Rosie Nose Jagger

Our little Claire has finally earned her first pet. I say earned because it took 4 months for her to get the hamster she was promised if she would sleep 10 nights- in her big girl bed -all night -without waking up her parents once. I honestly thing the little bugger lucked out because this last night she pulled it off was because she was sick and quite tuckered out.

So we were off to the pet shop to get a hamster, hamster cage, ball, and mini hamster playground this past Saturday morning. Claire picked a small white hamster and named her "Rosie" as we hit the parking lot. As much as I'd like to brag about her creativity in the name, it is her beloved friend Maddie's middle name and also the name Maddie has named some of her pets. So, I gave her the name "Rosie Nose" to make it sound more original.

Well, Claire is loving her hamster more than I expected. Holding her as much as we will allow and doing her best not to drop her more than twice every half hour. Rosie has not bit once and seems pretty happy for as much squeezing and tossing she has endured.

But this all gets a little deeper for me. I am currently reading Windows of the Soul by Ken Gire for a class I'm taking on prayer. He basically approaches prayer as a sort of discipline of awareness (of the divine in the ordinary) cultivated in our lives. This quote of his really grabbed my motherly attention:

"The picture was a window to my daughter's soul, revealing to me something of the secret of who she is, a secret I will need to know if I am to understand her and nurture her and draw out in her all that is dear to God" (32).

So, I'm trying to see this hamster as a window into my daughter's heart. What is more ordinary than a little furry critter being smothered by a three year old? But what do I see when I look closer? I see the love my daughter has for God's creature. I see a desire in her to nurture life and to teach others how to live in safety and harmony. I see her longing for affection and closeness with other beings. I see excitement and hope in her young soul for a world that protects the weak and gives them treats that delight their own weary souls..

So, welcome to the Jagger family, little Rosie Nose:) May you make it out of Wilmore little hamster...May we all make it out of Wilmore...

Girls' Night Out

I had my Claire all to myself from Wednesday through Sunday while Keith was off to Pittsburgh to run with the deer (not actually why he went, but he connected with quite a few deer while staying out in a musty hermitage). It was not easy taking care of my defiant little 3 year old for so many days, but thanks to many play dates, some serious time outs, the Lil' Angels Sale toy section, and a Girls' Night Out, we survived! The last night before Daddy came home, I took Claire to see "Ramona and Beezus" at the dollar theater (recommended by my friend Angela and her daughter MacKenzie). She enjoyed the funny parts, popcorn, and soda- though, I am not sure we would have made it all the way through had it not been for the 8 year old girls' birthday party outing that joined us for the show. She was enthralled with the idea of a birthday movie party and when they giggled, Claire giggled even though she had clue what they were laughing about. After some Culver's ice cream and incessant whining on the car ride home, I got her into bed. Just before nodding off, she asked me "Mommy, why did Jesus walk on water?" (not anything we had talked about within the past 3 months). All I could think to say was, "Because he wanted to go see his friends who were stuck out in the boat."
We enjoyed the Mommy-Daughter time, but are glad to have Keith back home- someone new for both of us to whine at and ask our challenging theological questions to:)