Organized Crime

On Tuesday, January the twenty-ninth, Clara Grace decided to try out some acrobatics. She gripped the fireplace screen firmly and began her ascent. This was followed by a very loud clang at which point Clara Grace must have been more than a little surprised to find herself staring up at the ceiling. It didn’t take very long for her mommy to make things better and within five minutes, she was back to tapping at the screen experimentally. “No, no!” her mommy said firmly. “Don’t touch.” The lure of adventure was strong though. Finally, after repeated warnings from mommy, Clara Grace relented. She headed for her toy basket and picked up her Baby Tad. Cautiously she stepped close enough to the fireplace to place baby Tad’s hand on the screen.

That Tad can be so bad.

Deductive Reasoning at its Best

When Clara Grace was fifteen months old, she began showing the very first hints of moving away from diapers and toward the potty. Grandma watched her zip around and around the living room with her shopping cart when all at once, she skidded to a halt, announced “Uh oh,” and squatted. That next Saturday morning, Clara Grace sat on the couch with her mommy and daddy proudly stuffing shapes into their appropriate holes in her shape sorter. “What do you think that means when she says ‘uh oh’ and grabs her pants?” Daddy asked curiously. “Hmm,” said mommy and sniffed, “I think it means she needs a new diaper.”

Gifts from the Heart

Clara Grace and her mommy enjoyed an uncharacteristically warm day in the yard on Wednesday, January the eleventh. Clara Grace scoured the yard while Mommy listened to the birdsongs and savored the warm breeze. Every so often, Clara Grace marched triumphantly to mommy’s porch swing and said, “Uhhh!” which her mommy knew to mean “Here!” Eight times, Clara Grace placed a miniature pinecone into her mommy’s hands. “Thank you, for the pinecone” Clara Grace’s mommy said excitedly each time. Her enthusiasm was genuine, for these pinecones represented eight generous treasures born completely of her daughter’s own effort and discovery.

Vocabulary Expansion Continues

More and more words are finding their way into Clara Grace’s vocabulary. On Monday, January, the ninth she said “Good job, bath, ball, sock.”

She's So Grown-Up!

Clara Grace went to a baby shower on Saturday, January the seventh. She watched curiously as all the adults performed the strange ritual of placing an animal cracker somewhere on a prostrate and very pregnant woman. Next, each woman had to take a turn removing one of the crackers with their mouths. Finally Clara Grace could take it no longer, with unexpected determination she burst into the crowd and grabbed for an elephant on the mommy-to-be’s leg. “Oh no!” the other women shouted and blocked her path just in the nick of time. Clara Grace’s mommy picked her up and considered how she might possibly explain that this silly game was grown ups only.

Vocabulary

Words seem to be bubbling out of Clara Grace now. On Monday, January the second, she said car, dog, good, banana, and yum yum. Some words which the little girl chose to emulate, mommy didn’t even realize she said so often, but Clara Grace’s regular repetition of “Cool,” has led mommy to examine her unfortunate hang-up on certain vocabulary from the eighty’s.

Prized Possessions

On Tuesday, January the third, Clara Grace’s friend Ashlyn came for a visit. Both girls played happily while their parents ate and talked. Clara Grace seemed more than pleased to share any of the toys from her abundant stock, any that is, except her pink, bouncing ball. Somewhere midway through dinner, she devised a plan that would allow her to free up her hands for another toy while at the same time keeping her prized treasure safe. She placed the ball on her mommy’s lap and made abundantly clear through grunts and “No, no's” that under no circumstances was mommy to put the ball back on the ground.

Conversational English

Wednesday, January the fourth Clara Grace spoke these words for the very first time: stuck, cup, book, and poop.

Potty Mouth

Clara Grace’s daddy took his turn changing her diaper on the morning of Friday, December the thirtieth. “Here’s your new diaper,” he told his daughter conversationally as he fastened the snaps. “Diber!” Clara Grace said for the first time.

