Clara Turns 2

Can it be that my cute girl is already 2? I can't believe it! Some things about Clara on her 2nd birthday:

-Still can't really talk - only says about 20 words - most of which aren't very clear. We're expecting a reference to a speech therapist at her 2 year well baby check-up. But that doesn't mean she doesn't communicate. She can understand everything we say and follows directions very well. In fact, I was just telling Mark that although it will be exciting to hear her talk I will miss the little noises and hand motions she makes to communicate with us.

-Is still my little tomboy - loves to dress up like spiderman, makes awesome car and train noises, can outrun and climb boys years older than her. Takes falls and spills like a champ without any tears. Loves to sword fight and wrestle with Tyler. Yet, I have noticed a recent increase in girlishness. She plays princess dress-up as often, if not more than boy dress-up, likes to tote around a purse, and will twist and turn to show off a new dress, jewelry or hairdo. She even picks out dresses to wear most the time, that is when she's not picking out Tyler's Ninja Turtle shirt.

-Starting to really get into puzzles. She can do all the toddler puzzles we have at home.

-Loves to color and paint and draw. We keep a notebook and pencil on the counter for her so she can draw whenever her heart feels like it - which is often.

-Likes TV a bit too much

-A great eater - I hope she keeps it up

-Loves her mommy most! Although recently she has developed an attachment to her daddy! She likes to tease and when we ask who her favorite is, it's always the person who isn't asking. She loves to cuddle and hug and is super affectionate to her family - those outside her family not so much.

-Has the most contagious smile and laugh! I love love love to hear here laugh and see her scrunchy face smile!

-Is super stubborn!

-Gets along really well with Tyler . . . most the time! Tyler is already really protective of her when its not him picking on her or hurting her. I've watched him forgo playing with his friends to help Clara do something. It touches my little heart!

-Is the biggest joy to her mommy, daddy, and brother! We love her more than anything! 

   

Clara's birthday was a laid back affair, but fun all the same. 

She kept asking Tyler for help, to which he happily agreed.

Twisting around to show us her new dress up jewelry

Our Pretty Princess

Playing with her new color wonder markers (markers that only draw on special paper - best invention ever!)

Coy girl showing off her new princess shoes

I LOVE this face!

Tyler wanted to play too...

Happy Birthday Song!

A compilation of videos opening presents

A Smattering of Pictures

Tyler asks to do preschool almost every day, we usually get around to it about 1-2 times a week. Poor kid. Our preschool usually consists of an upper and lower case letter craft, some letter writing practice, the letter game on starfall.com, and a scavenger hunt finding things that begin with that letter. Here are some of our first letter crafts. Although Tyler already knows his letters and sounds, he really likes these crafts! 

For the letter "c" we made "c" cookies!

When Clara joins us for preschool paint is usually involved.

My kids are so opposite in so many ways. I have my self painting picasso...

and my super careful, clean, and deliberate Rothko. (Rothko is the guy that paints in big blocks pretty similar to what Tyler has going on in his picture).

 In May, Tyler's best friend had a party - a princess party to be exact. And all attendees were invited to wear their princess gear. Tyler, being the only male attendee, was left with a wardrobe problem. You don't see too many prince costumes floating around out there, but thanks to amazon we managed to find a pretty dang good one! Presenting Tyler the Knight!

 Tyler with his princesses

 A few days later it was my turn to party with one of my best friends for her birthday. The day was perfect! Food, fun, lots and lots of laughing, pedicures, and good ol' girl time. Our trip home, on the other hand, proved to be a bit more than we bargained for. Coming back up the pass we hit traffic a few miles from the last exit and several miles until the next and I noticed that the gas gauge was below the E. I was so confused because I was sure I had had enough gas to make the trip. My friend was the one that noticed that all the electrical in my car had gone out. Nothing was working. It wasn't the gas ... something else was wrong with the car. I started trying to ease my way through stop and go traffic to the right shoulder, but the car died before we could get there. So there we were, a stalled car in the middle of the freeway, in the middle of nowhere. A pick-up truck behind us was able to push us bumper to bumper onto the shoulder where we waited for the next hour or so for our husbands to come rescue us! I'm so glad I was with those girls, because with them even our not so expected adventure was fun! The car ended up needing a new alternator. Just a fluke that happened to occur while I was driving.

