Making snickerdoodles with Mom on a chilly afternoon

You and I made browned butter caramel stuffed snickerdoodles this week. You were a champ at stuffing each cookie with the caramels and rolling them in cinnamon sugar. You chatted away while you worked. It was just you and me because it was quiet time and everyone else was sleeping or otherwise engaged. I am glad we got to spend that time together!

 

Recent Drawings - October 2020

 

My favorite part is the roots in the pumpkins in the first drawing and the toilet and dishwasher, complete with electric and water hook ups in the 2nd drawing.

A sketch from nature

We went on a nature walk to draw some white wild flowers. You drew the flowers and the grass and the sound of squeaky brakes and the road and everything you saw. You were invested in sketching nature and everything else.

 

Sunday

Today was Sunday, this afternoon you were looking at the gospel art kit.  Here are your reactions to some classic church images.

Regarding Portrait of Emma Smith  - Taft:  "Is that Joseph Smith with a wig on?"


Regarding Captain Moroni - Taft: "Are they all trying to kill him?"

Helper Guy

Taft, your are my companion and helper as of late.  We have done a lot of good things together.  In June we worked together to install a hitch on the van so that we could take the bikes on a road trip to Utah.

We have been working on building a robot together.  And you like to watch robot videos with me on YouTube.  Although, I'm afraid the internet might be running out of appropriate robot videos for us.

Now that we're back home you are helping me build an air purifying helmet and a fire extinguisher backpack for firefighters. 

You're also happy to help out with the grilling!  You only dropped the first two hotdogs on the ground, after that I reoriented them so that the bars would stop them from rolling off.

These photos are all from a 3 week period, it looks like those Old Navy shirts have got some heavy rotation!

The. 3 legged turtle

Last week we had a cookout down by the gazebo outside our apartment.  While we were out Alyssa discovered a red eared slider turtle.  We all went to go look at the turtle.  He got nervous and hid under a car.  We noticed that he only had 3 legs.  At dinner you said, he was looking for his leg.  I then followed up asking what he would do when he found out.  You and Joel replied that he'd take it back home. 

You are colorblind and we love you!

Last week, I found out that you are colorblind.  Your Mom has long been suspicious that you are colorblind.  You are four year old and you're not the best with colors.  I never thought much about you being colorblind because I figured that you confuse colors just like lots of young children have a hard time with different colors. 

I looked at some websites that have colorblind tests for kids.  On one of them, it showed shapes on different color backgrounds and you got it wrong like 1/3 of the time.  On another, more brutal test you missed every animal out of a set of ten.  It must've been the lamest test ever for you, because you never saw anything.

Your mother grew up with her brother Jacob and grandpa Scarlet being colorblind, so she is used to the idea.  I didn't really know anyone closely that was colorblind so for me it was more difficult.  I felt great love for you and cried more than I've cried in the last 10 years of being married.  I love you so much.  It hurts me to think that you can't experience all the same colors the same way that I do.  On the other hand, there are a lot of things that you see and enjoy that the rest of us miss.  You love to look at beetles, rolly-pollies and ants and have a fascination with rocks.  You see the beauty in lots of objects that I sometimes view as uninteresting or commonplace. 

This last week, after realizing you are colorblind, I have felt more love towards you and have been extra patient and kind with you.  Your Mom says it's like I've been treating you as if you are about to die.  Anyway, you're not.  You just see colors differently!  I love you so much and been able to feel that a lot this week.  It has reminded me of how God sees us all as his children.  None of us, can see as God sees.  But he loves as immensely and wants us to be able to become like him someday so that we can see all the truths, beauties and majesty that he sees.