Out with a Bang!

Don't worry, not a physical bang. Nobody's hurt. Unless you count our sides from laughing. Clara was in rare form today, I think she wanted to make sure we sent 2011 out with plenty of humor! It started the minute she got up, saw me in my bathrobe and immediately wanted to put hers on. Then, she stuck her finger up to the red light on the monitor in our bedroom, saw it turn red and instantly started jumping up and down, waving her arms around, off the wall excited asking, "Mommy?! Can I paint my fingernails?!?" So that's what she did first thing, before breakfast or anything this morning.

It's been awhile since she painted her nails and it was amazing to see how much more fine motor control she has these days! She ended up with much less polish on her fingers, and much more on her nails themselves. She was even getting really good at wiping the brush off after dipping it in the bottle so she didn't have too much polish.

Before dinner she was running back and forth, over and over, between the living room and the kitchen. All of a sudden she exclaimed, "I was trying to lose my mind! ..... but then I said, 'Yep!'" Not sure what that meant....

Then, at dinner, she turned to Luke and asked with great animation, "Where's my mind?!? ... Daddy, it's in your shop!" They went through a whole conversation about where her mind was - looking on the floor, on their chairs... Clara told Luke he sat on it! Then he told her it was in the bottom of her bowl and she should eat her rice to find it. She took one bite and said, "There it is!" Oh my.

All by Herself

Daddy was cutting up leather. Clara ran into the kitchen, got out some scissors and started looking for paper to cut. When Daddy gave her some, she sat right down and started seriously snipping away. She is very methodical with the scissors and so fun to watch, she really studies what she's doing!

Now here's the terrific part: she clipped and clipped for awhile. This creates lots of teeny tiny pieces of paper all over the floor. She stopped clipping for a moment and started picking some of them up, then got up and looked like she was heading somewhere else. I asked her where she was going (envisioning little pieces of paper strewn all over the house). Her reply? "These need to go in the trash!" She proceeded to throw all the paper in the trash, as well as a scrap of leather Daddy had left behind. Then she put the scissors right back where they go. All this without me so much as mentioning cleaning up! Terrific doesn't get much better than that!

This morning when Daddy asked if she would like some scrambled eggs and potatoes: "No thanks(in such a cheery voice)! I would like..... umm.... scrambled eggs and toast!"

This evening while cleaning up her trains: "Mmm, I would prefer to pick up my shoes."

Multipurpose

One thing that I have really tried to focus on for Clara is toys that are multipurpose, spark imagination, or can be used in more than one way. For Christmas Gramma made Clara fabric squares similar to these ones, and they embody all of the above characteristics! Luke and I had a blast on Christmas night making different designs with them and Clara enjoyed doing that with me for a little while today too. But then, they instantly transformed into something else - "beds" for the animals in her dollies barn. It was so sweet to watch her carefully place each square and then gently set each animal down. So fun! Laurie and Emily (the dollies) even used another square as a picnic blanket!

Clara was such a sweet little nurse to her sick Daddy today, taking him crackers and drinks, snuggling with him on the couch, patting his arm gently. She loves to help and loves to take care of people, which is so sweet to watch! Both qualities I want to foster in her.

"Coffee"

Today Luke and I took advantage of having grandparents visiting - aka free babysitting! We headed out at 9 this morning, stopped so Luke could trim a horse on our way to town, wandered around a bit, saw a movie, had some lunch at an Indian restaurant and headed back to Hoosick Falls where I got my hair chopped off! It is shorter than I've ever had it and I love it!

Clara had a wonderful day with her grandparents playing with trains, "shopping," reading books and just having a grand old time. It was so special to spend a whole day with my husband but by halfway through the day I was really missing my little girl! I was so happy to see her again when we got home and she was excited to see us too. We all piled in my car and headed one of our favorite local diners for dinner. They didn't have kiddie cups so Clara got water in a coffee cup, which she loved! She immediately announced, "It taste kind of like coffee!" The whole time she kept telling us it was her coffee and that she was drinking coffee, which she found absolutely hilarious. Oh my, how I love this silly little girl!

Buddies

Tonight we had dinner with the Niles and it is always so nice to see them again when it's been awhile - even if it's just been 10 days or so since we've spent time together, it always feels like so much longer! Clara had a blast seeing her friends and Annabelle had a great time showing Clara her Christmas presents. It was so sweet to see them just head off together, deep in conversation. We are so thankful for such good buddies for our little girl!

On the way home tonight in the truck she was absolutely cracking me us up!! Snippets of our conversation went like this (picture each of Clara's lines said with as much emphasis and humor as you possibly can):
C: The panda was eating bamboo!
Me: Yes, he was!
C: That was silly! Was that funny Mom?!
Me: Was that funny to watch?
C: Uh huh. I don't eat bamboo. I not a panda!
Me: Nope, you're not!
C: Are you a panda, Mom? ... You're not a panda! Does Sadie eat bamboo? No, she not a panda! She doesn't eat bamboo!

We were listening most of the way home to a CD of hers that is Aesop's Fables for children, read by a few different people.
C: I don't 'member her name! This little girl is reading 'nuther story Mama! Do you 'member her name?
Me: No, I don't know her name.
C: I 'member her name.
Me: Oh.
C: When she finishes this story, that boy can read 'nuther story!
Me: Uh huh. (as you can tell, I add a lot to these conversations!)
C: Do you know his name Mom?
Me: No, I don't know his name either.
C: I 'member his name.
Me: Oh.
C: And when they finish that story, they can read 'nuther story! ..... and when they finish that story, they can read 'nuther one!!
Me: Yes! They can!

