Clara turns 2

2 is turning out to be a dream the second time around. Clara continues to be such a ray of sunshine in our house. She is full of smiles and sweet kisses and cuddles. What Clara is like right now:

* She is still attached to her binky and blanky. She has to have them to go to sleep and loves them for comfort.

Silly girl pulled her romper out of the hamper and put it on over her pj's one night

* She takes a nap every afternoon. She likes to read a book and rock with me then cuddle up in her crib and look at books until she falls asleep for a couple of hours.

* She just started sitting to watch TV and likes Daniel Tiger's neighborhood
* She adores her big sister and loves to copy her. She also knows how to push Mackenzie's buttons and enjoys teasing her. Common things she does is putting Kenzie's shoes on in the morning, stealing her food and running off with her books and toys.
* She has gotten used to baby brother Emmett and has been able to say his name well since we brought him home. She likes to give him hugs and kisses and steal his toys.
* She likes to take her little chairs and stool around the house to get whatever she wants that's out of reach.

Sneaking some ice cream

* She loves nursery. We bribe her through sacrament meeting with the idea of nursery and toys and snacks.
* She loves other kids and is pretty good at sharing
* She has the cutest smile and scrunches her nose when she does. I take her on a walk almost every morning and she charms people along the way with that smile

* She loves being outside and enjoys the park and riding her bike.
* Some common things she says that I can't get enough of: Can I come?, OT (OK), Tiss? (Kiss), I Yuv You, Tenzie (Kenzie), I sad, I happy, Yook! (Look!). She talks a lot more than Kenzie did and we love hearing her little voice.
* When she's feeling mischievous (which is often) she gets a huge open mouth smile on her face and opens and shuts her mouth, quietly saying what it is she's going to do or what it is she wants.

 * She loves baths and especially loves to play with the mermaid barbie which she calls Ariel
* She's developed a fear of dogs this last year and animals in general. She does like to look at "fishies" and "horsies"
* She's a good eater and will try just about everything I make.
* She likes getting her hair done and always asks for "tails" (pigtails).
* She's a fish in the water. I finally broke down and bought the girls puddle jumpers at the end of the summer. I really regret not buying them sooner! Clara can put it on and swim to her hearts content and I can manage three kids under 5 at the pool. 
* When the doctor last checked her he came into the room and said, "Now I wrote something very unusual on Clara's chart last time she was in. It's not something I write very often at all, especially on an 16 month old's chart. I wrote that Clara was a happy child and joy to be around." That really sums her up

Clara's birthday fell on Labor Day this year. We went to Keith's boss's house for BBQ and pool time. The girls had a blast!   

We got her a little keyboard and doctor kit. Kenzie picked out a little baby for her that she could take in the water.

 I had big plans for her cake but they didn't come to pass. It ended up tasting delicious and that's what mattered!

 Keith took her down the slide a couple of times and then she went by herself. I love that she can be a little daredevil.

 Fun gifts from her grandparents! A little toddler table from the Shaws and a baby from the Browers