Happy 5th Birthday Alessandra!

Today is Ali's 5th birthday!  I can't belive that five years has past.  She is growing and changing everyday.  She has a great sense of humor and often makes me laugh even when sometimes I know I shouldn't be laughing.  She has a stubborn streak as well as an amazing ability to live in a fantasy world.  She is finishing up her year in the Reception class (pre-K in the U.S.) and can count up to 29, knows all her letters and has begun to read.  She loves exploring outside and boggles my mind with her love of rolly polly bugs.  She is afraid of every insect it seems but has no problem picking up rolly polly bugs and playing with them.  Now that we have the pool open she has started swimming again and has already gone down to get dive sticks.  It is hard to believe the little baby in my arms five years ago is capable of doing all these things.  She is really becoming an amazing, polilte and happy little girl.  We are blessed!!  

Above is a picture of Ali with her new hello kitty hair clips that Jason brought back from Hamburg, Germany today.We opened gifts before dinner since I didn't think we should make her wait all day before opening her presents.

For dinner Ali chose to have pizza with bread and butter.  I think bread with butter is by far her favorite meal.  She loves to lather the butter on the bread.  I think she would eat the butter straight with a spoon if we let her!  Normally we do not let her make a meal out of bread and butter but since it was her birthday we let her enjoy herself.  Happy Birthday Ali!!