Something Fishy

Marissa received a very thoughtful gift from Caleb for Christmas: a goldfish, which she rather unfortunately named "Bucket". This morning, Bucket ... um ... well, kicked the bucket. We went to the pet store earlier this evening in search of a worthy replacement. Our conversation during the drive home gave me a good guffaw.

Marissa: Why do fish flop around when they get on land?

Me: Well, I think it's just their instinct in order to move back into the water.

Marissa: Oh, that makes sense. But people don't flop around in the water to get back on land.

Ha, ha, ha! That's pretty much the best visual ever.

Going Green

We've had a challenge lately with energy conservation -- or in other words, turning lights out. I got tired of reminding Aiden in particular to turn off his lights, so I started threatening that we'd remove his light bulbs if he kept leaving the lights on. I guess he's used to empty threats, cause it didn't seem to make a difference.

So we followed through the other day. Morgan watched Jeremy taking the light bulbs out and was just dying to tell Aiden all about it. Jeremy told her to be quiet and let Aiden find out for himself. This was more than Morgan could handle. She showed us just how smart she is by going to Aiden and saying, "Can you help me turn on your light?"

Aiden earned his light bulb privileges back, and it has been like magic. He's come to me several times just to let me know his lights are off. Brilliant! And if it doesn't last, I suppose we can always try this . . .

Once in a Lifetime

This year marked the coolest birthdate ever for one 8-year-old I know.

11-11-11.

We tried to instill in Aiden the singularity of this once-in-a-lifetime event. Maybe he got it, but there were more important things for him to attend to . . .

. . . such as fostering his latest obsession with all things BYU, hosting an insane "late night" movie birthday party with a houseful of highly energetic boys, and preparing for his baptism.

I'm convinced as Aiden gets older that he is destined for a charmed life. He's one of those kids you're privately a tiny bit jealous of. He's good looking and athletic, makes friends easily, gets a good joke, and has got a smart brain in his head. And he's nice! He's also a little bit mischievous and can be a stinker, but he somehow makes you laugh when you're trying to get mad.

Aiden's baptism was a quiet and special affair. Aiden is rather reserved about being in the spotlight, but he said he felt happy. Since that day, he asks questions and makes comments that show he is trying to understand gospel principles and ordinances. I'm proud of his growth and effort. And we got a half-way decent family picture out of the day.

Happy birthday (an itty bit late), my favorite 8-year-old!