Clara

Clara Girl is going to be 5 in a couple of months and I can’t quite get my mind around it. She’ll be starting all day everyday Kindergarten in the Fall. It’s crazy! When she isn’t watching herself dance in the reflection of the oven door, she’s playing games with Charlie, singing songs, drawing pictures and picking out outfits to wear. Preschool days are her favorite days. She loves to help me set the table and loves to make-believe that she’s a hostess at a restaurant. 

Here are some recent Clara-isms

• “I’m gonna sing ‘Go Tell it on a Mountain’ but a jazzy one.”
• “When I’m at the dentist can you just go away from me? I can do it alone. I’m a big girl.”
• “When I grow up I want to be a doctor …actually, I want to be a ribbon dancer.”
• I asked how old she thinks I am, she replied, “Mom, you’re twenty big.”
• I was helping Ruby with her homework and Clara wanted me to watch her dance, so she said, “I’m gonna do a BIIIIG twirl. This time can you say, ‘WOAH!’?”
• We told the kids we were going to stay at a hotel for a night and Clara got a dreamy look on her face and said, “At hotels I dream about ponies, rainbows, Jesus, movie theaters…” she loves hotels.
• “Hey, why are you taking a picture of me?” because I can’t help myself Clara.
• The girls and I were talking about being mommies and Clara interrupted, “Wait. Mom. When me and Ruby are mommies we’re gonna get smooched by a dad?!?!”
• A mo-hawk in the bathtub is known as a “bow hog” to Clara. She loves Bow Hogs.
• She loves playing “kitchen” or “restaurant” and the other day I asked her what’s for dinner. She replied, “Just a piece of cake of cheese mom, just a piece of cake of cheese.”
• Ruby taught Clara how to say “Hello” in Spanish. Clara ran into the kitchen and yelled to me, “I’m speaking cursive! Ruby teached me how to speak cursive!!”
• Clara loves her friends Blakely, Emmi and Taylor. They’re just the cutest little buddies.

My Clara Girl, with her flower headband accessories and Punky Brewster street style, her sweet smile and loud laugh, reserved around crowds but a comedian around those closest to her. She’s really something special. I’m so glad I get to be her mommy.

Rubyisms

Ruby Dawn is everything wonderful about six year olds. She’s losing teeth all the time, she is “livin’ the first grade life” as she says, she has been getting more confident as a reader, loves science, writes her ideas and thoughts in a journal and loves people. I want to keep her little, but she keeps saying things like, “I totally don’t like princesses mom, I’m not a baby.” and “Oh mom, not pigtail braids! Those are for babies!” Then the other day she made this face with a peace sign in our picture and I realized she’s pretty much all grown up.

Since time is flying so fast, the best thing I could think of to do was get some new Rubyisms on the blog.

• “I’m starting a new lifetime right now. From now on, wherever I go I will wear the perfect thing. If I go to a bike race, I’ll wear my shirt that has a bike on it. On the 4th of July, my shirt with fireworks on it. Tomorrow to church, my beautiful church dress.”
• “They didn’t have the words on the screen at church because they were having traffical difficulties.”
• Ruby chose to be a “Ballerina/Ninja/Cat” for Halloween this year.
• We were eating lunch and I was saying how much I love Costco pizza, she responded, “But Costco pizza doesn’t matter more than families.”
• I heard a big sigh from the backseat, “It’s the first grade life.”
• While I was explaining to the girls why it’s important to let your pee out regularly, “I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but Dad knows more about bladders than you because he’s a doctor.”
• On the playground after school, “I think I’m ok. Whew! The good news is that now I know what it feels like to fall off the monkey bars!”
• We had quite a time getting her first front tooth out – she didn’t want to pull it so it dangled like this for way too many days in a row before she finally pulled it out herself during writing center time at school. Thanks to all the friends and family who prayed for me during those days when I couldn’t look my own daughter in the face without feeling queazy.
• Wile driving home from school, “I reeeeealy want to retire.”
• “No one can come in my room except me and Clara …and Charlie, mom and dad, grammy and papa, nana and papa, all our family, some of our friends …actually anyone who’s our friend mom. But that’s only who can come in my room.”
• About her “I love God” sign, “I wrote it in Sharpie so it can’t change.”
• “Do we have to get consequences every time we want to do something fun??”
• “Clara! If our mom and dad got related then we would grow up to be sisters!!”
• “Dear mom, Are you tired of me being bored before dinner? I have the perfect solution, a hot tub. I could relax. I could warm up. I could get in whenever. I could flip underwater. I could have alone time in it. Love, Your Poor Daughter, Ruby”

