Well, we are 10 days away from being the proud parents of a 2-year-old, and we find ourselves asking, "How did this happen?" Harper is so full of spunk, assertiveness, and curiosity we are equal parts amazed and irritated. (It's actually more like 70/30 amazed/irritated).
She loves to be in the kitchen playing with her new kitchen or eating or watching one of us cook. She is very attentive when watching other children or adults do something new or interesting. Then she eager attempts the same thing. She prepares "pies" and washes dishes in her kitchen like a seasoned housewife (I have no idea where she gets that, I'm a terrible housewife). She has also started pushing herself around on her tricycle and building things with blocks, thanks to playing with all her new friends. She has started requesting "catoons" (cartoons) and successfully watching all of 3 minutes. But she does love the "let's go, go, go, go...on an adventure...the thing-a-ma-jig is up and away" refrain in the Cat and the Hat cartoon on PBS. She pumps her fist and sings along. It's so cute and Jersey Shore of her.
Harper also loves to arrange and rearrange her table and chairs and asks us to sit with her and play along. We are dying to know what is going through her quickly developing brain. She is very attentive to details and if dirt, marker, food, or anything else gets on her clothes or bed, we must change them immediately. I fear this is my fault but hope it is a phase.
She is still testing limits and stubbornly refusing to clean up her messes at times but is so very helpful at other times. She loves to help me tuck the sheets when I make my bed, empty the dishwasher (see pictures below), wipe the table, dust or take out the garbage/recycling. Is it wrong that I feel so proud when she shows interest in these things? ha!
Harper is still loving to model my shoes and jewelry. She's even started to pose for pictures and then immediately asking to see the picture on the camera screen. And she still loves to dance. She requests that we turn off the lights in the living room, turn on (and up) the music and she bounces away, laughing and spinning with delight. We will one day post videos of some of these times.
She is also talking up a storm. Patrick and I are the only people that can decipher what she is saying, but she is definitely talking. Shouw, shouw=shower, catoons=cartoons, sack=snack, booberry=blueberries, Iwanasee=I want to see, ball=ball, badeaux=blanket, sheez=cheese and so many others I can't seem to think of. When words escape her, she is very accomplished at using gestures to get her point across. She always wants to brush her teeth (communicated by moving her finger across her teeth) until we actually make her brush her teeth. She has also begun to say when she's ready for her nap, by placing her hand to her head and tilting it to the side (so very sweet).
Harper's favorite foods are dairy...yogurt, cheese, cereal with milk, cheese, did I mention cheese. Unfortunately for her and her cholesterol, she gets that from both of us. She also loves vegetables...for real. She'll eat peas or broccoli as an afternoon snack and loves to eat bites of our salad.
Because this blog also serves as a record for Harper as she grows, I feel I should mention that within the last month, she has become very interested in going to the bathroom. She actually peed in her training potty while on skype with Grammy and Aunt Andrea, and will sit on the "real" toilet for 20 minutes at a time talking and reading books. It's official, she's growing up way too fast!
Here are some pictures from the past 2 months:
(Cooking with mommy)
(We love checking on her and what sleeping position she has chosen for the night)
(California cousin time)
(Virginia cousin time)
(Patrick hiked Mt. Baldy with some clients while mommy and Harper were in Viginia with the Keane family)
(Camping trip to Crystal Lake)
(Nene and Papa visited and came to our Toddler Express class)
Harper with Nene's purse-she loves dress up)
(Ready for her first ballet class)
(Papa and H at the Aquarium)
(We had a chance to visit Nene's sister Helen in Brea, CA~H is definitely a Klocke...she looks just like daddy and Nene's family)
(I told you she likes to help empty the dishwasher)
(And helping to cook)
(And loves to clean)
(Bike ride with daddy, Nene, & Papa)
(Eating those veggies)
(Aunt Andrea came for a visit, too)
(Seriously, it was November...late November)
(Baby in mommy's tummy)
(Harper prefers to eat her apples the big girl way)