Later she was trying to say "goat" and she kept saying "got," "God," "go," etc. Finally she spit it out. Then she laughed and laughed and exclaimed, "I couldn't say it right!"

C: This story bout a ant and a dove.
Me: A dove is a kind of bird.
C: I like doves. A heron is kind of like a bird!
Me: Yes, a heron is a kind of bird and a dove is another kind of bird.
C: I like herons.
Me: Do you?
C: Uh huh. ..... kitties are kind of like birds.
Me: No, kitties are not at all like birds.
C: We're kind of like birds.
Me: No, we're not like birds either.
C: Are we being silly???
Me: You're being silly!

Sadie had to ride on my lap since there was no room anywhere else in the cab and it was raining out so she couldn't ride in the bed of the truck. Our whole drive was punctuated by Clara asking, "What's Sadie doing Mom?" or "What's Sadie doing now?" or "Where's Sadie? I can't see her!" as well as, "Awwww, good gor (=girl) Sadie" in a completely patronizing tone.

Ohhh my. We were in stitches.

New Hats!

Clara and baby Joy got new hats for Christmas, handmade by Gramma. They are super soft and colorful! We had a great time today out in the sunshine. First we delivered cookies, ornaments and homemade marmalade to our sweet neighbors, then Daada pushed Clara in her stroller for awhile, but when Mama tried to take over Clara decided she'd rather push than be pushed, so she pushed baby Joy for a long time. They had a blast!

Clara did not nap today. Oh, she was in her crib for over two hours, but every time I'd think "Oh, I haven't heard her for a few minutes, maybe she finally fell asleep," she'd start talking, calling, squealing, singing or letting me know she was still awake in some other way. Why is it that she always seems to do this when she is the most tired and in greatest need of a good sleep? But that's not the point of this story. Because in every trial there is a germ of joy, yes? On the flip side of every "terrible" moment (though not napping can't truly be described as terrible, I don't think) there is something terrific waiting to be discovered. When I finally got Clara up from her nap, I asked her if she was still very sleepy, which she said she was. Then I told her that when we are sleepy and tired, it is easy to feel whiny (something she has been struggling with lately). But if she felt whiny this evening, instead of whining I wanted her to tell me, "Mommy, I need some snuggles!"

I have to say, it worked remarkably well! For about an hour afterward she frequently ran up to me and announced, "Mommy, I need snuggles!" Of course, I was more than happy to comply. We still had a few whiny moments but each time she began to whine I simply asked, "Oh, do you need snuggles?" She either said yes, we snuggled and it was better, or she said no, stopped whining and ran away. I think this will be a frequently employed "technique" in our house. God knows I can certainly always use more snuggles from my little girl!

Merry Christmas!

We had a wonderful, wonderful day celebrating Jesus' birthday! It was a terrific day with our terrific two-year old. More details to come tomorrow. For now, a blessed, grace-filled, holy Christmas from our family to yours!

Christmas Bathrobe

Clara loves my bathrobe. In the mornings she often asks me to wear it and doesn't want me to put "real" clothes on instead. When I saw this fabric, I knew I had to make her a robe with it. It is sooo soft and cuddly. I have been dying to give it to her, so after she showered with me this afternoon I pulled it out and she was thrilled, to say the least! She didn't want to take it off for a loooong time. As you can tell, she loves it!

She ate dinner in it, helped my frost Jesus' birthday cake in it, and only changed out of it to put clothes on for the Christmas Eve service, which she was looking forward to attending. She came up front with me and helped me read the Christmas story from her Jesus Storybook Bible for the Advent reading at the service and it was so sweet to hear her whispering the words along with me. We are so ready and full of anticipation for Jesus' birthday tomorrow!!!

First Chaps

In addition to having grandparents here, Daddy also has the entire next week off from work! We are so happy to have him home with us. Today Clara spent some time out in the shop sitting on Daddy's saddle, practicing holding reins, swinging a rope, and wearing the first pair of chaps that Daddy had as a little boy! Daddy even modified them to fit Clara and they are just adorable! See for yourselves...

For those of you who don't know, they're pronounced with a soft "ch" - more like shaps, not like the chap of, "I say, old chap!"

Overheard: "No, you're not a puppy dog, you're an elephant! Come on." (As she dragged Baaba around the house by a rope.)

"Don't tickle me, I'm your friend!"

"I don't like it when it's cooked, I just like it when it's sour." (Upon being warned that a raw cranberry was, in fact, sour. After tasting said cranberry, she decided she didn't like it after all...)

"Mama, did you get food for Jesus?!?" (Upon our return from the grocery store this afternoon.)

Camping

That's what Baaba and Clara did for a long time this morning. They camped under the "stars" in the "forest" by our Christmas tree, read a counting book about rabbits (dressed in Native American garb) and sang indian songs. It was precious, hilarious, wonderful. Such a blessing to have family here for Christmas and to watch Clara just soak up the time with her grandparents.

Happy Room

Earlier today I posted on facebook about how happy my new yellow laundry room makes me. Apparently it has the same effect on Clara, because she just wanted to be in there all day! She had a great time helping me clean it up and carry some things out to the garage this morning, and as soon as we blew up the air mattress she climbed right on top and settled in for a long time! She snuggled and read and rolled around and just loved it! I think this room will be one of our new favorite places.

Sweater Dress!

