Free to change her mind

Clare, the girl who does not like to get her hands dirty, considers the snails her pets.

She does not like flying, buzzing things, and yet took a hundred photos of the bees on jimson weed blossoms.





I think it is important to let her be who she will be, and not peg her as the kid who doesn't like this or that, or the kid who always __________(fill in the blank). She can be who she is, and that can change from minute to minute or not at all. She is free.

First S'more

Not a fan of sticky, messy foods, Clare was a bit wary of her first s'more.

"A little help here!"

"I don't just *like* s'mores, I LOVE them!"

So, would you like another? "No, that's enough".

Broken Tree Birthday Photos

This tree is in a park near our house. Clare named it the Broken Tree when she was 1 1/2. We've taken a photo of her there on her birthday every year since she turned two.

Clare, on her 2nd birthday

on her 3rd birthday

on her 4th birthday

and now she's FIVE!

Bugs!

This beautiful gold-on-black beetle was on the spent hollyhocks I was cutting down.

While I was working in the garden, a very large insect flew into Clare's hair. She said she recognized it from her Prehistoric Mega-Beasts pop-up book. She said, " it was the Meganeura, and we must warn the townspeople!" (I think we read to her too much!)

So, in case you don't know, the meganeura was the largest insect ever, with a 2 ft. wingspan. Maybe warning the townspeople is not a bad idea.