Saturday Driveway Fun

Our days of spending time outside are numbered, it’s definitely fall and the weather is getting cooler.  That said, the cooler weather doesn’t seem to bother Clare, she always wants to be outside.  Today we spent some time outside instead of napping; she refused to nap all day!

Clare has been enjoying playing with her Dada’s pail, it’s too bad there aren’t any pecans to pick up. She did have fun putting leaves and rocks in it, and then dumping them out.

Another thing Clare likes to do in the front yard is go night night in Jeff’s sleeping bag.  She has fun climbing in and out of the sleeping bag and pretending to go to sleep.  I wonder if she’d really sleep in a sleeping bag, we may have to find out next week when we’re in Missouri. 

Where's Dada???

There he is!!

With all of our worldly possession stacked up in the garage Clare has been having fun pulling things off the shelf, or pile, and playing with them.  Today it was Jeff’s softball shoes that looked like the most fun.

 

I don't mind that she pulls things off the shelf because she typically puts the things back, today she put everything she played with back before playing with something else, pretty impressive. 

Clare also had fun checking out Mama’s new car.  So far I think she likes riding in it, the back seats recline, giving her a little bit more leg room while she’s still sitting rear facing for a few more months.  

Another fun thing to do is chase Kai around the yard.  I wish you could hear her laughing, she thought it was hysterical!!

As much as I enjoy cooler weather I will miss our afternoons outside as the temperature drops.  I suppose we’ll have to find things to do inside, or maybe I’ll invest in a snow suit so she can play outside, I might even get one for her too! 

Pumpkin Patch

This morning Clare and I met with Ann the photographer at Hudson Gardens for a few pictures.  While we waited for our appointment Clare and I walked around the pumpkin patch, Clare had fun showing Bitty Baby the pumpkins. 

18 Month Check Up

Clare had her 18-Month check up on her 18-month birthday.  Unfortunately Jeff wasn’t able to join us, but luckily there weren’t too many shots involved and we got thru it on our own.  Jeff was able to join us for lunch after, Clare was very happy to see him.

We didn’t get to see Dr. Dan this visit, instead we saw Clare the NP. The moment we got back to room 6 and I started getting Clare undressed she got upset; she knew what was coming.  We headed over to the scale and met our nurse Diana for the official weigh in.  At 18 months exactly Clare weighed in at 27lbs 7oz and is 33 inches tall with a 49.1 cm head.  Clare wasn’t thrilled about sitting on the scale or stretching out on the table, but she survived with the help of Bunny. 

NP Clare finally came in the room and said she wanted the nurse to weigh her again, they wanted to double check since she’d gained 5lbs since her last visit.  Sure enough, the scale said the same thing; I guess her finally drinking milk paid off!  NP Clare wasn’t worried about her weight gain, more surprised.  She was also pleasantly surprised by Clare’s overall health, said that she was doing perfectly and had no concerns. 

She checked her eyes and asked if we had noticed if her eyes weren’t tracking or if she was having any difficulty seeing, I chuckled and said no, that we would notice something like that and frankly she probably had better eye sight than either Jeff or myself.  She gave me a curious look and I explained that I’ve had 4 lazy eye correction surgeries and Jeff has had both corneas replaced.  She seemed impressed, not sure if it was in a good way or not, but suggested that maybe we’d want to get Clare’s eyes checked before the age of 2.  She went on to explain that normally they don’t suggest eye exams for kids of her age but with our impressive history we should just make sure things are developing normally.  So, off to the eye Dr. we’ll go.  I wonder if there will be a dancing monkey with cymbals at the end of the room for her to watch, Dr. Rodgers did. 

We talked about her development and I answered a questionnaire about how Clare interacts; does she pretend play, does she show us things, does she point purposefully at objects, does she respond to her name, does she get startled by loud noises and other stuff like that, thankfully she passed with flying colors.  NP Clare asked how many words she knew, and was pleasantly surprised to hear that we had a list of 89 that she regularly says but we're thinking it she says more like 100.  The pamphlet we received at the end of the visit says that kids this age should have a vocabulary of six words; looks like we have a talker on our hands.  

