Prayer and Blessing

Myles has a "To Do List" of eat breakfast, make bed, get dressed, brush teeth, and say his morning prayer that he does each morning.  He is so good to do his list each day.  Myles always request for help to make his bed, but loves to do everything else all by himself.  Last week I noticed he was standing up and moving around a lot while saying his prayer.  He has also gotten into the routine repeating the same prayer.  It often include bless dinner, lunch, and breakfast, bless everybody...Amen.  I took him aside last week to review a proper prayer.  Tonight for family prayer Matt asked Myles to offer the prayer.  It started off like the routine prayer he gives, but then it became much more sincere as he asked to bless his mom, dad, Olivia, and himself.  He asked that we would be patient.  He asked to bless the prophet.  He asked to bless dad at work and that he would come home safely.  He asked that Olivia and him would sleep good.  I'm not sure if it was our review on prayer from the past week, but he sure is a thoughtful boy.

Matt had to sit in Myles' primary class today.  Dan Jordan is Myles' teacher and talked about the priesthood.  This evening Matt was going to give me a blessing (I am preparing to take my PTA license test).  Matt began talking to Myles about what they had learned in Primary about the priesthood.  Matt asked Myles' what you do with your hands when you give a blessing and Myles' put his hands on his head as he said "you put them on the person's head".  I went to go sit down on our hope chest to receive the blessing.  Myles came and stood on the chest and began to put his hands on my head.  Matt and I both started to tell Myles that only dad could put his hands on my head.  We broke Myles' heart as we started to brush him off.  He broke down in tears.  This was the most sincere cry I have heard from Myles for a very long time.  He just kept saying that he wanted to help give me a blessing.  Matt just held him tight and explained the situation.  Matt then asked Myles if he wanted to receive a blessing.  Myles did.  Myles came and sat on my lap and received a blessing first and then Matt performed a blessing for me.  It was a very special teaching moment.  Myles was satisfied to receive a blessing.  Myles wants to be just like Matt in everything he does.  I am so grateful that Myles has such a great example to look up to.

Olivia Learing to Words

We have had a speech therapist working with Olivia for months.  I am not even sure how many months, maybe 10 months.  Olivia's progress has been very slow.  In fact for the past 3 months it has felt like a plateau.  Just recently I have been getting a little frustrated.  All day long I am constantly repeating simple words to her and singing songs and emphasizing everything we do with words.  Olivia has been able to say hi, bye, mom, dad, and nana (banana) for several months.  But she was not even trying to say any other words, just grunting.  Olivia would never imitate what I was saying to her either (example:  moo, baa, papa).  On April 18th Olivia had her Let's Play class.  Her speech therapist, Lizzie, comes each week to help with Olivia.  While we were in class we were finishing up an art project and Olivia said "done".  Lizzie and I both looked at each other and said "she just said done".  We were both very surprised.  Throughout the rest of the day Olivia just took off with words.  When we got home later that afternoon Olivia went and got the bubbles from the cupboard, brought them over to me and started to say "bubbles, bubbles".  Once again I couldn't believe it.  Boy was I excited.  During the rest of the day she said "ide" (outside), "aut" (hot), and baba (bottle).  I was just amazed at all the words she was saying.  Since then, it has been a week and a half, she has continued to take off.  She is now trying to imitate everything I say to her.  She is saying  "wawa" (water), "ight" (light), "moo", "neigh", "ruff", and when I say a word I can get her to say the beginning or at least try to say the word.  It is so fun to see her start communicating with words.  I think she feels pretty good to be able to use words now as well.  I love when we are able to jump over another hurdle with Olivia.  What a sweet girl that has come to our family.  We sure love her.