Feb Wrap-Up

Just a few extra pics from February to wrap up the month. With Mommy at home, there's lots of pictures of stuff that we do during the day. Some of the best days are the ones where we don't even make it out of our PJs and create our own adventures at home with Ideas (no, MY-deas!) that I come up with by myself.

Our rockin' temporary tattoos

Making impromptu "pizzas"

Made a lion for daddy

Painting a masterpiece

Signing thank you cards which may get mailed someday

Checking out Gavin's crib to make sure it's comfortable. It is.
My accidental nap in here may be the longest I've ever slept in this crib.

Trying to eat all the bacon off the pizza before Daddy gets home.

I make it look like it's warm outside!

What's that?! Oh, that's my hand. Whew.

It wasn't me, I swear.

Went to the mall with Kaylie for what has become our weekly get together. There were too many kids in the playarea, so we spent more time on the rides before having lunch in the food court. Both of us mastered the phrases, "MONEY!", "MORE MONEY!", and "I NEED MORE MONEY!". Get used to it, Daddy. :) After lunch was the one and only time I have ever actually run away from Mommy anywhere in public; I was like when Kirby gets out of the house off her leash. Mommy was not happy with me.

Apple chips

Vroom, vroom

Kaylie looks a little scared at my driving

Off we go. Can't catch us!

Auntie Debbie and Uncle Teddy came to visit. Both of them really likes kids, so I had lots of fun playing with them. The weather was FINALLY nice, so we took advantage by going to the park. Then, I took them over to Jacob house to introduce them to the fun that always results when I get together with him.

In the truck at the park

Too cute to bear ... both of us

Thanks for coming to visit us!

Caught in the act of dancing to the music

Wheee!

Okay, how cute is this?

And there's even MORE pictures in our February album if you want to check them out!

Feeling the Love

I'm learning all about Valentine's right now. It's about hearts, the colors pink and red, getting cards, and making cookies. Oh, yeah, and saying "I love you". To show my love, I made Daddy and my grandmas valentines. I also gave Daddy cookies I decorated at the Melkers' Valentine's party.

Making Daddy's Valentine

Tattoo from the valentines I gave my classmates

Decorating cookies

Actual Valentine's Day also happened to be Chinese New Year, so we had lots of reasons to dress in our festive red. We spent the day doing things we love -- grocery shopping, eating, and just being together -- while trying to follow some of the traditions as well.

Happy Valentine's ...

... and Xin Nian Kuai Le!

I wonder how Kai-Lan celebrated her New Years. Oh, that's right, I watched that episode about 10 times, so I know!

Here I am in my pretty vest that Po-Po and Gong-Gong gave me

Quietly hanging out in the Kai-Lan tent Jacob gave me

Okay, okay, this is how it REALLY was most of the time

No, your eyes do not decieve you. Yes, I am still swimming in February! Luckily our pool is indoors, so I can still get lots of practice before the weather gets warm and I start swimming at our neighborhood pool. I've moved up in classes to where Daddy doesn't go into the pool with me anymore. Instead, I sit on the side of the pool, and we each take turns with our instructor. Luckily, I'm really good at taking turns, so it's not a problem. I'm doing an awesome job swimming; I can go 10 seconds under water and swim forwards by myself!

Waiting my turn

In I go!

We also got REAL snow here ... that kind of snow that just begs to be rolled up into a snowman without having to really work at it. They closed school, and everyone in the neighborhood headed outside to build snowmen, forts, and other snow sculptures. I surprised Mommy when we got outside by promptly laying down on the ground to make a snow angel; she had no idea I knew what a snow angel is! I also remembered making snowballs from when we had that snow at the community festival, but I had forgotten how cold it is on my fingers. Brrr! Thank you, Auntie Corrie, for some of these pics!

Let's go, Mommy!

Dressed like Paddington to go outside

This spot looks good

Waving my angel wings!

I'm a pro at this snowball thing

Kaylie had come over to play, so after we played outside in the snow, we came back inside to hang out in my playrooms and do what all two-year-olds do: compare iPhone games.

