They just keep on giving.....

Sammy is never left out of dress-up.

We have a serious cuteness overload at the Stout residence, these days. I don't want to forget a single thing.  Let's get into the good stuff...

Sam remains ever the particular little man. He is obsessed with pajamas (pronounced "DAM-uz") and hates to have his taken off. He also hates it when others take theirs off. If he sees someone wearing anything relatively comfortable, he deems that they are still in their damuz and gives them his approval, albeit sparingly. 

Standard uniform for an important day: Claire's tiara, wand and pink cowboy boots. And big-eyed frog is always in his arms.

Sam calls his dad, "Daddy Dad," with this lilting cadence. I'm not exactly sure why, maybe because I call him Daddy Matty and that's what he thinks we're saying. Whatever the reason I hope he calls him that his entire life. He is still deeply in love with him and has to be by his side as much as possible. He still guards the shower while Matt's in it, and follows him around the house. That's actually how he recently got injured - following daddy down the stairs (more about that later in the post.) He's kind of like a non-creepy stalker and must remain within a certain radius of Matt at all times.

I try to steal pieces of Sam's heart when I can... and it usually works best if we are playing, wrestling, tickling or building with blocks. He has such a big piece of my heart it's only fair that I force myself into his.  All of my children have a sensitive side, but I think Sam is my most tender-hearted child.  He is very in tune with the mood of others in the household, and is becoming a class clown any chance he gets. He has the whole dinner table in stitches every night. 

In some lights Sam looks just like Matt. But when I see baby pictures of Claire I see a huge resemblance there. So many people in our life think he is a little carbon copy of my beloved brother, Sam's Uncle Elliott. 

On Elliott's birthday, wearing Elliott's shoes.

Elliott's birthday just passed, and I always try to talk to my children about him so that they will know him the best they can, although they don't get to know him in this life. He would have loved them beyond words and it would be indescribable to me to see them together if it were possible. On Elliott's birthday, Claire helped me make yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting (Uncle Elliott's favorite flavor). While Claire was at school, I took the twins to the cemetery to put red roses on his grave. They walked barefoot in the grass and were very quiet but happy. Watching their chubby little bare feet walk through the manicured lawn of the cemetery reminded me of a special memory I have with my brother. 

August was making sure we placed the flowers just right, and Sam was very interested in the headstone.

One of the last days I spent with him when he was alive, we walked up to the elementary school near my parents' house to run and train his dog, Halle. We lay on the grass talking, looking up at the sky, and then he said to me, "Lauren just put your face near the grass. Smell the earth." It sounds strange if you didn't know him, but he was one with the outdoors and had such extreme emotions that those who knew and loved him almost looked at him as shaman or a healer. The sensory experience of smelling the grass, feeling it on my face, feeling the sun on my back thrust me into the present moment. No thoughts of past, worries of future. Just existing, with my brother. After he died, I was still living in California. I couldn't bear the thought of him living apart from me where I couldn't grow with him the way we always did. I cut up some grass from the lawn in front of our condo, and drove it from California to Utah in a little tupperware container. We went to the cemetery, and Matt helped me dig up the sod on his grave in a small area over where his heart might be. We delicately transplanted the sod that I brought from my home, and it continues to grow there today. You can no longer tell which part it is, but that's what makes me happy. It is fully integrated into where his body lies.

A couple of weeks ago, our favorite shortest man alive attained the world's tiniest limp. He and August got in a little tumble at the bottom of the stairs and all Matt and I heard was a thump followed by Sam's wailing. No one except the twins witnessed it, so we had to piece together the story from the somewhat unreliable testimony of two dueling two-year-olds. As we understand it, Sam fell over August's legs, and twisted his foot or ankle, and had a significant peg leg limp for almost two weeks after the incident. I didn't think his tiny frame could get cuter, until he busted out the peg leg... then it was almost torture to even look at him due to the overwhelming feelings of empathy and "so-cute-I-want-to-take-a-bite-out-of-you-ness." Matt took him to the instacare for x-rays, and nothing is broken. We are bittersweet in our report that his limp is gone and he is back to normal.  

August still loves to color, and pronounces it "cuddle." Whenever she asks me if she can color, I don't know if she's asking to do art or cuddle with me, and I immediately indulge both until she advises which one suits her at the moment.  She still loves books and I often find her quietly "reading" to herself. She asks to sleep with books and I think she will be a big book lover like her big sister. 

