Long Post to Follow:

I know, I know. I've been very behind on the blog thing lately. With it being summer and all, it's tough to be motivated to be inside. Although, I do hate the sun, so I'm not quite sure how much sunscreen one person can wear. Clearly not enough, because my back is totally burnt. If you've been able to avoid my calls about this burn, you should consider yourself fortunate. We are now in the "peel" stage of the burn. Yummy.
Clare had a great week last week. Grandma and Grandpa Richardson were here for a WHOLE week! Grandpa Kevin helped us re-do the upstairs bathroom. He and Chris tiled the entire surround and it looks great! I will post pictures. Very exciting stuff. Grandma Dawn and I wanted to get out of dodge while the boys were working upstairs, so we escaped to the shore. It was a great day (minus the moron who forgot to put sunscreen on her back). The best part is that the baby and I share our 80 SPF:) Clare is such a water girl! She loved the shore. She thought the waves were so much fun, she was screaming at them the entire time. She wanted to eat the sand and all and all just had so much fun. We went down and visited Steph at her family's place in Stone Harbor and Clare was very excited to see her. Steph's cousin has a great pool that is heated (Beth-you'll appreciate this: She waits until her husband leaves and turns up the pool heater. She almost was caught yesterday because she left in on all night and it was up to 91 degrees. The air outside was cool, so it was pouring steam) really well, so her cousin Lee took Clare swimming. She loved it! She was splashing her hands in the water and trying to dive head first right in! Very cute stuff. It does totally burn me for the fall. I had sort hoped that if she hated the water, we could wait on swim lessons.
* I assumed that Chris, being an Aquatics Director, would be the one to take her to swim lessons. I hate the water. I didn't want a multi-head shower, because I need the water to come from one source at all times so I can block it. I shower with my eyes closed. I don't put my face in the pool. I assumed wrong. I have to take her to swim lessons. Chris's facility doesn't keep the pool warm enough for little kids. Boo doesn't begin to decribe my crabiness at this. So, this fall Clare and I will be in swim lessons. Awesome.*
So, Clare=loves water. On Tuesday it was off to the mall to avoid the boys, where I was on a mission for a dress for her 9 month pictures. Clare's favorite store? The jewelry store. I was fighting to death at gymboree to make it through the stroller jungle, so my Mom took Clare around the mall. She was very excitied by the jewelry. Sat right up and paid attention in that store. FYI, I'm blaming her Nana. Just sayin'. Wednesday we visited Aunt Ginny for a really great lunch. On Thursday Clare had her nine month pictures. Super cute. They'll be in the 30th, so I'll be sure to scan and post soon. We went back to Target and Chris met us there on his lunch break. Mr. Lighting Designer wound up re-lighting the shoot. Super fun. The poor girl working there was excited by the advice, which only encourages him. The pictures are so cute, that Target asked me to sign a release to use them:) So, it was confirmed by a non-family member that my kid is pretty cute. Friday, Grandma and Grandpa headed back down to the shore with out Lobster Back Mommy and Clare to enjoy a few more hours on the beach before heading back to land-locked Ohio. Clare was very sad to see them leave. So sad in fact, that about 2 hours before they left, she woke up and flipped out. I mean, flipped out. We still have no idea what the problem was. It did result in Chris and I both getting up after about 30 minutes of her fighting Chris to death not to sleep. He had changed her, feed her, changed her pj's after he spilled milk on them, rocked her, etc. She was not going for it. She was really upset. When I came in, she yelled some more. I do think she recognizes "unfriendly Mommy" so she gave in when I was so cheerful with rocking her. I think she knows a lost cause when she sees one.
In her list of accomplishments for this week: Clare can stand on her own now for quite awhile. She just lets go of things and hangs out for a bit. She can also (thanks again Grandma:) climb an entire flight of stairs. She has started saying DaDa. All fun stuff:)
So, Chris is sleeping in this morning on his first Father's Day. Clare is playing in Baby jail. I'll add pictures before I post.
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