God Bless Abigail and Tender Feelings About Warren

Tonight, at dinner, a dejected-looking Warren says: "Abigail was the only person who voted for my costume in the costume contest at school today." God bless Abigail!

(Warren is a "Lost Boy" from Peter Pan. He really wanted to be this. So he has a full body koala bear costume he wears, like the animal costumes the boys in the animated movie wear. Then we put a black eye on so he looks a little tougher. We finished it off with a rustic-looking slingshot and a wooden baseball bat for a club. )

This morning, after Warren unloaded the dishwasher: "Mom! Unloading that big silver pot lid totally let me know what I wanted to be for Halloween next year: a kitchen warrior. I could use it as a shield and have paper plates for armor and use a butterknife as a little sword."

Tonight I looked at the webpage Warren is making about himself. In describing himself he wrote, "I like to play imaginary games and sports like baseball and soccer." Imaginary games. I wish I could always remember the way I feel about Warren right now--I don't think I could ever be frustrated with him again. Or that I could remember how grateful I am to Abigail for loyally voting for her brother. Surely I could never be impatient with a child like that. Sigh.

Quotable, from Abigail

"Abigail, what work did you do today at school?"

"I did research! I asked Ms. Sheri for a lesson on it."

"What did you research?"

"I researched butterflies. Butterflies are one of the most beautiful insects and there are...fifteen hundred to twenty-one hundred butterflies on Earth."

"Where did you do your research?"

"In the encyclo-millipede."

Quotable from Warren

"Mom, if they asked what your favorite form of transportation was on your primary spotlight sheet, I would put, 'My imagination,' because I can go to a whole different time, a whole different place and a whole different world."

Lessons from My Daughters

Last night Madeleine said her prayers, and just after she finished, she opened her eyes, smiled and simply said, "I know Jesus loves me."

The previous night, Abigail was in the shower. She had just put conditioner in her hair, so I knew she would have some down time. I asked her to brush her teeth while she waited. Her reply? "Mom, I can't. See, what I do is, I dance." Sure enough, when I passed her the toothbrush, she was rocking out in the shower.

And again, last night, Madeleine woke up just an hour after going to bed, crying. I dismissed it a little, thinking it would stop, but Abigail, who was still up, went right in to comfort her. When I walked in, Abigail was sitting by her in bed, singing "I Feel My Savior's Love" while she patted her back. She has such compassion.

If You're Happy and Your Daughter Knows It...

Preface: to understand this story, you have to know that one of my wonderful friends who sometimes watches my kids taught them to sing, "If you're happy and you know it say, 'Amen!'"

I decided to let one kid sleep in my big bed each night this week. Tonight is Madeleine's turn. As she lay next to me and I wrote out tomorrow's "to-do" list, I rubbed her cheek. After a moment of this, she sat up and leaned next to me, reached up her hand and rubbed my face. It was so sweet, I started to cry a little. Madeleine noticed and asked, "Mom, why are you crying?" I said, "Because I'm happy." She responded, "Could you say, 'Amen'?"

Unrelated but another happy moment of the day:

As part of Warren's Cub Scout requirements, he planned our meals for the day and then made breakfast all by himself--well, of course, Abigail the event-planner was there to help out, but he was in charge. I laid in bed :) He made scrambled eggs, toast with jam and apple slices. He even had to slice the bread himself. As they started eating breakfast, these were a few comments made: "Breakfast just is so much better when you plan it!" "These eggs are the best I've ever had." And they all ate it happily and energetically. I think I might start having him cook breakfast every Monday morning.