Super sonic hearing

Last night Steve and I were in the basement watching some tv before retiring to bed. The house was quiet as all the children were sound asleep or at least we thought they were until we felt a presence behind us and when looking back we saw E who calmly said, "I think I have lice. My head itches and I can hear them scurrying over my head." Steve and I are trying not to laugh at this last comment and being the good mom that I am, I told E to come sit in front of me and I would look at her hair. I asked her where she was itchy and started looking there but I couldn't see anything. I had Steve come and he told E that he couldn't see anything either. E however is sure that she heard something. "I hear them scurrying around on my head! I told her that if she could hear the lice that she had super sonic hearing and that she could be a world famous spy as everyone would want her ears. We then said that if should hear them that she should tell them to stop running around so that she could get some sleep. E then responded, "But I don't know how to speak lice." Steve told her that if she listened long enough that she'd be able to figure out their language. E then starts speaking to "them" as she heads off to bed. Steve and I were now laughing uncontrollably. Hopefully tonight will be a better night and that all those lice will have been told to let E sleep.

Earthquake worries

Yesterday in church, one of the speakers mentioned the horrible earthquake that had happened in Haiti and then mentioned the 1989 California earthquake. T heard "the terrible earthquake in California" and then not so quietly said, "What! An Earthquake in California!" She was worried that perhaps Grandpa and Grandma, Aunts, Uncles and cousins might be in trouble. We reassured her that you were all fine. Just know that she was quite concerned about all of you.

Good vs Evil

We are really big into spies, spy gadgets, and anything undercover. Last night for a family movie we were watching a spy movie and E told us all that when she grows up she wants to be a spy. T then says very seriously, "I hope you not going to be an evil one."

On a side note--M says she's going to be a princess when she grows up.

It's all about being British

On New Years Eve we celebrated with the Brazilians so that everyone could go to bed early. We tooted horns, shook maracas, lighted fireworks and shouted Happy New Year. We then had treats and sparkling cider where I thought it would be fun to go around the circle and have everyone complete the thought, "Here's to a (blank) New Year!" E wanted a wonderful and healthy New Year. M wanted a Princess New Year and on T's turn she shouted out British! I'm not sure what that means yet. Maybe as the new year progresses we can figure it out so here's to a British New Year! May you have a wonderful time full of princesses!

Quiet

Today when we arrived at church we found out that the igniter for the chapel's heater was out and needless to say the chapel was extremely cold so families were huddled closer together and most of the center benches were filled--it also helped to have it be a missionary homecoming. So the chapel was filled and everyone was closer than usual. We have been working with M about being quiet and reverent during the prayers. Today she was very quiet and didn't utter a word until after she said, "Amen!" At which point she immediately exclaimed in a not so quiet voice, "Daddy, I was quiet during the whole prayer!" We will now work on being quiet after the prayer, too.

Monkey see, monkey do

We recently had a family night about how to make our home more like the temple. As I was talking, I mentioned that they have been able to go into two temples before they were dedicated and that Steve and I had recently gone to the temple for our date night. I asked if they knew the name and M proudly and very loudly says, "The Okie Monkey temple!"

I hope that even if she didn't get the name that at least if they see us going that maybe my little monkeys will want to go someday.

Flattery

H has found a new form of entertainment. He loves to imitate and they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but well....

H has recently found his tongue and loves to stick it out and if you stick yours out, he'll stick his tongue out and if you blow noises he'll try to blow noises, too. We encourage this behavior because of what we've learned in speech over the years. It's a great way for him to explore how his mouth moves and how his tongue works to produce sounds albeit very wet sounds. Yet, this imitation has moved up a notch. If Steve is sitting at the island programming, H likes to have his chair right next to Steve's and he'll sit and watch and be happy doing something that Steve is doing. If M has decided to get dressed out of her pajamas, H starts taking off his pajamas. If someone gets their shoes on, H will run and get his shoes on. If E and T are taking their laundry downstairs and putting them away, then H will take his laundry down the stairs and try to put his clothes in E's and T's dressers even though his dresser is upstairs. He simply wants to be like you. His latest imitation might not be the flattery that some seek or want because if someone passes gas and H hears, H will start letting out gases and smile really big after each one and because it is just too funny, it's hard not to laugh after this and so he laughs which continues to make H try to pass more gas. Really we need to learn not to laugh but for right now we just let it pass...