Tag Archives: birthday

Turning Four

Clara started off her fourth year practicing some life skills. After all, it’s never to early to start.

First up was how to climb without falling out of a tree and giving yourself a black eye. Clara on climbing wall

I did not take this picture, as the only thing that I’d like less than watching my family crawl up the side of a wall is doing it myself. Jane and I stayed home while John and Clara were joined by another Dad/Daughter duo for the adventure. So, while I’ve no stories of my own to share I can tell you that the girls came back all smiles and giggles. I heard about how they got to climb “ROCKS AND ROPES MOM!” They showed me just how very high their dads climbed (At least as high as a newly four year old standing on the back of a couch can reach.) and I heard all about how there are “rules about climbing.”

No falling, no black eyes, happy kids. Life skills progressing well.

After a day of play we met John at his work for dinner, cake and presents and Clara worked on life skill number two for the day.

How to open gifts at a wedding shower.

Clara opened each present with her mouth wide and girly squealing sounds coming out of it. Then she’d see what was inside – “I love it! It’s just what I always wanted!”…”What is it?”Clara fourth birthday

I figure she’s about half way there. Which is further than I have ever made it with that particular skill.

Finally I must add that I made Clara a moth cake. It’s been confusing more than a few people, they think they can’t understand what she is saying but it’s true. I made her a moth cake.  A Rosy Maple Moth cake to be completely accurate -because I like being accurate and Clara likes chocolate cake with pink frosting – and moths.

The cake looked like this, which I thought was pretty darn good for a moth.moth cake

But Clara’s face when she saw it was even better!Clara fourth birthday cake

In her list of life skills she’s working on she can cross “how to melt her mothers heart” right off, she’s got that one down pat!

Happy Birthday Clara!

Belated Birthday Thoughts

While our internet was misbehaving I wrote many posts that I never got a chance to publish due to technical difficulties. I wrote this the evening of Clara’s birthday…

From the time Clara arrived, Ivy was a dutiful big sister. When Clara was a baby, Ivy was so attentive to her baby sister that I worried about ever leaving them unattended, a quick trip to the bathroom and I’d come back to find Clara under stacks of books, toys and blankets that Ivy just couldn’t wait to share. Of course as they have grown Clara is now happy to be buried under Ivy’s toys and Ivy is usually happy to play with Clara. But their sweet sisterly ways have been experiencing some growing pains since Ivy started school. Now Ivy drags herself off the bus, tired out after a big day of school and greets Clara’s happy rush to greet her with a “NO thank you Clara.” There has been more fighting between them than there ever has been before and the last weeks have been trying on everyone.

As Clara’s birthday approached we made sure to include Ivy in all the preparations and the big hearted sister that she is showed right back up. Ivy sewed Clara a pillow for her baby doll as her gift to give her. Then she gave me a special piece of fabric that she had been saving so that I could make a blanket for Clara’s baby. When we went shopping she asked if she could pick out Clara a present with her own money all by herself and she did. Ivy discussed cake plans with me, watched John build a doll cradle, wrapped gifts and even picked out some of her toys that Clara likes and wrapped them up to give to her.

When Clara’s birthday arrived Ivy had a bit of a tough time – it’s hard to be the big sister when it’s not your birthday. But when all was said and done, Ivy told Clara that she could pick out all the bedtime books and when I thanked her for being such a good big sister all day she admitted that it was pretty good, “Except for a few moments of cryin’.”

Ivy was right, it was a good birthday. Clara turned three and was as well behaved as a three year old can be and Ivy turned back into the big sister that we all know she can be. Tomorrow is back to school and regular schedule and I’m certain that the two girls have more rocky times ahead, now and in the future. But thank goodness for birthdays, and the opportunities they bring for teaching, thoughtfulness, and smoothing a bit of the rocky road, even if temporarily.

Just over a month later I’m happy to report that Ivy (and the rest of us) are getting used to school and her new schedule. There are still days where Ivy draaags her tired feet off the bus to the house and refuses to talk to Clara but there are just as many days that they are happy to see each other and disappear up the stairs in a fit of giggles.

The Golf Ball Birthday

For the last two months we’ve been asking Clara what she would like for her birthday and the answer has been:

“Golf balls, all colors.”

Every time.

This kind of consistency  from a girl who can’t decide what shoes she’s going to put on and stick with that decision all the way out the door- we got the hint. John and I spread the word and today the gift that got the biggest squeal was the one that also had her exclaiming: “My golf balls!!! They are all colors!!!”

Clara is now officially three years old and the proud and happy owner of at least 28 golf balls.

And because I know you are on the verge of asking, no, I have no idea why she wanted golf balls or where she got the idea. But, after today I can tell you what Clara will do with them. She will carry them around in her shirt, she will pretend to juggle them, she will “sell” them to people, she will “buy” them back, she will roll them, she will fill her new baby cradle with them and put her new doll to sleep on top of them, she will put them in bags, she will take them out of bags and before bed she will pick the perfect spot that her golf balls “want to be” before she crawls into bed herself!

Happy birthday Clara! I hope I never forget your happy squeals over your golf balls because I have a sinking suspicion that we are going to be finding them in odd places for about the next 28 years!