Out of the Mouths of Babes

I delight in Junior Sharing Time every Sunday. Why? Because of moments like this:

The Sister Missionaries were special guests in the Primary last Sunday. The children were a captive audience as the missionaries explained the joys of missionary work. Then, the missionaries posed a question and asked: "So how many of you boys and girls want to be missionaries when you grow up?"

Their inquiry was answered predictably by hands shooting up around the room, including my Noah on the front row. Noah was not content to answer the question with merely a raise of hand. He stood up and chanted: "Hey, Hey, Hey!" until the missionaries acknowledged him.

The missionaries called on him and asked him to share his thoughts. He said enthusiastically: "When I grow up..." (At this point, I held my breath, awaiting a spiritually-mature comment about how he wants to be the best missionary someday and teach everyone about Jesus. I prepared to flash my humble mother smile as my sweet Sunbeam son in his Sunday suit and tie continued what I assumed to be the aforementioned darling comment.)

He paused, then his eyes narrowed, his voice dropping into an ominous growl: "I am going to KILL ALL THE BAD GUYS."

A collective gasp sounded from the Primary children and the teachers alike. No one expected murderous confessions to be a part of this uplifting and motivational discussion about sharing the gospel. The missionaries, clearly caught off-guard, stammered for a moment and then recovered, cleverly: "But we should never kill people. Instead of killing them, we should teach the bad guys the gospel! And then, when they learn about Jesus, they will probably want to change, and then the bad guys will turn into good guys!"

Noah pondered on this alternative for a moment. The sister missionaries prompted him: "Don't you think that would be a good idea?"

(I looked desperately at Noah, trying to capture his attention with my feverish head nods and subliminal messages: "Yes, Noah! Just say 'YES' and tell the nice missionary ladies that you want to be a good non-violent man when you grow up and help Heavenly Father by converting every bad guy! Killing is BAD! Sharing the gospel is GOOD!")

Noah paused and then spoke up resolutely with a sense of finality in his voice: "No, I think I will just kill them all."

Oh, Noah. Apparently he did not get my subliminal messages. I did not know I was raising the Inforcer.

Our 2-year-old

Jake turned 2! There were only 2 possible parties I might have had for Jake--a football party or a horse party. We went for the horse theme because what other kind of party could you have on the day of the Kentucky Derby??

The Kentucky Piepers would never miss a good Derby Party so they came down from Provo, and my Mom flew out from Kentucky. We were so happy to have them here for the big day.

The party was a success, mostly thanks to the planning of my mother. She came into town last week and brought with her many derby favors all the way from Kentucky--like this background for the perfect photo op:

Each guest selected a derby contender, at random, by drawing from a stack of these nifty cards Grandma and Chief designed in honor of the occasion.

We snacked and talked during all that pre-derby commentary, but then the bugle sounded and we crowded around the tv. We passed out lyrics to "My Old Kentucky Home" and while singing it, I got the chills thinking of "my old Kentucky home, far away." Even though we are far from Churchill Downs, I doubt anyone celebrates the Derby with more enthusiasm than we do every year! And Jake and his love for horses made this year's celebration all the better!

Our little house was packed with friends and family cheering for their horses through what has been called "the most exciting 2 minutes in sports." The birthday boy sat on my lap and yelled and neighed through the whole race. Noah on the other hand, had to be consoled by Kyle through most of the race because his horse, who started out strong, fell behind and wasn't a winner. The champion was Christian and his horse Animal Kingdom. Congrats, CJ!

After the race, we had birthday cake and that was the most excited I have seen a kid during a happy birthday song. Jake's smile was from ear to ear, and he looked around the room in awe at all the people singing for him. After the song, we finished up with Jake's trademark "Party! Party! Party!" chant and double fist pumps. He was beyond happy. He deserved a day like this!

Happy Birthday, Jake! You are a delight!

Beach

Interesting how different Noah and Jake's experiences were at the beach.

Starting with Noah. He had the most fun burying and excavating the dinosaurs we brought, all in the biggest sandbox he's ever seen.

and collecting beach treasures like shells and seaweed.

after playing for a long time, he ventured down to the water's edge.