Me, the birthday girl, and our other friend behind the camera - waiting for rescue.

 Just a couple of cute pictures of Clara feeding her baby gold fish. And there are now gold fish stuck so deep inside that baby's mouth they'll be there forever.

 About a month ago I caught Clara climbing out of her crib. Ugh! I'd been hoping Clara would last longer in the crib, but here we were again, almost 2 years to the day that we switched Tyler to a toddler bed. It's been both easier and harder than Tyler - ok mostly harder. Easier only because I've apparently become a weakling. Clara doesn't do this whole cry it out business. She'll just cry all night. No, seriously, I've let her cry for hours before with no sign of slowing down. So now I sit in her room until she falls asleep, which doesn't take long fortunately. I'm ashamed. Oh well, I won't be sitting in her college dorm until she falls asleep ... right?

 Tyler may hate me for this in years to come, but it's too cute/funny not to memorialize. Although Tyler is generally all boy, he has no qualms about playing Pretty, Pretty Princess . . .

or letting his two best friends (who happen to be girls) put make up on him.

 This picture on the other hand is a proud moment for both mother and son. Tyler has struggled with reverence and appropriate behavior in primary. In fact, I was released as his teacher, because my presence only made it worse! We started working on it at home and a few weeks ago Tyler was chosen as the Super Star Reverence Kid in primary!! He has been wanting that for months! He was so proud of himself I wanted to cry. He is doing so well! He will never be that perfectly quiet kid, but he participates and listens and is learning lots of new things. He now provides plenty of comic relief during primary in a good way and gave the primary's favorite prayer ever when he blessed everyone "to be reverent and not be crazy." I am so proud of this boy! And I am proud that he can still be himself and not stuffed into the perfect reverent kid mold. 

 You can't find out about National Donut Day and not eat donuts!

 One of Clara's favorite birthday presents: her sit and spin.

Tyler can do the craziest cross-eyed faces. The first time he ever did one I was disciplining him and all of a sudden his one eye drifted to the center. I freaked out thinking he was having a stroke or something, but soon realized he was just discovering a trick. Needless to say, he didn't get in trouble. Now when he does it I can't stop laughing!

Clara on her sit and spin and saying a few words.

Tyler Plays T-ball

This spring Tyler was old enough to play park and rec t-ball! We were able to get on the same team as his two best friends, Siena and Ella. Mark bought Tyler a real "t," a blue glove (or "glub" as Tyler called it), a blue bat, and a blue helmet. He had a blast (well most the time - it can get pretty hot here in May) and was just as cute as a t-ball player can be. T-ball is a no winner/loser game. They each get 2 times at bat and 2 times on field and then the game's over. Tyler, the ever competitive type, usually announced his victory at the end of each game. Preschool t-ball is hilarious to watch! All kids chasing the ball (including the hitter), kids running straight past the plate into outfield, or kids not running at all and clumping up onto one plate. There had to be a parent at every plate to make sure the players knew where they were going and got there. By the end of the season though, they pretty much had it down.  Tyler now believes he's ready to forgo the "t" and play big boy baseball. Unfortunately for him, that doesn't start until he's 5. Another year of t-ball first. About half way through the 6 week season the coach just stopped showing up! But the dads all stepped up to the plate (pun intended!) and did a great job with the kids! Better than the assigned coach, in my opinion. Next up, soccer in the fall!

Picture day

The team (with the flakey coach)

Waiting to bat

Trophy Time

 The trophy had his picture on it! He was so excited to get a trophy!

 Classic Tyler picture

 Three best friends!

 Tyler's awesome homerun! (Ok so he was the last batter and got to run the bases)