Lucy's birthday has come and gone but I wanted to record how loved she is by her big brother and sister. I came across her birthday decorations they had made her. Jillian drew a card that said "Lucy Birthday Girl" with some lovely flowers, a sunshine and a blue sky. Peter had made her name by ripping up some paper into tiny pieces and then gluing them in the letters of her name. They had both been very anxious to make something for her! I don't know why it surprises me so much why they love her SO much, she makes you feel like a million bucks with the tiniest smile or nod, but it is so fun to see how they constantly seek her approval and want her to be a part of all that they are doing. Now that she is climbing up the steps, when they charge up the steps to play in their room, she makes her way up after them. Either that or they herd her up.

Peter likes to call her Sister Bear, which annoys Jillian to no end. "That doesn't make any SENSE! She's not a bear!" Jillian likes to call her Lulu, or like one day, Maxwell, which in her mind makes perfect sense. ?? Lucy has the funniest pair of 2 piecer pajamas that look like boys with the button up shirt and collar. Now whenever she wears them Kevin calls her Maxwell too.

She is constantly busy, moving things around mostly, and exploring everything from knee-level down. Sometimes her expressions and features are so similar to Jillian's at this age. It's fun to be reminded in this way of Jillian as a little bitty. If only I could bottle up a little bit of each of them at each stage. So curious, innocent, forgiving, honest, FUN!, confident. We love our Lulu!

Family baseball training

For Christmas the kids and I got Kevin a t-ball stand and mitts for Jillian and Peter. He didn't get home in time but the kids and I tried them out tonight. We needed to get out of the house so I started rallying everyone to come outside with me. Weeping and wailing ensued. Jillian was stomping around saying "I am NOT going outside! If you make me go outside then I'm not _____." (I can't remember her threat:) So I went upstairs to recruit Peter to my cause. He started moaning "I am not going outside" too. At that point I wasn't sure why this was upsetting everyone so much. Is it that horrible to go throw a baseball around? They later told me they were in the middle of an important make believe game. Anyway, Peter followed me downstairs very upset and Jillian said "Peter, why don't you want to go outside? I get to." What??? And that was that. He instantaneously stopped complaining, ran and got his boots on and we were outside in a flash.

The hilarity continued outside. Peter was very into it. The first time he caught the ball with his mitt, he did a fist pump in the sky and held it there, staring at it and shouting "I winned!" We switched off who was up to bat and who retrieved the ball. When it was my turn to catch I said "Don't throw it too hard. I don't have a mitt." Peter ran over, got his mitt and offered it to me, which was very sweet. Then he said "And when you're done with it, give it back to me." Jillian corrected him "Peter, that wasn't a very nice way to say that." I said that it was still nice of him. Jillian cupped her hand so Peter couldn't hear and said "Well, it was still awkward Mom!"

Lucy was there too, taking the ball off the tee and scampering away with it. How she knows exactly what will drive the big kids crazy is beyond me. It's pretty funny to see her running after Peter "teasing" him and hearing him say "Mom, Lucy won't leave me alone." She loves the outdoors and is immediately energized when we go outside. Her walking cadence is more of a run-run-fall which makes for lots of other adults looking at you, say when you're at the mall, like you're a horrible parent for not sweeping her right up each time she crashes. What can I say? It happens about every two seconds. It's so incredibly cute though to see that little mini person running around, and around, and around:)

See, little mini person!

These photos are from another night but you get the idea.

Heritage Halls at BYU was apparently remodeled, or is in the process of being rebuilt. I thought this history was interesting. Unfortunately I didn't live there freshman year; it probably could have helped my cause!

"BYU’s on-campus housing, and Heritage Halls in particular, has a long history. In his centennial history, former university president Ernest L. Wilkinson (BA ’21) records the completion of 24 women’s housing units in 1956. These halls—called Heritage Halls—were designed to help train women “in proper home life and management,” and the administration named them after exemplary pioneer homemakers. The complex housed more than 1,500 women for $20 monthly rent per resident. Ethel J. Horner (’49), one of the first resident living consultants in Heritage Halls, kept a journal of daily activities in the halls, including lessons in low-carbohydrate casseroles, attractive place settings and centerpieces, and managing communal budgets ($30 a week for six women). During this time, men attending BYU lived in dormitory-style Helaman Halls."