Art project with the twinnies: fall leaf rubbings. I love their ever changing and always goofy smiles.

August quietly reading to herself. Not cute at all.

As always, we are working on manners with the kids. Recently August wanted some Halloween candy. I told her to say please, gave her the candy, then said, routinely, "What do you say, August," encouraging a thank-you. She screamed with delight, "I got a candy!!!" It was so cute she was definitely given a pass on manners.

Fiery little August

August's most adorable habit is narrating her actions and the actions of others. She calls out 'woopsy-doo' if she or someone else makes a mistake, and absolutely loves to excuse herself for buhping (burping).  Her one woman show of emotions has received rave reviews - in under 60 seconds, she can encapsulate raw frustration, anger, fear, sadness, sickness, rage and euphoria, complete with matching facial expressions. It's an intense baby-bipolar family friendly show, perfect for the holiday season.  If she couldn't get any cuter, she refers to Sam in the personal possessive. If she wakes up first in the morning and hears Sam in the other room, her first words are "My Sammy is crying." Perhaps she is impressed with his demonstration of raw emotion and is considering adding a member to the cast of her one-woman feelings show.

This morning I was introducing the twins to someone and they were saying their names. August proudly announced herself and then her brother and then me and tried to tell the person they were meeting that I was also a twin. It just occurred to me that they have no idea that most people aren't twins and they probably don't know what a twin is. It's a fascinating concept to watch them navigate. 

The twins are starting to get feisty with each other, and I am continually regulating WWF style smack downs in our living room.  If they aren't fighting, they are playing together or causing a little mischief. They successfully locked me out of the house the other morning while I took out the trash. it was 46 degrees outside, and I was barefoot and in my damuz. I knocked on the door through the glass window and they knocked back at me, inviting me to come in. I explained that I couldn't because they locked me out. After a minute or two of knocking back and forth the novelty wore off and they just turned their heads in the direction of the television and became completely engrossed. All the while I continued to pound on the door and tell them to get daddy but they were entranced in Daniel Tiger. Matt was in the shower and couldn't hear me so I had to break into my house through the garage for all my neighbors to see, in my "morning glory." Lovely. 

Something the twins have in common is their unabating obsession with the moon. We have to look for it morning, noon and night. Before we put them to bed, they ask to see it, so Matt and I usually carry them outside and look for it. Their fascination with the moon interests me, because I remember Claire having the same feelings about it. It lead me to wonder what it is about the moon that is so intriguing to young children. If you think about it, they cannot look directly at the sun, but you can look at the moon and stare as long as you want. It magically floats in the sky, seemingly suspended by something invisible, and it is the world's night light. Maybe it gives them comfort from the darkness.  When Claire was little, she wondered why the moon looked different when I showed her a crescent moon on one evening walk. I explained to her that it was not a full moon. The light blinked on in her head and she exclaimed with pride and discovery "OH! The moon is HUNGRY!" I'll never forget it. Sammy has shared a similar sentiment about the moon as it changes shape, but he is convinced it is "broken." I find it fascinating how two little children will express the same idea in an entirely different and literal way.

My precious first grader.

Last, but most certainly not least, Claire provides absolute pure joy to our home. The best example of this is how much she loves Mondays. Most people complain about Mondays, getting back to the grind after the weekend... not this positive little girl. It's the day they announce Quality Quails at school (a behavior award that she has won three times already this year). It's also the day the teacher announces all the classroom jobs and the student of the week. I absolutely love that this is the reason she loves Mondays - because it is full of possibilities for her.

Claire has started piano lessons and really likes it. It is strange to hear music coming out of the piano in our house that isn't from my own hands. I absolutely love it. I think of the times I would practice as a child, and my mom saying to me how much she would miss the sound when I wasn't there anymore. I entirely understand what she is talking about now.  Nothing can adequately describe the tenderness I feel as I watch her tiny body play, tackling such a huge instrument. Her little hands are still small and chubby enough to have little dimples like babies have. I watch her place them so carefully on the keyboard and see the pride rise in her eyes as she plays a scale or a song. Her perfect little profile is one of the most beautiful sights in my day.  

Claire's first official piano lesson with Miss Hannah

The twins are fascinated with music too - especially Sam. They love to "play" the piano and listen to me play. Last Sunday my sweet Tim came over for a mandatory Sabbath jam session on his violin. He is so generous with my children and always teaches them about his instrument and lets them play.

