Colin is generally a happy baby but has not ever been one for affection. Each evening Audrey lays big kisses and bear hugs on Greg and I before bed but Colin turns and runs as fast as his little legs can fly. On Saturday he started showing cold symptoms and now Tuesday his nose still runs gross greenness. Of course this is the week he has chosen to begin displays of love for his mother. It started yesterday. He comes and tries to climb up my legs while I sit with my cross stitch or folding laundry. I haul him up and he twists and wriggles until he is turned around facing me. His short arms wrap tight around my neck and we are so close our foreheads touch. And then he smiles and pushes his wet booger face tight against mine. Yuck but ahhhhh, so cute. The next problem is that he is egged on by my cringing mixed with laughter so he goes for it again and again... I will save you the picture on this one :)

Audrey should be napping now. Threats don't work for her, neither does reason. She goes for rewards. I promise her we'll go outside and she can ride her bike later if she takes a nap. She's almost there so I throw in "I'll sing you a song too." Oops, I forgot this always takes a while. When she's trying to drag things out she doesn't want any of the old standbys. When it comes to song selection she deliberates, she stalls, and then she uses vague descriptions of songs I'm sure we've never sung. Today she finally says, "I want you to sing about the garbage colors." What? Think, think, Jill, what could this possible translate to? I figured this out in under 60 seconds - I rock!

Out of my window looking through the night
I can see the barges’ flickering light
Starboard shines green and port is glowing red
I can see the lights for miles ahead

Barges I would like to go with you
I would like to sail the ocean blue
Barges have you treasure in your hold
Do you fight with pirates brave and bold

Audrey asks if I was married like a princess in the temple. I tell her yes. We talk about my dress and I explain that everyone in the temple wears white dresses. She asks if my shoes were white or pink. I laugh and say white. And then she asks if they were made of glass.

Our morning as a family usually consists of Cheerios, cups of warm milk for the kids, hot chocolate for Greg and hot Pero, instant natural beverage, for me. On our better days as parents we read scripture stories to the kids during this time together.

While I am describing who John the Baptist was Audrey interrupts,

"Mom. I knooooow. That John," she says while pointing to the illustration of a bearded John the Baptist, "lives at Grandma's house."

(photo: Audrey's Uncle John who does happen to live at Grandma's house:)

A more advanced topic was that of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness. Greg explains that the devil told Jesus to turn a stone into bread and asks Audrey what she thinks Jesus did. Without pausing Audrey replies,

"No, Dad, he not turn the rock into bread because he not have his wand."

Audrey made a coffee filter basket in nursery today. Inside the basket there is a white fabric ghost with a face drawn on it. I tried for a moment to make connections to scripture stories or other possible nursery lessons. Nothing. So I asked Audrey.

"This is baby Noses," she says.

The story apparently goes like this. Baby Noses was put in the basket and sent down a very fast river. A giant dolphin came and opened it's mouth and swallowed baby Noses and his basket. The end.