Christmas with a toddler

Christmas has always held so many magical memories for me. It’s the best time of the year and I truly believe that. A majority of my most special memories are those from around the holidays. Sleeping in my brother’s room and waking up with them early on Christmas morning. We’d tiptoe through the house at the crack of dawn, admire all the gifts Santa left for us, dump out our stockings and then refill them, careful to place everything back the same way we found it. We thought my parents were none the wiser.

However, as you get older, it’s like part of that magic fades away. The anticipation of wearing that fancy Christmas dress in the back of your closet, the prediction of what Santa’s arrival will bring, the appearance of sparkly gift-wrapped treasures under the tree, the cookies and frosting and sugarplum fairies. With each trip around the sun, you believe a little less, you anticipate a little less. All of it gets choked out by the buying and the wrapping and the coordination of plans and the go-go-go mentality. You just get farther from how it used to be. But this year was different.

This year we did all the magical things I remember doing as a child that make the holidays so special. Claire had her own Christmas lights in her room (pink!) and a mini Christmas tree she got to decorate. We baked and decorated gingerbread cookies, eating more icing than we really should. It was fun taking photos in her fancy dress in front of the twinkling lights. Making our cinnamon roll Christmas tree on Christmas morning. Wearing special jam jams on Christmas Eve. We even baked a birthday cake for Jesus. Life is so much fun when you see it through the eyes of a child. Claire, in all her sweet innocence, brought back the magic of Christmas and I am so thankful. Waking up with her on Christmas morning was really the only gift I needed. She’s the reason I believe.

This was the best photo I could get of her in her Christmas dress. Sassy!

Claire and her cousins on Christmas Eve

 

Claire and her cousin Ethan in their matching Olaf jam jams on Christmas Eve

 

Opening gifts on Christmas morning at home.
Sporting her fuzzy pink ear muffs

Opening gifts on Christmas Day at Grandma Karen's

Laundry love.

So here I am, day number 2, slowly chipping away at the piles of laundry blocking the entrance to my laundry room. The little miss likes to help mama transfer clothes from the washer to the dryer and I always let her, even though it takes three times as long. Then, when it comes time to fold, she has to pat every pile after I put a newly folded shirt or pair of pants down. Yesterday, my entire king size bed was covered in clean, folded clothes for the littlest member of the family. Today, it's mama and papa's clothes. And, instead of my usual irritation and sense of dire urgency to finish one of the chores I loathe most, I am happy. Lately, life has been so good to us. I know doing Kevin's laundry is just one way to bless his heart and it makes me happy to be able to wipe that chore off his list (especially because I don't always get to it). He works so hard for us and sometimes I get so busy with other things I forget to show my appreciation. I know I'm not always the easiest person to love, but he loves me anyway. He makes me feel cherished and special every day and for that I am so thankful. I'm the luckiest, laundry piles and all.

A perfect day.

It's way too late for me to be up blogging. But, through the steady rhythm of my husband's heavy breathing next to me, I poke away silently at my iPhone keys because I just had to get this out.

Today was a perfect day. It was just us, the three musketeers. Contrary to what those images of "perfection" may have implanted in your brain, we didn't do much of anything. Started like a normal Sunday with the usual pleas for pamcakes while papa is at the gym followed by some errands. But, instead of the usual race back home for nap time, we pushed it back a few hours to enjoy some time in the sun.

Post-Target for some last minute camping items, we had lunch on the patio at a new McMenamins we had never dined at before. Lunch on the patio in Oregon? Score! Lunch with a baby that skipped naptime but didn't have one meltdown? Double whammy!

With bellies full of tots and a thick yearning for adventure, we trekked into West Linn and happened across a little gem that is Tanner Creek Park.

A play structure for the bigs and the littles alike. A covered area. Bathrooms without swarming bees and the smell of warm pee. And the creme de la creme water feature made just for Claire's size. It was glorious. Took her a few to warm up to the new surroundings but she was hopping in and out of those baby fountains like a pro in no time.

