Toy Story

As you may know, Ayla is allergic to both peanuts and tree nuts. Thank God for this wonderful invention called "Sun Butter." It is just like peanut butter, but made from sun flower seeds... we love it! We go through it like candy at our house. The first picture should be called "I love Sun Butter!" Ayla (not to mention Jake and I) eat a lot of sun butter and jelly on toast, which had just taken place when we took this picture.. and that is pretty much how she always looks when she is finished!

A week ago, Jake was transplanting a lilac in the back yard for me. A little to our surprise (I don't know why we would be surprised by anything) Ayla wanted a shovel ("shobel") of her own and got right in there and helped. She even was getting frustrated that her little shovel couldn't lift bigger pieces of mud. She was a mess when it was all over and we all had a lot of fun. I really enjoyed the whole process, watching Jake and Ayla do that together... I remember helping my dad when he would dig and plant and do things with dirt. I think dirt is good for you.

The third picture is Ayla with her Baby Clara. It has been interesting to watch Ayla as the the time gets closer for the arrival of baby Germann #2. We talk to her a bit about the whole thing, but never push it. We figure she'll grasp what's going on as it happens and we will help her process whatever emotional reaction she has as it comes. But, Ayla is such an intuitive little thing. We've seen two things happen "automatically" (without our initiating or encouraging them) as the time is getting closer. First, she seems to be afraid that her things are going to get taken from her. She says a lot of statements like, " I don't want the girls at church to take my kitties." or "I don't want Swiper (a character from Dora) to take my toys." Hmmm, interesting.

The second, though, is very sweet. All of a sudden her "babe" as she calls Clara is not just for nigh night time. All day long she carries Clara around the house and takes care of her. Kissing her and feeding her and changing her diaper, saying sweet quiet things to her. It's like the nurturer in her is coming out on it's own. What a wonderful thing to watch! Clara is thread bare and may actually disintegrate into thin air someday soon. I think our household would fall apart without her! Thanks to ebay, a new Clara will be here in a few days to relieve the present one from her most important duties, where she will assume her position on a very important and esteemed shelf in our upstairs closet, right next to Mr. Reynolds, No Nose the dog and my dad's purple bunny rabbit. (I'm getting teared up!) These toys deserve awards for how well they have received love and given it in return... Ok, now I'm actually crying!!

Someday Ayla will read this and say, "WHAT?!! You replaced my baby Clara?!!!" :D Enjoy the pictures!!