52:47:Learn

Claire was my date for an evening of basketball.  Unfortunately it was our "Silent Night" game which doesn't mean much to a toddler who loves yelling and cheerleaders.  Once the popcorn ran out, we were out of entertainment!  Here is Claire checking out my classroom, watching some Elmo's World, and COLORING.  Thank goodness for ample coloring supplies.  I realized after this, if a situation ever arose where I had to get Claire and bring her back to school while in session, she'd do just fine.  She commanded those desks, sat in all the chairs, sat on the couch, and drew some masterpieces for me. 

On a side note, now when we drive by the school every day on the way home she tells me how I changed her diapers there, that there are games there, and she suggests we go color.  Mind like a steal trap on this one!

52:46:Dine

Claire had the honor of gracing the "kid's" table this Thanksgiving.  Unfortunately, she did not get along too well with her dinner companion.  I had to laugh out loud at this picture because they looked like a little adult couple as he's talking to her and gesturing and she's trying to watch him while also dig into her meal.  Luckily after some fights over pointing and one table-stealing episode, they got along well enough to finish eating all the yummy Thanksgiving goodness!

52:45:Investigate

For Claire's year two pictures we went to the Governor's Gardens and downtown Jefferson City.  One thing we really haven't done is taken Claire to see the trains.  A train pulled up while we were there and she was super interested.  I thought this was cute.  She ran right up and peeped through to see what all the ruckus was about.  Too cute!!

52:44:Wish

I've been so behind on my photo editing!  Great reason, of course--I have so many pictures and so many awesome Claire events!  I've just unloaded 200+ pictures that are all birthday and year two related.  I'm going through to pick pictures for our house--we are going to have to start putting pictures in the bathroom or something.  I've also been working on Claire's Year Two photo album (which by this time last year I was FINISHED with Year One's album, so I'm freaking out a little).  Not all of these pictures have been touched up, but here's a recap of Claire's awesome birthday!

The Cake.  Not as happy with this one as the last one--I tried the "fluffy" decorating instructions.  THIS is why I like to make a tester cake... ugh.

Easy to decorate for Sesame Street when we have so much Sesame Street stuff all over the house anyway!

What wonderful gifts!  We were so blessed!

Only two-year-old on earth who marvels over clothing gifts

Digging through the stash

RIP Burt.  He's not been played with since this photo... poor Burt.

Trying on her snow outfit.  Not even kidding.  She loves clothes.

Trying to put on her snow boots. Seriously, there are toys unwrapped at this point.  But shoes are awesome.

THE backpack.

Claire pushing her new baby in her new stroller using her new backpack for a diaper bag.  Where are they going?  "To the DOCTOR" is the most popular destination.  This kid.

A tricycle for a girl on the go

We are so blessed to have such great family and friends.  Of course Auntie Anne attended (thank you for the puzzles and backpack!).  Claire's little friend Clare also attended with her sweet parents (thank you for the coloring supplies!  We color non-stop!).  And of course grandparents and all your generous gifts! 

Claire had a great second birthday!  It reminds me I don't need to go "all out" when she's still more excited about sticking bows on people and ripping off tags.  We are just so lucky to have this sweet little girl and all these wonderful people to share her with.  We are blessed!

November Birchbox

From left to right...

