I Know Some New Tricks

I will show them to you.

Your mother will not mind at all if I do.

I can roll over these chunks and get that small man.

I can eat that small man. I can eat him I can.

Look at me!

Look at me!

Look at me now!

It is fun to have fun

But you have to know how.

I can sit by myself.

I can fall while I drool.

I can drool lots of drool while I sit (by the pool).
But that is not all. Oh, no. That is not all...

Thou Shalt Cuddle With Your Children.

I’m pretty sure that is the eleventh commandment.

Something about the safety of his own bed, the weight of his parent’s arm and the darkness of night that open’s a child’s mouth to divulge the deepest inter-workings of his mind. The request comes nightly with one of our children. Even though it is the most precious time in all of motherhood, the dishes, laundry, baby, shower all pull me in another direction. I wish I could accept his invitation every night, for I obtain the most valuable information and sustaining upliftment from each cuddle session.

Some kind of truth serum enters the blood stream at cuddle time. He tells me of things that were done or said that he seems uncertain about the appropriateness of. We discuss what is okay and what is not. I probe for more information and he willingly spills the dirt on everyone including himself.

He tells me of his lost sweetheart of 2 years, who has decided he is too naughty to marry and has turned her eyes to someone new. Then shares that he has a new prospect that he will have to marry because she is the only girl that likes him now. Her sister told him so at church and she hugged him once. He has come to accept it because she has a fast, black quad that runs on gas.

Last night was particularly entertaining. I climbed in his bed and after giving him a big hug, I said, “Thank you for being in my family.”

He laughed, “I am always in your family.”

I added, “Thank you for picking me to be your mommy.”

“How did I pick you?” he asked.

“In heaven, when we were picking mommies, you picked me,” I explained.

Not a second pause and he remembered; “Well, I almost picked Grandma.”

“So what made you pick me?” I had to know.

“Because you looked better.”

That’s it…sustaining upliftment, I am still smiling.

Oinkity, Oink, Oinker

There are days that are spent in their entirety eating food. Never much of an eater before, Brik has suddenly become quite the oinker. The past few months he will eat until his little tummy is busting out his sides, it really is a strange phenomenon to see with your own eyes. Without the third dimension, the pictures really don’t give the full effect. His skin gets so tight over his hard-as-a-rock abdomen, while his sides bulge over his bitty hips.

This is the pre-binge-belly.

It all starts with a cucumber.

And by bed time you have this.

And this. Ey yi yi.

Mission: Breakfast in Bed

Layne pushes hard for independence. I have to really weigh the severity of the possible mistakes that might be encountered from the task he is requesting. He is beginning to have more successes than injuries, crying, messes and broken objects. This week he cooked his own lunch. I was without a clear view of the kitchen, nursing the baby. All he asked me “How much fire; big, medium or little?” When he was done, I asked him how he did. He said “Really good, I didn’t even get any cracks!” I guess he was most worried about getting shell in his egg than, I don’t know…getting burned.

We'd Better Cover the Plants!

The temperature has dipped into the seventies, back to winter wear for these Arizona boys.

It reminds me of warm spring weather in Iowa when we would dig out our shorts on those days that it got up in the fifties and spend all day outside "enjoying the weather."

That Boy Talks Funny

Conversations with Brik usually involve a lot of “What was that?” “Say that again.” And “I don’t know what you are saying.” He is incredibly patient in repeating and repeating and even just letting go of any chance of understanding at times. This boy is a jabber box and I find it quite entertaining, much like a puzzle to figure out what he is saying or even more fun, what he is meaning to say.

The biggest challenges come when he is relaying experiences where I wasn’t involved. Like when he was telling me “At Papa’s there are a lot of teeth.” I knew this was wrong, but I didn’t know what I was missing until he said “No, like duck, duck, goose.” Ah, Papa has a lot of geese, this is true.

Some times he is brilliant, like when he asked “Mom, why do you say soup every time you eat your soup?” referring to the slurping sound I make when I take a bite. Hmmm, I never thought of that.

Other times he thinks he is brilliant, like when I was writing in my journal and he wanted me to write I am a child of God. He said “ I will tell you the letters to write; i-em-a-ida-a-dod.” Then he continued to “spell” it, and check my writing.

Best of all, he cracks me up without any intention of humor. When we were watching President Uchtdorf speak in General Conference, Brik said “That guy talks funny.”

Incase You Haven't Heard

I was given an award.

Guess Who Got His First Tooth?

Lots of drool, chewing on fingers, irritability; points to a milestone for this 6 1/2 month baby. Yesterday Roxwell had a fever all day and I thought the eruption was imminent. Alas, no dice. Roxwell is happy, healthy and toothless! This nursing mama is thanking her lucky stars.

Preschool Smeschool

I have felt a little guilty with my decsision not to send Brik to preschool. It is mostly about money ($100 a month is a bill I can do without, thank you), but also because Brik is so easy to be around. Working around a preschool schedule would be more of a hassle than a break. With Layne it was more about the structure for him and the peace for me.

No worries, the priveldged older brother teaches Brik everything he needs to know. He works with him on counting, singing, reading, writing and even speech. Brik soaks it all in and copies it to the best of his ability. He is such a great student.

Layne made these stick puppets at school. He is going to be in his first school production next week. He plays the dish who runs away with the spoon.

Our Whole Family Has the Swine Flu

That's right, Layne made the announcement to an older couple at the swimming pool last week. Don't we all look awful?