Dear Claire,
This weekend you had this conversation with Daddy in the car:
Daddy: "I love you Claire."
Dead Silence
Daddy: "I love you, I love you, I love you Claire."
Dead Silence
Daddy: "Claire?"
Claire: "I heard you Daddy."
HAHAHAHAHA
That's right girl, you're young, keep 'em guessing!
Love Mom
Monday, February 25, 2013
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Wired for Struggle
Dear Claire,
Life is not always easy. Things, crazy things, hard things, sad things, and really odd things, are going to be thrown at you. As your mother it is my natural instinct to want to protect you from all of these things.
It's my instinct to want to jump in, rescue you, and save the day!
I will. And I won't.
If you're in immediate danger - I'm there for you kiddo. If you've fallen way down the rabbit hole - I'm there for you kiddo. If you ask for help - I'm there for you kiddo.
But...all humans are wired for struggle. You are meant to fall down, you are meant to have your heart broken, you are meant to get picked last for the team. You are meant to fail a test, come fourth place, and lose friends along the way.
Your brain wants you to get back up, it will help you find love again, and it will encourage you to try again, and it will lead you to new friendships.
Your brain will stop doing all these amazing and wonderful things for you, if I am always there to do them for you. Your brain likes practice. Your brain needs to learn from each of your little struggles so that it is there to help you when the big ones come along.
And the truth is, I can't always be there for you. That's why you have you. And you, are the strongest, most capable, most brave, most "cry for a bit and then pick yourself back up" person ever. I know you're this way because it's genetic. It's in your DNA. You were born strong and everything you'll ever need can be found inside of you.
So I encourage you to embrace the struggles! Meet them at the front door, welcome them in and learn from them. This is the best way to live and the only way to learn. Triumph is not in the easy wins, it lies in the struggle.
Can't wait to watch you overcome,
Love Mom.
Life is not always easy. Things, crazy things, hard things, sad things, and really odd things, are going to be thrown at you. As your mother it is my natural instinct to want to protect you from all of these things.
It's my instinct to want to jump in, rescue you, and save the day!
I will. And I won't.
If you're in immediate danger - I'm there for you kiddo. If you've fallen way down the rabbit hole - I'm there for you kiddo. If you ask for help - I'm there for you kiddo.
But...all humans are wired for struggle. You are meant to fall down, you are meant to have your heart broken, you are meant to get picked last for the team. You are meant to fail a test, come fourth place, and lose friends along the way.
Your brain wants you to get back up, it will help you find love again, and it will encourage you to try again, and it will lead you to new friendships.
Your brain will stop doing all these amazing and wonderful things for you, if I am always there to do them for you. Your brain likes practice. Your brain needs to learn from each of your little struggles so that it is there to help you when the big ones come along.
And the truth is, I can't always be there for you. That's why you have you. And you, are the strongest, most capable, most brave, most "cry for a bit and then pick yourself back up" person ever. I know you're this way because it's genetic. It's in your DNA. You were born strong and everything you'll ever need can be found inside of you.
So I encourage you to embrace the struggles! Meet them at the front door, welcome them in and learn from them. This is the best way to live and the only way to learn. Triumph is not in the easy wins, it lies in the struggle.
Can't wait to watch you overcome,
Love Mom.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Timeless Tuesday - The Last Hollywood Star
Dear Claire,
Once upon a time (I think it was the 90's) people loved movie starts and rock stars and we loved hearing about them from time to time in the newspaper and seeing them at award shows.
But things have changed and now they're everywhere and we're right there with them. We're watching them brush their teeth, argue with their families, give birth, go shopping, and do a million other mindless activities. It's called reality-TV. It's called US Weekly. It's called TMZ.
As much as I love it, I hate it. It leaves no mystery to celebrities and when you see them in a movie all you can think about is "I wonder if she brings her tiny dog to the set everyday in that little Louis Vuitton carry all?" Or.."I wonder if he filmed this before or after re-hab". It really kills a movie.
There are a few exceptions to this rule and one of them is my favourite...Leonardo Dicaprio. Man this guy is good at staying out of the tabloids. Sure we all know that he only dates models and that he loves his Prius...but that's about it. I haven't seen his house on MTV, he clearly doesn't shop at 'The Grove' or eat at 'Nobu' because he's never on TMZ and he only does interviews when promoting his work. Love it.
The best part is, when he's acting in a film, you belive he's the character. You're not wondering about his personal life, you're solely focused on the film.
Love it. Love you Leo. Love you Claire.
