Clara -Episode 1

Since the world's cutest baby who napped for 10 entire minutes in the car today and then never again is showing no signs of retiring, despite the fact that Mommy is about to expire, I think I'll take this unplanned time to jot down some of the funny and cute things Clara has done or said lately.

DANCE
Clara has been taking dance class this last year for the first time.  I always knew she had the moves and her dance class proved it. She loved dance and was so serious about being good at it.  Every Tuesday morning, when I would tell her the day, she would cheer because it was dance day.  At the recital last week, the dance instructor,Marlene Blackburn, addressed the audience and shared a story from the competition the studio had attended in April.  As the girls were about to go on, one little girl looked up at her and said, "I've been dreaming of this my whole life!"  Right after Marlene said that I looked over at my husband and said,"That had to have been Clara who said that!" But then I told myself that there are so many little girls that it could have been anyone.  Then on the last day of class, Marlene's daughter, Kristen, wanted to tell me a cute story about Clara, about the competition, before they went on, when she declared, "I've been dreaming of this my whole life!" I knew it was her! Clara then went on to tell us how she plans to be a MOTHER, but also teach dance in her basement studio, while her husband watches the children upstairs. And he will not have a beard, but he will have a mustache, because that is so handsome, just like Principle Cooper, who is 50 something with gray hair, and SOOOOOO handsome to Clara.

SOCCER
My boys have been playing soccer for years now and Clara loves to tag along and be part of the excitement.  Last week, she accompanied Daddy while I stayed home with the baby and the family car with the blown tire( long story, also involving Clara). Anyway, Clara loves the Snack Shack, but I NEVER buy her anything because it goes against everything I believe in to overpay for candy and drinks in that way when I can just bring my own. Well, not having my sense of economics, but one all her own, Clara set out by herself while Daddy was distracted with coaching, visiting strangers lining the field and offering her services for money. Apparently she gave people shoulder rubs, performed the chicken dance, and traded with someone, and ended up earning several dollars and what she considered to be a well deserved trip to the Snack Shack.  I think this is funny, but also worrisome. 

MEN
This kid is going to give us full heads of gray hair by 40.  She loves men. She loves all men, but she especially loves men with facial hair. She once begged Daddy not to shave.  When she sees strangers walking outside she runs out and  says hi to them from the front porch.  If she knows them, she runs up and gives them a hug and has a nice little visit. She has invited the man next door, our home teacher, two teenage boys, and the neighbor's cat to her birthday party.  She is reconsidering these invites since I told her she can't have a princess party unless she only invites little girls.  Clara is in love with two different boys at school and once spent a good hour writing them a note, "Which one of you likes baseball better?" Why? Because the bigger fan would win her hand in marriage someday.  This is an improvement from the beginning of the year when she gave her heart up for the boy with the blue scissors. 

MATH
This one isn't very funny, but it's cute.  Clara has been demonstrating a propensity for math lately. She is in Kindergarten and will be 6 in mid August, but she can add and subtract in her head already. I once told her about a family that had 12 kids and lost 3 in a car accident. She looked sad and said, "Oh Mommy! Then they only had 9 kids left!"  Yesterday my mom treated us to lunch at Applebees. To pass the time, Clara decided to do some addition on a napkin. She wrote 5+5=10.  Then she wrote 9+1=10. Then I asked her to write it another way and she wrote 2+3+5 =10. Then 4+6=10. Then Grandma led her through all the ways to make 11. Every time she had to add she would scrunch up her face and make sure we knew she wasn't using her fingers, and when she got the right answer you would have thought the kid had just been given her favorite treat.  Her face lit up in absolute delight! We definitely have a math lover on our hands!

Clara is a rascal, but a delight. She is the friendliest person I have ever met. She talks to EVERYONE.  She has a standing deal with a member of the bishopric to get 5 breath mints every Sunday.  She says Hi to every single person that we ever meet, no matter who they are, what their age, or how scary or intimidating they look.  And I marvel as I watch people respond to her, smiling and laughing. She is spreading so much joy and she has no idea.  I hope that part of her never changes.