Clara Genevieve is all or nothing. She's the sweetest, cutest little thing I've ever seen, OR... she's completely not. She has a propensity for tantrums that Marie never had, and unbelievable endurance when it comes to screaming and crying. Sometimes, I feel like I will literally lose my mind because of her behavior, but most of the time, she's adorable, so we'll focus on that!
Clara is really coming into her own. Though her differences from Marie have always been obvious, at two and a half, her unique personality is really starting to shine. Though she likes what Marie likes and almost always wants to do whatever Marie is doing--one of the cutest things she says, is "May I (super high pitch at the end)??" after Marie asks for absolutely anything--she is starting to have her own interests and preferences that she makes known.
Clara adores Marie, and whenever we go somewhere without her, or stay home when Marie is elsewhere with Daddy, Clara checks in several times to see where Marie is, asking, "Mawee, Mommy?" She loves playing with her, following her directions (most of the time) and sharing with her. When she does something she's proud of, she tells Marie about it ("Mawee, yook! I did it!"). There is nothing that makes my heart fuller than listening to them play sweetly together, or watching them randomly hug each other throughout the day. They are such a gift for one another and it makes me so happy to know that they will have each other the rest of their lives.
Despite how much she loves to play with Marie, Clara is also really great at playing on her own, and she will sit and play by herself very happily for a long time.
Each year at Christmastime, we get the girls an ornament that represents their past year. This year, Clara got her very own ballerina ornament (Marie had two already and Clara longed for her own as we were decorating the tree. I had already bought hers but we hadn't given them yet and I was very happy to know that we chose the right ornament!). A love for ballet that started because of her older sister has turned into her own, and she really has a talent for movement. I'm impressed by the grace and movement of her little body.
One of the absolute best things about Clara (and a quality I pray she never grows out of) is how incredibly excited she gets about things. When something is exciting to her, she literally squeals with delight and yells, "Yay yay yay yay yay!" and proceeds to tell everyone around her in the most excited and high pitch tone you can imagine all about what she's excited about. It is pure joy! As I was organizing and storing some summer clothes last week, she came across one of Marie's swimsuits from this past summer, and was super excited to learn that it would be hers this coming summer. As if she had completely forgotten that summer and swimming existed (maybe she had), she squealed with delight remembering that we will be going to the pool once again. When I mentioned that Margaret will get to go in the baby pool with her this summer, Clara could not contain herself. She nearly bounced into the air with excitement, proclaiming all sorts of cute things in her little gibberish and running to find Daddy and tell him that she and Margaret were going to go swimming!!! She has been equally as excited about it every single day since then. That is real joy. This is just one example; this sort of thing happens all of the time with her.
Clara also gets extremely excited about clothes. For quite some time now, she has been very in tune with clothes--both her own and those of other people. At least three times a day, she will go to her closet and pick out a different dress to put on, or different tights, or a jacket. And if I wear something that she hasn't ever seen before (that she remembers, at least), she will point at it and exclaim, "Mommy!" She always wants to wear Marie's clothes or my clothes or the baby's clothes and insists that things will fit her. When they don't, she either throws a fit about it (if she's tired) or tells me, "It OK, Mommy!"
In order to finish off potty training with this incredibly stubborn little girl during the summer, I relied heavily on treats ("keets"). Clara LOVES lollipops, or "pops" as she very lovingly calls them, and they did the trick beautifully. Now, pops are the greatest thing you could ever offer Clara. She would do most anything for one. The only problem is that my life has become a giant bargaining for treats these days. Marie has gotten on board, and I am asked all throughout the day whether they can have a treat for this or that... I never thought I would be in this position, and we are trying to wean them from their need for treats, but if you're ever trying to win over Clara, offer her a pop.
Clara is quirky. She does and says the funniest things sometimes, and we have no idea where she gets them. She's very goofy and loves to entertain. She has a sense for comedy and also for how to push people's buttons. She seems to play people (not in a bad way) and knows how to make them smile. She also has a mischievous side! This is surprising and different for us because Marie never had this. I find myself thinking that Clara really knows how to be two in the typical ways. She makes messes just for the heck of it, pushes limits when she's told not to do something, and experiments with her surroundings more. But she isn't naughty in the least, and won't do something she knows is wrong. We've been blessed with very well behaved girls.
She is a girl who knows what she wants, and what she doesn't, and she's not one to be persuaded (except with the offer of a pop, that is...). Once she makes up her mind about something, it's hard to convince her otherwise. Though this can be a difficult quality in a two year old, it's one I don't want her to lose entirely. A strong girl who knows her mind and can't be persuaded otherwise is a reassuring thought to Mommy and Daddy (as long as she's properly formed, of course)!
Clara adores Margaret. She really can't get enough of the baby, and every single morning since Margaret was born, Clara is so excited to see her! Her love for her is pure and sweet and unwavering, and it's wonderful to think of the relationship the two of them will have in a few years (and for the rest of their lives).
Above all, Clara is just so so so sweet. To illustrate, I will tell you about her forgiving nature. In our family, when we do something that hurts anyone else, we ask for forgiveness. The girls have learned this well from me... motherhood is so humiliating in the true sense of the word. When Clara really started talking a lot earlier in the summer, she quickly picked up the phrase "I 'give you." The greatest thing is that she uses it all of the time for situations that don't apply at all. It's hilarious. If Clara bumps into me, she'll nonchalantly say, "I 'give you, Mommy." If her dolly falls off the chair and lands on her foot, she'll reassure the dolly, "I 'give you, baby." And just yesterday, she tripped over Tony's toolbox and turned around and said, "Oh, I 'give you, hammer." I find this extremely funny and incredibly cute. And a perfect illustration of Clara's sweet (and slightly sassy) little self.
The greatest thing about having children is seeing who each one becomes. Where did these little people--so individual and perfect in their very own ways--come from? It is a true gift to watch them grow and have the privilege of loving them and raising them. Thank you, God, for Clara.
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