• The Chuao Chocolatier Assorted ChocoPod (7 pack for $7.95)--won't lie, they had tastier sounding flavors like plain salted chocolate and honeycomb and chocolate.  I got the chocolate covered potato chip.  It was a really thick piece of high quality chocolate--couldn't even tell there was a potato chip in there except it gave a little crunch, like a pricey and better quality Crunch bar.  I won't lie, if I didn't have to risk the other weird flavors (bacon), I'd probably buy a box.
• Oscar Blandi Pronto Texture and Volume Spray ($11.00)--I was on the fence about trying this.  I'm trying to avoid all drying, sulfate, silicone (well, the bad ones), paraben, whatevers on my hair.  I read through the ingredients and since I was wearing my hair straight today, I figured I'd give it a whirl.  Bad.  So bad.  It was like a magic spray that turned my hair into magic straw.  It didn't create "beachy waves" or any magical "texture" unless by texture you  mean heavy and sticky.  I was going to save this bottle for the beach next summer to recreate beachy waves.  Anyone else want to try it?  It's not for my hair type AT ALL!
• Miracle Skin Transformer Vanish Instant Imperfection Corrector ($58)--I was excited to try this product.  I've been in the market for a make-up primer with the reasoning that it would moisturize plus make my foundation look even better.  I do like this and misread the card thinking it was much cheaper... for this price though, I expected more from the product. AND I got a blemish... which I can't totally blame on this, but I have reasonably clear skin, so I've got to point a finger somewhere.
• Stila All Over Shimmer Liquid Luminizer Try-Me-Set ($22--for three different colors)--I got the yellowish color of this (obviously).  I was really excited to try a "luminizer" or highlighting product with all those pictures floating around on Pinterest about how to mix this with bronzer to really contour your face.  I'm still working with it, but I was impressed with the blending of the product--it smooths right in and looks like a subtle glow.  For the price, I think it would be an interesting product choice to pick up.  Don't think anyone would be unhappy with it.  I also don't see how you could EVER use up all three (I'm thinking this sample will last a year as is).  But if you're interested in that type of thing, this is for you... the best they've sent me!
• Atelier Cologne Rose Anonyme Petite Cologne Absolue ($75)--The product notes say they were on the look for an unconventional rose scent--it's smoky and rosy and straight up old lady.  It also claims everyone will ask what I'm wearing.  I'm pretty sure everyone will just ask if a dead relative left me her perfume from the 1950s.  This stuff is strong, perfumy, and not at all romantic as it claims.  It's got the "bold" part nailed though.

I won't lie, my Birchboxes are starting to wear me thin.  I've got a lot of samples that are stacking up that I don't end up liking... then samples I LOVE are way too expensive.  I'm thinking of cutting out now after using up my $20 worth of bonus points.  I hate to, because I love the thrill of samples.  And yet... I've bought tea, a BB cream, and two gifts for my husband from Birchbox using my points so far.  Might just get that luminizer set?   I'd have luminizer to last through the apocalypse.  I'll be buried at 80 with that on my face... maybe not then, huh?

Hair Revolution: Wen vs. Hair One

Disclaimer: No one pays me to review their products.  Oh how I wish they would.  Oh how I wish Chaz Dean would knock on my door, get down on one knee, offer me a 32 oz bottle of Fig Wen, and ask me to be his Wen Girl.  But no, no one is doing that.  I just have a lot of time on my hands.

I've finally had a chance to test out and compare Wen to Hair One.  Both are cleansing conditioners.  I started out with Hair One, so I might have a fondness for it because it came first, but thanks to a good friend I got to borrow some Wen and now I have a fairly good idea what sets them apart.

Price:  If price is your issue, go with Hair One.  A 12 oz bottle of Hair One will cost you $11.99.  You can purchase a kit from Wen for $29.95 that includes (I think) a 12 oz conditioning cleanser plus the deep conditioner, texture balm, styling creme, and a comb for $29.95.  For just the Wen cleanser, a 16 oz on QVC will cost you $29, and on Chaz Dean's website you'll pay $32 for a 16 oz.  Just something to think about, when I get the 12 oz of Hair one, I go through it in about three weeks (if you imagine half the bottle is just shampoo, half is conditioner--so six ounces of each, you'll get an idea of how much you use.  I have a lot of hair.)

I've decided through research I need to try the Fig Wen.  I have no idea what it smells like.  Fingers crossed for Fig Newtons?

Quality: Product wise, they feel about the same.  I like the texture of Hair One because to me Wen feels a little thinner, however, I think Hair One sometimes can leave residue if you don't rinse well enough, but Wen didn't seem to do that.  I've only tested two scents of Wen and two scents of Hair One.  Hands down, I like Hair One's sweet almond better than Wen's sweet almond mint.  However, Wen's pomegranate has pretty much the rest of Hair One's line beat.  I'm using Hair One's argan oil right now, and it smells like a man's cologne. 

Hands down best smell.  So tempted to just start buying two of these instead of one 30 oz. of the others... why isn't there a 30 oz of this at my Sally??

