Merry Christmas!

We hope you and yours have a beautiful Christmas holiday.

If you need a laugh to alleviate the stress of the season, check out Lisa and Logan at this link: http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/XTqPurjTC66Y10YoWNxA

Or this one:
http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/CqmAEdGKLZQWMJO6tZrv

Isn't is Just Amazing How Our Little Ones

help us be better?


Here are a few lessons I have learned from Logan lately:



1. He insists on picking up litter and throwing it in the garbage can. I find myself spotting trash in parking lots, and trying to steer him clear. He inevitably spots it and reminds me,



"Mom, if we don't pick it up, who will?"



2. While getting my shoes on the other day, he looked at me, smiled, and said,



"Mom, when you are old, I am going to tie your shoes for you."



3. He reminds us to say testimonies during family home evening, and at church. He eagerly volunteers to go first.



4. Recently after a long exhausting day, Logan was following me around the house whining. I turned and snapped at him,



"Logan, I have had it! Go get ready for bed!"



He dropped his head, turned to walk out of the room, and started to cry. He looked over his shoulder and tearily said,



"Mom, I'm going to say a prayer for you that you can be nice."



He knelt down right there in the doorway, bowed his head, and prayed aloud through tears that I could be a nice mommy, and that he could forgive me.



Here I thought parenting was about helping and training him, but it just amazes me how often the tables turn.

Onety

Logan,

You made a very logical conclusion this week. You counted to nineteen, and then proceeded to onety, onety one, onety two, onety three, etc.

It really does make sense, right?

Onety
Twenty
Thirty
Forty
etc...

As I considered your logic, I did determine that according the pattern in the Base 10 system, onedy might be a more logical replacement for 10 and the subsequent teen numbers, rather than an insertion prior to twenty; however, your observation was still a very good one.

Unfortunately, despite your insightful discovery, we'll have to work on returning to the universally used number system.

Your conceptual understanding of place value at age 3 is absoultely delightful. Nice thinking, son.

Love, Mom

Raking

takes longer with 3 year olds, but it is much more fun than raking alone.

My 3 Year Old Has a Job that Pays $30 an Hour

We had a very plentiful pumpkin crop this year. After all of Logan's sweat and toil by my side in the garden, I thought he might enjoy selling a few. Well, word of the sale traveled through the neighborhood of grandmas and grandpas we live in. Even after his Saturday afternoon sidewalk display ended, we had phone calls requesting a visit to Logan's pumpkin patch. Despite the low prices he offered (well, they were low after we helped him adjust his original suggested price of $20 a pumpkin), he made a killing. Pictures of the pumpkin sale will have to wait. They are on Topher's computer which is being repaired.

For now, here is Logan with a few pumpkins he saved to carve.

Grad School

I may not be blogging much for a while. I'm headed here for a Masters Degree. I'll pop in when I can.

Fall Pictures in the Backyard

Ready for School?

This week I had a short conversation with a barely 5 year old boy. He is entering kindergarten. My heart ached as I saw several behavioral and academic indications that he would struggle in school. He is delayed. Sadly, he may have been ready to enter school by now if his parents had worked with him on some academic and social skill development. He may not catch up without intervention. He is a bright child who hasn't had much training or adult interaction. I wanted to tell his mom to keep him home another year. I didn't. It really isn't my business. I probably couldn't have extinguished her determination to get "free day care" as soon as possible anyway.

I'm not writing this post as a parent. I'm writing it as a teacher. Being a parent is hard, and sometimes there are factors outside our control that impact our children's ability to be successful in school. There are, however; many factors within our control. Moms and dads can do much to prepare their young children to be successful in school. Seeing this young boy reminded me to re-double my efforts to teach Logan. I don't want him to struggle because I didn't help him prepare. Below are some skills we have been working on at home. While this teaching is very intentional, it is rarely formal. It just happens as opportunities arise throughout the day:

1. Coin recognition
2. Rhyming
3. Letter name and sound recognition (while shopping, reading books, driving in the car)
4. Sight word recognition
5. Tracing/writing names of family members
6. "Reading" books (Even if they are memorized, this is a great confidence builder. Logan has a pile of books in his room that he can "read" to me.)
7. Following directions the first time
8. Social problem solving skills
9. Taking turns
10. Simple math story problems (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division)
11. Following the rules in games
12. Measurement (How many blocks long is the couch?, play with a measuring tape, measurement while cooking)
13. Counting
14. Shapes and colors
15. Exposure to narrative and informational texts (I often ask Logan to predict words or events as we read, I also ask him to re-tell portions of the story as we go.)
16. Singing
17. Story telling (Logan tells the stories)
18. Working on a difficult task for an extended period
19. Address and phone number
20. Fine motor skill activities (stringing beads, coloring, playing with small toys)
21. Respect for adults other than me
22. Saying thank you
23. Cleaning up after himself
24. Geography (we look at maps and discuss where animals live and why)
25. Drawing pictures

I am amazed at how receptive Logan is. He is like a little sponge, and he longs to be involved and to be taught new things. Sometimes children lose that desire for interaction. I guess I'll take advantage of it while I can.

