Things I'm enjoying today

It's a pretty relaxed day around here, which I am enjoying most of all!  But here are a few other things:

1. I'm glad that I don't have to buy silly toys like this (which I really can't see kids playing with UNLESS it were attached to something else they had created):

Because Nolan and Abram are really into building "forts" all over the place like this:

Then Abram really wants me to try them out, but darn it- this one was too squishy for me to fit into;)

2. I've LOVED these books that I found at the dollar store - I may have to go grab some more:

This makes such a great scripture time with Abram - they include so many great illustrated Bible stories (I usually have to go into more detail about the stories) and after the story there are questions about the story, and then questions that help them apply the story to their own life, like "In the Bible (I say scriptures), God tells us what to do.  We hear Him when we read the scriptures.  Tell about a time when you listened to Heavenly Father."

I write all of Abram's answers down to all the questions, because I know I'll like to read them later:)  His answer to the one above: "I apologized when I was mean."

There are also fun activities and stickers in the books, and yesterday at Stake Conference, they kept Isabelle, Nolan and Abram happy pretty much the whole time.

Moms, you may want to go check and see if your dollar store has any!

3. I drove Abram to preschool today, only to discover upon arrival that it was cancelled. Note to self: Check his papers before school, not while he is AT school!!

But I enjoyed seeing these cows on the way there and on the way home. Cows always look so peaceful:

4. We got home and found this blog book waiting in the mail, and have been reading it!

I can't wait for the kids to get home and see it!  (Was I really still that much taller than most of my kids just two years ago?!?!) Watching their excitement about these books keeps me motivated to blog!

5. Discovering pictures on my phone taken from my little boy's perspective.  I liked this one because it is such a typical Sunday afternoon/evening (around 5:00 or 5:30.)  I am finishing up dinner - making a pie in fact, which is not a very frequent endeavor - while Shawn, who just arrived home, is talking to me. Doesn't he look handsome?:

6. Pace is into EVERYTHING!!! I can't say I am enjoying that, but I AM enjoying seeing how his little mind works.  I hope he survives himself! This was at the doctor's office last week:

Instead of immediately rescuing him, I took a picture:) - at first his head was all the way in, but he was recovering his balance when I snapped this. (As a side: Abram was the one seeing the doctor, and was the first confirmed case of the flu in our county. We feel so special!! We did the flu last week.)

Just for an example of Pace's antics, this morning as I was making school lunches, he scooted a chair over to the counter and climbed from it to the counter top.  I moved the chair into the laundry room and closed the door, so he then found a bucket and scooted it to the counter. He climbed on top of it, but when he tried to get onto the counter top it scooted out from under him.  I can't believe how often he falls in one day!

With my other children, I would often remind myself to redirect their attention, and that generally worked.  Not so with Pace.  He decides on something that he is interested in or wants to do, and NOTHING ELSE will distract him. He is a very determined little fellow.  I hope the goldfish that Isabelle won at the Halloween carnival don't experience a suffering horrible death...

7. This may be the main reason that I'm enjoying everything so much today:



Dinner was ready at 12:00! No, that is not my dinner, but you get the idea:) I love it when I remember to think ahead!