Lochlan Almost Ruined My SD Card and Other Truths

It's dangerous to do things, normal everyday tasks, in front of Lochlan.
Because he thinks he's a big kid and that he can do them too.
That kid is going to be the death of me!
I don't joke when I say it is my job 24/7 to watch him like a hawk!!
Because when I turn my back to wash dishes, help another kid with their problem,
or any other task that a normal person does in a normal day,
he is off putting dvd cases into my vcr or putting my camera's sd card into the wrong slot
on my computer or putting things in the kitty's water bowl.
And yes, he does have consequences but he is just relentless. And busy!
Oy.

Bronwyn lost her first tooth today and while we were still working on getting it all the way out,
she ate a pretzel stick and got the tooth next to it really wiggly too. She and I have been working our tushies off to help her start reading/learning sight words. She hugs me and thanks me every day when we learn a new word. I love it! I also get terribly nervous as we read our way through the book that contains all the sight words because she is notorious, and so am I, of giving up when she starts to feel confused. But each time instead of pushing her and instead of her just giving up, she thinks about it and sounds it out and comes out with the right word in the end! I am really and truly so proud of her for wanting to do this even though I know it's a challenge for her. I'm proud of me too because despite feeling like she's going to give up or I'm just not feeling it, I do it because I love her and I know this is something she needs my help learning right now.  I gave her a haircut last week, and she wanted bangs. Thus, we had to take a picture, below. :) She still thinks the bangs are too long but I've been too lazy to trim them and she just kind of sweeps them to the side anyway.

Mirren finally got her sought after prize of getting to do something in Primary today. She go to do the article of faith! I practiced with her loads of times the first article of faith, and she knew it pretty well! I don't think the experience was everything she thought it would be but at least she finally got to have it. She and Bronwyn are best friends lately and I love it! Just this past week as I was turning on a movie for them, I turned around to the two of them sitting on the couch next to each other with their arms around each others shoulders and big happy grins on their faces. My heart just melted! We also have plenty of moments where they need to play separately because they can't get along but those moments are getting so much less and I'm really grateful for that. Mirren also really loves Lochlan lately too. She has been telling me recently that he's her brother and she loves him. I plunked him in bed with Mirren this morning and she put her arm gently around his shoulder and just gave him a big ol' grin and he just grinned right back at her. They sat there grinning for a good minute. It was so sweet. And then we got up for breakfast and life resumed its normal pace. Ha ha!! She fell asleep sitting all propped up on this pillow. I can't get away from her needing a nap at least 2-3 times a week and if I can convince her to take them its heaven. Otherwise, I opt for early bedtimes.

Aftyn is Aftyn. She is a great big sister, she loves school. She has a reading challenge from her school that she's trying to accomplish, so she has been reading like a mad man every day this week. I had to break out the books I'd been saving for her birthday so she would have some new and interesting books to read. She is reading a whole book a day! She's wiping out my supply!! She's been asking for a haircut for about a month and I finally managed to work it into my schedule. Except I didn't take a picture yet. But it's just a bit longer than chin length with some long cheekbone length layers in the front. Every day when she gets home from school is one of the best parts of the day. Everyone is happy when Aftyn gets home. Her class is working on making leprechaun traps and she asked me if leprechauns were real. In THE most serious tone. It was so funny! I love that she felt that she would get an honest answer from me. I told her that they weren't, that just like Santa Claus, it was just something fun to pretend. She seemed a little conflicted with my answer. Ha ha ha!!  This is Aftyn and her "crazy" hat for hat day at school. She loved this hat that I whipped up with some tape, ribbon, elastic and poster board. Doggone lucky I had all that on hand!