After nap today I made a fire in the woodstove and she watched from her yellow chair. Then we sat together on the floor and she discovered she could see the fire through the vent in the door! So we were peeking through, wondering at the fire and talking about the colors we could see. Discovering and wondering together never loses its charm!

This sweater came from the Goodwill but was too small for me and I've been wanting to make Clara a dress from it forever! Last night she was talking about having a new dress so it was the perfect opportunity. It only took about 20 minutes to elasticize the neckline, shorten and elasticize the sleeves, and take the sides in a bit. I think the neckline still needs a bit of work, but it is so cute on her! I don't know if it was the dress, or just the grace of God (probably the latter), but we had a much better day today. We took some of our homemade ornaments to the nursery folks at Bible study (and one of Clara's little friends, at her request) as well as our dear friend Grandma Pat in Williamstown (who I had a gift for and Clara added ornaments to it). Her little giving spirit is so sweet and terrific these days!

Fun with Ornaments

Clara and I made more homemade ornaments today. We took lots down to family at Thanksgiving but we wanted more for our tree and also want to give them to several friends (and we keep adding to the list - Clara thought of a few more people tonight, all by herself! Love watching her giving spirit blossom!). We made a quite a few but I think with all the people we keep adding we're going to have to make another batch! I love these ornaments, they are so simple, lovely and fragrant! Roughly equal parts applesauce and cinnamon, then add more cinnamon if needed to get a playdough consistency. Roll out, cut, and dry! We like to stick ours in an oven that has been warmed to around 200 and then shut off. If you bake them, they curl. Best to let them dry at warm room temp, though it takes longer. As you can see, Clara had lots of fun with the cinnamon....

Terrific moment of the day: kneading bread (one of my favorite tasks!) while Clara sat at the table and read "Piglet Meets a Heffalump" to me. She told me all about the elephant, and Piglet, and Pooh - I learned that elephants like honey! It was so sweet and a rejuvenating reprieve in the middle of our day.

Despite our fun moments today was rather rough overall. Clara and I each had several time-outs. Tonight, Daddy had to take Clara's stroller away because she kept running into people on purpose. That was the last straw. She bawled and bawled, all through tooth brushing (a battle) and halfway through getting jammies on, then bawled some more when she realized we were not reading stories because she had fought so much with tooth brushing. She was beside herself, "I want to play with my stroller!! I want to read one story!"
"I know sweetie, it's so sad that we can't read or play with your stroller. You did not obey Mommy and Daddy, and those are the consequences."
"I want to obey!!! I obey now, I want to obey!!!"

Isn't this the cry of every heart longing to be right with our Father? Oh, Lord, I want to obey! I see the fruit of my disobedience and I yearn to obey, to have an obedient heart. This is another thing we pray for every night, "Oh God, give Clara an obedient heart. Help her to obey Mommy and Daddy and God, most of all." Though today was rough, tomorrow is a new day, no less full of grace after today's trials. A new day to learn obedience and dependence on God for the strength to do even the smallest thing we know we should. Clara is learning the value of obedience, and so am I.

Horses - Finally!

We finally got to ride today after a loooong time without being on our horses! I'm not sure how long it had been, way too long for sure. Clara was SO thrilled to ride. When we got outside after she woke up from her nap Luke had just turned Logan back into the pasture and Clara almost lost it, thinking she wasn't going to get to ride. So we pulled Paladin out and threw Luke's saddle on him - as you can see, it's a little big for me! Clara and I walked around in the arena for a long time and she started crying again when we said it was time to get off. Thankfully her friends arrived home with their Christmas tree just as we were finishing our last lap around the arena, so that was a good distraction. It is so fun to watch her around the horses, she has no fear and loves being up on them, I think she would stay there forever if we let her!

Daddy's Helper

We are working like crazy to transform our laundry/junk room, that has needed a makeover since we bought our house 5 years ago, into a laundry/sewing/guest room. We accomplished a lot but still have a little ways to go. Today, we moved one step closer - tile went down under the washer/dryer section. Clara was fascinated by the process and was "helping" Daddy the whole time - from cleaning the floor after we moved the washer and dryer, to measuring, to marking the hardibacker board, to drilling in the screws, she was his little shadow. When she woke up from her nap she was crushed that Daddy and his friend Scotty had put the tile down without her while she was sleeping. But she's excited, because when she saw Daddy sawing and wanted to saw too, he promised her they would build a birdhouse together in the spring and she could help saw for that. This girl loves working with her Daddy!

Tonight we had a leadership and families Christmas party at church and Clara had a blast with her friend Callan. They are only 8 days apart in age and they love to run around and be silly together. Clara really wanted to give Callan lots of hugs tonight and kept trying. Callan wasn't so sure about that but wanted to give Clara eskimo kisses, which she wasn't so sure about. It was so funny to watch them together and they had a great time. We are so excited because Callan's mommy is quitting her job at the end of this month and we are looking forward to getting together with them more during the week! We can't wait!

"Can you cover me up??"

"Mom, I not sleeping, I just resting." What she told me after we took a shower together this morning (note the wet hair). She was first wrapped up in her towel, watching me get dressed, but quickly decided she need to be under the covers. She stayed in my bed and played with baby Joy and Panda long after I had headed into the kitchen to do some dusting and she'd come out periodically to "get more water" for baby Joy. That little smile just melts my heart! I love how her imagination is really blossoming lately, it is such a joy to watch her.

