Our sweet Clara Rose is four years old.
And this update is late, late late! That is what happens when you have four kids. I am grateful that I am still doing them, but it is HARD finding the time some days.
Appearance
At four years, Clara becoming such a beauty. Strangers will stop us in stores and comment on how beautiful she is. I just smile and say thank you, but also try to encourage and praise her character instead. Clara has long chestnut brown hair that is smooth and always looks perfect. She has large, round brown eyes that are framed by dark lashes. Her skin is a light olive shade so she always looks a little tan. She has dad's expressive eyebrows and small cleft in her chin. She has a sweet smile with pointed canines that look like little vampire teeth. She is tall and strong with an athletic build. She has become more graceful and her limbs have lengthened out this year from dance and growing so much.
Personality
Clara has a big personality. Most people that meet her remember her. She has always had a lot of energy and is always moving. She is also extremely bright and has a big vocabulary for her age. She notices things, remembers everything, and is clever in her humor. She is hilarious to have conversations with and brightens any room.
Clara is our social butterfly. She loves people, especially her family and friends. She is always talking about her friends at preschool. She remembers everyone's name. While she can often be shy around strangers, once she is comfortable, she does not stop talking. She also has a fairly high social IQ. She cares deeply when people are crying and wants to make people feel better.
Clara is a helper. She loves being included and feeling like she is valued. She wants to feel like when she is helping, that she is actually making a difference. She loves to help out with her baby sister. She wants to feed her, give her Koala, and pick her up. One time, she tried to carry her down the stairs without asking mom and Emmalyn fell down the stairs. Luckily, the angels must have caught her because she didn't even have a bruise. She also loves setting the table, helping mom cook dinner or bake, watering plants, putting laundry in the dryer, and folding laundry. She loves to help with cooking the most. She often mirrors it with her play kitchen and is always inviting us over to her house so that she can cook for us. It is usually soup or eggs and she makes sure to invite her doll Stella.
Clara is musical. This girl LOVES to sing. She loves singing Let It Go from Frozen and anything she knows by Rend Collective. Whenever she hears a song she doesn't know, she tries to sing along. She picks up on lyrics easily so if she hears it a few times, it isn't long before she is singing along. She also loves plunking around on our piano. We hope she will take lessons when she gets a little older.
Clara is overall a rule follower. While this doesn't mean that she does everything we ask her to do, there are many rules that we have told her that she adheres to without question. For example, she is good about not wearing her shoes on the carpet, always making sure she is buckled well into her car seat, making sure doors are closed, and clearing her plate after dinner. This doesn't stop her, though, from getting into mom's room and taking all of her makeup or drawing on the wall. Sometimes, her little will gets the best of her.
Clara is artistic. She has really developed a love of drawing and coloring, much more than the boys. And, she is really good at staying in the lines. She colors better than her brothers most of the time, despite being younger. She loves being creative and making pictures to give as gifts for others.
Clara had a big milestone this past year with the start of being able to big enough to be involved in things. The first was preschool. Clara started her first year of preschool this year. We had her put int he 4s class, even though she wasn't technically old enough. We thought she would be bored in a 3s class, and her teacher agreed that she was so smart. She has been thriving and loves school. She has improved so much in her penmanship this past year and can clearly write her name. Clara also is old enough to be involved in activities. This year she decided she wanted to try dance and she also started AWANA Cubbies. She has loved both of them as well.
Monthly Highlights
Taking a look back at this year, we would like to share the highlights from each month, along with a picture to share with you the growth that is accomplished in her fourth year.
