Sisterly Love

Sorry I've been gone so long. Hope this makes up for it...

Trick 'r Treat

Halloween night, baby. I got to go out trick or treating with Daddy, and we even brought Paige with for a few houses.

It was great, and I got some candy. Only problem was that there were some spooky houses. In fact, I went down to my friend Taylor and Bailey's house to trick or treat, but when we got there I saw skeletons, spiders, cobwebs and a giant zombie thing. There were these glowing eyes in the windows.

Are you kidding me? For reals? I decided to pass on that one. I'll come back on a normal day.

A Brand New Present

Ever since Paige came 'round, we've been getting a lot of presents. Well, Paige has gotten a few more, but who's counting, right?

Anyway, last weekend we got the best present of all - a new uncle!!

Yup, Auntie Megan got married to Johnny, which makes him Uncle Johnny now. Pretty cool, eh? The ceremony was awesome and Auntie Megan was very pretty.

And on top of all that, we got to stay with our cousins Jack, Ryan and Conor. Those dudes are a blast. It makes me want three brothers at my house. I guess I'll have to wait until Paige gets bigger so we can play.

Taking Care of My Sister

If you ask Daddy, Paige is a lot of work. And I believe him, cuz it seems like she can't do anything by herself.

So what I was thinking was I should lend a helping hand now and then. Unfortunately, I don't know jack about caring for babies.

However, I do have a dolly named Baby Elsie, so I figure I can practice up on her, then be all ready to chip in with Paige.

I dunno, but I think I am ready to go...

Straight Through

Not that I am around to notice or anything, but rumor has it my little sis has a nice little two-night sleeping through the night streak going. Mommy and Daddy are pretty happy about it.

Of course, it did take her long enough. I mean, I was doing it at five and a half weeks, but who's counting, right?

Doctor Visit

Paige had her eight week check-up today.

Everything went well... she is up to 11 lbs. 7 oz., which is in the 75th percentile. (Of course, I was in the 95th percentile, but who's counting).

The only part I was confused about was when the nurse brought in something called "vaccines" for Paige. Daddy took me out of the room for a while, but when I came back she had band-aids on her legs. Pretty ones, too.

The best news is that Daddy said I get to go to the doctor in a few weeks and get some of those pretty band-aids of my own.

While I Was Away

Lots of stuff to bring you up to date on.

First off, Paige and I (and Mommy and Daddy, of course) took a road trip to Indianapolis to see Grandma and Grandpa. It was awesome. We got to see a lot of people, and I got to introduce my little sister to them.

We also got to go to the zoo, which was awesome. And this time the Tiger wasn't in hiding. He was right there for all to see. I even roared at him. Even cooler than that was the dolphin show. They had a HUGE swimming pool with dolphins that jumped and flipped and everything. I need to get a dolphin for my swimming pool.

Then we came back to have a birthday party for Grandpa. Grandma made a cake, and she let me decorate it.

It was lots of fun, but the ride home was even better. Get this, there was a screen that dropped down from the top of the car and showed Elmo videos. It was so amazing I didn't even mind that we had to stop three times for Paige and the trip took eight hours.

After we got home, things kept getting better. Daddy found a tricycle for sale online and we got it. It's great. Old school red and white - really classy.

Now, I did have to give something up for it... my pacifier that I used in bed. I figured it was a good deal. I am two and a half. First couple nights were rough, but its getting better.

I am a big girl, after all.

Smile, Baby

We're back.

Whole lots going on, can't really get into it all here, so I have to just give you the top story. Paige is learning how to smile.

It's pretty cool, really. She's as cute as her older sister (and who is that... oh yeah). Now, when I smile at her, she smiles back.

Check it out...





And just so you know, the days of daily updates maybe be gone for a bit. Being a big sister is a real time suck. But I'm not going away, however. I DO have a little sister to tell you about.

We're Still Here

OK, OK, OK, I know... it's been a while. But go easy on me. It's tough being a big sister. Little babies are a lot of work. I mean, I've got to give her kisses, sing her songs, go get her pacifier for her if she needs it. Shoot, by the time I hit my bed at 8 bells I am wiped.

We're getting along great - even though I'm starting to think she is a little spoiled. I mean, she has been getting a ton of presents lately, out-gifting me by at least a 3-to-1 ratio. And Mommy and Daddy spend LOTS of time with her. In fact, she gets to sleep in their room.

Now, I love my big girl bed, but I would LOVE to sleep in Mommy and Daddy's room sometime. I just imagine it as a perfect oasis of quiet that is just right for sleeping through the night unmolested, which is what I can only assume Paige does every night - never waking or waking anyone else.

