As Promised

Clara showing some love for the Wii.

15 Months. Really?

Today my 15-month-old realized that she can push the kitchen chairs over to the counters to climb up on them. Yesterday my 15-month-old learned the motions to "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes," although she leaves out the knees every time. Last week we realized that our 15-month-old with only four teeth is cutting four molars at the same time.

She'll give you a back rub, then pull your hair. She'll give you a kiss, then try to bite your shoulder. She'll pat your face, then gouge out your eyes. Nothing like a little love accompanied by a little pain.

She loves to help put wet clothes in the dryer, and likes to help sort the dry clothes by moving them from my nicely ordered piles into her nicely disordered piles. She loves the vacuum cleaner and pulls it out at least once a day; my floors are much cleaner thanks to her...except the floor around her high chair.

When she's hungry she'll go into the pantry and bring me a packet of oatmeal. Quaker Apples & Cinnamon oatmeal is a favorite food around here; nothing else will do at breakfast time. When she's thirsty she'll bring me a new, clean cup to fill, even though there is a perfectly good cup of water sitting on the floor right next to her.

She maintains her obsession with electronics (yes, she is Oliver's child) and a telephone can entertain her for hours. The Wii is even better.

(Note: we have a fantastic video of her reaction to the Wii, but Google Video is being lame and I can't get it uploaded. As soon as I can get it going we'll post it.)

Everything in our house is elevated at least three feet off the floor. Actually, probably closer to four feet. She can now reach the stove top, so we're trying to learn the concept of "Hot. Don't touch." This is still met with much weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth.

When she hears any type of music she either starts clapping or breaks out the mad dance skills. If Daddy is home and music is on, she wants to dance with him. It's very cute to watch her insist on a spin around the kitchen floor. And when Daddy comes home for the day she breaks out in a wide grin and attaches herself to him, barnacle style.

She's a very busy girl all day, but in the mornings when she wakes up she reserves a little bit of time for cuddling with Mom and Dad. She lays next to us and wraps our arms around her little body until she's almost completely cocooned, then rubs our hands and arms. Once she's had enough of the cuddles it's off to explore the bathroom. The scale and bathtub faucets are the main attractions. Fortunately she hasn't realized that she has the ability to drop things into the toilet.

Last but not least, a couple of recent photos. And we'll get that video up as soon as we can get it working.

Michael has developed the same love for little chairs that Clara has. Here they both climbed up, and Clara decided Michael needed to stay. Forgive her rocker-chick hair; she won't keep any barrettes or rubber bands in at the moment.


A very tired girl; this has never happened before.

Getting Your God On

After picking up some breakfast, walking back to the office with a coworker. Saw a car for a shuttle service. It had a few decals on the windows. All I can say is ...
Go ahead. Get your God on.

Arthur C. Clarke

I've only read a few of his books, and have never seen 2001: A Space Odyssey, but you've gotta give props to a guy so imaginative and innovative that his dreams inspire technology. A great quote from the true news source regarding one of his ideas, the space elevator:

He told New Scientist magazine last year that it would be built "50 years after everyone stops laughing."

Go read the article: Arthur C. Clarke; Sci-Fi Writer Foresaw Mankind's Possibilities

It Starts This Young?

Earlier this evening Clara turned off the television for the 634th time in an hour. She turned to me like she usually does, shrugged her shoulders, and spread out her hands in a perfect imitation of me as I ask her, "Where did it go?" She then points to the couch (the usual resting spot for the remote) as a sign for me to find the remote and turn the TV back on. You can tell we go through this many, many, many, many times a day.

For the next 15 minutes I proceeded to tear the couches apart looking for the remote, then started searching around the living room and even into the kitchen. While I'm doing this I keep asking Clara, "Where is the remote?" Each time I asked she would look at me, do her "I don't know" shrug, and point to the couch. I finally gave up and went to go make her dinner.

She followed me into the kitchen, and without hesitation walked over to the telephone stand, opened one of the drawers, pulled out the remote, and walked back into the living room.

Stinker.

On an unrelated note, here are a couple of pictures from Valentines Day that we never did post. The grandparents have seen these, but thought you all might enjoy.