Charlie Boy

Charlie! He’s just the best little guy. I wish all of you could spend a day hanging out with him. He’s getting quite funny at the ripe old age of two and a half. He loves to laugh, talks all the time, is extremely expressive and opinionated, loves trucks, trains, tigers, dinosaurs, dirt, super heroes, pirates, sticks, and is the sweetest most cuddly, loving and empathetic tiny person I’ve ever met. He does ridiculous boyish things like run while shaking his head back and forth until he falls down or crashes into something. He animates his actions with sounds. He believes he is the biggest, the fastest, the best climber, the highest jumper there was, is, or ever will be. When I open a door to let him through, I can’t prevent the voice in my head from announcing “Release the Kraken!”

Here are some things I want to remember about my Charlie Boy at this age:

• He’s either running full-speed or stubbornly not walking at all depending on the opposite thing I’ve asked him to do. If we need to hurry – he requires being dragged, when we’ve got all the time in the world, he’s running as fast as he can.
• He loves telling everyone about his new shoes. They’re not new, there the same shoes he’s had for months.
• You should see the way he hugs his sisters when they cry or when they’re sad. He gets behind them and hugs their back and pats them with his little hand. It’s the sweetest.
• The other night I had a pirate at my dinner table. We are still working on manners – obviously.
• After being rough and rowdy he asks, “you ok mom?” which is very thoughtful.
• There’s nothing he hates more than riding in elevators. He’s got some spacial awareness thing going on that terrifies him when he feels himself going up or down.
• Many friends are greeted with a roar or a growl, based on their reactions bigger roars and growls will follow.
• His ears are tuned to hear planes, sirens, helicopters, trains, or big trucks …sounds he hears that I wasn’t aware of until he points them out.
• High fives and fist bumps are his favorite greeting/closing move.
• If I’m carrying him he’s yelling, “Me want to walk!” and if he’s walking he steps in front of my feet and says, “Me want to hold you, mom!”
• Similar to his sister Ruby, he is extremely organized. He lines up his trucks at night and makes sure all the dinosaurs are lined up in their places as well.
• I love the way he puts both feet on a seat before he sits down in it
• His favorite books are “Goodnight Construction Site” and “Little Blue Truck.” He would let me read books to him all day.
• One time after a run-in with a pair of Ruby’s scissors I took him in for a haircut and he came out looking’ like Lloyd Christmas

Here are some recent Charlie-isms.

• Whenever we’re driving, “Me lookin’ for horsies. Me see one! Me see a biiiig, biiiig one!”
• “I tell you a question, Mom! I tell you a question.”
• In the morning Clara loves to wake him up, but if he wakes up first I hear, “I awake! Mom? Where are you? I awake!”
• This is what his rowdy face looks like. He will likely spontaneously combust if I don’t let him run around outside or jump on the mini-tramplone in our basement everyday.
• Many nights around 4am I hear his quiet voice from down the hall, “My tears. Wipe my tears. Wipe my tears, mom.”
• The next morning telling me about his night, “I crying. I sad. I crying and crying.”
• Christmas lights never get old. He screams out, “Chrissas Lights!!”
• On trying a bite of a pickle, “I no like it. That’s too, too tasty.”
• “Lay up” is the opposite of “Lay down”
• Anytime he’s working on something, “I havin’ a little trouble here.”
• He’s a professional stick collector. Charlie’s never encountered a stick he doesn’t like.
• When I discipline him he says to me, “Stop talking! Don’t say that!” but then after he’s done in time out and has a “happy heart” again he says, “I ok mom. Sorry mom.”
• We took him to a Monster Truck Rally last week and he absolutely lost his mind with excitement.

