Friday Jan 3rd. A day in our lives.

6:45 AM

Wendy and Ben wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast.

The light in our storage room

Fruit 

Easy breakfast

Everyones milk

Checking the Internets

7:07 AM

Wendy finds her lost American Express Card in her coat pocket.

7:08 A

We wake Andrew up, scrape the car windows, and drive to the bus stop

7:19 AM

Arrive at the bus stop

7:29 AM

Wendy gets on the bus. Andrew and Ben start the drive to Grandma Stuart's house

7:56 AM

 Wendy arrives at the Church History Museum.

 Andrew and Ben arrive at Grandma Stuart's house.

8:05 AM

Ben leaves Andrew with Grandma Stuart and starts the drive to Primary Children's Hospital

Bye Bye!

08:20 AM

Wendy makes sure the Norman Rockwell paintings are ready to be shipped back to Texas. 

Dollies

 Andrew starts doing laundry with Grandma. 

08:29 AM

Ben arrives at Primary Children's. He goes to the ER and helps families and kids stay entertained and tummies full while at the ER.  Ben will not have many picture updates during this time due to privacy laws.

Wendy sits down at her desk.

08:38 AM

Andrew has a tea party

09:12 AM

Wendy loads the crates onto the moving truck. She breaks one of the dollies that you saw earlier :).

09:16 AM

Andrew has breakfast with his Aunt

  

10:40 AM

ER slows down so Ben starts cleaning toys

10:48 AM

Andrew plays the piano

11:16 AM

Andrew takes Amber for a walk

Getting the leash

Putting the leash loop on

Let's GO!

11:52 AM

Wendy goes out to eat with her co-workers at Blue Lemon - none of them had brought much lunch.

Andrew investigates Grandma's backyard

12:00 PM

Ben leaves Primary Children's.

12:33 PM

Ben picks up Andrew from Grandma Stuart's house. Andrew didn't want to leave.

He was having to much fun.

12:41 PM

Andrew put in car seat

12:50 PM

Andrew starts sucking his thumb

12:54 PM

Andrew out cold

1:02 PM

Ben and Andrew arrive at home. Andrew laid down for a nap

1:05 PM

Ben starts reading a book in bed

2:30 PM

Ben falls asleep and takes a nap

4:45 PM

Wendy leaves work and goes to the bus stop

4:55 PM

Ben and Andrew wake up from their naps. Andrew gets a snack

5:30 PM

Ben and Andrew pick up Wendy from the library. 

Wendy checks out  seven more library books.  

The twenty library books we had at home were getting lonely.

06:23 PM

Wendy, Ben, and Andrew meet up with the Canfields for swimming

07:22

Wendy, Andrew, and the Canfields get dressed

07:25

Ben finishes his swim workout

07:45

Ben gets distracted by the Orange Bowl Football game on the gym's television

08:45 PM

Ben starts to cook dinner

08:54 PM

Ben takes out the garbage. Yes, there is photographic proof!  Andrew eats dinner.

09:51 PM

Wendy and Andrew do the last 5 minutes of the interrupted 10-minute workout with Tony Horton

10:30 PM

Andrew goes to bed. Ben and Wendy read books. 

Both Ben and Wendy stay up too late reading.

Mimicry

He said I've been watching you dad, ain't that cool
I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are
We got cowboy boots and camo pants
Yeah we're just alike, hey ain't we dad
I wanna do everything you do
So I've been watching you

- Rodney Atkins "Watching You"

Andrew has already showed that he is "watching us." The most gratifying mimicry, which is also described in the Rodney Atkins song, is that Andrew knows prayer. He knows the word triggers; he'll immediately fold his arms if you say prayer, or even Heavenly Father. He knows that prayer ends when people say amen. He also knows when we are supposed to pray; Andrew will not let us start eating before we pray at mealtime.

Charades on New Years Eve demonstrated Andrew's understanding of what he is watching.  My extended family was playing charades while waiting for the clock to tick down to midnight last night.  Michael had a Tupperware full of slips of paper; we all took turns choosing and then acting out the words that were listed. Andrew watched for several minutes fascinated. Then, he decided that he was going to participate. Andrew toddled over to the Tupperware and picked out a folded piece of paper. He proceeded to unfold it, and look at it like everyone else had. After a few seconds of thought Andrew moved into the middle of the room. He then put his hands together and made sword swiping movements.  The phrases that immediately came to my mind included both, "So cute!" and "Wow, I did not expect that!"

It does make me wonder in what other ways is Andrew more cognizant than I give him credit for. As Andrew gets older I think about what Andrew is learning as he watches me.  Am I demonstrating good habits? Am I using words that I want him to say?  What is he thinking, what is he learning, by my daily actions?