Control your young, please...

So today, I took Tink shopping at Target for the remainder of her birthday presents, nothing fun, just clothes. We had to get a bike pump, and may I ask-why do they feel the need to put flex cuffs on the packaging of a bike pump?!?! I totally scraped the crap out of my knuckles trying to get this stupid thing out.

Anyway, back to Tink...I go to the clothing section, and I see racks of clothes-pretty cute ones too (I luv Target), Tink sees a bootcamp obstacle course. Before I knew it, she was climbing up the middle of one of the dress racks and after knocking all the dresses off it (I made her clean them up-because how could I keep my status as the meanest mom ever if I didn't?) I found her doing an army crawl on her belly underneath another one of the racks. Then when we got to the displays where the clothes are folded and placed on the little shelves, she decided to try out her rock climbing skills. Why? I love her but why?We were fortunate enough to have a visit from Nana, Grampa, and Aunt Sharon this week, it was so fun, they came up and took us to lunch, and just visited and hung out.Look at that cute little smile! I love this baby.

Aw, Rambo, what a cutie you are. This is one of those rare picture where he's smiling!Another cute one of Smalls, she is so stinking fun right now, she talks to us and blows slobber bubbles at us, it's great. I loooove babies!!!And now a story of Tink and Kermit.

Tonight they were outside playing when Ethan came in and told me that London was hitting him with a stick and that it really hurt (it looked like it did, he had little marks and everything). I had been in the kitchen making brownies, so I told them it was time to come in. London didn't like that idea and when Ethan went out to retrieve her, she hit him again with the stick, so there was more weeping and wailing, and just plain drama.

I sent London to her room, and explained that we just don't hit people, when I closed her door- more bawling (it was great). After a few minutes in her room, I sat both of them down on the couch and asked London to apologize to Ethan. I told them I thought it would be a good punishment to not give London a brownie, and she of course began crying again, and then Ethan said, "Mom, it's okay, she said sorry, I want her to have a brownie."

And I asked him, "Are you sure? Even though she was hitting you with a stick and hurting you, you want to let her have a brownie?"

He again told me he wanted her to have a brownie because he wanted her to be happy.

So, we calmed her down and I told her that since Ethan said it was okay, she could go ahead and have a brownie. She thanked him and hugged him.

Okay, I learned a huge lesson from that. My sweet little Ethan is getting baptized this year, I wonder if he knows how Christ-like he already is.

I even told London I wasn't going to let her have a brownie but since Ethan really wanted her to I would allow it.

How many times does my Savior have to beg Heavenly Father to let me just "have a brownie"? Probably way too many. I am so grateful to have Him as my advocate with my Father, He pleads my case even when I clearly don't deserve it, even when I've hurt Him, or offended Him.

I love being a mom-I love being their mom. I wonder if they'll ever know how much they teach me.

My sweet little Ethan....I hope he's always this cluelessly Christ-like. And 1 more picture of Aubrey in parting.

Love to all! I hope everyone had a superb Mother's Day and enjoyed your dinners at Carino's!!