Food Critic

No matter how enthusiastically her parents presented vegetables, fruits, and meats, Clara Grace never seemed quite able to trust many foods that strayed too far from some shade of beige. Needless to say, her mommy and daddy smiled politely, but didn’t slow down when a not so savory character with a nose ring and dreadlocks offered their daughter some teriyaki chicken on a toothpick outside the China Express. Much to their disbelief and slight chagrin, their finicky daughter gulped it down as though she’d never been fed in her life. She then used her powerful, one-year-old charm to win another sample and scarfed if from the stick twice as fast.

Sick as a Dog

While Clara Grace ate in her high chair on the morning of Tuesday, June twenty-seventh, her mommy noticed that the little girl seemed a bit stuffy and coughed every so often. “Are you okay?” her mommy asked sympathetically. Clara Grace responded in an extremely dejected voice, “No! Not okay not okay!” Her mommy realized actually acting sick during a cold was just one more little sign her baby was growing up all too quickly.

Share

On Saturday June the twenty-fourth, Clara Grace played at the Children’s Discovery Museum with her mommy. She watched enviously as other children raced around with a popping lawn mower. Finally a little boy discarded the coveted toy and she dashed in for her chance. Unfortunately, her triumph was short lived. She got in about three good pops, then decided to lay the lawnmower’s handle down for just one fraction of a second to give her mommy a toy shaker with which she had previously been playing. Another eager child swooped in right under poor Clara Grace’s nose and merrily popped away with the mower. As Clara Grace looked on in amazement and disappointment, her mommy heard her repeating softly an unhappy mantra of “Share, share, share, share.”

Peaceful Protest

By Friday, June the twenty-third, Clara Grace was becoming very good at communicating with words the things she did and did not want. This was a welcome relief to her parents who had often found themselves completely baffled by their daughter’s enthusiastic gestures, grunts, and cries in past months. On that particular evening, Clara Grace’s daddy had finished lathering her up with soap and then directed, “Okay, sit down in the water so I can get the soap off.” “No!” Clara Grace answered defiantly. “Clara Grace,” her daddy repeated in a firmer tone, “sit down.” “No, no,” his daughter whimpered, “Poopy,” she added and pointed out a floating log which obviously held contradictions for her when presented in the same context as cleaning off in the bathwater.

What's Important

On Thursday, June twenty-second, Clara Grace’s mommy set a bowl of oatmeal and a banana on her daughter’s high chair tray and then got busy preparing her own breakfast. With the push of a button, the family coffee machine whirred into action. No doubt, this sound brought to the minds of both mommy and daughter the family’s true coffee aficionado who was away on a four day speaking engagement. “Foffee,” Clara Grace commented as the lights on the machine blinked to life. “You’re right, I’m making coffee.” Her mommy answered. “Yum yum,” Clara Grace remarked then went back to scooping her oatmeal. Later that morning on the phone, Clara Grace’s mommy was sure to relate the influence Clara Grace’s daddy had already had on his one-year-old daughter.

One, Two...Skip a Few...100

On Sunday, June fourth, Clara Grace’s Daddy packed up the luggage from a weekend trip to Gatlinburg with the Whisman family. While he worked, he allowed his little girl to indulge in one of her favorite activities, pretending to drive his big, red car. After a few moments of two much quiet from the front seat though, he decided it would be prudent to investigate. What he found was Clara Grace on the floorboard helping herself to the travel stash of animal crackers. “What are you doing?” he asked rhetorically. “Mamamal crackers,” Clara Grace answered nervously. “I see that,” her daddy sighed, “and how many have you eaten?” he inquired not expecting any answer. “One, two…” his daughter replied.