Two mondays ago we had a family home evening on being a peace maker.  For the activity Lane made cutouts of Doves holding a branch and we pasted them on a canvas and the boys painted everything but the birds and the word peace.  (lane did the finishing touches on the doves)

While we were painting, Riley was so excited and said to Jeremy....

"We will never forget this even when we're Grandmas!"

Yes you read that right, even when they're Grandmas!  : )

If you didn't have a Mom

Riley and Jeremy were playing make-believe so nicely together this afternoon.  Then Lane and I hear Jeremy say,

"Oh, I have no Mom!"

Riley:  "You have no Mom?"

Jeremy:  "Yeah!"

Riley:  "WELL THEN, you can do whatever you want!"

Lane and I just started busting up.  I love to hear what they think.  It's us Mom's standing in the way of what they want to do.

Today's invention by Riley

Monday after Family Home Evening, while the kids were eating snack, I ran upstairs to grab a picture to show them.  When I came downstairs Riley was gone.  I asked where he was.  Lane told me that he saw the cover of the new Friend magazine and his wheels were spinning.  He was in the garage gathering supplies to make his very own pulpit the following day.

He even made a cupboard in the back for his lesson materials.  Since it is spring break Lane is home.  He let me sleep in.  When I woke up I came downstairs and they both had pulpits and a talk to give me.

Still potty training

Potty training Riley was a breeze.  He basically woke up one day and was potty trained day and night with rare accidents.  Being the first time parent that I was, I of course attributed the grand success to my wonderful parenting.  : )  I know anyone who has more than one child knows what I'm talking about.  

Potty training Jeremy has been a trial.  Is been an on and off process for a year and a half of optimistically trying, giving up, and repeating the battle.  I'm giving it another good try taking Melissa's advice on using the "potty whisper's" technique.  So far so good.  We're on day 3 and he's been dry for about 20 hours.  I"m keeping my fingers crossed!  

The purpose of this post however is not to tell you about his potty training.  Riley has been such a good big brother.  On day one Jeremy was excited after having just thrown away all of his diapers and wearing underwear.  He kept running up and down the hall as fast as he could.  He told me that he was running faster now.  Riley piped in and said,

"Your running faster because underwear are stretchy!"  Then he kept letting Jeremy beat him.

Riley then went into the garage to get a box.  He then started making "presents"out of paper for Jeremy because he was potty training.  Riley is very creative.  He one of those kids that collects, well if I'm being honest, Junk.  He sees a potential invention or use out of absolutely everything.  He filled it with a lot of stuff that he made and was so excited for Jeremy to open it.  

At Riley's request I"m including a list of the things he made for Jeremy.  " Glasses (as pictured below), spider with a little hook under it, paper airplane, a thing that you throw it and it splats over each other (I don't know), hockey game, a telescope, a paper sword, butterfly, an instrument with a bow on it.  I think that's about all."  Everything he made out of paper, not just drawings but cutouts and more."

Way to be such a GOOD BIG BROTHER RILEY!!!