Random experiences I want to remember about this past week
I had so much fun being a mom to my kids today. They did so many cute and funny things. I wanted to try and remember some of them:
- Alisa (4) has refused to say prayers for a long time. She would not help us and we decided not to fight it. So we have been saying her nightly prayers for her for a while. Recently she became much more helpful and would do 1 or 2 things in each prayer. Today she did the whole thing by herself and she even add “And I’m thankful … that I love Hyrum.” It was very sweet.
- Alisa has also never had a desire to repeat anything if we want her to. So she would never repeat prayers, scriptures, lessons from FHE, etc. This past week she suddenly wanted to repeat things. On Sunday she wanted to read scriptures a lot. So she repeated 10 scriptures straight! Joe was reading to her about Jesus being baptized. After they read and discussed their readings together, they watched the Bible Video of Jesus being baptized (especially looking for the Holy Ghost coming in the sign of a dove). She was so attentive. I love this newfound side of her.
- Hyrum (2) and Alisa did a great job sharing and taking turns today. I tried to complement them frequently for their good behavior. When one had something that the other wanted, they came to me and asked when it could be their turn. I told them to ask the person who had it. An example – Hyrum had the new pink “bike” and Alisa wanted it. She came to me asking when it could be her turn. I told her to ask Hyrum, not me. Hyrum told her in 2 minutes. True to his word, after a few minutes he got off and told her it was her turn. This happened many times throughout the day. I loved it!
- During Alisa’s songs before bed last night (she and Hyrum get 2 nightly from each parent with a total of 4 songs each) she wanted song 42. I was kind of not in the mood for playing games, and told her that I didn’t know which song 42 was. She insisted that I did. When I continued to tell her that I didn’t know, she said “It’s song 42 in the Children Song Book!” Finally after she realized that I really didn’t know which song she meant, she consent to tell me “Away in a manger.” Her memory is way too good.
- We played baseball for our home evening activity tonight. We used whiffle balls and a plastic bat. We helped the kids hit for a while and then decided to teach them to run bases. After designating 1st and 2nd bases as trees, and 3rd base as our mailbox, I pitched to the kids and then Joe. Joe helped them hit it in the road each time and then tried to get them to run to the bases as I went chasing after the ball. It was hilarious. Alisa was upset that one tree was left out and ran there between 2nd and 3rd base. At one point, I held Benjamin (now 5 months) and Benjamin held the bat. Joe pitched to us and we managed to hit the ball. Of course we got out before we made it to the tree, but that might have been because I was laughing too hard. All in all it was a great activity.
- During FHE I was giving a lesson on the roles of Mommy’s and Daddy’s. We started off discussing that the Family Proclamation taught us that a man and a woman needed to be married. I showed a picture of Joe and I outside the Idaho Falls Temple just after we were married. Alisa said that we needed to go inside the temple to be married. I told her that she was right, but that the Temple is a very sacred place, and so we can’t take pictures inside the temple. We get married inside and then take pictures outside. Alisa then said something like “and then you get a big treat in there.” Joe and I couldn’t tell what she meant, but she was adamant that we got some treat in the temple.
- This past Sunday Alisa actually responded to an adult in Primary. She usually acts really afraid if she is spoken to, but she actually participated in the game during singing time. What a big moment for her (and me). I think I may have broken the ice a bit last week when I asked her to be my special helper and pass out some rocks for my sharing time. I am excited that she may be coming out of her shell, so to speak. Not many people know just how smart she is. They also started learning the song “I like to look for rainbows” which Alisa knows from us playing together in the Primary songbook. As soon as our pianist started playing it Alisa said “That song is in the Children’s Songbook!” The music leader was delighted that Alisa had volunteered a comment. I’m waiting for her to someday shout out “And it’s on page 103!”
