A Good Day

Sometimes I remember how much I like being with my children.  I'm with them day in and day out.  But sometimes I really really enjoy it.

Like yesterday.

We went to British Columbia with passports and water bottles in hand.  Because when Mark's thirsty, he makes everyone in the province miserable.  And they ask us to leave.  (Politely, since they're Canadian.)  We went with Grandma Geri and invited/begged her to drive her van with the built in DVD player and also it's 10,000 times nicer than our jalopy.

I'm not sure what Braeden's trying to express with that face...or maybe he's just trying to survive the sunlight.

Our first stop was the Vancouver Temple.  It was uplifting and tranquil and very very beautiful.  There is nothing quite like a temple and we felt blessed to be able to share it with our children.

Again,bright sunlight...Braeden's huddled behind me to shield him.  This is what happens to children's corneas in the Pacific Northwest, they get extremely fragile.

We also went to IKEA.  I mean, it was right there.  We picked up some odds and ends since you can't go to IKEA without picking up some odds and ends.

Another highlight of the trip was that besides watching movies in the van, Mark read.   For years I've dreamed of this day.  When in the car, and Braeden's and Emma's noses were buried in books and Mark was needing me to entertain him, I fantasized about the day that Mark too would read in the car.

And it's happened.

He was even reading a chapter book (which makes him very proud).  It's too hard for him but it's a Star Wars book so he doesn't mind.  He said he skips over things he can't read.  And he's OK with that.  And so am I.

Because he was silently and happily reading.  In the car.

I did tell him that he could ask me if he had a question about a word.  This morning he's reading some more and a few minutes ago he asked me what a-f-t was.  I said, "Aft.  It means the back of a boat...or spaceship," I quickly added, since it is Star Wars.  I said, "Does that make sense?"  

He said, "Yeah!  The aft controller."  He was thrilled.  And went back to reading.

This is more exciting for me than when he learned to walk.

There's nothing like sharing things you love with your children (reading, not Star Wars).

And the temple.

Over a dinner of shrimp tacos and bean burritos at Baja Fresh, (I didn't have any dinner preparing in me when we got home and leave it to my children to be hungry anyway) we talked about our day.

We talked about temples and then somehow apostasy and repentance.  For some reason the conversation turned to Adam and Eve.  Braeden speculated about their family history.  He said on Adam's pedigree chart he wrote "dust of the earth".  

Emma added that Eve wrote "Adam's rib". 

All of our conversations don't necessarily end in an enlightening way.

When it was finally time to put them to bed, I didn't really want the day to end.  Most days, after the relentless press of our daily schedules, I'm all too ready for bedtime.  Last night it was only Mark's droopy eyes that prompted me.

Time for bed.  But those children of mine should know, I really like them.