Sept 1--I was trying everything (in vain) to get Eden to eat and my last attempt was an airplane that Eden completely swatted out of the sky and onto the floor. To make me feel better, Elle remarked, "That was a cool plane, Mom." She never misses a beat--not in what I was trying or in how I was needing a little encouragement when it failed.
Sept 2--When I went into the bathroom to help Elle, my princess declared, "Welcome to my kingdom!"
Sept 10--Eden is talking more every day and on this day she added "cottage cheese" to her vocab (not just "cheese"). Plus, at breakfast, when she finished her cereal before Ryn and Elle, she threw up her arms and exclaimed, "I beat you!"
Sept 13--Ryn asked when we were going to do something she was excited for and I had told her we'd do it in about 10 minutes. Ever the optimist, she answered happily, "10 minutes is my favorite number." Oh, how I love that girl.
Sept 15--When Kevin got home from work, I needed him to run to the store for something before dinner. Speed was an issue since we needed to get the kids to bed, so he only took Ryn and Eden with him because they already had shoes on and were dressed. Elle, who is always between outfits (changing them every 3 minutes from different dress-ups to other dresses and skirts), wasn't dressed and so had to stay home with me :(. When we were all sitting down to eat dinner, together again, she asked, "Tomorrow, can we all go to the store together, like a family?"
Sept 19--Kevin always has the dream of a Sunday nap. On this Sunday, he was determined to make it happen--translation: all 3 girls needed to be sleeping at the same time. He put Eden down in her crib and grabbed Ryn and Elle to sleep in our bed where we could be sure they fell asleep. "I don't want to snuggle!" Elle protested. But when they were all waking up, she said, "Dad, I really liked that snuggle." And Ryn chimed in, "Me too, Dad, it was grrrrreat!"
Sept 21--Ryn got to have her first sleep-over with Brian and Caitie and it was obvious how much Elle missed her. As we were walking back into our house, I hugged her and said, "I'm so glad I'm your mommy and I'm so glad you're my Elle." She smiled and answered, "And I'm so glad Ryn is our Ryn."
Sept 23--Elle was climbing again, on and under her chair, at breakfast and I asked her to please sit up the right way.
But she assured me that there was a good reason for her position--"Mom, I'm like this so I won't get my pyjama's dirty."
Sept 25--Elle pointed out, "Look! There's a yellow star!" and Ryn congratulated her, "Good job, Elle! You used your sense of sight!"
Sept 27--For family home evening, we had a lesson on our need for repentance so we can be clean and worthy to return to Heavenly Father's presence. We talked about how sins make us dirty on the inside like mud or dirt make us dirty on the outside. Only repentance, made possible by the Atonement of Jesus Christ, can make us clean on the inside again. After reading in the scriptures to teach the principle, we were going to start on the object lesson, but Elle wasn't very excited about it and started to whine. Ryn started to worry about her, "Elle, you are getting dirty on the inside!"
We set up bowls and plates with mud along the "path" to our side gate where Kevin, acting as Heavenly Father, waited to welcome us to his "kingdom". When they stepped in the mud, or put their hands in it, (which Ryn really wasn't very excited about) I was there with a bottle of water to wash it off so they could keep moving forward (repentance), and eventually reach Kevin, clean and ready to go through the gate. Elle was the first one through since she thought the mud was pretty fun. While she waited for Ryn to make it through the gate, she pointed out to Kevin, "Daddy, there's a fly in your kingdom."
I loved having a grown-up costume game night with my family....
...and seeing Mom's pure joy, being able to have some of her grand kids at her ward Trunk-or-treat and then at her house for an incredible Halloween lunch (complete with mummy hot dogs and spider web pizza).
I loved the neighborhood dinner idea we got from Michelle's friend and how many people turned up in the rain to enjoy soup and veggies before braving the cold with their costumed kiddies. But I think what I loved most of all was watching our newest tradition bring smiles to every home on our hurried trick-or-treat route--Halloween caroling. The girls had learned these 2 fun songs in Joy School and shared them with every ounce of excitement that had been building all week. Adults and older kids in any room of every home hurried to the door to hear the adorable surprise. Cousins Brian and Caitie quickly picked up the catchy tunes and joined in with full voice after the first 2 houses.
