St. George Island and words, words, words!

We went to St. George Island the week of the 4th. We found out the previous week and it was reaffirmed on the 4th that Claire does not like fireworks. As she says, "fireworks go boom-boom. Fireworks scare me. I cry."

The beach was great. We saw so many dolphins and even saw a few manatees. Claire was also not a fan of the ocean. She finally enjoyed the tidal pool with Susan and on the last day she played in the waves. I used my foot to write "Claire" in the sand. The waves came and washed her name away. Claire was devastated! She stood in front of the ocean pointing and the water yelling "That ocean took my name!"

We were very worried about the condition of the water based on the current situation with the oil leak in the Gulf. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the water and the beach was perfect. The beach was patrolled daily by EPA, police and military by helicopter (very close to the land) and gaters. On Saturday, the wind blew a little differently and we could smell "gas." To me, it smelled like being at a marina. But by Sunday morning when we left there was no smell.

Claire is a flirt. We went to eat supper with Bobo and there was a couple sitting beside us, a young man and young woman. Claire just flirted with the young man. It was sooo cute, but I truly worry about the teenage Claire!

Claire would only sit on the first step in the pool. One day she got in a float with Sam and seemed ok so long as we kept her busy and she was not thinking about actually being in the pool.

Claire had a blast playing with her cousins Sheffield, Susan and Alex. She and Susan were hilarious. They laughed and laughed at night before falling asleep. They ran and ran and squealed. Her Aunt Kay made pancakes and Claire loved to "dip" them in syrup.

Bobo made Claire and Aunt Sarah a birthday cake. It was a beautiful cake and Claire loved the icing. Aunt Kay gave Claire a wooden ballerina that has magnets for changing the outfit. It is so cute and Claire played with it a lot in the car on the way home. Since her "birthday party" everything is "birthday party" or "birthday cake."

Claire has a few new words worth noting: foo-pops (flip-flops), unky dew (uncle Drew), pacifodder (pacifier), pish (fish), dolphin (whales), Yo Gabba Rock (Yo Gabba Gabba), BoboPapa (Bobo and or Papa, to her they are one and the same), Bobo's House (the beach house),pb (TV), yogurk (yogurt), Shauna (Mommy), Sam (Daddy). Claire sings "Twinkle Twinkle", "ABCs", "Happy Birthday", "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "Old MacDonald", "The Wheels on the Bus".

Today, Claire pooped in the potty!!! I am so proud of her! She just did it on her own! When she is on the potty she has a book that she likes for me to read to her ("Its Potty Time!") and when I started to read it to her yesterday she "read" it to me. She has the whole book memorized! She is so smart (and so stinkin' cute)!!

Claire also loves to have her toenails painted pink! She loves to have her hands and feet traced (over and over and over). She is still biting but not as often. She did go through a phase recently where she bit Carlie at least once a day and once up to 5 times in 15 minutes. We have talked with Claire and have put her in time out. I hope it works.

Claire turns 2 in 3 days!!!