Miranda's 5th Birthday and Interview 2019

Miranda is a pretty confident little preschooler. She's very different than James was at this age, she's still working on the letters of the alphabet and counting (though she's really interested in math) but she always knows what she wants and uses some of the biggest words to demand it.

She didn't have a party this year even though James did, in part, because James had to wait until he was 8 for a friends' party, so it seems fair that she wait until she's at least 6, and also in part because she won't be going to school with any of the kids in her preschool next year. So we promised her a party next year when she's in Kindergarten. She still got her very own cake, and a bunch of presents she wanted so she wasn't sad about it. She even got the Barbie camper she's been obsessed with for almost a year.

5 years complete!

Barbie Camper Joy!

Taking the new Barbie camper to the new Barbie supermarket

Birthday Interview, 2019
What's your name? Miranda.
Do you know how to spell it? M-i-r-a-n-a
What's my name? Ericka
What do you call me? Mama

What's my husband's name? Kevin
   What do you call him? Dada.
How old are you? Five.
How old do you think I am? Don't know.  (I am 40.)
How old is Dada? Eight. (He is 39.)
How old is Jame? 8. (Correct.)

What is your favorite animal? Panda bears
What is your favorite color? Rainbow

What is your favorite food? Tacos
    What's your favorite breakfast? Cereal
    What's your favorite lunch? Chocolate toast (toast with Nutella spread)
    What's your favorite dinner? Tacos.

What is your favorite book? They're all my favorite book. (I hear you! She seems to really like The Very Ugly Bug, The Monster at the End of this Book, and lately, Sneezy the Snowman.)
What is your favorite song? Heartbeats only happen. (She means Big Love, Small Moments by JJ Heller)
What is your favorite toy? I have more than one favorite. I think my Barbie camper. (It's probably her Barbies and drawing stuff. She uses both every single day.)
Do you sleep with any toys at night? Sometimes only.

What is your favorite show? Boss Baby (She's also been obsessed with this baking competition lately called Nailed It.)
Which is your favorite movie?  Boss Baby, and the Minions

Are you funny? Yes.
How do you know? Cuz you tell me that I'm funny.

Who is your best friend? Don't have one. (It's probably Sonya, Ava, Mollin, and Elle at PreK.)
Do you like school? Yes.
What do you like about school? I like that we make crafts together.
Who are your teachers? Miss Weaver, Miss Heidi, Miss Heather, I can't remember anybody else. 

Do you love me? Yes! 
Do you love Dada? Yes! 
Do you love James? Yes!

What does it mean that you love someone? It means that you like them and you take good care of them.
Do you want to get married one day? No.
Why not? I don't know.
Do you want have kids one day? No.
I thought you wanted to be a mama? I do, but I don't want to have kids, because kids are a lot of work.

What's your favorite thing about Grandma? She makes us treats and we go to the beach with her.

What do you want to want to be when you grow up? A scientist. I want to be an artist. I want to be everything.

How come? Scientists discover cool things, and I do a lot of art so it makes sense I should be an artist when I grow up and I also like art.
Do you know what's dada's job is? Writing books and being a dad.

What do you like better the park, the library, the Zoo, or the Children's Museum? Don't have one [I like better].
What do you like to do with Dada? Play with him.
What do you play with him? Barbies.
What do you like to do with Mama? Play with her.
What do you play with me? Barbies.

What else do you think I should ask? Nothing.
Tell me something about your ballet class. We do ballet there.
What do you like better, dance or swim class? Swimming.
Do you like Omaha? Yeah.

What do you think the meaning of life is? Meaning? I don't know what that means.
I mean, what do you think the point of life is? To stay alive.

Miranda's 3rd Birthday Interview 2017

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Interview, 4/24/17
What's your name? Miranda Clou-fer
What's my name? Mama
What's my husband's name? Dada. 

How old are you? Um, two.
Aren't you three? Oh, free, I think.
How old do you think I am? Um, I don't know.
How old is Dada? Um, I don't know. Is he two? 
I'm 38, and Dada is 37. How old Jame is? 
6. How old Grandma is? 
Hey, are you interviewing me now? How old great-grandma is?
93!

What is your favorite food? My favorite food is oatmeal. (But I asked again later and she said, I think yogurt.)
What's your favorite breakfast? I think oatmeal I said.
What's your favorite lunch? Just carrots.
What? Are you a bunny? I don't eat bunnies! Yuck!
Don't you like sandwiches for lunch? Peanut butter sandwich but not cheese in it. (Peanut butter & jelly sandwich, not a cheese sandwich)
What's your favorite dinner? I think, orange juice, I think. Actually, I think I like milk for dinner. (Usually does not cooperate with eating dinner unless it's mac n' cheese or pizza, but we make her eat a lot of chicken.)