The entire time that NP Clare and I were talking Clare was sitting in the chair next to me, playing with Bunny, looking at a book and taking occasional sips of water.  NP Clare commented on how well she was sitting there quietly and that we probably didn’t have any disciplinary concerns.   I hope that her behavior during the visit continues, hearing that other people think she’s well behaved makes me happy.

Overall NP Clare was happy with how Clare is doing and had no concerns.  We talked a little bit about her skin and it looks like she’s just liker her Mama and has eczema.  NP Clare did mention that many kids grow out of the eczema by age 2 or 3, frankly I don’t have my hopes up too high, I’m still waiting to ‘grow out of it’; I just hope she doesn’t have the same issues I’ve had with her skin. 

Thankfully, we don’t have to go back until her 2 year well visit, I’d prefer to only visit Dr. Dan and NP Clare when we’re well, but knowing they are there just in case is great peace of mind.  I like both Dr. Dan and NP Clare a lot, I’m so happy to have found them, I think they are a great fit for our parenting style and I have full faith in them.  Plus, hearing that Clare is perfect is always music to my ears and hearing it from medical professionals just makes it all that much better.

Cuteness Overload!!

Have you ever seen anyone as cute as my little girl????

I decided Clare needed some house shoes, when I saw these bunny slippers I knew they were it.  Clare loves her bunnies, she keeps pointing at her feet and saying ‘Bunny!’  Oh, and her dress, that’s pretty darn cute also, another new one from Hanna.  

Clare didn't take a nap today, Karen said she spent the entire time just jabbering away.  Not napping all day made for a tired Clare when she got home, relaxing and reading a book with Dada was a perfect activity for the evening. 

Lions say 'ROAR!'

Fortunately her Bunnies aren't too big to fit in Dada's shoes. 

Don't you wish they came in your size?

Smokin'

Jeff got a new toy, a 7-in-1 smoker.  He’s been using the camping grill for the last few years and had tossed around the idea of buying a new grill but just hadn’t pulled the trigger.  Well, today he took his new smoker for a test drive.  

Appropriately, Clare was the recipient of the inaugural smoked sausage. 

Clare picked out her dress today, a little early for a Christmas dress but who cares when you're this cute.

Why?

I sometimes wonder why I keep blogging. Why spend the time, sometimes hours, writing down every detail of what’s going on and what Clare is doing.  Why do I labor over what to write, why do I type it all in Word first (and still find typos!), why do I feel the need to share and often-over share about our lives.  Why do I get worked up over how many posts I can post during a month, why do I constantly try and beat my previous months record?  Similarly, why do I constantly check the blog view totals to see how many people have read the blog? Why don’t I just start keeping a scrapbook, or a keepsake box, why don’t I just close down this little website and spend the time I worry about it on other things.

Because.

I write this blog for Clare, simple as that.   I sometimes spend hours writing an entry, editing it (even if you can’t tell) and attaching pictures, I do it all for her.  I want Clare to have a baby book, something she can look back on and read and know what was going on in her daily life.  I want her to have a keepsake that nobody else has.  Sure, I could start a scrapbook, but that would require me to be crafty which I’m not particularly. I have a keepsake box, or Rubbermaid bin as the case may be, of things I want to keep for her; her hospital bracelet, her first plane ticket, her first left shoe (Jeff lost the right one) and other little things that probably have no value to anyone other than her Mother. 

I write this blog so that I can remember what’s going on and how Clare has grown.  It’s true what they say; blink and you’ll miss something.  Just today we were walking thru the mall and I saw a 6-month old baby and it struck me that holy moly, Clare was that tiny once a million moons ago.  I want to be able to look back years from now and read about what she did on her trip to Ohio, or about her first visit to the zoo, those are things I’ll want to remember.  I have a pretty good memory, I can recall images fairly well, but I want to know what was going on behind those images, how I was feeling, what she was saying, the funny comments Jeff makes about us and all 1000 words that go with each picture. 

So why do I feel the need to justify why I’m writing this blog?  Because sometimes I forget the real reasons why I’m doing it.  I get wrapped up in the post counts or the number of views, and even more so the lack of comments, I’m always wondering if anyone is reading this silly little web site.  Sure, I know my parents read it more than they do the daily newspaper, but is anyone really interested?  Am I spending these hours typing for no reason, just for me to read someday when I’m old and missing my little girl who’s all grown up? 

