Trick or Treat!

Chris and Grandma snuggling to be sure she was still there when she surprised him as "Bevo Grandma."
We have Big Bird Pops and Bevo Grandma with Mommy and Claire bear. Claire was scared of them so Mommy had to hold her for the picture. She warmed up to the costumes later. Grandma put her regular clothes back on and Pops became Bevo for the rest of the night. We had a dance party and I caught a funny pic!
Off to trick or treat! We tried to make the ladybug keep her antennae on her head but it just wasn't happening...Sorry Mimi!
Charlie TRex!!Bevo Pops, Grandma and TRex Chris hitting the streets...
Our family pic before the trick or treating began...
Bevo Pops and Claire the ladybug
We trick or treated into the night. It was a great time. We look forward to many more years of it!

Funnies from Halloween

Grandma and Pops surprised the grandkids by dressing up as a real, live Bevo and Big Bird. Charlie loved it. Chris loved it, as long as Grandma and Pops had the "Bevo head" and the "Big Bird head" off so he could see their faces and Claire was not too sure about it. I caught a funny moment of Grandma singing "Texas Fight." Listen carefully to Chris...so cute!

Overall, it was a really neat surprise. After some time passed, all the kids LOVED it!! Keep watching and you will realize that Pops changed in to the Bevo costume. Grandma and Pops sang "Texas Fight" again and Charlie T-Rex shows off his "Hook 'Em."

Halloween Carnival 2008!

The boys, Christi, Grandma and Pops joined us to celebrate Claire's Halloween carnival at her school. We had lots of fun! We sang karaoke, threw pennies in jars for play-doh, fished duckies out of the water, climbed around on hay bales and ate hot dogs. It was a neat night for all the kids and Claire enjoyed all the Halloween buzz. I am not sure she really knew what it was all about, but she ran around and had a big time. Charlie was especially fascinated with Spider Man and T-Rex while Chris loved all the pumpkins, fans and the air conditioners at the school. Most of all, it was really neat to watch both boys watch out for Claire making sure she was okay-- feeding her portions of their dinner (and hers), sharing their agua with her and loving on her. They are becoming such close friends and it is great to watch.

The Copycat Game

This past weekend, Claire and Mimi had a blast playing copycat with each other. Mimi would copy whatever Claire was doing and it fascinated Claire. She loved it! She would giggle and do another move for Mimi to copy. They played this game over and over again. Claire had Mimi doing all kinds of fancy moves, and she had Mimi running around all over the floor. Claire would crawl and so would Mimi. Claire would lay down and roll around, so would Mimi. Claire would lay on her back and kick her feet in the air, so would Mimi. You get the idea... Claire just kept saying "mo, mo" (more, more) every time the game ended. I got a big kick out of watching them. It was pretty funny. I turned the camera on when no one was paying attention. I don't think I got the funniest of all the games I watched but it is still pretty sweet.

Keep Austin Weird!

To honor our wonderful city...

She's already in to shoes!

Every chance she gets, Claire loves to get out all of her shoes. She takes them out. We put them on her feet. She parades around. She loves it.

Tonight, Claire put them on Daddy...one by one. Look closely and you will see that Claire got a big kick out of putting shoes in funny places. I think Daddy is wearing a total of five pairs of shoes!? I think Daddy had just as much fun with dress up as Claire did.

The latest and greatest

1. Claire's hair fits in pigtails. Her teachers do it to her hair every day. (It is precious, I might add, but it looks more like horns than pig tails.) I haven't quite worked the courage up to do it myself because, like I said, they look more like horns than pig tails.

2. We were asked by her teachers to bring family pictures so Daren and I rounded up our personal favorites. Her teacher made these beautiful family posters at "toddler eye-level" for each baby to see throughout the day. She told me that Claire sees her pictures and shouts "Mommy!" and laughs hysterically or "Daddy" and laughs hysterically again. That made me so happy.