December
Highlights - Baking Christmas Cookies, Decorating the Ginger Bread House, Lights at Alum Creek, Zoo Lights, Making Christmas crafts, Visiting Santa, Christmas in Indiana, New Years Eve with friends
 |
| christmas crafting |
 |
| christmas babes |
 |
| frosting cookies |
 |
| wild lights |
 |
| christmas |
 |
| new years eve |
January
Highlights - Playing in the Snow, Sledding, Celebrating Emmalyn's Baptism
 |
| snow angel |
 |
| emmalyn's baptism |
 |
| our family |
February
Highlights - Valentine's Day, Valentine's Party at Preschool, Making Rice Krispie Treats, Sledding
 |
| sledding |
 |
| bella |
 |
| making rice krispie treats |
 |
| little taste tester |
 |
| natty's valentine party |
 |
| the babes |
March
Highlights - Spring Break, COSI, Columbus Zoo, Lent, Building a Snowman, Trips to the Park
 |
| sweet girls |
 |
| snow giant |
 |
| the zoo |
 |
| spring break |
April
Highlights - Emma's Little Sunshine 1st Birthday Party, Apple Picking, Trunk or Treat, Pumpkin Carving, Genoa Harvest Party, Halloween, Cub Scout Camp Out
 |
| cinderella |
 |
| picking out a pumpkin |
 |
| cub scout camp out |
 |
| carving pumpkins |
November
Highlights - Playing in the leaves, Weekend at Mohican State Park, Canvas and Cupcakes Birthday Party, Clara Turns 4
 |
| hiking |
 |
| malabar farms |
 |
| snowy day |
 |
| clara's canvas and cupcakes party |
Loves
Here are things that Clara loves at four:
Songs - My Lighthouse by Rend Collective, What Color Do You Like, You Are My Sunshine, Let It Go ABC's
Food - Strawberries, Raspberries, Bananas, Bread, Pasta, Smoothies
Shows - Blues Clues, Peg + Cat, Clifford
Books - The Bible, The Sneetches, Owl at Home, If You Give a Pig a Pancake
Toys - Play food, her doll Stella, magnatiles, coloring
Activities - Going to COSI and the Zoo, Playing at the park, looking at books, playing with her brothers, crafting, helping cook
Other Likes - Being where everyone is, Dancing when she hears music, Reading books and making up stories herself or having mom/dad make up stories for her
Cute things Clara says or funny stories:
Turk-a-boys - turquoise
Docky muffins - doc mcstuffins
Wack-tuh-fwee milk - lactose free milk
Emmalym instead of emmalyn
Your so sweet mommy
I love baby Emma Jane
Want to come over to my house? (The kitchen set in the playroom.)
I love you the most. (After one of us says we love her)
Calls a pacifier a Maggie.
Named her dwarf guamies Cora and Chickabock
Wants to wear a kid bra
Is constantly begging to get her ears pierced, despite getting her clip on earrings.
Hates having her hair brushed
Loves to do everything herself
After being asked why she was blowing bubbles in the house, she said "for inspiration".
Dislikes
Here are things that Clara is not a fan of at two:
Loud noises, being excluded from anything, bugs in the house.
We thought it would be fun to interview Clara and ask her a few questions each year. Here were his answers.
Questions:
1. What is your favorite color? Blue
2. What is your favorite toy? Dolls
3. What is your favorite food? Ice cream
4. What is your favorite TV show? The Little Mermaid
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Raspberries
6. What is your favorite thing to wear? Dresses
7. What is your favorite game? Go Fish
8. What is your favorite book? Winter in White and Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree
9. What is your favorite animal? Giraffes
10. What is your favorite song? Jesus Loves Me
11. What is your favorite subject at school? Telling Stories
12. What is your favorite sport? Soccer
13. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play in the rain
14. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas, because I love getting toys.
15. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Stella and blankie
16. What is your favorite thing to have for dinner? Sausage and Farro
17. What do you want to be when you grow up? A mommy and a cowgirl
18. What is the best thing about your family? The love me
19. Describe yourself, what kind of person are you? Loving and a girl
20. If you could go anywhere where would you want to go? To France like Madeline
21. What is something that makes you happy? My mom and dad
22. What is something that makes you sad? When mom yells at me
23. What are you scared of? Monsters
24. What is something you are really good at? Drawing pictures
25. What is the funniest thing you have ever seen? A monkey
Nicknames
Clarabelle, Bella, Bitty
What another wonderful year with our sweet Clarabelle. We are so grateful for this thoughtful, strong willed, intelligent beauty. Her laugh and sing song voice have brought us so much laughter and added so much fun to our lives. While she can be so very challenging, we know she is destined for great things. Seriously. This girl is going to move mountains. Thank you Jesus for making her funny, sweet, curious, and strong. We thank you for her charm, her willingness to help others, and her patience with her siblings. We pray that you would continue to pour your blessing on her. That she would grow up strong and bright. We pray that she would not be vain, but confident in who she is. That she would know and love you, Jesus, and follow you. Amen!
