I just don't want to forget...

Logan has been having major anxiety lately about strangers/being lost/alone. He gets scared to go to bed thinking we will leave him alone (which we never have) and if I leave him in the car to drop something off at someone's house he freaks out because he thinks I am going to leave them alone in the car forever. And he is afraid if I go in their house that something will happen to me. I don't know what sparked it all, but the poor kid as pretty upset about it.

This morning at 4 a.m. he woke me up. He had been having a nightmare and was a little shaken up. I have not been getting very much sleep so I was having a really hard time waking up. I don't remember most of our conversation. But his description of the dream was mostly about strangers chasing him. They were kid strangers. I remember telling him that most strangers are good people and that we don't need to be afraid of them. We just don't go anywhere with strangers because we don't know if they happen to be one of the bad ones. It seemed to reassure him. He gave me a big hug and tucked his body next to mine on the edge of the bed. I wrapped my hand around his head and played with his hair trying to give him some comfort. I said "Logan, you are a good boy." He sat up, looked me in the eye and very lovingly touched my face then said "You are a good mother." Then he confidently walked out of my room and went back to bed.

He has never called me mother before. And the way he said it was so sweet and loving. At that moment I believed him. I really felt like a good mother. Sleep deprived and not even very coherent, and he still thought I was a good mother. So today...I am going to be a good mother. I really don't want him to change his mind.

Faith

I had a Relief Society training last night so Keith had the kids all evening. They couldn't find the kids scripture set so Keith thought it would be fun to have a chat about Faith with the kids over a bowl of ice cream. After chatting for a bit, Keith asked Logan what it meant to have faith?

Logan's answer, "To stand at the edge of a mountain, and if you have faith you jump off."

Scripture study Knight style

Last night Dylan was having one of her moments. She was being so feisty and wouldn't participate in scripture study or prayers. All because she wanted to go first and Logan had been asked to read first. She was SO grumpy. Needless to say, Logan fell asleep in our bed while she scream it out. She finally calmed down and went to sleep.

Then....

At 6 this morning she came barreling in our room. She swung the door open and started yelling at both Keith and I because she didn't get a turn to read her scriptures. She was furious! So we all had to go back to her room and let her read her scriptures. It was insane! This girl doesn't forget anything!

The good news is, both Keith and I needed to be up at 6. And that definitely got our blood pumping. We stayed up while Dylan and Logan went back to sleep for another half hour.

Male Bonding and ninja moms

Logan told me today that he was ready for a "bonnie moment". It took me a minute and multiple times of asking for an explanation to figure out. He wanted to have a "bonding moment". Something Keith will say if they are going to hang out. Keith had fallen asleep (we are all pretty sick around here) and Logan wanted to have this special moment only with a boy (aka Dad). So I had to pretend to be a boy the entire time we played Lego's. My throat still hurts from talking so deep.

Then...Dylan joined in on the fun with her new girl Lego's. You don't realize how girls and boys are wired so differently from the start until you have kids. Logan was all about blowing things up and fighting, and Dylan wanted you to mourn over her death every time Logan blew her up. She also thought my ninja's needed a mother so she was the ninja mom. "she only fights when she is not cooking dinner." Needless to say it was a pretty hilarious imaginary game of Ninja fighting and some awesome "male" bonding.

Mother of the year.

Long story short....

Driving in the car and Dylan has to pee. She says she can't hold and that it is going to come out. She is in a panic and we are nowhere near a bathroom. So I did what any mother would do. I put one of Finley's diapers on her and let her empty her bladder. Took her a minute to warm up to the idea and totally freaked her out when she could feel it. The problem is...the diaper was made for a little boy who only pees small amounts. You get the drift. We made a small mess that was much easier to clean up then what could have happened:) Win win (I think)

Then...we got home later than planned and had popcorn and peach julius for dinner. Mom feels like a loser, but for some reason everyone is happy.

3 pennies

Me: Dylan, please go brush your teeth. Don't make me ask again.

Dylan: (standing very still holding Logan's Lego motorcycle that she just ran all the way downstairs to get) But I got a motorcycle and Logan said I can't move.

Me: LOGAN, YOU ARE NOT THE BOSS OF YOUR SISTER. You can't tell her what to do! Dylan you don't have to do what he says, put the motorcycle down and go brush your teeth please.

Dylan looks at me kind of in a panic, then at her brother, then back at me without moving anything but her eyes. Logan then walks out of the bathroom towards Dylan VERY slowly and confidently.

Logan: See mom, she would rather have a penny.

Then he went to his room grabbed 3 pennies and paid her for:

1. Running downstairs to get his motorcycle.

2. Holding still so it didn't break.

3. Sharing her Legos with him.

Dylan squealed with glee when she got 3. Logan was kind of mad when he realized she would have done all of it for only 1 penny.

****Side note: I don't pay my kids for chores or bribe them with money. I don't know where the idea came from or how long this has been going on. Don't know what I am going to do about it so if you have any suggestions let me know. I think it's funny, but I would much rather Logan get his own motorcycle or have Dylan get it for him just to be nice.

A few recent happenings.

Today during dinner Dylan took a giant drink of water and had to spit some of it back in her cup. Finley thought it was hilarious so she kept doing it. Fin would just crack up. All throughout dinner he kept anticipating another drink from her. When dinner was over she told Fin that she needed to put her dishes away, but that she would be right back to spit her water for him again. Logan kindly offered to spit her water for her while she was gone. He grabbed her backwashed glass and filled his mouth with water. Then he spit the water back in the cup in disgust. Somehow he was completely shocked that the water was gross. But when Finley saw him spit in disgust he almost passed out from laughing so hard.

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This may or may not be cool. But who knew that you could have a hardcore

game of Jenga with a 3 and 6 year old?

Should I be concerned that she has nothing under this apron

and she is sitting in the open window?

We went to a friends basketball game the other night. I was taking some pictures for them. And on the other side of the gym Keith was watching the kids. It was so cute to see him smooching Fin. He just kept coming in for more and Keith was happy to dish them out. He is such a good daddy. Our kids definitely know he loves them. Notice Dylan and Logan in the corner. Despite the way it looks they are both having a good time playing.

Logan's costume of the day.

Fin got tubes put in his ears last week. Hopefully it will help with all his ear discomfort. He looked so cute in the hospital gown I wanted to bring it home. He was a trooper.

This kid can never be left alone. Ever. He is always pulling all the books or pots and pans out of the cupboard. Or climbing somewhere he shouldn't. He can climb up to the top bunk, but he still can't walk. Go figure.

Dylan being an army ballerina. (whatever that is)

This was her mean face. She stayed in character very well.

Logan is acting the part for his 100 day t-shirt. We had to come up with a shirt that had 100 things on it for school. We bought a pack of eyeballs at the

dollar store and cut a hole and glued in the teeth that we made from scrap felt. It turned out really cute. He was proud to wear it since he glued everything on.