Writing.

First, I just have to say that Kami's case of morning sickness was the most contagious I've ever heard of. She had it, then Leo, then Ethne, then Jethro. Okay, so it was really the flu (although Kami really is pregnant and had been sick due to that.) So our New Year's festivities were not quite as festive as they could have been. But we still had fun. A nice couple in Kami's ward had a little party at their house, and as they are from Europe and had just had a visit from their French parents, they shared real European cheese with us. Brett was in HEAVEN. I think his resolve to move to Switzerland was completely solidified.

When we got home, we had a leak in a pipe, so the carpet in our hallway was soaked, but Brett fixed the leak, and we kept vacuuming up the water with our shop vac, and it's all good. It felt nice just to put the kids to bed and watch a movie. We watched Stardust, which was very good.

So, I think I already mentioned how Jethro has started writing by sound now. It is really so exciting to me, though I realize it's probably one of those things that's not as exciting to everyone else as it is to me. In fact, I can imagine that it really won't be JUST as exciting when the next kids start doing it (makes you think about how the firsts in a family may get different treatment--high expectations, lots of attention etc.). Anyway. It is fun stuff, so here's some examples. This above, "I love mom" was the first thing Jethro started writing all on his own after his name. AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!





Do you know what this says? Tales of the Sea. He has the V in 'of' mixed up, but it's pretty cool, nonetheless.

And, this one--- My mom is the nicest girl. Awwwwwww again!!!!!!! And I didn't even tell him to write that. Okay, maybe I did. I can't seem to remember exactly....


And here is a book he wrote and illustrated all by himself. It was a month or so ago, so I did the writing for him, but I only wrote exactly what he said. The concept is all his. I don't know if you can easily see the words, so I'll write them for you.
Cover page: Mice Hide, Cat Purr by Jethro J Bell
Illustrated by Jethro J Bell


The cat chased the mice. The mice hid behind the tree. (His mice are very good, don't you think? The shape of their heads is excellent.)

The farmer found the mice and put them in a place to live with lots of cheese. (I think the farmer is so cool looking.)

The mice were happy with all of the cheese. There were three loaves of cheese. (I like his word choice there--loaves.) :)


The mice were settling in at night to go to sleep and they had to be really quiet because the cat was by their cage, but the mice did not get harmed. (Getting more verbose--I specifically remember talking about how wordy kindergarteners are in one of my speech path classes. They'll go on and on and on and on and their sentences will be forever long.)


The mice were sound asleep and the cat was too. It was almost dawn and the mice were actually awake but the cat wasn't.
(The End)

Great story, isn't it? I'm so proud. ;)

And a few pieces of artwork by Hazel. Remember the Christmas presents I made for my sister's family? How I cut out a picture of their faces and glued them on a canvas and painted their bodies? Anyway, as I was working feverishly on them one day, trying to finish so I could mail them in time for Christmas, Hazel came in and asked if she could use some of my papers, then my scissors, then my glue. These are what she made.

Uncle Tim:

Miriam, and Aunt Andrea. Awesome.

And a little something about Ethne, so she's not left out. When all my kids were born, my mom made them quilts. They all love them and sleep with them every night. They're all tied, and when Jethro was little, when we put him to bed he would grab one of the patches of yarn and rub it between his fingers and thumb. Every night--like a little comfort routine. Anyway, he doesn't do it anymore, but the other night I noticed Ethne doing it too! Very interesting, isn't it. I thought so too.