Saturday, April 30, 2011

Bucket Head

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Because she can. And doesn’t it match her outfit nicely?

Clairely Speaking

So not sure why we ever thought Claire was going to have speech problems because the kid can talk and comes up with the darndest things. I thought I should write a few down for posterity.

Tonight Claire was resisting sitting in her highchair for dinner, again. Once I put her tray on she looked at me, dropped her hands on the tray and said “Mommy, why do you do this EveryDay?” (and usually three times a day at that!)

The other night at Easter dinner we were talking about what everybody’s names were. Claire has been calling Mommy and Daddy by their first names some lately and has picked up on the fact that the rest of her world has another name besides the one she uses. When we got to Auntie Aiyaiy we told her her name is Alison and she responded “Alison has three humps." After we all stopped laughing I explained about the “Alice the Camel” song to everyone else. By the end of dinner Auntie Alison had her down to saying she had just one hump. I personally, would have been going for two. :)

And one of her favorite new expressions is “Are you kiddin’?” And she uses it so appropriately and slaps her arms down by her side or puts her hands on her hips. Hard not to giggle when she does it. It’s usually when I am giving instructions or changing our activity or focus. So cute, yet so scary.

Claire has started adding some of her own thoughts when we pray at meals and before bed. After praying and saying “In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” She adds “and Halleluiah” and recently also started adding “and Halleluiah and the Zoo.” I guess she liked the zoo.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

A Visit with New Jerseyans

One of Mommy’s favorite people, Nicole, came to town to visit her dad for Easter last week so we got to get together for a chat. Mommy just loves to get to see her whenever she can because it is almost like we haven’t even missed a beat the conversation and company is that good.

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Nicole and her sweet boy, Stephen.

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The four of us.

Can’t wait to see her again when she comes back in August and gets to meet our newest addition!

In the Garden with Pa

As many of you know, Claire come from a long line of gardeners and farmers. So she comes by her love for flowers and the garden honestly. The other Tuesday she and Pa planted the geraniums and wave petunias for the summer pots. Everyone had so much fun.

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Claire, her bucket, shovel and Pa.

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Getting instructions.

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Planting the hanging baskets with pretty geraniums.

Let’s hope she has a green thumb!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Someone Told Me It's All Happening at the Zoo

We have been wanting to take Claire to the zoo for a long time but timing, weather etc just hadn’t worked out until last week. And if we didn’t go soon, Mommy wouldn’t be able to go anymore (Mommy barely made it as it was). But the Tulsa Zoo was off to a good start when we were looking for parking spaces . . .

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Hallelujah!

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Our so original idea to take a pic by the sign. :)
(Mommy sometimes doesn’t realize how big she is until she sees a pic or catches her image in a mirror.)

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Here are the camels everyone questions Claire if she really saw them. I think it is when she says “Alice the camel has three humps.”  But if you look closely, they do kind of look like they have three humps.

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A monkey.

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Claire liked all the monkeys. Daddy did too.

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Watching the elephants with Daddy.

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So cute Daddy/daughter time.

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Little Bear

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The Lion that looked kind of sad and lonely.

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The penguins with the penguin lady.

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The tiger taking a napanu.

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Meerkat? Mommy can’t remember.

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Pretty giraffe

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The rhinoceros (or rhinoceroses or rhinoceri) that we almost didn’t see. We thought they were big rocks at first. I zoomed in for the pic.

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Off-roading to go see the rhinos.

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Perhaps her favorite part of the zoo . . .

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the playground (and the train that somehow we didn’t get a pic of)

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The pretty flamingos.

We had a great time at the zoo. It was a good first zoo for a two and a half year old. Can’t wait to take her to a bigger one. She has been talking about it ever since and carries around her map of the zoo and shows everyone where the animals are. She is so cute and so much fun. We had a great day as a family. Next time she wants to take Baby Brother. :)

I’m a Turtle

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Claire did this the other day and luckily I had the camera close. Such a smart little cutie.

A Gift From Ms. Kitty

Grandma’s good friend Kitty gave Claire a super present the other day. She found a cute bag with Claire monogrammed on it and inside was a sleeping bag! We decided that for now she could us it on Tuesdays when she goes to Grandma & Pa’s for naptime.

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She really loved the bag.

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And was so excited to sleep in it.

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Napanu time!

Thank you Ms. Kitty for the great sleeping bag!

Friday, April 15, 2011

Making Pa’s day/week/year . . .

Claire has found a new favorite place to take a nap on Tuesdays . . . Pa’s lap. I think someone fell in love with her just a little (a lot) more, if that was possible.

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So sweet.

Fish Fry at Cecilia’s

We went to Auntie Cecilia’s house to have a fish fry on a beautiful Friday during Lent. We had such a good time and it is so beautiful out there.

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Daddy and Claire checking out the goldfish pond.

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Pretty picture Daddy took.

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The feast.

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Claire petting one of Cecilia’s puppies.

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Introducing Claire to the chickens.

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Walking to the hen house to “pick” eggs.

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See all the eggs!

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Claire picking eggs.

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Examining them.

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Putting them in the carton.

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The chickens are wondering what we are doing in here.

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Claire watching the chickens eat the “treat” she just gave them.

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Getting a lesson in trees.

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Digging, of course, one of Cecilia’s gardens.

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Four wheeling in the Taurus over on Buddy’s property.

We had such a fun time, as usual, with Auntie Cecilia. Her place is so beautiful and we don’t know why we don’t go more often. Hopefully next time we will go fishing too! Thank you for such a great time Cecilia! We love you!

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Claire’s Green Thumb

The Sunday of the Lawn and Garden Show Claire came to work with Mommy & Daddy. The Herbal Adventure booth was next to the Historical Society’s First Bloom booth. So Claire got to plant some wildflower seeds in a cup.  IMG_6151

These are her seedlings just four days later.

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One week.

So today with the weather so nice and everyone working in the yard, Claire and Daddy planted them in Mommy’s herb garden so we can see them grow from the kitchen window.

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The proud girlie.

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Digging the hole.

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Covering them up.

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The finished product.

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Cleaning up after all the hard work!

Here’s hoping all goes well and we have some flowers for our sweet resident flower picker to pick very soon. I’ll post updates as things come into bloom.