My Kids

I am still working on my project.  It is in full swing.  Things are going really well.  But, I have noticed that I may need to add something to this project and this is my external flash.  This lens is amazing but I need more light.  

In doing this project I have spent a lot of time just watching my kids do their daily things. While watching them I got to really see them and learn who they really are (not that I didn't know them before, but you know what I mean).


So we will start Claire.

 Claire is 4 and a half going on 17.  She is super smart and hilarious.  Claire needs to know how everything works.  Simple answers are not good enough for her, she needs to know it all. 

Claire is very girlie.  She loves clothes and shoes.  Especially her new slippers!!  She is already complaining about her beautiful curls!  She keeps telling me that she wants LONG hair.  When her hair is wet in the bathtub she flips it around and plays it until it curls back up.  She keeps asking me to flat iron it but I told we can't until she is 7.

Claire is an excellent big sister.  She is very helpful with Oliver and rarely gets frustrated with him.  She loves to play with him and teach him new things. She calls him "Bubbies" and uses a special voice to talk to him sometimes and I just love it.

Claire likes her alone time.  She likes to go into her room alone and just chill sometimes.  She used to go into her closet (or her nest as she called it) for some alone time but now she just grabs her DS or a book and hangs out in her room with the door shut.  Claire loves to be the center of attention but she also likes to just be alone to regroup sometimes.

Claire gets angry sometimes too.  She likes to joke and have fun but sometimes when it goes too far she gets mad.  And I mean really mad!! And I will admit that sometimes we may get her going :)

Claire loves her Daddy.  I swear she thinks he hung the moon.  They are BFFs.  Every morning Claire and her Daddy get up early (while Mommy and Oliver sleep in) and have their breakfast and hang out.  

Claire loves computers and video games.  She would sit and play on her DS or the computer all day.  This is her at Build A Bear typing in her new kitty's information.  She also loves books and notebooks.  She likes to draw and write.  She will practice writing her letters and numbers for hours.  Sometimes we will find her set up on the kitchen table working on her "budget" as she calls it.

Claire loves her friends.  Her best friend is Giada and no one can take her place.  But she also has her school buddies.  One of her favorite friends at school is Anthony and let's just say he is the "goofball" of the class.  Regardless of how many time outs he gets Claire just loves him and wants to help him.  GRREEEAATTTT!!!  She loves school and spending the days with her buddies and learning new stuff.  

Claire is a thumb sucker.  She only sucks her thumb when she has her silky.  When it is time to relax she will grab her silky and get cozy and suck her thumb.  To "silk" has now become a verb in our house.  If Claire gets hurt she will say "I just need to silk it." and that means to rub her silky on the boo boo.

Claire is my buddy and the I love her more than words can say.  I love just hanging out with her and chatting away.  I am so proud of the little girl she has grown into and I can't wait to see what the future holds for her.

Now there is Oliver.

Oliver is silly.  He loves to make people laugh.  He also needs to know how things work and will examine everything.  Oliver also loves to help.  He loves to have a job.  He is thrilled when you tell him to put something away or put something in the garbage.

Oliver LOVES books.  He loves to look through them and look at the pictures.  He also loves when you read to him.  Every night we get him all cozy in his jammies after his bath and then I will rock him on his chair and he says "Book mama...book??".  He would sit for hours and read books.  He also loves to sing.  His favorite songs right now are "The Wheels on the Bus" and "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" he sings some of the words and does all of the motions.

Oliver loves his big sister and follows her everywhere (notice that even when he follows her he still has a book in his hand).  He doesn't say Claire yet but he has been calling her "Sissy". The first thing he does every morning when he gets up is say "Dada? Sissy? Where dey go??"

Oliver loves to play and try new things.  He is always crawling in something or behind something.  He loves to explore and wants to know what everything is.

 Oliver still takes a bottle at night.  Yes I know "stop the bottle at a year." but he loves it and it is our time to relax and read and unwind.  We promise we will stop it at 2. Anyway, Oliver is super smart!!! This is a picture of Oliver telling us "Poop" right before he pooped in the potty!!  He loves to try the potty every night after Claire does and always tells "Wee wee" or "Poop" when he is wet or has poop.  Hopefully this means he will potty train fast!!

Oliver loves Choo Choo trains and trucks.  Everyday when he gets home from school he climbs on the couch and covers up with a blanket and says "Choo choo Mama??  Choo Choo!" and when I turn on Chuggington he throws his  arms up like this and yells "CHOO CHOO!!"  Again notice there is a book in the box with him.

Oliver loves to eat.  And I mean LOVES to eat!  He moans the whole time he is eating and constantly wants more.  You cannot feed him fast enough!  Doesn't matter what it is he will eat it!  But his favorites are meatloaf (any kind of meat really), oranges, bananas, milk, bread, and pasta.  He eats more than Claire and almost as much as me and Mark!

Oliver loves this guy.  He call him "Petey" and follows him around.  He is always petting him and kissing him.  Oliver spends more time with Pete than Claire ever did.  If Pete barks Oliver has to know why and will find him and say "Petey wha?"  and put his little hands up.  Whereas me, Mark, and Claire just yell and tell him to be quiet.

Oliver is my little man and I love watching him grow and change everyday.  Everyday he learns something new and amazes me in a new way.  I am so proud of the little man he is becoming and I cannot wait to see  what the future holds for him.

This project has been great.  I am learning so much about my camera and how it works (and flashes and white noise balances) but this project is really helping me to just stop and hang out with the kids.  In doing this project I am just watching my kids become their own little people and I love that!