This park was set right smack dab in the middle of this adorable cookie-cutter neighborhood and just screamed suburbia. Claire shook her little swim-diaper covered booty right into those mini fountains while Kevin and I plotted on how we could one day get a piece of this pie. As if it couldn't get any more idyllic, my ears detect that familiar sound of none other than... dun dun dun dun... the ice cream man! Seriously!? Too good. I went running down the hill and stopped him. The guy was nice, with his big fancy truck, and we exchanged words about how I hadn't seen an ice cream truck in ages, he gave me my cones and he was in his way.

I'm not so sure that ice cream man knew how crucial his role was in my story and just how happy he made me. But I do. Man, we sure bit off a huge bite of summer today...and it tasted so good.

Techie Baby

Claire loves pretty much anything with an on/off button or a glowing screen. 

My iPhone, the iPad, Kevin's laptop, the Xbox, her baby laptop.

She's our techie baby, growing up in a digital age.

She knows how to scroll through my photos on my phone and turn off the lock screen.

She can already tell the difference between the real Justin Bieber Baby video versus the covers.

She doesn't know exactly how to use all electronics yet, but I know it's coming.

Only a matter of time. 

There she is, 18 months going on 13 years. 

Many more years of a phone being glued to that adorable ear of hers, I'm sure.

That face says it all.

Here she is learning her ABC's on papa's laptop. 

She watched the entire video without wavering, repeating each letter out loud.

I admire her thirst for knowledge. 

Gymboree Class 4 & 5

Claire thought she was in heaven when she realized we were going to Gymboree two days in a row. Due to our upcoming camping trip this next week, we had to schedule the last two classes in our package for Monday and Tuesday in the same week to avoid missing a class altogether. When we arrived on Monday, the room was setup a little differently than it had been previously because it was Gymbo's birthday! Gymbo, the nightmare-inducing hand-puppet clown that these little munchkins go ape over, is the mascot of Gymboree. Nearing the end of each class, teacher Laurie sings the "Time for Gymbo" song and all the kiddos scurry over to Gymbo's home and pound their chubby little hands on it while they wait for him to make his grand appearance on Laurie's hand. He sings songs, he plays games, we waves and kisses each child on the head. What's even better than the goodbye song from Gymbo is the stamp teacher Laurie gives the kids on their hands and feet before they leave. Claire looks forward to the stamp every class and points it out to everyone she sees for the rest of the day.

 As far as the class activities, Gymbo's birthday brought about some altered activities like a new parachute game with a colorful parachute instead of the typical star-covered standard chute. I think this change threw Claire for a loop because she loves to go under the parachute and point at the stars but there were no stars this time. She was miffed. They also played different rockin' tunes than the typical class songs and Claire loved the new jams. Man, does she love to dance! My girl is always the one shaking her booty on the magic carpet, running into other adult's legs and tripping over her own feet. She burns so much energy in those classes! Every class they do what is called the air log game where the kids sit on and bounce up and down to a frog song then roll off the back into their mama's arms. Claire always laughs and says "more! more!" Well, this time instead of being a frog, she was a birthday candle on the top of Gymbo's cake and would roll back when he blew out his candles. It was cute to see her get so excited. After three rounds of "more! more!" the activity ended and my sweet girl cried.

 Tuesday was a repeat of the same activities as the day prior with different children in attendance. Claire didn't seem to mind and it was fun to watch her anticipate some of the activities she would be doing in the class that day. I was sad to leave at the end of the class knowing we probably wouldn't be back for a while. It's not goodbye, Gymboree - it's until next time!

Because I love this age!

Being the parents of a toddler is really fun. Sure, Claire has some moments that make us cringe but most of the time her over-the-top cuteness outshines any of the difficult moments. We are working hard at reinforcing manners like please and thank you. I wish I could bottle up the way she says pah-weeeeez and save it for some added sweetness during those less-than-dreamy days. Thank you is more of an after thought but she is starting to say it without being prompted. 

