The girls were playing orphanage last Sunday.  That is when they take out all the dolls we own (which is alot), dress them, and spread them all around the family room.  Blankets designate different rooms.  At bedtime, they change all the dolls into pajamas so that when they say, “Okay, it’s morning!”  Then they can change them all into clothes again.  Anyway, Beth wanted to change her clothes, too.  That’s when Sarah found this dress in Beth’s closet, which matched one of the doll dresses . . . and oh, a picture was begging to be taken!  Fun times!

Bethany has learned to open doors.  I know that she is rather a late bloomer in this regard, but it sure used to be nice at nap time!  So because of the mastery of this new skill, we get to see Bethany’s impish grin even more!  This is especially due to the fact that she thinks it is very funny to come back upstairs after she’s been put to bed – either for a nap or night.  We will be sitting quietly, ready to enjoy a bit of peace when out in the hallway we hear a burst.  What is it?  It’s Bethany giggling!  Again!!

Benjamin is acquiring new skills as well.  One of which is the ability to open cupboard doors and empty the cupboard of all its contents.

He thinks this is great fun.  He also likes to empty drawers, bookshelves, and laundry baskets.  It is serious business, too, because if you take him away from the work of his dastardly deed, oh how he screams until you put him back!  His very favorite thing in the whole world, though, is the vacuum.  He doesn’t just come in the room to watch it get vacuumed either.  No, no, no!  He heads straight to the vacuum and either holds onto the canister so that you can’t go very far, or gets in the way of the vacuum head so that you can’t vacuum at all!  Ben!  That is dangerous!  He doesn’t care.  He just wants to know what is making all that super noise. 

For the rest of us, life continued on as normal.  We had basketball games and music lessons.  The kids worked hard to avoid music practice and chores and I worked hard to get them to do both.  The kids moods swung from periods of monumental boredom to periods of hyper silliness.  Just like usual.

One thing fun, though, was that Grandpa Skinner stopped by on Wednesday night on his way back to Idaho!  He got to escape the cold down in St. George for a couple of weeks, but had to head back to Rexburg to shovel off his roof before it caved in.  It sure snows alot in Idaho!!  Anyway, it was sure fun to see him and visit and have dinner together.  Benjamin sat on his lap and tried to pull off his beard.  Fascinating!  Bethany sat next to him and said over and over, “This is my Grandpa!  Isn’t he cute?”  We had great fun with him and we hope he had great fun with us, too!