Let Life Come

I am starting to learn to let life come, to enjoy the moment. Kierra has done a very good job of teaching me. I remember when she was first born. She was so cute...but I just couldn't wait for her to be able to crawl or walk. She would be able to get whatever she needed on her own. Then it happened. I hadn't thought that she might be able to also get things that I didn't want her to get. Then my thoughts turned to how great it would be when she could talk. Then I could explain to her what she was allowed to play with. Then it happened. For some reason I never imagined the "no's" and the "mine's" and the "I'm not listening's." Yesterday I almost got caught up in the same trap. Due to digestive problems we have not pushed potty training yet. Yesterday, Kierra came in to me stark naked and said, "I want to go pee on the toilet." I thought, "This is great! Kierra is potty trained and I didn't have to buy her new Disney Princess undies or a wet n' wipe Sally doll or a copy of The Potty is Our Friend Book." Then it happened. Three more times that night she wanted to go because we made such a big deal of how proud we were of her. It slowly dawned on me how nice diapers are. Sure they are expensive and messy. However, they wait for you. Potty trained kids do not. Kierra has shown no signs of wanting to go on the pot today, and I am perfectly happy with that. I am also perfectly happy that the only trick Ariana knows is how to smile. I enjoy the fact that she is mute and immobile. I am not going to long for the day when I am done with grad school and out of debt because it might happen, along with a mortgage and dance practice and school for kids. I am not going to long for retirement because it might happen along with arthritis and depends for men and Nivea. I am going to enjoy the now because the grass isn't necessarily greener on the other side.

Okay, I am done philosophizing. Now it is on to what you all came to read: quotes from Kierra. This time I will post two conversations we had.

The first conversation happened while we were at the church playing in the grass. Kierra started the conversation while looking at the steeple.
Kierra: Dad, where is the statue of Angel Moroni?
Me: It is on the temple, not the church.
Kierra: Dad, Angel Moroni...she looks like a man.
Me: Kierra, Moroni is a man.
Kierra: Dad, Angel Moroni...he looks like a woman

The next experience happened while I was home alone with Kierra and had to go to the bathroom.
Kierra (through the bathroom door): Dad, I brought you the scissors.
Me: Thanks, will you put them on the counter. I will be out in a minute.
Kierra: Okay...dad, I'm not bleeding.
Me: You're not bleeding? Did you get hurt?
Kierra: No, I didn't get hurt, and I am not bleeding.
Me: Are you sure you didn't get hurt?
Kierra: Only a little bit, but I am not bleeding. I am not going to play with scissors anymore...only toy scissors.
(She really was NOT bleeding, and I typically do an okay job of keeping an eye on her.)

Crazy Nights

Being a student and new father is catching up to me. I have some short nights which have really thrown off my sleeping habits. The other night I woke at 3 in the morning. That is not out of the ordinary for me. What made it wierd was that I was sitting in the living room, eating yogurt, and watching a rerun of the news when I woke up. I have no recollection of getting out of bed, getting the yogurt, or turning on the TV. Kindra wonders why I eat and watch TV in my sleep instead of mowing the lawn or fixing something around the house. Well, the story makes it in to my top three sleep stories along with the time my freshman year of high school when I feel asleep on the first day of school (who does that?) and the time I was trying to give up eating candy and I woke up from a dream of eating a Laffy Taffy to find a book in my mouth. Ariana is getting bigger. She is starting to cooo and sleeping a little bit better. Kierra is as fun as ever (see below). One of my freinds wrote after the last blog to tell me that he could tell me how old my oldest daughter is because of the clothes that I am wearing in my pictures. He says he has noticed dads just stop updating. Sounds like bologna, but, unfortunately it is pretty accurate. Try it on yourself dads. Well, it is back to another week at it. I will close again with Kierra's thoughts:
3) 'I am laying on your pillow dad. Maybe when you get older, you can lay on mom's pillow.'
2) 'Everyone likes me. Especially all of the grandmas.'
1) Kindra (on seeing Kierra's picture from nursery) - 'Oh, you learned about sacrament meeting today?!'
Kierra - 'No I didn't.'
Kindra - 'What did you learning about?'
Kierra - 'I didn't learn about anysing!'