Seminary Miracle

I love this group of seminary students I have the privilege of teaching this year I really do but getting everyone together in class has been nigh unto impossible, minus perhaps the first day of school.

Today we had the rare privilege of having everyone attend. To celebrate the occasion, we snapped a picture.

The Chemistry Boys

Oh how I love these photos. In our church at home lesson on Sunday I explained to the kids how in order to do higher math they needed to first learn what numbers were, how to count, how to add and subtract and so on. Our teachers in school depend upon the line upon line methodology learning in school and our Heavenly Father also uses the same principle to help us spiritually.

Doodah was fascinated and somehow got fixated on Chemistry. What were the building blocks of chemistry, what do they do, what molecules do they make? Matthew more or less has a minor in chemistry and utilized our white board to give him a couple of examples. Doodah absolutely ate up everything his father said. He had a notebook wanting to write down EVERY word.

A couple of days later Matthew and I went to the library to find some 7-year old appropriate books on Chemistry. Doodah decided memorize all the elements in the periodic table by writing them up in his notepad. One night after bedtime, Chewkie came in to Matthew and I to inform us that her brother was crying (sobbing really). We went in to see what was wrong and there beside his bed was a stack of crumpled up pieces of paper. He had tried writing them up but couldn't get the names written down correctly and it was frustrating his poor tired mind. You try to keep Yttrium in your head long enough to spell it correctly (in pen). We tried to calm him down promising that we (Matthew) would help him the next day and make actual notecards.

The next day, true to his word, Matthew pulled out our stack of notecards and began helping his son write them up and understand what everything means. Oh how I love this little boy and his curious mind. And oh how I love that wonderful father who is able to both fan and enable the love of learning in his son.

Chewkie Goes to Cheer Camp

For better or for worse we are really not an extra-curricular based family. Chewkie did dance for a year and a half. Doodah took a few months of piano lessons and they both did swimming lessons for a while. They have little interest in doing anything that takes away from their time together or with friends and I have little interest in adding anything else to our schedule (both for their sanity and for mine).

But then Chewkie came home one Friday with a flyer in her backpack for a Cheer Camp at the high school. She pulled it out and expressed interest. The next day she mentioned it again. The third time she brought to our attention she had already started filling out the registration form. I was ambivalent at best at her attending a cheer camp, never having any interest in the sport myself. Matthew abhorred all things his daughter getting mixed in what he saw was a slippery slope to teenage pregnancy. Not that he ever knew any cheerleaders himself, but you know, he's watched lots of movies to support his case.

Chewkie could not be dissuaded despite his disapproval so I signed her up. She was nervous but excited and never, not even for one second, thought about not going. I was happy that she saw a beloved classmate as soon as she walked in and I loved that she then shepherded other friends who were likewise nervous when they entered.

For two and a half hours she learned cheers she would later perform at a high school girl's basketball game. I wouldn't say she was the most coordinated little girl out there, but what she lacked in precision she made up for with her angel sweet enthusiasm. Oh how I love that daughter of mine.

Carousel First

The kids had the day off of school today so after grocery shopping they asked and I said yes to a long overdue trip to the carousel. I honestly can't remember the last time we came. Maybe last summer?? Either way, the kids were super excited especially since this is the first time they were eligible to ride completely by themselves. I stood on the outside watching for their cute faces instead of standing next to them trying to not throw up. Yay for them being tall enough!!

P.S. I'm actually writing this three months after the fact. We have been in quarantine for the last two months and as I type this I'm so glad I said yes to the carousel that day. Who knows when (if) it will be open again for them to ride.