Uncle Tim sharing his precious instrument with Sam and August. They were mesmerized.

I recently took Claire out for dinner to celebrate an award she won at school (the aforementioned Quality Quail).  We went out for ice cream afterward and she was proud to tell the all the servers why we were on a date and what the award was for. At the end of the evening, she looked at me and held my hand and said, slowly, simply and almost reverently, "Mom, I am so glad I'm with you." If those are the last words I hear it would be enough. 

August just walked up to me at the computer writing this blog, tugged on my shirt and said "Mommy, I wanna read a book wif you." Another phrase that would be enough if it were my last. 

Duty calls - signing off to read wif my little girl...

My beautiful, radiant Quality Quail.

Claire and her beloved Auntie Erin. She is darling with my children and I can't WAIT to return the favor to her someday.

Family outing at the pumpkin patch. The hay ride is always my favorite part. Life doesn't get better than this, I am sure.

The Latest from the Family Circus

At the top of the tram at Snowbird.

Matt and I spend a good portion of each day just laughing at our kids. Don't get me wrong, not laughing AT them like making fun of them, but just being constantly entertained by their bizarre behavior, hilarious activities and the little things they do and say.

For example, no matter what part of the twins' body gets hurt, it is referred to as their "ankle." You'll hear their high little voices yelping from another room, "My ankle... oh my ankle" only to find out they pinched their finger. 

The twins have finally realized that their counterpart is the best source for entertainment and torture. They steal each others' toys, pull hair, and do all the regular things a brother and sister would do. As a result, we are using more time-outs around the house. August takes it very seriously, and if her brother is in time out she scolds him the whole time. She also likes to put herself in time out when she has deemed her activities nefarious. She is sure to do it with a sunken look on her face and her chin down so low her cheeks are practically splayed out on her chest. 

The twins are still in love with and mesmerized by Claire. They call her "Bear" most of the time (because we call her Claire Bear), or if they can't be bothered to use both words and call her Claire Bear, they simply shorten it to "Clairb." Clairb continues to be the most adoring, gentle older sister. I watch how she explains the world to the twins in such a gentle way, and has a high tolerance for them driving her crazy. It takes a lot to push her over the edge where the twins are concerned. It is so special to watch her sense of nurturing and empathy keep growing, and the twins are learning it from her.

A field trip to the Aquarium on Claire's day off of school.

The twins are so happy in general, that they sing sweet little songs while they play or spend time together. They have one song in particular that I love. It's a happy song. It has one lyric.... literally, just the word "happy." They sit there singing that word over and over in little made up tunes, and it couldn't be any cuter. It's the most simple, straightforward indication that this precious little pair really is growing up happy. 

One of the happiest parts of our life now that Claire is in first grade, is the sense of community we have found in her school, Quail Hollow. Few things make me as happy as walking her to school in the mornings. If we can get the family ready fast enough, we all take the walk together. Claire leads the way (pretending to be an animal... usually a horse), and the twins cruise along in their stroller providing entertaining commentary and making sure everyone in their sight is adhering to all rules. Total bonus - it's fall so our morning walks give us a chance to see the leaves changing in slow motion (in Utah it's like the whole thing takes place overnight and you miss it.) Also, it feels really good on my back and is helping me get stronger, slowly, to recover. Exercise is medicine,  my doctor tells me. I try to remember that every day.

Ready to escort Claire to school.

Sammy has become chattier lately, and we aren't just hearing from August 24/7. It's adorable. He has a particularly funny saying lately, as he can't entirely pronounce the word "welcome," however, he had tiny adorable manners and tries to say "you're welcome" when it is appropriate. It comes out "fukum." Here is a recent conversation we had:

I sneezed in the car

Sam sweetly says, "Bless you, mama."

Shocked at his cute manners, I say "Thank you, Sammy!"

He replies without missing a beat.... "Fukum."

This is one of our favorite mispronunciations among all of our children. We won't be forgetting this one anytime soon.  August still regularly uses "I wanna hold you," when she wants me to hold her. I LOVE that with all of my children, and hope they never get that right either.