She's Listening

Wednesday, December the twenty-eighth, Clara Grace pushed a rubber frog across her tiny bathtub. “She ate such a good dinner tonight,” her mommy said to her daddy, “maybe she should get a teensy weensy bit of ice cream.” Clara Grace looked up and said to her parents’ amazement, “Teensy teensy.”

Pavlovian Baby

In her short fourteen months, Clara Grace has become familiar with several routines. For example, when her mommy says, “Get your coat,” that also means “We’re going outside.” On the morning of Friday, December the twenty-third, she heard the familiar “Pop!” of the toaster and naturally assumed her blueberry waffle was on the way. She squealed with delight and was so overcome with joy that she flung the soggy cracker she’d been munching into her Daddy’s cup of coffee.

Big Shoes to Fill

Clara Grace played dress-up for the first time on Thursday, December the twenty-second. She set her mommy’s boot down with a clunk, and then proceeded to place her entire foot, shoe and all inside. She seemed pleased with the boot, even though it swallowed her whole leg and made walking extremely awkward.

It Could be Worse

On Wednesday, December the twenty-first, Clara Grace’s Aunt Amy took her to the aquarium. She watched as Clara Grace splashed her hands playfully in the pool of petable stingrays and bamboo sharks. When an unsuspecting ray glided near, Clara Grace stretched out her hand. On touching its silky skin, Clara Grace drew back with a surprised, “Ooooo!”

And She Sits in the Back Row, Too

Clara Grace’s mommy and nana went out for lunch at the Chinese restaurant on Monday, December the twelfth. Nana was so intrigued by Clara Grace’s folded hands, that she had to peek during mommy’s prayer. Clara Grace unclasped her hands until the familiar phrase, “In Jesus’ name…” Nana reported that the little girl’s tiny hands were refolded just in time for the Amen and opening of eyes.

Mutual Bye Bye's

On Saturday, December the tenth, Clara Grace’s daddy was shocked to hear his little girl repeat “Bye, bye" right in his arms. He promptly began a game of entering the living room and greeting the visiting Paulson family. Then he left with a very loud “Bye, bye,” which Clara Grace happily repeated time after time.

Partners in Crime

Clara Grace followed her cousin Peter away from the noisy Paulson crowd assembled in her mommy and daddy’s living room and into her nursery on Friday, December the ninth. Her daddy peeked around the door in time to watch Clara Grace reach into her diaper holder and withdraw one of the freshly laundered pampers for Peter and one for herself. She then went about showing him how to join in her favorite game of strewing the diapers around the room in all sorts of hard to discover places. Each time she went to the bag, she took two diapers and only went for more until she was satisfied both hers and Peter’s had been adequately distributed about the room.

A Star is Born

Sunday morning, November the twenty-seventh, Clara Grace’s mommy admired her daughter’s frilly Sunday dress as they danced to a Carter’s tune. “Daddy will shoe my pretty little feet, and mama will glove my hand,” she sang. And then, as if Clara Grace had just unlocked the secrets of song, she joined her mommy in a clear high pitched, melody which flowed first up and then down.

Everyday Math

Clara Grace didn’t show much excitement over turkey and cranberries on her second Thanksgiving; however, the ice cream for dessert was a true cause for rejoicing and thankfulness. Daddy fed her bites from her abundant bowl and then snuck one for himself. “I think she has mastered the concept of subtraction,” her daddy announced as Clara Grace waved her arms emphatically and indignantly grunted for daddy to stop digging into her supply.

Ukulele Baby

Clara Grace’s daddy watched proudly on the afternoon of Friday, November the twenty-fifth, as Clara Grace held his ukulele correctly and strummed properly with her right thumb.

Maybe She'll be in Shoe Sales

During the month of November, Clara Grace began several new morning rituals. First, in an extremely helpful way, she always delivered mommy and daddy their shoes at the first signs that they were getting dressed. She ran into the bedroom, dove under the bed and reappeared holding an enormous shoe with both hands. “Shoe,” she would say and lift it to her thankful parents. She always delivered both shoes and never once delivered daddy’s shoes to mommy or vice versa.