Not my proudest parenting moment...

Okay, is it really true that boys are just like this?! It simply can't be! Yesterday Aile and Brenner were playing on my bedroom floor--Brenner was the patient and Aile the doctor. Aile was busy making a potion of medicine, while Brenner was just sprawled flat on the floor, waiting patiently for his dose. Then he suddenly said, "Hey!" Aile and I both looked at him, and he very deliberately lifted both of his legs up straight in the air and let out a long loud toot! On top of that, he looked right at us and started laughing hysterically! This from a boy who is constantly going around saying "Excuse me please!" for every little thing! I have to admit, it took me by surprise so much that my first reaction was to laugh, and of course Aile thought it was hysterically funny. But seriously, where did he learn this?! Why did he even think of it? Can boys truly have this instinctual nature to be so crude?!

Brenner Tells Us What He Knows...

This post is mostly for my memory so I can remember when he began to do these things...

Recently he has truly learned his first memory verse, and goes around saying it all the time. It is very good for my heart to hear. The verse is Joshua 1:9: "God is with you wherever you go." Brenner goes around the house chanting "God with you ever you go!" I love it!

His other new accomplishment is singing--he is quickly taking after his big sister on that one! The other night he was belting at the top of his voice his own little version of Amazing Grace: "Amazing grace, sweet the sound, and save the grace for me ("me" being drawn out at the highest voice pitch he can manage)! Once lost, now found, blind, but now can see!"

He also sings Away in a Manger and Jesus Loves the Little Children. He's working on a few more... But the one that is his favorite, that you can hear from his mouth several times a day, is Jesus Loves Me. He sings: "Jesus loves me, this I know, for Bible me so. Little ones him along, they weaks, He strong. Yes, Jesus loves me, for Bible me so!"

The other day he was singing Jesus Loves Me at the lunch table, and I said," Brenner, maybe we shouldn't sing at the table. You need to eat." He did his trademark pose--hand palm up and little head cocked to the side, and he said, each word annunciated clearly, " Well, mommy, that song in head!" Cracked me up!

Brenner's New Milestone

Last night was Brenner's first night sleeping in his "big boy" bed! He has been so excited about it, and couldn't wait to go to bed last night! (Odd for a child, I know...) But we explained that he had to stay in bed, and that when he woke up in the morning, he needed to stay in bed and call for us to come get him. This morning it was so sweet when I heard him in there, calling "Moooooommy! Up Please!" And he was sitting there so proudly when I went in. Since then, he has pretended to go "nite nite" several times throughout the day, as he LOVES to get in his new bed! Congrats, Brenner! :)

Brenner says "By Self!"

Tonight after worship, we all gathered to pray as usual. I was going to to help Brenner pray, so I started him off: "Dear Jesus..." I said. Brenner stopped and looked at me, "Nenner do it by self!" he said. So this is what he prayed:

"Dear Jesus,
Thank you food, stories, Mommy, Daddy, Aile, Nenner, baby.
Bless it please.
Help us...happy hearts.
Jesus name, Amen."

You'll have to fill in the prepositions--he doesn't really use those yet! But I thought it was a pretty sweet prayer for a 2 year old! :)

Aileana Hosts an English Tea

Aile's big idea for the day was to have a "real" tea party. She served us (Mommy and her life-size doll) well! We had yummy tea, and even little plates of goodies and folded napkins! She set the table and poured our tea herself. I say she did a stellar job! Bravo, Aile! :)

Aileana Plays Dress-up

Well, Aile decided she wanted a real-life dress up doll--so she used her brother! I'm not sure how he's going to feel about being turned into a water fairy! :) I'm quite confident he will not appreciate this picture when he gets older! It sure was cute at the time though! :)

The Importance of Mickey Mouse

While sitting at the lunch table looking at his map of the United States placemat, Brenner suddenly called me over to the table. When he had my attention, he pointed at Florida and shouted, "Mommy! Mickey Mouse live there!" Now how in the world did he know THAT?! I decided to quiz him further, so I asked, "Where does Brenner live?" He cocked his head and spread his hands out, palms up, and said, "I don't know!" Maybe we better work on that...