February 18

"Can you rope me more, Daddy?" = music to my husband's ears. Clara thought it was an absolute blast this morning to be roped and then dragged around the kitchen. It was quite the sight!

February 17

More visits with friends! After going too long without seeing much of our dear friends, we are making up for lost time! Luke had to trim all the horses at their place so Clara and I tagged along and had a wonderful time!

As I was putting Clara to bed tonight she admonished me, "Snuggle close Mommy, then we will get warm. Mommy, snuggle tight! Snuggle tight to me Mommy, so we can get warm!"

I snuggled as close as I could physically get while her tiny arm around my neck yanked me ever closer. Finally, when we were plastered together and her head was on top of mine so that I couldn't breathe, she was satisfied.
"Good joooob, Mommy! Good jooooooob! Snuggle tight to me!"

February 16

It's often hard to get Clara to come back in from the barn for breakfast after feeding the horses. Today we didn't make it inside until 9 o'clock because Clara decided she needed to sweep. "I'm sweeping the hay so we can walk, Mommy. I need to sweep so we can walk. It's hard work for me." Who can argue with that? She sure pushed a lot of hay around with her huge broom!

Later in the morning I was putting laundry away and left the bedroom where Clara was pretending to give herself a shower so I could get some clean sheets and towels. When I returned I found her completely naked and covered from head to toe in bath gel, which she was smearing all over herself with glee. "I was dirty Mommy, so I'm washing myself! Now I'm really clean!!" So "clean" and soapy, in fact, that she was glistening! Needless to say she went straight into the real shower, where it took quite a bit of water to wash off all that perfumed soap!

February 15

We are loving citrus season! The oranges from Aldi have been really yummy lately and Clara, who at first was rather stumped about how to eat them, is turning into a pro. She makes extra sure to get all the good stuff off those peels!

She's also started asking me, "Mommy, do we eat the peels?" about every fruit and vegetable we have. I've reassured her that yes, we do eat apple, pear, grape and pepper peels even though we don't eat orange peels.

Another new game is "let's sleep on our beds" - in which I lie down on her trundle bed and she lies down on the high twin in her room and we both pretend to be asleep. While playing this game after her nap, she called to me, "Mommy, can you wake up your head?!"

February 14

My little Valentine!

We had a very rough day but made up for it by being silly and cuddling in the evening. Some days the terrific thing is that we're both still breathing at bedtime...

February 13

Clara just loves that doggie bed! She was being oh-so-silly jumping and flopping onto it and her hair was all crazy and static-y. What fun!

Earlier in the day Clara and I were playing with a big plastic boat she found here. Clara told me she was "fixing" it with her tools. I asked her if it had hit an iceberg and she said yes. Next thing I knew she was trying to get the "scary birds" out of the boat, but they were stuck. We worked a long time to fix the boat and get those scary birds out!

She was also practicing her manners and alternate ways of asking for things: "Mommy, I want some milk also. Please may I please also have some milk?"

Just before I left for my meeting at church she assured me, "Bye Mommy, I won't cry. I'm snuggling with Daddy so I won't cry. I love you! Have fun at your meeting!!" Oh my, I love that little girl!

February 12

Two bugs in a rug! Mandatory rest time on the couch together while watching Andy Griffith before our late Sunday lunch.

February 11

We had friends here! Clara had such a great time playing with her friends. They rode plasma cars in the barn, pulled each other on a big wagon and found this electric dump truck which Clara and Annabelle drove up and down the driveway! Clara needed a little help with the steering... thankfully it didn't go too fast!

February 10

Riding "Charlie" at the playground!

Mittens

Pictures will be back tomorrow. Meanwhile, I had to post this conversation that we had in the truck today. I was absolutely dying of (mostly silent) laughter!

Scene: We are in the truck, driving home from visiting friends. Clara is still rear-facing, so imagine this whole conversation with only her voice from the back.

C - My mitten! I dropped my mitten! I want it!
D - Where is your mitten? Did you drop it?
C - I dropped my mitten.
M - Where is it?
C - Where is it Mommy?
M - Did you drop it?
C - I think so.
*pause*
D - We have to stop up here to get the mail and we can get your mitten then.
C - What mitten?
D - Did you drop your mitten?
C - What mitten?
D - The mitten that you dropped. Do you want it?
C - I dropped my mitten.
D - I know. Do you want it? Do you want us to get your mitten?
C - Where is it?
D - Did you drop it?
C - Yeah. I dropped my mitten.
D - We can stop up here to get the mail and get your mitten.

C (offended) - What are you laughing at Mommy?!

February 9

Snuggling with Josie, who she had just put down for a nap. Josie was crying so she needed to sleep some more. Clara got her some toys (Panda and Pooh bear), covered her with a blankie, sang her a song and then snuggled with her so she could sleep while I read them a book. So sweet!

February 8

Taking kitty litter out to the trash cans in the barn. I thought things were awfully quiet, so I went searching for Clara, only to find her pushing kitty litter around in the litter boxes (thankfully she was using the scooper and not her hands!!). So she got a lesson in cleaning litter boxes and had her hands washed very well!

February 7

Clara decided this was her "sandcastle" and instead of coming inside for breakfast, she wanted to sit outside with the dogs.

February 6

Walking with the kitty. Baby Joy has a new name: Josie. Named after a sweet little baby girl at our Bible study that Clara absolutely adores. If I call her Joy by mistake I get severely corrected!