Results:  I feel like the results are pretty similar.  If you're on the fence, try Hair One (it even comes in 6 oz bottles if you're afraid to get that much product).  That way you can tell if a cleansing conditioner is something you're even interested in.  My hair is softer, easier to manage, no tangles, my scalp is not oily, nor does it itch.  My very wiry section of hair is way calmed down and feels very soft.  I do think it might be a little lighter and not weighed down as much when I use Wen.

Accessories:  Wen has a styling creme, finishing creme, deep moisture mask, texturizing balm, and refreshing spray.  These products are designed to work with your cleanser, so whatever you put in will wash clean.  Hair One has a volumizing spray (I don't need volume) and some oils, but nothing else.  If you use a lot of product, you have to be careful to find stuff that doesn't cause build up.  That's why I love the fact Wen has accessories--same scent, all meant to work together, and washes clean.

The $29.95 kit.  I always liked accessories... hmmm....

Actual Feelings:  If I had the money, I'd be a Wen girl.  For my money, getting all their products and using them exclusively would be the easiest choice to keep things simple.  However, I don't have that kind of money just to drop exclusively on Wen.  In a perfect world, I'd catch Wen sales on QVC (this friday, fyi!!) and switch out Wen and Hair One to make the good stuff last. I'd be happy to stick with just Hair One, especially if I find a good balance of gentle styling products that don't build up.  I'm a big Hair One fan.

Either way, if you're having hair problems--lifeless and flat?  Frizzy and out of control?  Maybe it's not you, maybe it's not your hair, maybe it's just your shampoo.  I ran the gamut of shampoos (a future post) and I'm quite pleased using a cleansing conditioner.  Please don't judge my day-to-day looks as I'm still trying to find the best styling techniques.  What you should judge is my CLEAN hair.  Come touch it.  I'll let you touch my "kitchen" even (if you ask real nice, of course).  You'll see.  My hair is plenty clean and I've shampooed... twice... three times maybe... in the last month.  Every day without shampoo is helping your hair.  Trust me, whether you invest in Wen or run out to Sally (and I've got a discount card, if you want company and a few bucks off your purchase), I think you'll be impressed with cleansing conditioner.  No suds in 2013!!

52.43.Trick-or-Treat

Claire celebrated her first real Halloween this year.  She knows all about candy and peacocks, so we knew this day was going to probably be a hit.

We went to Grandma's neighborhood for real trick-or-treating.  Claire loved running around the neighborhood, and once she realized knocking on doors resulted in rewards of candy, well, there was no stopping her!

Sweet Baby

Momma trying to keep up

Scoping out houses

Peacock visitor

Candy break.  Could.Not.Get.Enough.Suckers.

Auntie Anne taking a turn

Grandma on trick-or-treat duty

Princess Peacock taking a ride in the wagon

So thankful for great family to help us on our very first trick-or-treating adventure!  And so thankful Claire likes to share candy, because she got TONS! Happy Halloween!

52:42:Carve

Claire loves pumpkins.  Every day it's a race to get up to the front of the house to hug the pumpkins or say hi to the pumpkins.  I thought for sure it would be really traumatic for her to see them cut open this year, but she was too excited to reach inside and grab the goop.  Until Mommy started dropping the goop from the other pumpkin right on to the newspaper-covered floor.  Then Claire started to scream about how messy this was and had to clean up the mess for us.  What kind of monster have I raised?

Claire and Mommy, getting down to business.

We carved an Elmo pumpkin and a Hello Kitty pumpkin.  Elmo didn't make it a whole three days until Halloween, unfortunately, but Hello Kitty stayed awesome.  My hand, however, suffered some major blisters plus I pulled away the skin around my finger nail with all my intricate carving.  Whoever thought pumpkin carving kits and stupid patterns with little tiny pieces to cut out was a good thing deserves to have a pumpkin thrown at them.  Seriously.  What were they thinking?

Hello Kitty, whose whiskers and broom were almost too much for me to handle.

Elmo--who looks completely sturdy, sure, but somehow still managed to cave in almost immediately.  Ugh.

