Laura's Top Ten Favorite Things

Last night we had parent-teacher conferences, and one of Laura's teachers handed us a list that Laura made of her top ten favorite things. She thought they were so hilarious that she had to share them with us. I'm sure you can guess many of them, but here they are, in descending order:

#10. Beds

Laura, not being a morning person, often has trouble leaving her "comfy comfy bed" to get ready for school every day. Her bed is also her favorite place to read.

#9. Wrapping Paper

Why wrapping paper, you ask? Because we all know that the best part of anything is the anticipation, and wrapping paper is what makes getting presents so fun--it makes it a big surprise!

#8. Christmas Trees

"Because they're pretty, and it means Christmastime is here!" This is a picture of our Christmas tree on Christmas Eve last year, after the kids were asleep and all the presents were set out.

#7. Sprinkles

#6. Maple Syrup

Anyone who knows Laura knows how much she loves maple syrup, and sprinkles are found on some of Laura's favorite foods, like pancakes and doughnuts. Last year on Valentines Day we had waffles with lots of whipped cream, maple syrup, and sprinkles. Laura was thrilled.

#5. Perkins

So if a girl loves maple syrup and sprinkles, it's only natural that she would gravitate to Perkins. Luckily she has grandparents who also love Perkins, and parents who are willing to go there every week to indulge her need for Rainbow Pancakes (read: lots of sprinkles and maple syrup). Laura discovered Perkins at a young age, as evidenced by this photo from December 11, 2005, when Laura had just turned four.

#4. Movies

"Clifford's Really Big Movie" was the first film that Laura saw in the theater. She was two years old, and hated it because Clifford was not as sweet on the big screen as he was on his PBS television show (this picture was taken before we went in to see it). Laura kept referring to the movie as "that angry Clifford show" and didn't want to see a movie again for a long time. Luckily, she's recovered her love of movies to such a degree that they made her top ten list!

#3. Books

There's never been a time in Laura's life (seriously; her WHOLE life) that she didn't love books. No surprise here! Last summer, she camped out with me in the St. Paul library while we waited for Karl, who was across the street at the Science Museum in a class.

#2. The Mall of America

"It has a waterpark nearby, it has an American Girl store, and Nickelodeon Universe."

And here's Laura's absolute favorite thing:

#1. Waterparks

Here we are at the Waterpark of America last summer. Laura likes any kind of waterpark: indoor, outdoor, large, or small. They're her favorite things in the world!