As Claire continues to change, some personality traits remain a clear pattern prompting our "that is so her" reactions. For instance, she's never been one to hide her discomfort. The little lady used to love a cool breeze from an open window or two in the car. All the sudden, she won't be having it. Think you can get away with closed windows and a cracked sunroof? Nope - try again. Let's hope this phase passes quickly. Another new car trick stems from when Grandma K was in town. She would point out all the beautiful trees to Claire on our car rides and now Claire has made it her personal mission to make sure we are all aware of the beautiful "tees!" too...multiple times during each ride. It's very cute :) I love that she is becoming more aware of her surroundings. Let's not even mention the fact that she's starting to climb on everything. The couch is no longer a challenge and we are about one inch shy of her being able to climb up on our oversized king-size bed. Once it gets to that point, we're in trouble.

Kevin is a foodie so it makes sense that the little miss loves her food, too. I'm not exaggerating when I say that she asks for pancakes multiple times every single day. I put down a nice plate full of blueberries and cantaloupe with scrambled eggs and she looks at me puzzled while asking "pancakes?" I'm sure she's thinking what the hell, mom!?! Too funny! On a more encouraging note, Claire has been practicing using her utensils and she is getting really good a it. That kid has serious hand-eye coordination skills! Plus, she loves food and understands that a spoon or fork equals a full tummy. That tiny angel has been eating us out of house and home, ridiculous amounts. I'm lucky to say Claire is a pretty easy baby to feed as she enjoys a good mix of healthy food options with a few treat options mixed in here and there. Just as summer arrived, she understands fully the beauty of ice cream, frozen yogurt and popsicles. But, if she asks for "teets" (treats) she means m&m's...and she means business. We cap it at 8 max. I swear those tiny candies are baby crack. Claire goes straight cray-cray.

Speaking of crazy, our girl still goes nuts over her books. Nuts! Nuts! Nuts! Right now, any books pertaining to the alphabet seem to be her favorite. We have covered ABCDEFG so far but all she's seemed to grasp is EFG. Every time she sees words on a sign outside of the car, on a menu, on the tv or printed on mail, she points it out singing the tune EFG! EFG! We sure love her thirst for knowledge.

Claire's New Trick

When she learned to crawl, we cheered and dangled toys to entice her to move farther. When she learned to walk, we cheered and held her hands to steady her way. When she learned to talk, we cheered and encouraged her to use her words. Now, my darling daughter, has a new trick but this one came with a little less flair. Claire has learned to remove her own diaper. During naptime. And pee in her bed. Needless to say, we didn't cheer. Usually during the warm months, we will change her diaper before naptime and put her down in only her diaper and a shirt. She seems to be most comfortable that way. Who wants to sleep in jeans, right!? But now, post-pee incident, we second guess our entire routine. Should we wear pajamas? Do we really have to change her whole outfit just for naptime? Will she be able to pull these down? Will this evolve into every parent's nightmare of a crib and baby covered in baby feces? There are just too many unknowns. So right now, during damage control, we at the very least keep some leggings or pj bottoms on her during naps to distract her from playing with the tabs on her diaper. For fear of her freezing to death in cold, urine-covered sheets all night, we have been dressing her in the zip-up footy pajamas. The two-piece pajamas seem to be acceptable so far but I wouldn't be surprised if one day soon she learns to pull those down, also. I feel so silly for complaining about a her little aggressive tendencies...I can deal with biting a lot better than human waste. Just sayin. That girl keeps us on our toes, that's for sure!

Gymboree Class 3

Took Claire to Gymboree class #3 of 5 yesterday. Just as expected, she played and danced, bounced and climbed her little heart out. Ok, I would say realistically it was 75% dancing this time, mostly by herself in the middle of the room on the bright green rug. She sure loves the music they play. She wasn't quite as adventurous during this class, refusing to attempt to climb any ramps and not too keen on sharing the trampoline. She did enjoy the "3 frogs on a log" bouncing game more so during this class than any prior. During the parachute activity, which is one of her favorites from what I can tell, she decided to claw a chunk of flesh out from under my eye and make it bleed. Boy, didn't that shock some of the other kids during what they thought was a typical rendition of Down By The River. That definitely wasn't the highlight of my morning...but we talked about her being gentle and being a "niiiiigh gurl" (nice girl) then continued with the activities. I also noticed that my girl may have inherited her mama's clumsy gene as she ran into multiple kids during the class. Perhaps, at 18 months, it's only because their spacial awareness is not quite on point? Yeah, let's go with that.

