Glimpses

It's been an all-over-the-board sort of few weeks, what with Sean going back to work and everyone getting sick at various points. And I have just a handful of photos from the little bits of here and there and everywhere:

A) We watched General Conference a couple weekends ago and it was wonderful, as expected. My favorite came from Elder Wilson of the 70, who said (1) Wise parents prepare their kids to get along without them, (2) Parents have to help kids establish their own connection to heaven, and (3) The best thing we can give kids is our confidence that they will make it. That weekend was also the boys' grumpy phase of their sickness, so there were many hard-to-hear moments. When I got to that point with my own cold a few days later and I was working on a four-day giant sinus headache, I understood why they weren't the perkiest. Still, apparently Elder Holland can hold the saddest child captive with his powerful yet gentle messages.

B) I usually try to give Dash and Liam some kind of healthy, fruity snack but this day, I just let them have peanut butter ritz and craisins. They obviously thought it was delightful. They had some craisins a few days ago again and I gave them one bowl to share. Dash got engaged in a toy and Liam gobbled down the whole thing. Dash noticed just as Liam consumed the last piece. So I added more to the bowl and handed it to Dash, Liam wanting to immediately take possession again. So Dash ran all the way to our room, into the closet, and shut the door between him and his brother. That's one way to keep all the snacks to yourself.

C) Our boys are still quite fond of frogs (and all animals, frankly), so when Sean found a frog while moving some bricks, Liam and Dash stared excitedly at that little croaking lump in Daddy's hand for so long. Then we found another yesterday, buried in the sand of their sandbox actually (I'm so glad it didn't get squished!).This time we let them each take a turn holding the frog in their hands for a few seconds. They were very calm and still during it all, they were perfect. My worries for the frog's life proved baseless.

D) Time with Daddy is everyone's favorite part of the day. He reads and plays games and builds stuff and does all the fun boy things that these toddlers love. And I like to look at his handsome face. A win-win situation for everyone! (oh, and FYI, Sean now seems pretty set on a future of Pediatrics!)