I'm really a sucker for seeing Claire excited, though.  These pumpkins definitely produced great responses from her.  I'm so glad that she can be excited about things now and recognize things.  Nothing made my heart happier than hearing her yell "Elmo!" as soon as she saw the first pumpkin.  Of course, she called Hello Kitty a witch, and if you've ever heard a toddler say "witch"... well... I'm glad we have exposed her to Hello Kitty enough where she also said "Hello Kitty witch"... so you didn't automatically assume she was calling me another word that sounds an awful lot like it... ;) Happy Halloween!

52:41:Design

 

We are getting ready for Halloween around here.  I had to measure Claire to make sure I made the right costume decisions, but Claire decided that she knew how to do it better, so she proceeded to design her own costume from my yards of tulle.  She knows what she is going to be--she will tell you what it is.  However, I'm having a hard time seeing the final result in her dramatic costume interpretation above.  Can't wait to reveal the final product!

Hair Revolution: No More 'Poo!

I met a lovely girl a few years ago who was student teaching in my building.  She had the cutest ringlets.  I wondered if it was natural or how you make hair like that--I assumed some kind of perm (oh, what a naive white girl I am).  She just smiled and said it was natural.  I told her I had some curl in my hair, but all I really had was frizz with curl underneath.  She told me she used to have frizzy hair, too, before she stopped washing her hair. 

Say WHAT?  She hadn't used shampoo in over two years.  But her hair looked so clean! 

Talk to your old people, and you'll probably find out they didn't shampoo daily back in the day (and many don't now, either).  It wasn't a "dirty" thing.  We've been programed to believe we have to shampoo every day now thanks to new marketing and advertising.  It's actually bad for our hair.  Well, I couldn't go without shampoo--Fistfuls of glorious foamy bubbles coursing through my long thick hair.  Could I?

I've seen the infomercials and QVC spots about Wen cleansing products.  That's a conditioning cleanser--not shampoo.  I'd love to be a Wen girl.  But Wen girls need a lot of money when the product costs that much.  So I found an alternative at Sally Beauty Supply (where I hang out all the time now, it seems).  It's called Hair One.  What's the big deal though?  What is the difference between washing my hair every day with this stuff and washing my hair with Pantene? 

Hair One vs. Wen... Money Wise

 They're called sulfates: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (the worst) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (not as bad, but  not great).  These are detergents that strip your oils from your hair... and everything else (hence that lovely clean feel).  But sometimes your hair LIKES its own oil.  Our hair has a way to take care of itself--its own oils make it happy.  But every time we shampoo, we wash our natural oils away, and when we shampoo every day, sometimes our hair wants to fight back. Hair might be frizzy, overly oily, or just dull and lifeless.

My daughter has lovely ringlets and curls.  I've marveled at the fact that she doesn't have frizzy hair.  That's because we use baby shampoo.  Baby shampoo has some form of coco betaine (feel like a chemistry lesson?  Because this research has been awful because I hated chemistry).  It doesn't have sulfates. 

Hair One (which I love) doesn't contain any of these products.  It has an astringent and a lot of natural oils to help remove dirt and distribute your natural oils.  There's no bubbles, no suds, just a thick conditioner (hence conditioning cleanser).  It's a real process, but basically you're manually washing your hair--scrubbing for a certain amount of time, leaving it on for a certain amount of time... rinsing for a certain amount of time (Wen is the same).  I literally set a timer to make sure I do every step long enough.  But it allows your natural oils to work with these added oils to moisturize.  Your hair is clean because you scrubbed away the dirt and dead cells.

My favorite is the Sweet Almond Mint.  I'm starting the one with Argon Oil though.  Fingers crossed!

The benefits?  The frizz starts to go away.  My hair looked darker, shinier, richer, and of course, my curls started to pop up much better.  Think I'm lying?  I switched back to shampoo this week because of a pinched nerve and a hair gel issue, and my hair got a thin layer of frizz all over.  My curls were weaker.  After three shampoos.  So I'm going back to Hair One tomorrow.

My first day trying out real curls.  Notice the non-frizzy waves.  Oh yes.

