Parenting Apathy?

Poll Question (from Facebook post): Sign of parenting apathy or parenting maturity when, last night, I don't object as Clara pulls a piece of pizza out of the trash for one last bite?

Clara the Puzzle Master

Clara had taken a strong interest in puzzles lately, moving quickly from needing parental assistance with each one to insisting we let her do them on her own. She completed this one today....

EXCLUSIVE Interview with Winner of Sleep Competition!

And we're back in sleep-training mode in the Dryden household for both of our girls. We think this is number 10 since Hattie was born. This time it's complicated by Clara's reluctance to get back in her nighttime routine, insisting each night (in the middle of the night) that one of her parents join her in bed. This is far from ideal for all parties involved, so we created a friendly competition between sisters. Whomever can stay in bed all night and sleep-in the latest wins the best sleeper competition.

The winner receives the special winner's trophy (a silver dollar resting on a connectagon platform), gets to sit in the special winner's chair at breakfast (adorned with balloons), and eats the special winner's breakfast (same breakfast, but it's somehow better when we say "winner" first).

As of this morning, Clara has won two nights in a row. We think it's the start of a Cal Ripken-like record.

A transcript of the EXCLUSIVE interview with Clara:

MAMA: Winner of the sleep competition, two nights in a row, Clara Katherine Dryden. With first runner-up and second place going to Hattie (Harriet Mae Dryden). Clara, tell the audience, what is the secret to you being able to sleep so well at night in your own bed?

CLARA: You have to get really, really well practice. And I just did it with my own strong pride.

MAMA: With your own strong pride? Wow! High-five! And did Sleepy Time Bear and the superheroes and all your friends on your bed, did they help, too?

CLARA: No.

MAMA: It was all you?

CLARA: Yes.

We are proud to say that, in the spirit of sisterly love (and grace in victory), Clara offered to share her prizes with little losing Hattie.

Hattie and Facebook Laziness

When life is too hurried to make properly long (and tedious...for the readers) family blog entries, one relies on Facebook micro-blogging to keep track of things. Thus, the string of short entries attributed to the social media outlet. This one is no exception. Here is the Facebook part (from January 6), but this time I'll follow it up with some proper blogging about Hattie...

Pathetic Facebook pandering here, and I know this, but...after many attempts at inducing a morning nap, this one finally comes during some daddy-daughter dancing to "My Girl." Thank you Pandora for that little piece of serendipitous programming! — with Kate McKnight Dryden.

Hattie is maturing in leaps and bounds. It's a bit frightening. It seems to be moving even more quickly than it did with Clara...from her parent's perspectives at least.

Her walking is morphing into running, and that familiar Franken-baby walk (toddling side to side, yet somehow moving forward, with her arms stretched far in front of her body) is giving way to a more normal looking gait with arms down by her side. Crawling is fading quickly into memory.

Hattie is a talking fiend. "B's" still dominate (blues, ball, boots, boob, b-nana, bath and "Baba" for Clara), but  she has added one notable addition..."Cheese!" She is fanatical about the food and downs provolone with reckless abandon. Her vocabulary follows her culinary passion.

She loves her sister Clara, and loves Clara's stuff even more. The moment her older sibling is gone to school, Hattie rushes to Clara's room to play with all her stuff. It's sheer ecstasy for the child who must otherwise battle like mad to even play with her own toys when Baba is around.

Hattie laughs uproariously. She seems to have an intrinsic fun-loving quality to her. She makes jokes, loves tickling people (herself included) and can devolve into fits of giggling at a moment's notice.

Hattie is going down slides by herself, and she loves dancing. She dances in her carseat (head rocking back and forth) and she mimics her sister's ballet twirls by turning in a long circle around a firmly planted pivot foot.

Pajama Day!

Clara's dreams have been fulfilled...her ambitions realized. What more is there to aspire to? She has been allowed to go a full circadian cycle wearing only her pajamas. Bed last night, through all this morning, to school, and to bed again tonight. It's all she's ever wanted!

Ah, Pajama Day at Arts Together. Nothing could be sweeter. Paul, Kate, and Hattie all partook as well, attending Ms. Renee's art class and reading The Giving Tree and The Hungry Caterpillar to the bevy of pajama-clad 3, 4 and 5 year olds. Clara beamed with pride as she helped her Mama and Daddy turn the page from the special helper's seat. 

Kate beamed with pride at the love shown between her daughters when, upon our entrance, Hattie rushed immediately to Clara, grabbing Baba in eager embrace. Clara attempted to reciprocate at the end by wrapping Hattie in a full-nelson and attempting to hoist her high, like a trophy for her classmates to behold.

Clara Draws Mama (a Facebook Post)

Portrait of my beautiful wife (as interpreted by 3 year old Clara) on the artist's preferred medium...aluminum foil. — with Kate McKnight Dryden.

Cup-a-Joe's (a Facebook Post)

Back in Raleigh and the girls are happy as clams...playing old school Atari games at Cup A Joe's. — with Kate McKnight Dryden at Cup A Joe.

Clara scoots...and then the curtsy. (Facebook Post)

From nearly a week spent in Wild Dunes, a handful of pictures...

Charleston Library (a Facebook Post)

Girls kickin' it at Edgar Allen Poe Library on Sullivan's Island — with Kate McKnight Dryden at Sullivan's Island Beach.