No, I’m writing this for Clare, and only Clare.  So, if days go by with no posts it’s because I’m busy being with her, we’re busying be three Sweet’s.  I sometimes need a reality check, a reminder why I’m doing this.  I’m not trying to win a Mommy Blog contest, or compete with another Mother on how many words my child can say.  I’m doing this for Clare. 

While in Ohio I talked to my sister about scrapbooks and the like, I wondered how she did it with two kids; nobody is busier than Sarah in my mind.  She gave a half chuckle and said she made one photo book and the kids could fight over it when they were older.  She creates photo books once a year and adds all sorts of captions and notes about what they were doing and who their family was at that particular time.  I like the idea of there being an actual book; maybe I’ll start doing that.  Maybe I’ll make the blog into a scrapbook of sorts, that way should the Internet die someday and we all move back to paper and pencil I won’t be out of all my written memories.  Yea, I think I will, I think I’ll start doing this ‘old school’ style and have it on actual paper.  What do you think? Suppose anyone would read it then?

O - H- I -O!!!

Last week we took our annual trip to Ohio.  Jeff hasn’t fallen in love with Ohio just yet, he claims he’s never seen the sun in Ohio and it’s always cold when he’s there.  This trip didn’t disappoint, it was cold, rainy and the sun only came out for our last day.  Clare and I didn’t let the weather get us down; we had a blast.

We flew in on Wednesday evening; Tia was there to pick us up in her pretty new CRV and was happy to see us.  We loaded the car in record speed and were out of the pick up lane in just a few minutes.  It wasn’t until we were a good 15 minutes away that I realized we’d left the Pack-N-Play at the airport, whoops, sorry Tia!  Clare was a trooper, she did exceptionally well on the plane, she had her own seat, and didn’t fuss at all.  I was armed with new toys, snacks, Bunny, an iPad full of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and more snacks. 

Our final destination was Sarah’s house, everyone was tucked in their beds, but they kindly left the door unlocked for us.  Only 4 trips from the car to the door and we were ‘home’.  Jeff set up the PNP while I got Clare ready for bed, she was out in no time, it was late!  After searching the basement for the aerobed and scrounging the kitchen for some dinner we headed to bed, we knew Maggie and Jack would be up early to play.

I knew Maggie and Jack would be up early, which of course meant I couldn’t sleep.  It turned out to be a good thing as Clare started throwing up at about 5:00am; her poor tummy must have been so upset.  I am forever grateful for my sister’s washing machine, nothing like starting a load of sheets at 5:00am.  Clare finally fell back asleep with Jeff on his air mattress and I ‘slept’ some until I heard everyone in the living room, the fun was about to begin.

Thursday was an extra special day, Maggie was off of school, Sarah ended up not having to work, Jack stayed home and Grammy came up (she was there to stay with Maggie, but Sarah ended up having the day off at the last minute), it was a regular party!!  Clare woke up and immediately started playing with her cousins; she didn’t even want breakfast. 

Maggie and Jack were happy to share their toys and show Clare all the neat stuff.  Clare was especially interested in Jack’s Lego’s and Maggie’s American Girl Dolls.  Jack seemed interested by Clare’s LeapTop computer, Maggie was quick to get dressed just like her Maggie doll, they have the same outfit!  Mom, Sarah and I just enjoyed chatting and watching the kids; it was a wonderful morning. 

After playing for an hour or two Clare was clearly still tired, she found a spot on the dining room floor and laid down for a nap, poor girl was worn out!  I moved her into the room where Jeff was still sleeping, it wasn’t long after she fell asleep that she woke up and threw up all over the bed, so much for feeling better.  Another load of wash was started while everyone else ventured out to the park at HB.  I took the quiet moment to take a shower and clean up a bit, it’s amazing the mess three kids can make in such a short amount of time.  Before long everyone was back with Chick-Fil-A for lunch.   After lunch was more playing and a trip to the mall for Mom, Tia and myself, we girls love to shop!  When we got home Clare had just gotten up from her nap and was eating a few nuggets, she wasn’t much interested in lunch, she wanted to play!! 

