Apples & Snow in the same week!

checking out the bamboo walkway at the Minnesota Zoo

Claire's Mr. Potato-head pumpkin.

Her first snowman of the year. She built it with dad during the snowy Monday. It tipped over later in the afternoon and that has been the talk of the house ever since.

Loving those honeycrisp apples!

I can't & I run away

Claire doesn't say "No" like the proverbial two year olds in stories and magazines. Instead, when frustrated or angry she says, "I can't". It's got a nice whiny tone to it too. If you say, "Ok, you don't have to (insert current issue here), she changes her mind and says, "I want (insert current issue here). It makes conversations at our house quite interesting.

It's also a hoot to see how she handles her frustration when you tell her you would rather she not continue a particular activity, say, hanging on the kitchen counter and swinging her legs. She gets mad and says, "I run away" and does literally that, into the next room, away from whomever she is mad at, towards her blankie. Sometimes it is hard not to laugh.

We're not quite sure what is happening with her sleeping patterns. A little over a week ago she began waking up in the middle of the night again and stayed up for three plus hours. It's great when that happens at 3am! We've only let her crawl into our bed twice and have been holding hard and fast on not letting that happen again. Of course, that usually means one of us ends up sleeping on her floor until morning.) Then last week she stopped napping. Out of the blue. She took a 2 hour nap on Saturday and on Monday decided she didn't want to nap. Since then it's been a toss up if she goes down or not. If she doesn't nap, she sleeps through the night, if she does nap, we have the 3am visitor.

Drop her nap is the natural answer, but she is only getting 10 hours of sleep. Not enough if you read the 'standards' of sleep requirements for 2 year olds. But how do we force her to sleep? She is still nearly as active as she was when it was warmer out... it's very odd. I'm hoping this is just another short phase and she will slip back into 12 hours of sleep sometime soon.

She's been far more talkative since returning to school. Not sure if it has to do with her interaction with her friends and the teachers but I swear on days when she is at school when I get home from work she uses bigger words and even her sentance structure is better. Could just be me...

Singing in the Rain

Technically, there is no rain... but we keep hoping.

Claire however, has finally begun to sing. This evening, instead of singing lullabies we sang John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt. We've been working on the Minnesota Rouser and she will end the song with 'Go Gophers, Rah'.

ECFE started again on Monday. She has several friends from last year in the same class. They spent much of the summer together rotating play dates between houses. Pete said that when they left class on Monday, someone suggested the three 'regulars' say good-bye to each other and there was a group hug. Adorable, little two year-olds hugging. Holly was home when Claire got home from school and her first words were "I have a lot of friends".

We have a budding photographer on our hands. Claire loves to take the point and shoot camera and snap photos. It doesn't matter what it might be. There are several on the camera of the floor and walls. Annie Lebowitz look out.

Fun at the Fair

Been a bit busy lately to post. Here are some shots of Claire at the state fair.

On the bus ride to the fair. She was excited to start but got a bit scared when the bus started moving. It's much bumpier than she expected.

Having a conversation with some very loud sheep.

She had a pretty good time walking around the animal barns. One of the horses tried to eat her hair. She was able to feel a horse, cow, bunnies (which were very, very soft) and some sheep. She also saw some baby piglets and new chicks being born - right out of the egg.

Listening to some important messages about saving our planet in the Eco building. We had a good time here and got our picture taken together.

Claire and Pete went back to the fair during the week when it was less busy. She enjoyed sitting on the 'diggers' and checking out the dump trucks again. Life is good when your snack at the fair is a frozen banana. Crashed out on the way home from the fair. That playing is hard work.

Big Steps

Friday was the first day since she was a wee tot that Claire spent an extended period of time away from her house without either mom & dad around. Pete & Jordan headed off to their annual camping trip and I had to work. Aunt Denise was kind enough to offer to babysit so Pete dropped Claire off at their house and she spent the day with her cousins, feeding the chickens and testing her legs on the trampoline.

The last few days Claire has joined the world of monkeys. She climbs everything. Several times in the last week we've had to rescue her from her attempts to climb into her crib.

Over the weekend Claire and I headed down to my parents house where she showed of her monkey skills by climbing in and out of the crib/day bed in the guest bedroom. Luckily she slept in the pack-n-play and didn't try to climb out. Nevertheless, when Pete got home from camping we decided that it might be time to move her out of the crib into the toddler bed we inherited from a coworker.

Independence

Showing us the hail that fell a couple weeks ago.

We cannot go to Maplewood Mall without going on the Carousel. Her favorite is the black stallion, she picks it every time.

Showing off her new 'bike'.

The other day Claire told me to leave her room. 'Mommy get out, leave room'. Already with this? The previous evening she didn't want me to read a book to her, instead she wanted to look at the book herself. Our little girl is growing up so fast.

New developments:

• Can count to 11, but skips 4 every time.
• Has more words than I can count.
• Pretends to wash her dishes in her kitchen and wants to use a brush (apparently Pete must use a brush on a regular basis)
• Has picnic's with her Little People and various stuffed animals nearly every day.
• Has been riding her 'bike' with a little help from dad.
• Is into trains and was able to get up close and personal with a car at the tracks near our house last week. She likes to build choo-choo trains with her legos.
  
• Had her friends over last week and got to show off her pool and toys (imagine three toddlers running around in swim diapers and then later in water filled diapers).
• Loves to eat tomatoes from the garden. Makes sure I don't slip her any yellow ones, only the red ones.
• Has spent many hours at the park and has become very adept at slides, climbing and running.
• Climbs on everything. Everything. And I mean everything.

'Up North'

Our annual trip to the north shore went well. Despite cooler weather and a little rain we still made it out to Gooseberry for a visit, explored the shore and threw a lot of rocks into the water. Claire enjoyed her trip to the pool (where she was 'swimming' for over an hour) and the campfire. She still isn't hip on s'mores in their finished form but likes all the pieces individually.


At Gooseberry, standing next to the cave she had just explored.


Chilling with Jordan on the point by the lodge.

Looking for some good rocks with Aunt Karey and Hazel.


The Pichner, Dufresne, Whitcomb clan.