I don't have many photos of her time at Gymboree because I try really hard not to be that mom. You know, the one that lives more of her life in a digital world than the actual world. The mom with the kid so sick of having camera phones in their faces that they refuse to ever smile for an actual camera. Yeah, that mom. There is nothing wrong with memories, but I think there's a time and a place. I figure Gymboree's sole purpose is for parents to interact with their children in a child-centered environment. I love engaging with Claire while growing her confidence as she masters new skills. I have seen her blossom so much already and hope that my effort in teaching her through play has a little to do with it. Plus, I can tell she enjoys the undivided attention from her mama and that makes me happy!

Thinking there are only two classes left really makes me sad. Trying to find a way to work these classes into the budget is going to be a challenge but I'm going to try. I was skeptical at first but I do think she is learning valuable skills that make it worth the money. What better to invest in than stimulating your child's mind, right? Right. Continuation of classes is TBD.

Claire aka Mike Tyson

My roommate in college had a boyfriend that would share stories about how he was in pediatric therapy for anger issues. The mantra that his therapist encouraged his parents to use when enforcing kind gentle behavior is that they needed A passive panda, not an angry alligator. Well, as much as I hate to admit it...my daughter is the latter. 

Claire is a biter. A biter, a pincher, a hitter. The kid has aggressive tendencies and it's getting old quickly. In the course of putting her down for her nap today, she aimed to scratch my eye out but fortunately only got my entire left cheek. The searing pain reminded me that we need to figure out a new way to reinforce that this hitting/scratching/biting phase is unacceptable. And that I need to clip her nails. Ouch! Then, within about 2 minutes she intentionally bit my finger hard enough to leave teeth marks. Both of these incidences, which happen only once per day if we're lucky, are her way of telling us whatever we are doing is not acceptable to her. The problem is, I don't know what I am doing to cause her to hit/bite/scratch me. Today, she was showing no signs of discomfort or anger, she wasn't even crying about having her diaper changed. She was drinking her bottle then, like a mama cat protecting her young, she swooped out of nowhere and made contact with my face. Since this isn't the first time, I have noticed that there is a pattern to her aggression. It seems to only come out when she's tired or frustrated. What's even worse is that I don't have a clue where she picked up this behavior!?! Operation: Teach Child not to Hit (or bite or scratch) is in full session. **Wine and/or margarita donations are gladly accepted.**

Sunday Funday at Saturday Market

To beat the scorching heat on Sunday, we met up with most of the Boss clan at Saturday Market down on the waterfront. Against all better judgment we chose to push back nap time to "until we hit meltdown" and forge ahead. I'm so glad we did! The day was full of browsing the outdoor booths, watching local performers, eating local fair from the food trucks and letting the kiddos cool off in the fountain. I remember thinking last summer about how much fun it would be to let Claire loose in the fountain this summer when she was old enough to actually appreciate it. Now, the summer is finally here and I was anxious to see what her reaction would be. Let me tell you, my girl loved every minute of it. Running around, trying to drink from where the water sprays out, practicing her ABC's by pretending to recite the names of the letters engraved in the fountain (touching each one by one), grooving to the music and shaking her booty. She would get out when her little body would start to shiver from the cold water, dry off in the sun, then go right back in for another round. Since water and camera's don't mix too well, I didn't take many photos but here is a phone snapshot of Claire, dripping from head to toe, taking it all in:

Claire zonked out pretty much as soon as we got her in the car and took a long nap once we got home. All that sun and running around sure wore her out. It was definitely a good way to spend a hot Oregon summer day. Can't wait to go back again! This is what summer is all about.