Later in the afternoon Maggie and Jack wanted to play outside, and Clare always wants to be outside so out we went.  Jeff was happy to pitch the ball to anyone that wanted a chance at bat; Maggie is quite the hitter!!  Jack also did a great job, he’s working on his timing, it’s hard to watch the ball and swing at the right time.  Clare was good about cheering everyone on and staying out of the way.  I suggested to Sarah that maybe we could walk to the bread store, the moment that was said the bat was dropped and we were on our way, they never turn up the opportunity for a cookie!  I can’t imagine having a delicious bakery within walking distance; I’d have a hard time not walking for a cookie everyday!  

Maggie and Jack have their very own swing set in their backyard, how cool is that!!!

Clare was a tired little girl after her cookie.  

Clare enjoyed her cookie, as did Maggie and Jack.  It was nice to get out of the house and go for a walk, even if it was cool and drizzly.  Of course, when we got back Maggie and Jack wanted a little more batting practice, Jeff was happy to pitch, good thing since both Sarah and I aren’t all that great when it comes to pitching.  Maggie then had the idea to rider her bike to the park at HB, Jack didn’t want to go so Sarah and Maggie set off while Jack and I patrolled the front, making sure that anyone walking by the house knew this was his Bat Cave and nobody was getting thru him!  Paul was able to break thru and enter, but only because he was in a car bigger than Jack’s big wheel.  At this point Clare was on her second nap, she was clearly exhausted from traveling. 

Aunt Sarah taught Clare how to use the microwave, she was fascinated by it being on her level. 

Dinner was Thai for the adults and Mac-n-Cheese for the kids, buttered noodles for Maggie actually.  Clare loved being part of the big kids, she loved sitting at the little table and chairs, something she’d never done before, and now we know why.  I’d been thinking maybe I’d get rid of the high chair and set up a small table and chairs for her, this test run indicated to me that we need to wait on this idea, she had more fun climbing in and out of the chair than eating.  After dinner was bedtime for the kids, the adults weren’t far behind. 

Tia, Peter and Gracie joined us for dinner on Thursday evening; it was nice to see them.  Gracie was happy to talk field hockey and Tia enjoyed batting clean up on the Mac-n-cheese, Peter had to leave early in order to get his workout in, something we probably could have all benefited from, maybe he exercised for me a little.  After dinner I went with Tia back to her house, she was graciously going to let us use her car on Friday since everyone had to work and walking to the Rapid wasn’t really an option.   Going to Tia’s house is always fun, she always has good catalogs and mail to read and something interesting to look at, this trip was no different.  Gracie was busy preparing for a field hockey dinner she was hosting on Friday, her cupcakes looked delicious!  Margaret also came home from class while I was there, seeing her was nice, I haven’t seen her since Mary’s wedding two years ago! 

Friday everyone had to go back to school and work, so we three Sweet’s were on our own.  We slept in late; Clare slept till 8:45, and played with all of Maggie and Jack’s toys since it was rainy and cold.  I had the idea of visiting the Children’s museum, but someone fell asleep in the car on the way to Giant Eagle so we headed back home for a nap.  Jeff and I watched daytime TV while Clare napped, I finally announced at 1:30 that I was going to go crazy if we didn’t do something, so off to Yours Truly for lunch we went.  Clare loved the train table; she had fun pushing the trains over the bridge while she waited for her lunch.  After lunch we headed over to Play Matters to see if maybe they had some clothes for Bitty Baby or any other toys we couldn’t live without, only a finger puppet cow came home with us, although she was very upset to leave the grocery cart there.

Why don't more restaurants have train tables for kids to play while waiting for their food or their parents eat?

I bet you can guess what happened when we got back home, yup, Clare took a nap.  So, more cleaning up, iPad playing and daytime TV watching went on, thankfully it wasn’t long before Maggie and Jack came home from school.  Clare woke up to play; she didn’t want to miss a minute with her cousins. 

