Rosie's prayers have really come a long way. We usually try to include her and get her to participate by letting her fill in the blanks for common phrases, but she often surprises us when she takes the lead in very detailed accounts of her day with thoughtful gratitude and petitions. Most of the time it's just part of the horrible struggle during bedtime to change her diaper, put on pajamas, and brush her teeth.
Sometimes we worry she is dragging out the bedtime process, so we do our best to streamline and move things along. Tonight when she was whining for more milk, I told her she could have some after we prayed.
I began the prayer as usual: "Dear Heavenly (pause)"
Rosie: "Fahda" (Father)
She then jumped in with more, and I was eager to hear what she might recount from our day (thank you that Miles could go to sleep without his pacifier while Mommy was at girls camp, thank you that the house doesn't smell like raw old chicken juice, thank you that we could play LEGOs, thank you for "The Wheels on the Bus" and "Hop on Pop" (among other Seuss books) from Grandma Graham).
She continued: "Gakoo hava good day"(Thank you that we could have a good day)
Okay, we're doing alright.
"En da naaame of Zeeesus Chist, Aaaamen."
"MILK!"
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
In our bones
I'll do my best to keep things focused in each post, but it's so easy and fun to get going on tangents. I'll probably still post them but add them separately for those of you who have more time and interest than me to read about other people's lives.
Here's something I wrote when thinking about the GramFamBand and music:
I haven't been playing much music lately, but a family band at Logan's Summer Fest and a visit with some of our very musical friends helped my heart get back in rhythm. Music really moves me! My grandma would say that it runs in our blood, and it definitely flows through the hearts of my family. As a youth, I was able to find peace, expression, and connection through music. I have so many memories of physically connecting with the sound as I played and recorded at the piano or on the couch with the guitar. I remember singing together at church, Family Home Evening, and through the neighborhood at Christmas with my family, as well as learning and harmonizing to pop music with my siblings at home and while driving to Seminary and school. My biggest memory of Grandpa was him singing and playing the ukulele, and I'm happy to see my siblings picking it up, too. I enjoy singing the same songs in our family that he sang with me, like the Beatles' "O-bla-di," "Shooting on a Star," and Tom Chapin's "Family Tree."
In the center of our apartment is a little music center comprised of a keyboard, cajon, guitar, and a sweet collection of other percussion instruments my mom sent us. Oh, and the recorders! Who could forget them?-- definitely not our upstairs neighbors. We don't use things nearly enough (maybe we need our friends to play them with us?), but I love when we pull them out to jam to the radio or our own songs. We're happy when we sing! And we sing when we're happy. Hearing Rosie sing as she plays or goes about her day is one of the sweetest sounds in the world. She has learned many of the primary songs now, and her little Children's Songbook is one of her favorite books. It's not going to last through another child. She often chooses it as the book to go to bed with, and we find her singing the Primary songs as she falls to sleep and when she wakes up happily. We also like dancing together; she will spin for an hour if we let her. I guess I also enjoyed that at one time, running in circles around the living room to "Spinning Song" or Scott Joplin's rags. As we see and hear Rosie singing, drumming, and dancing along, I can't help but think that she's got the rhythm, too.
Here's something I wrote when thinking about the GramFamBand and music:
I haven't been playing much music lately, but a family band at Logan's Summer Fest and a visit with some of our very musical friends helped my heart get back in rhythm. Music really moves me! My grandma would say that it runs in our blood, and it definitely flows through the hearts of my family. As a youth, I was able to find peace, expression, and connection through music. I have so many memories of physically connecting with the sound as I played and recorded at the piano or on the couch with the guitar. I remember singing together at church, Family Home Evening, and through the neighborhood at Christmas with my family, as well as learning and harmonizing to pop music with my siblings at home and while driving to Seminary and school. My biggest memory of Grandpa was him singing and playing the ukulele, and I'm happy to see my siblings picking it up, too. I enjoy singing the same songs in our family that he sang with me, like the Beatles' "O-bla-di," "Shooting on a Star," and Tom Chapin's "Family Tree."
In the center of our apartment is a little music center comprised of a keyboard, cajon, guitar, and a sweet collection of other percussion instruments my mom sent us. Oh, and the recorders! Who could forget them?-- definitely not our upstairs neighbors. We don't use things nearly enough (maybe we need our friends to play them with us?), but I love when we pull them out to jam to the radio or our own songs. We're happy when we sing! And we sing when we're happy. Hearing Rosie sing as she plays or goes about her day is one of the sweetest sounds in the world. She has learned many of the primary songs now, and her little Children's Songbook is one of her favorite books. It's not going to last through another child. She often chooses it as the book to go to bed with, and we find her singing the Primary songs as she falls to sleep and when she wakes up happily. We also like dancing together; she will spin for an hour if we let her. I guess I also enjoyed that at one time, running in circles around the living room to "Spinning Song" or Scott Joplin's rags. As we see and hear Rosie singing, drumming, and dancing along, I can't help but think that she's got the rhythm, too.
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Slant Rhyme
One of my dreams is to have a family band. I think GramFamBand would be a great name for us. It rhymes somewhat, right?
Not everyone pronounces "Graham" the same. My wife doesn't say it the same as I do, but not even others who've had it for generations pronounce it alike. As a missionary in Idaho, I met a Brit who praised me for pronouncing it "properly"--in her opinion, of course-- with two syllables ("gray-um"). That's what I've always known. Others prefer the simplicity of "gram." GramFam.blogspot.com was already taken, so I thought I'd at least spell our name right. But I'll let you pronounce it however you prefer. Welcome to the adventures of the Graham Family at GrahamFaham.blogspot.com!
Not everyone pronounces "Graham" the same. My wife doesn't say it the same as I do, but not even others who've had it for generations pronounce it alike. As a missionary in Idaho, I met a Brit who praised me for pronouncing it "properly"--in her opinion, of course-- with two syllables ("gray-um"). That's what I've always known. Others prefer the simplicity of "gram." GramFam.blogspot.com was already taken, so I thought I'd at least spell our name right. But I'll let you pronounce it however you prefer. Welcome to the adventures of the Graham Family at GrahamFaham.blogspot.com!
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