18 Month Photos

My mom met Claire and I at Picture People in the mall this morning to have Claire's 18 month photos done. This was probably our most challenging photo session yet. She wasn't too into just sitting there and looking pretty. Fortunately, after much coaxing by grandma, some toddler-enticing oversized number blocks and a little Justin Bieber's Baby bribery, we got a few good shots. I took some quick shots of the prints on my phone so they are not the best quality but....check out this cuteness:

I just cannot believe she's already a year and a half old. She's growing so quickly. This is such a fun age, especially during the summer. I love my girl and I know I will cherish these photos for years to come!

Bye-bye to Bah-Bah?

First thing in the am, she asks for her bah-bah and drinks it in her crib.
Before her nap, she lets out an excited squeal for her bah-bah.
In the afternoon, she sometimes asks for a bah-bah to sip while watching tv.
Before bed, she always takes a bah-bah. Always.

I have major major major anxiety over taking away Claire's bottle. At 18 months, she still takes 3-4 bottles per day, totalling 20-24 ounces of milk per day. And apparently, that is like the worst thing ever. I cannot even tell you how many people have said things like:

She's still on the bottle? 
She's howwwwww old?
You know that will ruin her teeth, right? Hope you want to pay for braces.
Bottles are for babies and she is a toddler.
She's not a baby anymore.
Why do you let her have that much dairy? It's too much for her system.
Why don't you just take them away?
If she won't drink milk from a sippy, then tell her she gets no milk at all.
You're the mom!

And it goes on and on and on and on. Honestly, I just really don't see why it's such a big deal? Think about the fact that she's been drinking milk since she was born. Why, because she is all the sudden considered "too old" according to google or my pediatrician or my coworker's friend's sister, should I take away her bottles? If I were still breastfeeding, nobody would be telling me to wean because of her age (or they all would but thats a whole different issue!) It just seems unfair, like I am forcing her to grow up too quickly. I try to live by the if it ain't broke, don't fix it mantra. 

My anxiety is not only because the bottle is her last baby item, but also because she will only drink water in addition to milk. She rarely drinks juice. If I take away her bottle, she won't drink anything else out of a sippy. What happens if we successfully wean from the bottle but she refuses to drink any milk from a sippy? Or, even worse, what if she wants the milk heated in the sippy cup like her bottles are? Isn't that like basically like giving her a bottle, just in a different form? See! There are too many variables...and it's stupid. What happens if her naps get all screwed up because mama took away her pre-nap bottles. It's like taking away her comfort. And for what? I just mull it over and over in my head trying to figure out what I/Claire will gain by doing this and I cannot think of many pro's. 

Sometimes this mom-job is seriously irritating because everyone else thinks they can make better choices or can do a better job raising your child than you can. I still maintain I know my child best and will ultimately do what I feel is best whether or not Dr. Sears agrees with me. Take that!

Gymboree Class 2

On Monday, we made a special trip to Gymboree while Grandma Karen was in town. To my surprise, Claire tackled a few more challenging obstacles this time including climbing the wooden incline with pegs that you have maneuver around and the woven rope incline that you must climb like a monkey without letting your hands/feet fall through the holes. This mama was very proud! She worked well with some of the other kids while on the trampoline or the modified child-friendly teeter totter.

She only participated in about one-third of the group activities, opting to ride the rocking horse or crawl around popping bubbles that had landed on the floor without popping. She enjoyed the parachute game, huddling underneath with the other toddlers squealing with excitement, and the crazy clown hand puppet the teacher brings out every time. It is pretty creepy in my own opinion but those kids go ape over it.

On a funny note, Claire makes it clear when she thinks the group activities are stupid. Her face says it all:

What are all you people doing? 
Don't you see they have a rocking horse and a mini trampoline!?!
::insert scowl face here::

Just like the first class, Claire enjoyed getting her boogie on to the music, running around on the magic green carpet pumping her arms in the air and bobbing her booty up-n-down. Both Grandma and I would say Claire's second class was successful. Cannot wait to see what she can impress me with next week. That girl is just so smart!

