A Quick Post

I'm going to make this quick as Kristin is already passed out asleep on our bed, a book of Sudoku at her side, pen uncapped, and I want to go join her in slumber. A few notes on Clara.

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Clara has begun to communicate using words. She has always been a determined communicator. The word "uh" (but with a guttural tone) has been used to describe many different things, but always with a very specific idea that she manages to get across. But lately, she is using individual words to correctly describe things. One of the first words was nigh-nigh. About a month ago, Kristin, Clara, and I were sitting on our bed and Kristin said, "Are you ready to go night-night?" Clara perked up, said, "Nigh-nigh?" and started climbing off the bed. Being the first time I heard her correctly use the appropriate word, this became a landmark event for me in Clara's development. She is becoming less of a person ruled by instinct and more of an individual personality who has her own ideas on the world. (Where did she get that from?) When Kristin and Clara come to pick me up from the Park & Ride, as the turn in the parking lot, Clara often starts saying, "Da da da da."

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Recently we upgraded from the Ikea Expedit 2x4 bookcase to the 5x5 to store Clara's toys and provide additional out-of-reach storage (see right). Kristin purchased collapsible containers that fit perfectly in the cubby holes to hold Clara's toys. All toys have an assigned place and it is very important that each item is correctly put in its place at the end of the evening, that order is adequately restored to the living room and toy storage area. Many a good-intentioned guest has been chased away from the toy storage area for fear that a toy gets improperly put away.

One of the cuter things that Clara does is to grab hold of one of the containers full of toys, pull it out of its cubby, dump it on the floor, and put the container upside down over her head. The sides are mesh, and therefore see-through, and she'll walk around with the container, eventually finding a victim onto whose head the container is placed. She is absolutely adorable when she does this, and smiles and giggles as she totters around with a big container on her head.

One can't help but wondering if she playing for play's sake or if she is trying to communicate something to her neurotic parent. Please note that the pluralized form of the noun was not used.