11/4/2017
I had a moment alone with Issac today. It was so peaceful and happy.  The house was clean. I had a cup of tea, Issac was playing adorably with play-dough.  The trees were dancing around dropping the last of their yellow leaves.  There was beautiful music playing softly in the back. It was absolute peace. There was a soft cloud cover making everything seem extra cozy inside.  The occasional sun ray broke through the clouds just to assure us that the clouds were just for fun. Even the light, warm rain was breezy and affectionate.  It was perfect.  Issac was making 'pizza' that I would eat between my sips of tea.  I would then make them into balls, which he made into spaghetti strings with the 'play-dough stapler' but were actually vegetables that, naturally, made perfect pizza.  It was so peaceful.  I wish it was possible to capture that feeling and share it with myself years from now.  Isaac is so beautiful.

Parker is doing so well in school right now.  I asked him to compare a moment when he was not listening to the teacher to a specific moment when he was.  To think of how those moments felt.  He thought about it and said that not obeying really didn't feel as good.  the example he used was when he chose to lie on the floor during class.  He was lying in bed at the time and compared it to lying in bed.  'Why did it feel different?  I was just lying down like I am now.'  I appreciate that he could feel the difference, but it is hard to explain to an eight year old why they feel different,even though physically they are the same.  I am glad he saw it, though.  I think it made an enormous difference in his motivation to behave.  He is so much happier.  It is visible in his eyes.  His posture is so much happier and bright.  It is such a relief to see him settling back into himself again.  To see his sweet childish smile and bright curious eyes.

Ethan is doing really well in Karate and told Uncle Ammon that he even has four teachers who all have, get this, the same first name.  They are all named sensei!  He is great.  I love how he will just hold my hand as we walk and talk to me about whatever.  I love how he builds one 'contraption' after another and shamelessly asks us to tell him what we like most about the contraption  before he sets it off.  He and Isaac don't always get along, but he still looks out for Isaac.  Isaac threw 'turtleie' over the fence and Ethan was the one who made sure he was found and retrieved for the sobbing little brother. (7/10/2018) Another little boy on the playground was running around terrorizing smaller kids and decided to pick on Isaac.  I believe he called Isaac a 'poop face.'  It clearly upset Isaac and Ethan, enraged, grabbed the kids arm and squeezed hard enough to make it red for just a little while.  I took Ethan aside and asked him what was going on and Ethan said 'I don't know, but I didn't like that the boy was being mean to Isaac.  It made me really mad.'  Whatever,  call me a bad mom, but I gave Ethan huge props.  I was so proud of him.  I do feel bad for the little boy. I did my best to explain that I really believe kids act out like that because they have no better way to express some of the frustration they build up.  Poor kid.  At least my kid's anger problems are mom approved (nervous laugh).

Esther is so beautiful.  We had haircuts today, which she loves, and she sat there telling the stylist so matter of factly how she wants things to look and how she is glad to be there, because she likes it.  She was so fun to watch during her dance class. She is getting so big and moves with such enthusiasm and a spunky grace.  I love it.  She loves Lyra.  They are such good friends.

Lyra prides herself as being a voracious reader.  She really is. And I love seeing how different her beauty is from one age to another. She is changing so much right now.  She is asking more thoughtful questions and countering when the answer doesn't make sense.  It is such a joy to see how she is working through ideas.  We every other night, all the girls climb up the ladder to her top bunk, give the password, and then pile up to listen to her read scriptures and snuggle.  I think all three of us love it.  I am so glad to get to be with these girls.  They are both so cool.