sweet!

B is a great big brother.  He is so patient with L and coaches him through entire phrases one syllable at at time.  He is such a sweet boy and I'm so glad he is generous and accepting about not being the baby.  When B was the age that L is now, L was born.  I can't imaging having a newborn!  Yet B was so little when he was no longer the baby.  I try and make sure to give him a lot of love still.

Tonight B figured out how to play the little keyboard book.  The book has pages with music and notes with numbers.  The keys of the piano are labeled with numbers.  I don't know how he's keeping track of what he already played because he can't read.  It's awesome.

astronaut

B is so happy.  He is growing and sometimes he isn't happy.  He's very good at being sweet and polite though which leads to a happy mom that does nice things for him.  So then he is happy.  He's got the virtuous cycle down.

The other day he was in the kitchen and I was telling him to go out.  He stepped  on my foot and sweetly apologized "I'm sorry I stepped on your foot." as I shooed him out of the kitchen. 

His natural impulse to most situations is a meek reply.  I'm grateful for that propensity.

Funny and not so funny

Today on the way home from shoe shopping B was singing the Tiny turtle song to L.  He sang
"There was a little turtle,
His name was Tiny Tim.
They put him in the bathtub
to see if he could swim.
He drank up all the water,
He ate up all the soap,
This is the funny part,
And now he's in the bed with a bubble in his throa---------t."

They sang it another 3 times an he never added that line "This is the funny part" again.  I love his delight and how he processes everything so clearly in his words, face and actions.

We needed to go get some milk after dinner and couldn't find B.  We were getting worried, then scared.  Finally he popped up from the trunk of the van where he'd been hiding.  I hate it when kids hide.

Primary Program

Today was the primary program and B made a conscious decision to add a fermata to the end of each song.  It was a source of amusement to people watching and no doubt it was delightful to B.  He never did this during the practices so it is interesting to see this in his first performance.  Wow.

spiderman

B has a spiderman shirt he loves to wear and last night he put on this swim suit then asked me to take his picture.  One of the funny things he does is articulate the rules he is learning.  He'll say things like "It's OK because you didn't see me do it."  We're working to help him become a good person despite being so stinking cute!

climber

B loves to challenge his body and climb to great heights.  As the younger brother of some pretty amazing climbers, he has a great example.  Last week he led the way.

This little tower is at the playground downtown.  We've been to this playground many times over the years and I don't remember my other children climbing up here.  Maybe we've forgotten.  But we hadn't been to this park in a long time, almost a year, because the last time I remember coming to this park, B got lost and was found in the parking lot, that is not near the playground, by the friends we were meeting.  That was stressful and we haven't been back for a long time.  But now we've had 2 nice experiences, so this park will be on our list again.  And the weather is lovely, and G is home full time so we can go to fun parks every day!

Straight straight straight

We were navigating through a parking lot recently and I heard B start to chant out our present course.  Straight-straight-straight-straight-straight-right.
Straight-straight-straight-straight-left.
Straight-straight-left.
Straight-straight-left.

He's so funny and awesome.

I'm a giant!

We visited the museum in Gtown.  They have renovated the children's area beautifully and now have a bathroom at the back of the room with an adult and child toilet together.  I thought it was pretty awesome, so did B.  I sent him in there once to go potty and after several minutes went in to find him half naked just marveling at the tiny toilet.  He was taking turns going on each.

Also in the museum is this nice mural depicting the people of our state.  B told me "The man painted black is blowing on a conch shell horn."  I just said "yes" and wondered where he heard that or how he came up with that.  

happiness

B is such a happy boy.  He makes people so happy.  I'm glad to be his mom.  He says the most funny things.  When I say "I love you little boy" he'll say "I love you big girl."  He also told me "I love you more than all of your feelings."  He's a very sweet boy.



Here he is begging for all grandma's pennies.  She brought them to the museum just for this purpose put B got the lions share because he was the most persistent.

big lip

B had a dentist appointment on Wednesday.  While his lip was numb he chewed on it, bad.  I've never had this happen with one of my kids but now I know to be careful with B.  His lip got huge and infected.  I took him to the doctor Friday and he got oral antibiotics.  It's responding well to the saline washes and antibiotics.  It's almost back to normal size but still has a big yellow area and scab.  Poor boy.

Little red headed fish

Today I took the kids to a pool with a diving board and water slide.  It was just $18 for 6 of us to go.  Nice!  The oldest 3 were busy on the fun stuff.  L was attached to me and I wasn't watching anyone but my little boys.  So I let B swim with his life jacket for the first hour.  Then I let him take of his jacket for the first time.  He never put it back on!  He worked from the "sinking submarine" phase of swimming to the "swim to mom" phase to then staying within a few feet of the wall and regulating himself.  Wow!

Yeah, I'm cute

This is B with a buzz cut which is not the most cute haircut on him, but he's still very cute.  Can I just say how much I appreciate having children that don't get in the yucky water?  I've thought, over the years, "what would I do if my child fell in this nasty water?"  And I've never had to jump in and get them.  Thank you children!  Yesterday we were at a park and my friend said her son would just run right in the water, then he did.  As he ran in full steam and went under, she calmly went in up to the knees in a skirt, and fished him out.  Wow!

haircut

I don't think I've posted a picture of B's haircut.  He's so cute.  lP had cut a patch of hair from the top of his head and from his bangs.  His hair was otherwise long on top.  So I just gave him a short cut on top and faded the sides a bit.