Pet

As you may have noticed in previous posts, our Grandma is cool. Sometimes, she catches pets for Logan. Her latest catch was a very small toad she found hopping through the grass in her yard.

My idea was to let Logan play with him for a few hours, and then let him "live in our ditch"... (let him go). After a mild chastisement from my mother for denying my child the joy of such a wonderful pet, I conceded.

And built him a terrarium.

Logan named him, Caterpillar Toad Boy (The toad eats caterpillars, and he is a boy... what brilliant logic.) He also eats ants, which we catch and feed to him daily.

He eats them like this... sort of.

Ribbit.

Irrigation Day

Sometimes I struggle to get a good smile out of Logan when it is time for a picture. Not on irrigation day.
It is the best day of the week.


What more could a boy want than to go fishing off a bridge in his own back yard? Who cares if there aren't even any fish!

We know our Uncle John would not approve of this rudimentary method of recreation...

but we do.

On irrigation day, we don't wash our faces.

Potato bugs are abundant. Today there was even a bonus (not pictured). Logan caught a "swim worm". It was a worm swimming in the water. It is now living in a jar in his bedroom.

Please notice the twisted overalls. Logan dresses himself in his best watering clothes on irrigation day, and heads for the ditch.

According to Logan, there really isn't a better way to cool off than sitting in the cold gutter...

and visiting with fellow irrigation day lovers as they ride past.

Phone Call

You might not laugh at this post, unless you know both Logan and his cousin George. If you don't know them, but you are familiar with the personalities of their parents who are siblings, you may still laugh.

Ring ring ring.

"Hi Grandma. Can I talk to George?" (Logan's darling cousin pictured with frogs below who was playing at Grandma's house.)

(George picks up and says hello)

"(Excitedly) George! Hi, do you want some curry for dinner? It is very good and spicy, but not too spicy."

(No response from George)

"(Exasperated) George, George, GEORGE! Do you want some curry? George, are you there? GEORGE!"

(Still no response. Logan hangs up, frustrated.)

"Hmmmph. I just can't handle him. He only said one thing! I'm calling him back. He is my BEST friend. I want to give him some curry."

(Logan begins redialing... probably 911 or something... and puts the phone to his ear. When it doesn't ring, he asks me to call him back. Logan is only 3. He doesn't know how to dial phone numbers.)

"Hi George!"

(George answers, but doesn't have much to say about curry or anything else. He was obviously busy playing.)

(Logan hangs up mumbling under his breath) "I just can't handle him."

Frogs

Family Pics

Since it has been quite a while since we have taken any of these, I figured they were worth posting.  

Logan Would Like To Wish Y'All a Happy Spring

Monday morning we went outside to work in the yard. Sometime between Saturday and Monday morning, our nectarine, plum, pear, and peach trees blossomed. Logan was thrilled. He ran next door and got our sweet neighbor (and gardening mentor) yelling, "LOOK WHAT HAPPENED!!" It was a true springtime miracle in the eyes of this 3 year old.

We are also happy to announce that we have begun planting in the garden again. This season we are going to try a few new things. Our experimental vegetables this year are potatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower. We are also starting an asparagus patch and a blackberry patch. We don't know much (except for a bit of pre-planting research) about these crops. If anyone has any expertise, it would be appreciated.

It Rained Last Night

We are sealing part of the foundation on our house. We spent Saturday digging a big hole so we could expose the crack. Dang. We should have checked the weather forecast before we exposed the hole!

4:30 am - Wake up to a shallow lake in the basement and spend the next several hours quietly mopping up water that was still coming into the house as quickly as I could clean it up.

8:00 - No progress made on the lake. Water still pouring in.

8:20 - Father-in-law shows up to drop off a wet/dry vac. Thank you! Spend the next several hours running between Logan, work, and the lake, trying to get things dried out.

12:30 - Inside lake empty, but water still coming in through crack. Go outside to see 50+ gallons of water trapped in the hole, still funneling into my basement. Wanted to swear but didn't. Maybe I should have. I might have felt better.

