If you don't want to watch a toddler dance...

...then don't watch these videos.



This is Claire's favorite song: "Roll Away Your Stone" by Mumford and Sons. Watch how excited she gets when the drums kick in on the bridge...



And here is what happened when we switched up the tempo and put on a slow song. The girl's got rhythm.




Finally, some "Night-night" shout-outs...

Our Second Little Peanut...

"Children are a blessing from the Lord; they are a gift from Him...blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them!" Psalm 127:3, 5

Happy Birthday Ivy!

Saturday was one of Claire's favorite friend's birthday party. "I-tuh", as Claire calls her, (better known as "Ivy" to the rest of us) was so patient with Claire at her party as she helped her draw on the chalkboard...


All of the kids had a blast!


Claire's favorite parts of the party were playing with the balloons...


Digging through her party favors...


And especially playing with the bubbles! Thank you, Mrs. Ellen, for entertaining Claire for a good 10 minutes, at least!





To make the weekend even better, the next day it rained! Oh, how Claire loves the rain!



When it stopped raining, she asked for more! "More ray. Mommy, more ray!" I wish I could make it rain for you, Claire!

And to top off the weekend, what could be better than wearing her fancy headband that Gran got her???



I hope everyone else had as great a weekend as Claire did!

Life These Days

Here are some glimpses into our life these days...

Claire still loves the rain. She talks to the rain ("Hey rain!") and tells stories about it. She loves to watch it and to play in it. Here she is a year ago, playing in the rain.


And here she is just recently. Some things never change. At least, I hope they won't.


The other day Claire tried to eat an ink pad. Don't worry, she wasn't successful. Well, not completely.


Here she is reading with Gran and "Bopple." Goodness knows that we pray for all our "nans and bopples" every night. And every day. And every meal.


I can tell just by looking at this picture that either the word "little" or "big" was on that particular page. Claire makes the same sign for both. It's pretty funny when she claims that something is "big" and pinches her thumb and finger together for emphasis.

Today Claire found her old bouncy seat. She came and found me and said, "Buckle me. Buckle me." That could be her first complete sentence, I'm not sure. But buckle her I did, and she loved it. Here she is as a baby when she actually fit into the seat...


And here she was today. Little cheeseball.


Soon she realized how silly it was for a big girl like her to be in a baby seat, so she climbed out and proceeded to buckle her baby in. Then she brought all the toys that she thought her baby might want to play with while in the seat.


Apparently this included a small canister from the kitchen.


Claire is fascinated when I put on my makeup...which is kind of a joke since most days I don't make it past a little concealer under my eyes and some blush so I don't look dead. Anyway, I gave her a little makeup bag of her own and included an old stick of concealer. She went to town.




Silly girl.


Finally, Claire is loving her bears these days. She won't get out of the bed without holding as many bears as she can and bringing them to breakfast with her. She won't leave the house without one or two to keep her company in the car. Tonight when I put her to bed she kept asking for more! "More bear. More bear." When I went in to check on her a few minutes ago, this is what I found...


I love my life these days.

Little

Little is growing up.


She is still as full of life as ever. She gets extremely excited over things like puddles of water, seeing dogs and butterflies, and...well...rocks.

She talks all the time, putting 2 words together into simple phrases ("Mommy bye", "Doggy water", "Daddy truck"). She also retells stories in a very animated manner. It's one of my favorite things, listening to and watching her tell a story. "Claire, can you tell Daddy about the thunder?" Little's hands go flying up in the air, her face brightens and her eyes widen, and she talks with her voice and her hands and her face all at once..."OW!!! (her version of "loud")...followed by excited gibberish and pointing..."Claire, was the thunder loud?" "OW!!!" "Where did we hear the thunder?" "Doh!!! (door)...OW...doh...Daddy OW!!! Mommy OW!!!"



Little is still as busy and active as ever. She runs and dances all the time. She has some serious dance moves. Really, I'm not sure that dancing is her spiritual gift. But she tries, and it is very amusing to watch. She hasn't gotten the "jump" down yet, but she sure is cute when she tries.


Little loves to laugh. She loves to make other people laugh as well. If I ever laugh at something that she says or does, she is delighted and I can be sure that the scene will be repeated at least 10 times before it's all said and done.


Our prayers are becoming longer these days, largely due to Little calling out everyone's name that she knows during the prayer...and trust me, she won't allow the prayer to finish before each person is thoroughly prayed for. No general "bless everyone in our family and all of our friends" prayers for Little.

She calls everyone under the age of four "baby." She still loves the rain. She talks to inanimate objects such as, well, the rain, and all the plants in our vegetable garden. The only way to get her to give me her sippy cup at night before she goes to bed is to say, "Tell your milk night-night." She will wave at her cup and say, "Nigh-nigh meh," and then relinquish it.


She loves to have a task. She helps Daddy change the oil in the car and helps Mommy cook. She wants to be so big.



A friend told me that she could see this picture next to one of Claire walking down the aisle in 20-something years. That would be sweet, if Claire was ever actually going to grow up and get married. But she's not. Because she is going to stay little. Right???


Slow down, Little! You're growing up too fast! Come back!
Every day is a gift with the Little. She is a priceless gift that God in His grace has entrusted the Coach and myself with, to love and enjoy and to nurture and discipline and to teach and disciple. And despite my emotions screaming, "Stay Little!!!", every day my prayer for her is the same..."But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory forever and ever! Amen" (1 Peter 3:18)

Perfectly Average

Claire had her "18 month checkup" (but really at 19 months!) today. She was, and I quote, "perfectly average." Right on target for all her motor, social, and cognitive benchmarks, and right around 50 percentile for both height (34.25 in) and weight (24 lb 12 oz). Other quotables...The doctor said, "I think she's going to be a climber." Hmmm. Not surprised. What else? Oh, Claire called the doctor "Bopple," which is her word that she uses for all of her grandpas and great-grandpas right now (with the exception of my dad, whose name she still whispers out of reverence.)

Meanwhile, here are some more pictures from Memorial Day weekend with Papa, Nan, and the gang.

Is it just me, or does it look like Papa is teaching Claire how to preach???



This beautiful girl smiled every time she came into a room all weekend. Little ray of sunshine!



Here is how Claire spent the weekend: Reading books with Papa...


Making faces while Papa was reading...


Swimming with Justice and Aunt Jeni...


Playing the drums with Aunt Jeni! This was her favorite activity of all...and she was actually pretty good!


Building a fort with Aunt Jeni...

And just hanging out!!!


And of course, eating... here's some watermelon...


...and corn.


With Uncle Bo.


Look at these precious girls!




And here are a few family pictures. The girls with Aunt Jeni...


I love my sister!!!


And my crazy brother!!!


Blessed beyond measure...


The girls!!!


And the wonderful Nan and Papa!!!