It was so warm that we had a picnic lunch! Crazy to have temps almost in the 50s in February and to sit out on the porch together eating our sandwiches. Clara thought it was so great!

February 5

Introducing Jubil to Lucy. "Going to see the horses" is one of Clara's favorite activities and she will hike all the way up the big hill in the pasture simply to say "hi," pat their noses and then walk back down! I guess she doesn't want to wear out her welcome.

February 4

Finally caught up to today! This morning Clara and Luke were outside together for a long time - Clara playing with dogs and Luke working on a project. Then we all headed out to the barn together where we hung out with the horses and picked out the stalls. Usually Clara just stands and watches while we tell her stories. She loves to hear stories about all of the animals, about things Mommy, Daddy or other family members have done, pretty much anything we can think up. For awhile Luke was telling her stories about Travis and his yellow dog (from Old Yeller). But today, she wanted "her fork" so she could help. While it is a child's size fork, it's still awfully big for her! But she sure was trying hard and she was having a blast spreading shavings around. She cried and cried when it was time to come in for lunch.

February 3

Luke and Clara on Jubil, going for a ride with Sadie. Predictably, Clara didn't want to get off. When they did finally get off, Clara announced, "I want to shoe her!" Talk about making a Daddy proud! So Luke got out his farrier's hammer and Clara tapped the nails in Jubil's shoes to make sure they were in tight. Then he got out his wire brush and she brushed out Jubil's hind feet. She wants to be just like her Daddy!

And speaking of Daddies, Clara has been talking about God a lot lately. She often asks when we are driving in the car, "Is God going with us? Is He in the car with us? Is God sitting next to me?" The day as we were heading upstairs for nap Clara asked, "Is God coming with us? Can He brush my teeth?" She always wants to know where exactly He is: "Is He in the room with us? Is He standing right over there (and she'll point)?" It is so sweet to hear her little mind working through who God is, how He can be with us even though we can't see Him, and exactly how He's related to us. I often feel so inadequate for the job of teaching her and can only pray that He will give me wisdom when I need it most!

February 2

"I'm with all these horsies, Mama!!"

February 1

Ever since her friends brought the dancing outfit, Clara has been wanting to dance a lot, even without it on! She and Daddy were having so much fun dancing she didn't want to stop for dinner!

January 31

It has been such a warm winter, and the last day of January was particularly warm! Luke and Clara got on the tractor and cleaned a lot of thawed out manure out of the paddock area next to the barn. Then they hooked up to the spreader and drug it out into the pasture. Helping Daddy on the tractor spreading manure is one of Clara's favorite things!

January 30

Baaba and Daada sent us a box of things - some new things for Clara and some old things, including several trucks that were Luke's when he was a boy! Clara has been having a blast with them, especially the matching truck and horse trailer. She drives all over the place, always "going to Montana." I guess she keeps driving because she hasn't gotten there yet...

January 29

We had more friends over for dinner and Clara had such a blast! Brandi, the oldest sister, helps out in the nursery at Bible study and Clara talks about her all the time. "Mommy, would Brandi like this shirt?" "Mommy, can I show Brandi my toe?" "Mommy, will Brandi be there today?" Lainey, the middle sister is such a sweetheart and always helping with the little ones as well. She and Clara had a blast when they were here! Nathan, 3 and the youngest is a pistol and absolutely hilarious. He and Clara played with trucks, tools and a doctor kit but the most fun of all I think was a pool noodle that they carried around the house pretending to be firemen and "putting out fires," then filling up their hose at the water cooler. Clara's friends also brought her a dancing outfit and feather boa! It was such a fun evening.

January 28

We spent the morning at Callan's house while Daddy was shoeing some horses in Greenwich. Clara and Callan had a blast together! We played outside and they took turns pushing each other on this little trike. Since we hadn't planned for outside play, Clara wore some of Callans big sweat pants and shoes that were also a size too big - she looked like a little hobo! But apparently she enjoyed it, because she was sad she couldn't bring the pants home with her! She never wants to leave Callan's house and always asks if we can stay longer. That's a good thing because once we get back home, Callan's mom Maria and I are scheming about trading kids for a day every other week to give each of us two days a month child-free. Woohoo!

January 27

Clara just loves these kitties. Poor Crash puts up with an awful lot. She does try to be gentle most of the time but those 2 year old impulses just get the better of her occasionally. Also, her sense of "gentle" is not always right on - she doesn't seem to realize that she weighs a lot more than Crash. But he is so patient with her and she is doing a great job learning how to play nicely with him. He certainly gets lots of loving while we're here!

I love how it looks like she's whispering secrets to him in this picture.

January 26

Laurie was here! Clara got to spend some time with her dear friends and see pictures from their trip to Florida!

We also had one of Luke's coworkers over for dinner the same night and Clara was completely smitten. She was all google-y eyed and totally hamming it up for "Scott Phippen Scotty" as she calls him. Ohhhh my, first crush!

January 25

Scissors! She's a cutting machine, that one.

January 24

Loving on baby Josie at Bible study. Clara adores this sweet little girl! She was crying in the car on the way home because she wanted to hold her more.

January 23

Daddy and Clara snuggling on the floor under blankies - Clara loves these animal print blankets! She stole one for her bed.

January 22

We have been missing our woodstove from home but loving the absolutely gorgeous fireplace here!

January 21

Post-nap snuggles with Daddy. They were both still pretty sleepy, as you can see!