Claire, 2.5

Claire is at that age where I feel like I should be writing down every third thing she says because it's probably something that is adorable and/or cracking the rest of us up. She's been speaking in sentences for forever and generally maintains running commentary on life and her favorite people in it, which combined with a budding sense of humor, curiosity, and general sweetness, gets you some pretty fabulous results.

For example, tonight, as I was setting her down on the floor in the kitchen before opening the oven door to check on the lasagna, Claire noticed for the first time that I had on black tights (actually, it was the exact outfit from this post from 2008, right down to the tights themselves) and her eyes lit up and she said, "New knees Mama, new knees?!" She crouched down to investigate my new knees at eye-level and reached out to pet them, "Oh, so nice Mama! I like them! New knees?!" I was laughing too hard to give her an answer, but eventually I was able to show her that they were tights and they were removable. As I pulled them back up my legs after half-stripping in the kitchen (turns out it's hard to explain removable knees without a demonstration), she again patted my kneecaps and sighed, "So pretty Mama. New knees."

In other bits of cuteness, all tiny objects are "baby." Tonight at dinner she wanted some of my salad, so I plucked off a piece of feta cheese to stick in her bowl (she'd already eaten all of my tomatoes and carrots; she is a lover of vegetables). She clapped her hands, delighted, and exclaimed, "A baby cheese!" And then she popped it in her mouth and ate it.

Every night at bedtime we tuck each kid in, turn out their light, and close the door. And then through the door I call out, "Night night guys, love you, sleep tight!" And Claire's voice always rings out with, "Love you too Mama! Love you SO MUCH! Sleep tight too!"

She sings and dances. All the time, everywhere. Her current favorite is "Move It, Move It" from Madagascar and she sings it quite loudly with full hip-popping action any time it pops into her mind. Like the aisles of Trader Joe's; our front yard; the bathtub; and nearly every car ride. Other favorites include Jingle Bell Rock, nearly all Beastie Boys songs, and Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show (JP commented the other day after visiting friends and riding in their car, "did you know other parents listen to kid music in the car??" I think he genuinely believed such songs only existed in the sound systems of schools and daycares).

She remains completely accident free and unfazed by things like 4.5 hour car rides. She's been drinking from a regular glass at dinner for months and handles utensils like a pro. She has mannerisms that are uncannily like mine and many more that are entirely here own. She worries about everyone's boo boos and is constantly putting her baby "to nigh night" (face down on the floor with a blanket carefully stretched over its entire body; baby is suffocating, but under a wrinkle-free blanket). She responds with a nod, a little jump, and an "Otay Yandon!" to everything her big brother suggests. She also takes things she knows her big brother holds dear just to hear him squeal. The other day I heard him correcting her use of a particular superhero toy and smiled as I heard her earnest reply, "Atchoo Yandon, atchoo!" (Atchoo = Thank you; one of the few toddlerisms we have left; at this pont, I hate correcting them because soon they will all be gone.) We still don't have any tantrums, but she will burst into tears if you raise your voice at her or even gently correct her in any way. I understand; I was the same, and luckily, she recovers as soon as you can point onto something new.

She is delighted by the holiday trappings and has been using a giant DSW bag my mom left behind from her visit as her "present" to everyone. I have been presented with it several times, and Claire smiles and nods with great excitement as I open it to find new treasures inside (yesterday it was pink blankie and a book about Easter). Her first statement upon seeing me is always, "Mama, hold you!" which means, "pick me up and snuggle me so I can lay my head on your shoulder and sigh in happiness," and even though she's getting heavy, I always do. She is passionate about coloring and playing at the park. She is physically way more adventurous and brave than she should be, but she never seems to fall down enough to learn caution. She wants hugs always, but she wants to put that sock on BY HERSELF. As I wrote in our Christmas letter this year, "she is both fiercely independent and our fiercest and most frequent giver of hugs."

She is our snuggly honey badger bear. She is 2.5. We love her so.