So, if you're having hair issues like me, start investigating.  What does your hair really want?  Turns out mine just really wanted to be left to take care of itself, like an unruly teenager with a freezer full of Totino's Pizza Rolls.  I'm excited to share more research, but for anyone interested, look into the "no poo" movement or "low poo" products.  I'm not saying Hair One is your key to success, and there are a bunch of similar products out there like DivaCurl products and Wen.  Some women even just buy really cheap (bad) conditioners and scrub using those and it works just fine.  But maybe it's time you let your hair take the wheel and provide for itself.  Just maybe. 

52:40:Toss

 

Claire is obsessed with leaves.  We went to visit Papa's house to stock up on peacock feathers for our costume (hint!) and we had to take time out to play in the luscious leaves on the property.  We raked up a big pile and let Claire do what she does.  She absolutely loved it.  This girl is all about fall, just like her momma!

Hair Revolution: Something's Gotta Give

Confession: My hair takes ten minutes to wash (shampoo and condition) but I prefer to leave the conditioner in until last.  And I use a deep conditioner a few times a week.  And I've been known to pull out the olive oil and some eggs and whip it up and stick it on my head under some saran wrap for a few hours.

Field trip day.  I was so excited/nervous I got up early, plus had 10 extra minutes to get ready since I wasn't dropping off the kiddo at day care.  One of the best hair days I can recall.  Oh the straightness.

I have frizzy, wavy, mostly frizzy hair.  I put on an Aveda straightening lotion most days, trying to help the issue (it doesn't, much, but any help I can get) I blow dry straight in sections.  Four, to be exact.  This takes about 15 minutes (if I'm not too picky about some damp sections).  I can't go out like this.  My hair looks like a giant triangle.  FRIZZZZZ (ironically, that's the noise it makes, I think, every time I whip my hair back after flipping my  head to dry the top section so I have volume).

So after I think it's dry enough, I resection my  hair (the same four sections--bottom layer, middle bottom layer, middle top layer, top layer).  Then I run a thin comb through and straighten each section with my Chi flat iron.  For those who don't know, the Chi's run incredibly hot (and expensive, but when you have hair like mine, you have to have molten-lava hot).  I usually put in some kind of heat protector oil--I have some cheap weird stuff like biosilk.  I have Chi oil.  I also have a Rusk heat activated (some how protective) shine serum spray.  I like the spray because it makes it look like I didn't just cook my hair for breakfast.  Then I start the flat ironing.  The bottom two layers aren't terrible.  The bottom layer of my hair is frizz free, flat, impervious to curl.  Easy to straighten.  The next layer up is wavy.  Not kinky.  It responds like a sullen child.  Except for the back of my head, up by the roots.  This is where it's getting course and kinky.  Just at the roots though, it always seems.

The next layer (mid top) is worst. I have a "kitchen" from what I've read online.  One ugly unruly spot in the back of my head with course, kinky hair that defies all product, heat, and reason.  I spend a long time on this layer.  If you've ever seen the back of my head and noticed a little wave up top, you've seen my "kitchen".  It's peeking through and messing up my flat top layer.  My top layer doesn't take long.  It'd have more curls, but they've all died and turned to frizz or split ends or straw.  I kill that top layer with heat.  And sun.  And blow drying.  And shampoo.  It cries when I reach for the Chi.

This process obviously takes the longest.  And I've sprayed or used whatever I needed to to "save" my hair a little.  So then I brush it, check the back, notice the "kitchen-waves" curse a little, realize I'm running behind, and leave the house.  And run back in and check to make sure I unplugged everything in the bathroom.  Then I leave again.

I can't let my hair air dry.  I will put it up in a messy bun or a roll of some sort partially wet (these are the days I either don't have 40ish minutes to do my hair... or just don't want to take that long to do my hair... or the day before I felt like my hair was burnt to a crisp or something and I somehow think this will give it a nice break).  When my hair air dries naturally, it's about just as bad as the post-blow-dry pre-flat-iron look.  FRIZZZZZ.  And clumps.  And waves.  And straight parts.  Ugly. And sometimes (not sure what caused it) I'd get "hot spots" on my head.  In the back.  Little sores that sometimes itched, but were always sore and wet feeling.  Sometimes I'd think they came from straightening too soon on my hair that didn't get quite dry enough (hot steam burns).  Sometimes I'd swear it was my shampoo and I'd not gotten something out and it caused a reaction. 

