Tortuga

Nearly two weeks ago Claire and I took the car in to the dealership for an oil change (we had a decent coupon; normally I'm too cheap to pay dealership prices.) As with any outing including Claire, it was a fun adventure: watching the fish in the huge tank in the waiting area, coloring and drawing in the life-saving notebook we always keep in the diaper bag, spelunking underneath end tables with the mini flashlight which was also in the diaper bag, and pointing out letters on random signs. Oh, and let's not forget the trip to the bathroom, where Claire successfully went potty on the adult-sized toilet! I love how independent she is, pushing my hands away once I set her down on the seat - "all by myself!"

On our way out after paying, one of the employees pointed to a bucket full of flowers and asked if we wanted to pick one out. I let Claire choose, and this is the one we got. I can't believe it's still going strong almost 2 weeks later! I've changed the water a few times, but haven't cut the stem or anything else. It's been a cheerful addition to the kitchen this month.


Today we had a fun lunch - Mark came home with two co-workers who are visiting from Mexico. Claire was a little shy at first, but still greeted them with a quiet "hola!" and "como estas?" They were so nice, it was a really pleasant lunch. One of them brought a gift for Claire, this little turtle (pictured next to a lime to illustrate size...typical Nerdy Alyssa picture :)
I asked Claire if she could say "tortuga" and she said it perfectly in her sweet little voice. And then she proceeded to offer it a raisin, pausing a moment before responding with "No? Ok!" and then popped it in her mouth. She makes life so much fun...