Friday, October 23, 2009

"No!"

Claire has been relatively "slow" in learning to speak, while she has quickly learned to walk, dance and climb hills. But the words are starting now, as well as her assertive nature. This is really delightful, but we also feel a slight trepidation! For example, as she tries to put a big piece of bread in her mouth that doesn't fit (she doesn't get biting a piece off yet), Jessica says, "Let me help you. Show Mommy." And she replies, "No!" We have to withhold our laughter so she doesn't think that defiance is OK, but we are laughing on the inside. She tries again, can't get it in, and finally allows Jessica to help her cut it in half.
The only other word she says is "Mama" but this really means "I want." Pointing to various objects out of her reach, she opens and closes her fist saying, "Mama!" That said, her comprehension level is quite high, and it can be surprising at times. Jessica will mention to Scott that she's going to take a shower, and the next thing we know, the bathroom door is slammed shut, from the inside! It's Claire, in the dark, getting ahead of Jessica because she doesn't like it when she's locked out of the bathroom. She has quite a sense of humor.
On the parents' side, Scott has been fighting the flu for about a week now, and he has a lot of catching up to do on his schoolwork, so please pray for him. Jessica has been a real homemaker lately, baking some delicious cookies and bread, and taking care of Scott and Claire. Her ministry at the pre-release center is going very well. Her ESL students are delightful, and her mentee is gaining trust and will hopefully blossom into a confident and achieving young woman. All in all, we are blessed and are filled with the peace that passes understanding, the greatest gift of God.