But a few minutes later, a wave came and knocked him down. He cried for a long time. After a few minutes of offering sympathy, I couldn't help from taking a picture of the aftermath (cruel, I know).

He told me later when we were walking to our car that he had been afraid that he "was going to die." Even though there was no serious threat of that, it was still traumatic for the kid. Knowing that, I feel even worse for taking a picture!

I wasn't sure with all the trauma if he would have any positive memories, but this is what he just told me about his beach experience: "I liked playing. With the toys. I mean, in the sand. I did NOT like when I put my feet in the water. Because there was a big wave coming and I fell down. That is not my favorite." Well at least his memories were partly positive! One last contemplative picture of Noah.

What about Jake? He dug in the sand too,

but only for a few minutes before moving on to more exciting adventures like chasing seagulls.

Of course he had to bring his "mimi" along on his beach wandering. That is something I'll never forget-- seeing him run up and down the beach with all the energy in the world, dragging his blankie behind him.

He put his feet in the water too.

You can tell as he clung to Aunt Debbie's leg for dear life, he was a little timid at first, especially after seeing Noah's experience. But after the first minute or two, he loved it. And when he went down in a wave like Noah did, Jake only laughed!

All of us at the end of the day...still smiling!

Beautiful Backyard, Oranges, and Goats

During our California visit, we spent some time at Aunt Debbie's house who lives near Redondo Beach. She showed us a good time--which included exploring her spacious terraced backyard, picking and eating oranges, and visiting the zoo of animals at her neighbors' houses.

The backyard:

can you spot little Jake?

Noah enjoyed stomping through the rocky paths and shrubbery, pretending to be a --what else--dinosaur.
The oranges were delicious and so juicy! The fruit trees are one reason to love California.
Jake especially loved them.

Noah loved climbing the trees.

And then, the animals. Besides Aunt Debbie's pet dogs that the boys fell in love with, we saw wild peacocks, chickens and roosters, snakes, hamsters, and the cutest little baby goats.

Beach pictures to come...

California

We spent some time down in California for a week this month and had some good quality time with Kyle's family. Our first reason for going was Tayler's baptism. The timing of the trip worked out so we could also attend Cousin Whitney's missionary homecoming. But the third family event was a sad one--just before our trip, Kyle's uncle Kenny passed away suddenly. We were able to attend his funeral while we were down there. It was a beautiful service. Funerals are certainly not happy gatherings, but that kind of thing really makes you appreciate those family relationships and the time spent together.

A visual expression of the sweetness of family relationships:

The boys had a great time with the Morgan girls (and boy!). We were lucky to stay with Brooke and her family in their brand new house!

I wish I had a picture of the real house, it was beautiful. Curtis and Brooke did a great job of fixing it up and making it amazing. We had a blast staying with their family for the week. I'll never forget those dance parties! Those Morgans know how to have a good time! We were so proud of Tayler for being baptized. We really love her (which must be why Kyle butted in on the sweet mother-daughter picture)!

Noah's Turn

Noah loves art time (even though that smile above is the fakest smile in the world). His favorite colors are black, brown, and white. We have been working on drawing and writing stories together. He is quite creative and most of his stories revolve around dinosaurs or dragons. Here's an example: "Once upon a time there was a lizard. He said, 'Stay away, I'm angry.' He said: 'Go away. You are not in our town.' Then the lion got died, because the lizard cut him with his tail. He put the scissors on his tail, and they opened and closed. Then he cut the lion's sharp teeth. Then the dragon ate him up. (The lion up). Then the lizard was safe." Another page from his journal:

He is becoming more aware of emotions and appropriate ways to handle them. The other day after waking up from his nap, he walked up to me with the saddest Noah face I've ever seen. Holding back tears, trying to control his shaky voice, he stammered: "Mama....I am....kind of.......upset." I asked him why (his box full of dinosaur treasures wasn't where he left it). I helped him find the box I had relocated, and all was well again. I was so proud of him for using words instead of having a meltdown.

Noah is quite the little conversationalist. He interacts in such a grown up way. When we stayed over at Grammy's house for a few days while Uncle Derek and family were visiting, he would start up conversations with the adults in the house. He used the most pleasant tone of voice (use your imagination...reading it just won't do it justice): "Hello, Derek. How was your sleep?" or "So, Grammy, how is your day?" Last Sunday after going to church and playing in the snow, we sat down for hot cocoa and Noah sighed contentedly and said: "What a nice day with the family."