Big curl waves--This was achieved by straightening first, then getting out a curling iron.  Think about how long THAT took.

That was my hair history.  Until about two weeks ago.  I decided that something had to give.  I was killing my hair with heat and product and killing myself each morning to make it look right. That's what started my hair revolution.  Can't wait to share with you all I've discovered since I holstered the Chi and started doing some research.  I might never go straight again--and I honestly think I'm okay with that!

Missed a Few Birchboxes!

No big deal, I've been busy.  That and I won't say my Birchboxes have SUCKED, but I haven't found a product in a few months I've just died to tell y'all about.

September's Birchbox--teas, nail polish, the scrub, in the black is a tinted moisturizer I already reviewed, nail polish remover, and perfume sample.

So in this birchbox, I got a few packets of tea (but I haven't tried them... they sound yummy though and I may pack tea with me tomorrow for P/T conferences (since I can't stand talking all day plus all night--my voice dies).  The stand outs in this box were Kate Spade's Twirl perfume (which is amazing...ly expensive.  But still amazing).  I also like the white bottle in the middle.  It's a face scrub, but it's the kind with the really really fine scrubbers, so it feels like a high quality sandpaper rather than chunks of stuff in your soap.  If you're dying to know the name, I can send it to you.  It escapes me at the moment.  Duds?  The nail polish which was toted as "fall's hottest style" which made me think, matte?  No.  Just a runny pea soup green.  Thank goodness that little packet that says "fresh" was nail polish remover.  Irony, I suppose.

October's Birchbox: Explained below in order from Luna bar to lip gloss

So, this month I received:
Luna Bar (15 bars for $18.75)--I've had these before.  Take them or leave them.  I'll probably bring it to school and eat it 15 minutes after I get there stuff it in my desk for emergencies. 

A Beauty Blender (the pink thing--$25.95 for two)--This is a make-up sponge basically.  For "flawless coverage" you get it damp and put on your foundation.  I feel like it COULD work, but I haven't tried it.  Mostly because I use a fairly thick foundation and I just don't imagine it would go on smoothly with this.  Also, I really figured they were disposable, which meant the price was obscene, but apparently there are cleaning directions.  So.  Maybe it's started to get a little more interesting.  On a sidenote, Claire thought it was cool.

DDF Wrinkle Resist Plus Pore Minimizer Moisturizing Serum ($85)--with a price like that, I imagine that name must cost ten dollars a word.  1)thanks Birchbox for making me feel like I need an $85 wrinkle cream at 31 years old, 2) I do kind of get a little sparkly when I realize I'm wearing an $85 dollar cream that no one can tell I have on.  I guess it works?  I think I need to hold on to this until I have something more to minimize.  I don't feel like it did much for the giant wrinkle on my forehead though.  And it's not just my forehead all screwed up from looking at the price tag.  I have a wrinkle there, too.

Marie Veronique Organics Anti-Aging Oil + ($80)--I actually really liked this stuff.  Great smell, great texture, made my skin happy.  Of course, unless they're selling 100 gallon barrels for $80, I'm probably not getting this.  But I really liked it.  And use it sparingly.  So it will last.

And finally, Chantecaille Brilliant Gloss in Charm ($33)--It's supposed to plump lips a little and keep the little lines from showing up.  For $33, it better do something better than Lip Smackers, right? It has the normal wear and tear of a gloss, but I do like the color and it definitely feels thicker and richer... like in theory if I trusted myself to walk around with a tube of this, I could see reapplying this all day and enjoying the wonderful effects.


All in all?  I got a lot of expensive stuff the past two months and I'm not seriously going to buy wrinkle stuff that costs that much or lip gloss (that I'll just lose anyway) for that much.  I'd buy the Kate Spade perfume, but it's going on my Christmas list.  I've been awfully good this year. 

52.39.Be Nice

Claire goes through stages where she is very nice to others... then the next week she is no longer nice, every turn is her turn, and there is no sharing.  We were pleasantly surprised when we had a friend outing that Claire had a "nice" day and not only played, but they held hands when they walked around the pumpkin patch.  They both have their mini-pumpkins and they're on an adventure.  Holding hands.  And what does Claire say when I compliment her night behavior?  She tells me, "Awww... NICE!" (and it sounds a lot like Borat).  It's too hilarious.  I'm hoping for a lot more nice days in the future!

