That's so funny!

Let's start out with telling you that Alyson is petrified of bugs. Especially ones that fly. (FYI - we have discovered she is allergic to stinging insects, so there might be a reason for that!) When she sees one, wild shrieking begins, and continues until the bug is taken care of. Well, Sunday on the way to Grandma Janie's house was no exception. A very small bug had somehow gotten into the car, and Alyson spotted it. Wild banshee sounds ensued, and after a few moments, Jed turns to Alyson and says "Alyson, Faith is when you don't get scared......... SO, Kill the fly." And ends the conversation.

Daddy the Tickle Monster

When I was little, my dad would crouch down in the middle of the living room floor and play "Tickle Monster" with us. We would all take turns attacking him, and he would grab us, and tickle us for a moment, then let us go, and the whole cycle would start over again. It was one of our favorite parts of the evening. Imagine Zach, Erin and I teaming up to pounce at the same time, seeing if we could take him down, only to get caught! I remember thinking how fun it was when Dad would play tickle monster with us. Well, Daniel has a very similar game with our children. They take turns attacking him, and Jed's started taking a running leap at him. They have a great time, and burn off some energy. I finally got a few pictures of it! (And the picture of just Alyson was when she figured out I was taking pictures and said "Mommy, take my picture. I smile, see-- Smile!!")
Enjoy!

Today

Well, General Conference was this weekend, and like it always is, it was an amazing, uplifting experience. (For those that are not Latter Day Saints, twice a year we have a big meeting where the leaders of our church speak to us, and it is broadcast all over the world in many languages. We are able to watch it via satelite, internet, or at church buildings.) I am so thankful for many things, and for this particular post, I'm talking about the invention of the HDMI cable. We were able to watch Conference here, in our own home, on our TV, and were able to hear it despite the four and two year olds playing/arguing in the background. (or foreground, at some moments) I loved the talk by Elder Bednar when he mentioned that they had not always had perfectly behaved children. It makes me feel better about the fact that we're here, our children are catching bits and pieces, but not all of it. Hopefully, they will remember the fact that Mommy and Daddy listen and watch the Prophet and Apostles speak to us, and will remember us explaining who different people are, and will know that this is important. Jed and Alyson both have wonderful teachers at church, and I know that Jed was excited today when we sang "How Firm a Foundation", which he knows from Primary. It was just such a wonderful session.
In between sessions, we cleaned Jed and Alyson's rooms and then after dinner we cleaned the play room. When we were done, Jed got in the shower and Alyson brought me one of her baby dolls (which she carries around half the time treating it like a real baby. She talks to her like I talk to Alyson, and it's so cute!) and said "Mommy, Baby Laiza needs a diaper change. Do we have a diaper?" (She says diaper "dipuh" and Laiza sounds like "Wiza") And I'm thinking ... okay, I have no size N diapers for this doll... cloth diapers! So, I go downstairs, grab some scraps, and we cut out two diaper shaped pieces, and put them on the twin dolls. Alyson was so excited. We finished baths/showers, brushed teeth, read stories, said prayers, and tucked in to bed. It was a very calm night. Kind of a perfect end to this wonderful weekend.