It's natural

Hyrum came to me the other day and asked if I'd like a candy.
"What kind do you have?" I asked.
Hyrum pulled a candy out of his ear and held it up, "It's a heart candy."
"Ewww!  I don't want to eat candy from your ear!"
"Okay." Hyrum said.  He popped the candy into his mouth, then pulled another conversation heart from his pocket, and carefully placed it into his ear.  "These candies fit natural in my ear.  Better than gumballs.  I think my body was made to hold them there."

The human body is an amazing thing.  Candy-holders and all.

My baby.

Clara is 18 months now, and she's the happiest child I've ever met!  She is talking up a storm with over 100 words and phrases, and she's always saying new things that we've never heard before.  Recently she's begun rocking her babies on the glide rocker and singing "Rock-a-bye Baby" to them.  When she gets to the part "and down will fall baby, cradle and all," she gleefully throws her baby down on the floor.  I think she learned that from Russ.

She loves to help, and actually IS helpful in many ways, such as handing me eggs while cooking, or putting things away for me, or taking carrots to the bunny, or a shirt to her sibling.  She follows directions so well.

Clara loves books, animals and babies.  Best of all are books about animals or babies! Every time I turn around she's coming to me with another book in her hand.  She'll look at books by herself for an hour, and she'll tell anyone she finds to sit down, then back into their lap with a book, and stay there as long as you'll keep reading.  Such a cutie.

Theodore

 This is my new bunny: Theodore.  We call him Teddy.

 My Blueberry died a few months ago from an intestinal blockage, so then I only had one rabbit, Penelope.  Naturally I must have two rabbits, and so after much searching I found the perfect little holland.  He's a black tortoise shell holland lop, and Penelope is a cream holland lop. Penny and Teddy get along great.

And of course the children love him.  Brielle said she loves him more than she loves Hyrum.  =0)  And Clara  likes to stand solemnly next to him when he is out of his cage and point out "poop" to everyone that makes eye contact with her.  She'll just point and look at each person: "poop,"  "poop,"  "poop."  It's quite helpful.  Clara is willing to provide that same service to any individual that leaves the bathroom door open.

Brielle turns 6!

 Brielle celebrated her 6th birthday in January.  We decided not to do a large party this year, so
instead we had her cousin Cassandra come spend the night, and then the next day Spencer and Roma and kids came down to eat lunch and dinner with us, and go to a waterslide park.

Brielle was brave enough to try all the waterslides, and even tried the “walking on water” run, where you run across floating foam sheets, if you don't run fast enough you sink and fall into the water.  Brielle ran fast enough to reach the other side.  Her mom did not.

The water-slides go outside the building.  Pretty fun!

Spencer and Roma's family live 30 minutes north of us, and we've celebrated every birthday with them ever since Brielle turned 2 right after moving to Washington. 

Brielle was so grateful for the presents she was given.  She loved the doll, dress and bracelet from Grandma and Grandpa Francis.  And the doll and puzzle from Great-Grandpa Francis.  Grandma and Grandpa Streadbeck sent her money, and Brielle was delighted!  She wanted to buy JEWELRY.  So we took her to Claire's in the mall and she picked out some pretty necklaces.  Brielle was so happy to get a zhu-zhu baby from Aunt Laurie. Brielle loves her gift from her cousins Cassandra and Brendon: a Dipping Dots machine, and she's always asking if we can make them.

Instead of a cake, I bought cupcakes from a cupcake shop, but they were only mediocre, so we made our own, and decorated them, which Brielle was thrilled about since one of her favorite shows to watch is Cupcake Wars.  She said it was "Us" against "The Bakery"!  Naturally we won.

We had a great time, and Brielle has already planned her next two birthday parties!