His vocabulary is growing. Lately he has been working on differentiating between comments and questions. He will say: "I have a comment for you. I love you..." and then "Mom, was that a comment? What is a question and what is a comment again?" Or this: "Daddy, I have a question for you. Do you love dinosaurs?...That is a question, right?" Along the same lines, his dinosaur vocabulary is one fit for a paleontologist. Using words such as species, carnivore/ herbivore/ omnivore, Cretaceous Time Period, sail, spine, bony frill, wingspan, etc.

The child is obsessed. I gave him a present for Valentine's Day, the cutest book ever about a little boy who does art. But when he opened it, he started crying and choked out: "But this isn't a dinosaur book!" Since then, I decided to give in to the obsession and not bother him with presents or books or activities that involve subjects other than dinosaurs. And we started Dinosaur School. (This gets a post of its own another day.)

The other day, Papa asked Noah what he wanted to be when he grew up. His answer doesn't really make sense, but it was funny: "When I was a big boy, I was a paleontologist. And all the kids came to my dinosaur town and said 'Noah you are so cool!'"

Noah, you are so cool!!

Jake at 22 months

I have been thinking much lately about this particular stage of Jake's life--specifically the personality traits that are emerging and his current interests and preferences. Sum it all up in a sentence: Jake is a sweet boy with a tender heart and a very strong attachment to certain people and things. A few of his preferences:

* "Me Me" is the name for his beloved blankie. He still carries it around for much of the day and sleeps with it every night.

(No, he is not potty trained...he just likes to wear Diego underwear over his diaper. Thanks, Grandma for the idea.)

Whatever the sleeping position, the blankie must always be touching his face.

Yes, he fell asleep in that position. Don't ask me how he sleeps in the middle of that mess.

* Mama. He is still a little mama's boy. He cries most times when I leave in the mornings to go running or to a meeting of some kind...but I hear that he is getting better, and that the tears only last a few seconds. Nursery is another story. It's amazing that his 6 months of nursery visits have not diminished the Sunday tantrums. A friend of mine told me one Sunday she heard blood curdling screams from the nursery, and ran down the hall to investigate, expecting to see carnage of some kind. But after peeking in the window, she saw which child it was (mine, obviously) and said to herself: "Oh it's just the usual." Sometimes when I talk to people about Jake's continued aversion to nursery, I give the expected exasperated what-is-a-mother-to-do!? reaction, but really the most part of me just feels tenderness towards sweet Jake. His tantrums are more a hatred for nursery than love for his mother, but it tells me he still prefers me and our home!

* And of course the rest of the family. When Jake hears the garage door open, he perks up immediately. His eyes go wide and his smile spreads from ear to ear and he yells giddily: "DADDDDEEEE!!!" Without exception he drops whatever he is doing at the moment and runs full speed to the back door to welcome Daddy. Jake gives a similar reaction every morning. Always the first one up, Jake busies himself with television or food until hearing the first stirring noises from Noah in the bedroom. Jake gasps and his eyes light up while whispers almost reverently: "Owahhhhhhh!" (translation: "Noah"). As much as he enjoys being around mom all day, he definitely appreciates the company of Big Brother and Dad.

* Horses. This boy loves himself some horses. Although his vocabulary is growing slowly but steadily, "Horsie" is still the most frequently used word. It is also the answer to most questions. How are you, Jake? "Horsie." What do you want for lunch? "Horsie" Where did Daddy go? "Horsie." I will point out that he is perfectly capable of pronouncing the words "good" "cookies" and "work"...but even so, he defaults to "horsie".

* Athletic apparel. This is the main source of tantrum throwing. He thrashes his little body around when I try to clothe him in anything that does not include a football or basketball or team name. I've gotten smart and convinced him that clothes with numbers or words are also football clothes. This trick has significantly expanded his wardrobe and cut back on the fashionista

tantrums.

And so, little Jake seems to be developing a strong personality, but also a tender heart with a lot of love to give. What a good combination.