November '14 - February '15
Personality:
As she wraps up being three, Claire is both sweet and earnest and whiny and demanding. She's silly and goofy. She still has trouble making decisions and is sensitive to correction. She wants to help and to please us. She approaches everything with eagerness. She is a great big sister who loves her siblings wholeheartedly. She shows pretty good patience with them and their need for our attention for an almost 4 year old. She loves her grandparents and spending time with them. She is always very dramatically sad to leave them. One day I told her to think of something happy. She chose her and Grammi.
Her school did a good behavior thing where we could write good deeds on hearts or crosses to be displayed at school. This was right up her alley and made her even more motivated to help. She told me "For doing a good 'fing' I'm going to help you with stuff." I asked her what stuff and she says "all the stuff you do." She did a lot of wiping of cabinets because she liked to use a spray bottle. She made the mistake of cleaning up the whole playroom one day. So any time she later complained "it's too hard, I can't do it," we knew she was full of it! She did a pretty good job of not just shoving everything anywhere.
On the flip side, we get plenty of whining and drama and demanding behavior. Her good manners have flown out the window. "I want, I don't want, Get me, Give me..." We don't put up with that and make her ask nicely but the behavior isn't going away. She sometimes has very big reactions to small things. One morning she was slow as molasses getting out of bed. I headed downstairs with the other two because I didn't have time to wait for her in the bathroom. Minutes later she hasn't come down and I check on her. Hysterical crying because she couldn't find the hand towel to dry her hands. Never mind that there were 3 bath towels hanging up. She agrees to cereal for breakfast but says she doesn't want a big bowl. When shown 2 small bowl options, she shrugs and says "I don't know. Whatever." Like the decision is just too much for her.
We also have a bit of a food issue. She used to be a great eater, gobbling up a bunch of food like Ellie does. But her growth has slowed and she's more aware of the food options out there. So she wants treats all day. Or eats less at dinner and then wants dessert. We are caught in a terrible trap of her asking "how many bites for a treat?" Meaning, how much more dinner do I eat before I can get a treat. And I hate it. I don't want to force her to eat or make her override her own hunger cues. But I also don't want her to ignore a plate full of food and then eat candy or ice cream or a cookie. I haven't arrived at good solution though.
Interests and activities:
She loves, loves TV and movies. For TV she likes Daniel Tiger, Paw Patrol, Super Why, Dora in to the city, and all the Disney Jr stuff of Mickey Mouse/Sofia/Doc McStuffins/Jake and the Neverland Pirates. Her movie interest is still pretty limited to animated stuff.
If she's not engrossed in TV, she likes to keep busy. She loves to get out of the house and do "fun stuff." In the mornings she will ask, "what are we going to do today?" If we are out, she has picked up Jeff's habit of asking "Anywhere else to go while we are out?" She asks it hopefully! She likes eating out and is pretty disappointed with going home for lunch.
She is still enjoying ballet and looking forward to playing soccer again in the spring. She likes baking with me and wants to help when I'm cooking. Which can be hard for me to accommodate since she asks a million questions while I'm trying to not burn dinner! She also likes to tag along with Jeff when he is working in the yard. She's even getting brave enough to tolerate the power tool noise and join him when he's working down in the basement.
Fine motor:
Her fine motor skills are starting to come along. When writing her name she can do C, i, and uppercase E. Her fork use is still pretty sad and she often reverts to using her hands. She still loves practicing cutting. She will independently work on cutting and gluing practice pages for quite a while. She's also finally willing to draw a little on her own. So she will attempt people or shapes.
Language:
She's a little chatterbox. Sometimes she gets going so fast my brain can't even keep up. I'm holding to her remaining language mistakes as long as I can - lello, hupcolder, pant-cakes, sponge-ula (spatula).
A new language development is adding "or what?" to the end of many questions. As in, "Are we having peas with dinner, or what?" Not in a smart aleck way, but in a "what are the other options" kind of way.
Funny conversations:
In the tub, she says she doesn't want to get cleaned up. " I just want to be lazy"
After botanic lights:
Daddy, sing all the songs you know
I counted all the way to twelve-teen
It's a road hole not a pot hole!
Claire: Daniel will be a doctor.
Mama: Maybe. Or maybe you will be
C: No! I don't work.
M: Well, when you are big
C: Mama, girls don't work!
M: Sure they do!
C: But I don't know how to drive to get there!
With a play stethoscope: let's check your heart to see if there is a baby in there.
C: When I'm big I'll have milk in my body (pulls shirt up)
M: Yes when you have a baby
C: But what should I name him?
M: Oh, you'll have to talk to your husband
C: I don't have a husband!
M: When you're bigger you can have a husband
C: Maybe Grammi can be my husband.
No pass tressing
(Talking about taking a Cinderella slipper to school for show and share)
Cinderella is my favorite princess because she never gives up
Tells Jeff not to turn the TV off when show is ending.
J: I didn't do anything. Should I turn you off? Where's your off button?
C: I have zero off buttons. I'm not a remote.
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| Mona Claire - from art night at her school |
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| Drawing a family portrait at Art Night |
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| Singing at Art Night |
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| Appetizers at Thanksgiving |
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| Best attempt at a cute picture |
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| Thanksgiving kid's table with the Schulze family |
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| Daniel has arrived! She likes holding him |
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She got to help Mommy and Daddy pick out
a Christmas tree |
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| Watching the Kennesaw parade |
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| Telling Santa she wants Legos and a teddy bear |
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| School picture with Ellie |
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| School program |
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| She's up there in the second row |
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| Visiting Santa at school |
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| Christmas party at school |
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| Helping with Daniel's first bath |
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| Waiting for cookies to bake |
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| Helping Daddy put out his Christmas gifts |
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| Modeling her Frozen garb from Grammi |
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| Having fun with Daniel |
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| Sliding at the mall with Ellie |
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| Move-a-thon at school |
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Watching the Super Bowl halftime -
She thought Katy Perry was "beautiful!" |
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| Watching a passing train at a friend's birthday |
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| Mmm, frosting! |
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| Playing in a chair fort with Daddy |
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| Looking in the backyard with Ellie |
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| Enjoying the perks of baking |