Amazingly, my littlest buddy will be off to preschool for a couple mornings a week starting this Fall. He’s growing so fast and changing so much right now. I’m trying to soak in every moment… also, I’ve adapted as a boy mom and now I have eyes in the back of my head.

Claraisms

I’ve been cracking up looking back at all the thoughts our spunky little Clara Dawn has been thinking out loud lately. She is very certain and very matter-of-fact about everything she says. She’s got an eye for beauty/fashion/art and loves to put on shows and sing songs for any guests who come over to our house. Here are some recent Claraisms from my 4-year-old “middlest child” as she calls herself.

• “These pants match this shirt because they’s yellow, but this skirt doesn’t match… but I’m wearing this skirt today for fashion.”
• “Who’s your middlest child?”
• Anything in the past happened “Last Day”. “When did we go to the playground, was that last day?”
• “I can see everybody’s eyes but I can’t see mine because they’re up in the top.” (pointing to her own eyes)
• The kids have been practicing winking. We’ve got more practicing to do.
• “Mom, did you know when we were little, we were small? I’m my own self and daddy’s he’s own self and Ruby is she’s own self and mommy and Charlie are these own selfs.”
• “Sheldon Cleaners has a bow tie shaped logo, so Clara always says “it’s just for daddys.”
• “Mom, You’re so big, you’re almost twenty big.”
• On SuperHero day at Spring Hill Day Camp I asked Clara what her special power was. She thought for a minute then yelled, “I have sandwiches powers!”
• “I’m gonna read this whole long story. This is a picture of animals and this is a thing about animals… some of these pages are ripped a little bit but mommy taped it so it won’t be ripped.”
• I tell the kids to wash “fronts and backs and in the cracks” during bath time and Clara regularly chimes in, “because bottoms are just privacy”
• It’s a daily battle for Clara to let me do her hair. She doesn’t want me to comb it, braid it, or even put it in a clip or ponytail. It’s usually hanging in her eyes and she spends all of her time flipping it out of her face with one hand. On the days she decides to let me do it, she loves it and tells me “I want a braid everyday mom. I love it.” but the next day she says, “I don’t really want you to do my hair!” while thrashing around so I can’t fix it. 
• “Mommy, when I’m at the dentist can you just go away from me? I can do it alone, like a big girl.”
• She’s always ready to strike a pose for the camera. I wish I could be more sneaky and catch more candid moments of her life – but for now, these moments will be just fine.
• She was curled up in a little sad heap on the couch so I asked her what was wrong. She replied, “I’m just so sad.” I asked her why and she told me, “Because I don’t like Father’s Day very much.”
• Clara has a great imagination. She loves to play dress up, and changes clothes many times each day. I’ll say, Clara please put those clothes back in your drawer.” and she will reply, “I’m not Clara, I’m Elsa.” (or whoever she is pretending to be at the moment.)
• “It’s good for our bodies to get energy. God made us to get energy. When we go to the playground we get energy, when we slide we get energy, I could just get energy all day”
• While I was changing Charlie’s diaper Clara came into the room plugging her nose, “My toy Elsa doesn’t smell it because she’s just a toy.”
• Ruby: “Awe, can I hold one? Clara: “EWWW! What’s that smell?!?!”
• “Did you know that all cars have shapes?”
• “And you always always have to take naps every time because it’s good for our bodies to rest. Our bodies can play, play, play and God wants our bodies to rest and everyone in our family can rest their heads down.”

Clara Dawn, I am so excited for you to start school again. After spending all day every day all summer together, you are quite ready for some time away from your siblings and I.  You’re so good at doing things by yourself and discovering how to do things without my help. You’re so creative and always willing to jump into any crafty activity happening – including “sharpening the colored pencils” which is the “craft” you’re currently working on since I am at the end of my “activities to survive the summer” stash.

I love getting to be your mommy and I’m so proud of the way you’re making your mark in this world, little one. Our family and our lives wouldn’t be complete without our “middlest child.” Daddy and I love you SO much!

Heart,
Mama

Rubyisms

Ruby turned 6 in June and will be starting first grade in just a few short weeks. She had her 6-year old birthday party at Chuck E Cheese with all the girls in her Kindergarten class. They’re terrible at SkeeBall, but they sure are cute!

