Brigham lost something

Brigham are you really old enough to loose teeth? I don't remember loosing teeth until 1st grade, you're not even in Kindergarten yet! Oh well. I guess you were ready because that new tooth sure came up fast!

First Day of school Pictures

Rebekah was excited, but nervous about going to school, now she loves it.

Brigham pretended to not like school for the first week. We'd ask him how school was and he'd get smile on his face, and then try to hide the smile!

Already FIVE and enjoying being alive

We're excited to announce that our Brigham is now 5 years old!

We almost can't believe he's 5 already. Where does the time go?Here he is opening presents on his big day.

This is the cake I made for him. He requested orange and chocolate cupcakes, so I decided to take a little liberty with that request and I made a lion with cupcakes for the mane. He seemed to like it and I hear the orange and brown cake tasted good!


A little about our sweet five year old:
☺He loves learning (at least on his own terms)
☺He has an amazing imagination
☺He is very good at cleaning his room
☺He has a great sense of humor and in his own five years I think he's told more jokes than I have in my whole life.
☺He just missed the cut-off for going to Kindergarten this year. So, next year he and Rebekah will be in Kindergarten together.
☺He is becoming a great reader. (Lately he's been reading the old classic "Dick and Jane" books, and has gotten through half of the collection.)
☺ He recently was introduced to playing a computer game at starfall.com and he really enjoys doing that.
☺His spelling is getting good too.
He spelled this word almost by himself (I gave him one clue) Can you tell what it says? (it's actually two words)It says "FUniEOtOPus" Which really means "funny octopus" I think he did a great job spelling it!
☺Brigham is a joy to have around and we LOVE having him in our family.

Happy fifth Birthday, Brigham!

A Bike Riding Summer

Ready, set, go!

This summer we have gone on a lot of bike rides. We've collected enough bikes for the daycare kids and my kids to each have one to ride, so 2-3 days a week we ride our bikes either to the park or just around the neighborhood. The kids love it.

Hyrum only lasts about 1-2 houses down the street before he gives up trying to keep up with the kids. Then I stick his bike in the triple stroller with him on it and he pretends to ride while I push him in the stroller.

Sensory play

The children have really been into sensory type play lately.

We recently expanded Hyrum's ball pit from Christmas to the swimming pool- adding two more bags of balls. It's not quiet enough to fill the pool, but they sure have fun with it anyway and they can all fit at the same time which solves a lot of problems.(The extra legs in the pictures belong to a little friend.)

They also have been very interested in playing with some old, expired beans. I pulled these out and set them on the floor with a few measuring cups and bowls and they were content while I made breakfast.

Hyrum is so excited about the beans, the ball pit, and also play dough. That he's constantly asking to play with one of them. It's nice to have him interested in something other than getting into my things. This morning he asked to play with the beans and I told he needed to wash the table and then put his blankets on his bed - then he could play with the beans. So, he promptly washed the table, put the cloth away and then ran (without prompting) to the living room, gathered his blankets and put them on his bed, and before I knew it he was back in the kitchen asking for the beans. I was very impressed that he remembered all those steps and got them done so fast!

Guess who's learning to READ?!?!

Brigham has been very interested in letters and letter sounds and Timothy and I have been fostering that interest. Finally, this week I check out a set of early readers from the library called Bob Books. I pulled them out and he picked up on them so fast it amazed us both. Rebekah is also trying to give reading a fair shot and is only a step behind Brigham. She will likely begin reading in the next couple of months as well! CRAZY! I never expected my children would learn to read at 3 and 4 years old, but they are just so interested and have the desire to do it, that I can't stop them from learning! Brigham has read the first three BOB books by himself and is very excited to read more!

Christmas Back-log #1: Graham Cracker Houses

Brigham's preschool hosted a "Sugar Plumb Cottage" night. Where the whole family got to go and make a Graham Cracker House. So Mommy and Bekah made one and Brigham and Daddy made one, and Hyrum just ate the crackers and candy.

