A Train, a Zoo, and a Lane

Last Friday night we headed to a local Christmas tree farm (that doubles as a pumpkin patch in the fall) for pajama night. They have a little steam train and the night involved unlimited rides on the train. Clarita loves trains and was in heaven. We dressed in our pjs and met Tia Alyssa, Tio Ney, Tristan, and Teegee there. Clara did not have any shoes big enough to go over her pjs so we carried her most of the night.

We went on the train four times and Clarita whined each time we had to get off and said, "tren tren, more." She had fun listening to the Christmas music and playing with Tristan and Teegee. She also ate a cookie (since Tia Laurie had already fed her one earlier in the day) and tasted hot chocolate. It was a very fun night and I think Clara is even more obsessed with trains now!

On Saturday we hit the zoo for zoo lights. Dada, Fafa, and I had gone snowboarding during the day and Clara spent it with Tio Robert and Tia Erika. Tia Laurie, Tio Chino, and Bailey picked us up and we picked Clara up on the way. She was very excited that she got to ride in Tia's car and sit next to Bailey and watch Dada who was in the back seat.

The zoo was decorated in tons of lights and Clarita loved it. She loves lights and says, "luces" and the colors/desings she sees. If she sees a lit up cross she says "Amen!" Bailey slept the entire time at the zoo but Clara ran around exclaiming over the lights and requesting to "see amals." She surprised us all by correctly leading the way to the elephants. Apparently her memory is better than we thought! She really loved the reptile house and hissed at all the snakes. She was super enthralled with the aquariums and spent a long time looking at the fish.

Tuesday los Tios picked us up in the mini van and we headed to Christmas Tree Lane. We started with dinner at Chiptole and after changing diapers we headed out. Clara was very excited and exclaimed over the luces and Santa Clauses, pinguinos, and snowmen. Bailey slept dreaming of the fun she will have next year! Although it wasn't too cold, Clara managed to pour her entire water bottle on her on the way to dinner. Since she was soaking wet I put her in her pajamas which weren't super warm. By the end of the walk her little hands were freezing, but she didn't seem to mind.

Pinguinos!

Winner of Christmas Light Fight

Clara fell asleep on the way home and we decided to stop at the McClarty's to see some friends who were in town for Christmas. Clara woke up and since Reedcito was not actually sleeping, he got up and the two had fun playing together. Despite both being overdue for sleep, they played together very well and the only crying ensued when Reedcito had to go to bed and Clara overhead Sarah say that she was going to leave soon and go to sleep. My favorite part of the night was Clara's and Reed's dance party and Reedcito's rendition of yoga which included "downward frog!" We didn't get home until after 11:00, but Clarita was a trooper. I think she was practicing for New Year's Eve!

Fishing

Are You Ready For Some Football?

On Sunday we took Clarita to her first professional football game (because our weekend wasn't busy enough). By extremely random coincidence Dada and Tio Robert both declare that their favorite football team is the Buffalo Bills. It's probably the football team the farthest away from us and neither of them had ever been to a game. Luckily for them the Bills just happened to be in Oakland playing the Raiders so we made a day out of it.

We left at 6:15 and picked up los Tios. We stopped for breakfast along the way where the nice Quiznos worker gave Clarita a cookie. There was no way she was giving it up without a fight so I figured, what the heck Tia Laurie already ruined her by giving her a cookie, and it sounds like a very nutritional breakfast and I ate half and gave her the other half! Clara was great on the trip up playing with Tia Erika and I.

Cookies for breakfast!

We got to the stadium around 10:00 and set up to tailgate. Now Raiders fans are  known for being rude and rowdy (and you know starting fights with opposing teams) so we weren't sure how well our Bills gear would go over. Turns out the fans have gotten better (they do make announcements throughout the game about proper fan conduct) and who can be mean to people with a baby? Clarita was decked out in her Bills outfit that Dada bought her on Etsy (I have never even shopped there) and she was adored by both sets of fans! One Raiders fan even told Kevin that he couldn't heckle him with a cute little girl!

Tailgating was a success and we even got Clara to take an hour nap in her carseat while we ate! Although her nap wasn't nearly long enough, she woke up refreshed and ready for the game! At Dada's request, Tia Erika made a sign to hold up so Clarita could be famous that said Clara's 1st Bills game Score! (get it CBS since that was the station broadcasting the game). Clara loved holding her sign but there were really no options to hold it up since there were so many people all standing.

We had pretty good seats and Clara thought it was really fun to run around and sit on the stairs (until a drunk Raiders fan stepped on her) and in the seat. She wasn't heavy enough to hold the seat down so we took turns holding it down for her. Clara made friends with everyone around us and thought it was fun to poke fingers ET style with the lady sitting next to us. When we walked into our section she stuck her hand out and shook the usher's hand. He thought it was great and liked to talk to her throughout the game.

The many faces of Clarita...

Unfortunately the game was a terrible one for a non-Raiders fan (and let's be honest most people are not Raiders fans). Both teams played poorly, but the Raiders played a little better than the Bills. I was sure that the Bills would have no trouble beating the Raiders who had only won two games, boy was I wrong. With a little over two minutes left the Bills threw an interception and we decided it was time to leave and try to beat the rush because the game was over. Apparently the Bills ended up scoring another touchdown and lost by two.

