Compassion

Payton has a stuffed puppy that she carries everywhere. The name of the puppy varies between Roxi, Charlie and Zoe (names of our friends' real dogs). This poor puppy has been through a lot in the short 6 months that Payton has owned it. The seam on the back finally gave out. For the past couple weeks I've found little bits of fluff all over the house that have fallen out. I finally made time this morning to sew the ripped seam. Payton was very concerned when I got a needle and thread out of my sewing box. "Why do you need a needle?" was her worried question. I explained that I had to sew up the puppy's back. The whole time I was sewing, Payton kept reassuring her puppy it would be ok. "I know needles are scary. It will be okay." She kept saying. Payton is so compassionate. She is quick to remember her sisters when she gets a special treat or when they are upset or hurt. She is a good example to all of us!

Bad Dreams

Payton had a bad dream last night. She woke up screaming about spiders in her bed. It was so real to her that I couldn't get her to go back to bed. She ended up on the couch with a blanket. As soon as she went to sleep, she woke up with the same dream. I finally convinced her that her bed did not have spiders. She agreed to go back to bed (in her own bed) if I put the fly swatter on the floor next to her bed. It must have worked, because she didn't complain about spider dreams after that. However, she was so wide awake that she didn't go back to sleep almost 3 hours. She finally went to sleep at 5am. As frustrating as it was to be up most of the night, I feel so bad for little Payt. I wish I could take my children's bad dreams away. It makes me feel helpless when they get so scared and worked up about something that isn't even real.

Squid

Sydney is playing Coach Pitch Softball this year and loving it. I must admit, she's pretty good. She can hit, she can throw and she has so much fun. Her team is a bunch of 3rd and 4th grade boys-- and only 1 other girl. At the last practice Sydney was the only girl. Her coach called her 'Syd' and asked if that was ok. She said, "That's my nickname!" Then she said, "Sometimes my dad calls me 'Syd the Squid'." Her coach laughed and asked if it was ok if he called her 'Squid'. She thought that was pretty cool. So now her whole team calls her "Squid".

Sydney's got Talent!

For the past two years, Sydney has performed in her school's talent show. I have never pushed her to sign up, she does it all on her own. She is getting really good at the piano-- Thanks Aunt Val for the lessons! This year she played When the Saints Go Marching In.

Here comes the bride

Payton goes through spurts when she loves to play dress up. She has a play wedding gown that Grandma Hillman made. It even came with a veil, flowers and a poofy slip. Payton parades around in the whole getup all day for days at a time. She has a pair of purple dress up shoes that she loves. She wears them everywhere-- around the house that is. I won't let her wear them anywhere else. So, if you happen to stop by in the middle of the day, don't be surprised if a child-bride answers the door! I'll post a picture of the little bride, next time I take one.

Baby Kate

Our new little girl was born April 18. At first I didn't think Katelyn looked like Sydney and Payton, but every day she looks more and more like her sisters. She is a happy and content baby. She smiles at everyone and rarely cries. I love my Kate!
Sydney calls her self 'the biggest sister' to differentiate between herself and Payton as big sisters. She really is a wonderful 'biggest' sister. She helps all the time. She will run and get diapers or wipes or burp clothes or pacifiers. She helps around the house. She entertains Payton. I do not know what I would do without her help. She is such a sweet girl. I love to watch her with Kate. She is like a little mother. She sits and talks to Kate and holds Kate. I love my Sydney!
Payton loves to be a big sister. She helps a lot- sometimes too much. But, I know she is trying to show her little sister how much she loves her. Payton does not like to hear Kate cry. She covers her ears and sometimes even starts to cry or panic a little if I am not immediately available to help Kate. Until Kate was born I thought of Payton as my little girl, almost like a baby. But, she seems to have grown up over night. She is a sweetheart. I love my Payton!

Rise and shout the Cougars are out

We are Cougar fans. Our friends are Cougar fans. Our kids are Cougar fans. I wouldn't say extreme, (until I see the amount of BYU stuff we have and realize even Sydney knows who Jimmer is) but we are loyal! In November Brian and I went with some friends to a football game in Provo, in February we went with friends to a basketball game at the Marriott Center and in April Brian took Syd to the Blue and White Spring Game. Sydney was so excited to go with Brian. I know they had a good time, but I feel bad the weather was so awful.

Bless your beautiful hide

During the day, when Payton doesn't have Sydney to play with or torment, she is left to her own imagination. More often than not, she can be found playing Barbies or Polly Pockets behind the closed door of her bedroom. (She closes the door so I cannot peek in and embarrass her.) Her Polly Pockets know the words to all of Payton's favorite musicals: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Oklahoma, State Fair, My Fair Lady, and many others. The song I hear most often is "Bless your beautiful hide" from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Coming from a three-year-old, the song makes me giggle!

Grandpa Smart

I want to take just a moment to post a little bit about my Grandpa Smart. He passed away in March and I want to write a few special memories about him.
Every year we get spend a week at the cabin near Bear Lake that he and my grandmother built. While there, Grandma and Grandpa would always come and spend an evening with us. They usually brought corn on the cob and other produce from their garden. When I was young, it was my job to help husk corn. But, in recent years it has become my children's job. I have so many memories of spending time with my grandparents at the Lake. We hiked, walked to the water, attended church, but mostly we worked! We weeded, mowed, watered, vacuumed, dusted, swept, etc. But, I never remember not wanting to do the jobs I was assigned. I worked willingly because my grandparents were right there working, too.
Grandpa and Grandma worked in the Logan Temple. As a Sealer, Grandpa received permission to come to Idaho Falls and perform my marriage. While I don't remember a lot of what was said at the ceremony, I will never forget how happy I was to have that sacred ordinance performed by my Grandfather.
Now that I have children of my own, they have memories of Grandpa Smart, too. Sydney learned flag etiquette from Grandpa. She also learned to relax and enjoy the beauty of Bear Lake from a lawn chair. Payton loved Grandpa's voice. He would read Goldilocks and the Three Bears to her over and over. Her favorite was his Papa Bear voice. He could make the deep, low growl of that bear and you almost felt bad for poor Goldilocks!
I could list numerous other fond memories of time spent and lessons learned, as could my siblings, but I want to end with what I will remember most: Singing in Sacrament Meeting with Grandpa. He loved hymns. He was always singing, humming or whistling a hymn. I never grew too old to enjoy sitting next to him on a church pew and hearing him sing from his heart those hymns. Every time he sang, I felt he was bearing his testimony of the truths he was singing. Along with everyone who knew him, I look forward to seeing him again.

My girls + Barbies = Hours of Entertainment (for me)

My girls take after me in a very important way- They love to play Barbies. Sydney plays the same way I did; gives them pretend names, does pretend things with them, etc.
Payton, however, is unique. Her Barbies take on the lives of people she knows. For example, she has a girl and a boy that have become Dayna and Brian. In fact, we all refer to those two barbies as Brian and Dayna. If Payton cannot find these two particular dolls, she asks, "Where's Brian and Dayna." And, sadly, I know exactly what she wants-- and it is not me or her dad! On a more comical note, 'Dayna' is always wearing the wedding dress and 'Brian' has dark curly hair (actually he is a Black man).