On a Rainy Spring Morning

Claire loves to head out to the school bus stop in the morning to watch Logan and the other neighborhood kids get on the bus.  She can't wait until she is old enough to ride the bus too!  Usually she heads right out in her PJs and bare feet, hair uncombed and looking like a wild child!  This picture was taken on March 2 this year, and the fact that her feet are bare must mean it was already a warm day. We had some crazy weather this winter!  Unfortunately the warm winter meant that in June and July of 2012 we had 10 straight days of 100+ degree heat!  Whew!

I love you, Claire Bear!  And your little bare feet and crazy hair and fairy umbrella!  You make my mornings with your cheery, goofy, silly self!

Love,

Mama

A Bouncy Playdate

Dear Claire,

It's so special that you have a friend you have known for literally your entire life.  

I have had so much fun watching you and Maya grow up together, and seeing your friendship develop.

Maya is practically family!

I hope you girls stay in touch and remain friends forever.

Love those sweet girls!

Mama

Big Girl Bed

Dear Claire,

Recently you have decided your toddler bed is just too small to suit you. You have been wandering into our bedroom to snuggle up in our big bed, or worse - sometimes I go into your room and find you sleeping on your floor! I couldn't take it anymore, so when Pappy came over during Christmas, I made him and Daddy....

...turn your toddler bed into a big girl bed!

Look how much you love it! You crawled right up there with your Halloween pumpkin head (that you have been carrying around lately for reasons only you can know).

Wheeee!

Even Logan loved your new bed. He came in to sleep with you for several nights after we put it up. However, he could not be seen sleeping on the girly, ruffled pink pillow - so he brought his own in!

About a week later I had Daddy add the footboard on. It has probably a hundred little teethmarks in it since it used to belong to your crib. What a stinker you were!

You look so tiny in your great big bed.

Sweet dreams, sweet girl.

Love,

Mama

Maya Came to Stay!

Claire,

Earlier this month our good friends Lisa and Maya came to spend a few days with us while they were having some work done to their home. On the first day we took you guys out for frozen custards at our favorite custard joint, Fritz's. Needless to say, when we returned home you guys needed a bath! We filled up the big tub and threw you in. You guys are so adorable together!

It's so cute to see you having fun and interacting together. It sure makes it easy on Lisa and I!

Maya got into your bedroom and dug out these slippers. They were hand-me-downs that I had tucked inside a drawer somewhere - I still don't know exactly where she found them!!

I suggested we paint Maya's toenails, and to my surprise, she actually sat still while her mommy went to work!

Now those are some cute feet!!

I hope you guys stay friends for a long, long time!

Love,

Mama

Gotcha!

Kids,

Somehow a table has turned this month. This is the second time that I have caught you guys actually hanging out together. It really warms my heart to see you two being so sweet to each other. As an only child, I can only imagine what it would be like to have that kind of a bond.

Of course, as soon as I sneaked in with the camera Claire decided it was time to bust a move outta there, and totally ruined the moment. Oh well. I guess I should start wearing the camera around my neck 24/7!

I love you guys. Be good to one another.

.

Love,

Mama

Is That an Apatosaurus in Your Bed, or are You Just Happy to See Me?

Kids,

The other day I couldn't find you and was very concerned by the lack of noise and chaos. Someday when you are parents you will learn the hard way that silence does not always mean your children are being golden.

.

After searching the upstairs, I heard some rustling coming from the guest room (a.k.a. Grammy's Room). Fearing the worst, I barged in prepared to point fingers and chew butt.

.

One of the other things you will learn as a parent, is that your kids will sometimes surprise you. Instead of a giant mess, turned over plants and broken pictures, I found this - two kids and two dinosaurs in bed, just hanging out. I have to say, I felt a little guilty for thinking such bad thoughts about you guys!

How cute is Claire's "growling" face?

You guys got me this time...

...but I've got my eye on you.

Love,
Mama

The Last Time

Dear Logan,

One day you will be a father, and there may come a time when you grow weary of the sheer, constant neediness that comes with it. At times it seems never ending as one need slowly shifts into another - diapering gives way to constant pants-pulling up and buttons-assisting. Cries for help become demands to "watch this!" and "look at me!" One at a time, all these little moments of need become tiny bits of independence and before too long, you find yourself not so needed anymore.

.

I don't remember the last time I changed your diaper. I don't remember the last time I rocked you to sleep, buckled your seatbelt, brushed your teeth, or put your shoes on. Independence is a sneaky character, stealing you away so slowly it's almost unnoticeable....until I look back and consider all that you've accomplished in your short five years on this Earth.

A few weeks ago you taught yourself how to swing. All by yourself, with no need for me to push-start you or anything. Suddenly there you are, just swinging away.

Like all your other baby steps into adulthood, this newfound talent gave me both a sense of pride and a touch of heartache. Just another thing you don't need me for.

So I hope you can understand as you get older, if you see me clinging to Claire more, rocking her longer, playing with her and holding her more than you remember me doing so with you, it's not because I love her more. It's because I now realize how fleeting these moments of need are. And there's no turning back time.

.

Love you forever,

Mama

Swing is in the Air!

I say this every spring, but man does it feel great to finally be able to be outside again! Especially since this was my first winter staying home with you kids. There were days when this house felt more like a padded cell than a home. (Actually, I think there may have been a few times when a padded cell may have been preferable.) (Love you.) (Mean it.)

Do you know how hard it is to push a swing and then get the camera immediately up for a perfectly centered picture? Next to impossible, I'm tellin' ya.
But, I had to capture the look on your face, even if it did take me 47 shots to do it.

I love that you love being outside.

You do realize you are not allowed to get any bigger, right?

Stay sweet forever. I love you.

Mama

Our Little Graduate

Logan,

Look what a stinker you are! I had to get you all dressed up in a tie this week for school for your kindergarten graduation photo. Of course we chose a tie in "Corgi blue" and you added the pen to your pocket for extra effect. It looks like you are on your way to a lustrous career in accounting just like your dad!

Speaking of dad, I did get in a little trouble for not putting a belt on you. Oops. I thought it was good enough that I got the tie on straight and gave you "cool hair" for the day.
You can stop growing now.

Love you too much,
Mama

Smile for the Camera

Claire,

You are finally learning how to "smile for the camera!"

The other day you gave me your cheesiest grin.

Love you, little girl.

xoxo,

Mama

Claire's Shenanigans

Claire, when you have kids I hope they crack you up as much as you and your brother do me! Of course, all your energy is sometimes a bit misdirected - like on this day when I was trying to dust the bookshelf:

You actually climbed right in there and laid down. It was just about your size! By the time I had gone running for the camera you had fallen out and here you are trying to get back up again. If your childhood memories include living in a very dusty house, I guess you'll know why.

.

But sometimes you're just plain adorable, like on this day when you decided, all by yourself, to change your babydoll's diaper. How sweet were you, laying out the changing pad and getting the bag of wipes out! Just like Mommy does it! You are so sweet.

I love you so, so much, little girl.

Mama

Photo Shoot

From time to time when you are feeling particularly cooperative/hammy/tolerating I like to whip out the camera for a photo shoot. On this particular day you completely stole the spotlight from the baby girl I'm babysitting. Oh well. She wasn't feeling any of those things at the moment so I switched gears.

You are kinda cute when you want to be.

I got a weird angle on this one. It sort of makes your head look like a big balloon hovering over your body. Sorry. I'll try harder...


At first I thought you were flashing me gang signs. Then I realized you were just trying to tell me to "hang loose" and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Love you, stinker.