Teach the child...

The other day Izzie and I were driving in the car, when she asked me to put in the purple cd to listen to. I was pleased with her choice - it was Louis Armstrong singing Disney songs, a compromise for us both. I patted myself on the back a little for secretly infusing some culture into her young life, kind of like sneaking pumpkin in the chili to add vitamins to the meal, and I kind of envisioned her enjoying good jazz and talented musicians years down the road. Then I heard a small voice coming from the back seat...

"Mom?"...

"Yes sweetie?"

"Mom... is this Cookie Monster?"

pause pause pause... my smile grew as I listened to that scratchy gruff voice in an entirely new way.

"No sweetie, but it could be his cousin!"

Placated in her question, we each went on to enjoy the song in our own way. :-)
________________________________________

Family traditions of the mundane variety...

I thought the other day I should record a couple of things about our family that I consider to be rather normal for now, but that certainly won't last forever. Every night before bed we do the usual jammies, story, drinks, prayers, etc. Then, as the final little bit, we do the countdown. The kids have glow-in-the-dark stars on their ceiling, and so the countdown is to turn off the light and see the stars at their brightest. We started this a couple of years ago for reasons since forgotten, but I think it was to add a sense of finality to the bedtime routine as it tended to drag on and on for a while. Anyway, we count down usually from ten to one, but sometimes we do it fast, slow, loudly, quietly, and from time to time in spanish or russian. The possibilities have been many. It's been a fun end to our days for a while now, and I want to remember for much longer.

Another thing - I'm sure many prayers get repetitious at other homes, especially when you're teaching little ones to pray. Interpolations are probably equally common, but the favorite at our house is "happy and strong." Instead of the usual blessings at mealtimes that we may be healthy and strong, Erick started saying happy and strong, and it's stuck. I kind of like the change and haven't offered a correction. At some point he'll realize his error, but he'll not fully know the joy I feel in being taught by my children in those simplest of ways until much later.

We had a FHE the other night on the Plan of Salvation, complete with my old missionary flip charts as visual aides, and I was pleased at the interest shown by our kids during the discussion. They asked good questions as we talked about the purposes of this life in simple terms. We talked about learning to make good choices and about getting a body, the pre-earth life, the judgement and the three degrees of glory. We did all this in under fifteen minutes, but it seemed well received. I didn't realize just how well until I overheard my kids talking the next day. They were arguing over something when I hear Erick say "You better stop it, Izzie, or you'll be going to the moon!" It took me a minute to figure it out, but when I did I kind of laughed. You just never know what will sink in.

We have a bit of an argument on a regular basis about the importance of using the bathroom before climbing into bed. The request is usually followed closely be someone saying "But I don't neeeeeeeeeeeed toooooooooooo!" One recent night turned kind of silly as I explained that no matter what, you should go potty EVERY night before bed - tonight, tomorrow night, the next night, next week, etc. It was funny how somehow they got really excited about that thought and they started pitching in dates and acting enthusiastic about it. Finally it culminated in "Even on Christmas eve???" Yes, dear ones, you should even go potty on Christmas Eve. They laughed and danced around thrilled at the prospect. Weirdos. Anyway, it's funny how Christmas makes everything seem better when you're 3 and 5 years old.