These Rubyisms will give you a glimpse into the mind of my Ruby girl, and writing them down will help me remember her and all of her sweet idiosyncrasies at this age. The older she gets, the more reasonable/logical/smart she becomes… I am starting to realize how fleeting these years are with my littles! 

Give me just a minute to have a good cry.

…ok, I’m back.

• From the backseat I heard her say, “Mom! I found the perfect place to keep my lucky penny handy!”
• While watching squirrels in the back yard I told Ruby she should never get too close to a wild squirrel. She replied, “He’s not wild. He’s neighborhoodish.”
• Even though she’s 6, she was thrilled and amazed to realize she still fits in a bucket.
• She loves her sister and brother and every night she prays, “Thank you Jesus for the butterflies and the rainbows and my mom and dad and brother and sister…”
• This was the first time I ever saw all three of them holding hands. 
• Continuing the sibling love theme, Ruby often talks about how she is choosing to do nice things for Clara and Charlie because they’re littler than she is. “Charlie is just a baby, so I’ll let him have my pony because he just doesn’t know how to share yet.”
• A friend of all animals – “Mom, these goats just love when I pet them.”
• Signs that she’s feeling settled in our new groove in Grand Rapids, I asked her what she was thinking about, “My name is official and daddy’s hospital is official and our family is just official!”
• She thinks we live on “Leaning Tree Lane” because of the trees near our house. Hopefully she never gets lost because that’s not the name of our street.
• Hey girls! “Hey mom, We’re just having a beach out!”
• At the beginning of summer we took the kids to the cottage. The water looks really cold, but it was warmer than the air and the kids never wanted to get back into the boat. Pure Michigan.
• As much as Ruby and Clara love each other they’ve been bickering, tattling and squabbling more than I’d like to admit. Ruby makes bold statements about what Clara may or may not be doing. “What she’s trying to do is put me to work and never make me stop!” or, “Clara told me she never wants to be my sister or ever talk to me or ever look at me or be my sister ever again!”  – d.r.a.m.a.
• While driving around running errands one morning, “Mommy, when I see Krispy Kreme I’ll yell, ‘KRISPY KREME’ and you stop at it.”
• I couple of weeks ago our church hosted SpringHill Day Camp so I let Ruby go all week, when I picked her up the first day she had lost her water bottle, her swimming suit and her underwear. How does someone lose their underwear? One of life’s greatest mysteries.
• At the pediatrician for their 4 and 6-year-old checkup Clara and Ruby were discussing whether or not they’d get any shots.
• At the zoo the other day we were looking at some wallaby’s and Ruby asked, “are these real or are these robotic?”
• “Mom, at six five central there’s a new movie on just for kids! It’s at six five central!”
• “Mommy, I truly truly love you.” I truly love you too Ruby Dawn.
• While passing a classic car show, “Woah! Look at those crazy locomotives!”
• “Mom, your hands are probably the size of a baby gorilla’s.”
• I found the girls working hard in their notebooks and when I asked them what they were working on Ruby responded, “We are just doing some observating mommy.”
• I’ve been reading the Little House books to the girls this summer at bedtime. Ruby loves to listen to the stories – She’s been reading “Bob Books” this summer and is so proud of herself when she sounds out words and reads “really long ones!”
• Ruby is an adventurer. She is fearless and brave and loves exploring. This photo of Ruby exploring the shores of Lake Michigan is one of my all-time favorite pictures I’ve taken of her.
• Ruby and Clara have been taking swimming lessons all summer. Ruby’s instructor said she has very good breath control. She loves being in the water and seriously believes she can do the backstroke. She can’t. This is a picture she drew of Mr. Zach teaching her how to swim. I’m sure he’s got it hanging in his dorm room.
• Ruby is the most optimistic person I know (other than my Aunt Becky.) While writing a note to her friend Mason she spelled his name Masin. I told her to change the ‘i’ to ‘o’ so she did, and then noticed there was a leftover ‘i’ dot on top of the ‘o’. She proclaimed, “It’s a beautiful oops mom, Dot’s on top! Ill put dots on top of all the letters!”