Miss Claire LOVES first grade, her class and her teacher. She has gotten 100% on every spelling test so far and gets a special challenge word sheet sent home because she's doing so well. Maybe she'll follow in Stout family tradition and marry the runner up in her junior high spelling bee like her daddy did. (At age 12 Matt and I were first and second place in the spelling bee. He won first, I took second... no, unfortunately, I do not remember "the word" that won it for him. He even went on to state. I digress...) She has made several new friends and we are so grateful to live next to such an awesome school -- within walking distance of our new house! Claire also has her first crush... I can't believe that's part of the conversation in our house already. I thought I had a few more years until that happened.  I see much of Matt and much of myself in Claire, but lately she's been writing out elaborate to-do lists before bedtime. She is a little Lauren in that sense - the apple didn't fall far from the tree. 

I volunteer by playing the piano for the first grade choir. Claire and I are having a blast doing this together!

Since football season has started, the Utes indoctrination continues. The twins are learning to flash their "U" with their thumb and forefinger and yell out "Go Utes." We have taught them to say "Ute Proud" also, and Sammy in particular takes great pride in it. He drops his voice as low as he can to say it. They love to wear their Utes gear and they no longer get scared when there is a bunch of screaming and rejoicing in the house after a touchdown. They've joined the party and scream along with everyone else. Claire got to go to a game with just her dad and she felt pretty cool about that. She remains Daddy's little football girl and holds the position with pride.   At a most recent tailgate, Sammy got lost and joined another family that was tailgating because he just thought they were more fun to be with. Heart sank into my stomach for a few gut wrenching minutes while we combed the area with no luck.... thank heaven he was okay.

Claire tried something incredibly brave and new - she did Mutton Bustin' at the State Fair. It was ADORABLE! She was incredibly brave to get dropped into a bullpen on top of a crazy little sheep and have nothing to hold onto but its bushy wool. She rode it backwards to have a better chance of staying on longer. She held on for about five seconds - not too bad for your first try. What was even cuter was how the twins were cheering for her from the stands. They love her so much.

Right after the big ride. Happy, tired girl with pants full of dirt.

Signing up for Mutton Bustin'

Waiting in line - I love that her little arms are folded so respectfully.

Our children are the light of our life. Matt and I pinch ourselves to make sure this is real. We are so grateful to be in our new home, watching our children grow up in such a happy, nice, safe community, and turn into healthy (albeit tiny), adorable, wonderful little people.  

August the ham, wearing Grandma's cowboy hat at the rodeo. We went to watch Claire ride a sheep!

Sammy so very proud of the castle he built for Froggy.

Claire got to go to the circus with Grandma Tam! She borrowed my purse and felt very grown-up.

Camping as a Family of Five

The "morning after" the second night of partial sleep. Notice the grime all around Claire's face. It looks like a beard.

Our first camping trip is done... and it was (relatively) successful. Overall we had a fantastic time with a huge group of friends in the gorgeous mountains. What could be better? Warmth could have been better... and sleep. But it was all worth it. Poor little Sammy froze his buns off the first night. Matt put him inside his sleeping bag so they literally slept nose to nose the entire night, but neither of them could really get comfortable or sleep. 

The next night the rest of the campsite was glad to help bring the noise level from our tent down and generously donated their extra warm gear to us. We bundled every child in two layers of jammies, inside one or two sleeping bags, with at least two quilts on top, and a beanie. The second night, August woke up cold, and proceeded to wake up Sam. He was in no mood to be awake and was doing that mad yelling cry instead of a weepy cry. Matt tried the usual techniques a parent tries when they are desperate for sleep and want to get the baby to be quiet... he held him and rocked him and tried to calm him down. Very quickly, the tune changed. Matt was saying "NO! This is unacceptable. Be quiet!" It was hilarious... he wasn't mean to him at all, but it was a different Matty than I'm used to seeing. If you're wondering where I was during all of this, Sam is entirely obsessed with Matt and he is the only one that can really calm him down. So, unfortunately, he kind of has to be first responder. Poor guy... he handled it well.

Claire and her trout.

We visited the reservoir and Claire caught the first fish - a little trout. Claire also became the patron saint of animals during the trip, and took it upon herself to shepherd every single dog and creature that joined our party. 

My sweet girl at the reservoir. After we got back to camp she still refused to take off her life jacket, although we were  entirely landlocked. Kids...

Claire with PBR, her favorite dog there.

