Accidentally Learning How to Write

Since A1 started attending nursery in our new ward, her favorite things to do are color and sing songs. We sing songs everywhere we go and, of course, we have to do the actions. She knows all the actions to "Popcorn Popping" and "The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock." We're working on the actions to "Book of Mormon Stories." I'm having a hard time remembering the "nursery songs that every kid should know" - can you help me remember some good ones to teach my kids?

In a related story, A1 begs to color everyday. It's the only way I was able to watch General Conference earlier this month (she colored so I could watch). She also likes to pretend that she is writing people's names (particularly family members) and other known words. The other day she was pretending to write letters of the alphabet in a notebook we gave her, when suddenly she proudly shouted, "M!"

A1 proudly shows off her coloring

What letter does this look like to you?

Now I know she does not actually know how to write and that this was some random coincidence in writing. But how amazing is A1 for recognizing her own scribbling to interpret it as M?

Church Callings and the Governator

Yesterday was an action-packed Sunday. A and I were on our own for Church, as R was on call. The bishop asked me to come to his office, and we all know what that means: calling! I was afraid that he was going to call me to the nursery (they released the nursery leader yesterday), but it turns out that I get two easier callings. I am now the pianist for Relief Society and the Temple Liaison (not the Temple Coordinator, which is a whole different calling). This means two things for me: I need to find myself a cheap electronic keyboard so that I can practice piano (I don't think I've played since my mission), and I have to find out what a Temple Liaison is (from what I understand, my biggest responsibility is to set up some kind of babysitting for Stake Temple Night). This also means something for A: she needs to get really comfortable in nursery so that I can go to Relief Society. Yesterday was the first time we've left her with just the nursery teachers, and she seemed to do pretty well - no crying, just shy and withdrawn. She'll get better over time.

On another, almost completely opposite, note, we went to a BBQ with some of the other anesthesiology residents. It seems that one of the residents is from here, and his parents have quite a bit of money. We went to their house, situated up a small canyon overlooking LA. The food was great and the view was breathtaking! As part of the "tour," they pointed to a really large house just across the way: "That's Arnold Schwarzenegger's house." Yep, we had dinner with the Governator's neighbors.