Conversations on Marriage...

West:  "Kinley, want to get married?"
McKinley: (very impatiently) Not YET!!!"

(a minute later)

West: "Want to go to the temple?"
McKinley: "Yeah"

West and McKinley enter Toy Car Coupe and head off to the 'temple'...:) :) :) Drive around corner and re-enter house where mum is working...

McKinley: "Why you turn the tv off?"
West: " We can't get watch tv, we're going to get married!!! Mum, me and Kinley are getting married. Kinley, where's your lipstick? You need lipstick to get married!"

(such little treasures!!!! They've just started playing 'mum and dad's' which has me cringing from my own memories of this game - so far it is all totally innocent and consists of going to work, going to the temple, asking permission to watch tv or play a particular game...I just hope it stays confined to these few activities!?! I dread the day when they start kissing each other!!!! Anytime Ystyn and I kiss or hug each other all 3 kids will come screaming in and try to seperate us, so of course it becomes a game with Ystyn and I and the kids - we'll start to hug and kiss knowing that one of them is watching and giggle as the one turns and yells at the others "they're kissing!!!!!" and all 3 come running in to beat us into seperation - it makes us giggle no end. Its important to Ystyn and I that our kids know that we love each other and are affectionate with each other - however, now that the mummy/daddy games are beginning I'm a little scared to see just how much they'll try to imitate....)

Funny Prayers

We were at the shops the other day and Madson happened to spy a book that they read at kindy - 'Aliens Love Underpants'. Because the kids have destroyed almost all the books we currently own and I'm wanting to build up a 'new' library of books that don't have pages missing, I bought each of the kids a book and headed home with the re-committment to read to them every night. We can tick that box because we have (so far) and its been great and the kids really really enjoy it. Anyway, Madson's pick was obviously this new book 'Aliens Love Underpants' - and he apparently enjoys this book so much that he had to pray about it last night...

Madson's prayer...."Dear Heavenly Father.....please bless mummy and Westie and McKinley that they won't get scared when the aliens come to get their underpants and that they won't scream, and please bless the aliens to come and get my underpants and that I won't be scared either..." and it carried on for a little while in similar style...

So I wasn't sure if I should be stopping this kind of prayer as silly and not serious, and if it happens again will probably have a little chat with him about some other things we could include in our prayers, but at the same time I truly thought it was so cute and funny and I am just so glad that all of our children are anxious to say their prayers and are comfortable to expand them to include some of the things they are thinking about. Its normally chaos at our house come prayer time because all 3 kids want to say the prayer - even if we say everyone can say a prayer then there's fights over who gets to say it first. I've seen some friends who have actual prayer charts and am starting to think this might be a good idea for us too? It truly makes my heart sing to know that our children are so anxious to talk to their Father in Heaven. I know they don't fully comprehend what saying a prayer really means but it feels so wonderful to have them so happy to pray and it really does warm my heart. They're truly learning and growing and expanding their minds and at this age their little spirits are just so receptive. I really hope that our kids will always be as anxious to say their prayers - that they will come to feel the true peace that comes from talking with their Father in Heaven...I love the spirit that I feel when I truly communicate through prayer and am so grateful for the incredible blessing prayer is - it is such a power and a comfort and we have been so blessed by it. I love teaching our children the gospel and can only hope they will catch on to everything so eagerly...

PS: "Aliens Love Underpants" is one we really recommend - lots of giggles for the kids in this one...:)

Spring!!!!

So the kids are driving me absolutley NUTS today - so we decided to get the good old 'water and sand shells' out and have a play in the water - and they're having a great time!!!! We collect water in old juice bottles just incase there's ever a time when we can't access water through the normal means. Anyway - we've had these water bottles filled for probably about a year or more and everytime West walks down the back stairs he knocks them over. So today, after he'd knocked them over for the 2nd time (and no, they're not on the ground or anywhere where he should be able to knock them over and yet he still does? I decided it was time to recycle the water and use it for a splash bath in the back yard.

And yes, for those of you who know the habits of our kids, the 'birthday suit' has made its debut for the spring season!!! The kids are all running around in the back yard sans clothes and loving it!!!

Not sure they should be attempting this without pants on though...:)