This is the first really big outing we have tackled since the twins' birth, and it was worth every bit of effort, every tantum, and every spec of grime and dirt. We absolutely loved being with all of our friends... so many we have known for the majority of our lives. Can't wait until next year. In the meantime, we will be purchasing "Utah" camping equipment to replace our "California" camping equipment.

A clean child is a bored child.

Auggie found bliss in the hammock.

My happy, dirty little camper.

Ready to go home. Can you see the dirt crystals that have formed inside her nostrils?

How Sweet the Sound

As I have said before, one of the most rewarding components of my life is my relationship with music, and the opportunities that arise to share music with all kinds of people. It has been a way I show service, pay respect, and demonstrate love to people, as long as I can remember.

Today, I had the wonderful opportunity to perform for a group of residents at Alta Ridge Assisted Living Facility.  As I prepared my repertoire, I realized it needed to be selected carefully so it would resonate with them in the best way possible. I wanted music that was familiar and made them smile. The music needed to be from the right era, not too laborious or long, light enough to have fun, and just serious enough to be sentimental.  

All of us gathered around the piano after the sing-along

As I researched and prepared, I came across a book of old standards that belonged to my beloved Grandma Winnie. As I have mentioned in previous posts, she was the champion of my musical career, and probably my biggest fan. I literally felt her with me today, watching over me and singing with the group, especially when I played a few of her favorite songs.

This was the opener and closer! They sang their hearts out.

I never cease to be amazed how music evokes memory. When I began my performance today,  I had no clue it would be interactive... or that I would have such a lovely choir! I started with what I had been told was their favorite song, "Moon River," and, very quickly, voices trickled in from all areas of the room. The lyrics were not in unison, the tones were not calculated, and the imperfection of it was stunning and completely endearing to me. As the sing-along continued, I was thrilled to hear some people harmonizing, and the songs in which the majority of the group remembered every word. You could feel a sudden infusion of youth and energy in the spirit of the room we shared.

The group of twenty men and women sang, respectfully at first, then louder and louder as I cheered for them. I wondered what memories they were having as they heard music that was such an intimate part of their generation. 

Had they danced with a first love to "Let Me Call You Sweetheart"?

Had they taught their children to sing "Michael Row the Boat Ashore"?

Did they have memories of practicing the piano themselves as children when I played Chopin?

I tried to imagine how they felt listening to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and perhaps remembering the first time in their life they heard the song. For one lovely resident, it was on the silver screen, in the first movie she had ever seen in her life. 

Did "How Great Thou Art" stir them the way it stirred my Grandmother? I performed it at her funeral, at her request. During the piece, there was a palpable sense of shared intimacy and reverence.

While I played "Blue Moon," I had my own incredibly fond memory of my childhood. My Grandma Winnie was living with us after she had a stroke, and we all gathered around the piano in the living room after Sunday dinner. For a few minutes, that group of people was entirely united as well: my grandmother in her wheelchair, my parents, my brother, and my youngest sister who had probably never heard the song since she was only five years old. A neighborhood friend who was the "cool guy in school" came up to our house to visit me and my brother, and he joined us too. Even though I was set inside this scene, I feel like I watched it from a distance, and was able to embrace what a beautiful collaboration of lives it was, because of a song. This is one of my most cherished family memories.

I will remain grateful for the rest of my life for music. Growing up practicing daily and training for competitions was very very lonely. Piano is the only instrument that isn't generally part of a group such as a symphony, orchestra, quartet, etc. You are usually the soloist (which is cool, but you pay a price of loneliness to get there). To be honest, I think the solitary aspect of it appealed to me, although there were more than a handful of moments when I wished it was a group activity.

I see so clearly now that it absolutely is.

Time with my little person.....

All ready to go to the airport and start our trip together.

Months ago, Claire and I planned a trip to California to visit our dear friends and the home we left when we moved to Utah to have the twins. Neither of us have even been on an airplane since the day we moved, 2 1/2 years ago. It was a much needed break for me and something for me to look forward to in the midst of this very challenging past year during recovery from my car accident. Although I missed my twinnies so much, it was imperative for my back to have a break from constant lifting and running a house. My sweet Caroline and her fam (Justin, Liam & Rowan) were fantastic hosts and let us crash at their gorgeous casa in San Clemente.

Party cam with my Caroline!

Caroline and Claire saying goodbye at the airport.