Clara was good on the ride home playing with us and Tia Erika read to her. We stopped for dinner and Clara fell asleep for the last hour of the drive. She half woke up when I took her inside the house. I set her down so I could take off my shoes and she bent down, grabbed her stuffed animals, and then laid on top of them like she was going back to sleep! It was a long day, but I think her first professional football game was a success even if the Raiders won.

It's really funny to eat my feet!

21 Months

This month has been a whirlwind of activity. I had to go out of town for work for a few days which meant lots of fiestaing (and wearing atrocious outfits) with Dada and Aba. Clara does not seem to mind at all when I am out of town and has tons of fun with Dada and Aba. We had fun face-timing and she even tried to give me her chuponcito and brush my teeth over the phone! She will now answer some of my questions on the phone and talk to me. It may help that she can see me so she knows I am real and not just a voice.

"Mama, take picture Cawa"

Just going for a stroll

"Clean casa"

Clarita continues to talk up a storm. She has begun "singing" her ABCs (I use that term loosely). It is quite hilarious as it is a jumble of letters in English and Spanish. She starts off with "ABCDF" (never E) and then has certain spots where she jumps in correctly, but the rest is gibberish. She will point to most letters correctly and can say most of them too. Clara loves counting and can generally count to 10 in English and Spanish, but has started skipping numbers like six and seven. She really likes eight and likes to jump to it and them jump back to it. Kate swore that Clara counted to 20 for her which is entirely possible. I never count in English with her so I have no idea how high she can go. She has also learned most of her colors and likes to point out different colors. She generally says them in English with the exception of black; she almost always says negro. However, if you ask her how to say a certain color in Spanish, she usually gives the correct answer.

The stubbornness and independence have not slowed down. Clarita's favorite phrase is now, "No Mama, Cawa do it." This is used for teeth brushing, hair brushing, stirring cookies, basically anything I want to help her with. Unfortunately she has not mastered most of these activities sufficiently to do them on her own. This results in tantrums when I insist on helping her. Brushing her teeth is great fun and involves me holding her down with my legs while I brush her teeth and she screams. As soon as I finish she is happy as can be and you would never know she just screamed her lungs out!

Who doesn't bring their Christmas tree to breakfast?

Covering Dada in toys

Fafa and Abuela Sheri were gone for a couple of weeks this month which meant that Clara got to hang out with the Miltons, Tia Laurie and Bailey, and stay home one day with Mama and one day with Dada. I think she had tons of fun on all of these days, especially her day with the Miltons and with Tia and Bailey. Tia Laurie insisted on taking Clarita to her Christmas program. She fed Clara her first cookie and told her not to tell Mama (what are Tias for?) and decided that she is never having two children! She said that Clarita was better behaved than Bailey and loved watching the ninos sing.

Playing with Teegee and Tristan

Helping Connor unwrap presents

Clara has gotten pretty good at throwing a ball and will alternate hands. She also loves kicking balls but isn't quite as good at kicking as throwing. She continues to be generally good and happy. She likes to sign and say happy which I assume means that she is happy. I thought she would show a disinterest in signing once she began talking but that has not happened (perhaps because that's the only TV she gets to watch). I think I will start her on regular Signing Time shows and see if she continues to learn. She now sings and signs the complete Baby Signing Time song and likes to sing along to the radio. We have been listening to Christmas music and she sings phrases like "let it snow let it snow" and "baby it's cold outside." She loves music!

Making cookies

This is what happens when she picks out her clothes

Thanks for the boots Tia!

Clarita's Stats

Weight: 22.2 pounds 

Height: 32 inches 

Head Circumference: 18.5 inches

What Clara Wears

She is pretty much in all 18 month clothes and size five shoes. Without her cloth diaper the pants are quite large.

Things Clara Loves

Mama and Dada, going for walks, naked baby time, pacifiers (especially her monito), reading books, people, playing with her toys, animals (especially her cats), eating, playing peek a boo, running,  Baby Signing Time DVDs, stuffed animals (especially Momo, Bafa, and Pigo the penguin),  being swung through the air, swinging, sliding, being outside, water, blowing bubbles with Aba, dancing, shoes, esnugles, baths, letters, coloring, crafts, anything related to music, trains, looking at photos

Things Clara Does Not Love

Being helped with anything or having someone else do something for her that she wants to do herself (brushing her hair, teeth, etc.), being woken up from a nap

How Clarita Sleeps

She's still taking one two and a half to three hour nap and goes to down between 1:00 and 2:00. At night she has been going down around 8:30 and getting up around 6:30. Clara sleeps in her sleep sack with Momo, Bafa, up to three pinguinos her chuponcito, and now a blankie.

Nicknames

Clarita, Snugglepuff, Snuggles, Wiggle, Baby/Bebe, Munchkin, Birthday Twin, Loquita, Pipsqueak, Wigs, Loqs, Puff (thanks Mama)  

Talking

This little girl never shuts up. She even talks to herself and her stuffed animals when she's by herself. She now uses four and five word sentences. She asked Tia Laurie for leaves for lunch one day. Luckily I had warned Tia that Clara called lettuce in my salad leaves the night before so she wasn't too shocked!

Teeth

Ten, double digits! four top front, four bottom front, one top molar and one bottom molar (two more molars on the other side are about ready to pop out).

Monthly Exciting Events

December 19, 2014: Clara attends her first Christmas program, eats her first cookie (thanks Tia Laurie), and tries hot chocolate

November 28, 2014: Clara starts singing the ABCs

Monthly Pictures

She wouldn't give up chuponcito