Ethan

Last Sunday Ethan said the prayer in the opening of Primary. This may not seem like a big thing to some, but for us it was HUGE!!! Although we can't quite figure out why (or what to do about it for that matter) it is always a huge struggle to get Ethan to go into primary. I'm talking, possibly an hour of sweat and tears just to get him to go in. He likes what he calls his "little class", but as far as going into opening, singing and sharing time he is easily overwhelmed by all the kids and all the noise. So when he came home one day with a little piece of paper saying that he had been asked to say the opening prayer the next week, I was a little nervous for him to say the least. Now one thing about Ethan is that he is GREAT at saying prayers. He used to say them super fast and quiet with a big loud "AMEN" at the end, but after a short while of focusing on why we say prayers, and how we need to be reverent when we say a prayer he has been great ever since. He speaks slow, loud, and clear and even is great at using the "language of prayer" such as "thee" and "thy". So when he got this assignment we made a BIG deal about it! All week we talked about how he gets to say the prayer in primary. We talked about how big he is and how great he is at saying prayers. And, I must admit, that on the way to church we did mention the fact that after he says his prayer he may just get a special treat later that night (a little healthy motivation never hurts, right?). Anyway, to make this long story a little bit shorter, as we walked into the primary room I said a silent prayer that this would be able to be a positive experience for Ethan. I really want him to be able to love primary. Well, he walked up to the front and sat there. Just like that. He looked SO proud. I saw his ears perk up when the primary president mentioned his name, and when she asked him if he needed help he told her "no." He walked up to the microphone, folded his arms, bowed his head and said what I think just might have been the best prayer I've ever heard. It was short, but oh so sweet and I must admit I shed a tear or two. He was beaming, and I loved every second of the experience. Isn't that great? So did this solve all of Ethan's primary fears? No. Today we were back to struggles and tears. But I am so thankful to a Heavenly Father who answered a mothers prayer and calmed a little boys fears and allowed him to have a positive experience saying his first "public" prayer.


Something else fun about Ethan is that he has the greatest imagination and is super creative. One day he was sitting in my lap and I was showing him all the different kinds of "kisses". A fish kiss (when you suck your cheeks in and make "fish lips", he and Allison think it is just HILARIOUS), a Eskimo kiss (nose to nose), and a butterfly kiss (eyelashes flutter on your cheek). He then looks at me and said, "Mom! What about the telephone kiss!?" "A telephone kiss?" I ask, and he proceeds to show me his newly invented "telephone kiss", which you do by taking your ear and placing in on the other persons cheek. Since then he has also invented the "Scooby doo kiss" ( taking your chin and putting it on the other persons nose) and the "hair kiss", which is taking your fingers and pinching the top of the other persons nose (don't ask me why he calls it a "hair kiss"). He really is a fun kid. He is sensitive, kind, and loving. He is EXTREMELY observant. He notices the little things like if I have a new bottle of lotion on the table by my bed or if there is a different mat down on the floor in the garage. He loves to explore, and he loves to wrestle and have fun. He teaches me so much and I am SO grateful to be his mom.