Eli is a good, good boy!

Now that Eli is in school all day, he gets to have lunch there. Sometimes, he buys the school lunch. In order to prep him for this, I had a long, serious conversation with him about it. I made sure he understood the beauty and deliciousness that is those little cartons of chocolate milk. He did voice some concerns about being able to open them. They can be tricky. I instructed him to try his best and if he still couldn't open it, he could ask a lunch aid.

When he returned home the afternoon after his first school lunch, I asked him about his experience with the school chocolate milk. He confessed he couldn't open it himself, but a good friend aided him. Then he described how delicious it was. He told me that I was right about it and he was not disappointed.

What he said next surprised me. He told me that one day he intended on saving his milk and bringing it home for me so I could have some too. I was very flattered and touched, but I insisted he didn't have to. After all, it is part of his lunch. What kind of mom would I be if I took that from him?

One day recently, Eli came home from school with a twinkle in his eye and slightly heavier back pack. I was a little suspicious, but when I opened it, I was pleasantly surprised. Inside, there was a little carton of chocolate milk. He told me he had saved it just for me! What a sweet, little boy!

I enjoyed that chocolate milk! It was just as good as I remembered. Now I wonder, if I gave Eli enough money, do you think he would be allowed to buy two cartons of milk, one for him and one for me?

Leah's first field trip

Some friends and I are doing a joy school this year with our three- turning four-year-olds. We didn't want to pay for preschool and figured we can just do it ourselves. It's been going really well so far. Leah loves "going to school".

She recently had her first field trip with preschool. A field trip for joy school is really just us getting together at a predetermined place and playing, instead of teaching a lesson. This particular field trip was to the pumpkin patch. It was lots of fun! Since Eli had fall break at the same time, he got to come along.

Leah made a new friend at the pumpkin patch

The corn maze

Noah really wanted to take this pumpkin home

Noah's sad that I wouldn't let him get the big pumpkin

He eventually decided that his little pumpkin was a good one. He actually carried that little one around for several days. He even slept with it a few times.

Interesting application

For Family Home Evening on Monday, we talked about faith. I explained to the kids that faith is hoping for and believing in things that you can't see, but that are real and true. (see Alma 32:21) Then I asked the kids if they had any examples of people who have shown great faith or ways they show faith themselves. Eli immediately raised his hand. Here's what his example was, "I have faith because I believe that there are lots of other kinds of Lego sets that I've never seen, but I know they're real."

Pics of the faves

Isn't this the cutest picture of Leah sleeping?

What's that? You don't see her? Oh, that's right. That's because she's sleeping behind the couch, not on it.