B has been passing off his sign language everyday.  Last night he sat down with another sign language book and signed everything in the book.  He was so thrilled with himself for knowing all the signs.  "It's just like Signing Time!  I know all these signs!"

Signing Time was on lather that night and something funny happened.  He ran into the kitchen saying "That was funny." over and over until I bent down and agreed and thanked him for sharing that with me. 

He is so dear and his excitement is so precious.  Whenever I give him a kiss he gives me one on my cheek.  I love his joy.

work

B's daily work is now passing off Signing Time vocabulary.  He shows me the vocab for one episode that I read off a sheet.  Thanks Signing Time!  On most days B or P will come along and sign with him for part of the list.  It's so sweet.

B is such a child.  Everything good about children, B is.  He's sweet, and quick to obey.  He gets into things but he didn't mean to cause trouble and quickly apologizes.  He looks you in the eye, says "I love you" and gives you a peck on the cheek then turns his head for you to return the same.  When the scriptures talk about being as a child, meek, submissive, humble... they are talking about B.

beautiful day

We were in DC and B enjoyed the dandylions.  He's such a sweet boy.  Today he said he'd like to eat something like a brownie.  Lucky for him we'll make some for FHE tomorrow.  Sometimes I can't believe how lucky the children are.  On the one hand they get to have so many wonderful experiences, and treats.  On the other hand they have few enough luxuries that they are genuinely appreciative of their once a week treat for FHE.  They get treats at church sometimes or on a random day I might make something.  But they can count on a treat for FHE that they get to help make.

wanting to read

B has a unique super power that he inherited from P.  P is able to sing by just mimicking the shape of your mouth.  B does the same thing with reading.  He is able to mimic the words I say in singing or reading just a split second after I say them.  He really sounds like he is reading in time with me, just a tiny bit slow. 

I've assigned the other children to read a book with B every day as part of their work.  I'm also enjoying reading with B a lot.  He's so fun.  He just has such a visible delight in everything.

B is also very good at climbing.  It's amazing the places he get up to on the playground.  Fortunately he looks more like a 5 year old than a 3 year old.  People always felt anxious with my little girls climbing so much.  But B looks old enough to be doing the high climbing and perching.

B can ride a bike with training wheels very well now.  He has ridden around the block twice now.  He's learning to pull aside when a car comes.  It's so sweet watching him learn to use his body and have so much fun.

Watching the wheels turn

P took B and lP to see a rocket launch on a day that M and G had a soccer game.  These kids are so lucky.  Unfortunately the launch got scrubbed at the last minute. 

M was recently in trouble for filling a box with gummies she took from the pantry.  B brought me the box today and his eyes were rolling, he wanted some gummies.  I asked him if he wanted to share some gummies.  His eyes rolled some more.  "Yes..." he said in his slow, adorable way.  "I do not want to sneak.  I want to share."  He happily opened the box and crammed one in his mouth.  He took another out of the box and ran over to G.  He gave one to each of the other children, a couple to L, and several for himself. 

I amn't

B has invented his own contraction and hasn't grown out of it.  He's the most sweet ant contradicting little boy.  Today in church one of the missionaries was speaking and said that families are strengthened by reading the Book of Mormon.  B said "No it isn't.  It is strengthened by our good works!"

One time when P was eating brownies B said "Can I have a Brownie?  I don't have any chocolate food in my mouth." 

His way of asking for things is so delightful and his happiness so adorable. 

When we correct him for childish things, since he's 3... he is so sincerely chastened.  "Yes, mom." his polite response. 

He's adorable. 

Yes!

Today we were reading the lift-the-flap book about Daniel.  B showed each page to me and commanded "Read it!"  As we got to the page about the lion's den B looked nervous.  The text read "God protected Daniel, he sent...(lift the flap)... an angel."

"Yes!" B said.

Sweet replies

B has made a good transition to Primary.  He now prays for this Primary teachers and presidency.  It's so sweet. 

At night as B get settled for bed, which he does so well, I say things like "I'm so glad you're my boy" and he'll say "I'm so glad you're my girl."  He's always repeating things we say and altering the sentence to fit himself.  Last night as I put him to bed he looked at me and asked "Is your name ... E?"  It was so funny.  Then later as I said "You're my favorite B."  he said "You're my favorite... E"

Sunbeam

Today B graduated to Primary.  B has always loved nursery.  He's never cried for us.  He has cried and told me that "You don't go to nursery!  Only I go to nursery!" one week that I was subbing for music time.  During the last year he was willing to let me sub a few times without freaking out...

B did not want to wear the graduation cap.  B did not want to hug his nursery leader goodbye.  B did not want to sit on the front row with the other sunbeams.  P came in and took B up to the front row and sat with him.  B cried but did not leave. 

I talked to him about it today after church.  He said "It was not what I expected."  I asked if he missed nursery and he said "No I did not miss nursery.  I went to nursery!"