Random, but all must be addressed...

I'm sitting here listening to Anna Claire via the baby monitor. I know a lot of people get rid of them once their kiddos are toddlers, but I find the night time jabbers to be priceless.

Right now she's talking to one of her "friends" stuffed animals, "There you are! I found you! I was worried about you. I couldn't find you anywhere!"

Just wanted to whip up a random post to sneak in some things that I've been wanting to blog about, but have just been little tidbits.

1. Anna Claire is consistently saying "bless you" when someone sneezes. It goes to show that your modeling for them matters because we have never asked her to do this. I love it.

2. She is also a caretaker. Larry and I have both been sick all weekend, matched against her healthy, happy, high-energy. She brings me my water (or anything I ask her to fetch, with a smile). She has been a doll about helping clean up. She turns on my heating pad for me (she knows I want it on "green" and that red and orange are too hot). She gets Larry her blanket and covers him up with it. She heals both of us with her doctor's kit, and has asked us repeatedly to read her "What's in a Doctor's Bag?" book. (Thank you, Grandma!)

3. In my medicated haze, I have been able to observe that her Christmas gifts were hits. She obviously treasures her treasure chest. That was the big one, hands down. She loves all of her art supplies, but particularly her glitter pens and "carrot paper" (large sketch pad). She is loving Candyland, but playing in her own way, which is precious. She can play Curious George Memory! I was thinking we'd just hold onto it until she gets older, but she can find matches, at times, faster than I can. Hot chocolate. Rainbow socks. Real aluminum pots and pans and utensils for her kitchen - they have made her kitchen like new again to her. And her "big girl" Crayola 24 pack from her cousins - loves those so much. Note that these were not BIG gifts. It truly is the little things in life, eh?

Notice the macaroni feather.

4. My last random addition, was just a cute little something she said today that reminded me of when I was a little girl.

I had just finished making a snowman out of play-doh, when Anna Claire reached over placed a little piece on his hat, and sang, "stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni!"

I asked her, "What did you put on Frosty's hat?"
"Macaroni!!" she proclaimed.
Of course! I remember taking that song literally too as a kid and thinking, "What kind of weirdo puts macaroni in his hat?"