Little Einsteins

We like to keep the kids young in their media consumption.  G is 11, M 9 and we still watch Max and Ruby, Wiggles, Dora, Diego, and Backyardigans.  Recently P got a Wonder Pets DVD from the library.  Everyone has been really into it.  Even better, P got a Little Einstein DVD and our family is "going on a trip in our favorite rocket ship." 

I love Little Einsteins.  I don't like how some of the kids sing a little slow and off pitch but that's what kids do.  It' has all the awesome "Clap with me..." of Dora, but within a music setting.  It's awesome seeing lP and B really, really get into it.   And all the kids are into it.

In the car they were choosing characters.  G claimed Quincy because he also plays the recorder.  M was Annie by default because she plays piano.  lP is June because she's "good at rhythms except in some things... like music."  BTW she is doing great in piano.   B insists that he is rocket, not Leo who has red hair and drives the rocket.  Yes B, you are rocket.

So mom or dad or L get to be Leo. 

social skills

Lately I'm trying to teach the children these magical phrases:

-  When you're not busy can we...
-  I'm done with my work may I...

I'm trying to help them understand that asking for anything when I'm changing a poopy diaper is not going to go well. 

I'd like them to understand that anything they ask for in the car, for when we get home, is probably not going to happen.

I'd really like them to articulate their concerns instead of just screaming.  Particularly I need them to say things like "L is playing with a glass dish."  instead of "L!!!!!"

Book of Mormon

I'll be 37 this month and am finally really getting into the Book of Mormon.  For me it is really important to understand who the characters are and the sequence of events.  I never understood details like 1st Nephi is the account of the travels of Lehi's family told from the perspective of Nephi.  2nd Nephi is in the Americas and Lehi has passed away.  Jacob is Nephi's 20 something years younger brother who takes over the spiritual record.  Nephi is simultaneously keeping large plates that have the historic record.  Some time later after the Nephites and Lamanites have split, there is another split and the righteous part of the Nephites leave the land of Nephi.  They are led by Moisah and find a land called Zarahemla where another people are living.  These people, the Mulekites were led out of Jerusalem shortly after Lehi's family was.  They did not have a written record and their language has changed so much that at first the Nephites and the Mulekites don't understand one another.  Mosiah's group becomes dominant and Mosiah becomes king over that land and the language of the Nephites is adopted.

What stories don't we hear?  How did the Mulekites feel about this take over?  Did Mosiah marry a daughter of the King or a reigning Queen?  A few generations into the chapters in Zarahemla a Nephite descendant leads a group back to the land of Nephi and they are never heard from again.  Then a Mulekite man named Ammon leads a group to see what happened to Zeniff's group.  This Ammon is different from the son of the 2nd Mosiah, who is the grandson of the Mosiah that lead the righteous Nephites into Zarahemla.  See, it's tricky with several characters having the same names.

And the the account Alma is all written in the book of Mosiah.  And the book of Alma is written by Alma's son, Alma.  But the war chapters at the end of Alma are written by his son Helaman.  Who writes the book of Helaman?  We'll find out soon.

These are just some of the things that confused me in past attempts to read the book.  I'm enjoying my reading now and writing copious notes.  I'd heard these stories but never understood how they fit together.  And I know the Nephites become so wicked that they all get killed.  And I know Christ comes among the American people.  So I'm excited to read and find out how these things all go together.

When I was young a lady in the ward made the comment "My children are going to grow up to be Nephites, not Lamanites" like your kids...(I implied).  The crazy thing about this, beyond how rude it was of her to suggest that our brown skinned family was wicked....  Is that time and again the wicked Nephites try to take away the religious freedom of the other (righteous) Nephites.  And each time they fail they go off and join the Lamanites and get into leadership to incite the Lamanites to attack the Nephites.  There's the Nephites left behind by Mosiah.  There's the wicked priests of Noah.  The Zoramites.  The Amalikites.  The kingmen....  All these groups that keep going off with the Lamanites, they were Nephites.  Being a Nephite is no guarantee of righteousness. 

And the Lamanites are the ones that believe when they are taught.

president business

The children have re-discovered the Lego Movie and it's creepy to me how much the GOP candidate is like president business. Disregard for everyone.  And the song "Everything is awesome" has never been a good one.  Not everything is awesome.  Hate is not awesome.  Being dipped in frosting is not awesome. 

Yet it seems that everything Mr. T does is awesome to his voters.  Everything.

Parable

Some house wrens have decided that our garage is a great place to build a nest.  They have built several times on top of a cabinet above the dryer.  We love having the ability to close the garage door more than we love the birds.  Poor birds.  Why do they keep building a nest where there can be no future?

Why do people build lives and love where there is no future?  When someone has a relationship while they are waiting for the right one, they are creating a situation where they'll miss the "right one"  because they are not available.  Or they break off a relationship to pursue another which is hurtful and a terrible foundation for future relationships.