Ruby Dawn, I’m so thankful God made me your mommy. Your love for people and your joyful demeanor inspire me to not become jaded and old. I want to live lighthearted – like you do. We have quite a bit in common – I usually know why you do the things you do and exactly how you feel about things that happen, but you’re certainly your own person – striving to be the biggest and growing up too fast for my liking. Here’s to a new season – FIRST GRADE!! I’m thanking God in advance for all you will learn and grow this year. You’re gonna change the world my sweet.

Daddy and I love you so much.
Heart, Mama

New Smyrna Beach | Spring Break 2015

There’s only so much one can say about how awesome beaches are… I’ll let these photos from New Smyrna Beach do the talking for me.

First visit to DISNEY! | Spring Break 2015

After a glorious day spent at New Smyrna Beach we got up early and took the kids to Disney’s Magic Kingdom for the day. It was amazing. Aaron and Tracy have been there a bunch of times so they helped us make a game plan and get fast-passes ahead of time to skip some lines. They really are incredibly amazing to have around. We started strong with a visit to Belle’s Cottage where Ryan was chosen to play the part of a Knight in the play. He took his part very seriously. I can’t handle how hilarious he is.

Ruby and Clara absolutely lost themselves in the magic of meeting Disney Princesses in person, starting with Belle. Clara was so smitten by Belle that after coyly standing beside her for a photo she ran into Belle’s arms and held on for an extended period of time.

Next up was the Dumbo Ride, which Charlie couldn’t have hated more. He screamed and cried and gave himself hives from fury. Ryan, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoyed every minute flying over the crowd and laughing with Ruby and Clara. My brother Aaron took this picture, which has become one of my all-time favorites of Ryan.

Aaron and Tracy are the best! They helped navigate the ridiculous Spring Break crowds like locals… because they are. I’m so glad for the 2 extra sets of hands they offered during the hours upon hours of lines we stood in.

Ariel was a big hit. Ruby told her everything about everything during their brief moment sitting in Ariel’s clamshell.

We lucked out at lunchtime and got to eat in the Ballroom at Belle’s Castle even though we didn’t have a reservation. We tried the gray stuff and it was, indeed, delicious.

Next up was the Character Parade down Main Street. The kids were pretty much spent at this point, but Ryan and Aaron found some lemon-ice drinks that really got us through. Also, Ryan spotted an old friend from high school who now plays Belle. She waved at us… but she waved at everyone else too, so I don’t know if it counts.

Tracy arranged a “Fast Pass” for Tinkerbell so the girls and I jetted over to her tiny woodland home and didn’t have to stand in line for too long before meeting her. Ruby introduced everyone, “I’m Ruby and this is my little sister Clara and my mom and Aunt Tracy are over there.” Clara truly believed that we had all shrunk to fairy-size and was enamored by all the huge plants and flowers everywhere. Ruby knew better, but still loved chatting with Tink.

Ryan mentioned “getting our money’s worth and blasting it from the time the park opens until it closes,” or something silly like that. Little did I know we would actually accomplish his goal. I’m the one who would plan a day at Disney based on nap schedules and bedtimes. Who have I become?!?!

Near the end of the day I got all crazy and made the decision to forgo bedtime and stay long enough to wait in just ONE MORE LINE to meet Elsa and Anna from Frozen. I knew I would regret it if we didn’t meet the girls favorite characters from their favorite movie. Tracy offered to wait in the three-hour line with the kids and I while Ryan and Aaron went to Space Mountain and stood in that line for 2 hours and 45 minutes. Tracy took this photo 49 minutes in as I was deeply regretting my decision to get in this line with three tiny kids.

Tracy was a champion. She helped me continue vision casting and reminding the girls what we were in line for. She also helped me carry Charlie who only wanted to be held. This is what the pic looked like after I said, “Hey everybody smile! Yay!”

This is how everyone really felt.

Miracle of Miracles Elsa and Anna were wonderful and the girls really did love the time they spent with them. When we came around the corner and the princesses were in view Charlie started saying “Elsa! Elsa!” which just goes to show how many times my children have watched that movie. Clara was very proper meeting Elsa. She was basically stoic – which might be because it was three hours past her bedtime, or maybe because she thought she had actually become Elsa. I don’t know, but I love everything this picture says about her in her 3.5 year-old glory.

