Libby's Prayer

I try very hard not to laugh when a child is praying. First of all, I don't want them to think they are making a mistake - I want them to feel free to pray as they feel. Second, I don't want them to think prayer time is a time for entertainment.

But sometimes it simply cannot be helped and a laugh sneaks out.

Two weeks ago, Libby said the family prayer before bed. It went something like this:

"Heavenly Father (she often forgets this part),

Thank us for the day.

Thank us to sleep good.

Help us to be bed and snuggli.

Thank us to be good.

Thank us to be good.

Thank us to be good.

Thank us to be good.

Thank us to be good.

Thank us to be good.

Thank us to be good.

Thank us to be good.

Thank us to be good.

Thank us to be good.

Thank us to be good.

Thank us to be good.

Thank us to be good.

Thank us to do school.

Thank us to draw things.

Thank us to draw mad face, smoochi face, mad face, smoochi face, mad face, smoochi face, mad face, smoochi face.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

We all lost it in the end.

Who Did This?

I have a dry erase calendar hanging on the wall. Last evening I noticed someone had erased most of the calendar. I said, "Hey! Who erased my calendar?"

I knew it couldn't be Lincoln because the calendar was too high. I looked at the other three. Isn't it funny how, as a mom, you know which child is guilty just by looking at them?

Maria just laughed because she thought it was silly. She was too relaxed. Nope. Wasn't her.

Hudson immediately said, "I definitely did NOT do that." Don't you love when you ask "who did this" and the answers you get are for the question "who did not do this"? But, no, wasn't him. He would have a guilty grin.

I turned to Libby. She looked cherubic. And it looked fake. I figured I'd better question her.

"Libby, did you do it?"

"No!" she replied.

"Are you sure you didn't do it?"

"It was the bad guys and the ghost!"

Mmm-hmm. Thought it was her.

Where'd My Baby Go?

I was holding Libby today. She is looking so big. I can't believe she's three and, believe me, she acts much older sometimes. I was looking at her, noticing how beautiful she's getting, wondering where the baby went.

"Libby, I can't believe you're so big," I said with a sigh. "Where'd my baby go?"

Libby replied, "In you mouth."

And We're Back

It's been a while, hasn't it? Time just goes by so fast! Especially when spring suddenly appears. We've been spending all our time outside, soaking up that warm sunshine.

These are the "farmers". They are gathering "hay" (grass torn from our lawn) for the "horses" and "cows" and "pigs". I feel like that's an "excessive" amount of "quotation" "marks".

It seems Libby is perpetually digging. She's putting her new birthday gardening tools to good use.

We don't need the actually trampoline in the frame to have fun. Although, a couple days after I took this picture, we did put up the trampoline and the kids have lived on it ever since.

It really has been wonderful out there.

I wish I would write more things down. The kids are saying and doing so many funny things but if I don't write it down immediately it goes right on out of my head. Hudson said more funny things last night at scripture study and I thought, "oh, that's going on the blog." But half an hour later it was lost.

I do remember one thing. Ethan was asking if I wanted to live in such-a-such place and I said, "No way! Don't they have tornadoes?" To which Hudson asked, "What are tormadoes?" Immediately I thought of tornadoes made of tomatoes.

It Makes Me Smile

-Spending two hours outside this afternoon and almost getting hot wearing just a jacket.

-Tender young shoots in the flower beds.

-Watching the kids trim the old flowers while I sit on the grass and soak in the sunshine.

-This sky:

It Makes Me Smile

-When, after Monday's family scripture reading, I asked the kids "does anyone have anything they want to talk about?" and heard Libby respond, "piwates!" (pirates).

-Hudson's promptness to get outside Wednesday morning after a night of snow.

-Counting the times Lincoln said, "watchee" consecutively before doing the thing he wanted me to see (I counted 20).

-Seeing how devoted Hudson is in taking care of his baby.

-Ah, Lincoln's new obsession with light switches. On, off, on, off, on, off. "Lincoln, stop it." "Liiiiiight!" On, off, on, off, on, off.

-Making friends with Jason - the caterpillar we found out in the grass. He lives in a jar in our house and is getting fat on lettuce.

-Binding off. Actually finishing a project! See the pattern here.

-Realizing that when Lincoln says, "gacapoo!" he's really saying "peek-a-boo!"

-Receiving next year's school supplies in the mail. So many fun books!

-Hearing Hudson declare this morning, after putting on his hiking boots, that he was going on a hike to kill animals for food.

-These guys:

Libby's Birthday

I suppose it's time to finally post pictures from Libby's birthday. It was a very fun day. She had a blast.

Libby blew out the candles before we were even done singing "Happy Birthday". We relit them just so I could get this picture. And yes, she's in a swimsuit. That's Libby for you.

She got a couple of new books,

and this fun thing, whatever it's called, i don't know, but it kept her busy for a long time.

And we gave her garden gloves, tools and a tote because she loves to dig in the yard. The tent in the background was a gift from Grandma and Grandpa Hawkins. And yes, she's in a different swimsuit. She changed between cake and presents. Come to think of it, she changed between dinner and cake as well.

Grandma and Grandpa Hawkins also gave her a cute little purse with pretend make-up, keys, phone, sunglasses and money purse in it and a super cute fuzzy pink jacket. Libby loves these gifts and I'm sad I don't have a picture of them yet. She's so adorable in her fuzzy pink jacket and I admit, it's pretty cute to watch her put on her "make-up" or as she calls it, her "hiccup". My goodness it was so funny to hear that. I remember calling her one day and her yelling back, "just a minute, mom. I'm putting on my hiccup!"