Gymboree Class 1

Months ago I purchased a smokin' Groupon deal for Gymboree classes for Claire. I had always wanted to enroll her but the class rates were not exactly paycheck-to-paycheck budget friendly. So, once I saw the deal, I knew it was my chance. Yesterday was our first of five Learn and Play 4 classes and Claire had a blast!

Learn and Play 4 is for 16-22 month children. Being 18 months, Claire seemed to be within the average age and really excelled in an environment full of similarly-aged children. She made efforts to engage with other kids in activities and tried out her abilities to share, wait her turn, work as a team. The advantage to these classes is they allow your child the freedom to explore and learn at their own pace. The instructor did encourage open play for exploration but also incorporated interactive activities with the parents and classmates. The parents are encouraged to take a step back, watch them blossom and only intercede when necessary so the kids can feel safe and uninhibited. It's also encouraged not to make your child participate in any activities they do not want to. This is supposed to be a fun environment, not a forceful one. Claire was clear about which group activities interested her (the musical ones) and which ones she wasn't comfortable with (she didn't want a stranger to touch her in any way). During one segment, the instructor blew these amazing hard-to-pop bubbles and Claire went crazy locating all the bubbles that had landed on the floor and toys around her, careful to pop each one she found. Too funny! She also kept returning o the mini trampoline with a handle bar and the plastic rocking horse. Rock, rock. Rock, rock.

Needless to say, I am so thankful to have purchased the Groupon. In addition to the five 45-minute classes, the deal includes unlimited open gyms (unstructured drop-in play times) for 5 weeks and a lifetime membership ($40 fee waived!) including exclusive discounts to Gymboree children's clothing stores (to-freaking-die-for adorable) with the option to enroll Claire in more classes when we become millionaires in the future. Cannot wait for next week. This time, we are taking Grandma Karen!

18 Month Checkup

Today, we visited Dr Nielsen, Claire's pediatrician, for her 18 month well-baby check. We left with a clean bill of health, new stats, a couple post-shots bandaids and some sought after advice regarding Claire's aggressive nature and her preference for bottles over sippy cups. Here's her new growth information:

In 3 months, she sprouted up 1.5 inches standing tall at 33 inches putting her in the 85% for her age. She also gained exactly 2 pounds weighing in at 23 lbs 12 oz putting her in the 43%. As usual, her large brain-filled noggin measured in at 46.25 centimeters putting her at 60%. That girl and her noggin! 

As far as her intelligence, she seems to score very high. Children her age are expected to know a minimum of 8 words and when we counted a few months back she was up to 77+!  We sure think her fascination with books really are advancing her communication skills! In other good news, Claire passed her autism-signs test today with flying colors as well as her 18 month questionnaire assessing her communication skills, gross and fine motor skills, problem solving abilities and her personal-social interactions. The only behavioral issue noted was her aggressive tendencies. My girl often bites, hits, scratches, pinches and pulls hair (either her own or other's) when she is frustrated or tired. It's now time to start really enforcing those timeouts and nip this in the bud. 

Our other issue to start focusing on, besides starting the potty-training process, is trying to get our strong-willed girl to start taking milk in a sippy instead of a bottle. She is still drinking 4 bottles a day(!) and, at this age, should really be using sippy cups. Most kids her age drink milk with their meals much like how adults drink liquids. Claire, on the other hand, still takes a bottle first thing in the morning in her crib, before her nap in her crib and before bed in her crib. YIKES! Since the only liquids she will drink are water and milk, she associates a sippy cup and milk with a bottle. Looks like I have got my work cut out for me. 

Claire received the first of two chicken pox vaccines and the first of three Hepatitis A vaccines. She yelled, screamed and cried - it was tragic but short-lived at the promise of a sticker reward :) Overall, clean bill of health for our long and lean girl. It's a good day! 

Happy Father's Day!

