Having Fun

Now that the older 2 are in school and I only have one child (Wiggles) at home during the day, I'm often tempted to just be super productive and get lots done (it's amazing how much easier things are with just one child!)  I've been trying really hard to spend some special time with her each day, and we do fun age-appropriate things like preschool storytime and playdates too!  But a lot of times, she 'helps' me or keeps busy while I'm working.  She's getting very good at this!

The other day, I managed to get quite a bit done, and realized that she had been very focused on something for quite a while.  I looked over to see what she was up to, and this is what I found:

Twin babies tucked in, each with their own pear.

"They're ready for lunch, Mama!" Wiggles tells me.

Then, of course, I had to take a break from my work to play, when Wiggles came out dressed like this and said "Mommy!  I'm the doctor and I need to check you up!

I don't know why she sticks her tongue out whenever I photograph her!  It's hilarious!

I sat down while she 'checked me up' with all her (as she says) 'tethoscopes', 'blood pusher arm huggers' (blood pressure cuffs), etc, and then 'shotted' me (gave me a shot, followed by a bandaid).  I said "You are a great doctor!"  And she asked (pointing to her outfit) "Are these real doctor clothes?  Is this really what doctors wear?"  To which I replied, "Yes - Daddy wears those a lot when he works at the hospital, remember?"  She said, "But Daddy's not a doctor - he just goes to work.  At the hospital.  Doctors LIVE at the DOCTOR.  Like Dr. Howe (our family doctor).  She always lives at the doctor office."  We then had a conversation about how doctors were people just like everyone, with lives of their own outside of work.  When I explained that Dr. Howe is also a mommy with children of her own, Wiggles was flabbergasted.  I love our little conversations, and seeing her mind at work!  How refreshing it is to get a glimpse of a child's view of life and the world!

How lucky am I to have this little helper around all day??!!  I love my life!

Cracking me up...

I missed posting last night due to a horrid bout with the stomach flu...The Mr. was working all weekend and Grins and I literally could not get out of bed, so Angel cared for Wiggles the entire day.  What a little treasure she is.  Of course, I came upstairs this morning shocked at the mess the two of them managed to make...but it was certainly a blessing to have her help yesterday!

I believe I post more about my children when they are 3 than at any other age; particularly the funny things they say!  This age is such a delight!  Tonight at dinner, Wiggles looked at me with big eyes and asked, "Mommy, when I grow up, who am I going to be?"

It sounded funny and I chuckled a little, but she was very serious.  And so I answered her seriously.  "Well, you will be an adult (Wiggles).  You'll be a lady.  You will probably be a wife and a mommy.  And you can be whatever else you want to be - a doctor, a dancer, a singer, an actress, an artist, a violinist, a cook.....whatever you want to be, and whomever you want to be, you can be it!"

She thought about for a moment (I could see the 'wheels turning' through her eyes) and suddenly she gasped and said "Ahh!  If I am a mommy, then I'll have kids!"

It was adorable, seeing her put it all together.  She lit up at the prospect of having children.  She is definitely a born nurturer and is in the phase of caring for whomever/whatever she can!

It started me thinking who she really will become someday.  I know it will be someone strong, someone passionate, and someone very determined.  Those traits have already manifested themselves clearly, even at her young age!  She is a girl who knows exactly what she wants - and exactly how/where/when and why she wants it, and will settle for nothing less!  But she is also very compassionate and loving.  Hopefully these virtues will serve her well in life - and I'm sure she'll pick up some patience somewhere along the line. :)


Other funny Wiggles-isms lately:

Last week we took Angel to the doctor for her 7 year old 'check up'.  When Wiggles learned that we were going for Angel and not Wiggles herself, she exclaimed, "Well, I want the doctor to check ME up too!"

This evening, she helped me saute the asparagus for dinner.  She has never really been able to say asparagus, but tonight when the Mr. came home, she really wanted to tell him she had cooked the asparagus.  She said "Daddy!  I stirred the casmearigus all by myself!  No, the spagherigus.  No, the.....Mommy, what is that stuff in the pan called?!"

We also had (homemade) croutons on our soup this evening - probably a first, since I never buy croutons, but had some dry bread I needed to use....so at dinner she said, "Please pass the perfumes!"