She's also got her own tub now, too. First, she just used mine, but that was apparently too hard so Mommy and Daddy have got her a new one...

Showin' the Sis Around

Things have been pretty busy lately. Who knew getting a little baby sister would be so much work, eh? I can't imagine I was anything like this.

So, this weekend I figured I should introduce Paige to some more of her family. We went up to Grandma and Grandpa's house and let her meet Great Grandma and Great Grandpa, a bunch of aunts and uncles and lots of friends.

It was a good time, even though I had to split the attention with Paige. Luckily, though, we get along pretty well.

Showing Their Stripes

We've been getting a little stir-crazy in the house (Paige isn't much of a traveler yet), so Daddy and I took a nice little trip over to Moline to go the Zoo today. For the most part, it was wonderful.

In a perfect world, I would be telling you about how great it was to see the lions, jaguars, leopards, mountain goats, turtles, giant snakes and bears. I could amuse you with stories about how a little bird in the aviary landed on my head (it was HILARIOUS) and how I rode on a Leopard on the carousel. There were wonderful giraffes, wrestling monkeys and cute little bobcats. I even got to pet a goat.

What I DIDN'T get to see, however, was a tiger. Oh, there was a tiger exhibit, but apparently those big kitties were too busy to make an appearance for a little girl who drove over an hour to see them.

Here is a picture of the Tiger exhibit...



And here is a picture of a sad little girl that just wanted to see a Tiger...

Falling Off the Paige

So, for the most part, all is well with the little sister.

Except that her belly button fell off yesterday. I'm not sure if she is still under some kind of warrenty or something, cuz we might want to get that fixed.

Then again, I went through my own bout of baby tummy leprocy back in the day and I ended up OK.

Check Up

There was a check-up at the doctor today, but it wasn't me. It was Paige's turn on the table.

Things went well. She came in at 8 lbs, 1 oz and 20 inches (or so). They were having some epic problems with a new computer system, so we didn't get the percentages. And for some reaseon they had her birth weight listed at 8 lbs 4 oz, instead of the 7 lbs 9 oz they told Mommy and Daddy when she was born.

Between that and the copious amounts of hair she has, I gotta wonder if there wasn't a switcharoo. But then again, she is very well behaved and super cute, so she must be my sister.

Other than all that, the docs said she was perfect.

Like I said, if she is perfect she's GOTTA be my sister.

Cruisin Double Time

Now that Paige has arrived, I was worried that we would have a stroller problem. I mean, there isn't much room in that basket underneath.

But apparently Mommy and Daddy saw this coming, cuz we got some new wheels! They're pretty sweet. I've got a seat right up front, while Paige has a spot to lay down in back. That's good, cuz I like to look around while Paige seems to just like to sleep. In fact, it isn't just the stroller. She's always sleeping.

Anyway, we've taken it out for a walk the last few nights, and I must say it rides like a dream. Can't wait to take a trip around the mall with it.

New Arrival

OK, you aren't going to believe this...

As I mentioned before, Mommy and Daddy had been acting a little wierd lately. Mommy was gaining weight, although she hadn't been eating that much more. They had also been buying all kinds of clothes, but they were waaay too small for me. They were also buying toys that looked kinda boring - I was playing with that kind of stuff when I was a baby.

Anyway, one night during dinner Mommy got a bad tummy ache. It was so bad that Daddy took her to the hospital. Good thing Grandma Sara was there.

So they were gone for a day or so, then all of a sudden Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Rico showed up. The four of us loaded up in the car and drove to the hospital to see Mommy.

And you aren't going to believe what she had with her...

A BABY!!!

Now, I know what you are thinking. After two years of telling you my stories on this blog, I started to run out of material so I took the easy way out and wrote a baby into the script like a bad sit com.

But it's a for-reals baby sister. For me. And we get to take her home on Saturday.

Her name is Paige and she is super cute. I love her tons already, even though she has much more hair than I ever had.

And, of course, if I do run out of material I might have to give you some stories about her.

Fair Enough

The Johnson County Fair is in town, and since we don't have much going on these days Daddy decided to take me. Even better, we called my buddy Sydney and she came along too.

I had never been to a fair before, so I had no idea what to expect. It was mostly awesome. First off, there were all these buildings filled with all kinds of animals you could look at - kinda like the zoo. We saw cows and goats and sheep and chickens and ducks and ponies and bunnies and carnies and horsies.