Little Mother

Taking care of babies is a lot of work. Clara's babies get all the important things - lots of snuggles, walks in their stroller, time outside, naps, food, and sometimes water too!

That's what's in baby Joy's bottle, by the way. At first she told me it was milk (not to be confused with "milky," which comes from Mama). But then she decided milk just comes in cups and the bottle was baby Joy's water. I love listening to her figure these things out for herself!

Confession

I don't have a picture for yesterday. We drove all over the place in the morning, got home in time for a late nap, had dinner and I headed off to choir. By the time I returned, Clara was in bed. I didn't even realize I hadn't taken any pictures until I plugged the camera in to download pictures from the day! I thought about posting a picture from earlier in the week. I felt a little bit like a failure. 365 days of pictures was my goal, and now it's unattainable. But as I thought back over our day, I realized how many pictures I do have.

Clara, brown corduroy jumper with flowers on it, pink leggings and white with light pink polka dot shirt, hair pulled back with bows, helping Mrs. Center place napkins on all the tables for the Advent luncheon we helped to serve. Helping to decorate the tables with pinecones and red berries. Circling round and round the Christmas tree, gazing at all the pictures of church members. Her resounding "Amen!" at the end of each prayer during the short service. Eyes lighting up as we started singing "Go, Tell it on the Mountain" (one of her favorites at the moment). Doing her absolute best to "help" carry the trays of sandwiches and cookies to the tables. Marching up and down the rows of tables as the (mostly elderly) crowd ate, prompting smiles wherever she went. Chatting away with some of the other helpers as she ate her own lunch. She just lit up the whole room and it was wonderful to see her little heart learning the joy of serving others.

She is such a blessing, not only to me, but to almost everyone she comes in contact with. This has been my prayer since before she was born which I still pray over her nightly - that she would be filled with the Holy Spirit from a young age; that she would shine the light of Jesus to all those around her; that she would share His love wherever she goes. I love to see the smiles she prompts among everyone she comes in contact with and it is my constant prayer that she would learn and desire to use her natural ability to fill others with joy to glorify God and honor Him in her life.

Is it a Hat?

Clara couldn't quite decide. She was "helping" me strain chicken stock. Thankfully we hadn't used the strainer yet!

Our dinner conversation (pretty typical of the conversations we have these days):
Clara: Does Daada have a swing at her house?
Luke: No, I don't think so.
Mama: She doesn't have a swing at her house, but I think there is a playground near her house with a swing.
Clara: She has a playground at her house!
M: No, but there's one near her house. She can drive there.
L: Maybe when she moves to Saskatchewan she will have a swing set at her house and we could visit her there sometime.
C: We can if you want to.
M: Yeah, maybe sometime we could.
C: We can visit her if we want to.
L: Would you like to visit her sometime?
C: Uh huh. If we want to, we can visit her.
M: Someday, that would be fun.

Earlier this evening she saw an old pair of her boots and asked whose boots they were. We told her they were too small for her but we were saving them in case we have more kids in our family some day. This led to a whole conversation about kids and babies and adding to our family which I wish I could recount, but it would take way too long! Clara said she would like to have more people in our family and suggested, "Maybe Ana" (a friend her age). I tried to explain that, if we had someone new in our family it would be somebody she didn't know. All night she kept saying randomly, "Somebody I don't know. Somebody I don't know, Mama." We'll see if she remembers the conversation tomorrow!

Horsey Swing!

Remember not too long ago I was bemoaning the fact that Clara never wanted to go outside anymore? Well, I am reminded again how much these things go in phases. These days, she asks to go outside all the time. At least one of her current favorite friends (Baby Joy, Panda, little Kitty, Bojangles or Caramel the bears...) always comes with us and 99% of the time the excursion goes like this: we walk around the yard for a little bit or, if there's snow, I pull Clara around in her sled. Then she swings on her blue swing for awhile. Then she gets cold, asks for a snack, and we come inside. Although I wish she was getting more exercise outside, I'm glad she's at least getting the fresh air! Today, though, our morning trip outdoors had an extra stop - her horsey swing! Grandma Pat (our dear friend and client) had this swing at her house and gave it to Clara last summer. It's still a little big for her and although she's sat on it a few times, she hasn't felt too sure about it. But today she sat on it for quite awhile and just snuggled up to the horse's head while I swung it gently back and forth. Some geese flew overhead and we got to watch them as they honked their way over our house. It was lovely to have a little deviated from the norm!

Clara is just talking up a storm these days and saying some of the funniest things! I need to be better about writing them down throughout the day because by the end of the day when I sit down here to write, my brain is fried and I can never remember the things I wanted to write down! I know there were things I wanted to write tonight, but I've sat here for at least five minutes trying to remember them with no luck, so I'm heading to bed. Maybe they'll come to me tomorrow!

Despite being exhausted, I am so thankful for the wonderful day we had today. I was anticipating a day full of emotions and melt-downs, since Clara was up late last night and woke up early this morning. While there were a few rough moments, we had no major meltdowns and all in all it was a very smooth and cheerful day. It's just such a reminder to me that when I take the time to slow down and really pay attention to Clara instead of just getting caught up in what I want to do - not in a waiting-on-her way but in an observant, aware of her needs way - our day is so much nicer all around and, as a bonus, we usually get more done too! I have found myself lately gravitating towards rigid boundaries and lines in the sand (which is odd, since I was incredibly flexible with her as an infant and young toddler) and these only create battles neither one of us wants to fight and we're each mad at the other for fighting. But, surprise surprise, when I remind myself that though she acts so old sometimes she is still so young and I remember to be flexible and playful with her, she returns the favor a hundred fold and becomes so much more flexible and cheerful with me. Hmmm, that sounds familiar. Something about doing unto others....?