3. What I love about picking Claire up from school is that I get to feel the importance that I hold in her life tenfold in that moment. She runs towards me, arms open, squealing and laughing in delight, and shouting "Mommy, Mommy." I run to her too screaming her name. It must be the funniest sight for the teacher. To make a long story short, her newest thing to do once she makes her way to me is to give me the biggest hug you could ever receive and a huge, wet kiss. Then she sticks her thumb in her mouth and snuggles up like it is time for bed. We walk like this to my car every day. It melts me like nothing you can ever imagine.

4. The funniest thing lately is that Claire loves to play chase. I chase after her and she squeals, waves her hands in the air and yells "No Mommy." When I catch her we hug, love and laugh a lot. We must have played chase 50 times this afternoon before she looked up at me and said "eat." She is getting to be such a big girl.

5. She talks so much and laughs even more, but I think my personal favorite development is that she loves to love on me. If I say "Claire, give Mommy love," she pats my back or strokes my hair. She gives kisses and hugs. She whispers "Yuh Yoo" (I love you in Claire-talk).

6. She loves, loves, loves her new "puppy." Not only do we have to snuggle with puppy in her "big goo" (big girl) chair but puppy also goes to bed with Claire. You can hear her in her crib from time to time saying "arf." Cracks me up...

7. She loves to brush Mommy and Daddy's hair. She calls her brush a "rush." When you have a chance, make sure you set up an opportunity to watch Claire brush Daddy's hair...funniest experience of my life...every time.

I am so blessed. Great husband. Great daughter. Great family. Great life.

The Pumpkin Patch

Kool-Aid Smile

When Mommy says "Claire, look at Mommy so I can take your picture," Claire gives me this smile. I love it! Do you think she has had some practice taking pictures or what? Or maybe, she is hinting to Mommy to STOP taking so many... Whatever the case, she has the "picture-taking thing" down to a science.

When Mommy was taking this picture, Claire was telling me that she was a "big goo" (Big Girl for those of you who need a "Claire translation").

Green hair and "cheese"

Claire painted at school today. She was supposed to paint her paper. Instead, she painted her hair...GREEN! So in the picture, Mommy is trying to capture the green hair and that Claire now says "cheese" when you take her picture. You have to look really close to see the green hair but you have to trust Mommy that the bath water was green this evening. Funny, funny girl...

Touchdown!

Claire's newest trick (thanks to Pops and Daddy)...

When UT scores, Pops and Daddy yell "Touchdown" and she throws her arms up.

Chris and Claire and "the tickles"

Chris and Claire love to play with each other. The boys are always so, so sweet to Claire. Yesterday, Chris and Claire tickled each other, laughing hysterically. Claire thought it was the greatest thing she ever learned-- she can tickle other people?! Aunt Christi played referee. Watch and see!

Bye bye y'all

Claire spent the night with her Grandma and Pops and came home with a new phrase... "Bye bye y'all!!" Wonder who she is imitating???

Spaghetti Mess

Enough said...

She's very clever

Today, my baby girl has proven to Mommy and Daddy that she is very resourceful and clever when it comes to getting her way. This might pose big problems for us in the future, but for now we will laugh.

Claire goes through phases at daycare where she will not nap. They tell us that she is always quiet and lays on her nap mat like a sweet little girl. Lately, though, this has changed a bit.

A little parental background might help...Daren and I are separately two of the most stubborn people you will ever meet. Combine the stubbornness into one little girl and it might spell trouble for Mommy and Daddy in the future. Okay, back to the story...

Claire isn't taking her nap at daycare. They tell us that they have always been able to say to Claire "stay on your mat" or "keep your bottom on your mat" and that she will lay there during nap time and talk to herself, but atleast she gets rest. (I really wish I could be a fly on the wall during nap time. I can't even imagine this because at home, Claire is a sleeping fool!)

So today, Miss Miriam (Claire's sweet, sweet teacher) tells me that Claire has a new trick. When Miss Miriam tells Claire during nap time to lay down on her mat, she gives Miss Miriam a sh*#-eating grin and walks around the room holding the nap mat against her butt. So you see, she is keeping her bottom on the mat, just like they told her. Yikes...