already?

Some photos she took at the Botanical Gardens last month

Beautiful party girl!

And a shot of her special day on Friday!

She got her first pair of pointe shoes and cannot wait for class this week when she finally gets to wear them to dance!

 

It's been an exciting few months for this big girl!  Her prayers for a baby sister were answered.  We took a big vacation to Disney World.  She was cast as her dream role in the Nutcracker.  And she got her first pair of pointe shoes!  This next week she'll be working on her homemaking projects for the big 4H Livestock Show.  And then in a few weeks we'll spend a special month or two in Houston to await and welcome her baby sister.  She hopes to have a skating party to celebrate with her friends there.

Fifth grade has been a fun year so far.  She has been working hard with some new subjects.  Saxon Math has been a new challenge, and Latina Christiana isn't her favorite.  She's reading a difficult History textbook, and is progressing really well with her Spelling.  She enjoys singing in the choir and participating in our Classically Catholic Memory co-op.  Sixth grade will be a big jump in many ways, so we'll enjoy these last few months of elementary school and hopefully a fun summer with a new baby to love. 

Mary Clare loves cooking, baking, photography, crafts, singing, making videos with her American Girl Dolls, and of course ballet!  She's always the first one awake in the family and starts getting her schoolwork done before the rest of us are out of bed. Then she's often the first to go to sleep at night, because she likes to be in bed by 9pm!  She's our most introspective child, who tends to worry more than the others.  Oh and she's the fashionista of the family, with much more fashion sense than her old mom!

Mary Clare, we are proud of the young lady you are becoming and can't wait to see what 2014 has in store for you!  Happy Birthday!