Claire Bear Turns Two

Dear Claire,

It's hard to believe that you're already two years old, or anyway you will be at 11:09 pm tonight. You're growing and changing so quickly these days that Dad and I feel like if we blink we'll miss something. You're very serious sometimes, when you are working on something new you get this very cute, heavily eyebrowed expression on your face, but you can also be so silly and funny. You have a wonderful sense of humor, and you keep us laughing all the time.

Your big accomplishments this year include learning to walk, talk, feed yourself, sing, dance and do gymnastics. It's fair to say you've been a bit busy. Don't worry, there's not half as much to do between 2 and 3 as there is between 1 and 2.

You have silly hair. I'm sorry. You just won't tolerate having it messed with. I'm lucky if I can get a comb through it, and if I try to put a ponytail into it, it comes out in moments. So, most of the time you have this crazy mop of miscellaneous hair. When I do manage to get you to sit still long enough to have it fixed, it makes you look so different. I kind of like the silly hair, to be honest. It suits you.

You love to sing. You know your ABCs, although I suspect that you think "LMNO" is one letter. You know about a third of the words to the Wicked soundtrack. I love to hear you sing along with the CD, and at the end of a particularly difficult piece, you always say, "WHEW!" which never ceases to crack me up.

You love cats. At least a dozen times a day you will bring me a magna doodle or a piece of paper and say, "Kitty? Please? Kitty!" until I draw a quick kitty for you. Then you'll talk to it, or scribble on it. Today your kitty had a party hat on it. You weren't impressed.

When you want to be held, you say, "Hold you." When you want to sit with someone, you say, "SLAP!" You like to play inside the lower cabinets in the kitchen. Yesterday you sat in the little plastic grocery cart we have and yelled, "Ride! Please!!" until Mary Grace came and pushed you around. When she did, you said, "Wheeeee!"

You love baths. You like to play with bubbles and boats. You like the Little Einsteins and "Mick Mou." You say "Goofy" in a really cute way that I can't spell. It's something with the "o's." You're eating a lot more now that we've realized that if we leave your plate out for a couple of hours you'll come back to it to graze. You love fruits and veggies. And beef-a-roni in a can, you weirdo.

Your favorite books are Olivia, Bear Wants More, and Bear Snores On. You really like bears. I think it's probably because we call you "Claire Bear" so often. Mary Grace thinks "Bear" is your middle name.

Daddy's favorite time of day is when he gets home from work, because you always shriek, "Dadddeeeee!" and do a little happy dance for him. And you and your sister are the best of friends. Sure, you fight over toys and stuff sometimes, but you also sit together in a chair and watch shows, and sometimes I catch you guys hugging each other, just because. I love watching the relationship develop between you two. I always knew you'd be bestest friends.

I'm not even mad at you for spraining my back, but I'm sorry it's interfering with your birthday today, honey. Rest assured, I will send Daddy to the store for a little cake and we'll have a little family party tonight, regardless.

I love you so much, you're such a big girl.
Mommy