Helping herself to clementines.

What is your favorite animal? I think Lambie.
What is your favorite color? Um, I think, pink!
What is your favorite book? Um, I think Caterpillars ones. (She makes me read Doc McStuffins books almost every night.)

What is your favorite song? I know which one, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star one.
What is your favorite toy? I think Lambie.
Do you sleep with any toys at night? Well, I think Doc McStuffins and Lambie. (Toys she sleeps with rotate. But she did recently sleep with them.) 
What is your favorite game? I think naked run!
What's your favorite sport? Find eggs outside. (Egg hunt with grandma.)
Well, do you like t-ball, soccer, running, or swimming? I think I like swimming most.

Maybe she'll come around on t-ball because she's got a great arm.

What is your favorite show? I think Doc McStuffins. 
Which is your favorite movie?  I like Doc McStuffins ones. (There is no Doc McStuffins movie. She likes Room on the Broom and the original Ghostbusters best.)

Are you funny? No, you are funny.
How do you know? Cuz you are. Cuz you are silly I think.

She is funny. 

Who is your best friend? Grandma is.

With her bestie.

Do you love me? Yes! 
Do you love Dada? Yes! 
Do you love James? Yes!

What do you think love means? I think love means, I love you.
Do you want to get married one day? Yes.
What do you think the person that you marry should be like? Um, I don't know.

What's your favorite thing about Grandma? I think I love her.
But what do you like about her? When she gets my toys.
What's your favorite thing about Nana? I like when she visits. She justs puts makeup on me. (Took me a long time to understand her word for "visit.")
What about Bob? What I like about Bob, I like when he visits.

Nana and Miranda's new makeup set

What do you like to do with Dada? Play games with him.
What do you like to do with Mama? Love you and play checkers with you. (I have never played checkers with her. Though we have done some Candyland.)
What do you like to play with James? I play with him.
But what do you play? Cuz I don't want to play Castle of Illusion, just doctor. (Castle of Illusion is a Kindle Disney game.)

Good buddies.

What do you like to play with Grandma? Play doctors.
What do you like to play with Nana? I don't know. 
What about makeup? Oh, I like to do makeup but Nana puts the makeup on me.

What do you like to play with Bob? I don't know. 
What about the tent? Did Bob go in the tent? I don't know about that.

Bob playing with Miranda in the tents

What do you want to want to be when you grow up? I think, a doctor I think.
How come? Cuz, I want to help everyone, I guess.
Do you know what Dada's job is? What? (I explained. Maybe she'll know next year.)

What do you like better the beach, the library, the aquarium, or the playground? I think the playground.
How come? Cuz, I love to be out there.

What else do you think I should ask? Oh, what? Why Grandma gets toys for me?
Okay, why do you think Grandma gets toys for you? Cuz she loves me.

Okay last one, what do you think the meaning of life is? What do you think life is for? For rescuing someone.

The little one is a wise and I love her so much.

Miranda's 2nd Birthday Interview 2016

James's 3rd Birthday Interview 2014

James's 6th Birthday Interview 2017

Interview, 4/24/17
What's your name? James.
What's my name? Ericka. What do you call me? Mama.
What's my husband's name? Dada. 
You know his real name too? Uh-huh. Kevin.
How old are you? Five. I mean, six.
How old do you think I am? Thirty-eight.
How old is Dada? Thirty-seven.
How old is Miranda? Three.

What is your favorite food? Pasta.
    What's your favorite breakfast? Oatmeal and yogurt.
    What's your favorite lunch? Peanut butter & jelly.
    What's your favorite dinner? Chicken nuggets and pasta.

What is your favorite animal? Dog.
What is your favorite color? Blue and green.
What is your favorite book? Sideways Stories (from Wayside School)

What is your favorite song? I don't know.
What is your favorite toy? My kindle.
Do you sleep with any toys at night? Fudgie. 
What is your favorite game? Chess.
What's your favorite sport? Swimming.

Does not like t-ball.

What is your favorite show? Miraculous Lady Bug.
Which is your favorite movie?  Zootopia.

Are you funny? Yes.
How do you know? Because I always be silly. (Said in crazy witch voice.)

Who is your best friend? Kyle.
Do you like school? Yes.
What do you like about school? Computers.
Who are your teachers? Mr. Jackowski and Miss Maloney. And do you know what rhymes with Miss Maloney?
Baloney? Yes!

With his best friend Kyle.

Do you love me? Yes! 
Do you love Dada? Yes! 
Do you love Miranda? Yes!

What does it mean that you love someone? That you really like them a lot.

Do you want to get married one day? Yes.
What do you think the person that you marry should be like? Um, pretty. A girl. 
Is that it? Do you think she just needs to be pretty and that's it? Yeah and a girl. 
What if she's mean? Oh, and not mean, and nice.

