Allison updates

For family who aren't around Allison every day, I wanted to update how she is doing on her talking.  She talks all day (though she still has a strong toddler accent).  To give you an idea of the complexity of her sentences, something she said today was, "I pinch my duck's nose."  I think she's a pretty good talker because she's always been a very willing parrot.  We ask her to say something, and she will usually say it.

She also loves the flashcards that her aunt gave her for her birthday.  I finally bought flashcard rings for them a few weeks ago, so we started going through them with her, and she caught on very quickly.  After going through the colored shapes with her 1-2 times, she was already repeating them back to me.  It helps that she is very interested in them - she LOVES her flashcards, and quickly formed an attachment to them, haha.  The shapes each are different colors, so Allison has apparently been trained to pair objects with their color.  "Purple hippo."  "White sheep."  Shapes that she's learned are octagon, pentagon (she gets those two mixed up), oval, rectangle, triangle, crescent, rhombus, square, circle, semi-circle, star, heart.  As I've trained Allison to hone in on shapes, she notices them when I don't (as I've mentioned before).  Walking back from a park today, she says, "triangle."  I'm like, "What did she say?"  And then I see a tiny yield sign next to the walkway.

When Grandma was here a month ago, she commented that Allison is in the early stages of reading, because she'll sit and "read" herself books - sometimes with loosely accurate words.  She loves books.

Allison sings...all day long.  A song Nicole taught her was (to the tune of Frere Jacques), "Bones are rattling, bones are rattling.  I am scared.  I am scared."  Since that's one of her favorite tunes, she sings that a lot.  Her daycare teacher also taught her the ABCs last week.  (She's done daycare for three days/week for four weeks now.)  She used to just sing the first few letters, but now she things the whole song.  She can also be very sensitive to noise sometimes.  Sometimes she complains that it's "too loud."  But that could just be her being two.

Balloons and a big zigzag

Allison loves to draw.  Today, she asked for a crayon, and she got busy drawing on the paper I left out.  She says, "I color balloons!"  ("I dower bawoons!")  This is exciting to me, because this is the first time she's drawn an actual picture!  I've shown her how to draw circles and zigzags, and tried to show her how to draw triangles, but this was her own creation.  (The balloons, of course, were drawn upside down, as if they were filled with lead and the strings floated to the ceiling.)

Allison drawing the long string of a balloon

Allison got to work on her next creation.  When she was done, she declared, "I color a big zigzag!"

The balloons and the big zigzag.  Sorry, I took the picture sideways.

Crazy hair day

It was crazy hair day at school day today.  Last year, I braided three (messy) braids in her hair, and apparently that wasn't crazy enough because she claims some older kids said her hair wasn't crazy.  So this time, I gave her an upside down braid, and that was apparently good enough.

After we took out her braids.

Her hair looks blonder in this picture.

My sweetheart

Nicole and Allison started attending daycare a few weeks ago, due to a job I got.  Nicole told me the other day that she comforted three kids who were crying on the playground that day, including a boy who was older than her.  She loves to comfort other kids.

After coming up from typing on the computer fifteen minutes ago, Nicole told me, "Mommy, this morning, I was praying, and I felt the Holy Ghost."  I asked her what she was praying about, and she told me it was about, "Why did Jesus live?"  I asked her what did it feel like.  She said, "I felt surprised, like..." she blinked and looked around, to show confusion or surprise..."and I had tears in my eyes!"  I hugged her and told her that was very special, and that I always try to write my spiritual experiences down right away, and that she should write it down.

When I was young - 8 years old - I felt the Holy Ghost as well.  When I was to be baptized, it was my goal to be perfect, and never make any mistakes ever again.  (Little did I understand that taking the sacrament each week is like being re-baptized...but I had the right goals in mind.  I should always have that goal of perfection.)  I didn't feel it when I was baptized - I was too bothered by trying to button up my blue dress from the Philippines by myself, because my mom didn't come back to the dressing room to help me.  Eventually, another mom who was helping her daughter buttoned up my dress.  The next day, at church, I was to be confirmed a member of the Church and receive the Holy Ghost.  I remember an older boy who was friends with my older siblings (maybe 15 years old), and sort of new to our ward, sat by me, for some reason, and I felt uncomfortable next to him.  He was skinny and had large, thick glasses.  He expressed excitement for me when they announced that I should go up to be confirmed - just more attention than I was comfortable with.  Anyway, I went up in front of everyone, was given a blessing and was told to "receive the Holy Ghost."  I can't remember if it was in that moment, or directly after the blessing/prayer was done, that I distinctly felt the Holy Ghost, and knew it was the Holy Ghost.  But I have always remembered the feeling.

