thoughts on a sunday

Mary riding to Bethlehem

• This week has been long.  Brian now "works" four ten hour days a week but with transportation/traffic included they are more like twelve hours days.  He has been working really hard, but is enjoying his new location, which is a huge relief.  It's not fun that the kids only get to see him for just over an hour on those days.  

• We had meatballs for dinner this week.  I looked over at Ellery.  She had Ariel's dinglehopper (fork) and was trying to eat her meatball with it.  Ariel is three inches tall.  Her fork smaller than a push pin.

• How old is too old to buy your boy character underwear?  Just wondering.

• We went to our ward Christmas party last night.  It's kind of sad at how excited I was for our ward Christmas party.  But, you see, we haven't been to a party yet, so it's all we've got.  And actually, it was fun.  The theme was a German Christmas, and there was lots of delicious German food.  And my kids had a blast!

• Ellery's nursery class did a little nativity play for the parents today.  She was Mary.  Did you know that Mary held Ariel and a blonde barbie while in the stable?  She was adorable and so proud.  At the end she was still wearing her costume and she came up to me and said, "Mom, it's me, Ellery!" So cute.

• That little girl only has one Sunday left in nursery.  She'll be a little Sunbeam.  I can't believe it.  I really can't.  My little baby girl is not a baby anymore. . .at all.  It's a good thing I have another one.

• Layla is this close to rolling over.  She can't quite get her arm out from underneath her tummy.  She's also grabbing at everything.  She's been doing that for awhile, but now she's starting to put everything she grabs in her mouth.  I hope she isn't too anxious to eat real food because I'm sure not anxious.  

• McKay had quite a scare at Costco the other day.  He spotted a seagull when we were looking for a parking spot.  Then, just as we were getting out of the car, he looked asked me, "Mom, is my hair brown?  Is my hair the color of a nest?"  Thinking he wanted his hair to be the color of a nest, I said yes.  A wave of panic came over his face.  "I don't want a seagull to think my hair is a nest!"  I then backtracked a bit- "No, you're hair is kinda blonde, it's not brown like a nest.  Don't worry."  Lucky boy, no seagulls sat on his head.  As I was loading the girls back into the car and he was standing in the cart waiting for me to help him out I saw a blur of white swoop down behind the car out of the corner of my eye.  Then I hear a little whimper and in seconds McKay is diving into the car with complete terror in his eyes.  Yep, a seagull.  I couldn't believe it.  He was extremely shaken up.  Poor boy.

• It seems that he's going through another scared phase.  Besides seagulls, some scene with a bear and lots of garbage from Toy Story 3 is keeping him up at night- I don't know, I haven't seen it.  Anyway, he's really nervous to sleep at night because he had a nightmare about this specific scene.  Also his primary teacher told him today that earthquakes and tornadoes and fires will happen before Jesus comes.  Thank you.  It was a difficult bedtime.

• Not to drag on and on about McKay being scared, but I just have to tell you a sweet little story.  So the first night after the nightmare he called me into his room because he was scared.  I asked him if he said a prayer.  He looked at me with those huge, innocent, terrified blue eyes and said, "I already said my personal prayers."  This struck me.  I asked him if he always said his personal prayers.  "Yeah, but I still feel scared."  You see, there was a time when I would help/encourage them to say their own prayers.  Months ago.  Months and months ago.  I haven't been very good about doing that lately.  So to hear that he still says them every night by himself makes me proud, humbled and just want to cry.  It makes me think of how strong these little children are.  I'm happy to know that even if I'm not perfect in the ways that I teach them, they are inherently strong enough to make up the difference.  

• If you saw me you might think I look like a bag of caramel popcorn. . .or a cookie. . .or maybe a hershey's kiss.  You are what you eat.

• So speaking of what I've been eating, to balance out all the treats, I've started doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred everyday.  (Really I'm doing this because I was fatter when I came home from Utah than I was when I got there).  Anyway, the kids usually do it with me and I just never want to forget my five year old boy in skin tight blue pajamas doing the most awkward, adorable jumping jacks my eyes have ever seen.  So precious.  They both grab spoons for weights and lay their blankets out beside my mat and we go to it.  They're totally getting into this whole exercising thing because while I was in line at Nordstrom there they were, doing hip circles into the mirror.  

• Christmas is in less than a week.  Ellery loves Santa.  McKay wants a bb gun.  They are so excited.  We are sad we won't be in Utah with family this week, but are still looking forward to our quiet little Christmas- the first one on our own.  I think it will be great.

Happy Sunday to you!