Then, they have all these rides you can go on - and they don't cost any money!! You just have to give them some tickets. And they sell the tickets right by the rides, so it works out perfect!!

I had never been on a ride before, so I wasn't so sure. But then I overheard Daddy telling Sydney's dad "Oh yeah, that looks REAL safe"... so I figured it would be fine. We went on the carousel first, then headed over to these cars that looked like caterpillars. After that, we went to the jumping castle.

Unfortunately, that ate up all our tickets. So we went over to another part where you could look at tractors that we could ride for free. That was fun too.

Feelin' Groovy

OK, I will admit... last week wasn't the best. I was sick, and I couldn't go play with kids or go to Joanies or anything. Even once I got better, I had to mostly just sit around the house.

Things changed over the weekend, though. First off, my buddies from the band Baby Teeth were playing in town. And, naturally, they stayed at my house. And while the show was a little past my bedtime, the next morning I got to go out for breakfast with the boys and they gave me their new album. It rocks.

Then, on Sunday, Mommy and Daddy took me out to a blueberry farm. It was awesome. You get a bucket and get to go out and pick your own blueberries and put as many as you want in the bucket. That was fun, but then I realized that it was much easier to just pop them in your mouth. So I did that... a lot.

Coolin' Off

Got the fever in the double digits today. I figured that would be great news, and I guess it is, but I just found out I still can't go to Joanies tomorrow because I might get the other kids sick.

The jury is still out on if I can go Friday, but I tell you what. If I don't get to go, Daddy better not take my temp cuz this little girl will be pretty steamed up.

Sick Day

First off, I am feeling better. But even though my temperature is down, Daddy thought we should hang out at home today and take a sick day. Good day for it too, cuz it is raining lots.

Since I had never had a sick day before, Daddy showed me how it was done. Basically, you eat toast and crackers, drink a lot of juice and watch a show called the Price is Right.

I really liked that show because everybody is really happy all the time.

Burnin' Up

I was going to talk about how great the weekend was - we went to TWO parties, went out to eat, had some friends over for dinner and got a NEW CAR.

But, I'm sick.

Got a big fever. Triple digits. Daddy took me to the doctor and she said I have a virus.

However, I'm not going to turn this post into some pity party, so we are going to concentrate on the GOOD things about being sick.

First off, Daddy lets me do pretty much whatever I want. I don't think I've heard the word "no" since the first time he took my temperature. It's like being at Grandma's.

Second, I get control of the remote. I can just tell Daddy what I want to watch and he makes it happen.

Third, I get to eat whatever I want for dinner - no questions asked - and I get to do it downstairs. Tonight I had a plate full of crackers and raspberries while watching horsies on TV. And I got both juice AND milk. Score!!

You gotta look on the bright side.

Checkin' Up

Went to the hospital with Mommy again today. I'm getting a little worried.

Her belly keeps getting swollen. I think she got it from somebody, cuz the doctor keeps talking about some kid that is making her like that.

If I find out what kid is making my Mommy sick, I'm gonna torment it for like 16 years or something.

Class Dismissed

Today was the last day of Kindermusik for the summer. Just when I was getting used to the new class with the new teacher and the new kids, poof. It's done.

But the good news is that Daddy said we can take Kindermusik again in the fall, and it will be with my old class and my old friends and my old teacher. That will be pretty cool. Cuz nothing against this new kids, but they were a little wild.

I'm certainly not going to miss that one kid with the Supercuts-style bowl haircut, the made-up trendy name and the hands-on approach. He's the kind of spoiled punk that makes anxious to get old enough to beat somebody up.

Then again, with a name like "Hazen" I'm sure he'll get beat up plenty without me joining the party.

Weekend Recovery

Whoa... now I know how Daddy felt when he came back from Bonnaroo.

So last weekend we went back to Grandma and Grandpa's house. But it wasn't a normal-type weekend. It seemed like the whole town was partying.

The coolest thing was the parade. It's like all the cars are decorated and stuff, and there are bands and horses and... best of all... they are ALL THROWING YOU CANDY. I'm hoping to go down by the street today and see if any of the cars going past our house will throw me some.

Then there was a big party in the park with food and stuff, but I just wanted to swing.

And, of course, we had to hit the pool. I got to go down the slide, and I got to watch Daddy go down the big slide too. He also went off the high board.

Hopefully I will get my grace and coordination from Mommy.

Once we got home, it was time to recover. I slept all the way til 9:45 this morning. And then had a LOOOONG nap in the afternoon too.

