Three Year Old Eve

Oh my sweet Claire. Tonight I laid down with you and sang you to sleep, my last time doing that with two year old Claire. Tomorrow you will be three. When did that happen???

You are such a bundle of delight. What a gift from our heavenly Father, when three years ago He introduced us to 7 pound you. When you were born, you met your world with open eyes, intense as you looked around at everyone in the room, taking everything in. You have not stopped observing since then. And what an observant three year old you are! Every morning when we walk outside, you comment on which vehicle Daddy drove to work. "Oh, Daddy took the truck today." Or, "Daddy took the little car." Claire, I don't even notice which vehicle he took. I cannot say a word without you questioning me on it. "What you said, Mommy?" Or, "Why?" You notice every detail around you. And you narrate EVERYTHING. You tell us what is going on every minute of the day, from how you feel to what you see to what you are doing. Even when no one is around, you are talking. I can hear you through the door to the bathroom, narrating your experience on the toilet. Or through the door to your room, narrating how you are not tired as you lay in the bed.

You say the funniest things sometimes. The other day you were running and suddenly you stopped and said, "I can't run anymore. I don't have any injury in my mouth." You meant to say "energy" instead of "injury" and I think you meant that you were thirsty. I laughed. I do that a lot with you. Another time I was listening to "Turning Point" on the radio and you said...
"Who is that?"
"It's a man named David Jeremiah."
"Oh. Is it Daddy?"
"No. It's David Jeremiah."
"Oh. Is he a boy or a girl?"
"He's a boy."
"Oh. He's a boy?"
"Yes."
"Oh, okay. He goes to the boy's bathroom."

You love to sing the blessing, but before you do you always ask, "Is everybody ready?" (We had to teach you to do that instead of just starting your prayer-song before everyone sat down at the table). And then you always pause to say, "Let me get my hair out of my face," and smooth your hair back, before proceeding with "God our Father..."

We have our frustrating moments as you develop your personality and independence. There are times when the last thing you want to do is to bend your will to obey Mommy and Daddy. But, sweet Claire, we love you too much to allow you to disobey. We know that God's children experience His best for them when they are teachable and obedient. And that's why we try so hard to teach you to obey us. I know it's hard. Impossible, even. That's why we need Jesus, sweet girl. None of us can live in perfect obedience. But He did, and He is completely pleasing to the Father, so guess what??? We don't have to earn God's favor; in fact, we can't earn His favor, because we are disobedient by nature. But if we trust in His Son, and embrace what Jesus did for us on the cross, and respond to His love by turning away from our sins and turning toward Him in His infinite grace, God will be completely pleased. Without faith it is impossible to please God...Oh Claire, I pray that God will graciously use your Daddy and Mommy in all of our weakness to teach you that.

My favorite moments of the day are right after you wake up in the morning and right before you go to sleep at night. I love your sleepy smile as you as climb out of bed and declare, "It's waketime!!!" You give the best good-morning hugs, so warm and cuddly. And before you go to sleep, you always look at me and say, "Do you have a song for me Mommy?"

Oh Claire. I will always have a song for you.