Wow, I've gotten wordy tonight. A sure sign that I need to head to bed.

Musicians

Today we were able to spend time with our dear friends the Niles after way too long! In reality I think it had been three weeks but it felt like forever since we had seen them! Clara took her recorder along so she could play Miss Kristen a birthday song; Miss Kristen then got out her tenor recorder, which Clara thought was great! She and Annabelle had a blast serenading us all.

Next up, the didgeridoo!

"I can't see you!"

Clara, Panda and Kitty have been inseparable the past few days. They go everywhere with her. Poor Pooh Bear and Baby Joy have been jilted in favor of new friends.... it's always so interesting to watch and see what toys she decides to play with, or what books she becomes obsessed with. Last night she discovered a board book copy of the Velveteen Rabbit that we've had for awhile and I've read to her before but she wasn't super interested. Today I bet we've read it 20 times. Obsessed is putting it mildly. I always wonder what it is about the stories she picks that pulls her in so strongly. Watching her little brain at work never ceases to fascinate me!

Christmas Tree Day!

Today we went and got our Christmas tree! Clara was soo excited to set it up and decorate it with the ornaments she made. But before we got to decorating, we celebrated with hot cocoa and cookies. I think it was the first time Clara's had hot cocoa, and she was hooked!

At dinner she was talking about Christmas and said, "Jesus' birthday is ready for him now!" I think she's just a little bit excited!

A White Christmas?

A few days ago, when temps were still hitting the 50s, it didn't seem so likely. But now it's finally starting to look like a possibility... Clara was so excited for more snow (we had some almost six weeks ago, but no more since!) and just wanted Daada to pull her around and around forever!

We had talked with Clara about taking Baaba and Daada to the airport, how they have to go to Africa for a couple of weeks and then they'll be back in time for Jesus' birthday. But today at the airport, as they walked away from the car, Clara started wailing, "Where they going Mama??"
"They're going to find their airplane, baby, so they can go to Africa."
"But I want them to come home with me right now!!"

We have been talking the rest of the day about when they are coming back. We all miss them lots and lots!!

See Oakley?

Clara made a discovery today - Baaba has pictures of her and her cousin Oakley on his computer! Once she discovered that she kept asking him all day, "See pictures of Oakley? See Clara and Oakley?" The girls had a blast together on our trip to Montana in August and Baaba has lots of pictures of them playing, snuggling, reading, partying and generally having wonderful cousin time together. Clara was so happy to snuggle with Baaba for a long time before dinner, holding on to his arm almost the whole time while looking at pictures of her and Oakley. We wish Scott, Jennifer and Oakley could join us for Christmas too!

Tent Time!

One of Clara's favorite things with Daada and Baaba this trip has been making tents! This morning when we headed out the door to Bible study we only got halfway to the car before Clara's lip started trembling and she announced, "I stay here with Daada!!!" So back in we went, where she asked Daada if she could stay home, barely took time to give me a kiss and headed off to play. I had a lovely morning at Bible study, though it felt strange to be childless. Clara had a blast at home! I returned to find the biggest tent so far in the living room, going from the top of the closet door to the drying rack. This afternoon Baaba, Daada and Clara all managed to (almost) squeeze inside, where they hung out and worked on a puzzle book together.

We love grandparent time!!!

They're Here!

Clara was SO thrilled to see Baaba and Daada this morning! She woke up asking if they were here and had a blast playing dollhouse, building forts, reading books, playing outside and, most of all, riding in her stroller in the driveway (a favorite activity that I only occasionally indulge her in). Here, Daada was singing and Clara was watching Baaba, who was splitting firewood for Luke (have I said yet how wonderful it is to have them here? They always just jump right in and do whatever they see that needs to be done. I always end up feeling like a poor hostess and spending lots of time trying to get them, especially Daada, to sit down.).

Going to Church

Clara wore her tutu to the Christmas play last night and wanted to wear the same outfit to church this morning. With her red corduroy coat added, she looked like Christmas personified! Here we are headed into church this morning.

Clara is SOO excited about Baaba and Daada coming to visit. This morning at breakfast she was asking, "They will eat toast and eggs with us, Mama?" (Guess what we had for breakfast...) The other day she wanted to know, "Do they like popcorn, Mama? Will they eat popcorn with us?" She has lots of eating and playing planned and I'm sure Baaba and Daada will be happy to oblige!

Kitty Love

Luke had to do some work with a horse at HeartsHerd Animal Sanctuary today, run by our wonderful friends Renee and Tracy. When I asked Clara last night if she wanted to go to Tracy's house today with Daddy she stopped eating her dinner, put down her fork and said, "We can go right now!!" Clara loves Tracy and Renee's! And why not?! They have chickens, ducks, guinea hens, horses, goats, a sheep (named Eunice), a bunny rabbit and, of course, dogs and cats. Not only did Tracy have some new bottle-fed orphan kitties (tiny but so friendly and cuddly!), she also had four older kittens that are all "tuxedo kitties" - black with white paws and white necks. So cute! The kitties got lots of loving and desensitizing today on our visit.