Spellbound

Ooooo.... Aaaahh

Big weekend, eh? Rumor has it there will be barbuques, fireworks, parades, carnival rides, concerts, visits from Grandma and Grandpa.

I'm pretty excited.

I can't believe they are all doing this for Daddy's Birthday.

Fun 'n Games

So I've discoverd a really fun new game. I just made it up and it's all the rage. It's called "Daddy Say Uhhhggg".

The rules are simple. First, have Daddy lay on his back, then you say "Daddy say UHHHGGG" and slam both of your hands on his stomach. And when you do, he says "UHHHGGG".

As you can imagine, it's really fun. Only problem is getting Daddy to play with me. He doesn't seem to want to play anymore, so I have to sneak up on him and break out a spontaneous game.

Peace Man

Daddy brought me a hippie dress from Bonnaroo. Now I'm ready to go with him next year.

But it's weird, as soon as I put it on I felt the urge to dance like this...

Party All the Time

So yesterday was kinda fun. As I have mentioned, I am a bit of a party girl. I am a big fan of cake and all.

Anyway, after lunch Daddy loaded me up in the car instead of taking a nap and we went to Mommy's work. Luckily, there was a party happening for Mommy.

It was really fun. They had cake with frosting that was really tastey.

Then came the presents. Unfortunately, they were for Mommy. Mostly clothes, which is good because she has been getting a little bigger lately and probably needs some new ones. (not that I am judging, mind you, it's just more Mommy to love)

But here is the problem... all the new clothes were really REALLY small. There is no way they would even fit me, let alone Mommy.

I did get a present, too, however. I got a hat and a big butterfly towel to use when I get out of the bath. Or when I just want to look like a butterfly.

Back to School

Yesterday we went back to Kindermusik for the first time in a month and... well... something was really wrong.

First off, all my friends were gone. Mason - nowhere to be found. Cate and Ben - gonzo. Luke - MIA. There were just a bunch of new kids. Now, I'm sure they are all nice, but I don't need any new friends.

Second, there was a new teacher. No Miss Bloom. Some Miss Becky chick. Once again, I'm sure she is fine and all, but I like Miss Bloom.

We didn't sing the right Welcome song. We didn't sing the right Goodbye song. It's like this Miss Becky has never been to Kindermusik or anything.

Needless to say, I wasn't very happy. I just sat in Daddy's lap.

But then, some of the songs were kinda catchy. And we read a new story that was kinda good. Next thing you know, I was dancing a bit. Then singing a little.

But I didn't like it, of course.

Vacation's Over

Well, Daddy has come back from wherever he was at and picked me up from Grandma and Grandpa's house. It was pretty fun.

Got to see lots of peeps. Hit the park, hit the pool, played outside and helped Grandma water the flowers.

During the weekend, we went up to my cousin Dani's graduation party. It was a blast. I got to wear a pretty dress, I got to go swimming in their pool and I got to see all my cousins.

And after all that, when I got home Grandma Sara was at my house. So we have been playing the last few days. It's going to be like two straight weeks of grandmas.

Taking a Vacation

So, the grind of blogging and playing in the backyard has definately been getting to me, so I have decided to blow town and take a much needed vacation.

Now, the problem is what to do with Daddy. Luckily, there is this four-day music festival down in Tennesee that I can send him down to. They have all types of activities to keep him busy... bands, comedians, movies, art and camping.

With him out of the picture, I'm free for a week at Grandma and Grandpas and all it entails... swimming, the park, chalk, big wheels, swings - all that. Rumor has it we might even take a roadie up to my cousin Danielle's graduation.

Score!!

Swimmin' With the Fishies

After Daddy's haircut today, we went to the Fishie Store. Now, instead of just looking, Daddy said we were going to buy some.

It was pretty cool. I saw all kinds of big fishies, but Daddy said no to those. Then I saw some crabs and some frogs, but Daddy said no to those too.

Finally, Daddy showed me where these fishies called "guppies" were. He said these were the perfect ones for us. I agreed, so I picked out a yellow one, a blue one and a red one with all kinds of other colors on it.

So now they live in the little tank in our kitchen. It's pretty cool, really. I can just pull up a chair and watch the fishies whenever I want now.

Farewell Tune

Had my last day of Kindermusik for the semester. Kinda sad, really, cuz I made a lot of good friends in that class.

But the good news is that we went to the library after class to play some more, and Daddy gave some of my classmates our phone number so they can call us up and we can get together and play outside of class.

Can't wait.

Oh... You're Still Here

Yeah, um, Hi. I'm Claire, remember me?

