Joe and Clara Hanging Out

Joe and Clara Jane hang out! Sort of. It's pretty neat! Joe likes to bring Clara Jane toys, and to follow her about with one of his two stools* upon which he will then sit as she motors around. Alternatively, he will establish himself somewhere on his stool and bid Clara, "Come here!" She does not understand this command, but Joe does not understand her absence of understanding, as given the size of our house, there's about a 50% chance that Julie is near Joe and Clara is in the midst of that time when she will make a beeline for her mama anytime she catches a glimpse of her. Thus, it seems like Clara is heeding Joe's call. For a while, Joe was following Clara about with her little singing fridge. (La cocina! It's the kitchen! Where we love to cook and play! Cha, cha, cha!; everything after "La cocina! It's the kitchen!" may be made up. We just like to sing the first bit to each other at random moments. That is fun.) This is sort of an awkward thing to tote about as it is bulky relative to Joe and Clara's size, and it is hinged. But no matter! When it became clear this well-meant following Clara about with La Pequena Cucina** was something that would be happening with some regularity, we told Joe that La Cucina should stay put in the kitchen (or the living room where it lived briefly last week).

Clara, for her part, is all about a romp over and around blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals on Joe's bed. Joe is usually very good natured about Clara zeroing in on his Panda Bear, Teddy, Elephant, or Lion.***

*Stool number 1: the collapsible white stool that lives in the kitchen. Stool number 2: the white non-collapsible bathroom stool. Similar you say? Oh you would think so, Dear Readers, oh you would think. And you would be so very wrong. And Joe would tell you so. And so, we are awash in stools. You cannot go two steps in this house without running into a stool.

**The author does not speak Spanish (though she is on her way with Joe and Clara), but did you know Google has an awesome translation feature?

***Lion was one of Joe's first words. Remember, Fans? He used to say "Dion."