"Big Girl" Momentum

It could just be the candy rewards that she gets for "performing" in the restroom, but Miss Scout has really taken off in the past week with her potty training. We had previously agreed that after the holidays we'd start working with her more, but she now has started to tell us when she has to go. So I guess she is leading us in this process!! We have success several times a day! She really seems to enjoy being a "Big Girl" and Mommy & Daddy are in awe of how amazing our not so little baby is!

Bye Bye Binkie!!

We have hit another exciting milestone in the Michael household... Miss Scout is finally "binkie-free". Clara really only took the pacifier in her crib or in the car to get her to fall asleep past the age of 6 months, but it was a comfort item that she was used to since birth. Thus it remained a key part of our bedtime routine. After milk and having her teeth brushed we'd give her the pacifier and her blanket and she'd typically go right to sleep as long things followed her normal night pattern. Because our system worked so well and she would cry for it if we didn't give her a pacifier, we were reluctant to work towards giving it up. We all have those parental clutches, right!?!

Last Sunday we explained to Clara that we were going to give all of the binkies to the babies who still needed them. We celebrated that she was a big girl and didn't need them any more. She liked this idea until she had lied in her bed for about twenty minutes and was not asleep. Then the fussing began. We went in and she immediately said, "Binkies are for babies." It was quite clear that she was contemplating not having one for bedtime. After hearing her talk to herself in her crib then cry out a few times, it took about an hour and a half for her to go to sleep that night. Now she has not touched a pacifier for either nap or bedtime in a whole week!

I was pretty sure our method was going to work after just a few days, but I did not want to celebrate too soon. We have noticed that she is waking up earlier in the morning and makes a few peeps a night when she wakes up, but all in all giving up the pacifier has gone a lot easier than we expected.

Bye Bye Binkie!

We still have to have conversations at bed and nap time about babies, binkies and big girls, but we are so proud of Clara this week for being a champ and making what could have been a rough transition so smoothly.

Project Cozy Coupe Fascination Extinction

EVERY TIME Clara has encountered one of these Cozy Coupe type cars, she becomes OBSESSED! She will just sit in it until we are forced to drag her out of it and that never ends well. Luckily the Issaquah Community Center has a play session weekday mornings with about 20 of these cars. When we go Scout just goes from one to another the ENTIRE time! One of the last times she was at her pal Davis' house to play, she did not want to come out of his inhibiting any opportunity for interactive play. Everyone says that we should just get one but without a lot of outside space and several other ride on toys both inside and out of our house, we really don't need another large kiddo item. As it is, my family room that was once decorated nicely now looks like a day care and the bonus room is quickly accumulating a large amount of kiddo stuff. We have to draw the line somewhere.
So my bright idea was to borrow Davis's car for a few days while he was on vacation and let Clara sit in it as much as she wished for a week or so, thus her fascination would fade, right!?! No, not so much! She is still obsessed!

It is the best when Daddy pushes her around in it!

So cute!

P.S. And a special "thank you" to Auntie Michele for the neat purple vest. It has become another thing Clara has become OBSESSED about!

Cougar Mountain Zoo

The day after Halloween was a beautiful day and since we were well rested due to setting back the clocks, we decided to make the most of our time with Grandma & Grandpa Michael and go to the Cougar Mountain Zoo. The last time we went was on Mother's Day and Clara had a lot of fun then. This time, there were parts that Clara still liked...

.... Like climbing on all of the animal statues...

... and trying to get wet in the little fountain. But there were also parts that she was quite fearful of. She was freaked out by all of the birds, which is a large portion of the zoo's exhibits and not as captivated by the lemurs as she was previously. We are now pretty sure that it has something to do with all of the high pitched noises these creatures make. It coincides with her fear of those strange balloons that she dislikes since they make a similar squeal.

Here Scout clung to Mommy and wouldn't even look at the birds that had her so captivated on our last visit.

Professional Halloween Photos

Clara's Happy Halloween!!