12:45 - Breaker goes out from running vac and fan. Switch outlets.

1:00 - Logan is helping me dry. He threw his sippie cup on the ground (for no apparent reason) and it bounces and hits me in the face. I lose patience and send Logan upstairs.

1:15 - Black eye forms from sippie cup incident.

1:30 - Smack head hard on board above crack where water is coming in. Goose egg forms.

1:40 - Smack head again in the same spot. Goose egg grows.

1:45 - 3 year old who is still not down for a nap is quiet upstairs for a surprising amount of time. Go upstairs to find him "watering the plants (seedlings for the garden)". Mud and water all over bathroom.

2:00 - After cleaning bathroom (with help from Logan), attempt to put him down for a nap. He cries because he is hungy. Of course he is hungry. He had to find himself food all morning while I mopped and vacuumed water. All he ate was potato chips, popcorn, and chocolate milk all day.

2:10 - Bad Mommy feeds Logan chicken, rice, and apples.

2:20 - Logan goes back to bed for 5 minutes and then cries because his feet are cold. Of course his feet are cold. He waded through a soggy basement all morning helping me.

2:25 - Cuddle Logan. Tell him a story about a little bat (his request). Bundle up his feet and warm him up a rice bag for his chilly toes. Kisses and hugs. Good night, Logan.

2:30 - Reflect on what a dreadful mother I was today. Catch up on work. Check water in hole. Almost gone. Water coming into house down to a trickle.

3:00 - Check weather forecast. Rain tonight.

Utah Coalition Against Pornography

Topher and I attended a conference last week that was put on by the Utah Coalition Against Pornography. If anyone is interested in purchasing the complete conference on DVD, you can do so at http://www.utahcoalition.org/. The DVD costs $25. The sesions were very informative, and I thought I would share a few of the things I learned with any of you who are working to protect your families.



1. Do you have a filter on all of the computers in your house? You can download a free filter from http://www1.k9webprotection.com/ or http://netnanny.com/. These tools are user friendly, customizable, and allow you to monitor web-activity accessed through your internet browser.



2. Most internet filters (including the ones above) are NOT comprehensive. Pornographic files can be downloaded from Peer to Peer applications (Napster, Bear Share, LimeWire, etc.) and the files will not be blocked by most internet filters.



3. The number one use of Peer to Peer applications is the distribution of child pornography. Peer to Peer applications access files by connecting to other computers and downloading files directly from those computers.



4. Gaming Consoles (XBox, PS3, Wii) have unfiltered internet browsing capabilities. Children who are playing games on consoles that are connected to the internet can also access the internet.



5. In order to protect better against the possible danger of Peer to Peer Applications, and internet browsing through Gaming Consoles, it is necessary to have a filter on your internet router. This type of filter can be purchased through http://www.pandorashope.com/.



6. Patrick A Trueman (US Department of Justice) called cell phones "porn in a pocket". Some cell phone providers will filter the internet. Others do not. Call your cell provider to see what filtering tools they can intall on the phones your family uses.



7. "Sexting" is a new trend. Children and teens are now producing and distributing child pornography (of themselves) via their cell phones. Monitor your children's text and picutre messaging. It was recommend that cell phones and computers not be allowed in bedrooms. All cell phones should be plugged into a charging dock in the evening so children aren't text and picture messaging in the night.



8. Do you know the laws that protect you and your family from indcency in our society? You can read some of the key laws here: http://www.strengthenthefamily.net/law_legal_def.php. Sadly, many of these laws are not being enforced. Did you know that it is illegal for hotels to sell "hard-core" pornography from hotel rooms? It is. Under the Obaba administration, these prosecutions, along with many other prosectuation against the illegal distribution or pornography have stopped.



9. Read the Harmful to Minors Law in the link above. As citizens, we can respectfully approach business owners to request that they adhere to these laws. Many sexually explicit and indecent magazines are displayed at children's eye level. Many popular magazine titles sold in grocery stores are acually owned by the sex industry. Magazine owners purchase their spots on the racks, and they place these magazines where children will be exposed to them purposely. The objective is to hook young children on sexual material. This is a similar tactic by the sex industry that we once saw with Camel cigarettes marketing with a cartoon to incite children while they were young. This week I spoke to the owner of a gas station about the magazine rack that was displayed and children's eye level. I thanked him for putting some of the indecent magazines on the back row of the rack where the title of the magazie was visible, but the pictures on the front were not. I pointed out one magazine that I was concerned about being visible to my son. I found that he was receptive to me, and respectful of my request to move the magazine.