Ruby told Anna that she could teach her to dance if she wanted. Anna happily agreed that she would love Ruby to give her a lesson. The three of them danced and giggled for a bit then hugged and posed for a picture. It really was worth the three hours of life lost in line.

When we exited Frozen it was night-time and the firework show was just beginning. The crowds were impassable and we couldn’t even make it to where our stroller was parked, let alone to where we thought we would meet back up with Ryan and Aaron, so we just stood there by the exit and watched the sky light up. Ruby and Clara loved it. Charlie was terrified. I am deaf from it all.

By 11pm we had reunited with our men and the stroller and were headed back to the parking lot. The following photos were taken before we were out of the Disney parking lot. I’d say it was a successful first visit to Disney! Hooray for making memories!

Backyard Happiness | Spring Break 2015

Our first day in Florida was spent recovering from our drive by spending a relaxing day at Aaron and Tracy’s house – My brother Aaron taught Ruby how to catch chameleons, which kept her occupied for most of the week.

On Sunday we had Jeremiah’s Italian Ice and celebrated Easter at Summit Church. The worship band played what has since become my favorite song, “You Brought Me Back To Life” by Citizens and Saints. Also loved running into so many of my Floridian friends at church.

Aaron has an amazingly beautiful Kampfer Tree in his backyard. He hung swings and created the most magical backyard imaginable. I wish I was there right now swinging the day away.

Tracy and Aaron’s backyard was the perfect location for an easter egg hunt. This was the first year Charlie was old enough to run around collecting eggs in his basket. He loved it!

Clara loves her Aunt Tracy.

This inflatable pool was the perfect hangout for the kids. Little did they know that after they were in bed Aaron, Tracy, Ryan and I parked ourselves out there in the corners of that pool for hours.

On Driving to Far Away Places. | Spring Break 2015

Remember 119 days ago when everyone went on Spring Break? Well, we took a little trip too! I’m just now blogging about it – because, life. But seriously, it was a week I want to remember and since my brain has been totally overtaken by all things motherhood I’ll continue to rely on this blog to do my remembering for me.

Dear internet, please don’t ever go away.

Ryan and I are always up for an adventure… which is why we thought we’d drive from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Orlando, Florida in a van filled with 1, 3 and 5 year olds. Here we are right before pulling out of our driveway. Looking good! Ready for family fun times! Wahoo!

Just north of Indianapolis we decided that we would never ever ever attempt such a feat ever again. Thankfully my Aunt Linda and Uncle Matt let us crash at their house in Louisville for the night. Yay! Relatives!

Here’s a bit of free advice for you: Rerouting through Savannah to avoid Atlanta traffic is a terrible idea. Here’s more free advice; I highly recommend stopping somewhere near a Waffle House to let your kids risk their lives by an icy stream.

The last leg of the drive Ryan and I switched seats quite regularly in an effort to stay awake and restore our friendship. We’d do some deep knee bends, high leg kicks, give each other pep-talks and high-fives in front of the van as we crossed paths to and from the driver’s seat. “We can do this! We are going to make it! Just 9.5 more hours! I love you. Let’s hug it out. Ooh Rah!”

By the grace of God we made it safely, I’m not much of a crier, but tears were rolling down my cheeks as we pulled into Aaron and Tracy’s driveway around 2am.

I’ve never started a vacation so exhausted. Which is one of the reasons, this “vacation” qualified more as a “trip”.

Happy 4th Birthday Clara!!

I seriously can’t believe my little Clara Dawn is already 4 years old! She has really come into her own over the past few months and I love watching her confidence grow each week. She has discovered her innate ability to entertain people. She loves to draw and create, loves to dance and sing, loves making people laugh and has no threshold for how much tickling she can endure.

https://instagram.com/p/zh1HU1Ri-G/

Here are some recent Claraisms for you to enjoy.