Our family on Halloween

Clara's first house trick-or-treating

This year Clara really enjoyed Halloween. She started the trick-or-treating process by answering the door. She would say "Hi kids!" and liked to hand out the candy. It was too precious! Mommy & Daddy then took her to a few of the close neighbors houses. She had to be cued to say "trick-or-treat" and sometimes to say thank you, but eventually she caught on. After the first few houses, Grandma & Grandma joined Clara & Daddy to go around to more houses. She was out for about an hour and hit quite a few houses in the neighborhood. She did tell Daddy a few times that something was "too scary" but remained relatively calm and happy. It was such a fun night and we loved sharing it with Grandma & Grandpa!

Clara & Daddy having fun

Clara & her loot!

Scout with Grandma & Grandpa Michael

Earlier in the day our neighborhood gathered in the park for some treats and cocoa. We had a pumpkin carving contest and got to check out one another's great costumes. We love having such a fun group of neighbors and kiddos for Clara to hang out with.

Some of the collection of pumpkins entered in the contest.

Clara & Grandma enjoying some treats in the park

Of course, Clara loves her apples!

Checking out the pumpkins.

Pumpkin Carving

This year Miss Scout LOVED carving pumpkins. She got right in there, put her hands in the goop and had a blast. There were lots of hand washes but after each she wanted right back in there to play with the pumpkin guts.

Digging with two hands

EWWWW!

Brooke & I decided to bake the pumpkin seeds and Clara was so thrilled to help us sift through the guts. She kept putting goo back in with the seeds and vice-versa, all the while saying "I'm helping, I'm helping!" It was so fun to see her this excited!

Our spooky creations

Grandpa Mark's Special Pumpkins

October 2009

Grandpa Mark has always grown pumpkins in his garden, even way back when Mommy was a kiddo. One special thing that he used to do for Mommy, Uncle Matt & Uncle Ryan is to carve our names in them when they were still small and as they grew, our names were scared in the pumpkin skin. He continued this tradition when his grand kids came along. Even though Clara is only 20 months old, this is actually her third year with a special pumpkin. We have tried to get her photo with them every year and hope to as long as Grandpa keeps growing them.

October 2008

October 2007

Wow, I know it is cliche, but it truly is hard to believe how fast the time goes by as kiddos grow. Clara is changing so quickly and has become quite the little conversationalist (wonder where that came from :-). She proves to us EVERY day how much she knows and we are continually having "Whoa! moments" of pure disbelief: Did she really just correctly identify the three letters in that word? She couldn't have just counted to 12 on her own? She hasn't really memorized the plot of Caps for Sale (the current favorite book), right? It has been two weeks, how could she possible remember where we put that? We are continually AMAZED and fascinated with our sweet little girl!

Hanging on the front porch

I didn't have my camera at the time, but when we went a pumpkin patch owned by a family friend, we were able to have a great conversation while Scout stood at the porch and arranged the small pumpkins. It was just too cute and she was having so much fun. When we got home with the pumpkins, she went right to work arranging them in groups despite Mommy's efforts to mix them up for a nice display!

My favorite photo of the day. It's cute and she came up with this happy little expression when I asked her to smile.

Clara's Playgroups Halloween Parties

The week before Halloween was filled with lots of great activities in the community and within our play groups of fun activities for the kiddos. Clara got to wear her costume quite a bit although she never really seemed to be 100% comfortable in it.

Our sweet lil' giraffe - When the hood is on she freezes.

Clara and her pal, Thorin at the Issaquah Mom's Group Halloween Party.
They make an adorable pair of giraffes!

Again...not moving, but still so precious!

Clara & pal Ava the chick

The photo above is the closest thing we got to a group shot of all the kiddos at the Issaquah Highlands Playgroup Halloween Party. The kids decorated pumpkins and trick-or-treat bags, sang silly songs and enjoyed Halloween treats.

Clara & her Superman friend, Quinn

Scout and Ruchi, the monkey

Clara chasing her pal, Gabe after the party! She was trying to hug him.

Sweet Fairy Scout

Scout makes a adorable giraffe in her Halloween costume, but she is starting to get into a phase where she likes to play dress up. I found this adorable tu-tu at Gymboree and picked up the wings a while back, so Miss Clara tried out being a fairy. I think she pulled it of pretty cutely!