No naps....

Mean that this girl usually falls asleep during dinner, and is out like a light!  (Naps = she's up until 10pm or later!  So we try to avoid them when possible!)

Happy Birthday Wiggles!

Dear Wiggles,


Happy Birthday, my little firecracker!  Has it really been 3 years?  You seem to grow fastest of all of my children.  And yet, I can't even remember my life before you!  You've always been there - in my arms, or on my hip.  Practically inseparable, you and I!

You are one of life's greatest pleasures.  You are the happiest happiness I've ever known.  The loudest laugh, the biggest smile, the tightest hug, the shrillest shriek of delight.  You live life to it's fullest - there is no 'middle of the road' with you.  You are either on top of the world....or you are most certainly not.  Fortunately, though, you are mostly on top! :)

You are very social.  You've had somewhat of a difficult time with Grins and Angel both going to school, because you crave the play time and constant interactions you have when they are home.  Lately, you are getting very good at playing independently while I work around the house (cleaning, cooking, etc.).  I wondered what helped you progress to an independent player, until one day, you clued me into your secret.  I said, "Wiggles, it's time to get in the car! We need to go shopping!"  You were in your room playing with your dollhouse and said, "OK!  I'm coming!  I just need to get my friends!"  You then emerged from the room with your arms full of stuffed animals, dollhouse dolls, and your little caterpillar toy.  You said, "Can you please help me carry my friends to the car?"  I responded, "No, sweetheart, we can't bring all those toys with us.  Toys need to stay home."  To which you insisted, "These aren't toys! They are my friends! They have to come with me or they'll get lonely and I'll get lonely!"  I finally realized that, since you no longer have your best friend Grins around, you had developed friendships with your toys.  I must admit, it made me a little sad, realizing you were having to resort to inanimate objects...but I was also very pleased with your imagination and inventiveness! (is that a word?)  So, I agreed to let you take one 'friend' with you.  The decision of whom to take was easy for you.  You instantly said, "OK I'll take Elmo."  I didn't see any Elmos in your arms (the red, furry monster), but you explained that your plastic toy caterpillar's name was Elmo.  You brought him along, and since then, he's been your best friend.  You take him everywhere (except church), and even sleep with him!  It's comical really, since he's not snuggly at all, but you love him, and that's what matters.  When you love, you love with all of your heart.  As I said, you don't do anything part way!

Lately you've been having a hard time listening or obeying.  And you've been talking NONSTOP.  I mean, literally, chatting for hours on end, quiet only when you are eating or sleeping.   I was becoming incredibly frustrated with your seeming rebellion and was at my wit's end.  Until one day, when we were reading scriptures during our morning devotional.  Usually, for your turn reading a verse, I read a sentence and you repeat it after me.  On this particular morning, however, you were having a difficult time repeating me.  You kept asking "What?" or repeating nonsensical words - which is very unlike you, since you can usually pronounce even long and difficult words with ease.  I finally realized that you were not hearing me.  I began talking much louder and, lo and behold, you began listening and obeying immediately!!!  It was amazing the difference that it made, and I felt horrible for having been frustrated at your seeming disobedience, when really, you simply couldn't hear!  It has truly made me appreciate what a sweet girl you are!  I'm hoping the hearing loss is simply due to your congestion (you've had an upper respiratory infection for quite a while!)  But if the hearing deficit persists we will pursue other causes.  In the meantime, though, speaking clearly has made all the difference.

You are so loving.  You are constantly asking, "Are you happy?" or "Are you nice?"  You are our little happiness guru and it is wonderful.  You truly are our family's, and my own, little ray of hope and sunshine.  How did we ever get along without you, my love?  You are Heaven on earth.

Thank you for letting me be your Mommy.  I consider it the greatest honor and privilege I could imagine.  I cherish and love you more than you'll ever know.  I love you, Wiggles!

Love,
Mommy

Wiggles, 3 hours old

Wiggles, 1 week old

Wiggles, 1 year old

Wiggles, 2 years old

Wiggles, 3 years old.  She put 3 pairs of pajamas on and then said, "Look at me! I'm fat!"