Once upon a time (I think it was the 90's) people loved movie starts and rock stars and we loved hearing about them from time to time in the newspaper and seeing them at award shows.
But things have changed and now they're everywhere and we're right there with them. We're watching them brush their teeth, argue with their families, give birth, go shopping, and do a million other mindless activities. It's called reality-TV. It's called US Weekly. It's called TMZ.
As much as I love it, I hate it. It leaves no mystery to celebrities and when you see them in a movie all you can think about is "I wonder if she brings her tiny dog to the set everyday in that little Louis Vuitton carry all?" Or.."I wonder if he filmed this before or after re-hab". It really kills a movie.
There are a few exceptions to this rule and one of them is my favourite...Leonardo Dicaprio. Man this guy is good at staying out of the tabloids. Sure we all know that he only dates models and that he loves his Prius...but that's about it. I haven't seen his house on MTV, he clearly doesn't shop at 'The Grove' or eat at 'Nobu' because he's never on TMZ and he only does interviews when promoting his work. Love it.
The best part is, when he's acting in a film, you belive he's the character. You're not wondering about his personal life, you're solely focused on the film.
Love it. Love you Leo. Love you Claire.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Bye Bye Two
Dear Claire,
Today is your very, very, very last day of ever being two years old! When I told you that this morning you just laughed hysterically and than said "I happy Mommy"! I think you're happy because you know we're going out for supper tomorrow night with Grammy and Grampy and you will get a few gifts.
So far, two has been your best year yet. You learned your letters, you took dance lessons, you went ice skating, you went to the zoo and swam at the beach. You made snow angels, went sledding, and can even print some letters! You even got a baby brother - what a busy year you had...i'm tired just thinking about it!
Here are my predictions for 'Claire Age 3'
1. You will be an absolute showstopper in your spring dance recital
2. You will stop crying when we shampoo your hair (please)
3. You will learn to print your name (you've already got the 'C' and 'A' and 'I')
4. You will become even more hilarious with your wild jokes and funny facial expressions
5. You will race down the sidewalk on your tricycle
6. You will swim all by yourself
7. You will continue making Daddy have a time-out on the stairs when he is bad...usually once a day.
8. You will cuddle more with Mommy and not just when you're tired or not feeling well (please)
9. You will help Jack learn to walk, blow a kiss, and sit next to him on the swing set
10. You will keep being my very big, very special, very kind, very funny, and very smart most favourite girl.
Gosh - time flies...look how little you used to be!
Happy Almost Birthday!
Love Mom
Today is your very, very, very last day of ever being two years old! When I told you that this morning you just laughed hysterically and than said "I happy Mommy"! I think you're happy because you know we're going out for supper tomorrow night with Grammy and Grampy and you will get a few gifts.
So far, two has been your best year yet. You learned your letters, you took dance lessons, you went ice skating, you went to the zoo and swam at the beach. You made snow angels, went sledding, and can even print some letters! You even got a baby brother - what a busy year you had...i'm tired just thinking about it!
Here are my predictions for 'Claire Age 3'
1. You will be an absolute showstopper in your spring dance recital
2. You will stop crying when we shampoo your hair (please)
3. You will learn to print your name (you've already got the 'C' and 'A' and 'I')
4. You will become even more hilarious with your wild jokes and funny facial expressions
5. You will race down the sidewalk on your tricycle
6. You will swim all by yourself
7. You will continue making Daddy have a time-out on the stairs when he is bad...usually once a day.
8. You will cuddle more with Mommy and not just when you're tired or not feeling well (please)
9. You will help Jack learn to walk, blow a kiss, and sit next to him on the swing set
10. You will keep being my very big, very special, very kind, very funny, and very smart most favourite girl.
Gosh - time flies...look how little you used to be!
Happy Almost Birthday!
Love Mom
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Be Nice to Jack...He's Your Only Sibling
Dear Claire,
It has been a long time since I've written to you...I don't know where the past month has gone! I guess with Christmas, New Years and planning your Birthday Party I haven't had time to write. Eeek!
Anyway, on Friday you will turn three years old! Can you believe it? You have been such a great big sister lately and are really starting to play with Jack more and more. You always bring him "his" toys to play with and you're getting better and sharing "your" toys with him too. Lately, you think it's hilarious to let him chase you, but you're way too fast because he can only crawl. Poor Jack!
