Happy New Year, Clara.

It's January 1st, 2014.  Clara ia just a few days shy of a year and a half.  What a year.

Updates on Clara.

She likes to blow kisses and hug her dolls.

She still loves to pick up rocks and carry them for blocks.  Telling me quite clearly: "A rock."

She likes to count in a haphazard non-sequential kind of way.  "Two...three...two...two...three...one."

She loves singing songs and can sing the melody (if not all the words) on key...which I find amazing.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, The ABC song, and The Hello Song are some of her greatest hits.

She loves her new Picnic basket toy.  Today she took out the orange and the cookie, held them out to me and said: "Circle."  I think she's a better abstract thinker than I am.

She likes to pour water on the coffee table.  Until recently she waited for me to come and clean it up. Yesterday I was busy on the computer and Clara walked in talking a blue streak.  I told her I would be with her in a minute and noticed out of the corner of my eye that she was draggin a pair of my pants out of the bedroom.

When I went out into the living room I was greeted by a delighted Clara who having poured water all over the coffee table, had tried to clean it up with the tiny tablecloth from her picnic set.  When that failed to do the job she went in search of a bigger piece of cloth. My pants as it turned out, were perfectly suited to the task.  I thanked her for her help.  

As a mother I am amazed by the parents whose children know the "Clean up song" and can put away their toys.  I think Clara was trying to show me that she doesn't need a Clean Up song to get the job done.  

Next week I plan to show her the mop.  Just kidding....I think.

I look forward to another year of amazing Clara.