I think my friend said it best:

NOT BECAUSE HE HAD TO,
BUT BECAUSE HE WANTED TO.

Kevin is that father. You know, the one that you compare your fathers and husbands to, the one that makes all the rest look bad. He is such an attentive father, very present in his daughter's life. Never has he refused or ignored when she has asked him to read her a book or to wrestle on the living room floor. He races home from work and instead of walking in after a long day on his feet and kicking back with a beer, he helps to feed, bathe and then plays with his daughter. He never acts like he doesn't have the time for her and I love the way he loves her. Kevin is more than anything I could have anticipated when it comes to being the perfect father for a little girl. She gets to grow up feeling loved, cherished, adored, valued. I want that for her and I am so thankful to call him mine. Claire can't say it yet, but I know if she could, she would agree that her papa is the best. Just when I thought I couldn't love him more as a husband or a best friend, we had a daughter and he became a father. I love their bond.

 

At Kevin's request, his Father's Day was pretty low-key this year. Woke up early and got the gym out of the way, took care of Claire while I went to church, watched a couple soccer games while Claire napped then headed out to my parents for a BBQ with the family. Claire and I showered him with a couple gifts including a new golf shirt, a box of golf balls and Claire's custom-made "Best Dad in the World - hands down!" sign to hang above his dresser. It was a relaxing Sunday just like he wanted.

So, on Father's Day, and every other day of the year I just hope I remember to tell him often enough just how much his time and sacrifices mean to his daugher and his wife. Don't know where we would be without you, Kevin. Happy Father's Day!

Who she is right now: 18 Months

She plugs her ears when I vacuum and runs screaming from the hair dryer. You point it in her direction to blow the warm air in her face and you get looks that could kill. This girl is sweet but, to quote a popular country song, there's a "little bit of devil in those angel eyes." Hitting, biting, pulling hair - let's hope it's just a phase. My mom says Claire is just a girl who knows what she wants and won't take no for an answer. Usually, I can appreciate and even admire that quality but when it's a toddler that wants to color on your Mac with a sharpie it's not so endearing. Oh, and when she gets scolded? She pinches and/or bites herself or pulls her own hair. If this is any preview of the terrible two's, we are going to have our hands full.

In a typical day, drawing and playing with her baby are the two alternating activities of choice. Diaper baby, feed baby with bah-bah, rock baby in her Elmo chair while swaying forward and backward singing Rock, rock. Rock, rock. She hits baby on occasion, too. Aggressive one, that Claire. While baby is in timeout, we switch to coloring by Claire asking to "Draw?" while pretending to draw on her own chest. She obviously made up her own sign language for this and it's super adorable. So, we bust out the color wonder (mess-free) markers and restaurant-crayons to scribble all over paper (and often other non-paper items). When coloring in and out of the lines gets boring, I draw shapes and teach her what they are called. So far heart is the only recognized shape but it's a start.

Clothes just seem to get in her way, but nothing is worse than diaper changing. Apparently the little miss believes her time is too valuable to be inconvenienced for the replacement of a soiled diaper. Who does this kid think she is, Beyonce?

Everyday her speech seems to be improving. Uses new words multiple times per day and has established nicknames such as "Pate" for Peyton, "EEEE" for Ethan, "Moonma" for Grandma and "Bampa" (said in a whispered, breathy tone) for Grandpa. It's too freaking cute. If I could bottle it up, I would be a millionaire. "No" is the answer to almost any question you ask her unless it involves the word treat. My girl is an M&M fiend and is learning quickly that "teets" are pretty cool.

She is still into books, but before she used to always request demand that you read to her. Now, she will often sit and flip through the books by herself, looking at the photos and making up her own stories. It's always nice when I have a dishwasher to unload or am trying to make her lunch. When she wants you to read to her, she still picks a book, sits in our lap and pays the toll (a kiss) before we read. It's a small price to pay. We adore her thirst for knowledge.

