15 Things I Love About My Kids This Week

1. I've been told by fellow church members that Dallin is their favorite child to watch in the music numbers because you never know what he's going to do.

2. Ethan thanked me for his apple juice, and I thanked him for thanking me, telling him that it makes me happy in my heart to hear him say 'thank you'. He responded that it was because apple juice makes him 'happy in his tummy.'

3. When I sing, Malynn will join in with me with no words or melody, but a sweet pitch nonetheless. I love it.

4. The first thing Dallin asked me this morning while wiping the sleep from his eyes was,"Mom, when can we ever buy a flute?" Just one of the many random things that he comes up with.

5. Ethan asks several times a day to watch family videos and to see his family pictures on the computer. He seems to love seeing all of us together.

6. Malynn can wag a finger at her brothers and give them a mouthful of babble when they are going to do something I told them not to do.

7. Ethan will literally do anything for chocolate.

8. Dallin will literally do anything for money, yet won't ever spend it on anything.

9. Malynn will smile, wave and say hi to every stranger we pass in the grocery store.

10. Dallin loves to share anything he has (or anything Ethan has, despite his loud protest) with his beloved sister. "Because she wants it..." is the reason he gives.

11. Ethan will loudly say "Iwuvyou, mom," several times a day for no apparent reason.

12. Malynn loves to jig, and her jig is to die for cute.

13. This week Dallin has begun to create his new invention he calls his "Do Anything For Me 3000" which apparently will have a button called 'fix food' as well as buttons for flying and making him invisible. He's already drawn up the plans. (He woke up yesterday asking me if I had any metal.) Can't wait to see it.

14. Ethan will not give kisses freely, so I've had to conjure up different ways to 'kiss' him (e.i. butterfly kiss, Eskimo kiss, polar bear kiss and cheeky kiss. The last two are uniquely ours.) Although he will spontaneously lay his head on my lap any moment he feels particularly happy.

15. Malynn loves to growl and uses that sound with a smile to name any animal or insect.

All of these photos were taken this afternoon after we headed to our local zoo's water station to escape the 111 degree heat. We had the place all to ourselves. The water felt wonderful.