Star kids

This post is reserved for Jay and Rose, the star school-kids of our family, who are not home with Amber and me during the day and therefore have far less photographic representation than the Amb-monster. Jay and Rose are also not quite as mischievous as Amber, so I have less ranting/therapeutic writing to siphon off in regards to them. Rose and especially Jay are also getting old enough to tell their own stories, so it's beginning to feel more... invasive to tell stories about their experiences on my blog. I am determined to keep them in this narrative somehow, though! Yesterday (Sunday), Jay and Rose were both bright shining stars at church and they set my mom-heart a-glowing.

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JAY

Jay was asked to give a talk in Primary at church this week. I have always tried my best to get my kids involved in writing their own talks for church, and Jay took this responsibility on without a question. Whenever he does something responsible like showering without being asked, or writing his own church talk, I feel equal parts proud and weepy that my little boy is growing up! Jay is a great guy and I love, love, LOVE guiding and watching him learn and develop and make choices on his own.

Jay got up early on Sunday morning and asked me to remind him what the topic was (I mumbled "keep the commandments" from my pillow). Topic in mind, Jay went to his room and wrote out an excellent talk all by himself. He showed it to me and I made two small suggestions (add your testimony and some current context), which he added onto the end in the last sentence. He thought his talk was getting quite long, and I promised I wouldn't suggest any other add-ons. He said "I'm getting better at writing paragraphs because of my teacher at school," and I had to agree. Both his handwriting and his ability to express himself have improved noticeably this school year, and it is so much fun to see Jay's quirky, kind, goofy personality come out in his writing.

Jay's talk, transcribed with minimal punctuation and spelling changes:
Keeping the commandments isn't just about keeping the commandments but about taking them to heart. I remember that when I was in second grade I was not reading the Book of Mormon until I read an article in the Friend that inspired me to read. With this inspiration within about 6-9 months I finished the Book of Mormon. This is an example of devotion to the commandments because I took the message to heart. I hope you can take messages to heart as a inspiration to keep the commandments. I believe the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is true because of the warm and good feeling that I felt when I finished reading the Book of Mormon and I still feel it now when I read the scriptures.

Once his talk had passed my motherly inspection, Jay folded the paper up and tucked it into his shirt pocket for safekeeping. I was able to watch Jay give his talk during opening exercises in Primary. He got up front and said, with a sly grin, "Just as a warning, my talk is pretty long." Then he read his talk.

Dutiful post-church photo.

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ROSE

Halfway through testimony meeting at church yesterday, Rose surprised me by asking "can I go up there?" She has never shown any interest in going up front to bear her testimony, even on the few times we've asked her if she wants to go up to the microphone.  That all changed yesterday! I quickly whispered "Yes you can! Remember that a testimony is when you say how you feel about the gospel." True to form, the minute I said yes, Rose was rising out of her seat. I didn't have time to whisper any other reminders in her ear, but I did grab her arm and tell her to wait till the current speaker was done speaking before walking up front. I told her it's rude to walk up while someone else is talking--maybe not the kindest way to put it, and sometimes it has to happen that way, but it's hard to phrase etiquette lessons correctly on the spur of the moment. 

Rose sat on the edge of our pew, vibrating with energy until the current speaker said amen. Then Rose zoomed up to the front, her power walk turning into a run up the aisle and across the front of the chapel and up the steps. She was probably concerned about getting up front before the next person started talking, thanks to my clumsy etiquette lesson. Rose's friend Piper, who is getting baptized this week, said a few words about baptism while Rose waited in a seat up front. Then it was Rose's turn. She said something close to this, short and sweet: 

"I am excited to be there for Piper's baptism. I felt the spirit when I got baptized and I know Piper will feel good when she gets baptized too. In the name of Jesus Christ amen." 

Simple and straight to the heart of the matter. Becoming a member of the church via baptism was still very fresh in her mind, and when she was feeling the spirit, she was reminded of that big spiritual experience. I love my Rose-girl. She dash-walked back to our pew with a big grin, and I hugged her trembling thin body. 

Whenever I'm sitting in my favorite corner of our couch, Rose likes to come sit next to me and talk. I find myself in awe of her vivacious pure beauty. I surreptitiously snap pictures with my phone. She had a cut lip from a bike wreck in this picture, but somehow it did not even come close to detracting from her shining sweet face.

(showing me her scraped elbow from that same bike wreck)

Rose loves warm hugs. When she's upset or emotional, I have started trying to sit and hug her until she calms down rather than leaving her to rant-tantrum out her frustrations on her own. Hugs usually work way faster than alone time.

Amby inevitably joins us--in Amber's mind, Rose belongs to HER, and she shifts her endless demands from me to Rose the minute Rose comes home from school. "Come play with me, Rosie! Right now!"

Another day, another Rose-snuggle, and another Amb-vasion.

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SUNDAY AFTERNOON

After church on Sunday, I asked the kids what they talked about in their respective primary classes and if any of it was the same as the lessons we had at home this week. Jay said "well, we didn't really do any Come Follow Me lessons or scripture time this week, so I don't know." EXCUSE ME!? I reminded him about our lesson with the mud and the other three nights last week that we managed to have family scripture time or a Come Follow Me lesson. Sigh. Thank goodness for Jay's good talk and Rose's sweet testimony, because otherwise I may have felt like a gospel instruction failure last week! 

Hello up there, Rose! HAH, Rose is a girl of many talents. Apparently the awkwardly skinny hallway in our little house is good for something! I told Rose that she could climb the wall one more time for a picture, but then it would not be allowed. Her feet are nearly always dirty from playing outside, and we don't need dirty footprints up our walls.

Rose played with my hair on Sunday afternoon and then made sure to photograph it from all angles so I could see the awesomeness. 

We played another game of family catch in the front yard before dinner on Sunday evening--Jeff and I were all ready to go on a family walk, but the kids didn't want to so they distracted us with flying objects. 

 When we were done playing catch, Jay suggested that we eat dinner outside. He dragged out our folding table and chairs, so Jeff and I whipped up some burrito fillings and we had an impromptu family front yard dinner in the warm grassy shade. I love this selfie by Jay so much.

I love this scene. 

Jeff and I still snuck in a short postprandial family stroll that led us to this idyllic sun-drenched vineyard view.