Ghosts and Monks

Kian's reading books about witches and UFOs and ghosts. I didn't realize how scary they were until I looked at them AFTER he had read them. He claims they don't scare him though. Matt reviewed them and then talked to him about the Holy Ghost and how these kinds of frightening ghostly stories don't come from Heavenly Father. I made a silly comment, "When Kian was confirmed, he got the hooooooly ghost. Oooooooh!" He replied with, "The Holy Ghost is the ghost of a monk." That got us laughing.

A conversation from the day

Part of our morning devotional involves singing. We mostly sing Primary songs and activity songs for Felicity and Ella. Sometimes we sing songs in Spanish. I enjoy it. This morning we sang some Christmas songs because Abby informed me that the Primary children started practicing Christmas songs at church the day before.

So this morning we sang "Christmas Bells are Ringing..." and "Away in a Manger." Before we sang "Mary's Lullaby," I explained to the kids that these are Mary's words she's singing to her baby Jesus.

Lullaby, lullaby, my little one. Lullaby, my child so dear.
Thy precious life has just begun; Thy mother holds thee near.

My voice faltered and I had to pause and gulp back some emotion in my voice before I could continue singing.

While Joseph watches through the night, A star reflects thy light.
Lullaby, lullaby, my little one. Lullaby, my child so dear.

The beauty and tenderness of the song accompanied with the lovely melody made it too difficult to control my emotions and the tears welled up in my eyes. We finished the song (barely) and Kian asked me, "Why were you like that?" I replied, "It was a beautiful song." "Were you crying?!" he asked. "Why would you cry at that?" He then proceeded to sob dramatically in a mocking tone, "Waaah-waaah. Singing this song makes me cry!"

"Kian," I explained, "It is possible to cry for a reason other than sadness. Sometimes I cry because I'm happy or I'm filled with joy." Well, as you can imagine, this 8-year-old boy thought I was being ridiculous (having never felt this emotion, I assume).

I then described to him a possible scene in his future. "Kian, after you get married to the love of your life, you're going to have a baby. Can you imagine how you'll feel when after laboring in pain for hours, your wife gives birth to a healthy, perfect, tiny, amazing baby that you will hold with wonder and fascination and thankfulness?!!" There were lots of tears rolling down my face by this point in the lecture. I was really into it. I cry so easily.

He looked at me with a look like I was crazy and then went on to joke, "This is what I'll say when that happens: 'O God, I curse thee for dirty diapers!!' Ha ha ha."

Sigh.

Need to censor?

As the father of home schooled children, we knew that Kian would become a good reader when he was ready. He loves reading science books (and created his own schematic drawing from reading an Usborne Internet Lined Book on Electricity), Magic School Bus books, as well as some classics. He gets excited to place books on hold at the library on his own. One book that Kian has been reading is The Wind in the Willows.

Tonight as we are driving home from the Robertson's, Kian and his sisters are making up nonsense words. Rhyetta asked me where and why are they saying those things. Then she heard Kian say something that caught her immediate attention. She turned to me and asked, "Did he say what I think he said?" I replied, " I don't think so." As I continued to drive home, Rhyetta and I sat thinking to ourselves and processing what we thought we heard Kian say. I casually asked Kian, "What did you say to Abby?" Now, before I continue to retell what my eight year old son said to my 5 year old daughter I want to reassure you Rhyetta and I do not use inappropriate language in our house or elsewhere.

OK, you may be asking yourself what did Kian say!? "Oh, Abby, stop being an ass," was his reply. I then was curious where he had heard this, and continuing to be casual about it asked him where he heard this. "The Wind in the Willows."

Rhyetta and I started laughing heartily after this. Rhyetta calmly remarked, "Looks like we are going to have to watch more carefully what he reads." She then said, "After all, it is in the bible." I then commented while laughing, "Are you going to write about this or am I?"

Oh my! The truly funny thing about this is that he said it in context. He was asked if he knew what it meant and he said, "no."

As we arrived home, Rhyetta and I noticed that Abby had the book The Wind and the Willows opened across her sleeping chest. I took the book off her before carrying her inside, it was opened up to the page 38 where Mole says that to Toad. After reading what was on this page, it made more sense to me of the conversation the kids were having before our beautiful comment from Kian.

My, my; first telling another kid that she was "going to hell," and now this. We are sure in for fun times ahead.

Funny Ella

Our Ella-Bella turned 4 last month! While I don't have any cute ones of her on her birthday, here are some recent photos showing her true character!



Here she is pretending to be an alien!



She got caught with her hands in the whipped cream!



This is some seriously bad hair from the back...



And the bad hair from the front. Good morning!




And here she is, our cute Ella!

Halloween 2009

Thank you for making our costumes, Grandma!!