Thankful x4

I love my family - even when they cry, bark, get sick and make me crazy. They are wonderful, sweet, smart and loving. Bryan is a wonderful head of the home and demonstrates his love for us daily (and hourly), the dogs shower us with affection - whether we want it or not - and I can't even explain the mixture of feelings I feel for Clara. She just fits right into our craziness. Thank you Jesus for these hearts I love!

Clara and Sissy-in-process

Thanksgiving with the Evans

Today was dedicated to maintaining sanity after Clara threw a crying party from 12am-3am last night (gah!) AND visiting with the Evans family while eating some yummy food. For the most part Clara did really well over at MeMaw & Paw's house. It took her a little while to warm up (since she was so pooped out), but ended up enjoying herself! Extra kudos to little Ronnie for being so great with her! I think she enjoyed all of your lion antics :) It was also great to see Uncle David & Aunt Beverly - Aunt Beverly is good for my mommy self-esteem :) I now have a second opinion that Clara is a smarty pants!

Deserting the lunch table

It took very little time before she helped herself to digging through MeMaw's cabinets

MeMaw and Aunt Beverly

Lots of playing with Ronnie!

Reading Daddy's favorite childhood book together

loved her little outfit today - so stylish :)

:)

just being silly

Hi Grandpa

She was a huge fan of the fireplace seat. I had no problem with her climbing it as long as she stayed on her bottom - which I think I asked her to do 45 times (but she did follow directions immediately!)

Rocking with Uncle David

Night night, MeMaw

It's the season

For parents to try to maintain sanity with a 17.5month old in a near-constant state of anger (deeeeeep breaths). 

Oh, and also decorating for the holidays!

As always, Clara was ready to offer plenty of assistance :)

I know, I know ... Thanksgiving isn't until tomorrow. But we won't be around tomorrow so I'm declaring a day early okay. The lights make me happy and we need a little cheer in a household full of dog poop and baby tears. Sounds melodramatic doesn't it? Yet it's so true these days ... Goose won't go potty in the rain and Clara hates the world most of the time. It's a good thing she's adorable. 

Children's Museum & Lunch Date

Despite yesterday's debacle when I attempted to take CB to the Children's Museum, I didn't give up and we tried again today - meeting Ms. Michelle and Zachariah while we were at it! Bonus! And made it worth the wait :)

Of course, when I told Clara we were leaving the house she needed to make sure "Bah-dee" was fed first.

The way she's holding baby up with her feet cracks me up

Then we arrived at the museum at 10am on the dot (along with a whole herd of other people desperate to do something fun with their kids out of the cold and rain)

She went strait for the rubber mulch pit and had a blast playing. Her attention span is really short usually, but she loved this and was there for quite a while (by toddler standards).

heart melts

Do you see me, Mommy!?

Pretty soon Ms. Michelle and Zachariah arrived! hooray! They were both so excited to bump into one another in the tunnel.

love this:

Peek-a-boo with Zachariah

Checking out the fire truck

Pretending to be a Queen

A little too convincing, maybe? :)

Zachariah joined in with the role playing fun

Time to get some shopping done

Clara took a seat at the "deli's" table and kept signing and asking to "eat!!" "eat!!"

One of the other kiddos kindly brought her an apple and some peas. All better.

Plastic is delicious

Then she explored the little "house."

Big fan of the fridge and freezer behind her too

And was FURIOUS that there wasn't any water coming out of the faucet. This child loooooves to wash her hands. Over and over and over and.... you get the idea.

While I was having a giggle about her frustration with the lack of water situation, I guess I looked away for more than 30 seconds and found Clara up IN the sink. I guess she hoped it might give her a better angle to adjust the faucet for water? All of the other mommies in there got a kick out of it.

Clara: "wash wash wash wash" - in the singsong voice I use, haha

She even did the dishes and "swept" the counter top. Which I'm pretty sure I've never done, but it works if you've got minimal resources, right?

On to the toddler play area!

"This is so much fun!"

And the rice bins

Fish! Or "blubs"!

Then this room full of high density foam thingys (and yes that's my professional assessment of what this stuff was :)

I nearly beat the tar out of a little 5 year old punk in a Longhorn sweatshirt who kept shoving Clara every time she got within a few feet of him. His mother was not paying any attention. She wasn't trying to antagonize him, it's just a small space and you can't help but be right on top of one another. Then he showed up at the pizza place we went to for lunch after and demanded his mother order exactly what he wanted - which she did - and then demanded they make it quickly for him, and complained the entire time. 

DON'T LET ME RAISE MY CHILD LIKE THAT PLEASE!!!

I might happen, but gosh I hope not.

Back to the exciting fire truck.

Yay! I waited patiently and finally got a turn to drive!!

What you don't see is the fireman pole set up behind the truck. Lots of kids were using it, but it involves going up several steps and then holding onto the pole as you glide down. My 17 month old is NOT BIG ENOUGH to do this, but try telling her that! What a fight to get away. Yikes!

But Clara and Zachariah both kept asking for food so we left the museum and walked through the cold and rain to a pizza place called The Crust. It was good!

Oh boy! Lemonade!

Waiting (im)patiently for food :)

Double fisting the forks for quicker food consumption

Mmmm

It was a great play date. Thanks for joining us!!