Signs of the Season

Since she was in third grade, Claire has been passionate about learning sign language. On the first day of school in Arizona, she learned a classmate was deaf. Her first request getting in the car that day was for a sign language handbook. Eager to feed this compassionate nature, we went immediately to the bookstore and before I knew it this precious girl was signing EVERYTHING!

When she prepared for her spelling tests, she signed. When she answered questions, she signed. When she talked to us, you got it, she signed.

So when we discovered a Sign Language "Choir" this year, she was ecstatic. She has found an outreach that she is absolutely passionate about and she is, if I do say, amazing!

Claire signing "Frosty the Snowman"



My favorite song that the group signs, "The Twelve Days of Christmas"...Claire signs "Two Turtle Doves"!

This weekend her group performed at two Christmas events and she was over the moon about the opportunity. The entire group did an amazing job and their compassion and hard-work were so evident to their audiences!




Cate signing with the group...she is signing "Five Golden Rings"!

 Our littlest loves anything her sister does -- and she is learning to sign right along with her. 



Cate was able to talk to Santa at her sister's performance at the Heritage Museum's Victorian Christmas Party!

 It is a blessing to find your passion and use it to minister to others -- and it is an extra-special blessing to be the Mommy that gets to watch her girl blossom!

Fighting it out at the OK Corral....uh, playground

Well, it almost came to blows. Save the quick actions and thinking of a couple of sun-weary mothers, it could have been ugly.

The two preschoolers had met only minutes before -- "Mommy, I made a new friend!" And the 4-year-old boy, and my 3-year-old girl were racing down the slides, around the swings and over the climbing toys. All was good.

Until.

Well, until I was talking to my big girl, completely absorbed in our discussion. The other mommy was talking to her friend, equally absorbed.

Voices are raised. And all of a sudden they do not sound happy.

Knowing it is past nap time and we are pushing it even BEING at the park, I jump up and begin talking while I walk, "Cate, are you being nice?"

Other mother is also quick on her feet, "A, are you being nice?"

Pouty faces abound as Cate spins and tells me, "He is being MEAN to me." And our new friend, "She is being mean to ME!"

Calmly, "Cate, what happened?"

Are you ready?

"He says Claire is HIS sister!"

"She says Claire is HER sister!"

"She is NOT his sister. Claire is MY sister."

"She is NOT her sister, she is MY sister!"

My girl had the boy by his collar. The boy had my girl by the collar. They were about to come to blows over whose sister Claire was....

I glanced at the other mother...

"Is your daughter's name Claire by any chance?" With a smile, the other mother nods her head. Mystery solved and crisis averted.

We should all be so loved.