Fashionista

Clara is really into ACCESSORIES lately....

This hat is a staple in her wardrobe and she mixes it up with her jewelry depending on her mood. She loves to wear a dress and turns her nose up at a "shirt and pants". She says, "Oh Mom, that's just a shirt and pants, that not "dressed up", I want to get dressed up." Good thing she has so many accessories in case she needs to spruce up a "shirt and pants" outfit.

Family Resemblance?

Sometimes I sit and wonder what Henry will look like when he's born. Then I remember he has a fairly good chance of looking just like his big sister and brother! We'll find out in about 6 weeks!

Clara one week old.

Jack one week old.

An Early Summer Day's Dream

I found this little garden fairy in my yard this week.

Happy Birthday Clara Jill!

I can't believe it's been THREE years since this day:

One Year Old!

Two Years Old!

Three Years Old!!!

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl! Your name means "clear and bright" and you are our little light, shining into our lives. You are such a joy and we are so thankful to God for putting you in our family. You changed our lives forever when you were born three years ago-so tiny and so quiet. You are still petite but now you never stop talking, singing, imagining, pretending, laughing and growing. You are just too amazing for words! Daddy and Jack and I love you so much and Jesus loves you more than we do! Happy 3rd Birthday Clara!

Memory Lane

Blogging has not been my thing recently. Too much morning sickness and too tired to keep up with it. As soon as Clara and Jack fall asleep for their naps, I race to my bed and take my nap also. Growing a baby is hard work!
In the meantime, here is Clara wearing some things that were worn by her parents many years ago. First are two dresses that my Tutu made for me when I was a little girl. They both have beautiful smocking on them. It's surreal to see these dresses come to life again through her. In the last picture she is wearing her daddy's old saddle shoes.

Tea for Two

Clara and I had a ladies' tea party last week during one of Jack's naps. We always try to do something special while he naps like projects or painting or playdoh. Clara didn't care for her tea, so as a gracious hostess, I offered her some hot cocoa instead. We used our best lady-like voices and manners. We talked about traveling and our families and learned a new bible verse. Proverbs 17:17 A friend loves at all times. This was applied later in the day with her closest and most challenging friend, Jack the bother, oops, I mean brother! I also taught Clara some of the most important rules of tea parties: Always wear a hat and a beautiful necklace and try to say, "lovely" as many times as possible.

I wonder where she gets it?

Here is Clara taking her doll, Samantha (handed down from Mama) for a walk. This kid cracks me up! Also, super nostalgic moment for me to see my daughter playing with the doll that I loved as a little girl. Samantha is wearing the beautiful green cape and hat that my Tutu made for me so many Christmases ago. While, I know Clara is not just a "little me", I know that her life will reflect mine and this keeps me on my toes. I want my life to reflect Jesus to her so that it is Him she is drawn to first. What an honor and a challenge to be a mother!

Sweet Dreams

Clara is growing up. I try hard to keep her little and still my baby girl. One way was to keep her in her crib for as long as I could. Her cute toddler bed has been in her room a long time, but I just couldn't seem to make the switch. Finally, we transitioned. I cried a little. Yikes. I wonder how I will cope when it's a twin or a bunk bed. Oh dear. Anyway, she loves her toddler bed and likes to share her bed with many books, dolls and stuffed animals. I think she's so cute that she selected this giant king size pillow too.

In this picture is Lamby (Clara calls him "my Special Lamb" he's a treasure to me, I've had him since I was born.) George(her favorite by far), Clara Jill(super cute and fun toddler), "Other Special Lamb"(a gift from Gigi & Pops), Nanny Doll (another treasure from my childhood), Huggums(a special doll from the Flicks). Nanny Doll and Huggums are usually without their clothes. In this next picture you can see the infamous and most comforting of comfort items: "Green Nigh-Nigh". Clara likes to hold a specific corner of Green Nigh-Nigh and she recently informed me that it's name is "Leaf." If you try to confuse her and call a different corner "Leaf" she will correct you and help you find the right corner. Not kidding.
This next one is in the pack and play on a recent trip-I had to include it. Clara, Green Nigh-Nigh, George and Brown Nigh-Nigh are ready for a nap.

Every night I say to Clara, "Nigh-Nigh, Shoop. I love you. And Jesus loves you more than I do." and She says, "Nigh-Nigh, Mama. I yuv you." Sweet dreams, Princess. Don't grow up too fast.