Anyway, Nicole went to write her experience down, but all she wrote was, "I felt the Holy Ghost."  So I'm doing this for her.  I interviewed her a bit for some details:


Me:  When did you pray?

Nicole:  It was really dark. [Early in the morning.]

Me:  What did you pray about?

Nicole:  I prayed about, why was Jesus our Lord?  And when I started to pray about that, I felt the Holy Ghost.

Me:  What did it feel like?

Nicole:  I felt like I was touching the Holy Ghost...I felt the Holy Ghost.

A minute later, I came back and asked for clarification.

Me:  Where did you feel the Holy Ghost?

Nicole:  Everywhere on my body.


People may feel the Holy Ghost differently.  Many people describe it as a "warm blanket," or a peaceful feeling.  The fact that Nicole didn't use a cliches makes me think this was a genuine experience.  After all, she is a very genuine person.  Regardless, it's not my job to tell something they felt was phony.  I will respect their beliefs the way I hope they will respect mine.  I am the only one who can truly know what I feel.

I have family members who lament that they "have never felt the Holy Ghost."  I think that is nothing to lament.  (Not to mention, it's possible they've felt the Holy Ghost or received guidance, but not realized it.)  Doctrine and Covenants section 46 reads (emphasis added):


10 And again, verily I say unto you, I would that ye should always remember, and always retain in your minds what those gifts are, that are given unto the church.

11 For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God.

12 To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby.

13 To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world.

14 To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful.

15 And again, to some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know the differences of administration, as it will be pleasing unto the same Lord, according as the Lord will, suiting his mercies according to the conditions of the children of men.

16 And again, it is given by the Holy Ghost to some to know the diversities of operations, whether they be of God, that the manifestations of the Spirit may be given to every man to profit withal.

17 And again, verily I say unto you, to some is given, by the Spirit of God, the word of wisdom.

18 To another is given the word of knowledge, that all may be taught to be wise and to have knowledge.

19 And again, to some it is given to have faith to be healed;

20 And to others it is given to have faith to heal.

21 And again, to some is given the working of miracles;

22 And to others it is given to prophesy;

23 And to others the discerning of spirits.

24 And again, it is given to some to speak with tongues;

25 And to another is given the interpretation of tongues.

26 And all these gifts come from God, for the benefit of the children of God.


I asked Nicole for more details on the way to church.  I asked again why she was praying.  She said she was asking, "Why did Jesus come to earth?"  "Why did Jesus have to be our Lord?"  She said she didn't think Mommy and Daddy would know the answer, so she decided to ask Heavenly Father.  She said she was scared to pray, but then she was brave, and prayed.  She theorized that, because she was brave, that's why she felt the Holy Ghost.  She said she asked her question two times, and didn't get an answer, so she decided he must not want to answer right now.  She said, "I didn't get an answer to my question, but I felt the Holy Ghost!"

Allison drawing today

She loves to draw, like her sister

Our little monkeys

Took the girls along with me to a church service activity a month ago to assemble layettes for underprivileged newborns.  We donated some stuff and then assembled layettes with some of the other donated supplies.  We did a monkey/pink/bow themed one and a cat/pink-and-blue themed one.

Super cute doll someone made

Allison LOVES the "circle card" that Grandpa gave her for her birthday.  He nailed it!  (She loves circles.  Now that I taught her about octagons, she also loves those too, and finds them everywhere!  On the school bus, on the bottom of a box, street stop signs...that's about it.)

Her cousin gave her a late birthday present the other day.  This is her upon opening it.

Some Nicole art.  We took pictures because we're going to throw some of it away - we can't keep everything.  She is constantly creating things!

From a few months ago

Thanksgiving placemat from kindergarten

From this October

From this October

And tonight, Allison did this:

It reminds me of the time Nicole's babysitter reported, "Oh, and Nicole did the splits today.  She spread her legs and just started going down, and down, until she was in the splits."  Nicole was also about 2 years old at the time, I believe.

What a wonderful world

We went to bridal veil falls yesterday, and Daddy held Allie and showed her the waterfall the stretched into the distance.  She was awestruck.  When we were hiking last month, she was marveling at the mountains as Daddy pointed them out to her.  How lucky are we that she appreciates nature!

Allison marveling at the waterfall yesterday

Today, we watched church at home on the TV.  When the choir of young girls began singing, "I Love to See the Temple," Allison, who was eating at the dinner table, started swaying and said, "I yite song." 

"You like this song?" I said.

She nodded, "I yite song."