What's your favorite thing about Grandma? She's nice. Gave me a lot of candy.
What's your favorite thing about Nana? That she's nice.
What about Bob? That he plays games with me.

James and Kevin

What do you want to want to be when you grow up? A magician.
How come? Well, because they're sort of magical.
Do you know what Dada/s job is? He gets money.
What does he do to get money? I don't know.

What do you like better the beach, the library, the Aquarium, or the playground? The beach.
How come? Well if the ocean's not cold, we can go in it. And we can throw rocks in the ocean.

What do you like to do with Dada? Play chess.
What do you like to do with Mama? Read Sideways Stories with you and cuddle with you.
What do you like to do with Miranda? I like when she watches me play Scribble Hero.
What do you like to play with Grandma? The French Game, and it's also Spanish and England. Oh yeah Italian, French and Spanish. (Duolingo)
What do you like to play with Nana? I don't know.
What do you like to play with Bob? Chess.

What else do you think I should ask? I don't know.

Okay last one, what do you think the meaning of life is? Reduce, Reuse, and Recycling.

Love you so much, buddy.

James's 5th Birthday Interview 2016

James's 4th Birthday Interview 2015

James 3rd Birthday interview 2014

James's interview at 2.5 years old 2013

James wasn't interview ready at 2 years old, but he was starting to use sentences. 

Miranda is Two and Half 2016!

Miranda is two-and-a-half! A month ago... but you guys, it's hard to remember to do these things the second time around. Miranda has been chatting a lot more, even at Mommy n' me where she used to be so shy she wouldn't talk or sing.

1. What's your name? Firanda. What? Viranda.
2. What's my name? Mama
3. How old are you? Miranda. Are you two? Yeah. Are you three? Yeah.
4. How old am I? Mama. (Same answer as six months ago.)

5. What is your favorite animal? Pink elephant on my head.
6. What is your favorite color? Pink. I mean purple and pink. Purple and pink.
7. What is your favorite food? Nanas and treats. (Bananas and treats.)

   What's your favorite breakfast? Dirt.

   What's your favorite dinner? Dirt.

8. What is your favorite book? Pink. (She does have a bunch of pink books she carries around because of their pinkness. She also loves her Dora Princess book.)

Who me?


Miranda loves driving at 2.5 years old

9. What is your favorite song? Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

10. What is your favorite toy? Bunny and babies.

11. Do you sleep with anything at night? Milk and books. (This is true, but I take them out of crib when she falls asleep.)

12. What is your favorite TVshow? Big Friend. (True. She also likes Goldie and Bear, Masha and Bear, and Lego Ghostbusters.)

13. What were you for Halloween? DocMcStuffins!

14. Are you funny? Yes.

15. Who is your best friend? The bunny and the babies.

As you can see from some of her answers, Miranda wasn't terribly cooperative this time around so I couldn't ask her about her thoughts on the meaning of life like at her 2-year-old interview.

James's Pre-K Graduation 2016

James is a PreK Grad!

James finished half-day 3-day-a-week PreK at Little Rascals private school. He will start at public kindergarten next fall in his new elementary school. His PreK had a little Move-Up ceremony to say good-bye. Did you want a million pictures of that? Yes? Oh good. Here you go.

James and Miranda pre-ceremony

The ceremony began with a few songs performed by our graduates.

Dr. Seuss themed! James is dressed as a scientist.

Powerful dance moves

Singing

Then they got in cap and gowns and marched to their degrees!

Morning class lined up

Close-up of James, Emma, and Ellie

Miss Jill and Miss Tasha look proud.

Ellie, Natlia and Adrianna looking this way

Dillon (and Rebecca waiting)

Class picture! Teachers: Miss Jill, Miss Tasha, and Miss Jackie

Close-up: Lyla, Natalia, Ellie, James, Emma, Lexi, and Cora

Mama is proud!

Family picture!

After-party!

Complete with cotton candy!

The best award ever! I had to explain "compassionate."

Miranda is Two Years Old- and Interview- 2016

Miranda is two years old! She loves books and cartoons. Her favorite books are about Team Oomie Zoomie or Dinosaurs, or in one case, both. Her favorite cartoons are Minnie Mouse, Team Oomie Zoomie, Bubble Guppies, Big Big Friend, and Paw Patrol.

Miranda, a week before his second birthday

A year ago, Miranda turned a year old, and we had her first birthday party as a joint 4th birthday party with James.  I compiled a picture from each of the first 12 months of Miranda's life. Two weeks later, Uncle Andrew moved to Japan!

 
Miranda at her first birthday


Sayonara Uncle Andrew!

