Tales from Joy School, Part 1

These two kids were born on February 21, 2009. Their mommies thought they would love going to each other's house for Joy School (a term they use loosely since the curriculum is actually from Brightly Beaming). The kids play, do art projects and action songs, and learn fun things, like shapes, colors, letters, and animals. Miles likes to show Ella his battery-powered cars and how to jump on the bed. Ella can sing songs and likes to ask for cheese. Their favorite games are London Bridge and Ring Around the Rosy.

Tales from Joy School, Part 2

Yesterday Miles and his friend Ella were playing in the living room while I was getting a snack in the kitchen. I heard a crash. Is that ever good? Well, it wasn't too bad. Ella, fascinated by a bookend, had picked it up, and the books had tipped over and slipped to the floor.

Here is the bookend. Alvin got it from an artist in Jerusalem who catered to Mormon tourists.

After Ella handed it over, I showed it to the kiddies. "Who is this?" I asked. "She-she [Jesus]," said Miles. "No, this is Joseph Smith." Just as I launched into my explanation about how Joseph Smith was a prophet who saw Jesus, Miles reached out, grabbed the statue's nose, and said, "Onk!"

Compass

Every night we put Miles to bed with his head on his pillow and tuck his blanket into the bed. (Incidentally, the head of his bed pointed north.) His alignment doesn't change much until morning when he gets up. But . . . three days ago I moved his bed to another wall in the room. Since then, every night when we check on Miles before we go to bed, we have found him rotated 90 degrees, his entire body beneath the tucked-in blanket. Curious!

After two nights of worrying about the oxygen level beneath the blanket, we stripped the bed and dressed Miles in two pajamas. He slept very well last night.

Goodbye, 2010

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!


Lest you think this the perfect picture, here was take one:

Christmas is lovely, but there sure is a lot to do. Brave traffic, parking lots, and lines in stores. Plan and purchase or make presents. Order gifts online. Cook carrot butter for friends and neighbors. Find the perfect baguette to accompany the carrot butter. Go to family parties. Go to work parties. Go to friend parties. By the time Christmas day arrives, we just sit back and breathe a sigh of relief.

Despite our activity-filled schedule, or maybe because of it, we shared some memorable times.

• Miles decorated and redecorated our lovely tree a throughout December.
• Alvin was the most dashing (and most sober) redhead at his TerraTek party at the Park City Marriott.
• My whole-wheat rolls were a hit at the ward Christmas party.
• My sister got engaged.
• Alvin finished an oral history of his parents and gave a copy to all his siblings.
• My high-school friends (and their husbands and babies) came to town.
• We ate our traditional, simple Bethlehem supper on Christmas Eve.
• We played games with Alvin's brother and a neighbor after Miles went to bed.
• My parents drove from St. George and opened presents with us Christmas morning.
• Miles perfected his wide-eyed excited expression while opening his presents - he loved the candy and the shirt with Lightning McQueen.
• I ate pecan pie to my heart's content.
• Alvin went snowshoing with his dad.
• Alvin and I went snowshoing with my boss and his wife.
• We went to dinner with my sisters, parents, and uncle.
• Alvin arranged for a babysitter for Miles on New Year's Eve. Miles almost had his first sleepover ever at Grandma's house, but we ended up taking him home with us at 1:00 am.
• Almost daily, we watched Miles gorilla-jump off the couch.

December was a pretty fantastic finish to a good year.

Thanks, Kirsten

One of my favorite Christmas presents came from a cousin, of all people, this year. She scanned all the photos in one of my dad's old scrapbooks, saved them to a CD, and gave copies to everyone at our Cannon family Christmas party. Almost half of the pictures were of ancestors - family history was my dad's vocation, avocation, and everything in between.
This is my great-grandfather, Spencer. I think Miles looks like him. And this is Claire, probably a great-aunt. She's pretty.


This is Lorenzo Snow and the First Presidency. Alvin likes to mention to new acquaintances that George Q. Cannon (left) is my great-great-great grandfather. I inherited his eyes, but not his prestige.

Christmas Star

Alvin, Miles, and I went to our ward Christmas dinner Saturday night, and we really enjoyed ourselves. Miles ran around the chairs and tables with the other little kids, and we only lost him twice. The second time he appeared on stage during the serious Christmas program. He stood there while the audience chuckled and while I waited for Alvin to appear and grab him. Unfortunately, Alvin was in the halls looking for Miles. I had to make my way through the audience, jump up on the stage, and chase him down.

After the program, many ward members complimented Miles on his star performance and said it was the best part of the program. The ward clerk said it was the best Christmas program in years, thanks to Miles. What a debut for our little boy!

FHE

Alvin taught a lovely Family Home Evening lesson last night on family prayer. Miles has a select vocabulary, but Alvin helped him to say the closing prayer anyway. Here’s a snippet. Note Alvin’s attempt to include words Miles can say.

Alvin: Help us . . .
Miles: Uh.
Alvin: to eat apples.
Miles: Uh. (He must not have been in the mood to say apple. Now Alvin's going to try a word he knows Miles loves.)
Alvin: Help us . . .
Miles: Uh.
Alvin: to play the iPod.
Miles: A-men!