Give Thanks to the Lord!

Today is a wonderful day so far. Dinner is cooking in the crockpot, a beeswax candle is flickering on the counter, Jack is taking his morning nap, Clara is participating in, as advertised by her mama, "Special Reading Time in Your Room!". This frees me up to clean up the tornado of breakfast and morning activities, sip my yummy americano that Jeff delivered to me on his way from Home Depot to a job, and blog a bit. I'm feeling peaceful and on top of things even though I haven't exercised, don't have makeup or hair done and have tons of other stuff to do the rest of this Columbus day. I just am enjoying this quiet moment, making mental lists, praying and breathing. I am very thankful for this time.

Clara and I have been talking about what it means to have a thankful and happy heart. It's so interesting(convicting) to teach biblical traits and the fruits of the Spirit to a two year old because you really have to spell it out and give real life examples. I've found myself apologizing to her as I did not display patience, self-control, kindness etc. But we also find many ways to practice these things together. With Thanksgiving coming up we are talking about being grateful for what God has shared with us and then sharing it with others. This can mean not saying "MINE!" to Jack when he grabs something she's playing with and it also means picking up toys and clothes around the house that we no longer use and passing them on to other kids. I am probably the one who learns the most as I teach Clara. How often do I cry "Mine!" in my heart about my "stuff". How tightly do I hold onto it? Or do I share it with others? It's not even mine to start with. When Clara says, "Mine", I remind her that it's not hers-it's Gods and he's sharing it with her. Sometimes I think I need my own Mother beside me all day reminding me of these truths. In her sweet way, my mom still does remind me-just this morning she emailed me an Elisabeth Elliot devotional on contentment. Well, explaing and talking about thankfulness is helpful but I think probably the more powerful thing is to live it from my heart in front of my kids. As I repeat "happy heart" reminders to Clara all day, I can hear my Heavenly Father in my ear reminding me not to say "mine" but to have a thankful, happy heart also.

"Give thanks to the Lord!" Psalm 118:1.

Talking with a Toddler

Clara is my sweet sweet girl. At 26 months, she couldn't be cuter or more of a joy to have in our family. On days when she eats well and gets a good long nap, she just melts us with her gentleness and sweet spirit. On those other days, well, she's an agent of the Holy Spirit sent to teach me extreme patience and grace and consistency. . . .

Anyway, I wish I could record and repeat everything she says these days. Her little "accent" is to die for. Here are a few of the words and phrases I hear daily. I will translate actual meanings for you. I'm secretly on a campaign to keep some of these words in circulation in our family for years.

Tuq=Cute
Foos=Shoes
Rocks=Crocs
Candles=Sandals
Cool=Pool
Snimmy=Smoothie
Kepuch=Ketchup
Poppy=Potty
Brushtoof=Toothbrush
Boufy=Beautiful (lately evolving into Bou-fi-fi)
Yuv=Love

"Mama, I need my bi-keee-neee, I wanna go in my cool!"

"I put my Rocks on awe by mysewf."

"Oh, Dada, thew's a fish on yew yeg." (about Jeff's tattoo.)

"Mama, I go pee in my poppy"

"Mama, I need mow kepuch."

"Tuq outfit, Jack. I yuv it!"

"Wehws Waldo? oh. I dohn know. . ."

"Brrr, my snimmy is so feezin."

"Oh Geed job, Dada. Yew put yew foos on aaw by yewsewf!"

"Mama, yew yike yew Am-mew-wi-ca-no?" (at Starbucks)

"G'mawnin! It's a Boufy Boufy day!"

Here are some funny exchanges:
Christy: "ouch!"
Clara: "wha happen Mama?"
Christy: "I bumped my hand."
Clara: "oh, can I kiss it."
Clara: (kiss) "thewah. Aww beddaw."

Jack: Crying (loud)
Clara: with her hand on his head: "Wahs wong, Jack? Dohn wonny, I'm wight hewe."

(Jeff and I call each other "Babe".) Jeff leaves the room and Clara says: "Mama, whews Babe go? Is he gonin poppy?"

Clara's Bible Verses:

"Be kiiind to one a-non-erh."

"Che-dwen, o-baaaaay yew panents."

And very often she will talk to herself while playing saying things like, "Push it, Cawa." "Geed job, Cawa."

These are just about the best parts of my day. I can't wait to hear what she comes up with next.