Miranda turned 13 months old  and said about 5 words: dada, tickle-tickle-tickle, mama, go, and yesh (yes). (At this age, James said mama, dada, no, and leche).

James at 13 Months, May 23

When Miranda turned 14-months one of her favorite books was "Dinosaur Versus the Library," and she still loves dinosaurs.

Miranda at almost 14 months, June 19- James's Nursery Graduation

Miranda turned 15 months old, and was already over half my height. She could say about 8 words. She started insisting on using a spoon or fork to eat her food. Miranda was sort of the ring leader back then, and James would follow her around imitating her.

Almost. got. it. July 16 (Old house)

Shortly after Miranda turned 15 months, we moved to our first house!!

First day at the new house- no furniture yet, July 31

At 16 months Miranda started having typical toddler tantrums. She also fell madly in love with books. Her favorites were Potty, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Dora and the Rainy Day, the Belly Button, and ¿Dónde está el ombliguito?

Pretending to read out loud, August 12


At our local beach, September 6

By the time Miranda turned 17 months she had started chatting quite a bit and understood most of what we said to her. She demanded to sit at the dinner table without the baby chair. She yelled at James to "Go back!" one day when she wanted him to get back and not take her toy.

With her favorite ladies, September 12... almost 17 months

October 10

Shortly after she turned 18 months, she celebrated her first Halloween. At 18 months she said: Dada, James, milk, no, yes, stuck, up (to be picked up), go!, book, ball.... Mama (infrequently). She repeated a lot more words than that.

Back when they were twinsies, October 21

Miranda's 2nd Halloween at 18 months old

 

Being pet by Olivia at Mommy N' Me.

Shortly after Miranda turned 19 months old, we celebrated our first Thanksgiving in our own house!

Thanksgiving 2015, Miranda is 19 month

Miranda turned 20 months old and we spent Noche Buena and Christmas morning on Long Island with my mom and Bob, and some days after Christmas with Kevin's family in Cape Cod. And we celebrated New Years Eve together.

Christmas Eve at home, Miranda is 20 months old

Being tickled by Nana


Opening presents with James


Grandma Ruth reading Miranda stories


New Years Eve

Miranda turned 21 months old and started saying two or three words together at a time.  We celebrated Valentine's Day and Kevin's 36th birthday.

Pointing out the birds in our feeder


With Aunt Melanie and Uncle David


Snow storm Juno!

Valentine's Day with Grandma 2016

On February 20, she turned 22 months old. We celebrated my 37th birthday, then St. Patrick's Day.

My 37th birthday

At 23 months old, we celebrated Easter on Cape Cod with Kevin's family. Miranda got her first real haircut. She also went to her first (primary) election.

James, Great Grandma Ruth and Miranda at Easter

First haircut at 23 months

She turned two years old and celebrated her joint birthday with her brother. She's such a smart funny girl. We love you so much, Miranda!

Miranda's 2nd birthday party with family

Rocking her new raincoat.

Miranda Interview, 4/27/16

What's your name? No.

Who's that? James.

Who am I? Mama.

Who is that? Dada. 

Who are you? Me. I am me.

How old are you? Do you know? No. (Two)

What is your favorite color? One.

That's a number. What's your favorite color? Pink.

What is your favorite animal? Sheep.

What is your favorite food? Prepes. (Pretzles.)

    What's your favorite breakfast? Dedios. (Cheerios.)

    What's your favorite lunch? Pretzles. (Usually wants peanut butter and jelly every day.)

    What's your favorite dinner? Pasta. Chee. (Pasta and cheese?)

Do you love me? Yeah.

Do you love Dada? Yep.

Do you love James? Yeah.

Do you love Grandma? Yeah.

Do you love Nana? Yep.

What is your favorite book? ...

Do you like books? Yep!

What is your favorite song? Itsy Spida. (Itsy Bitsy Spider)

What is your favorite toy? Itsy Spida.

Do you sleep with anything? Yeah.

What do you sleep with? Bed.

What toy do you sleep with? Pig. (Sleeps with a pink bunny that she calls Bunny. Has no pig toy.)

What is your favorite show? Big Big. 

Big Big Friend? Yeah.

I thought you liked Team Oomie Zoomie the best? No, Big Big Friend. (Starts singing song.)*

Are you funny? Noooo.

Who is your best friend? James is.

What do you want to want to be when you grow up? You.

You want to be me when you grow up? No.

What do you like better the beach, the library, the Aquarium, or the playground? Beach!

What do you think the meaning of life is? Cheese! Hot chocolate.

Is there something else I should ask you? Nope.

Caught "reading" in her room, April 21

* Obsessed with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Little Einsteins (musical cartoon), Team Oomie Zoomie (math cartoon), and Bubble Guppies