Max and make believe

Max is so very creative. He is always pretending we are on an exciting adventure. He is constantly making up games and pretending objects are something else - like puzzle pieces becoming cookies or building something out of boxes and blankets. 

One of the things he always pretends is that the car is something fun like a plane, helicopter or bull dozers as it was as we just drove into Fredrick for music class.

Sitting here coloring a picture, he even turned that into a make believe game. He pretended it was raining on the picture of the dog. This went on for over five minutes. 

When we are at the play ground we are always pretending about something. I can't come up with a good example right now, but I'm sure there are airplanes and trains involved regularly. 

I think his ability to make up situations and play will take him far. Max is my creative little extravert. I love him I bits. 

Tomorrow my baby turns one

Clair is my baby, my last, my little Katie. She turns one tomorrow. I will no longer have an infant, but a growing baby who's closer to a toddler then anything else. She's a busy girl. She loves to laugh. She loves to climb. She loves her brother and sister. She loves the cats. She loves to be on the go and exploring. She is a little bit like her mother in the level of determination she posses for her own will. It's going to be a fun ride!

I love all my children. Tonight I prayed for God to help me learn to love them fully and fiercely, more each and every day. Loving a little cuddly baby who obeys and needs you is easy. Loving an independent minded child who wants to fight with you and argue about everything is harder during the day to day, maybe not harder to truly love, but sometimes harder to show that love in a positive way each and every moment of the day.

As Clair turns into a child, I pray that I can embark on the challenge of letting my children lead me and still knowing how to be the mother they need. I want to be a good example for them all in every way that they need.

Here's to many more birthdays and adventures beyond bottles, diapers, naps and cuddles! (Well, I hope I don't have to completely give up the cuddles.)

Another milestone: a girl's first shoes

This evening I finally took Clair shoe shopping. Our girl is ready to walk and wants to get down outside. She need some shoes!

Clair was a champ and we found two beautiful pairs of shoes for her little extra wide feet. She enjoyed walking around the shop and looking at herself in the big mirror. 

Once we exited the store and started walking around the mall, I realize this is the last time I would be buying anyone their first pair of shoes again.

It's amazing to watch the wonder and exploration in my little ones eyes as they see or experience or try out something new for the first time. Clair enjoy the ride in her stroller while trying to pull off her shoes for the next 30 minutes. This was very different than the way she has been able to easily get her booties off her feet.

These little shoes are so cute. Look at them next to the size of my one tennis shoe.

Married children

Last week after church I was informed Ellie and Max were going to get married again when we got home. I sort of chuckled and went with it. When we arrived I was told to take pictures of them together. Then Ellie did a procession to max, hugged him, kissed him and smiled. That was it. They were married. 

My third child

Yea my dear children, your mother is a bit of a dirt a phobe and germ a phobe. Clair is the first child I let crawl around outside during that young age ( where wverything goes directly into your mouths )!

Last night after Clair tried diving out of my hands to the hard ground for the third time, I decided to go ahead and put her down on the ground. She sat for a second, looked at me, smiled and then began to try to crawl across the blacktop. I thought she would be dissuaded by the pain, but no such luck. Instaed she tried to keep on moving. 

So I moved her over to the grass. I thought I was being nice. She squealed with irritation. When I put her down, she immediately crawled back to the hard driveway. I watched her for a couple minutes  and then couldn't manage moy picking her up. She squealed at me again. She was not happy for her exploration time to be so short. 

Straight to the tub; and I will try to let her have a go again sometime soon. 

Pitiful: falling asleep sitting up in crib

I so wish I could have captured a video of Clair trying to go to sleep last night. 

Clair took to crying when I leave the room after putting her to bed for the first time this weekend. At first I tried to let her cry it out like I have in the past, but she seemed to have a new level of determination that she cannot fall asleep without mommy with her.

The first night I tried visiting her every couple minutes and reassuring her, but after 20 minutes of wailing, I let her fall asleep on my chest hoping it was an anomaly of some sort. The second night I tried to start the same process and could see how tired she is, so I thought I may get her to relax and fall asleep by sitting beside her where she can see me. This stopped the crying, but she refused to lay down. 

She sat up, near the front of her crib, holding her blankies and assuring I was touching her. She would start to doze off, her eyes would close, she would wobble around in a circle and nearly fall down to sleep, and then she would jump to be awake. She would start this cycle all over again. It was cute, and it was pitiful at the same time. Each time around I would hope this was the time she's just fall down to sleep, but she didn't. 

After about ten minutes of fighting this, I stood up and laid her down. I rested her head against my hand and coaxed her to sleep. 

She is a funny and determined little girl. I love her so much!

11 months and moving

About two weeks ago Clair discovered walkers and since, she has become a pro. She is so busy and on the go. About a week ago she braved walking while holding my fingers. She is fast!

She is becoming very certain about what she wants too. The other day she wanted a ride in one if her walkers and she grunted at daddy until he have her what she wanted ( translated by mommy).

She has discovered she loves berries and she users her voice to get it. After dinner she had hers and then later max had his. When she saw strawberries and they weren't coming to her plate, she let is all know her unhappiness. She didn't stop squealing until I finally cut her one. 

She is a good eater; she has very little baby food. She loves to drink water. She really loves pasta!

She is a sweetie. She makes me smile. She loves to laugh. If she catches me laughing she will immediately start laughing. The other night we all pretended to laugh just to get her to start and by the end, we were all laughing. Her laugh is lovely and contagious! Max and Ellie love to hear her laugh as much as I do!

Clair is so loved! She is loved by us all! I can't believe she will be 1 in a couple short weeks!

A play date for Max

Today we met some friends with a little boy Max had fun playing with at Amy's birthday party at the park. Max was so excited. He and Logan were stuck at the hip for over an hour. They played so well together. There was a lot of laughing, smiling, and pretend play. At one point they were on top the rocks pretending to be lions. 

I haven't seen Max have this much fun with someone other then maybe Mary Kate. 

I'm so happy he had this time. I enjoyed chatting with Dana. Ellie was a little down because she didn't have a friend, but she did make some big kid friends. Clair enjoyed a swing and would have preferred to be crawling around.