Every single time she gets in the car seat, she asks for a snack. Fortunately we bought a carseat with not one but two cupholders. "Feeshes" (goldfish) and graham crackers galore. After stuffing her face and spilling just as many as she ate onto the floor, she gets bored and takes off her shoes and socks. It's quite a sight when she's wearing tights - boy does she get pissed when the tights don't ccome off like socks do. I cannot help but giggle.

Pudding Picasso

A couple days ago, Claire met chocolate pudding and it was love at first taste. She loved it so much, in fact, we reconnected the two again this evening and this happened:

Apparently, this time it was more fun to paint with than eat. And play she did. Mama and papa didn't even care because it was the first meal all week that they got to enjoy still warm and in peace. No mini, grabby hands stealing from their plates or sneaking half soggy food back into their bowls. It was a win-win.

Can you say bath?

Rose Festival 2013

To find some adventure on a warm Saturday evening, our family of three headed to the Rose Festival, a fair down along the waterfront in Portland. Since going to my first fair with my best friend's family growing up, I have always loved fairs. The rides, the games, those stupid cheap stuffed animal prizes, the horribly-delicious, ulcer-inducing food. Elephant ear, anyone?

Being our first time to fair with an 18 month old, we weren't sure if she would enjoy it or be too overwhelmed. She must have gotten bit by the same fair bug her mama did because she loved it! We mad our way down to the kiddie rides and bought some tickets. Almost as soon as my dreams of riding on the mini airplanes or carousel with my girl popped into my head, they were shattered. On the ticket booth window it read that children must be 2 or older to ride and no refunds will be granted. I thought no problem, she's tall for her age and can pass for two. Little did I know, whilst handing over a $20...once you get to the rides, they also have height requirements. What the? I suppose, looking back, I should have anticipated that but I didn't. I managed to sneak her onto the big slide. She rode down like a boss on her mama's lap yelling "weeee!" all the way to the bottom while her papa snapped photos from the base. I also half-coaxed, half-barged my way past a young carnie onto the fire truck ride. Claire enjoyed it also, minus the clunk noise it made after each rotation. She'd clutch me tighter and I'd smile bigger each time.

To spend the rest of our non-refundable tickets, we assisted Claire in some fair games. She won a squishy ball and a starfish stuffed animal. Neither of which have been played with since, but it was fun nonetheless.

A quick trip through the wild animal exhibit proved to be more of an education or us than her. She would point a the animals and imitate heir sounds while we carried her for safekeeping. She I'd stick her head through a gate near the baby lion cage (not in it) and got it stuck. That was the end of the animal exhibit.

Lastly, on to fair food! Papa was definitely in search of a good beer and all his mama wanted was a hot, cinnamony-sweet elephant ear. However, we decided to be the responsible parents we knew we should be and fill our bellies with dinner before dessert. A couple of pulled pork sandwiches, smoked mac-n-cheese and an ear of corn for the C Bear and a Rogue beer later and we were full. Claire and that corn on the cob, hold the butter and salt, were a match made in heaven. She even yelled "Uh-Oh!" at me in a sassy tone because I took a bite. Apparently, sharing doesn't work both ways with a toddler. Too funny!

We decided to rest our bellies and let Claire get her energy out and she definitely took full advantage, running all over the festival grounds. That girl can be so crazy. We ended the night with an elephant ear for mama, an ice cream cone (her first) for Claire which she wasn't too impressed with and the mother of all fair food hot apple pie fries for the papa. Too die for! We spent way to much in money and calories but the memories more than make up for it. Cannot wait for Oregon State Fair and the Clackamas County Fair in July!

Goodbye from the airport

Today finally made it. We have been counting down for so long and it's finally here. My heart is heavy to have left my little angel a couple hours ago but I know Claire is in the best hands. She will be fine. She will have a blast with her cousins and I know she will get so much love. Like so many have told me, I am certain it's harder on me than it will be on her. So, I am choosing to be happy and to let myself get excited about this vacation I am headed on. A chance to have mommy time and to reconnect with my husband, to just be us for a while. I made a promise not to let my mommy guilt get in the way of his time with his wifey. Second honeymoon, here we come!