Bekah and Mommy made a traditional house and had fun decorating it. Bekah also found a hole in the roof support piece and stuffed larger pieces of candy inside. So,when she ate her house, there was a surprise when she took off the roof-more candy!Brigham and Daddy made a non-traditional house (note the inverted roof) They piled a bunch of candy and coconut in the crevice.
We had a good time and it was good to spend some time working as a family.

Brigham's Dance

Brigham has this crazy dancing that he does when he's happy and full of energy. I managed to catch some pictures of the silly faces and moves that he does. Usually he's singing a made up song at the same time too.

Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam

Brigham participated in his first primary program today. He did a great job of singing the songs and sitting reverently while on the stand. When it was his turn to say his part, he walked up the the stand, stood the first step of the two-step stool. On the first step you could see his hair above the podium. Then, ever so slowly he rose to the second step. It was so funny watching his head raise slowly - from my position I could see hair, then a little bit of forehead, then eyebrows, then eyes, then nose, and lastly mouth. Then he smiled a goofy smile and he said his line in words I'm sure no one could understand. Then, he hopped down and was done. :) It was so funny I couldn't stop laughing for a few minutes.

For those of you not familiar with the primary program. It is when the children and their leaders take over the later part of our Sunday meeting and each of the children take a turn speaking and they sing the songs they've learned over the past year. It's always a fun day and the spirit is so strong as these little people bare their testimonies of Jesus Christ.

First day of preschool

Brigham is starting a new preschool. His first day was Tuesday. He was so excited to ride a big school bus. He was all ready about 20 minutes early. Then, about the time his bus was supposed to come we waited outside.
Here he is waiting on the porch. Then waiting in the driveway. Finally, the bus comes!
He got to sit next to his friend, "Miss K", who is the only child care child I have right now. She just happened to be in the same special needs preschool and rides the same bus. (Makes it easier for the bus driver on days she's at our house.)

He had a great day at school. He said he got to play with play dough, and play in the sand box, and they got to make banana bread, but it was too hot so they couldn't eat it at school so he brought it home in a bag and ate it for lunch. He's very excited to go back tomorrow!

I hope this enthusiasm for school continues for the next 15-20 years!

A new way to sleep

Brigham has found a new sleeping position.
I had left him on the recliner to rest/fall asleep while we waited for his brothers to drop off. I came out to move him to his bed and found him like this.
Crazy boy! Yes, he is upside down. And yes he is sound asleep.

Future Missionaries

We've finally found suits for all our boys! Gotta love thrift stores!

What you see before you is four future missionaries! We belong to the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. All of them are carrying copies of the Book of Mormon. They're almost ready to go out and share the gospel of Jesus Christ to all the world! (Well, maybe in about 15-18 years when they've grown a little more.)



In our church young men are expected to serve a full-time mission for 2 years they can apply for this when they are 19 years old (at their own expense). Young women aren't expected to serve missions because their primary responsibilities are to become a wife and mother. But, if they don't have marriage prospects by the time they are 21 they can apply to serve a full-time mission for 18 months. Young men and women are sent all over the world preaching the gospel in many languages.



They teach that Christ was born on this earth!

That he atoned for our sins, died for us, and was resurrected making it possible for us to return to God our Heavenly Father after we die.

They teach that there is a LIVING PROPHET on the earth today! President Thomas S. Monson (who is pictured below in the center, the other two are his counselors) is the prophet of God on the earth! He teaches us under the direction of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the head of our church. Oh how we love our prophet dear.
Brigham, Rebekah, and Marc love to sing the song, "Follow the Prophet" as they march around the house. They recognize pictures of him and when asked who the prophet is today they replay with "Thomas Monson" or "President Monson". Well, most of the time... A few months ago I asked Marc "Who is the prophet today?" He said "Thomas the train." : ) Well, I guess for a three year old that's close... maybe.

Brigham, Rebekah, Marc, and Hyrum are preparing for missions not only by dressing like them, but by learning about Jesus. They are learning to pray, they are learning the scripture stories, they are learning the articles of faith.

Brigham's favorite article of faith (which he has memorized along with about 4 others) is "We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the gospel are first faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, repentance; third baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost."

