Hardly Wrapped

"Is that how you're going to wrap Austin's present?" Clara looks on with skepticism as I curl the green ribbon with a pair of scissors.  I reassure her that he will be so excited about the pink pig (Austin LOVES the colour pink!) and the Cat and the Hat colouring poster that he will forget all about the fact there is no wrapping paper.  She is not convinced and announces she doesn't want to go to the party.  In steps Emily, who by the way has negotiating skills that would put a top billing corporate attorney to tears, manages to calm her younger sister and convince her the party is worth giving up this one detail.  Clara relents and heads to the car with her hardly wrapped present.

A Little Lesson:

     I thought I was doing great having the present ready to go, we didn't even have to do the 'Toys R Us on the way to the party' run like we usually do!  There is a saying I've always loved...

God wisely designed the human body so that we can neither pat 

our own backs nor kick ourselves too easily.

Middle Child

My Clara is the middle child in our family.  Mathematically speaking she is not, but...she is.  I was also the middle child.  I can already hear people saying the things I used to hear when I was a child...she is such a character!  She sure beats to her own drum!  The other day as I was watching my little wonder, a song started to flow in and out of my mind.  I decided I would put off finishing it until another time.  This morning when I saw her from my bedroom window on the swing set in full swing, wearing her tie- die bathing suit, black cowboy boots and sunglasses singing at the top of her lungs I decided I would finish the song and put it to some memorable pictures.   Speaking from experience, I want my middle child to know...I hear ya sister!  And when you feel your world doesn't 'get' you...I will wink and smile at you and say...no explanation necessary.   The song is titled "So Beautiful"... I love you Clara.

A Little Lesson:

     I believe nothing equips you for raising children more than remembering deeply what it was truly like to be a child.   As I have mentioned before, I was not so good at the diary thing, but I feel like I have thousands upon thousands of memories of what it was like to be me.  So far that seems to be helping my little Clara the most!

Genetics

You could offer me steak, pie, lasagna, ribs, cake,  you name it and it would still come in second to my love for Campbell's Tomato soup with about half a box of Premium Plus crackers smushed on top.  Is it possible that I have produced a child with the same crazy love!?!

A Little Lesson:

    Hey, if something out of a can, that cost 68 cents, brings a smile to my little girl's face - count your blessings!

These Are My Clothes!

Go get dressed I said.  She looks at me bewildered "I am dressed."  A butterfly bathing suit, shell necklace, orange tutu and fairy wings.  I tell her we're going out in public.  "So,"  she says "these are my clothes!"  I quickly weigh squashing her imaginative individuality and the tears that will follow with looking publicly presentable.  Butterfly bathing suit it is!

A Little Lesson:

   I only have three words.  P i c k   y o u r   b a t t l e s !

Hair Today Gone Tomorrow

The morning started with Emily bringing me a lock of hair and saying "look what I found!" I quickly responded "Is that all of it?" Emily proudly announced "not even close...it's everywhere" before she could run off and gather more evidence in walked the barber herself. She was surprised that I was so shocked and asked what the matter was. Once she found out her hair wouldn't grow back tomorrow the tears began to flow...

A little lesson:

Even mom's hug, a kiss and the promise of a treat can't make 2 inches of hair grow any faster