Random Saturday pictures 2/21/09

Well, I am finally sitting down to do a little Claire update. I love reading everyone’s blogs and posts about their cutie kids and I just have to get a little more organized and post about our little cutie! She is napping right now and Matt is putting shelves together in the garage. Sounds like a perfect Saturday afternoon to me! Well, we started the morning out well- Claire helped me make breakfast: scrambled eggs with spinach and mushrooms. She also helped with the toast and fruit! Now if I could just teach her to make my coffee! (Just kidding, no I’m not). She is learning so much so fast! Every once in a while she will just start saying a new word (or doing a new sign). Her new word is truck- she can hear them rumble down the street from inside the house and immediately acknowledges the loud sound by announcing “Truck! Truck!” It’s so cute.
Claire is obsessed (really really obsessed) with books. Sometimes it’s the only thing that will make her happy. If I sit down on the floor to play Kitchen with her, she will just go get a book and sit in my lap. We have had a few meltdowns (hello Terrible 2′s) in the stores lately, and luckily I can find the book aisle quick enough to borrow some reading material until I get my shopping finished. Chik-fil-a also gives mini books in their kids meals, so I have been keeping those in my purse for such emergencies. Some kids want candy. Claire wants books. We sure are blessed! Even in the car, she reads and reads and talks to herself.
Besides books, her other favorite toy is her babies. She feeds them, puts them in their bed for “ny-night”, reads books to them, helps them talk on the phone, puts them in her little shopping cart. And she is also very aware of our dog Sooner. If we tell her good job for putting something away and give her a high-five, she high-fives me and Matt, and also Sooner. She kisses us before bed, and then asks to kiss the doggy too.
We have been working on some conceptual things with her (at least I think of it like that). We talk about how Jennifer’s dog has a tail, but Sooner doesn’t… but they are both doggies. And Sooner has a collar, which is like a necklace and Mommy wears a necklace but Daddy doesn’t. But we both wear rings and Claire doesn’t. She is really very aware of these things. We also are working on counting. Mommy has 2 hands and 2 feet but Sooner has 4 feet and no hands. Also, cold and hot and I am realizing how important this is now that she can almost reach the stove top.
We aren’t too worried about her falling down the stairs these days, she can hold on to the railing and walk by herself- and besides she doesn’t like to hold our hand anymore. That has become a problem especially when crossing the street to go to the park. We always give her a choice to hold hands and walk “like a big girl” or get carried. Usually it comes down to us carrying her, but she often hits us or flails and then we end up going to time out.
Claire always tells us about the things and people she sees in the store. She mostly notices people with hats, babies in strollers or with pacifiers (her paci is gone now as of January 1st- I made that her New Years Resolution), dogs, books, food at the grocery store, etc. I probably look like a crazy person having a full on conversation with my toddler as we go through the store, but I know she understands most of what we say and I don’t care if people think I am crazy. I am sure crazy for Claire.
Matt and I just returned from our first non-kid vacation last week (pics and story to come… sometime) and my wonderful generous sister watched Claire for us. Jennifer and Claire were buddies for 5 whole days and although it was probably hard on Jennifer, I know that Claire loves her auntie so very much. I didn’t worry one second about her while we were gone knowing that she was with Jennifer. So Jennifer put Claire to bed on Monday night, we got home late, and Tuesday I woke up to Claire calling “Nennnnnn, Nennnnn” (this is how she tells us she is up- by caaaalllllling for us, not crying). I walked in to her room and she looked like she didn’t even recognize me! It was like she really wanted Nen, and not her Mama, but after a while she got used to the idea that we were back and I have really taken a lot of time to play with her this week since I missed her so much while we were gone.
Our days are mostly full of house-stuff, errands, Gymboree class on Tuesday, Bible Study on Wednesday, and Lapsit Story Time and Music Class on Fridays. Every once in a while we have a play date or go for a special trip (zoo, hike, swimming) but Claire and I really just love to be together. We wait for Matt to come home and give him big hugs and kisses because we are so thankful that he works hard to provide for our family and we are very blessed.
Oh! And I should also add that Claire helps say prayers- ending with “MEN!” for Amen.

Amen!!