Sometimes ups outnumber the downs...

When Michael left for work this morning, he dropped off Ethan at a friend's house to spend the day. Somehow at 4:30 pm when Ethan came home, I wasn't ready for it. It didn't help that he had just woken up from a short nap and was grouchy and that I hadn't taken the nap I needed. I was feeling persecuted. While Scott ate, I opened up my scriptures and read the end of Alma 26. This is my version of verses 26-27 that is going on my wall:

But behold, my beloved Erin, we came into the wilderness of parenthood not with the intent to destroy our children, but with the intent that perhaps we might teach them and love them and prepare them for their life missions.

Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said, Go amongst thy children, Ethan and Scott, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.

Enough of the downs. Here are some funny recent Ethan stories.

1) Tonight after family scripture study we were discussing baptism. We told Ethan that all his aunts and uncles were baptized after they turned 8. "My aunt Candice got baptized?" he asked. "Yes, and Aunt Christy, and all your uncles." He thought about this for a minute, then inquired, "Did they take turns?"

2) A few nights ago, Ethan requested a story about Dad and the pirate, so Michael told him that he (Michael) became a pirate and was very good at swords. Ethan said, "No, Dad, you did not have a sword. Swords are for robbers and Lamanites!"

3) Michael has been doing a lot of stretching lately for his lower back pain. Today Ethan rolled off the couch and said, when I asked if he was ok, "My back hurts. I'm going to do some stretching." He sat on the floor for a minute, then announced, "I feel better now."

4) Ethan likes to pretend he is John Beck, the BYU quarterback. Before work this morning, Ethan and Michael played catch with Ethan's little nerf football. A while later, Ethan grabbed the football off the floor, and ran into the kitchen, shouting, "Touchdown!" Tonight he and Michael played catch again and Ethan actually caught the ball a few times. Real, honest-to-goodness catches. I was just sitting and watching from the sidelines. Ethan directed, "Mom, you be Bronco Mendenhall" (the coach). Ummm, is this MY child?

5) Ethan has been doing really well in his potty-training progress. Today we had an incident. After lifting him off the toilet to wipe his bottom, a large poop stalagtite lost its grip, smeared its way down Ethan's leg, and landed on the bathroom rug that I just washed YESTERDAY! Urgh! As I put Ethan in the bathtub to clean him up, I told him, "Ethan, I am very angry." He turned around, looked me in the eyes, and said in his most cheerful voice, "Don't be very angry, Mom. Be happy, like me." Then he grinned.