Sorry it has been a while. Things have been pretty crazy around here lately. Last week, I made a trip up to Grandma and Grandpa's house while Daddy went down to see his buddy in Kansas City and go to a concert.

Can you beleive he went to see the Decemberists without me? I LOVE them. My favorite song is The Rake Song... it's all about kids!! You should check it out.

Anyway, so while Daddy was off having fun without me, I went to Grandma and Grandpa's. It was pretty fun, hitting the park and seeing the people and all that.

Only problem is when I get home. It is always awesome to see Mommy and Daddy again, but it always takes me a day or two to remember that they don't think everything I do is precious and praise-worthy. They also don't go for the fussing approach much.

Other than that, all is well. We even have a new addition to the house!! His name is Mike and he works with Mommy. He is a resident, just like Mommy used to be, but he had to sell his house a month before graduation so he had nowhere to live. But now he is living in our basement. I was really excited because I thought he would be bringing his little girl Izzy with, but no dice. She and her Mommy are at their grandparents.

So it is just Mike. That's OK, though. He seems to share really well.

Feelin' Ducky

So yesterday after Kindermusik we decided to have a little picnic. Me and my friends Mason, Cate and Ben went across the way to the Duckie Pond.

It was lots of fun. There were lots of big duckies and baby duckies. There were fishies and even a couple geese. Luckily, we had a big bag of those little crackers you put in soup to throw to them, and they liked them a lot.

Then, after feeding the duckies for a while, it was lunchtime. Luckily, Daddy thought ahead and brought a peanut butter sandwich and some oranges and some juice. It was my first real picnic!!

After lunch, Cate taught me a cool game called Ring Around the Rosie. Basically, you sing and go in a circle, then fall down and laugh really hard.

Party Farms

I know, I know... I always come on here Monday morning and am all like "WHOA, had a big weekend..." But this time, it's really the truest. I had a BIG weekend.

B is for Big.

First off, on Saturday it was my buddy Avery's second birthday, so we went to her house for a party. It rocked. There were kids and chocolate cake and a kitty. Then, when it came to presents, Avery got a bunch. The cool thing is that us other kids didn't have to steal any of them because we got stuff too. We all got to take home a bottle of bubbles and a whole package of sidewalk chalk. SCORE!!


Did I mention the chocolate cake? It was pretty good. Unfortunately it isn't always easy to eat with a fork, so sometimes you have to just pick it up and eat it like an apple.

Anyway, after a morning full of kids and cake, I went home for a quick nap. Then when I got up, Mommy and Daddy packed me in the car again and we went to my buddy Sydney's house for a cookout. She has a ton of jewelry, so I made sure I had a necklace on most of the time. She also has a chalkboard, so I got to draw on that. She also has an older brother, but he was pretty cool.

Then when it came time to eat, I found out that all that was on the grill was salmon. I don't know about you, but I think fishies are for looking at in the aquarium at the Children's Museum, not for eating. But Syd and Nick must have agreed with me, cuz a second later HERE COME THE HOT DOGS. Double Score!!

After all that, I got to eat some ice cream and stay up WAY past my bedtime (I rang in 9 o'clock) it was time to head home and hit the hey. Luckily, the copious amount of sugar I had ingested that day kept me awake the whole car ride home.

So I hit the sack - hard.

When I woke up it was a normal Sunday morning, just hanging out with Mommy and Daddy. Then, around 10:30, we piled in the car and headed out of town to a REAL LIVE FARM! It was crazy. They had sheep and wooly lambs, and I got to pet them. Then there was a pair of horsies and I got to pet them on their nose. I even got to get up and ride for a second, but it was kinda scary so I got down.

They had a puppie and a bunch of kitties, but you couldn't pet the kitties. The puppy couldn't get enough of it, though.

But best of all they had a freaking Llama. Now, I have a book called Is Your Mama a Llama, so I know all about llamas, but apparently this one was there to guard the sheep from coyotes. How cool is that? Anwyay, her name was Ava and she was really nice. She liked being petted and even gave me a kiss!!

Dress Up

Went to the Children's Museum today with my buddy Rosie. It was fun, as always. Hit the grocery store, the ball room, the pizzaria... but then Rosie showed me something that I had not done before.

There is a room that has a stage and stuff for plays. But even better is all the costumes you can put on.

Check me out...

Yoga Bear

Mommy likes to do yoga, so for Mother's Day I got her a book about yoga you can do with your little girl.

It's really fun, and I'm getting really good at it. Check it out...