Kendal is 3 1/2

Kendal is 3 1/2 today! Kendal is our little lady bug. I say lady bug, because she wants to be a little lady but she can be a bug sometimes. Just by reading our side posts about Kendal you can tell she is at such a fun age. She can say and do some funny things. Casey and I wonder where this little spitfire came from sometimes.
 Kendal's favorite color is pink. If she had her way she would dress head to toe in pink everyday. She also loves wearing skirts so she can twirl around. Kendal likes to pick out her outfits. She can put together some interesting outfits, but unless we're going to church or an event I don't feel the need to battle with her over what she wears.
Kendal loves to "ballet", and basketball. I've taught her the basic foot and arm positions and she loves to twirl and pretend the is doing ballet. Casey is teaching her to throw a ball better, and made a homemade basketball hoop for her. (She ended up getting her stool so she could reach the basket instead of having to throw the ball she could just dunk it.) We might consider putting her in ballet, gymnastics, or a sport, but Challis doesn't offer anything like that (especially for her age).
Kendal is still a very social little girl. She will talk to anyone and everyone. Any kids she meet automatically become her friend. She has a little cluster of older kids at church that like to coddle and spend time with her. We begrudgingly let her sit with other kids during sacrament. (She loves being with other kids and doesn't get to see kids during the week, so if she's quiet and behaves we let her sit with others after the sacrament is passed.) Kendal loves Sunday's she asks almost everyday if its church day so she can wear a dress and go to sunbeams with her friends. She still doesn't sit very well during church meetings. She loves to be involved in the lessons and likes to talk. Kendal has said the prayer a few times in primary. She does well with prayers and loves to go up to the podium. A few weeks ago she gave her first primary talk. We spent family home evening the week before going over what her talk would be about and writing up a short little talk. She talked about how Christ taught the gospel in his day and brought it back to earth through Joseph Smith. Aside from talking a bit too loud into the microphone she did awesome.
Kendal loves Peter so much, and wants to be a helpful big sister. Unfortunately her love can sometimes become a smothering love, and being helpful can mean pulling / hauling him places, and taking things away from him like his binky. She also can get possessive of some of the toys thinks she needs to play keep away from Peter. Half of Kendal's timeouts are because of the way she treats her brother, and the other half are because she doesn't listen to mom and dad sometimes when we say no or keep out of things.
Kendal loves her daddy. She looks forward to when he comes home everyday, and often declares that we are a family of four again. When Casey comes home and gives me a hug and kiss hello Kendal loves to squeeze her way in between us and insist on a family hug. Kendal knows daddy being home means she can go outside, play on his tablet, and climb on and play with him.
Kendal loves to be involved. She always wants to help make meals; and she's started to want to help with chores around the house. Kendal will set the table, throw garbage away, wipe the table and chairs, and sweep. We're finally overcoming her fear of the vacuum. I was getting weary of her cowering and howling when the vacuum came out so one day I made her help me push the vacuum. She was timid at first, but now she insists on helping me vacuum.
Kendal still adores being read to. She pulls out books throughout the day to read, and most nights she puts herself to sleep by looking at books. Kendal is doing fine with reading. We are not pushing her to read. She has learned a lot already, but still would rather be read to than read a lot to us. She can and two and three letter words, and most four or five letter words she can sound out. Vowels, sh, ch, and th are harder for her, but again it's no big deal how far along she is with reading.
Kendal loves to sing and be sang to. We sing to her when she goes down for a nap (yep she still takes regular naps; I'm lucky I know) and at bedtime. Casey sings her a variety of songs, and mine are mostly primary songs. Kendal still loves games and activities. During Peter's morning nap time Kendal loves to do an activity; this ranges from art, science, learning letters / words, and playing games. Kendal can do memory games, uno, candyland, shoots and ladders (with help counting), sorry, and a few others. Her pretend play has grown in leaps and bounds. She makes up little stories and adventures for her dolls and animals.
Kendal is a sweet, and loving 3 1/2 yr old. She loves her family a lot, and we love our little lady bug Kendal!