Jacey

 

is home this week for Spring break.  I promised her we would make it a fun week.  Then as I watched the snow fall on Friday and Saturday, I wondered how I was going to make good on that promise.  Luckily the sun came out today!  We went to the Thanksgiving Point farm with some friends, then came home and had a picnic in the backyard.  We made a list of some other things we could do this week to make it a fun break.  Right now Londyn and Calvin are napping, and Jacey is reading.  I thought it might be a good time to make good on my promise to highlight my non-Calvin children on ye old blog.

Jacey turns 7 next month.  She's excited for her birthday.  It's a friend-party year, and she's decided she wants and "Art" birthday.  I jotted down a rough guest list, and I have to confess - I'm a little intimated by the idea of sixteen 7-year-old "artists" in my house.  But we'll make it work.  Maybe Spring will arrive by then and we can have the party outside. 

Jacey has had a great school year so far.  She has been so blessed to have two fantastic teachers whom she loves and adores and wants to please.  She has become an awesome reader and loves to finish a book.  I found a flashlight under her pillow the other day, and I can only imagine how often she's been staying up reading after bedtime.  I put the flashlight back under her pillow. 

Jacey loves to help me in the kitchen.  I actually prefer that everybody just leave the kitchen and let me cook, so inviting her to come in and help me is teaching me patience.  We've started letting the girls make dinner on Saturday nights, and that's been fun for me.  They look through my cookbooks and choose a meal, go shopping with me for ingredients (I love one-on-one time any way I can get it) and then they prepare the meal with a little help.  Dad sets the table fancy-style and we pretend we're in a fancy restaurant.  It's quickly becoming one of the highlights of my week.  This past weekend Jacey made us "Crispy Orange Roughy Fillet with Zesty Lime Sauce."  It was fantastic.

Jacey learned to ride her bike without training wheels last fall, and she has been SO anxious for the dang weather to warm up so she can get back on it.  We pulled it out last weekend (before the 6" of snow we got) and - sure enough - she hasn't forgotten.  I guess it's true that you don't forget how to ride a bike. 

Jacey loves her siblings.  She and Londyn play together as good as friends (most of the time) and I love that.  She loves to "be in charge" of Calvin whenever she can.  She is a HUGE help with him.  She is jealous that Londyn's car seat is in the middle, next to Calvin's.  In fact I heard her trying to talk Londyn into trading her seats this morning.  Calvin lights up for her. 

Jacey loves to bear her testimony.  She knows that she is loved by her Heavenly Father.  She set a goal to read the Book of Mormon before she gets baptized about a year from now.  We read together so we can talk about it and explain the parts she doesn't understand.  I'm amazed at how little we have to explain though.  A little voice inflection as we read goes a long way.

Jacey gives Londyn all sorts of "lessons".  Ballet lessons, karate lessons, yoga lessons, painting lessons.  Every once in a while as they play I'll hear Jacey say something like "Oh Londyn, it's Thursday!  Time for your singing lesson!"  And she'll proceed to give a very thorough singing lesson for the next 20 minutes, complete with drills and critiques. 

Jacey's not perfect.  She can be sassy, and she's gotten way too good at rolling her eyes at me.  But she really is just a good kid.  I seem to say this with each new phase we got through with her, but I really love Jacey at this age.  She is funny and witty and says clever things.  She is sweet and kind and thinks of other people.  She tries hard - in everything.  She has so many wonderful things in store for her!  As long as her mother doesn't mess her up too bad. :)