Then tonight, we went to CBC's annual Christmas play. Clara loved seeing her friends from Bible study in costume and was fascinated the whole time! She loved the songs and every time the lights went down she asked, "What they doin' Mommy??" When the kids all assembled for the nativity at the end and the lights came up Clara caught her breath and whispered to me in an awed voice, "Mama! It's baby Jesus!" She was absolutely enthralled.

Surveying the Unknown

At least, that's what this picture makes me think of. She told me this was her walking stick and had a great time with it in the yard today. She had to keep defending it from Sadie, who thought it should be hers to play with.

Clara is one funny kid. She met a new friend, named Chelsie, on Sunday and yesterday came in the kitchen asking me, "What Chelsie doing Mama?" I was so confused until I realized she had heard "in excelsis deo" on the radio! I tried to explain to her that it was not about Chelsie, it was a song about when Jesus was born, but I don't think it got through because the rest of the day she kept asking me, "Where's Chelsie's deo Mom? What Chelsie's deo doin' Mom?"

She was also trying to tell Luke something about a blanket but was having trouble spitting the word out and kept saying "blanklet." Finally she said, in exasperation, "Daddy, I can't say it! Can you say it for me?!?"
"Blanket?"
"Uh huh."

Happines is...

...snuggling cuddly bears while swinging on a hammock in the twilight.

We had a whiny day today. But, when I really think about it we did spend a lot of time "getting things done" instead of playing together.

Clara has been wanting to go outside a lot lately, which is great. But, the only thing she wants to do the entire time is be pushed in her swing. I enjoy pushing her (at least, I used to) - we chat, recite scripture, sing songs, and have fun. I have to be honest though, it's getting a little old and I have been annoyed at her lately having a meltdown if I so much as suggest doing something other than pushing her endlessly in her swing. BUT, pushing her in the hammock for a little while this afternoon was a blast! A lovely change of pace.

Baby Jesus

Today we got out our Nativity set and Clara was instantly obsessed. We have been talking for a week or so about baby Jesus' birthday which is coming and she talks about it all the time. So as soon as we got the set out, she picked up baby Jesus and started cuddling him. After awhile she told me, "Oh! He needs his mama!" Before long she was walking around with Jesus, Mary and two lambs in her arms, along with Baby Joy. I told her it would be better to sit on the couch with them so they didn't fall and break. Next time I look, she had added Joseph, a shepherd, a camel and a donkey to the mix on the couch. She sat for a long time just holding Jesus and talking to him, and even passed up helping me make muffins (one of her favorite things!) so she could hold Jesus instead.

 

Conversations with a two-year-old about Jesus are interesting, to say the least. In addition to sharing her food with the holy family Clara had some serious questions she wanted answered. At one point she asked me, "Baby Jesus have shirt, mom?"

"No, he doesn't have a shirt on."

"His mama have shirt?"

"Yes, she has a shirt on, right here."

"We can get one of my shirts so he can wear it."

"That's very sweet of you, but I think your shirts would be too big."

"His mama need get shirt for him."

"Yes, that would be a good idea. Would you like a blanket for him?"

"No, he's okay right now."

Upon heading to the bathroom: "Baby Jesus have bum?"

At nap time: "Baby Jesus have milky from his mama? Just like I have milky from my mama?"

I didn't let her take Mary and Jesus to bed with her for nap, but they stayed next to her crib and the first thing she asked upon waking was "Where's baby Jesus? I get out and hold him?"

As she was walking through the kitchen with Jesus and Mary: "(quietly) In few weeks it will be baby Jesus' birthday. It's coming soon. (louder) I tell him Mom, I tell him 'bout his birthday!"

She has also wanted to listen to nothing but Christmas carols all day, which she calls "Jesus music." Whenever a new song comes on that she doesn't know she asks, "What they singing 'bout Mom? This song 'bout Jesus when he was born? This 'bout Jesus' birthday?"

Seeing Christmas through the simple, adoring eyes of a child is a precious treat!

A Windy Walk

It was so nice and warm out today (upper 50s!!), but very windy! Pushing Baby Joy into that wind was hard work!

Overheard (coming from the shower where Luke and Clara were showering together): "Daddy, I'm shaving!" Oh my. Think she's a little young for that yet.

Snuggles

While we miss our family, it is nice to be home in our little house and settling into our routine again. Tonight Luke and Clara enjoyed some pre-bedtime snuggles on the couch with Clara wrapped up in her snowman towel after a shower with Mama. Love our little snuggle bug!

Exhausted

After that week full of excitement and traveling, we were all exhausted! Clara and Baby Joy took a long nap today, which I had to wake them from (something I absolutely hate to do) so that Clara would go back to sleep at bedtime tonight. We will be resting and getting back into the swing of things here over the next few days before kicking the Christmas preparations into gear once December arrives on Thursday!

Things I have been most thankful for this week: the love of God, shown through dear, sweet family; time to spend with family, all too rare; sunshine and unseasonably warm weather to enjoy together; safe travels despite traffic, rain and sleepiness; good food, prepared with love and shared with joy; an adaptable little girl who was happy, cheerful and a delight to herself and others despite strange surroundings, new people and many departures from her normal routines; time spent sharing marriage advice and the faithfulness of God with five married couples (132 years of marriage, collectively! Grandparents, parents, one aunt/uncle, one brother/sister in law and ourselves) for the purpose of building up a dear cousin and his sweet fiancee; family, family, family. What a joy!

Thanksgiving Week: Aunt Lindele and "Bunny Pigs!"

