She DID IT!

As you can see below, Caroline managed to psych herself up and went ahead with getting her ears pierced! I was so proud of how brave she was - I was holding her hands in case of flinching, and I told her to keep her eyes right on me while they were doing it. I had told her that by the time she heard the noise of the piercing guns, that would mean it was already over. So they marked her ears, she looked right in my eyes and after it was done all she had to say was "wow, that was a pinch!" She spent the remainder of the weekend happier than a clam and every other sentence out of her mouth was about her earrings. So now we're eagerly marking off days on the calendar until mid-March, when she can remove the piercing studs and have more variety. If I had known it was going to be this easy I would have whisked her there the first time she mentioned wanting it done!

So pleased with herself she was barely tolerable!

Look at my cute pink sparkly earrings!

Caroline wanted to take a picture of her satin pajamas, and this is what we ended up with!

Oh, the pressure....

Peer pressure, that is. Caroline has been talking for a while now about getting her ears pierced, but couldn't quite psych herself up to do it. Until last night, that is, when she realized at dance class that her friend Sarah had gotten her ears pierced! So of course if Sarah's going to do something Caroline has to do it too (wait, maybe that's a bad thing in 10 years or so....), and now she wants to get her ears pierced this weekend. So stay tuned to this space for further updates or pictures of the completed deed!

From the recent snow - barely enough to make a footprint, but all the kids were outside playing!

Caroline and Sarah being pulled on a sled, attached to Sarah's Barbie Jeep driven by one of the other neighborhood kids! (ah, the memories of the dangerous stuff that nearly killed us when we were kids...)

Testing out some fingerpaints that a neighbor gave her.

Laughing at my reaction when she said "Daddy would have a fit about this being messy, wouldn't he?" I said yes, that's why we do it when he's at work! hahahaha

The most miserable day of the year?

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007030432,00.html

Was yesterday the most miserable day of the year? I hope not. We had a good day - Pop's recommendation of Dunkin Donuts' white hot chocolate was pretty yummy! Caroline read a new book at school (still way below her reading abilities, and that annoys her - "It's so easy!") and we had yummy stroganoff for dinner. What could be better? I admit to my share of bad mommy days, so it's nice to have a day where everything is agreeable and fun and no screaming and tears - from EITHER of us! :-D

Entertaining ourselves in the cold weather

Madam Baker working at the EZBake Oven

I do have to taste test it, of course!

Are those cakes done in there yet? I'm ready for dessert!

Cute kid, yes. Cool corduroys from Uncle Phil and Aunt Janice, sure. "Yeah, I'm sportin' a turkey baster! What of it?"

Pictures taken during the ridiculously warm weather

Caroline practicing with her T-ball set from Grandma and Grandpa. She has an unerring instinct to hit the tee instead of the ball, but enjoys working on it anyway!

Showing off some ballet steps - this is third position, I think...

Blurry, but I had to take it for her horizontally-striped zebra. Caroline's also modeling her new favorite style of shirt " 'cause it looks like I'm wearing two different shirts when it's only one, so it's like I'm playing a joke!"

Caroline boinging on her hippity hop ball from Gram and Pop - she says it is easier to hop on the grass than the sidewalk.

Back to random pictures...

Being silly while getting dressed one morning!

Yes, the tongue hanging out helps in concentration. You don't wear a tiara for hanging out in the kitchen every day?

Making chocolate-dipped pretzel sticks. An unholy mess, but so yummy!

Testing out her new roller skates from Gram and Pop

Christmas Pictures, finally!

Can't believe I'm actually up-to-date with posting pictures; it's been a while!

Ready for bed on Christmas Eve in her pajamas from the Elf and with the cookies for Santa.

Her first sight of the loot on Christmas morning (note, it was still dark outside the door behind me! She was awake at 7am on the dot) - I think this picture is particularly funny because immediately after it she fell on the floor in shock to see so many things she had asked Santa for!

Checking out the kaleidoscope from her stocking

Puppy from Uncle Phil and Aunt Janice helping to open another present

The hit present of the year at the M household - the Black and Decker Junior Workbench. She built the birdhouse, randomly "drills" and "saws" the pieces of velcroed wood, built the birdhouse several times, etc. One of these days we'll have to put her to work with some real tools and see what she can do for us!

More birthday pictures

Have to get caught up on these so I can post Christmas pictures!

Tired girls - they all played so hard they were WORN OUT when it was time for cake!

The whole gang - L to R is Nicolas, Johanna, Ellie, Lauren, Douglas, Caroline, Audrey, Jeremy, Madeline, Erin and Sarah.

The super-yummy birthday cake, half chocolate and half vanilla.

Sitting on the birthday throne - this chair was what sold Caroline on having her party here in the first place!

Birthday Pictures

As close as possible to her exact time of birthday - 8:04am December 7th!

Waiting for guests to arrive at the party. Caroline was particularly thrilled that they let her flip all the switches to inflate the jumpers.

Caroline and Audrey on the slide

Caroline and Douglas racing through the obstacle course

A few seasonal pictures

Making Christmas cookies, and a little liberal on the sprinkles....

Uncle Phil gave Caroline this piano either for her first birthday or that Christmas, and it is still one of her favorite toys, except now her focus is on the mike instead of the piano and singing whatever weird songs she can make up (the one being sung in this picture was about a purple cow who needed a haircut - no, seriously!)

Our beautiful Christmas tree - can you tell where Caroline focused on hanging ornaments?

Our own little elf - she said "Mom, we have antlers I could wear?" as though I had been hiding them from her all these years.