Don't Cry

Stephen was having a blast rolling golf balls down this contraption at the children's museum when he noticed a little girl crying nearby. He walked over to her with a golf ball in each hand and gave them to her, then pointed her over to this contraption. He got her to come over and had her roll the balls down, and she stopped crying.

Wow that made us feel good to watch happen!

Children's Museum of Phoenix

We had a great time at the Children's Museum of Phoenix, which isn't a museum as much as a collection of different play areas for kids.

Sarah's Almost-First Time On A Tricycle

Getting Ready

Papa: Sarah, today we are going to go to a really fun place. It's like the library and the McDonald's play area together, but a lot bigger!

Sarah (grinning ear to ear, puts head in hand like she can't believe it)

Sarah (thinks): They have horsies?

Papa: Well, no...

Sarah (thinks some more): They have a cocina? (a kitchen?)

Drawing 2

Sarah has done another drawing. Of course I am the least objective of observers, but I was totally impressed by this one. The improvement over the one the other day is impressive. You know, considering that she is not yet 3 years 3 months old.

Leep

Sarah: I wanna leep!

Papa: You want to leep?

Sarah: I wanna. Sssss-leep!

Drawer

Stephen is still small enough to sit in the drawer. He likes to pull out all of the plastic containers and climb in to sit and play.

Chicken Soup

Mama was feeling kind of sick. 

I told her I would make her some chicken soup. She was excited. She was even more excited when I told her that my chicken soup is very good. 

Then I told her that the only thing is I never know how to get the feathers out of the soup water. 

Then she told me that she wanted to make the soup herself. She is going to the store now to get some potatoes.

Baby On Board

Remember those Baby On Board signs that were popular a couple of decades ago? I remember people making fun of the idea: "Hey, please drive more carefully around my car, since I have a baby in here." Because, what, am I not going to decide not to crash into your car just because of that sign?

However, now as a parent, I realize the real purpose of those signs: To warn other drivers ahead of time of erratic driving caused by the driver frequently turning around and yelling at the back seat.

Socks

In the back seat this morning, Sarah was playing with her socks and talking about how they smelled: first yummy, then stinky. She said that Stephen wanted to eat them. Then, she pulled them off and put them on her hands.

Sarah Sock-Hands

Gum

Sarah: Papa, what's your favorite part about gum?

Papa: I don't know, chewing it, and the flavor.

Sarah: No! That's MY favorite part!

Favorite Candy

Sarah: Papa, what is your favorite candy?

Papa: My favorite is chocolate. What is your favorite candy?

Sarah: Mine is gum!

Knocking

Stephen understands that knocking on a door is the way to get it to open. Except he doesn't yet seem to understand that someone has to be on the other side to open it.

For example: This morning while we were all in the bedroom together, Stephen crawled off the bed and went over to the door, where he knocked, and then stood there, looking expectantly at the door, waiting for it to open.

Mama (laughing): Stephen, there's nobody there to open the door for you!

Stephen: (Tries to open door by prying his fingers into the crack between the door and the wall)

House Church

Still recovering after some traumatizing church experiences in the recent past, this weekend we went to a "house church" with friends. What that is is basically a couple of families getting together at someone's house for church. It was fun and we got to meet some incredibly well-mannered home-schooled kids.

Another especially memorable moment was that the hosts had an orange tree with some perfectly ripe naval oranges that they shared with us - very juicy and delicious!

Drawing

Sarah, all by herself, did this great drawing. It is a face with eyes, nose, mouth, and hair, and legs and feet down below.