Walker

When she turns the airplane the right direction it goes too fast for her. She is so smart - she already knows how to problem solve!

It is all happening at once!

Lyla is amazing us everyday! She started to wave, clap, cruise and talk all this week. I remember the first time Steven clapped was in the car on the way home from the Fourth of July in Arkansas. Lyla's first claps were more gradual - over a series of two or three days she just started to figure it out on her own. Now she even understands the context of clapping so when we get excited or cheer the kids on, she joins in with some clapping!

Lyla started to wave while sitting in her high chair at dinner. We would all wave to her and she started waving back. Yesterday at Target she was very popular with all the other customers because she would wave at anyone giving her attention. She could be a greeter!
She is so adamant about standing up and walking right now. If we don't let her stand up and be part of everything she melts down and even cries tears. She loves our ride-on toys. Steven now has to fight for the privilege of riding on the airplane Mickey. We usually let him have the airplane because Lyla does just fine on the dump truck. She can even push herself backwards.
The best part about all the things she is learning this week is .... she can say Mama! This week she has been waking up in the middle of the night quite a bit (not so fun) and she will cry out "mama" when she really wakes up. It just makes my heart melt even though I am groggy. She calls it out during the day, too. She is saying Dada, too! She is also very good at repeating sounds and we are trying to teach her Uh Oh and Steven. I don't think she'll get Steven for quite awhile but we're trying!

His mind moves faster than his mouth

Our new found favorite TV show is the Backyardigans. There are five characters - Pablo, Tyrone, Tasha, Austin and Uniqua - who have wonderful adventures in their backyards. In the first episode we watched, the Backyardigans went on an adventure to the Nile in Egypt. Tommy and I were sold since Egypt is one of our favorite travel destinations.

We have now been watching the show for about ten straight days, two times per day and it hasn't gotten old (at least to Steven). This morning I came out to the living room after putting Lyla down for a nap, the show was just ending and Steven wanted to tell us all about it. He started to talk and then his words just trailed away but you could see in his eyes all the exciting things that were bouncing around in his head. His brain was firing so fast that the words weren't able to come out of his mouth in any coherent fashion!

This evening we all were assigned a character - daddy was Austin, mommy was Uniqua (pronounced U-knee-kah by Steven), Lyla was Tasha and Steven was Tablo (really that's Pablo). We played "its racing day" like the characters on the show we just watched. We spent about 20 minutes running around the living and dining room singing "its racing day" follow the leader style. It is so much fun!

One more thing, did your kids ever lay on the floor at eye level with their toys and talk to them? I can't catch a picture or video but Steven has started to do this and it is so cute! I'll try and catch it sometime!

Yum!

Homemade carrot risotto with a side of broccoli ... excellent!

Longest separation

We experienced our longest separation as a family this week. I had to go to a conference in Washington, D.C. from Sunday to Wednesday so we had nearly four full days away from each other. Instead of staying home by himself with the kids, Tommy took them to Arkansas for a visit with Grandma and Papa. He is a brave man to take both of them in the car, alone, for such a long drive. He's done it before but now that Lyla is more mobile and more demanding it was a bit harder.

On the way down Tommy stopped at a Denny's for lunch. They ordered lunch and had pretty bad service. From what Tommy told me, I don't think the waitress had much experience with small children with only one parent. She didn't seem to understand the need for quick service with ordering, bringing the food and bringing the check. He was even talented enough to do a one handed diaper change with Steven because he didn't have a stroller or seat to put Lyla in while changing him. Tommy was a bit frustrated with her but I am sure he kept calm despite the frustration. While waiting for the check he was contemplating not leaving a tip when a different waitress came by and gave him a $20 bill. She said that one of her customers that had just left wanted her to bring it to Tommy. I wonder if he was sympathic out of experience or just plain kind?

The kids and Tommy had a lot of fun in Arkansas, I had a so so time at the meeting in D.C. (best part was seeing my high school friend Melanie!), and rocking my baby when I got home was the best feeeling a mommy could have!

Lyla sits

Lyla has learned how to get to a sitting position on her own. What's next !?!?! Pulling up and standing - we are not too far away. Look out Clark household, we're in for something new!

Big Brother Love

Lyla was on her belly, flopping her arms and legs while yelling for attention ... Steven turned to me and said "Lyla is a butterfly!"

His little mind is so creative - I love seeing him grow!

Bristle Blocks

Steven loves his bristle blocks but we have to play with them up on the table or Lyla steals them. That makes Steven mad!

Look at the Train I made everyone!

New Years Weekend in Chicago

What were we thinking? Taking a trip to Chicago in January of all times. How miserable - cold, windy, snowy ... oh, wait, that was what it was like in Kansas City, too! By all means, hop a plane - it was actually warmer in Chicago (by at least 5 degrees)!

We caught the plane Friday morning and had a direct flight to Midway. Steven did great. He sat by the window but insisted that the shade be pulled down. I think that once we were above the clouds the sun was in his eyes. The best part of the flight for him was snack time and the flight attendant even filled his sippy cup with half water half juice!

This was Lyla's first flight and I was a little nervous because she had a bit of a runny nose and cough. I was worried that the pressure would hurt her ears and that she'd scream the entire time. No, she slept. What a great baby!

When we arrived we hopped the train in to the city. Steven loved it; Thomas Thomas Thomas! Once downtown we got a room at our hotel on Michigan Ave (we got a deal, normally there'd be no way we'd get to stay there) and Tommy decided that we should head out to the Lincoln Park Zoo. Mind you, it was about 20 degrees outside. He is on a mission to see as many zoos in America as he can. We didn't bring car seats with us to minimize the luggage struggle so we planned to hop a bus or two. Don't trust the internet schedule even though we eventually got there.

We saw the big cats, chimps, gorillas and small mammals even a little bit of their zoo lights show. Kids were tired, we were hungry and headed back to the hotel. But stopped for fancy ice cream on the way home ... yum. I had sea salt caramel hot chocolate. I was a little apprehensive about the salt but in the end, wow! Try it sometime!

Saturday we went to the Shedd Aquarium to see the fish and the show Fantasea. The show was a little hokey. My thoughts were that I hope they paid the marine biologists big bucks to dress up in those costumes. It was neat to see the beluga whales as it brought back memories of visiting the belugas at the Minnesota Zoo when I was younger.

The highlight of the aquarium for Steven ...

Saturday night we had dinner with Tommy's friend from Harlaxton (study abroad), Laura. She's a hoot! Sunday we laid low because Lyla was getting sicker. In the middle of the night she spiked a fever and Tommy had to use the hotel's internet in the lobby to look up dosage of children's motrin. The front desk staff gave him a pretty strange look when they saw him stumble through the lobby at 3am! She was better in the morning and did great on the flight home.

What a fun start to the New Year! Welcome, 2010!