I just realized while posting this that I don't have one single picture of Wiggles on her 3rd birthday. :( :( :(  It was either due to a camera malfunction or my brain malfunction (I took my national recertification exam 2 days after her birthday, so I was slightly preoccupied!)....but fortunately, it was a very happy day and she was a very happy three year old.  I'll make up for the lack of photos at Christmas time! :)

Biker Chic

This girl has been going to town on her "big girl" bike!  Well, ok, not all the way to TOWN, but she has ridden all the way to the kids' school and back (a little more than a mile) all by herself a few times!

This Girl!

This girl is the love of my life!  She is one of my greatest joys, and also one of my greatest challenges. :)  She is my fire and ice girl; there is no in between with her.  She either loves you, or she despises you.  She either obeys you perfectly, or she flat out refuses to listen to a word you say, all the while screaming "NO WAY!! NO!!!" at the top of her lungs.  She is either slathering you with wet, juicy kisses, or calling you names ("You Baby!" - Apparently, being called a 'baby' is the biggest insult a 2 year old can even imagine.)  Oh how I love this roller coaster of a girl - ups and downs and all!  She brings so much joy, laughter, and character to our family - I truly cannot imagine life without her!  I am so blessed to be a mother to such incredible children!

This girl....

....makes me LAUGH! SOOO much! I think that is her sole purpose in life. In fact, if I am ever concentrating and have a serious face, or am upset or less than patient with the children, she never fails to say (or rather, command,) "Mommy, have a happy face! Put a smile on right now!"

Today, she came up to me and pulled my ear down to her mouth, then excitedly whispered, "Maybe we can thump (jump) on the thwampoline! I want to!" as if it were a big secret. In the middle of cleaning the kitchen, I suggested she go out to the backyard and I would come out momentarily to lift her onto the trampoline.

When I came out, she had found the "cat pool" (the name our children gave to the small wading pool due to misunderstanding the term 'kiddie' pool....and it somehow stuck). She was standing and splashing in the wading pool, her jeans, socks and shoes soaking wet. I gasped, then abruptly lifted her out. When I set her down, her feet squished as she walked - and then she exclaimed, "I'm draining now!" Could she be any cuter?!

I've been meaning to hang this mirror up for weeks now (hanging a heavy mirror is INCREDIBLY difficult to do alone and the Mr. has been MIA for awhile....). It actually came in handy as the children practiced for their performance of "So Long, Farewell" - and lately it has kept Wiggles entertained as I've cleaned up dinner. So perhaps procrastination is not always so wrong!

Who is teaching whom?

This evening, as with most every night, Wiggles refused to lay down in her bed. I rocked her, read to her, sang to her, prayed with her, tucked 'Julianna', 'Cinderella', 'Tiny Baby' and 'Lambie' all in beside her, tucked the blankets snuggly around her - and she continued to sit up, despite my many efforts to lay her down. Frustrated, I finally said (firmly and perhaps a little too impatiently), "(Wiggles) lay down right now!" She calmly stated "Mommy, I'm not gonna yay down when you talk just yike that!" Sufficiently reprimanded, I politely asked, "(Wiggles), will you please lay down?" To which she responded "Yes! That's a very good word!" and promptly laid down. Unfortunately it only lasted a second or two, and she was sitting up and we were starting all over again - but the reminder was just what I needed to remain calm as I put her to bed! :) ..........oops, I was going to post a picture but I just heard her hop out of bed again....duty calls, patience in check.

Singing

One of these days I will figure out how to post a video on here and then you will all be able to enjoy Wiggles' singing. For now, though, I just have to note (so I never forget) how much this girl loves to sing, and how much music means to her!

Sunday, on the way home from church, she was INCREDIBLY cranky, as she was extremely short on sleep (short nap + late bedtime + waking up at 5 am = not enough rest!!!) She started to fuss the moment we buckled her into her seat, and probably would have whined/complained/cried and carried on the entire 20 minute drive, but fortunately I remembered to redirect her in the way of music. (Her voice is SO much sweeter singing than screaming, let me tell you!)

