Mom, Will You Take a Selfie With Me?

Nope

I am not ready for Topher to learn how to climb out of his bed. My lack of preparation doesn't seem to be stopping him though.

He's just barely seventeen months old. For comparison, that's how old Cooper was when he started walking.

I snapped this blurry picture quickly before redirecting his attention to something other than climbing out of his bed.

Armor On

For Come Follow Me this week we're studying Ephesians. This included a Family Home Evening lesson on putting on the armor of God. We talked about the literal pieces of armor Paul lists in chapter 6 and their spiritual and modern-day counterparts. It went well. The best part was dressing our volunteer in her "armor."

The Natural Look

On Monday afternoon Sophie was dressed in her leotard and tights, ready for her ballet/jazz class. She was admiring her sleek ponytail and the following conversation took place.

Sophie: If we put some lipstick and makeup on me I'll look beautiful!

Me: You already look beautiful without makeup.

Sophie: (considering) Why don't you look beautiful without makeup?

Me: (pausing to think how I'm going to handle this, then with bravado) I DO look beautiful without makeup.

Curls

The girls both insisted on having curly hair for their school pictures this year. Phoebe's hair is long enough that it didn't get too short with curls. Sophie's isn't long and ended up so short that she cried when the curlers were first out. It relaxed a bit though, and the addition of the bow cheered her up significantly.

Behold, Phoebe's third grade picture:

And Sophie's kindergarten picture:

Spiritually Fed

This past weekend was General Conference, always one of my favorite times of the year. My brother Jordan and his wonderful wife Leah visited and watched with us, which made Saturday and Sunday even more fun. Highlights include Aunt Leah painting Phoebe's and Sophie's nails and Uncle Jordan giving an editing lesson to an attentive Phoebe while Peter and Cooper hung out nearby hoping for their own tutoring session.

The week before Conference we talked as a family about how to ask big questions and listen for answers from the Spirit. During the talks we would occasionally hear one of the kids say, "That answered my question!"

The four big kids did a good job overall, they love Conference and were excited. Topher is at an exceptionally busy stage, so Bryan and I traded off toddler-wrangling duties. That means neither of us had a restful or attentive General Conference experience, so I'm thankful for technology that allows me to spend the next six months reviewing the talks.

That said, there were some speakers that I loved:

Jeffrey R. Holland - The first talk answered one of my big personal questions.
Michelle Craig - She had greats suggestions for staying close to the Spirit and following revelation.
Dale G. Renlund - The stories of sacrifice and the importance of covenants really impressed me.
David A. Bednar - I loved his cheetah analogy.
Reyna I. Aburto - This was a powerful talk about mental illness, maybe the best talk of the weekend.
Bonnie H Cordon - I love the new Young Women theme!
President Russell M. Nelson - He loves the women of the church, I can feel it when he speaks. He clarified some very important and often misunderstood points about women and the Priesthood.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf - He talked about the Hobbit! Peter perked up as soon as the talk started and commented that he knew where the analogy was going and, later, that he agreed with it. Cooper cited this as his favorite talk. I loved it too.
President Russell M. Nelson - I loved his reminder to love our neighbors and care for them.
M. Russell Ballard - President Ballard's sweet stories about his wife touched my heart.
Peter M. Johnson - We are children of God and have divine potential.

The First Best Friend

At our elementary school the oldest kids, that's the third graders, partner with the kindergartners to help them read and work on projects. One benefit of the girls' teachers being married to each other is that their classes work together. That means Phoebe and Sophie get to be buddies at school. Sophie's sweet teacher sent me this picture of the girls, both fancy for picture day, enjoying their first official time as school buddies.

I'm so thankful they have each other.

Corny

I'm still serving as a cub scout leader and Saturday was our September pack meeting. We visited a corn maze. I took Cooper, Phoebe, and Sophie and left Topher and Peter at home with Bryan. I had no desire to push a stroller or chase a toddler through a muddy field/maze and Bryan was thankful for a reason to stay home.

I spent my time inside keeping track of children (my own and the scouts) and didn't take pictures. When we were done, the kids posed themselves and asked me to take their picture. Sure, I could handle that.

On the Stand

This past Sunday was our annual Primary Program, always a highlight and always exciting. The kids wrote their parts this year after being given a sentence limit and the prompt "What did I learn from Come Follow Me this year?" Here's what they chose to share.

Cooper: 

Something I learned in Come, Follow Me this year is to not judge others. In Romans chapter 14 verse 13 it says: “Let us not therefore judge one another any more...” This teaches us to not judge others, not to tell them that they’re wrong or are doing something wrong. Instead of judging, the Savior told us in John chapter 13 verse 34, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”

Phoebe:

One thing I learned in Come Follow Me this year was that a lot of the books in the New Testament were epistles or letters. Romans is a collection of letters written by Paul to church members in Rome and delivered by Phebe, a good church member who took care of the people around her. Romans chapter 16 verses 1 and 2 say, “I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.”

Sophie:

My favorite thing was when we did the shipwreck; I was Paul, Phoebe was the captain. The best part was when I got to be in a big box and my Mom moved it back and forth a lot and then tipped it over onto the carpet to teach about Paul being shipwrecked and being protected as a missionary.

The kids all did a great job singing and delivering their lines. Phoebe sang a short transition between two songs with a handful of other girls. Cooper has a natural gift for engaging inflection and tone and he used it well for his final Primary Program. And Miss Sophie definitely drew out the most snickers and giggles when she told the ward that I had knocked her around in a box and then dumped her onto the carpet.

And I sat in the congregation grinning at my kids and asking Topher to point out each of them on the stand over and over since he hadn't gotten a nap before church and really needed one at that point. Bryan and Peter especially loved Sophie's part.

I asked Cooper if he was sad at all that this was his last Primary Program. His answer? "Nope." Well, I guess he's ready to move on.

Out of Commission

Sophie complained of an earache all weekend, so I told her I would make a doctor's appointment for her for after school on Monday.  During school I got a call from the nurse saying that Sophie had been in three times, each visit with a different malady, but she wasn't running a fever and hadn't thrown up. We agreed that she was well enough to go back to class, especially since she was going to the doctor after school.

About an hour later I got a call from her teacher. Sophie had fallen asleep in the classroom. I woke Topher up from his nap a little early and we went to the school to retrieve our sleeping beauty. The diagnosis from the doctor? A terrible ear infection and an eardrum so full of pressure it would likely burst.

Between falling asleep at school and waking up this morning, she slept for about sixteen hours, with a few interruptions for the doctor and a bite or two of food. She had one dose of antibiotics last night.

I'm happy to report that she was back to her energetic self this morning and, as of writing this at 8:41 PM, her eardrum is still intact. Due to the 102 degree fever she ran at the doctor's office, she stayed home today and rested, but she is ready to go back tomorrow. Modern medicine is truly a blessing.