Peek-a-boo!

Hmm .. you have touch pets but I have Tozzle

Showing off my page of games

Hey, can we go outside again?

Kaylie and I also got together recently to play at the Wiggles Center which is so much fun. As soon as I saw Kaylie, we grabbed each others' hands and were off playing. This time, however, I'd decided that I'm scared of slides ... all slides. Mommy has no idea why, but it made for getting down a bit of trouble.

I love this part

"C'mon, Kaylie!" ... "C'mon, Claire!"

So happy together
Well, everyone but Gavin,
but he really wasn't as unhappy as he looks in the picture

February's been busy, and it's still not over yet! Make sure you check out all the extra pics in our February photo album!

Birthday Celebration

It's my birthday! I LOVE everything about birthdays, especially mine -- the clothes (my tutu!), the food (ice cream and cupcakes!), the singing ("happy to ME!"), the presents (presents!), the party (Mr. Al!), and the family that came into town (Po-Po, Gong-Gong, and Da-Jiu!).

My first birthday gift a few days early

I think I'll just sit here and stare at it until you let me open it

Practicing blowing out the candle
after everyone sings to "Happy to Claire"

Getting a birthday haircut.
Hopefully next time Po-Po will do it for me.

Mommy and Daddy threw me a super fun party with a wonderful surprise: Mr Al! Mr. Al is my music person at school, and I love it when he visits. Every week when he comes, my daily report notes how much I enjoyed music time. When Mommy and Daddy were first thinking about my party, they asked me "who's coming to your party", and I instantly replied "Al!", so they figured why not. Of course, I also answer "Al" to other questions such as "who did you see at school today?", "what did you dream about", and "what do you want to do this weekend", but that's beside the point. Luckily, the daily reports were right. I really DID love Mr. Al and was so happy he could come to my party to play for me and my friends. And since the party was music-themed, so each of us got our own VIP passes with our pictures and musical toys to take home: maracas, mini-tambourine, sunglasses, and more.

It's my party!

Dancing with Mr. Al

Enjoying the show

I can't believe he's really here!

Blowing out my candles on my melting ice cream cake

Ready for cupcakes!

We took all of my presents home with me to open them over the course of a few days. That way, I get to play with each thing before moving on ... plus, it's a great activity that will take up time during the day.

Just one more?

My first high heels. I make this look GOOD

What would you like me to make you?

I would suggest that you not get in my way

Candles Part II
(or 20 if you're counting all those other practice times)
with leftover cake

One of the best presents I got this year was Da-Jiu coming to visit me for the weekend. It's not often I get to hang out with my aunties or uncles one-on-one like that, and we had so much fun together! Uncle Zong even won the coveted, never- before awarded "I put Claire to bed without any fuss at a reasonable time" award. Congratulations! He definitely cleared up any of the whole "Da-Jiu/Xiao-Jiu" confusion, and I miss him tons. He's right up there at the top of my list with Kirby!

Wheeee!

Cheers!

There's room for more if you want to come in

I love you, Da-Jiu!

And the winner is ...

Mommy and Daddy finally recognized the fact that I probably won't be going to school every day during the week and changed me to just two days a week. The other three days I'm at home with Mommy and Baby Gavin. We're definitely adjusting to all this together time, but I'm enjoying it.

A typical morning: reading and hanging out in our PJs

Practicing for next fall (or March madness): TEXAS!

Making dinner ... aspaapugaggaauu?

Ready to go out in our matching outfits -- caps, carriers, babies, jackets

Sportin' the Heisman look.

I call this look "ho, ho, ho". Seriously, I do.

You may have noticed the "Chandler-smile" I've been sporting recently. It's my new "Cheese!" face. Mommy's not sure where I even picked up "cheese!" in the first place, but she's not too keen on the grimace-looking smile that I flash her.

Cheeeeeez

Thank you to Gong-Gong and Po-Po for capturing so many moments during my party so that Mommy and Daddy could be free to be with me! For more "cheese" smiles and pictures from my party, please check out the February album!