On Thanksgiving night my cousin Amber was showing Clara pictures of their guinea pigs on her phone, which Clara promptly called "bunny pigs." She was enthralled with the pictures and so Saturday morning we took her over to the Elliotts' to meet their six piggies. Clara had a blast, as you can tell! Aunt Lindele loves her little pigs and I think she had just a little bit of fun showing them to Clara. We even got to see them climb steps! Our trip was filled with family and animals, can't get much better than that!

Thanksgiving Week: Grammie & Bapa

My dad's parents hosted us all and we were so blessed by their hospitality. Their home is always joyful, relaxing, open and full of love. They are always thinking of others; running to the store when they notice all the clementines are gone, selflessly doing dishes for hours on end, keeping the kitchen clean for those who are cooking (and eating!), making sure everyone is comfortable, happy and satisfied. They give continually. I have been so blessed by their example throughout my life and am more thankful for them every year.

On Wednesday morning, when Clara woke up, the first thing she said was, "Mama, where's Grammie??" She had been so excited about going to Grammie's house and she had a blast being there. Friday evening she climbed up beside them and got to join in the nightly ritual - watching Wheel of Fortune (and she would have stayed for Jeopardy too, if I hadn't carried her off to bed!). I am so thankful for these godly grandparents and for the fact that my daughter gets to know them as well!

We also made our trip to the National Zoo on Friday and it was wonderful!! We hit many of the animals at just the right time to see them playing, roaring, eating and even having a birthday party! In the next few days there will be pictures from our zoo trip up at Stirrup to Stirrup.

Thanksgiving Week: Gramma

Thanksgiving morning the cousins headed out for their traditional game of football. Luke, Clara and Aunt Kay went along to watch; after getting squash roasted, ritz crackers crushed and mixed with butter, mushrooms sliced and rolls mixed and rising, Mommy and I headed over to the field for a little while. We found Luke, Clara and Kay on the nearby playground, having grown bored of the football game (sacrilege to some, I know). Baby Joy was enjoying a cozy swing with Clara, who quickly took off for a little walk with Gramma. Love watching these two walk perfectly in step together, enjoying the gorgeous sunshine and each others' company.

Thanksgiving Week: Uncle Matthew

After a very long drive Tuesday night, we finally arrived at Grammie and Bapa's house at 4:45 Wednesday morning. A few hours sleep and we were ready to go! Clara was a little shy at first but quickly warmed up to everyone. The first one to steal her away was Uncle Matthew, who we didn't get to see last month in Charlotte. I hid around the corner and poked my camera out to get some sweet shots of the two of them laughing and playing the piano together.

New Fruit

Clara was having fun today playing with her wooden cutting fruit and putting them back together in interesting combinations - I told her she was creating new fruits!

Spontaneous Help

Tonight, Luke was working very late getting horses shod before we head out of town tomorrow for Thanksgiving. Clara and I had a good, but long, day. Clara helped me make biscuits to have with our soup for dinner and then asked to wash her hands, so I slid her chair over to the sink and went back to stir the soup. When I turned around again, she was scrubbing spoons with her little brush and telling me, "I wash dishes for you, Mama!" What a sweet helper's heart she has! That little girl is such a blessing to me, even when she's overtired and super emotional.

Technical notes: I am going to try and post early tomorrow, before we leave for Grammie and Bapa's. While we're there, I'm not sure what our computer situation or usage will be and I'm not stressing about it; we are going to relax, take a break and enjoy our time with family. So, if I have easy access and can get posts up quickly, I will but if not I'll put our weeks' worth of photos up after we return.

Fun with Friends

This may end up being the weekly title for my Sunday night posts. Clara sure does have a great time with her sweet friends! I think they were "driving" somewhere and Karoline was the bus driver trying to keep all her uncooperative passengers sitting down. Whatever they were doing, there sure were a lot of giggles coming from the living room!

 

Moment I wish I had a picture of: Clara snuggling with Miss Kristen, just the two of them in the big red chair. So sweet and I am SO thankful that these wonderful people are such a big part of Clara's life (and our lives, too!). We are so blessed by y'all, Niles!

Inseparable

The question I hear most frequently these days: "Baby Joy (insert activity here) with me?" Any and every activity is fair game for Baby Joy's participation. Today it was swinging in her blue swing. I wasn't sure I'd be able to fit both of them in, but we were able to make it work. As usual, they had a grand time.

On a related note, I never thought I'd have to plan ahead to get two little ones changed and dressed, put on two sets of shoes/hats/jackets, etc so we could go somewhere before I had another child myself! I'm reminding myself right now to leave enough time before church to get Clara and Baby Joy changed, dressed appropriately and ready to go.

Overheard: Clara to Baby Joy this afternoon: "It's okay, Baby Joy. You don't need to cry. Shhhhh. I will snuggle you.... Mama, Baby Joy is sad. She's crying. I will help her. She needs her blankie." (all this while holding Baby Joy gently and patting/rubbing her back)

"I curl up with Sadie!"

Not much else needs to be said. This is our rug for damp boots next to the wood stove.

Overheard: One of Clara's favorite things these days is to back up a statement with another "because" statement. The two statements do not have to have any relation to one another other than proximity in her speech. Example: "We're having tea party, because it's supposed to rain this afternoon and, um, because, we're having tea party." This is currently the form every such statement takes - line A, "because" line B, repeat line A. Hearing her experimenting with the English language is so fun!

