Claire at 24 Months

...er, 26 months. How's that for being prompt?

You know those kids (ME), who always received the classic, "pleasure to have in class" on their report card? Well she's that kid (too). Her dad was also that kid, so we're at least relieved to have one of our kids following our lead.

She and Benjamin just may be polar opposites, but they love each other and I'm not just saying that. Really, they kinda have some deep attachment I'm not sure I expected from kids who couldn't be more different. Naptime just doesn't happen unless she has brother to sing her a few songs and give her and hug and kiss first.

Her first words when she wakes up in the morning usually revolve around other people or caring for them. "Buh Buh sleeping?" "Babies over dare." "Mommy happy?" "I kiss-uh you."

Kind of an emotional basketcase sometimes because she is so concerned about the happiness of her people, but such an unexpected and needed balance for our family. She has more love in her body than most people. It's her God gift.

She can count to 12 and say her HIJ's (not ABC's, hah) and sings a multitude of songs. She has vocabulary for days and is ridiculously articulate, but she can't tell one color from the next to save her life. Really, either she's colorblind (plausible but doubtful), or she simply doesn't care. Animals are also either bunnies or dogs, no matter what. Though, I did hear her mention a bear recently. Am I failing my children by not placing more emphasis on learning animal sounds? Because being in storytime tells me she should definitely know useless things like cows going "moo" and chickens going "cluck" (which is not what they sound like to me).

She repeats what you say and studies your every move. Thank goodness she's still rear facing (B wasn't at her age but she's my baby........) because she'd know the moment I popped a chocolate bar into my mouth since she is perceptive as can be.

She has no real desire to watch TV and only entertains books but she's turning a corner on her intrigue, it seems. She's just starting to take interest, but we're not sure if she's bringing us books because she thinks we like them, or because she has genuine interest in reading the contents. Losing interest in a story is pretty quick, except if it's a potty book. Lest you assume we have some potty training savant on our hands, she happily still poops in her diaper and replies "I do not" when we ask if she has a diaper that needs changing.

See that photobomber on the right? Coincidentally walking out of TJ's when we were (and I was being a mamarazzi) was the nurse who I saw during all of my pregnancies. She has talked me down from some tough stuff, that woman. Kinda special because Claire was a tough pregnancy and now she's two and dang. We are so happy we have her.

She's the ultimate helper. She wants to carry bags at the grocery store for me, help me brush my teeth and manage going down stairs on her own. She wants to be competitive and go first and copies brother's language of teasing and competition. "I want to talk!" "It's my castle, my castle!" "My help you." "No, my first!" She has her own style and is particular about selecting out clothes and pajamas, but is easier swayed than her brother, at least at this age. She's learned a bit quicker by studying his wise guy moves.

Claire is the kind of kid you know is just going to handle life well. The hardest thing about being her parent is worrying about how the world is going to disappoint her. She's just an all-in kind of kid who wants to be valued and loved and involved. She makes friends wherever she goes but is quick to make sure Mom or Dad (or Buh Buh) are close by for a quick check-in.

Favorites List (at 2 Years):

Food: Yogurt, Cream Cheese, Meatballs, Fruit

Treat: Marshmallows, Lollipops

Breakfast: Waffles, Yogurt with Cheerios inside (easier to eat with a spoon and less runny)

Lunch/Dinner: Peanut butter sandwich, mac n' cheese, meatballs, chicken nuggets

Songs: Row Your Boat, How I Wonder What You Are (Twinkle Star)

Colors: Colors? Yeah, she doesn't know those yet

Clothes: Anything with Hearts. "Zips with pockets" (hoodies). Cupcake pants.

Game: Hide and Seek, Chase
Activities: Whatever her brother is doing, people involved games/play, mothering her babies, puzzles

Obsessions: Talking (really, nonstop!), Eating, Stickers, Baby Dolls

Books: Ham (Green Eggs and Ham), any color book, any potty book, train books

Movies: Not much into the screen, but does know who Elmo is and also Elsa and Anna. She also knows "Poppins" and other characters and songs from shows her brother likes.
TV Shows: (see movies)
Toys: Those $3.50 baby dolls from Target (best!), Melissa & Doug Puzzles, Magnatiles, Target baby stroller, Scuttlebug Ride-On Toy 

Restaurant: Happy to eat anywhere. :)
Dessert Place: Dunkin' Donuts (which she can spot and call "donuts" when driving by)
Words/Sayings: "I do not like the ham!" (mimicing Dr. Seuss), "Mommy Happy?" Repeating all things and giving a play-by-play of what is happening: "Buh Buh School", "Mama brush teeth?" "Daddy sleeping?"
Dislikes: Doctors, strangers, animals attempting to approach her, people dressed in animal costumes, disappointing her people, being told no (tears ensue), baby wipes

Claire's a petite little chicken (my nickname for her, among others) that is growing her hair ever-so-slowly but won't entertain a bow on her head like ever. My feminist roots kinda celebrate that. She's 30th percentile-ish, just continuing the trend of my lightweight little ones and still a wee bit short to reach those pedals perfectly on that Radio Flyer tricycle we scored free from our neighborhood friends. I presume she'll be riding a bike before her brother at this rate, which is kind of great because he needs that boost of jealousy to get him into gear. They offer a great balance for each other and for us as parents.

She's the cautious kid and will shriek at the top of her little lungs if a moving creature approaches her (even a turtle). Dogs both intrigue her and scare the daylights out of her. She tolerates the pool while her brother will jump in the deep end just to see if you're paying attention.

The way she's nurturing and caring for her people makes us believe she might make a perfect nurse. She might be a lefty and her utter disregard for colors is comical as she can tell me details about how to do laundry using correct vocabulary, but the blue shirts from the red shirts are totally lost on her.

We're enrolling her in 2yo preschool just two days a week starting in August. It's the same program Benjamin attended and I think she'll just love it. From there, she's really the kid you can throw in any educational environment and she'll adapt and thrive based on her interest to please and keeping the standards she has set for herself intrinsically. She's Type-A for sure, a pleaser and a rule follower. Benjamin is a Type-B rebel who follows no rules. But somehow, she's softening him up and bringing a little healthy competition to the table.

I remember vividly telling the OB 26 months + 1 week ago to just get her here alive. I didn't care how, but I needed her here and alive. We're pretty dang lucky to have her to complete our family of five. <3 p="">