• “If you are really fwustwated a mommy can help you feel better.”
• “Nana is the best grown up I ever had!”
• While holding a tape measure toward me she said, “hmmm mom, you’re twenty big.”
• She loves the art table at her school and her teachers told me that she would do art all day if they let her. 
• “IT’S MY FRAVORITE FRAVORITE SWIMMING SUIT MOMMY!”
• She often asks me what day it is. I’ll say “Tuesday” and she will yell out, “It’s Tuesday!”
• She always thanks God for all the Rainbows and all the “Aminals” when she says prayers at bedtime.
• Clara refuses to nap but occasionally she falls asleep on the couch, floor, or coffee table while Ruby is at school.
• She never agrees or admits to “taking a nap” but often says she is going to “take a little rest”.
• Each morning at school drop off Ruby wants to give hugs and kisses to Clara and Charlie before getting out of the van. Some mornings Clara squirms and screams and doesn’t want hugs and kisses. Other mornings she cries big tears about how much she will miss her Ruby girl. There’s no middle ground with Clara. She’s extreme. She feels ALL THE THINGS.

• Speaking of feeling all the feelings, she was not happy about the seam on the toe of her tights on Palm Sunday.  
• Clara changes clothes about 5 times per day. She lays out her outfit the night before, changes in the morning, changes after school, changes before picking Ruby up from school, changes after dinner… this girl loves clothes.
• She is basically a style icon – her daily outfits (which she chooses herself) are layers and layers of colorful amazingness. Here are a couple of examples:
• Whenever I put in a Disney DVD she reminds me, “If a scary pawt comes then you can past forward it.”
• Her shoes are on the wrong feet 100% of the time. You’d think there would be a 50/50 chance she’d get it right, but no, it’s absolutely always wrong.
• Already a Patriot, whenever we are driving she calls out all the flags we pass, “I SAW ANOTHER CAMERICAN FLAG!!” 
• On our way into the car I said, “Jump in your seat” and she stomped her foot and said, “I don’t JUMP in my seat, I GET in my seat!” yikes!
• She loves going to play at the mall play place and always reports back on any kids that looked at her or tried to play with her. “He was just looking at me mommy. I didn’t want he to look at me!”
• “I’m gonna go get beautifulled up.”
• When she gives herself a shampoo mohawk in the bathtub she calls it a “Bow Hog”
• While driving home from school the other day she said, “Keep your eyes peeled because you have to keep an eye on my place.”
• Clara LOVES her daddy. One on one time with Ryan is all she needs to become her best self.
• I’m trying to help her be a teeny bit more friendly: responding/acknowledging when someone says “hello” or “good morning” to her. On the way to school we talked about saying “Good Morning to her teacher instead of walking past and ignoring her greeting. Clara told me, “I’m not gonna say good morning today.” and she didn’t…
• I’ll ask, “do you need to go potty?” and she always answers, “No, princesses do not go potty.”
• Her BFF Emmi’s dad has a Jeep and Clara loves yelling out “JEEP!!” whenever we see one.
• “I think my brudder just loves me. And also, he loves one of those” (points to toast).
• Clara and Charlie love each other so much. They chase each other around the house all day. I love seeing them laughing and playing together.

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• Clara loves talking to Ryan through the shower curtain in the mornings. She has so much to say when she first wakes up. I love listening to their conversations echoing in the bathroom.
• When she’s playing silly games with Ruby and realize Ruby is laughing she starts saying “Eyeball Twash” over and over and makes Ruby laugh even harder. I have no idea what Eyeball Trash is or how she knows about it.
• She loves to comb my hair and tries to braid it… which takes me a good chunk of time to untangle once she’s done.

Clara Dawn, you are so funny. I love seeing your sense of humor develop and love the look you get on your face when you realize you’re being entertaining. I love that your favorite song is “Jump Into The Light” and that you love singing songs about Jesus. You did an awesome job being three and I can only imagine how much more wonderful you will become during this next year of your life. I admire your strength, stamina and determination, qualities that make it difficult to parent you, but qualities that will be incredibly beneficial to you later in life. You’re a special little person and Daddy and I are so grateful God picked us to be your parents. And I’m really thankful God picked Ryan to be your daddy because he really helps me understand your shenanigans…

I love you and your shenanigans sweet girl. Thank you for regularly reminding me to “Let it go, Let it go…”

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