Mommy thinks that a sibling is one of the best people in the world. You are so lucky to have a brother, I always wanted to have a brother when I was little, but having Aunty Andrea was still pretty good. A sibling will know you better than anyone. Jack will know your good, bad, and your ugly. He will know how to push all of your buttons and will definitely do this throughout your childhood, and probably still sometimes when you're both grown up!
You and Jack may not grow up to be best friends. You may only get together on the holidays or other special events. You may not see eye-to-eye on many topics.
You don't have to, he's still your brother.
You will know his favourite things and all the things he hates. You will know what he does when he's mad and what his different laughs mean when he's happy. You will know all the "bad" things he did as a teenager that mommy and daddy don't even know about. You will know all the things he's great at and you will also know his greatest struggles.
You will share more history, more memories, more experiences, and more DNA with him than almost anyone else you ever spend time with.
So be nice to Jack. Love him, take care of him, laugh with him, tell on him, keep his secrets for him, and be there for him when he needs you. And if you do this, something tells me, he'll do the same for you.
Love you Claire Bear!
Mom
It has been a long time since I've written to you...I don't know where the past month has gone! I guess with Christmas, New Years and planning your Birthday Party I haven't had time to write. Eeek!
Anyway, on Friday you will turn three years old! Can you believe it? You have been such a great big sister lately and are really starting to play with Jack more and more. You always bring him "his" toys to play with and you're getting better and sharing "your" toys with him too. Lately, you think it's hilarious to let him chase you, but you're way too fast because he can only crawl. Poor Jack!
Mommy thinks that a sibling is one of the best people in the world. You are so lucky to have a brother, I always wanted to have a brother when I was little, but having Aunty Andrea was still pretty good. A sibling will know you better than anyone. Jack will know your good, bad, and your ugly. He will know how to push all of your buttons and will definitely do this throughout your childhood, and probably still sometimes when you're both grown up!
You and Jack may not grow up to be best friends. You may only get together on the holidays or other special events. You may not see eye-to-eye on many topics.
You don't have to, he's still your brother.
You will know his favourite things and all the things he hates. You will know what he does when he's mad and what his different laughs mean when he's happy. You will know all the "bad" things he did as a teenager that mommy and daddy don't even know about. You will know all the things he's great at and you will also know his greatest struggles.
You will share more history, more memories, more experiences, and more DNA with him than almost anyone else you ever spend time with.
So be nice to Jack. Love him, take care of him, laugh with him, tell on him, keep his secrets for him, and be there for him when he needs you. And if you do this, something tells me, he'll do the same for you.
Love you Claire Bear!
Mom
Thursday, December 20, 2012
One Piece is Not Enough
Dear Claire,
I haven't been able to write all week. Something awful happened one week ago in the United States and twenty-six innocent people were killed while at school.
Since then I've been thinking about those little children who were taken from their families. I've been thinking that this is my favourite time of year and I bet it used to be for those families too. I've been thinking that when it comes to tragedies like this; I have no advice.
I don't know what to tell you. I don't know whether I'll know what to say when another tragedy like this one happens and you're old enough to ask questions, and to worry, and to wonder the same thing we're all wondering: why?
I don't know if I'll tell you the truth either. If I'll have the courage to tell you that sometimes, there isn't an answer, and we may never know why. And even if we did know why, would it make it any easier? Can we find peace without having the answers we're looking for?
When I started this blog, I would sometimes think, that God forbid, anything ever happened to me, at least you would have this. You would have this blog, my pictures, my belongings, and most of all you would have Daddy and Grandma and Grandpa who would be able to fill in so many pieces for you, about me.
Since Friday, I've been thinking...what if it was the other way around, and you were taken from me? I don't have enough of you yet. Your artwork is not enough yet. There aren't enough home videos of you. I don't have all your report cards, your graduation cap or your wedding veil. We haven't played Barbies yet, you haven't been to a sleepover, and we haven't even argued about you spending too much time on the phone.
The pieces I have of you right now are not enough. I want more. I want every single piece to the person you are meant to become.
In my paryers to keep you, and all children safe from these types of senseless violence, I will continue to think about the families of Sandy Hook Elementary School and how they no longer have the same dreams they had seven days ago. I will keep mindful that the pieces they had hoped for have been stolen. I will pray for them, and wish them peace and that they will hold onto as many pieces as possible of their beautiful children.
Love Mom
I haven't been able to write all week. Something awful happened one week ago in the United States and twenty-six innocent people were killed while at school.
Since then I've been thinking about those little children who were taken from their families. I've been thinking that this is my favourite time of year and I bet it used to be for those families too. I've been thinking that when it comes to tragedies like this; I have no advice.
