Wednesday, Jan 27
This morning or sometime this week, I talked to the girls about Oliver Cowdery - a friend of Joseph Smith's who became his scribe. I told them about how Oliver had been a teacher and had learned to read and write really well. Oliver wanted to be helpful and when he prayed about how he could help, he had the thought to go to Joseph Smith and help with translating the Book of Mormon. I was thinking specifically about this verse from Doctrine and Covenants 6:10: "Behold, thou hast a gift, and blessed art thou because of thy gift. Remember it is sacred and cometh from above." I told the girls that just like Oliver had a gift (he had worked really hard to learn to read and write well), we all had gifts too.
Since that little discussion, all throughout the day Emma would tell me about her gifts. "Mom! I have the gift of being a good listener and can understand things really well." She's right. She is an incredible listener and understands and retains so much information. Some mornings I read to the girls from a history book called Stories of the World. They are often coloring or playing while I read and sometimes I think they aren't listening or getting much from the stories. So I'll stop and ask some comprehension questions. Emma always knows the answers. And then, whenever I run or wash the dishes or laundrym, etc. I often listen to podcasts. I am currently listening to one about the presidents. Emma will walk in, realize I'm listening to something, ask me to pause it and tell her what it's about, and then we resume the podcast and she carefully listens. She loves listening and learning and is very good at it.
A few weeks ago, as I was walking out of Emma's room at bedtime she said, "Mom, I think God wants me to write a book. I have so many ideas of books to write. I need to do it." Yea, I believe that. She is full of ideas and is truly like a little factory with all her stories and art production. She's also been talking about wanting to make more money for a while now. Today she said she wanted to write and illustrate a book and then sell it on facebook for 10 dollars.
Everytime she tells me something like this I realize I need to do some educating about money and making money - not just for the kids, but myself as well. I didn't have an allowance growing up, but I think that might be a good idea for the kids and helping them learn about money. I also didn't pay for any of my own clothes, etc. and I think that would also be good for the kids. Anyway, just something I was thinking about today.
I just love seeing these cute babies in their highchairs and hearing them slap their little trays when they are excited or ready for more food.
And I love to see their happy faces when I come to get them from their naps.
Wednesdays are half-days for Emma and Alice has preschool and the babies and Lucy were all napping - so Emma got an Emma-Mommy date! I asked her what she wanted to do and she just wanted me to come down and play with her in her city. She is so creative and it was fun listening to her play.
The other thing Emma wanted to do during our Mommy-Emma date was cook something from her recipe book. I was upstairs taking care of the babies or Lucy when Emma appeared with an apron on and cookbook in hand. "Mom, I am making cookies." Wait - what? "I have my cookbook and I can get down all the stuff." Let me look at that book. Hmmm...well, I would never say no to cookies, but these are chocolate-chip cookies and we happen to be out of chocolate chips. "Oh well," says Emma, "I can just make them without chocolate chips!" As much as I love cookies, I know Dallas is trying to help us not make so many sweets... and again, we don't have chocolate chips.
I encourage Emma to see what other recipes are in her book. She ends up choosing a yogurt one. She gets out three bowls and some yogurt and dumps the yogurt into each bowl. Then she gets some toppings like berries and bananas. Lucy has woken from her nap and wants to eat hers right away. i ask Emma if she wants hers right now as well. "Nope. I will wait for Alice to get home." Such self control. And so she waits. And finally Alice gets home and they all enjoy their fancy yogurt dessert made by Chef Emma.
Just showing you what the babes are doing while the girls are enjoying their yogurt. I feel bad sometimes that the babies aren't in pictures with the girls, so I feel like I should take a pic of them so everybody knows they were also there... just not doing the same thing, obviously.
It's nighttime and Dallas, Emma, and Alice are probably downstairs practicing violin, or possibly playing with the massive city. And Lucy and I are upstairs CLEANING! One of my favorite things to do and Lucy's too! Well, Lucy just likes to help - whether it's cleaning or cooking or feeding babies. She's naturally a great helper - super observant and proactive. The moment she sees an opportunity to help, she's there, often with her stool.
Tonight it was vacuuming, so no stool necessary. She insisted on doing it "by my yelf."
Aww. Look who else came to help.
Yes, the sweetest and cutest helpers of all time.
After vacuuming, Lucy also helped me mop the kitchen floor, which was a TRUE CHORE. Holy cow, that floor gets dirty.
Alice was really excited to make this "cookie" for me and Dallas. It had a "candle" on top, complete with a yellow "fire" for us to blow out. She made sure that Dallas and I ate it together.
Lucy saw me take a picture of Alice and asked that I take one of her as well.
She's cute and silly and happy and we love her.
Both girlies together. It's funny - they are two years apart, but I feel like Lucy is quickly catching up to Alice in size.
And Emma, doing a little brain pop before bed. Another example of what a great listener and understander she is. She loves learning things and brainpop is one way she does that.
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