KID NOTES January 2016-June 2016
Aila potty training: my genius idea was to allow Abram a reward as well if he helped her go. He was all over it--reminding her to go ("do you need to go potty?"), turning the water on for her to wash her hands, and praising her, "you went potty, good job!"
Diaper-free, treats for everyone, success all around.
Aila: "Mom, can I have some stirrup on my pancake?" (syrup)
Aila: "I'm a princess!!"
Abram: "when you die, will you still remember me and your life? How?"
Abram shared his "kibble" from preschool with Aila--only one animal cracker and one gummy bear. Broke cracker in half and tried to cut gummy bear in half. Each got three cheese puffs 
Abram: "mom, guess what? I just can't stop thinking about Lego sets! I just keep thinking and thinking about them. When I'm 25 I think I'll still be thinking about them. I'll have to do a LOT of extra chores and get a LOT of money for Lego sets!" "And when I'm a grandpa I'll still like Legos. Even in heaven if there are Lego stores I'll go to the Lego stores!"
Observation at preschool for Abram--teachers only had good things to say about him--great spatial awareness, plays well with everyone, solves problems without teacher, raises hand, loves imaginative play, plays with lots of different toys, good at cleaning up, great fine motor skills, physically--can run, jump, leap
Made Positive reinforcement sticker charts--Aila refused to wash her hands after going potty and Abram said, "remember Aila, don't follow Satan or you won't get a sticker on your chart."
Aila: "I need a mack-in!" (Napkin)
Aila: "Abram, you have to be quiet when I'm on the phone. ...(bustles around and talks on the phone...) "Abram, I'm so proud of you for that while I was on the phone!" Haha
(This is from Ben) Abram was humming Praise to the Man while building Legos and he came in to the kitchen where I was and said, "dad, do you know that I pretty much always hum that song when I build Legos?" Me: "oh, really?" Him, "yeah, I really like it and like the tune and my favorite prophet is Joseph Smith." Me: "wow, great" him: "I even sometimes hum it at breakfast and lunch."
Aila singing 'BOM stories'..."long ago their fathers came from far across the street..."
Abram to me: "I got in my car seat the first time you asked!!" Then Aila, "yeah and I got in the five and third time you asked!!" Me "yep!"
Brought home leftover croissants from YW. Ben told Abram it was a French food. Abram: "I reeeeally wish I can serve my mission in France!!"
Classical cello in the car: Abram "I loooove this music!"
Trying to get everyone in the car...Abram comes and I say "where's Aila?" "Oh, she's coming. She just likes to take her time."
Abram: "we're getting Helaman balloons for daddy!" (Helium)
Park after violin lesson: simple joys of the heart
Abram--up close to his face, his innocent blue eyes...growing up way too fast--he now has little freckles scattered across his cheeks and nose.
Aila--filled my heart to watch you as I helped you across the zip line. Your hands clutched the handle above your head and I looked up and smiled at how your arms were squishing your little cheeks out, your happy brown eyes sparkled in the sunlight as you looked ahead, with your little nose sitting right in the middle of all that
....Abram racing around as fast as he could with Aila bustling behind him; their eyes glittering every time they completed a task at hand--climbing the slide, jumping off the step, ...love seeing their rosy cheeks and sweaty heads after working so hard and exploring the new park.
Abram "how does the ocean keep its height AALLL the year long?"
Abram and Aila set up a restaurant. Abram served me lunch and it cost $208.00, however, my baby's food was free along with a complimentary booster and baby toy. Aila served me a smoothie and it cost 5 (hold up five fingers) minutes. :)
At the park, Abram trying to convince Aila to go on a new slide: "Aila, its okay. Sometimes you have to try new things. I'll go with you."
Abram: "is Santa nocturnal?"
Abram: "How does your phone send a text message to all the YW's phones?"
Aila, "and I looked everywhere and it wasn't everywhere but then I found it in the bathroom!"