I don't know what to tell you. I don't know whether I'll know what to say when another tragedy like this one happens and you're old enough to ask questions, and to worry, and to wonder the same thing we're all wondering: why?
I don't know if I'll tell you the truth either. If I'll have the courage to tell you that sometimes, there isn't an answer, and we may never know why. And even if we did know why, would it make it any easier? Can we find peace without having the answers we're looking for?
When I started this blog, I would sometimes think, that God forbid, anything ever happened to me, at least you would have this. You would have this blog, my pictures, my belongings, and most of all you would have Daddy and Grandma and Grandpa who would be able to fill in so many pieces for you, about me.
Since Friday, I've been thinking...what if it was the other way around, and you were taken from me? I don't have enough of you yet. Your artwork is not enough yet. There aren't enough home videos of you. I don't have all your report cards, your graduation cap or your wedding veil. We haven't played Barbies yet, you haven't been to a sleepover, and we haven't even argued about you spending too much time on the phone.
The pieces I have of you right now are not enough. I want more. I want every single piece to the person you are meant to become.
In my paryers to keep you, and all children safe from these types of senseless violence, I will continue to think about the families of Sandy Hook Elementary School and how they no longer have the same dreams they had seven days ago. I will keep mindful that the pieces they had hoped for have been stolen. I will pray for them, and wish them peace and that they will hold onto as many pieces as possible of their beautiful children.
Love Mom
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Two and Ten-and-a-Half Months
Dear Claire,
Today I thought I'd write and tell you how absolutly adorable you are! You are at such a cute age (almost three) and I think I'd better record some of your cute antics so we never forget them.
One day, about four weeks ago, I called you a 'maniac'. Since then, if I call you a monkey, silly girl, or just about anything else, you correct me and say "no, I'm ma-mi-ac'.
Also, you seemed to have found an imaginary friend named 'Wolf'. Sometimes he's very tiny and you carry him in your pocket. Sometimes he lives with you in the backseat of the car. And sometimes, he gets very big, and runs alongside the outside of the car growling.
Right now you call your little brother 'Jackie' and 'Hubba Hubba'. Mommy calls Jack 'Chubba Chubba', but you just can't seem to make the "ch" sound, and in this instance - it's pretty funny.
You love to crawl and pretend to be a kitty, you'll come "drink milk" out of Mommy's hand and let me pet your head.
You love to "make" us hot tea and always make sure we blow on it to cool it down before sipping.
You love dancing around the room and have just learned to do sommersaults - I think you've done about one hundred of them in the past week.
You like to show Jack everything you can do; yesterday you were very excited to show him that you did up your coat zipper all by yourself.
Do you really have to grow up? I have a feeling the day will come when you won't want Mommy to cuddle you in bed, Jack will drive you crazy, and you won't let Daddy throw you up in the air.
So i'm going to enjoy every moment, because one day you're going to go your own way for a little while, but I'm not worried, because I know that "your way" will lead back to us.
Love you right now and for all the days to come,
Mom
Today I thought I'd write and tell you how absolutly adorable you are! You are at such a cute age (almost three) and I think I'd better record some of your cute antics so we never forget them.
One day, about four weeks ago, I called you a 'maniac'. Since then, if I call you a monkey, silly girl, or just about anything else, you correct me and say "no, I'm ma-mi-ac'.
Also, you seemed to have found an imaginary friend named 'Wolf'. Sometimes he's very tiny and you carry him in your pocket. Sometimes he lives with you in the backseat of the car. And sometimes, he gets very big, and runs alongside the outside of the car growling.
Right now you call your little brother 'Jackie' and 'Hubba Hubba'. Mommy calls Jack 'Chubba Chubba', but you just can't seem to make the "ch" sound, and in this instance - it's pretty funny.
You love to crawl and pretend to be a kitty, you'll come "drink milk" out of Mommy's hand and let me pet your head.
You love to "make" us hot tea and always make sure we blow on it to cool it down before sipping.
You love dancing around the room and have just learned to do sommersaults - I think you've done about one hundred of them in the past week.
You like to show Jack everything you can do; yesterday you were very excited to show him that you did up your coat zipper all by yourself.
Do you really have to grow up? I have a feeling the day will come when you won't want Mommy to cuddle you in bed, Jack will drive you crazy, and you won't let Daddy throw you up in the air.
So i'm going to enjoy every moment, because one day you're going to go your own way for a little while, but I'm not worried, because I know that "your way" will lead back to us.
Love you right now and for all the days to come,
Mom
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