We saw all of our dearest friends, got to meet Stef's baby, visit with Claire's daycare provider (who became an honorary Stout when we lived in California,) Claire's old preschool, and the home that we lived in. The home where Claire was raised, took her first steps, where I got pregnant with twins, worked hard and played hard. It was nostalgic, but honestly it made it so clear to me that we made the right choice moving home. Not for one second did I feel a sense of regret, or "what could have been." I soaked up every minute of time with my beloved friends, and the gorgeous California sun, but it really became clear to me that our home and our life in Utah is incredibly right for us, right now. 

Stef and Tamer's baby, Jaxon, loved Claire. He kept taking bites out of her nose.

Cami hosted a fabulous pool day lunch at her beautiful home.

Claire with Karen, who watched Claire from 11 months until 3 1/2 years old.

The best part of the trip was not the parties (although they were FAB), beach time (also FAB) or general relaxation (muchhhhh needed)....

My beloved peeps! Left to right: Stef, Suz, Fabienne, Caroline, Terry, Cami, Trev and Moi

Aforementioned relaxation

Beach day!

...it was getting a front row seat to my little Claire, seeing how she has grown up and what she is like away from the twins and our regular routine at home. One thing she said to me really demonstrated how mature she is at six years old. We were getting ready for bed one night, and she said to me, thoughtfully, "Mom, I think it's so nice that since we are staying at someone else's house, Caroline will go out in her own car and use her own money to buy something for us if we don't have it here." Few six year olds would even acknowledge or have an understanding of service provided by others and then express gratitude for it. Our sweet Caroline left a pool party for us to go buy Claire a life jacket so Claire could have a good time. She also bought matching Frozen shirts for the girls (Rowan is Caroline's daughter, Claire's age,) Frozen water bottles and coloring books. She and her husband were generous hosts, as always.

Rowan and Claire with their matching shirts and long blond braids.

When the trip began, Claire was thrilled to get on a plane. To her it felt like the first time because she didn't remember her previous trips. She insisted on sitting in the window seat so she could see everything. She had a million questions about how the airplane worked... her curiosity is endless, and is one of my most treasured qualities in her. When the captain came over the loudspeaker to talk to us, I would ignore it like most people do and she got so mad. She wanted to hear every single word he had to say because it was "very important." Adorable. As we buckled her into her seat, she asked me if I could cinch the seat belt even tighter. She required me to fasten it so tight I was afraid her eyes were going to bug out. She was also the on-board seat belt police: "Mom, they said always fasten your seat belt." At the end of the flight, the pilot even let her sit in his seat in the cockpit (and his name was even Matthew!)

She was tentative at first, but then Claire did a great job with her swimming on the trip. She discovered snorkeling at Cami's pool, and is insistent that we get one for our bathtub. She learned to pump herself on the swings without a push - a huge accomplishment for her and she couldn't be more proud.  

As I sat back and watched my little girl on this trip, I noticed what a sense of gratitude and humility she has. She said to me on the way home, as she was playing her kindle "I'm really lucky because most kids don't even have their own kindle." Impressive since she is surrounded by kids with ipads, iphones and a million tech devices that she doesn't have. She is serious and adult like in her conversations with people. The day we were departing, she asked if we were going out of gate B17 again -- the gate that we departed out of five days prior in Salt Lake. I was shocked she remembered... I love her little brain and th eway she puts things together.

Walking around with her, getting to hold her teeny soft little hand is more precious to me than I can describe. I loved being able to give her my undivided attention for a few days before she started First Grade.  Two of the nights we were there she wanted to sleep in my room instead of with all the kids. I have to admit I LOVED it. Every time we rode in the car, she requested the song "Wake Me Up," and you could hear her sweet, high little voice singing every word. Melts my heart.

One day we borrowed a car and went to visit friends and see all of our old haunts. I took Claire out to a special lunch and told her I had a surprise for her. Matt and I have always said that she had to wait until she was 10 or 12 to get her ears pierced. It occurred to me during lunch, however, that this was the perfect time. She would always remember that she got her ears pierced on our special mommy daughter trip to California. She was so excited - a little scared, but incredibly brave. No tears. She just said  (in perfect grammar and proper use of an adverb - made momma very hapy), "that hurt SOOO badly." 

I will never forget this trip with Claire and what an opportunity it gave me to be with her in an isolated setting, away from our daily routines and family chaos. I couldn't be more proud of this person and she has become one of my favorite little friends....

I love you forever, my sweet girl.