Random Updates

We're having our big end-of-the-summer heat wave this week. It's been up over 100, although it's "cooled down" to 99 the past couple of days. Dave and the boys did yard work Saturday morning before it got too hot, and Tyler mowed the lawn for the first time. He was very excited, and it was just so cute to watch him push that huge thing around the yard.

Spencer told me this week that Dilbert has helped him with his come-backs when someone teases him at school. He started reading Dilbert a couple years ago and just loves it. At first he needed help understanding half the words and concepts, but now he reads it everyday and thinks it's hilarious. Anyway he told me that once a girl told him,"You are so weird!" to which he told her matter-of-factly, "You need therapy." She had no idea what that meant, so she responded, "No, I ... don't?" I love his confidence, but Kristen warned that intelligent insults can get him into trouble.

On Monday Dallin and I did the family home evening lesson about putting on the armor of God. This worked out extremely well. Usually the only way we can get him to sit relatively still and quiet for 5 minutes is to remind him he can only have a treat afterwards if he's good during the lesson. He's been known to miss out on the treat. But he took this responsibility very seriously, helped me teach the lesson, reminded me to tell the cool story about Elisha showing his servant the huge army of angels fighting on their side, and of course demonstrated putting on the armor.

Brennan's vocabulary has exploded. He says new words and phrases every day. Last week I put shorts on him (not the swimming suit in the picture) that were too big, and they kept falling down. After a few minutes of trying to hold them up he said, "This isn't going to work for me." He has also developed fear. He freaked out when I got my feet wet in the ocean Saturday. And yesterday the boys were riding bikes out front; his tricycle was sitting right at the end of the driveway, and he screamed in fear that it would roll into the street, although it wasn't actually moving. If any of the boys lean back in their chairs he shakes with panic. When Dallin and his friend went out the front door yesterday (they're not supposed to be out front alone), he cried so hard I thought he had gotten hurt. I'm not sure what he thought would happen to them in the front yard, but he was obviously very concerned for their safety.