Right Now...

I feel like sometimes I need to post a "right now" post weekly, because things change around here so quickly.  I just have to record some things before they fly away from my memory! 
Right now....Drew is doing really well in school, I hope that doesn't change within the week.  ;)  He definitely puts forth his best effort.  He is a perfectionist, like someone else I know, and sometimes it bothers him when things aren't "just so."  I'm trying to help him with the idea of just doing your best and that is enough.  Man, I wish I could drill that into the head of that other person I know too.  Some things I wish weren't so readily picked up by our own children.  ;)  He is working super hard in scouts, he has earned the leave no trace award, the bear award, three arrow points, the whittling chip card, and is working toward more arrow points and his religious knot award.  He is very self-motivated and that is SO nice.  He has made friends with a great boy down the road from us and they seem to get along so well.  I'm so glad because there just aren't many boys his age very close to our home, so I'm SO grateful for this friendship.  It has been a blessing! He is really into making up Justin Bieber "tunes" with his friend Keegan and Madelyn.  They are basically stories about unfortunate events that happen to Justin Bieber....don't really know why he is the butt of their jokes, but he is.  :)

Right now....Madelyn has just started activity days and is loving it!  Her first activity was a talent show.  We found out about it just with a couple hours notice.  She was all over it and painted a poster with spring-like landscape with her new art set.  She was not bashful at all, she just got right in there and did it.  Way to go!  She has already memorized all of her Articles of Faith and has completed several requirements in her Faith in God booklet.  She has helped me a couple of times lately, braiding jump-ropes for children in need for Christmas presents.  It has been a fun service to work on together, and she is a pretty darn good braider.   She is doing well in school, but her real teacher had a baby and is on maternity leave.  Unfortunately, I feel like she isn't being pushed and therefore isn't really enjoying it as much as she used to.  She doesn't really enjoy her real teacher this year, but at least she was giving her extra work to keep her more challenged. 

Right now....Hannah is working on getting rid of her blanket.  No easy feat.  She's got to tackle that first and then we'll work on the thumb sucking.  Hannah is a super sweetie.  She has been so grateful in her prayers.  We had a luncheon for Madelyn's baptism and had TONS AND TONS of leftover pasta.  We've been eating it all week.  Hannah said in her prayer:  "we're thankful that we could eat pasta for a week..."  Jed and I were doing our best to stifle our laughs.  So hilarious.  She has been asked to sing a solo in church for the Christmas program next week.  I'm playing my violin with her.  We've been practicing together and it has been so cute.  She has a super cute little voice and is just so petite.  We sang/played it through with the choir at their last practice.  Hannah was stationed on a stool behind the pulpit.  Her solo is just the first two lines of Silent Night, and then the choir joins in.  Well, since she couldn't get down off this high stool she just sang with the choir (into the microphone no less) the first two lines over and over until the end of the song.  Everyone in the choir was beaming with bright smiles.  It was pretty cute! 

Right now....Lily is working on perfecting this potty situation.  Oh man, does anyone want to potty train Claire for me?  It doesn't have to be right now, I just don't think I have it in me to potty train one more child!!  Call me.  ;)  Anyway, Lily is going through a little naughty phase.  Love that little cutie, but I sometimes get to the end of my rope and don't know what to do next with her.  I'm really trying to work on being patient, even when she does the opposite of what I say, and trying to find the good and give her lavish praise for it.  It works well when I'm doing it, but if I lose my patience with her, it just seems to feed the next naughty inclination that comes to her mind. But oh the screaming, yelling, stubbornness, scratching, biting....yes biting.  STILL!!  So, yes, these behaviors totally wear me down.  Anyone with any ideas of helping teach this girly to be nice.....I welcome your advice.  I feel like I've tried everything I can think of.  Now, she doesn't have all bad moments, she definitely has wonderful moments of being hilarious, adorable, expressive (no one has expressions like Lily), and sweet. 

Right now...Claire is in love with milk.  She has a few must have items:  froggie blankie, sippy, her lion, and a baby.  She loves babies.  It is so sweet.  She is very clingy and wants me to hold her all the time.  While I'm cooking dinner, she loves to throw a fit and get in between my legs and the cupboards and just push me away.  She has an adorable little run and is a total mischief maker and loves to climb!!!  Oh does she ever love to climb.  She loves to give me heart attacks by climbing all the way up the computer desk, or get in the most precarious/dangerous positions in her attempts to climb.  Goodness.  She loves yogurt and did a little dance and song combo when she saw I put it on the table for breakfast.  :)  She is such a little snuggle bug too.  I love those morning snuggles.  Sometimes Drew or Madelyn get her out of bed so they can get them!

Just a little peek into what the here and now is like around these parts!