She Be One Tough Bear

Claire has flung herself full-force into toddlerhood. Truth be told, any bit of baby that may have been lingering disappeared a few months ago. Time is a cruel mistress when you have kids.

She is certainly a happy little bear, quick to smile for family and friends, but pretty fearful still of strangers. She?s the girl grabbing onto Mommy?s leg and hiding her face when the little old ladies fawn over her. That said, the one aspect of her personality that impresses me the most is that she?s one tough cookie.

I suspect most little sisters are tough, and even tougher if they are blessed with a big brother as opposed to a big sister. This kid holds her own with Callum. If he pushes her out of the way, she doesn?t sit and cry and expect me to save her ? she pushes right back. If he tried to take her toy, she holds on tight and lets her displeasure be known. She doesn?t take anything lying down.

Lately the two of them have started wrestling. Seriously. They wrestle and laugh and think this is best damn time ever. I have to leave the room as I am not a person who sees any point to wrestling and I can’t sit around and watch. They actually fling each other off the toddler couch. This isn’t going to bode well for my sanity.

Not long ago the kids were playing while I was on the computer doing something incredibly important I?m sure, and Claire started to whine/whimper. Nothing dramatic, in fact it was mellow enough that I didn?t even look up. She continued to whine so once I was done sending that email or reading that blog post I walked over to her. Turns out that the kids had ripped out a board from one of the wooden toy crates and Claire stepped on an exposed staple. She was just sitting there, looking at her bleeding foot and whining. If I stepped on a nail I would collapse in a heap of tears. There would be swearing. There would drama. There wouldn’t be sitting on the floor quietly whining.

I hope this toughness is something that is a part of her nature; I believe it?ll serve her well in life. Keep holding your own, Miss Bear, it makes me proud.