She was too tired to come up with new songs on her own, so I recommended songs and she would sing the ones she wanted to. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, all 5 verses of Where Is Thumbkin, One Little Finger, Open, Shut Them, I Love To See The Temple and The Chapel Doors and Popcorn Popping were all winners. If You're Happy And You Know It was not. (If I mentioned it, she started crying - but all the rest cheered her up. Ironic.)

She sang all of them by herself and it was beautiful. It is so tender, so innocent, and so pure. I truly don't think there is any sweeter, more delicious sound to my ears than my sweet Wiggles singing. It is, as they say, music to my ears.

Potty Training....

(Warning: this post may be offensive to some; I am merely recording it for our family's personal record because it is HILARIOUS - so if you are prone to blushing, proceed with caution....And, FYI, we believe in teaching our children the correct names for anatomical parts instead of nicknames, but I have made a substitution here.)

(Classic Wiggles and her sweet tooth - on Christmas morning, ALL she cared about was the candy. She didn't even give the presents a second glance. She still goes around the house hunting for candy - in fact the other day I caught her digging a half-chewed piece out of the trash!)

Today Wiggles ran out of the bathroom and announced "I have a 'ba-thina', I don't have a big, fat (male part)! That is how I go potty."

Can you tell we are getting a LITTLE bit closer to potty training? Poor girl - I think if I had my act together she'd be trained by now - I just haven't made the time....

Reverent laughter?

Why have the majority of my posts been about prayers lately? I don't know. But here's the latest funny to add:

Wiggles, as I've mentioned previously, likes to pray "Please bless Daddy to ride his bike safely on the road." (He's gone for 99% of her prayers, and bikes to and from work, so this is actually a much-needed prayer, and I appreciate her thoughtfulness.) She also likes to ask "Please help me to sleep all through the night in my own bed" (uh, have we brain washed her enough? :) But what's even funnier is that she has started mimicking Grins' 'Please 1, Please 2, Please 3... although she doesn't stop at 3 - last night she went up to Please 22 before I finally redirected her. But I digress....) Anyway, this evening at dinner she said "Please help Daddy to sleep through the night on his own bike" at which point I, completely caught off guard, guffawed, and then, trying to stifle the laughter mid-prayer, proceeded to make some sort of snorting noise. At this, Wiggles considered her words and said "No, not sleep on his own bike. Please help Daddy to

ride his bike on the ROAD and sleep in his own BED" ...but by this time, having heard my unintentional outburst, her older siblings were already laughing as well, and her sweet little prayer of faith managed to evolve into a slightly irreverent giggle fest. But, I'm pretty sure the recipient of the prayer was laughing too, and He knows the intent of our hearts....

I'm so grateful for the faith of my sweet little Giggles. When she prays, she really is talking to God. Pure and simple. It's beautiful.

(This picture has nothing to do with the post but it's so exciting because I took it today! I got a new camera (THANK YOU MOM&DAD B!!!), so I can once again capture these beautiful little moments, like my children all snuggled together, reading.....this is how I find them almost every evening as I prepare dinner. I love it!)

Which brings me to my next topic....gratitude. I actually started this in my personal journal a few days ago, but haven't had an opportunity to blog about it until now. A couple of friends of mine have been blogging about things they are grateful for; one for a month (here), and another for an entire year! (here). I hesitated to jump on the bandwagon at first, since 1) I am not normally a 'bandwagon jumper' so-to-speak, and 2) I don't blog every day. But I finally decided that jumping on a good bandwagon can actually be a very positive thing to do, and that I needn't blog every day to benefit from such an experiment; I will simply write my reasons to be grateful in my journal, and blog about them as I am able. Again, more for my benefit than anyone reading, but there you have it. Blogging is just a little more exciting than a journal because I can add a little picture. :)

So, for today: Wiggles' faith. It makes me smile....and sometimes even laugh.

Happy Birthday Wiggles!

Dearest Wiggles,

Happy Birthday, love! Where has the time gone; how can you be two years old already? I think, of all my children, you grow the fastest; not just because you are the smallest, but because time just seems to fly by when you're around! I truly can't believe it was two years ago that I first held you in my arms - I remember the moment as if it were this morning! And yet, I can't even remember my life without you. You are SO precious to me!

