Update

Opening up a present from Nana for Valentines Day! She loved pulling each of the cone shapes out of the bow that was on top. It was really funny. It kept her busy for like 20 minutes!
She felt something inside the box and thought it was funny to keep sticking her hand in and then pulling it out and giggling like she couldn't believe what she felt.
Hanging out with her new pillow, ready for nap.

Breaking out of Aunt Ginny's. Clare can now reach the door handles in our house. This may be her most frightening current achievement. She still can't quite understand how to turn the knob and pull it open, but I'm sure that's soon.
This is picture #1 from our less than successful art project of the day. This was all of the paint I had put in little dollops around the plate in the shape of a color wheel.
This is the future artist's painting.
This is why this particular art activity was "less than successful".

Clare totally ate the paint. I was holding the plate and had her pinned in between me and the easel. She was more excited to paint my thumb holding the plate than the paper, so I got up to wash my hands and turned around to her eating the paint.

And the best part? She totally went back for more. She even dipped her paint brush in and took a second bite, saying "Yummm" as I went for my camera like any good parent would do. It was seriously gross.
At Aunt Ginny's playing with Mr. Potato Head. She really liked him. I'm think the Easter Bunny may put one in her basket.
More Mr. Potato Head.
She is getting "talked to" by me after running down the hallway and being rotten.
Smiling with Aunt Jessica.
She found this piece of twine and was really exploring what kind of trouble she could do with a piece of twine and a hammer. God only knows what she could accomplish with this.
Practicing with her little yogurt cup like a drinking cup. I put milk in it and was working on her drinking like a big girl.

If like a Big Girl, you are mentally picturing her taking after me and spilling the vast majority down the front of her, you would be right. It's actually kinda shocking I manage to "drink" as much as I do.
This was the second table manners project. We are working on my being "patient" and her using a spoon. I've decided, maybe, just maybe, she'll have to master a spoon before college. I'm not sure her roommate will be okay with her still using a paci and only eating finger foods. So, I've heard it's great to give them foods they really like to encourage them to "keep at it" rather than feel discouraged with the spoon.
Thus,
Spoon+Chocolate Pudding+Mommy talking on the phone=This picture above.
And this one.
Her totally signing "more" after I took away the pudding.



These are our most recent antics. Clare has the sniffles (just started yesterday) so we are waiting to see if it's the last incisor or a cold. She seems to be in high spirits, so it's probably a cold. We've also started "family dinner" with a new highchair (YEAH Ikea) so that's been a big chunk of my day (cleaning up the mess).

I can't believe Clare's almost 18 months old. I had to schedule her appt. the other day for her 18 month check up and she's really a toddler. I'm not sure where the time went. It feels like only yesterday she was 4lbs and 13oz and we had her in her little car seat on the way home from the hospital. Not sure if it's because Bec is due so soon, or all of my college roomies having little babies, but I can't get over how big she is and all of the stuff she's doing.

For example:

-Clare has started singing. It's very clear that there is no American Idol in her future (well, maybe on the reject film). She sings her version of "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" with all of the cute hand signs. It's totally cute, never gets old and only remotely entertaining to anyone that's not related to her the first time. But we make her do it over and over again because it's so cute.

-Clare is trying to whistle. I have no idea why or where she learned it, but she sucks air in and whistles in the car all of the time now.

-She is still doing her Aunt Erin game, except instead of a slide, she marches around going "Ready, Set, Go...Weeeeee" over and over again.

-She is still "counting". She says "1, 2" and then makes noises like she can keep counting above that. It's so cute.

-She fake "reads" her books. She'll sit on the floor and read out loud, even using her finger like she's marking her place.

-Still the cutest, is her "talking on the phone". She'll pick up our cells, house phone, remote or anything with buttons and hold it to her ear, walking around, saying "Hello? Hey! Wha Wha you? Good!". It's really funny.

This list could totally go on all day. And I can't get enough of all of it. She's just so cute! And funny! And talkative! And rotten! And smart! And wild!

So, hope all is well. My backside and ego are better from the fall.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

It was such a surprise..

I fell down the steps this AM.

The reason I was surprised?

I usually fall UP the steps.

Seriously, ask my sister. She'll do her demonstration. It's enjoyable after 19 beers.

I'm going to live, but it's too sore to sit on the computer chair, so I'll upload pics tomorrow.

Go back to your regularly scheduled work day.

Our Flight Home (lots of swear words ahead)

Like most stories, this is better told in person, but here goes:

Clare and I had to change our flight home last week in an effort to avoid White Death in both Cincy and Philly. Instead of flying out in the early afternoon (more our style) we hopped on a flight early Monday morning.

