The Patience of a 3 Year Old

Josie wanted to look like her friend Wema today, from Kenya, who had a million little braids in her hair with beads on them. I don't know how my three year old held still without complaining for as long as it took me to braid all her hair, but she did. Oh the things a female will go through for beauty:) Now it is Anna's turn to be jealous. No, I don't have the patience to do two girls' hair in one day, or enough hair ties.

Fun and flippy, and quite Josie.

Hair like that just makes you want to dance!

What Are You Making?

Oh so many things! As Anna told me today: "My favorite things to make are crafts and food!"

Yup, that just about covers it. Anything you can make would fall into one of those categories, right?

Meatballs:The meatball production -first you have to make the mud, in this dry climate. Use a spoon to mix the water and the dirt, collect it in a cup, form the balls, powder them with something white and fancy like crumbled cement, let them dry out of a younger sister's reach:
Sage spoons and acorn top bowls, for a feast in the playhouse:
Brownies, by Anna:

Little acorn people (yes, we collected all the acorns last Fall and made an acorn bag out of them-as opposed to a bean bag- but today the girls requested that the bag be cut open so the real treasure inside could be put to good use):

A surprise for Daddy, energy bars for his bike rides, freezing on plates before being dumped into bags:Anna made them with peanut butter, honey, different chopped nuts and dried, chopped fruit, oats, chocolate chips, and the secret ingredient- ground coffee beans.

Also being made: Squirrel food:

They liked it.

It doesn't count as feeding wild animals if you're just giving them back their food source that you stole for them last Fall, right? Anna wanted to know what the inside of acorns looks like, so she found some rocks and spent a while pounding them open. When she realized that the meat of the acorn is inside, the squirrel's favorite food, she left it out for them. It was amazing how fast they found it. Within half and hour it was all gone, even while we continued to play within 5 feet of the food offering.

Yes, most of these are things Anna made today, as opposed to Josie or Ruthie, although Ruthie helped on some of it. Josie has been sick. We made her a throne to recline on in the kitchen today where she was able to feel like she was an intimate part of all the activity while still getting the rest that her body needs. She seems to be feeling much better this afternoon, and I'm betting she'll be as good as new by tomorrow morning.

Fancy Hair

Three different girls. Three unique personalities. Three definitions of fancy.

Reading "Little House in the Big Woods" to the girls again inspired Anna to ask for rag curlers in her hair.

The ultimate in fancy hair, to the eldest Clement daughter.

Josie, on the other hand, insisted on pigtails with bows in them. That, she informed us, is truly the fanciest hair.

Ruthie wanted "One bow, Mama!"I love that each definition of fancy matched the personality of the one requesting the hair style. The only problem was that people commented all day on Anna's fancy hair, and almost no one noticed how fancy Josie's was. She was a little sad. When does cultural reinforcement begin to corrupt natural personality and desire? Hold true, sweet Josie!

We love the uniqueness of each one of you, different from anyone else in the world.

Following in Daddy's Footsteps

All three cyclists busy cleaning their bikes. Oh, the sunny days of February!