The Rules of Boo

This minute, Caitlin's favorite game is Boo, more commonly known by people with fully developed vocabularies as Hide and Seek. To play Boo with Caitlin, one must obey a particular set of rules firmly established by the Terrific Tot herself.

First, Caitlin is always the hider, never, ever the seeker. Should you attempt to hide, you may stay twisted uncomfortably behind a chair with your knees next to your ears, or trapped in a closet for the remainder of the day. Only Caitlin hides. Period.

Next, number sequence is arbitrary. When counting to ten (yes, even though she is always the hider, Caitlin still counts to ten), Caitlin's count goes something like this, "Two, three, five, nine, TEN!!!" Not bad, especially since some of my students count exactly the same way.

Third, even though Caitlin hides in the same place every time, you must always, always act as though you have absolutely no idea where she could be. Despite being in plain sight between the coffee table and the couch, you must pretend her hiding spot is extremely clever and difficult to find. Also, if Caitlin covers her eyes, that means she is invisible.

Finally, once you somehow find Caitlin's top secret, highly classified hiding spot, you must say "I found you!!!" and tickle her belly while she rolls all over the floor. The game is not over until this pivotal moment occurs.

After familiarizing yourself with this set of rules, you are ready to play Hide and Seek, I mean, Boo with Crafty Caitlin the Disappearing Toddler. Have a great time and if you need any help, ask Bella. She'll lead you to Caitlin every time.

Paradise

St. Thomas, USVI April 2011

Caitlin enjoying Morningstar Beach

During my school vacation week, our family took a trip to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Our trip was exactly what this family needed-lots of time relaxing by the beach, leisurely dips in the pool, warm sunshine, afternoon naps, and plenty of frozen pina coladas. I do not remember the last time I went on a vacation and actually did nothing. It felt wonderful to completely relax, read, rest, and enjoy uninterrupted family time away from the bustle of home.

Stacking cups-don't leave home without them!

We stayed at the Marriott Frenchman's Reef and Morningstar resort, which boasts incredible views, a long, pristine beach, an outdoor glass elevator, muchos iguanas, and a pretty awesome breakfast buffet. The resort was perfect for our family-everything we needed was close by, the staff was friendly and helpful, and almost all of the restaurants were extremely kid friendly. We definitely want to go back. Like, right now.

At the swim up bar-we got a free pina colada because the bartender found Caitlin's presence amongst the drinkers so amusing.

Caitlin morphed into the ultimate beach bum in St. Thomas. Something in the Caribbean breeze made our little one let loose and kick back. She was so excited to ride the glass elevator, dig on the beach, throw sand at Mama and Daddy, drink copious amounts of apple juice, and float in the pool every afternoon. The people of St. Thomas displayed great affection for Miss C. Everywhere we went, people called Caitlin "Princess," which she seemed to love. Caitlin behaved wonderfully on the trip, which made it possible to eat at some nice restaurants, enjoy a steel drum band, and spend lots of time at the beach and pool. Just like her Mama, Caitlin loves travel and loves the beach. I see a lot of palm trees and sparkling beaches in our future.

Copycat

These days, Caitlin spends most of her days mimicking the actions of those around her. She spent about 19 months of her life quietly observing her surroundings. In the past month or so, Caitlin has moved from quietly observing to actively copying. Last Thursday night, Caitlin played with her stacking cups while taking a bath. As she repeatedly drank dirty bathwater from her green stacking cup, Caitlin began saying, "Mmmmm, coffee!" and "Hot!" After watching Mama drink a cup of coffee or two most every morning, apparently Caitlin now drinks coffee as well. I worry she will soon say, "Mmmmm, wine!" Note to self: wait until after bedtime to pour out a glass of Pinot Noir.

Caitlin also enjoys packing a purse, grabbing car keys, and heading out for work. Although Caitlin has play purses of her own, she prefers to use Mama's special Kate Spade bag. Caitlin slings the bag over her shoulder, grabs a set of car keys, asks for her coat, and heads toward the basement door calling, "Bye-bye!" When asked if she is going to work, Caitlin will grin and give an enthusiastic, "Yeah!!" as though leaving for work is really that much fun.

My little copycat is also beginning to repeat everything she hears. From time to time, Caitlin and I plug in my iPod and have dance parties in the living room. One of our favorite dance tunes is Cee Lo Green's inappropriately titled, "F*#k You." Despite the song's vulgar name, the lyrics and tune are super catchy. Since Caitlin and I only danced to this song a handful of times, I did not think much of the swear words becoming part of her vernacular. Last week as Caitlin and I drove to day care, Cee Lo's radio-edited version named "Forget You" came on the radio. As soon as the opening notes played, Caitlin sat upright in her car seat and yelled, "DUCK YOU!!!" Clearly, she meant to say something else, but her still developing articulation prevented the necessary sounds from coming out. Great. Now my daughter not only has a caffeine addiction, but also swears like a sailor. At least she likes going to work, although I don't think she observes that behavior from her Mama. I've created a copycat monster. It's time to start being a bit more careful with my behavior and my words. Somebody is watching.