10. Here are some articles you can read about promoting decency in our communities: http://www.strengthenthefamily.net/index_model_city.php.



11. When an individual has a gaming addiction, it can be much easier for them to become addicted to pornography because they have learned to meet many of their basic psychological needs through a virtual reality. This link: http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=afee15e67b5b2210VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD will take you to an article that discusses how to identify gaming addictions.

12. MMPORPGs (mass multi-player online role playing games), such as Second-Life and World of Warcraft are housed on the internet. These types of games are highly addictive. Additionally, child predators also flock to these sites because of the chat capabilities.

13. Pornography addictions are no respecter of persons. Men and women and boys and girls of all ages and social classes are suceptible to this new highly addictive "drug".

14. Children should be taught not to interact with anyone on the internet that they and their parents do not know in real life. They also need to be taught what type of information is appropriate to share online.

15. Check out the resources tab on http://www.utahcoalition.org/.

While there are many things we can do to protect ourselves and those we love, the most important protection is spiritual. We need an internal personal filter. Sadly, we can no longer wall ourselves or our children off completely from exposure to sexual material. I hope the information in this post will help though. We have a lot more information. Contact Topher or me if you have questions. We are happy to share more.

This Post Exposes One of My Weaker Moments

as a mother. Since it was one of Logan's best moments, I'm posting anyway.

Last Saturday Logan went to bed late. Sunday he can't take a nap because of our church schedule. By Sunday night we were all exhuasted, Logan was whiney (rare), and really getting on my nerves. I was getting ready for bed, and he was standing next to me whining about something. I stopped and abruptly said,

"Logan, I'm sick of your whining. Go OUT."

He exited the room, head hung. He turned around when he reached the doorway and said through tears,

"Mommy, I'm going to say a prayer for you that you can be nice."

He proceeded to kneel down, crying, and make the following requests in his prayer,

"Please help my mommy to be nice, and please help me to forgive her."

Sweet baby. I'm glad God sent him to me. Sometimes I wonder who really needs who.

Oedipus Rex

Logan: "Mommy, when I grow up, you can be my wife."

Mommy: "Logan, I am already Daddy's wife.  When you grow up you will meet another person who will be your wife."

Logan: "Mommy, when you grow up, you will be a person.  Then you can be my wife."

We'll just have to resolve this when he gets a little older.  I couldn't bear to break the heart of my 3 year old.

Hold It

Yesterday Topher took Logan for a ride to the grocery store. When they were a few minutes from home...

"Daddy, I have to go pee pee."

"Logan, HOLD IT. We'll be home in a few minutes."

Seconds Later...

"Daddy, it is coming out!"

"Logan, I told you to HOLD IT."

Logan does not respond. When they pull in the driveway, Logan does not jump out of the car like he normally does. When Topher opened the back door to help him out he found Logan sitting with his legs spread and his hands carefully cupped between his legs.

"Logan, get out of the car."

"But Daddy, you told me to HOLD IT." (Holding his pee in his cupped hands, trying not to spill.)

I'm Always Looking for a Good Excuse to Open A Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk

This week's excuse:  These are growing in my front yard!

Why not celebrate with some Lime Pie.  I can't very well call it Key Lime Pie, because I used normal limes.  It was yummy, and today I am EXTREMELY proud of myself that I have not touched it. It is still covered and half-eaten, tempting me in the fridge.  I am not including a picture.  I don't want anyone who is trying to be good to suffer.

Just combine and mix well:

5 beaten egg yolks

1 can sweetened condensed milk 

1/2 cup key lime juice

Pour into a prepared 9 inch graham cracker crust and bake at 375 for 15 minutes.  Cool.  Top with whipped cream if the above mentioned ingredients don't provide enough calories for you.

Easy.

Lately, we've been...

Making Valentines and

building monkey caves.  We are still working on correctly assigning animals to their habitats.  Monkeys generally do not live in caves, but I have decided not to make an issue out of it. 

Going on train rides to play in Salt Lake

to celebrate Daddy's graduation.

We have also been practicing a variety of new skills, despite the risk of frosting on the walls and ceiling (which miraculously did not occur).  Wow. 

We've been learning to make beds,

and visiting Temple Square.

Logan has been asserting his independence in a variety of impressive and entertaining ways.

We have taken up bowling as a hobby.

Logan insists on doing it all by himself.  Thank heaven for bumpers.

We have also enjoyed visiting lots of new places and learning new things.  The above pic is a T-Rex track.  Wow.  Huge.  I'm finding that mothering a two-year old has ignited my love of learning.  His excitement of discovery is contagious.