Hello kitties

Claire is really starting to interact with our kitties now. She absolutely LOVES them, and tries to pet them all the time. Unfortunately her "petting" is more like slapping, so the adoration is not mutual. She's taken it to a new level by playing with their toys too:

As you can see, Cleo actually likes the violent playing (whipping) which has fueled Claire's enthusiasm even more!

Bubbles

Here's a very mellow Claire enjoying her bubbles the other day. Sorry Daddy, we know we're not supposed to blow bubbles inside but it was too windy outside! Claire likes to try catching the bubbles and eating them. She also does this with the bubbles in her bath, except that's alot easier: just put your mouth on the surface of the water and suck in. This technique of hers is very effective. There's the added bonus that it cleans out her insides.

All about the spoon

I wish I could remember what it was like to learn how to feed myself. To put so much thought into getting food into my mouth...seems very tiring! We really do take it for granted. Claire is really interested in the whole spoon-to-mouth maneuver and she is practicing it all the time now. She will reject certain foods if she does not have a spoon with which to shovel it in. Here she is at lunch today:

A Heavenly Weekend

Greg is visiting again so we took the opportunity to head up to the Mountains and spend the weekend Skiing and enjoying Lake Tahoe. It was a beautiful sunny weekend with temperatures in the upper 60's at lake level (6500 feet) and in the mid 50s up at 10000 feet at the top of Heavenly ski resort. We spent the night at the very nice Marriott Timber lodge and were able to get a really nice two bedroom suite with a full kitchen and living area. In addition to the great accommodations the location couldn't have been better as the base of the Heavenly gondola is right outside the door. Sarah outdid herself by watching Claire and taking her on the Gondola and for a run around town while Greg and I (Brian) spent the day trying to ski every run on the mountain. This proved an impossible feat as even with a small portion of the mountain was closed for the season (lack of snow), we still managed to ski the whole day without doing the same run twice. It was ideal spring snow and there were very few people on the mountain so we had a blast. When we got back, I made sure to thank Sarah for watching the baby and letting us enjoy the snow by signing her up for a Spa sampler package which included a massage, mini-facial, and a seaweed wrap. We all tried to guess exactly what a seaweed wrap would entail and our best guess was that they'd be wrapping large leafs that looked as if they came from the sea all around her body. We conjectured that they'd add small sea creatures like anemones and starfish to the wrap to help exfoliate her skin. In the end, Sarah thoroughly enjoyed here wrap, but it was not as we had guessed. They simply spread a gooey green seaweed substance on her body and wrapped her in towels to allow her skin to absorb the nutrients. I can personally atest to the fact that her skin is noticeably softer now. In the end it was a great weekend, and although Claire didn't get to Ski or get a spa treatment, she thoroughly enjoyed exploring the hotel and playing with the doorstops.



Here are some additional pictures from this weekends adventures:

Being goofy on the slopes:

Out for a twilight stroll in the Heavenly Village:
Daddy and Claire touching noses:

What happens if you push over the recycling?:
Ah ha, that's what happens if you push over the recycling:

Having a great time learning about the hotel:
Riding the Gondola:

Easter at the Grand Canyon

Claire did her egg hunting at the Grand Canyon, with Grandma and Grandpa Koster. There were a couple of miracles that happened: Claire focused on the task at hand and did not immediately try to walk away, and the eggs did not blow away in the crazy strong wind. You would not believe how windy it was! Anyway, Claire did a great job picking up eggs and putting them in her basket with Grandma's help.





During the whole trip she was fixated on walking. Mealtime meant that somebody had to be following Claire as she walked around the restaurant. She is determined to get faster! Here she is leaving Daddy as he is trying to open our cabin door:

The canyon was gorgeous, and there was still some snow up along the rim. On our last day there a storm blew in and we were stuck in our cabins waiting out the sleet and snow.

Happy belated Easter to you all! We hope spring is well under way wherever you are.