Tantrums Times Two

We have hit the age of tantrums. For the most part, Hank seems to loss his patience a little quickly than Clara. That said, when Clara does eventually decide something is worth fighting over, her devotion to the cause is pretty intense. Sometimes it is like threading this small needle of what will and won't start a fit. We have noticed a few patterns. Clara throws a fit if she has specific toys taken away (usually by her dear brother). Hank has a fit if you need to go inside after spending time outside. No matter how long he has been outside and no matter how cold the temperature gets, his view is that there is plenty more time to spend with bikes and balls--his two objects that make life worth living. We continue to strategize on how to get through this lovely "stage" without pulling out our hair.

Hank and Hank

While new words are coming quick and furiously, we are still working with Clara on her name. It seems that she much prefers to call herself Hank. Yesterday, for the first time, she finally even said Clara. Perhaps it is just a challenging name? Perhaps she wishes she was named something else? Who knows. We will continue working through this.

I do love all the new words, though. Mark and I tried to calculate how many words Hank and Clara know at this point. We got to around 30 before stopping our tally, though throughout the day I kept thinking of new ones to add to the list. My goal is to generate a thorough list by their second birth day.

Day care is going better, and the kids seem to enjoy their time there. They particularly love art, which is great since I love the art projects which currently decorate my office.