miss claire at age two

Claire.  She makes us smile every day.

Two years of smiles.  Really?  That is quite a lot. 

It's funny what happens with a fourth child.  What made me cringe with my first few now makes me smile.  The shenanigans that sent Ryenne to time-out at this age nowadays bring a laugh.  Those "big deals" that used to cause me to stew and fret now seem innocent enough. 

I don't know if I'm relaxing or just getting lazy.  Probably a little of both.  On one hand, I feel like Claire is happier and easy going because I am learning to be.  On the other, I hope she doesn't end of in prison as a result of me letting my hair down, so to speak. 

Anyhow, this Claire of ours.  She's quite the gal and it seems we've all taken a liking to her.  A liking indeed.

We love it when she answers everything with "good". 

"Hi Claire, how did you sleep?"
"Good."

"Good morning Claire, do you want some breakfast?"
"Good."

Another favorite is her common "don't want it".

"Nap time, Claire!"
"Don't want it nap."

"Let's change your diaper."
"Don't want it diaper."

She likes to eat "dunch" (lunch) and especially loves to eat anything she can dip (salsa, ranch, ketchup.)  She loves her sisters, and runs around yelling for "Rye-Rye", "Katey-bugs", and Emmy.  "Where are you?" she hollars.  Claire is thrilled when her older sisters take her "jumping" (on the trampoline), swinging on the "totter-totter" (teeter-totter), or simply take her along on any of their adventures.  She can most often be found running after them, her little legs going as fast as they can in an effort to catch up.

Claire is a Daddy's girl and is happiest when he's nearby.  She loves his "tractors" and going on rides in his truck.  We love to watch what she does when he is in the room with her.  She will watch him and mimic his movements.  If he is standing against the cupboard, she will also lean back against the cupboard.  If his arms are folded, so are Claire's.  She'll cross her feet just like his. 

While she loves her Daddy, she kinda likes me too.  When I mow the lawn, she likes to ride in the backpack on my back.  She sits on the bar stools while I am in the kitchen, often crawling up over the back of the bar to sit on the cupboard next to me. 

I think Claire has been our earliest talker, with the biggest vocabulary at this age.  She is the queen of "please", "thank-you", and "I'm sorry".  I'm not sure what brought on her little streak of manners, but we think it's pretty darn cute.  Anytime we do anything to help her, she quickly tells us "tank you." 

Our little girl loves Grandpas.  Not just her own, though she has really good grandpas.  When we see a Grandpa, any grandpa, she'll walk up and take their hand,  "C'mon grandpa," she'll say. 

Our hearts melt when we tell her that we love her.  "I lub you so much," she replies.

We love our happy Claire.  We laugh at the funny things she does and smile when she is a grouch, knowing it won't last long.  The girls scramble to be the one to read her a story and tuck her in bed.  I love watching them be big sisters to her.  Through Claire, they are learning compassion and gaining important experience becoming caretakers, something I believe will bless their lives as they become mothers. 

When I think of Claire, I often think of her name and it's meaning.  Clear and bright.  Since Claire has come into our family, there has come a certain clarity.  A stronger sense in Courtney and I about what is important and what we can let go.  From the minute she made her grand entrance into our family, I have sensed a difference in all of us.  Daily, she helps us to see things a bit more clearly.  We are enjoying life more and celebrating each day, finding the joy these little moments have to offer. 

Each of the girls brings a special dimension to our family.  Lessons to teach, smiles to our hearts.  Claire is no exception.  I pray each day that I will be teachable.  That I will learn the special lessons each of them have to offer. 

I remember back to when I was a new mom, with just one little girl to look after.  As many of us do, I would sometimes wonder if I could love another child as I did my first.  If my heart had enough room for more than one.  After Kate was born, I remember the happiness I felt.  It seemed that instead of diminishing my ability to love, two children actually increased my capacity.  One day I pondered upon my former concerns and realized something new about love.  Our hearts grow!  Oddly enough, I had supposed that when I had another child, I would have to find room in my little ole' heart for one more.  Squeeze that child in there, somehow.   Oh, the joy I felt when I realized that I didn't have to squeeze.  Heavenly Father just made my heart bigger.  Bigger and fuller and happier.  With each child it has continued to do so, until now days I feel so happy at times that my heart seems to fill up every part of me. 

It's funny how love works.  When I got married, I thought I knew what love is.  Then I had a child, and I was sure I knew.  Next, two.  And then three.  And I thought I knew.  Now my family has grown to include four and I find myself learning more about love with each passing day. 

And my heart?  It doesn't feel crowded at all.  In fact, four feels pretty happy.