Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Happy fall everyone. I hope you all are enjoying the cooler weather. Man, I am. I was commenting to a friend the other day that I used to like summer, but lately I am not really a huge fan. We decided possibly this has something to do with the fact that I keep gestating largely on the very hottest days. Whatever the reason, we have had a very nice fall. I love sweaters and changing leaves and spiced apple cider, and it's fun to introduce Claire Helen to all these things. Well, sweaters she is only marginally a fan of, and only then if she picks them out. She has recently become extremely opinionated about her clothes, and once she has decided she wants to be wearing an item (generally a red or orange one), she will not be deterred, and will in fact act as though the mama suggested item is made of a poison oak and battery acid polymer if I try to bring it near her. It is very funny, though I am not sure where she got her fashionista tendencies.

Mat's sister got married a few weeks ago, and Claire Helen got her likely one and only shot at flower girl duties. She walked down the aisle with mama and papa (who were both in the wedding as well), and watched the bride walk in very calmly. As soon as the opening prayer started, however, she decided she should go exploring, and so chipperly called out "Me down? Me down?? ME DOWN??" while wriggling and trying to unstick the mama arms which had obviously gone defective, what with their not letting her down and all.

We ended up out in the narthex for the majority of the ceremony, which I am told was quite lovely. It was nice for Claire Helen to get to spend time with all the cousins, and she adored all the attention from the weekend. I think coming home was something of a letdown.

Claire Helen has also started pre-school this fall. Sort of pre-school. Pre-pre-school, if you will. We think she can really use something like this, in our continued efforts to stave off her Boo Radley tendencies, and she is taking to it very well. She is the youngest on in the class (and also the tallest! She is definitely trading on her ability to reach higher up than the other kids, as her nascent sense of possession comes out. She hoards the toys she likes just out of reach of the older kids), and I think she is learning a lot from the super-hero like 2 year olds. I swear her jaw dropped when she saw one of them jump, and besides that it's always nice to see how kids will just live up to your expectations, whatever they are. The teachers often forget how young she is (the height thing, again), and just give her instructions like they do the older kids. Sometimes it's too much, but sometimes she just follows them. It makes me very proud.

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