Dinner was laid back, soup for Jack and noodles for Maggie and Clare.  We adults had the best dinner, a lamb burger, steak tenderloins and lobster Mac-n-cheese from some hip place over by Case; it was awesome!  Per usual, we all stayed up chatting long past bedtime, it was wonderful.  Paul and Sarah finally announced they were going to bed, only for Sarah to remember the Estrada that needed to be made for tomorrow when she had a house full of friends coming!  After she whipped up a quick dish for her Saturday guests she was off to bed while Jeff and I stayed up and watched some TV, going to bed at 8:00 Denver time is just too early for us. 

Maggie and Jack had fun showing Clare all about the tunnel, Jack was more than happy to crawl thru trying to get Clare to follow him. 

Saturday was Jeff’s main focus on the trip; he and I were headed to the Buckeye football game.  Jeff doesn’t mind visiting Ohio; he just likes to ‘do’ something while we’re there.  So, while I made Pumpkin Blondie’s with Maggie and Jack he ventured out with Paul to pick up a rental car. 

Clare was going to spend the day with Sarah, Maggie and Jack had skating lessons and a birthday party, so Clare was going to hang with Sarah and play with Finn, Charlie, Charlie’s little brother, Julia, and Elizabeth and their parents (I told you she had a house full of people coming to visit) while Jeff and I cheered on the Bucks.  Clare went down for a morning nap and we left while we could, I knew she would be fine and wasn’t worried at all.  My parents were headed up to Cleveland to pick up Clare and bring her to Columbus where we would all meet for dinner after the game and stay at the same hotel.  Clare was a champ, she woke up and happily ate Estrada and played with everyone, she didn’t miss us at all.  Grammy and Grampy arrived to a house full of people and eventually left with Clare just in time for her to take another nap, she slept the entire way to Columbus!!

The Buckeyes didn’t play very well, and it was rainy and cold, but we still had fun.  We made it to Columbus in time for some lunch at the Rusty Bucket and a quick stop at the Buckeye Corner for some rain ponchos before parking on West Campus and catching a bus to the Shoe.

Going to a Buckeye game at the Shoe is a real experience, if you’ve never been and have the opportunity I highly recommend it, it’s unlike any sporting event I’ve been to.  The moment we hit campus you could feel the energy in the air, everywhere you look people are wearing scarlet and grey, the fight song is playing thru someone’s car stereo, tailgates are aplenty, no matter the weather people are out enjoying what is Ohio State Football.  We made our way to the Shoe and entered what we thought was a gate close to our seats, it turned out we were on the opposite side of the stadium, so we walked all the way around the stadium to our seats.  When we finally reached our seats, B deck, section 26 row 6 seats 29 and 28, we were pleasantly surprised that they were both covered and we didn’t have seat mates, we liked to stretch out.  We got settled in our seats just in time to watch TBDBITL (The Best Damn Band in the Land) take the field.  The band alone is an experience, it’s the largest all brass band in the country, they really are TBDBITL.  After script Ohio and Carmen Ohio the Buckeyes took the field, this was the only time they ‘took’ the field. Despite their not playing well we enjoyed the game.  Jeff enjoyed watching the game while I did more people watching than football watching, we both enjoyed Coke’s in our new plastic cups and stayed nice and dry while everyone else got rained on.  We ended up leaving early, the Bucks weren’t playing very well and we wanted to beat the rush back to west campus.  On our way out of the stadium we heard the Bucks score another touch down, oh well.  Our record at OSU games is 0-2.

The bus ride back to the car was quick; we beat the rush thankfully.  When we reached the car I got a text from Mom saying that they had just arrived at the hotel and were ready for dinner when we got there, perfect timing!  Clare had slept all but a few minutes of the trip; she’s such a good little girl.  I had anticipated Clare being excited to see us; after all she’d spent the day with everyone else.  When we walked in the hotel lobby she was happily playing with Grampy and hardly said hi before going back to playing.  Oh well, I’m glad she didn’t miss us.   We did a quick diaper change and headed off to the Red Lobster for some dinner. 