If I've ever felt you were my greatest challenge, there is no question that you are my greatest joy. You are my fire and ice - happier than happy ever was one moment, screaming bloody murder because someone looked at you funny the next. You certainly make life exciting for everyone around you, and you are sure to keep me on my toes! No dull moments in our family since you joined us, that's for sure!

Wiggles, Nov 2008

You are a lover. You want to give loves (tight, squeezing hugs and wet kisses!) to each member of our family (and friends) several times each day! "I wanna give you a UG, Daddy!" you demand each morning, regardless of how many hugs you've already given him. You love your brother and sister SO much and want to do EVERYTHING they do. Without exception. You wear Angel's huge backpack (it nearly touches the ground, it's so large on you!) and say "I wanna ride 'da bus!" You wrestle with Grins, and you are even starting to hold your own! And you are always quick to notice if I'm upset/startled/hurt/etc (even when no one else has a clue! You are very perceptive!) You'll say "What, Mommy?", climb up on my lap, and snuggle me until nothing else matters in the world.

Wiggles, Feb 2009 - What a sport!

You are a singer! I don't remember ever hearing a child your age - or any age for that matter, sing as much as you do! You've been singing almost before you could speak (which you did early!) Your current favorites are: "The Lord is my Light" ("Da Yode is my ya-ah-ah-aeet, he is my soy and my song...") "I Am a Child of God" ("I sing 'I am a Thiod of Dod' to my baby, Mommy!"), "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", "Row, Row Your Boat", "Mr. Moon", "The Wheels on the Bus", "I Love to See The Temple", "The Eensy Weensy Spider", "Jesus Loved the Little Children", "Follow the Prophet", etc to name just a few. Your singing is the sweetest, most angelic, (not to mention funniest) I've ever heard! I LOVE listening to your sweet little voice and adorable pronunciations! And I love that you are willing to share your music on demand - you are constantly performing for anyone who will listen. You are certainly a performer!

Wiggles, Aug 2009

Speaking of performing, you are also a born acrobat! Every week at FHE Sharing Time, you show us your somersault off the couch - which may not seem entirely impressive given the fact that you are now 2 years old....but is, in fact, amazing, because you've been doing it since you were just over 1 year old! It used to make me so nervous - but you've always been a dare-devil. When we first arrived in Maine, we went to a playground and you climbed to the top of a rock-wall tower - completely out of my reach (7 feet high at least!) and started swinging from the bar. I panicked and scrambled up to get you, but you weren't frightened in the least - just swinging away to your heart's content, shouting "Wheeeeee!" as loud as you could. You certainly have your father's sense of invincibility! :)

Wiggles, Nov 2009

You are determined! You want to do everything "Self". You may scream and throw a fit at not being able to shut the car door by yourself - but the moment I try to help you scream even louder! "No! I want to do it myself, Mommy!" you demand. I have definitely learned patience as we wait for you to dress yourself, feed yourself, buckle yourself into the carseat, remove yourself from difficult situations (eg in the legs of a dining chair), etc. And you are certainly worth the wait - every minute of it!

Wiggles, Jan 2010

You are a snuggler. One of my favorite features of you is the way you freely give snuggles. You hug with your whole body, and you give long hugs too - not the quick, millisecond hugs so many distractable children offer - you will wrap your arms around me for minutes at a time. Which is saying a LOT, considering you are never that still for that long otherwise! (Hence your nickname.) As busy as you are, (constantly moving/exploring/learning/struggling to do something yourself/coloring on the floor/etc

), you will ALWAYS make time to snuggle!

You LOVE to laugh. You LOVE the "Cut the Pickle...tickle, tickle" joke and you absolutely adore being tickled. And tickled. And tickled some more, until my fingers are sore. And how can I resist? If tickling your round belly weren't reward enough, your delicious and infectious giggles and laughter are the icing on the cake!

Wiggles, May 2010

My dear, sweet child. You mean more to me than words will ever be able to say. You are my heart and soul. You mean everything to me. You have challenged and stretched me, and have brought more joy to my life - and the life of our family - than I ever thought possible.

These past two years have been treasures! I can't wait to see what the next two - and beyond - will bring! I love you, Wiggles, with all my heart!