52.38.Adventure

Last weekend we took Claire to a local pumpkin patch with some friends to play and have a good time.  Claire had a great time running around and trying new things.  Ever fearless, she led the way into the maze (and promptly got lost--we had to yell over to her a lot to follow the big kids). 

She got to see some planes take off.  She also went on a wild ride in a wagon to get a pumpkin!  She played in the corn box and had to pet all the animals we found.  She was so excited and happy!  We ALL were!  This place was great and we'll probably be back--before the season runs out, weather permitting!

52:37:Cheer

Claire is the most adorable Tiger fan of all time.  There comes a moment in every parent's life when they share something with their child that they enjoy or enjoyed once, and nothing is more thrilling than watching that joy through new eyes.  Claire loves Mizzou everything.  The football game was such a hit, even at 10:30 at night she was awake, fighting sleep, cheering, and high-fiving.  People came from all over our section for a Claire high-five.  She didn't cry, throw a tantrum, fuss, or ever look bored.  We took her to the Tiger Team Store and bought her a Truman while we were there, too, for a reward.  We just couldn't believe the awesome behavior, and I can't get enough of her true love for something I truly love--Mizzou.  I see this picture and I feel a flash forward to watching her go off there (God-willing) to be a student herself.  My little girl is growing up so fast--but what a beautiful, funny, adorably sweet girl she is becoming. 

52:36:Choose

We have a new pet!  His name is Minefishy and he's all Claire's!  She likes to take her meals sitting next to him (since we have him in the kitchen right now).  She likes to give him very gentle hugs and likes to tell him to eat.  Claire picked him herself out of a collection of fish.  We were very smart to pick only the cheapest bettas for review, as we didn't want to land with the most expensive and exotic fish there... for replacement purposes... if necessary (sorry, Minefishy).  But Minefishy is doing just fine in his new surroundings.  He seems to enjoy Claire's taps and hugs and his fishy flakes.  It was just the cutest thing letting Claire get a pet.  She had the happiest expression and was so excited to get him home and put him in his new house. 

Week in Review (High Five Post)

I'm way late.  It's Sunday.  I even had pictures, too.  I just thought I didn't do enough and then I was all "bummer I've been so busy" on Friday... well, here it is.  Last week:

Well, you knew I was going to the Mizzou game, rain or no rain.  Dad was in Tennessee riding awesome Runes at the Rune rally, so we invited our OTHER Matt to the game in his place.  Here we are pre-tailgate, sporting our rain gear, since it rained and rained.  We also win parents of the year awards for NOT taking our kids with us.

photobomb courtesy of the Other Matt

The game was awesome, even if it was raining.  The new field looks amazing.  I was hoping for the awesome new uniforms, but these uniforms looked sharp enough.

And our new Big Mo!  I have a feeling they need to find something bigger to pull Big Mo.  Folks in our section are joking Budweiser needs to get involved and give us a Clydesdale to pull that thing.  New Big Mo does not get around Faurot Field nearly as fast as Old Big Mo. 

Claire got a new friend!  Other Matt has a daughter named Clare (weird?) who just got a fish.  Our Claire is obsessed with fish and turtles and birds, so we thought about possibly getting her a pet, too.  Well, I didn't want the noise of a bird (yet), we weren't going to buy a turtle that will outlive us, so we went with a Betta.  He's still alive, too.  This is some kind of record for my ability to keep fish alive.

Starbucks.  You and I are going to get a lot closer.  When September first rolled around, I got real excited seeing as the pumpkin spice latte also comes out in September.  So September first I ran (not walked, ran) into our local Barnes and Noble Starbucks cafe for my drink.  Just to find out they wouldn't have it until the fourth.  So I went back on the fourth and got one.  Then I went back on the fifth for another one.  In justification, I went to do some grading, too.  So it wasn't all for the coffee.  Let's face it, it was all for the coffee.

So that's my week!  Lots of Mizzou, I suppose, but that's what happens during football season.  I'm pretending right now I don't know what happens at the Georgia game.  Fingers crossed I'll hit my head and forget.