Security was fun. With a wild toddler, stroller, boarding passes out, ID's, backpack stuffed in case we are stuck on the runway for 12 hours and no extra hands, it's my favorite part.

I really like when I have to heave my stroller up on the security belt to get X-rayed with one hand while Clare takes this opportunity to make a break for it under the table. Joyous!

So, after security it's always prudent to hit the family bathroom for a diaper change. I strap Clare in the stroller and park in her in the dead center of the bathroom to prevent her from touching a single.solitary.thing as I dig out the supplies. All the while, Clare loves hearing her own voice echo, so she screams words like "Mooooo" and giggles (which makes me feel like she's calling me a cow). Then it's time for a standing diaper change or a Lysol Air Attack if the changing table is required.

After leaving the family restroom I went to purchase my $9 bottles of water and an apple for her to wait with. I noticed right after I made my purchase that I had exactly 93 missed calls and texts screaming to "CALL CHRIS ASAP".

In a panic I begin dialing his phones 1,000 times in a row (he was blissfully unaware in the shower) until he finally answers to tell me I can not use my debit card because, once again, the number has been stolen, my card canceled and fraudulent charges have posted to our account for $700. Excellent.

I arrived to our gate to watch the huge crowd of stand-by passengers argue for seats and a little part of me died inside as I realized my hopes of the seat next to me being empty are totally gone.

After boarding first (yeah Un-Scheduled Airways for pre-boarding families) it was time for Clare to pass out on my lap for her allergy med induced nap (Don't judge me).

So, crammed into my last seat in the back row of the plane, next to my totally normal seatmate I settled in for a short nap.

(Mental Picture: My feet are jammed into my chin, on top of my backpack that is packed with every single essential item known to man for a 3 day weekend with a toddler, making Clare and I fully stuck into place for the next 1.5 hours)

So, of course 10 minutes into the flight, my eye starts watering. The contact lens has something on it. It's the eye closest to my normal seatmate, so she of course looks at me like I'm crying. She asks me if everything is okay. Yes, yes of course. I explain it's just my contact. Then I rub my eye to adjust the contact and the (profanity) F'er falls out of my eye onto the floor beneath me and the fat kid who is totally, 100% passed out.

Sadly this does not fix the burning eye from Hell so for the next hour and half I proceed in sniffling, while water pours from my now blind eye, making it look like I am hysterical.

Plus, tissues? Totally in the inaccessible bag.

Contact solution/extra contacts? Ditto.

So, Normal Seatmate starts fake sleeping and giving me panicked looks out of the corner of her eye when she thinks I'm not looking. Not that I blame her. But awkward none the less.

After we land, I wait for everyone to de-plane and start shuffling down the aisle towards the front of the plane with the backpack, still asleep heavy toddler and pants that are sagging off me (you know, saggy jeans are HOT).

I get out to where you pick up your gate checked items for my stroller to find that (shocking) the Philly crew didn't open it for me as the Ohio crews always does. So, I grab the stroller (with it's hand made clip to keep it together because Southwest kindly lost the real clip on the flight out) and shuffle my saggy butt towards the gate to situate myself. When I round the corner, I see 6,000 people blocking my exit waiting to board.

Of course, none of the these dumsonsabiitches will move out of my way.

So, to re-iterate:

Make-up down to my chin under my totally blind eyeball, with a nice snot trail from the sniffles.
Saggy pants ready to make this story national news.
A drugged and sleeping toddler.
A ghetto, broken pink umbrella stroller
A backpack that is slightly larger than ski trip to the Alps would require.


So, I rudely push through the crowd until I find a spot semi open and fall to the floor. Clare of course wakes up and is p.i.s.s.e.d. She immediately begins fighting me to run away. I'm fighting her and the ghetto stroller clip to open this MoFo up and strap her into it to get the heck home. My pants? Still attempting to fall down.

This really nice lady offers us help with the stroller and I hang on to a screaming kid on the floor while she and I fight this thing to the death. I strap Clare in, put my backpack on, pull my jeans up and head off to put a new contact lens back in my burning more than 1,000 suns eyeball.

Things are starting to come back together in the family restroom (same set up as above) when I hear an announcement:

If you lost your cellphone in the F-terminal, please return to retrieve it.

I feel in my back pocket.

Awesome.

So, back to the F terminal, where I've already made one scene. I cut in the line of 100 people who are all very angry about their weather related canceled flight to ask for my phone back, only to encounter 95 questions to identify my phone.