Love, Mommy

(ETA: To our distant loved ones, I'm sorry there are no current pictures of Wiggles. Sadly, we haven't had a camera the past couple of months, so these are our most recent photos. But she was almost as cute then as she is now, so you get the idea....)

Little Sweetheart

As I've mentioned before, Wiggles loves praying. Up until this point, however, her prayers have simply consisted of repeating what we whisper to her, usually to the effect of "Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for this day. We thank Thee for this food. We ask Thee to bless it, to nourish and strengthen our bodies. Please help us to be kind, and to do what is right. In Jesus' name, Amen." She has gotten to the point where she can repeat this almost verbatim, and generally does just that (though usually she prefers the helpful promptings). Even her elder brother and sister often repeat very similar prayers, and we are constantly encouraging them to try to add new or different things to their prayers. Still, when Wiggles prays, you always know exactly what you'll get.

Until yesterday, that is, when she mixed things up a bit. At breakfast (The Mr. was already at school) I went through my normal promptings and she repeated everything beautifully. Until the end. When I started to say "In the name..." she cut me off and said "No, Mommy! Bless Daddy!"

"OK" I said, a little surprised but willing to follow her lead, "Please bless Daddy, in the name..."

"No! Bless Daddy on his BIKE!"

"OK, Please bless Daddy on his bike, in the name..."

"No! Please bless Daddy on his bike - SAFE!"

(Impressed at her detail and this new change of events!) "OK, Please bless Daddy to be SAFE on his bike....anything else?"

"Daddy on his bike, safe on the ROAD! Name of Jesus Christ, AMEN!"

The kids and I had a good laugh about that, but the Mr. was just thrilled when we relayed the story to him later. What a sweet and thoughtful little Wiggles!

I LOVE (and, at times, loathe!) her ever-evolving independence! And she is now at one of my most favorite stages - the one I affectionately refer to as "Kids Say the Darndest Things!"

This morning she was snuggling in my bed when I asked "Are you my little snuggle-bug?" to which she responded "No! I'm just a widdow gowo (little girl)!"

Every time she is struggling to do something on her own, I'll ask "(Wiggles), can I help you?" to which she always responds "No! I'm fine!" (I have a video of this - can anyone tell me how to post it???)

MY FAVORITE: Yesterday, a man at church asked her how old she was, and she simply responded "18 muntz." I could scarcely believe my ears - I have never heard her say this before, but what's more, I haven't told anyone that for several months; I usually just respond that she's "Almost 2" or "2 in November" when questioned....so that's something she's had up her sleeve for quite awhile and probably just never had the occasion to use it until now. I found that hilarious.

Ah, I love my children. They bring such joy - and laughter! - into my life, each day!

Humid

I have a love-hate relationship with the humidity here. I hate that it makes a warm day seem unbearably hot and sticky. But love that it makes Wiggles' hair do this:

So somehow, it's worth the mugginess. :)

the Miss Independence-s

Although it's August now, we have two young girls who still insist on celebrating their own personal independence each and every day. It is delightful. (Grins does too, in his own ways, but his sisters seem a bit more adamant about it at times. He is our agreeable peace-maker most of the time!)

Angel, who is 5 and will be entering Kindergarten in just a couple of months, no longer needs help reading at all! During our morning devotionals we help each child read a verse of scripture. It never occurred to us to have Angel do it on her own because we assumed the scriptures would be 'too difficult'. But a couple of weeks ago, Angel just began reading her verse before we could even start. She got through even the longest of words without so much as a second thought, and the Mr. and I looked at one another with tear-filled eyes as we realized how much our baby has grown. Now she's just a regular old reader, as if she's been reading her entire life. She devours every book she can find, and is particularly helpful at reading books to her younger siblings if I need to get dinner on the table. She is often asking "Mommy, why does that sign say ----?" or "What does ----- mean?" I am amazed and proud and a little bit sad all at the same time. Would that I could make time stand still, I love my children so much and am enjoying them and this stage in their lives, so signs of progress are bittersweet. But I'm pleased with her nonetheless.