After returning from Utah for 2.5 weeks, Emerson made the softest, sweetest little coos this morning, looking all around his room, as if to say, "I remember this place."
Emers gets so excited when he sees siblings. Waves arms, kicks legs, open mouth smile....
Abram, looking at emers "he looks bigger than yesterday!....mom, does Emerson know he's a human?"
Abram "mom, my preschool is really good. We should send Aila there when she gets older."
A & A winking eyes. Abram: "Mom, are our eyes connected together?" "No, just connected to our brains." "But not connected together and THEN to our brains?" "Nope." "Oh. I thought they were connected Because Aila can't close one and open the other at the same time."
After talking about reusing and recycling at preschool: "mom, you should reuse that bagel bag!!"
Abram was like a celebrity at preschool after missing three weeks from being in Utah. Lots of hugs, everyone wanting to sit by him, moms telling me how excited their kids were when he came back, etc.
Aila: "Mom! I have my princess dress, my crown, and my wand...and now I'm gonna fight people!" (eek)
We had our first ever official family council with the kids and discussed how to decrease the whining going on around here. Aila suggested dried mangoes as a reward for using nice words and voices.
Aila, very alarmed voice, "MOM! Emersons eating his spit up!!" Me: "He's okay, Aila." (Insert sweetest, high-pitched voice:) "It's okay, Emers, you can eat your spit-ups!"
Abram pulled out a white almond out of the mixed nuts: "mom, I think this almond came from Russia or the North Pole." "How come?" "Because it's white."
Abram made a Mother's Day preschool gift, and as all the other mothers opened theirs at pickup on Friday, he insisted on hiding it from me and saving it for Sunday, Mother's Day. So cute and thoughtful.
Picked up Abrams soccer uniform...by the time we drove to Costco, he had his shin guards on, and by the time I nursed Emerson in the car, he was all suited up. :)
Aila, the morning after her 3rd bday, "Mom, is I'm three??"
Aila: "I can spread my blankie by myself because I'm a big three-yr-old!"
Me to Aila "you're a smart missy!" Aila: "AND I'm a sweet missy!"
Abram refused his snap peas at lunch, but I told him he needed to eat a veggie. He said he wanted a salad. So I said he'd have to make his own because I was putting Aila and Em down for naps. And I came back out to him eating his spinach, carrot, pecan, almond salad with ranch. ;)
Memorial Day: driving into the cemetery to visit my great gma and gpa's graves, Abram said, "I think these were great people who did what Heavenly Father asked them to do." Sweet, sweet boy.
Abram, "Mom. I reeeeally want a treehouse. When can we build a treehouse?" "Well, we can't build one here because we don't own this house." "Well when will we own a house?" "Houses are very expensive so we're saving up money to buy one someday." "You can use my money!! I want a treehouse even more than Lego sets!"
Emerson: army crawling at 7 months. Absolutely adores big brother and sister.
Abram strep throat. Me, "I think we should give you some medicine. Does your throat hurt?" Aila, "mom, I need some medicine because my feeling hurts!"
A note from Sis Murazzo, who helped in nursery today: "I had so much fun with Aila today! She and I need more play dates. I think we read 15 books. She kept wanting more and more. She knows her animals very well and we decided she needs a kitten. She called and talked to you on the phone for a while, but for some reason, Ben didn't pick up when she called. 
She is so much fun!"
Afternoon at the park: the simple joy of pushing Aila and Abram in the swings; Aila's brown eyes sparkling with pure glee in the sunlight, saying, "faster mom, faster!" Abram's sounds of joy as he swings higher and higher, just learning how to pump his own legs...with emerson on my hip, flapping his little arms in excitement and scrunching his nose in a huge smile as he watches their delight. Then I take a turn and swing with Emer in my lap, and watch his little legs kick with excitement, his wispy hair against my face. And I have the thought: I am living my childhood dream of being a mother, loving and laughing and playing with my kids. My heart could burst. What a blessing.