First of all, my phone is a total piece. No one, I mean absolutely no one, would try and steal my phone.

Yet, Mr. Way To Concerned About My Phone Rather Than The 100 People In Line played 20 Questions because the telephone number to reach said phone, description including wear marks, make/model and other info was "insufficient".

(Here is where I earned my 3rd drink that evening: I did not punch him in the face).

I pointed to the stroller and said, "See that kid? She's on the Wallpaper. Just give me my damn phone".

He, taking in to account how hot I looked, was underwhelmed by my beauty and decorum, and thus, gave me my phone.

Chris was very surprised to see me when I arrived and was wondering why I looked so "stressed".

The End.

Vacation Part 3: 2nd Half of Cincy

Clare checking out Grandmama's fridge

Using Aunt Lisa's little butt as a pillow before rolling over to the floor
Checking out Great Grandma's house

Clare's better pic...
Zach's better pic...

Checking out Becky's bag
Faking Becky out with hugs after being caught in her purse

These were the chairs we used to block off the dining room that Clare used to mock us with
Bubbles!



Clare pointing to Bryce, saying, "I want one of those"


Roar....
Aunt Erin giving her a quick toss...
Playing with Aunt Erin and Aunt Heather on the slide...
Becky and me at her shower! How cute is her bump?
Clare clearly amused with herself
Clare and Aunt Heather
Superbowl Sunday! E-A-G-L-E-S for Daddy.

Beer for Mommy...

Holding on to the little wiggly part on Beau...

The 2nd half of the visit in Cincy was great also. Clare had her requisite 2nd cold while we traveled (as expected). She kept the family entertained by pulling lots of fun stunts.

We FINALLY got to meet Zach Webb, since Clare's cold/flu kept us away last time! She was not on her best behavior at the Webb's, so next time I'm leaving her home!

Becky flew in on Thursday for her shower and came over to visit with us. Clare had lots of fun showing her all of the bad stuff she can do as a way to help prepare Becky for a baby.

By Friday I was feeling under the weather, so it was less than entertaining at our house.

On Saturday I went to Bec's shower, which was lots of fun. So many cute outfits for her little boy! We can't wait to meet him this Spring!

Sunday, it was family day for the Super Bowl, which Clare LOVED!

Due to the snow, Clare and I hopped an early flight home on Monday, missing out on Big Boys and Aunt Lisa time (irony Big Boys/Little People), due to the inclement weather that hit Cincy first and Philly next.

I'll be sure to post the flight home story soon:)

Hope everyone had a great weekend:)

Vacation Part 2: 1/2 of Cincy

Clearly, Clare is totally un-loved at the Richardson's and has NO toys to play with...
Hanging out in the corner with her favorite toy...the rubber duck


Assessing the situation quickly, Clare realized Bea was her friend at the table to dispose of any and all vegetables
Playing "You chase me" with Great Grandpa
What a mess! SOMEONE (I'm not naming names) took her ponytails out because they looked like they hurt her...
Sharing with Uncle Seth
Aunt Heather showing her what the baby care station cradle is for

Screw the cup, I'll just take the entire milk

Showing Aunt Erin her duck
Preparing for Aunt Erin to eat her belly

The BEST.GAME.EVER. Not familiar with this one? It's called "Watch the duck go down the slide and laugh hysterically". Clare played it for hours.




More fun with Aunt Erin...

Taking a walk up the street to check out the situation on Timea.
Change of outfit post walk from Erin convincing Granadmama and Erin to let her sit down on the walk.

Clare's favorite method of "How fast can I make Mommy get off her lazy a** and get me"
Peek a Boo with Aunt Lisa

Bea stealing sugars
Clare listening intently with Grandpa to Aunt Heather talk
Aunt Heather and the tickle monster

Aquaphor time...
Aunt Erin doing the least favorite job of greasing up the little piggy with Aquaphor
Uncle Seth sneaking in some quick Clare time when he thinks no one is looking.
Another version of Small Adult, Big Child

Clare said, "Yeah, I'm just going to take a quick look and see if there is really ONLY milk and water in here. Because when Grandmama gives my sippy cup it has LOTS of other fun things in there."

Cincy was a great week! I'll post the 2nd half of the photos tomorrow or Monday and my funny flight home story after that:)

Clare had a little bit of a runny nose and I left town with a cold I can't kick. Clare spent most of the week exploring the dining room, eating cookies and playing with all of the toys and people that magically appeared at Grandmama's and Grandpa's.