Aside from the reading, Angel's writing and artistic abilities are flowering as well. Several weeks ago we wrote letters to "Uncle Adam" - our brother/uncle who is busy serving a full time mission for our church. She insisted on writing a letter herself:

For those of you not fluent in Kindergarten-ese, this: "To Umkul Abum Hav u gr8 (clock) techyng at pypels (house)is" read this: "To Uncle Adam, Have a great time teaching at peoples houses." I love her creativity! :)

Wiggles, on the other hand, is busy asserting her independence in other ways. When I try to do anything for her (from helping brush her teeth to getting her dressed to helping her down the stairs) she insists "No! Self!" (meaning: No, I want to do this myself!") I try to allow for her independence but must be more vigilant about keeping my eye on her while doing so; the other day she pulled a big box of crayons off the counter, resulting in crayons all over the floor. I said "(Wiggles), let's clean the crayons up!" and began putting the crayons back in the box. "No! Self!" she demanded, so I left her and the crayons while I went to start breakfast. I didn't give it another thought (you'd think I would have considered the danger of crayons by now, having 2 older children!) until a moment later when I noticed the silence...(silence + an 18 mo old= MESS!) I ran to check on her and this is what I found:

In case you can't tell, that's black crayon ALL over my lovely, new, hardwood floors. And Wiggles eating the crayon. And smiling. And this picture only shows about 1/3 of the damage. Thank goodness crayon rubs off or I would have been crying instead of taking a picture.

I love my girls and I know their independent spirits will serve them well in life!

Having Fun

We are loving living on a very quiet street. So few cars ever come by that, as long as we are near, the children have free reign of the street, greatly expanding their practice of bike and scooter riding. Last week I took off their training wheels, and Angel has been soaring around on her own ever since. Grins, on the other hand, has decided to ride his scooter instead. :) And Wiggles' sweet little legs aren't yet long enough to reach the pedals on her tricycle, so she often gets frustrated, but she can get around fairly quickly just by scooting! I think it's hilarious that she insists on wearing her helmet to scoot around, just because the 'big kids' are wearing theirs!

Memorization before Dictation

One of Wiggles' first words was "Men" (meaning "amen"). At about 8 months of age, she would fold her arms whenever we said "Let's pray" and, shortly thereafter, she would state "men" when the prayer was finished (or slightly before, if she was particularly hungry).

At our morning family devotional each day, we recite this little poem:

"Read the Book of Mormon, read it every day;

Before you start to study, don't forget to pray!"

One day (before she turned 1....yes, I'm behind in my posts!), as we began reciting it together, we said "Read the Book of Mormon, read it every..." and Wiggles suddenly surprised us by shouting out "DAY!" We all laughed and, thinking it was a coincidence, continued with the poem. "Before you start to study, don't forget..." "PAY!" Wiggles shouted before we even said "to", and had folded her little arms before we realized what was happening. Our sweet little baby, who has yet to put two words together, has apparently already memorized our little ditty. Hmmmm, maybe we should start reciting the Pledge of Allegiance? :)

(By the way, Wiggles is now speaking much better....I wrote this post a few months ago but didn't have access to my pictures until now. And most of the time I refuse to post without a picture because, IMO, the picture makes the post. Especially when it's one of my adorable children. :) )

Moving on to the real thing...

Apparently, playing with baby dolls is no longer enough for Angel. Now she's dressing, bundling, and snuggling Wiggles to death. Fortunately Wiggles is a happily willing participant (for at least a minute or two) and it is seriously the sweetest thing! I love my girls! :)

The Best Of Intentions

Being early to church is super important to me, especially since I've been in charge of setting up for Primary before church starts. Last week we were going to a mission farewell and had to leave extra early, so we were totally on top of things and all ready to go about half an hour before we had to leave. Since we had extra time I decided to actually do my hair cute for once (it's the last thing I do so it usually doesn't get done well....). I was in the bathroom for a while curling, etc, and assumed the Mr. was cleaning up breakfast. When I came out, just when it was time for us to leave for church, I discovered that Wiggles had found (and very much enjoyed) Grins' leftover, nutella-covered crepe. All over her and her clothes. Fantastic. :) (Although I can't say I blame her, I LOVE nutella!)