A few anecdotes

Parker

Parker is having so much fun exercising his imagination this summer. He has been doing lots of reading and enjoys getting lost in the worlds his books describe. But the best part is how these worlds inspire the adventures, projects, games, etc. that he chooses to do when he's not reading.

For example, he loves to draw dragons and create all the 'rules' that govern them - like what powers they have, what can hurt them, what makes them stronger, and so on... the ones that he can ride, the ones that Lincoln can ride, the ones that are enemies...

The other day he said, "I'm one quarter mutant, one quarter wizard, one quarter potionist, and one quarter vampire." And then a little later he said, "Well those are the things I pretend to be, but what I REALLY am is a special effects expert."




Lincoln

Lincoln LOVES to ask, "Why?" All day long... no matter what we're talking about... we can't move on from a conversation until he's asked "why?" at least a dozen times. It usually doesn't bother me too much. I actually kind of like trying to come up with explanations he can understand - like it's a little game between the two of us.

But sometimes he asks "why?" when I give him an assignment, and I have to say, "I don't have time to explain right now - I just need you to do it." Well the other day right after Parker and Lincoln finished their morning chores, I asked him to do something (I think Anndra had spilled some water and I told him to get me a towel from the kitchen). And instead of saying "why?" he said, "But I already DID my jobs."

I could tell he wasn't trying to get out of doing work. He just honestly wanted to know why I was giving him another chore to do. So I answered, "This isn't a job - this is a favor - and because you love me, you should want to help me out." A big 'light-bulb-coming-on' expression came over his face (like "Ooooh, now I get it!") and he ran like lightning to get that towel.




Anndra

Anndra is talking more and more every day. She has been a lot happier lately and I think it is because her improved speech has eased her frustration from being less-able to communicate. One of her cutest recent phrases is: "Got you!" She likes to run across the room, grab her blanket (or teddy bear or doll) and yell, "Got you!" - as though this inanimate object had been trying to run away from her. Silly girl.

Months ago when she was just saying her first words, we liked to make up little tricks to get her to say these early words. One trick was to push her in the swing way up high over our heads and hold her up there saying "Ready...?" - we wouldn't let go until she said "Go!" Now fast forward to a family scripture study last week. Like an echo, she was repeating each word of a sentence: "...and [and] they [they] stood [stood] ready..." at which point she paused and - instead of repeating the word 'ready' - looked around with a smile and squealed "Go!"

She is also becoming a great little helper in the kitchen. Every time she hears me start to cook something, she runs over to the table, pulls out a chair, pushes it over next to me and climbs up. She takes it all very seriously. You can see (below) the concentration on her face as she stirs the eggs for the french toast we were making. What a doll.



I love these kids!!!