Preschool

Paige started preschool this week at the cutest little school in the world (well, at least in Utah County). I keep saying it's the preschool Pottery Barn and Disneyland would create if the two were to get together and create a preschool. How is my child supposed to want to go to real school after 2 years of this place? So far that's my only regret in choosing it - Paige may never want to grow up and leave. Anyway, here are the pictures:

Ready to go! Can you tell she's excited?


In front of the school.


The tree house in the courtyard.


Miss Erin tying on her "uniform".


Preschool buddies!


Talking about how excited they are.


Getting settled.


Okay, seriously, stop taking pictures and leave. Time to let go.

Despite a few tears right before we left the house and telling me she was a little nervous in the car, Paige really loved her first day at preschool. She told me all about cooking class, playing class, and singing class, how the teacher asked her to use her inside voice (not a surprise), how she knocked down a girl's tower because she didn't like her (?!), and how some kids were fighting. When I asked her which kids were fighting she replied,"Me and Anna!". She came home with two papers from the day, on one of which she had written her name. It was spelled "TTTOOCPO". I asked if she had any O's in her name and she answered,"Oh, I added some 'cause I like O's".

I think she just might have some things to learn! :)

Little sisters are good for lots of things . . .

like modeling your dress up clothes.

Funny Girl

Paige just walked up to me wearing this outfit and said,

"What up, yo?"

Paige, you make me smile.

9 Months

. . . well she will be on Aug. 1st, but we had her well-baby check today, so . . .

Length: 28 inches (75th%ile)
Weight: 18 lbs 3 oz (50th%ile)
Head Circ: 46 cm (95th%ile)

Claire is now army crawling everywhere, usually on the look out for me or the springy door stops. She's is very much a momma's girl these days and it is getting increasingly difficult to get things done if she is awake. She senses when I'm busy, seeks me out, and head-buts my ankles until I pick her up. It's nice to be loved. She can open the doors on the cabinet where we keep the toys, and she has a knack for dumping them all out. She gets up on her knees and crawls a "step" or two that way, but has not quite figured out how to synchronize the movements of her arms and legs and mostly rocks back and forth or launches herself forward. She can go from lying down to sitting up by getting up on her knees and pushing back to get on her bum. She tries to pull herself up but can't get all the way up without help. And she doesn't clap or wave yet, but that's probably because we've relaxed a lot since being first-time parents and rarely, if ever, clap or wave around her. Sad, huh? I've already clapped for her 3 times since realizing this at her dr's appt. this afternoon. Claire inherited my large head, and it looks like it's growing faster than the rest of her. Claire and Paige adore one another. They're all smiles for eachother unless Claire is playing with Paige's things or Paige invades Claire's personal space. Paige loves to play with Claire and to try and teach her things, but she is also a bit rough sometimes. In the interest of self-preservation, Claire has realized that if she yells out I'll come running to make sure she isn't being squashed or contorted, so sometimes she yells out prematurely just to make sure Paige stays at a distance. Paige also knows that I come running if Claire yells out, and so I often hear yelling from Claire accompanied by shushing from Paige. Claire also yells very loudly when she is tired or if I'm not feeding her fast enough. VERY loudly. Like ear-drum splitting loud. It's embarrassing in public. She loves food. She doesn't like everything, but the only thing I can think of that she spat out and refused to eat more of was baby peaches. Too tart, judging from the faces she pulled. But she loved the fresh peaches my grandma served at dinner in Heber last Sunday. Today she snacked on shredded cheese while I was making quesadillas for dinner (fancy, I know) and the whole time she was making "mmmmm, mmmmm, mmmmm" noises. So cute. She still loves to cuddle. She is very sweet and smiley the majority of the time. Strangers frequently comment on her adorable dimple or her blue eyes and her friendliness. But she is really only friendly at a distance. Once they reach out to take her from me, her lower lip starts trembling, her eyes turn red and fill with tears, and they get the stiff-arm to the neck. Unlike her sister, Claire is very grumpy when sick. Paige was kind of passive and sad and cuddly when she wasn't feeling well, but Claire is angry when ill. She whines and yells and writhes and throws herself around, and I kind of get the sense she wants to punch someone. This is fresh in my mind because she has a cold right now and I was up with her squirmy little self for several hours last night while she yelled about not being able to breathe through her nose.

Oh, Claire Ruby, how we love you!

Milestones

(because I haven't written them down yet)

10 weeks - first laugh

4 months - rolls from front to back

6 months - sits up unassisted

6 1/2 months - rolls from back to front

7 months - first tooth

7 months, 1 week - second tooth

8 months, 3 days - army crawls

8 months, 4 days - looks at Ben, says "DADA!", and grins. Daddy grins back, then tears up :)

8 months, 5 days - cries out, "MaaaaMaaaa!" from her crib upon waking up in the morning.

Claire at 8 months

(I am never going to get over that dimple, am I?)

Overheard

Paige may have a bit of a perfectionist streak. She often gets frustrated while coloring or drawing because things don't turn out as she envisioned.

While drawing a picture of the sun this morning she exclaimed,
"UGGGGGH! This crayon is not listening to me!"

Happy Father's Day!

Here is the note which Paige dictated and I wrote on a card to Ben for Father's day:

Dear Daddy,
Happy Father's Day! We love you! Thank you for being a nice daddy to your little girls. My favorite thing to play with you is Prince and Princess when you are the prince and I am the princess and Mommy is the mean queen. Your little girls are sweet. I like to play in the snow with you. We love to eat ice cream. You kiss me. I love eating apples with you. I like to work in the yard with you. You are the best daddy and your breath gets so silly.
love,
Paige (& Claire)