Tea Party

Our proper tea party this afternoon. Clara doled out the eating utensils - apparently according to size, since I have the largest spoon possible! (The green place setting is mine.) I wish I had a picture of the whole set up after she snitched some of our cinnamon-applesauce ornaments, put one on each plate and declared them, "Cake!" We then had to "sing for the cake" which meant singing Happy Birthday. Whose birthday were we singing for? Clara's, of course! (Later on I did find one of the ornaments with a small corner nibbled off - she just couldn't resist the urge!)

Story for the Day: Clara has been so obsessed with muffins lately. At dinner, Luke asked if we should start calling her "the muffin girl." "NOOoooooo Daddy (almost in tears), I'm CLARA!!!" Sometimes teasing is funny. Other times it is not. Only she knows the mysteries of the difference between one time and the other. Luke quickly backpedaled and returned to her good graces by referring to her for the remainder of the meal as "Miss Clara," which she loved.

For Wednesday

Since I was sick all day yesterday, I headed to bed early while Luke was still on the computer and didn't get around to posting. Looking at the pictures today, I have to laugh. So many choices! There's Clara eating (and sharing) her banana with her dolls who are sitting at their dollhouse table; stirring and sipping tea with a raised pinkie finger and a french twist in her hair; rocking with Baby Joy and Lucy the Moose while totally rocking a funky '80s headband hairdo of her own creation; relaxing on the couch, one knee bent, snuggling Baby Joy while reading "Jesus Loves Me" to her (still with the same hairdo); and last but not least, riding her rocking horse with Baby Joy in her lap while texting Daddy on Mama's phone ("I sending him message, Mommy."). Oh my, choices!

Since this is the only one she's actually smiling in, I'll share it here. The others you can see over at Stirrup to Stirrup.

To file away under, "Important Life Lessons Learned from a Two Year Old" - upon being admonished to stop crying and use words, Clara burst out with, "I need to cry!!!" It's true. Sometimes tears are all you have to give. (This was several days ago.) I have taken a different tack, am trying to be more understanding and helpful and have been acknowledging her feelings more when she melts down (quite often these days) - things I always meant to do all along but I suppose the sheer quantity of tears had gotten to me a bit.

Today, however, when she retorted, "I need to whine...." after being corrected for whining I looked her straight in the face and replied, "No. You do not need to whine. Sometimes we need to cry, but whining is never necessary." Another good lesson I should remind myself of on occasion.

Precision

That's what it takes to paint your fingernails. It's also very difficult for two-year-olds. This little girl was practicing today.

In other news, it's been almost 12 hours since we've had any bodily fluid issues, so I think we're on the up and up! I can't wait to have my healthy little girl back!

"Mama, My Tummy Feels Silly"

There was vomit in Clara's crib this morning when I went to get her. She wanted to know what it was (she obviously didn't remember the incident =P). I told her something yucky came from her tummy up out of her mouth and asked if her tummy was feeling funny. She replied, "Uh huh." A few minutes later I noticed her gagging slightly and she said in a quavering voice, "Mama, my tummy is feeling silly again." Poor girl, I felt so bad but couldn't help laughing a little inside. She was a little off all day so we did lots of snuggling, watching Thomas the Tank Engine, reading books and just being cozy. Here she is on the couch this afternoon, happy as a clam at this point, snuggling with both her blankies and all her stuffed animals that had just come out of the dryer.

She was feeling much better when she went to bed tonight so we'll see how things look in the morning. We'll be staying home from Bible study and planning on another cozy day to make sure she's all better. Hopefully we'll have no more "silly tummies" around here!

Sunday Fun: Dress Up!

Yesterday afternoon I went to my first food swap! It was tons of fun and when I arrived at the Niles' house afterward, I found my little girl in this same outfit (photo courtesy of Luke). She had been having a blast playing dress-up with her friends!

"You Got Married!"

One of Clara's new favorite things is to look through the photo albums from our wedding. She will search for her favorite pictures and tell me, "I used to be at your wedding" or "I got married!" ("Who are you married to?" "Daddy!!!")

This evening while I was cooking dinner she got very quiet in the living room and when I peaked in on her, this is what I saw:

"Mama, I'm snuggling with her!" It has been so sweet to watch Clara get even more attached to Baby Joy. They have done everything together the past few days - today Clara even started announcing that Baby Joy needed to go potty, running to the bathroom with her and holding her over the toilet! It's so wonderful to watch her imagination and creativity blossoming.

Out for a Stroll

Although it was chilly and breezy today, much colder than the rest of the week, we still bundled up and went out for a bit. While Luke and I stacked firewood, Clara pushed Baby Joy all around the driveway for a very long time. They had a blast!

Later this afternoon Clara was pushing Baby Joy around inside and they went all sorts of places - the grocery store (where they got "cash back"), the gas station (apparently Baby Joy's stroller runs on gas?), the grocery store again and who knows where else. As they passed through the kitchen where I was making dinner Clara would say things like, "We be back later. Have a nice day, Mom!" Gave me visions of her in 15 years!!

As we were petting Sadie tonight Clara got up, grabbed "something" off her little blue table and said, "Here Sadie, here some moneys for you." I asked, "Oh, did you get money for Sadie? That's nice." *pause* "No Mom, Sadie not have hands for money."

At dinner Luke and Clara were being completely silly and she asked, "What happened to you, Daddy?"
"I fell out of a tree and bonked my head on a rock."
"NOOoooo!"
"I got hit by lightning."
*looking up at the kitchen light*
"NOOoooo!"
Mama: "Yes, he did!"
*pause*
Clara: "That's weird!!!"
Luke and I both just about died with laughter.