Belly Laughs

What would you do...

Bracken and I were talking about when Lehi was praying and a pillar of fire appeared. I asked him, "What would you do if a pillar of fire came while you were praying?" He said "I would run..." I started to interrupt and say "me too" but he kept going, "and get a stick and a marshmallow and toast it in the fire."

I love the things he comes up with!

When I grow up...

Bracken a year ago:  "When I grow up I'm going to take hard classes and drive an ambulance like Dad."

A few months ago: "When I grow up I'm going to be a cashier."

Last month:  "When I grow up I'm going to build houses with Grandpa Rob...and build roads."

Another day: "I'm a photographer."

A conversation from last week:

Brian: "Bracken, are you going to be a gentleman when you grow up?" 

Bracken:  "No, I'm going to be a farmer."

Then today he said, "Mom, I'm going to be a farmer AND a gentleman when I grow up."

Know that whatever you decide to be, we'll be proud of you.

Manly Adventures

When I was a little girl, I'd go on "Daddy Daughter Dates." So when Bracken left on a special outing with Brian, I'd say, "have fun on your Daddy date!" I have now been corrected. Apparently, that is a very unmanly name for a guy outing. So Brian and Bracken have coined the term "Manly Adventure" for their not-Daddy-dates.

Bracken went bat researching with Brian again last night. He prepared by dressing himself in pajamas, blue rain boots, his super hero cape, and filling his Cat-in-the-Hat backpack with cookies, popcorn, books, and a dry erase board. He was so excited to go, and stayed outside and had Brian pull him on his little blue bike with a rope until it was time to go.

And here's an excerpt out of Bracken's journal from their last bat researching trip, just because I think it's cute:

"I went on a manly adventure with Daddy to do bat research. We went up a high mountain in the truck and I got to sit on his lap in the front seat on the dirt road. When we got to the main road I sat in my caarseat because sometimes a main road is pretty dangerous...

I saw lots of deer too. Not a hundred billion, just a little bit and some more. Probably only almost twenty-thousand deer...

I want to go bat researching with Dad again. We didn't see any bats though. Daddy said we were listening for them but I didn't hear any either."

Potty Training

I gave Bracken underpants as we're starting to potty train. He put them on, then in a very concerned voice said, "But Mom. My new underwear already has a hole!" He's decided to wear his underwear backwards for the time being.

"I see Heavenly Father!"

Bracken was laying on the grass beside me when he said excitedly, "Mom, I see Heavenly Father!" I was confused for a second, and then he said again, pointing above him, "I see Heavenly Father like when He came down to see Joseph Smith!" Following the direction of his pointing finger I saw the sun and its rays shining through the tree branches above us. I said something like, "that does look like when Heavenly Father came down to Joseph Smith" and then Bracken said, "I'm going to talk to Heavenly Father." And he sat looking up at the sun and started telling Heavenly Father about how he raked the grass in Parawan by himself and liked milking the goat with his Uncle Dallin. Just a normal little conversation. What a sweet little man!

Pretty or Handsome?

Brian to Bracken-- "Do you think I'm a pretty good dad?"

Bracken--- "No Dad, you're not pretty, you're handsome!"

Milk too?

Bracken was looking carefully at the picture of Abinadi teaching Wicked King Noah.

Usually he points to the different people and says things like, "This is Gideon. He was bad but then he repented and now he is good and happy!" or "This is Alma, he repented too!" or pointing to the spilled wine, "King Noah drank wine, we don't drink wine because it's bad." or "Mom, Abinadi is a good man."

Today he pointed at Abinadi's chest and said, "Look Mom, Abinadi has milk too!"

What do I say to that?

Kids say the darndest things...

The other day my friend Andrea and I made rhubarb blueberry jam together, and it turned out great! Bracken skipped his nap to hang out with us. When Andrea was getting ready to leave Bracken was playing with her tupperware containers. Trying to help him give them back to her happily I said, "Say thank you for letting me play with your tupperware." He dutifully repeated, "Thank you for letting me play with your underwear." What do you say to that? :)

Tap, tap, tap

Storytime at the library this week was about ducks. One of the stories was about a little duck waiting for her brother or sister to hatch. When she put her ear up to the egg she heard a "tap, tap, tap" and soon the new little duck came out of the egg.

A couple of days later Bracken came up to me, put his ear against my belly and listened. Then he said excitedly, "Mom! I heard 'tap, tap, tap,' the baby is trying to get out!"

Around his little finger...

After a rough day Brian decided to scrap a late night of studying in exchange for a redbox and ice cream. He thought he'd take Bracken with him to get the movie.

Brian: "Do you want to come with Daddy to get a show?"
Bracken: "YEAH!"
Brian: "And we'll get a treat!"
Bracken: "I love you a hundred billion!"

No wonder Bracken often comes home from grocery trips with Daddy with a donut covered face.