Sunday Clare and I got up early and met Grammy and Grampy in the hotel lobby for some breakfast with what seemed like everyone else in the hotel.  Clare enjoyed some yogurt and a chocolate muffin while I had some fruit.  Clare then headed off to their room for some cartoons while I took a shower and got ready for our day.  Grampy then took his shower while we ladies went shopping; it’s what we do best.  Clare loves a visit to Target and never passes up a trip.  Grammy and I had fun shopping and chatting; we picked up a few things and then headed to Starbucks for some coffee. 

By the time we got back to the hotel it was time to pack up and head to Grandma’s for lunch.  Sarah, Maggie, Jack and Tia came down from Cleveland to meet us for lunch at Grandma’s place.  Grandma was happy to see everyone and enjoyed watching the kids play.  After visiting in the lobby we made our way to the dining room where we made quite the entrance, it’s hard to take 7 adults and 3 kids anywhere and just slip in the back.  We found our table and made ourselves at home, Maggie and Jack could hardly wait to get to the buffet! 

Grammy brought a sewing project for Maggie, everyone was interested in what Grammy was doing. 

Maggie had a carrier for her Maggie, Clare was in awe.

Thank goodness for the iPhone, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse was a hit and kept those under 7 happy while we grown folk talked and finished eating.

Once we were full of French toast sticks, fruit and dessert we headed up to Grandma’s apartment.  Grammy was prepared with some Halloween decorations for Maggie and Jack to put up, Halloween tattoos and glow wands for everyone.  Maggie read a bit for Grandma and Jack showed us all how to use Clare’s LeapTop.  Clare enjoyed running around and checking everything out, she loved looking at all the pictures and pointing out Mama and Dada in the ones she saw.  

Clare had fun wearing Maggie's shoes. 

Jack showing off his new tattoos. 

Maggie put a tattoo on her foot, but it came off after she put her sock on. 

Clare kept climbing up onto Grandma's footrest and putting her head down for a nap, she was tired!

Maggie and Jack also brought their bikes with them, we all headed outside to watch them ride around the walking path in front of Grandma’s building.  Before they got too busy we took a few pictures, of course none of them have everyone looking at the camera.  As you can see Clare was pretty tired and in need of a nap, so we headed out for a car nap and some shopping while others played and said their goodbyes. 

We spent the afternoon letting Clare nap in the car while I went into the best Buckeye shop on campus where I loaded up on gear for the next year.  Jeff stayed in the car and then went in after I came back, he only came out with a hat, I guess he thinks he has enough scarlet and grey, hmph. 

Clare woke up form her nap and we decided to hit the park.  One drawback to being in a town you don’t live in is that you don’t know where everything is, the nearest park I knew of was back in UA, and so Northam Park it was.  It was a beautiful fall afternoon, perfect for playing outside.  The park was busy with peewee football and kids playing, Clare did a good job of watching the other kids and waiting her turn for the swing. 

This frog has been at this park for at least 15 years, maybe longer. 

Maybe my new favorite picture.

The pool in the background is where it all started 15 years ago, I spent more hours watching that pool than I can imagine, little did I know it was just the beginning.

After the park we drove over to Easton for dinner before heading to the hotel for the night.  Our flight home was at 6am, so we decided to stay close to the airport, this way we were also able to return the rental car the night before.  We learned on this trip that Clare HATES the PNP, she screamed bloody murder the moment we put her in there.  She did eventually fall asleep on the bed with Jeff while I took the car back.

The flight home was uneventful as well; again we had a free seat for Clare, which was perfect for her napping.  We finally arrived in Denver at 7:30am, got our luggage, waited for the shuttle, gathered the dog and headed for home.  When we got home we had to turn around and go out to breakfast, someone had scheduled a showing at 9am.  After breakfast both Clare and Jeff took naps, I started laundry and cleaned, it was rather nice. 

All in all it was a long week, but filled with lots of fun and memories.  I like going back to Ohio, it’s home and always will be.  I miss being with my family and love the days when we can be together; Thursday was an extra treat.  The game was fun even if they didn’t win.  Seeing Grandma was nice, I wish we were able to visit more than once a year.  Clare had a blast with her cousins; I can’t wait to see them all together at Thanksgiving.  Jeff survived another trip to Ohio; we even saw the sun!