"Puzzle States"

We purchased a puzzle of the United States for Claire a couple of months ago and she has been at it ever since. She makes us put the puzzle together before every nap AND bed time. And I mean every single one! It has become a punishment to have her puzzle taken away. It takes us about thirty minutes to get ready to go to sleep because she has to dump her entire puzzle out and put it back together. Of course, there is no hurrying involved. She likes to take her time and will sometimes get very upset if you offer unsolicited help.

Erik and I have been very surprised at how quickly she's learned the names and locations of most of the states. Her favorites seem to change every now and then too. First, it was Nevada, California, and Utah, because that is where members of our families live. Then it became Texas and Oklahoma (I have no idea why). After that it was Washington and Maine, because Erik and I lived there when we were younger. Lately, it is Alabama (ambama), Mississippi (sippy sippy), and sometimes Georgia comes into the mix.

Below is a cute video of Claire doing her puzzle before nap time. Notice at one point she says "i sink", which means "I think". This is a new-found phrase of hers.