Marc's favorite one is "We believe the bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly. We also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God."

Rebekah's favorite is "We believe in the same organization that existed in the primitive church, namely apostles, prophets, pastors, teacher, evangelists and so forth."

Hyrum's favorite one is, as he says: "Holy Ghost" He doesn't have his memorized yet, but he's still really young. "We believe in God the Eternal Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost."

First Day of School

Brigham and Marc got to start preschool this summer and are loving it! They are in a classroom with about 7 teachers and 10 students, plus service providers like speech pathologists and others. So they almost get one on one attention at school in a high quality environment! They sure love it!
They get to ride a "bus" (it's really a big 12 passenger van) and they got to get new back packs and new shirts! They decided on matching shirts. They love every minute of school!

Fire!

This morning I woke up to the smoke alarm going off. I jumped out of bed and grabbed my glasses (of all things.) We rushed the children out the front door and to the mail boxes (our designated meeting spot.) Timothy said he thought the fire was in the oven. He left us outside and went back in to check on things. Sure enough there was a fire in the oven. Here's how we figure it happened.

Timothy and the children had been up for about an hour and were letting me sleep in because I wasn't feeling well. Timothy had made muffins for breakfast and got them into the oven. Then, he went to change Hyrum's diaper. While he was changing him Brigham must have grabbed a measuring cup and an empty box of pepto bismal and opened the oven and tossed them in. Then they caught on fire and set the smoke detector off. (We found white melted plastic and half a burned pepto box in the oven after it cooled down.) Brigham said he threw a measuring cup in there. He also said that he would never do that again. (I hope he keeps his word.)

Silly things kids say and do

The other day as I was buckling the children into their seats in the van Rebekah found the little ash tray thing that opens. She said, "Look, Mama, garbage." Apparently she thought it was for garbage. A bit chagrined that she discovered the ash tray I said one of my creative expletives- "stinkles!" The next things I know Brigham is sitting there singing, "Stinkle, Stinkle, little garbage, how I wonder what you are." It was funny!


Rebekah got out a cookie sheet and sat on it and said "Put me in the oven." I laughed and took a picture of her so Brigham thought he'd get some attention and do the same thing. :)



Brigham dressed up in a friend's hat, sister's and his own gloves, jacket, and Mommy's shoes.


Three kid pile up!


Somehow, Brigham's head got sat on by Rebekah.
Not sure how they got into this position.


While Daddy was showering, Rebekah went behind the curtain of our big glass door in the kitchen and took off her clothes when I discovered her there I asked her what she was doing and she said, "I taking a shower, I taking a shower like Dada." :)

When Rebekah wants to know where someone is she says, "Where you are you?"

Brigham has started to run and dance when he has to go to the bathroom. Just this week he'll start dancing and we'll get him into the bathroom and once he's over the baby gate (to keep Hyrum out) he used to be able to handle going potty by himself. But, lately he's been running laps up and down the bathroom after we get him over the gate and won't stop until he wets his pants and starts screaming. Silly boy!

Brigham has a new responsibility now that he's getting a bit older. His job is to wash the table after meals. He hasn't quite figured out how to do it without actually getting on top of it yet. :)

The power of powder

Brigham and Rebekah got into the pantry and decided to make "muffins" for me. They mixed the rest of my jar of baking powder and the rest of a salt canister in mixing bowls. Later (after the photos were taken) they added left over muffins, crumbled. Tasty!




Hyrum got into the pantry and got out the cocoa. He decided to taste it too.


Brigham and Rebekah got into the baby powder in the bathroom and managed to cover the bathroom with a fine layer of powder.



Rebekah had wanted to put some baby powder on her bottom, hence the almost naked girl. Brigham saw the fun she was having and decided to join in. It took me a half hour to get the powder cleaned up and there was still a layer of powder that wouldn't wash up coating every surface in the bathroom.




Rebekah climbed onto the counter and decided she needed a little more salt in her life.

(This was actually a few weeks ago, and happened over a two day span, but we've been busy so I haven't had a chance to post it yet.)