Hopscotch

The kiddos have loved playing outside when we get some sporadic warm weather. We got the sidewalk chalk out the other day and stayed outside for hours. Chandra kept trying to eat the chalk, and Bracken loved playing hopscotch and drawing letters. ("Look Mom! I drew a D!") It just feels good to be in the warm sunshine. Boy are we ready for Summer!

Favorite Activity

Bracken's favorite activity is acting out the scriptures. Sometimes for FHE Brian will put on a play of a scripture story with all of Bracken's animals. Last week it was the Tower of Babel. Bracken thought it was hilarious when his lion started speaking in German, his giraffe in Chinese, and his zebra in who-know's-what language. They built a tower of books and Bracken got to knock it over at the end of the lesson.

Here are some of his other favorite stories to act out:

Samuel the Lamanite

Alma and Amulek

The "Nephi Game"

Bracken is Nephi, I'm Sariah, and Chandra is Jacob (I get in big trouble if I slip and call her Jacob. "No Mom! His name is Jacob, stop calling my little brother Chandra!") This game usually involves walking around in the desert (our living room), building tents (piles of couch cushions, blankets, and every pillow in the house), going hunting for mountain goats with bows and arrows, breaking our bows, building new ones, and cooking beans. I have no idea how cooking beans became a part of the Nephi story, but he wants to mix beans, water, salt, and pepper almost every day. We have been eating A LOT of beans.

"Here's my Vote!"

On our way to the caucus meetings last week Bracken asked where we were going. We told him we were going to the caucus meeting to vote. "Why?" "Because Heavenly Father wants us to vote so we can help keep our freedom." He was very interested in this idea. He spent most of the caucus meeting running up and down the hallway and playing with his little sister, but when it was time to vote he was right next to us, wanting to vote too. He wanted to scribble on our ballots, and then take our ballots to the lady gathering the votes. Each time he took our ballots to her he proudly said, "Here's my vote!"

The next day when we were ready to read scriptures Bracken said, "Mom, let's act out when the kingmen and freemen voted." He needed pieces of paper and two bowls to put them in. He took each of his animals in turn and asked, "Who are you going to vote for?" then he talked in a higher voice and said something like, "I want to vote for right, I want the freemen." or every once in a while he'd say in a deep, mean voice, "I want power, I vote for the kingmen." Then Bracken would write their vote down on the piece of paper and help them put their ballot in the appropriate bowl. After all his animals cast their vote he had me help him dump them out and count them. The freemen won every time.

I hope he always takes the opportunity to "vote for right."

Her Favorite Place to be...

Chandra started crawling so early, I thought she'd walk early too. But she seems content to quickly crawl to her desired destination...which is often my legs. If I'm in the kitchen cooking or doing dishes, I have to keep moving constantly else she'll grab onto my legs and just hang out there. It makes it hard to get things done!

Our Little Music Man

Bracken loves to sing! He often goes around the house singing one of the hundreds of songs he has memorized, or making up some of his own (very entertaining). When Brian got his trumpet out several months ago, Bracken wanted to try it out. We didn't think he would be able to get a noise out, but boy were we wrong! He gets all red in the face, his eyes bulge and his cheeks puff out, but he gets some pretty good elephant noises out of the trumpet! He asks to get it out and play the trumpet at least a couple times a week. He also likes to play Brian's guitar, a homemade gazoo, or drums on just about anything.

I let him watch Peter and the Wolf a couple weeks ago. He loved it and often asks me to act the story out with him. He's usually Sasha the bird, Chandra is Sonja the duck, and I'm Peter or the wolf. He notices the different sounds instruments have now and when he hears music will often ask me "Is that a clarinet?" (or an oboe, bassoon, violin, etc.)

Chandra's Smiles

Chandra seems to be growing a lot lately. She's getting longer, and she's getting (even more) independent. She's always been pretty patient, and okay to play by herself or alongside Bracken, but the last month or so she has gotten quite the attitude.

She'll crawl to my diaper bag and get her water bottle out when she's thirsty. She tries to put necklaces, washcloths, Bracken's underwear, or socks on her head (and if I try to help she get's very upset!) She bugs Bracken and takes the one toy he wants, pulls his hair until she gets a reaction, and goes between screaming when he tries to hug her, to crawling all over him and giving him kisses. We're teaching her to be nice.

She's very vocal about what she does or doesn't want. I have never heard a kid scream as loud as she does. When she's upset she acts like the world is coming to an end and we can totally put words to her expressions. (for example: "SERIOUSLY!! I cannot believe you just set me down!" or "I do NOT want my diaper on, let me go naked!" or "Why can't I throw all of Bracken's clothes out of his dresser onto the floor and then climb in the drawer?")

On the sweet side, she's learned to clap and wave. She loves to wave at every single person we walk past in the store and beams when they respond and say "hi" or wave back at her. She pats my back when I pick her up and give her a hug. She loves to give kisses (and then try to bite my nose). She's sleeping much better at night. She loves to bounce on Bracken's little trampoline. She loves fruit smoothies, and usually eats more than Bracken in the morning. At least one full cup. She loves to walk when we'll hold her hands, and she's taken a step here and there, but doesn't seem to want to walk on her own yet. She has a smile that always makes me melt, or laugh out loud. She definitely adds some "sugar and SPICE" to our lives.

Typical Hair Day

This picture just captures Chandra...her excitement and attitude.

Her hair after a nap...all over, but still cute.

Bracken's Testimony

On Sunday two of Bracken’s friends went up with their parents to bear their testimony’s. Bracken listened attentively, then said, “I want to go up there.” It was almost time for the meeting to end, so I said, “let’s do it another time.” But Erica, a 10-year-old girl who sat by us, heard him and said, “I’ll go up with you!” and before I could say anything they were running (literally for Bracken) up the aisle toward the podium. I looked at Brian and thought, “I have absolutely no idea what he’ll say. I hope he doesn’t start making silly noises or singing the national anthem.” We both had visions of having to go up and pry him away from the microphone while he hollered "I'm not finished yet!"

Erica lifted him up to the microphone, and he said, “I KNOW (then stopped because it was so loud it scared him and everyone else). He started again farther away from the mic. “I know the church is the true church.” He paused, but Erica just waited and then he said, “I know my Savior loves me. I know we are Jesus’ sheep. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.” I went from being worried to being so proud of him and feeling so blessed and humbled. Bracken teaches and helps me be better every day. Oh how we love our little boy!