Party and Party S'more

S'more cupcakes anyone? We celebrated Luke's 4th birthday with a camping party in our backyard. It was so fun. The kids fished in the wading pool lake, dug in the sandbox for plastic bugs and frogs, painted their own puzzle on jumbo craft sticks, had story time in a tent filled with balloons, played hide and seek, played Duck Duck Moose around the fire pit, then used a compass to look for clues and find a cooler filled with goodie bags.

That night Merritt, Collin and Luke built a fire in our backyard, roasted marshmallows, and slept in a tent we had set up in the backyard. And the next morning we surprised Luke with tickets to the circus. (When I asked Luke what he wanted to do for his birthday he said, "Go camping and go to the circus.") This was good, because we don't need any more toys. Although, my mom did manage to find a train table second hand. Luke has been playing trains non-stop ever since. Love this boy.

Last night I was listening to the prophet speak at the annual General Relief Society meeting, which is on TV and broadcast from SLC. Luke was playing by my side at his train table. When the prophet ended his talk, I had tears in my eyes. Luke asked me if I was crying. I said, no, these are just Holy Ghost tears. The Holy Ghost is telling me that what he is saying is true. Then Luke looked at me and said, "Mom, I know this is Heavenly Father's world."

More tears....and Luke gave me a big hug. This was the first time Luke shared his testimony with me. I'm sure it won't be the last. I'm glad it was on his birthday so I'll remember it. I know even children, and especially children, recognize truth when they hear it. They can feel God's love for them. I am grateful Heavenly Father has entrusted me with three valiant boys. It is a privilege to be their mother. Happy birthday Luke.

Luke Starts Preschool

It was worth moving here just for this preschool. Luke loves teacher Sherrie, and comes home telling me all about the interesting things they are learning. He's only gone to school three times and already he is coming home adding numbers, wanting to read books to me, and telling me all about the science that is happening around us when we go for walks. Today he picked up a red leaf on the ground on our way to the park and said, "Mom! Look! Science is happening to this leaf!"

At school, he's dug for worms and examined them with a magnifying glass, he's seen a tarantula shed it's skin, and he's learned that insects have six legs and spiders have eight. He's collected colored leaves, pine cones, grapes, pears and apples from the trees and can tell me all the different parts of the tree. Teacher Sherrie is just trying to teach them typical preschool stuff, like numbers and colors and how to write their name. But because she uses science to do that, Luke comes home exploding with excitement.

It's like his mind has suddenly become aware of all the things there are to discover and all the things that he can do. He loves to think of questions to write on teacher Sherrie's question board. He loves to sing and to exercise. I love that they are outside a lot of the time. And best of all, I can tell that she genuinely loves Luke and cares so much for the children. I'm so happy and so grateful to have my dear friend and mentor teaching my child.

This is the woman that I've started writing a science book with. Maybe some day we'll actually finish it! Hope so.

By the way, Luke started reading this week. It's so fun. He gets so proud when he figures out each word. I wish I could send him to kindergarten in a year, but he's got two years to go. His birthday is in September, so he'll just be the oldest in his class. I hope there are benefits for this later. Because right now I'm wishing I could send him. People always say it's better to have boys be the older ones in their class, but I'm not so sure. Oh well, too late now.

Oh, and by the way, Collin finally did figure out how to start that fire. Sherrie had walked over to my house after preschool and we were talking in my living room. Next thing I know there is a fire in my stove downstairs and Collin is staring proudly into it. He wasn't feeling so proud when his dad came home, showed him pictures of burn victims on the Internet, then gave him a bare bottom spanking. Poor thing.

I think Merritt was just worried because when he was a little boy he started a fire too, except that it wasn't in a fireplace. It was out in a field and the fire department had to come and put it out. I bet you his dad did the same thing to him. But I didn't ask.

I remember my brother thinking it would be really cool to dip his arrows in gasoline, light them on fire, then shoot them into a dry grass field. I don't remember what happened after that, but I bet you he got in a lot of trouble. What is it with boys and fire? I have a feeling this is not the last time I'll be dealing with this. Ode to mothers of boys.

First Day of First Grade

Collin's teacher seems great and the school is new and nice. He loves eating school lunch, playing at recess and earning stickers for his sticker book. He is also excited because his teacher lets the kids teach the class some times. (They have show and teach instead of show and tell.) At back to school night, his teacher said Collin has excellent handwriting and is a pleasure to have in her class. So far, so good.

Then yesterday Collin came home and said he was getting quite the reputation at school...for eating ants! Apparently, Collin told some kid he had eaten them before (which was news to me) and the kid didn't believe him. So Collin decided he would prove it by eating some more. Problem is, now the word is out and kids are asking him to eat all sorts of things from worms to grasshoppers.

That was yesterday. Tonight I came back from taking Owen for a stroller ride to find Collin and Luke trying to start a fire in the living room. (Merritt was in the backyard building a sand box.) They had loaded up our living room stove with sticks, plugged in a battery charger to an outlet, wrapped a piece of toilet paper around one of the sticks, and stuck it in the battery charger. I guess they figured it was getting hot, and might just get hot enough to start the toilet paper on fire.

Heaven help me.

Yet (call me crazy) I miss Collin when he's gone all day. My little buddy is at school from 8:30 - 4:00! I confess it has seemed a bit lonely to me. The days seem to drag. Luke asks me throughout the day when Collin is going to be home. Owen carries around a miniature toy school bus and looks out the window a lot. When I told Collin that his brothers miss him, he got a big smile on his face. It feels good to be loved.