It's been a bad couple of weeks between excessive homework, a killer take home midterm, and being called as the Elders Quorum president... but I had to tell:

Jacob and Ethan were watching the movie Cars; I went up stairs and was bobbing my head a little to the music. Jacob said "no dancing" so I got a little more into it and he said "no dancing... I'm getting mad... ah!" So then Rachel started dancing and got the same reaction, but with an added, "do you see how we aren't dancing?!" (exactly mimicking us when we say things like "do you see how our feet aren't on the table?").

Though we really need it, we are really bad at exercising. But we do like buying things! So we decided that since common sense wasn't enough motivation, we could pay ourselves for doing what we know we need to do. We've never had a "his" and "hers" money division, and don't like the idea, but we each want a couple of things more than the other person, and have a hard time justifying why the family should purchase the item(s).

For instance, I really want a new motherboard and cpu for our main computer. Our computer works for what we use it for, but there are certain software development things that I only do on my work computer (located at the school), as our computer slows to an unbearable crawl when I try to use a few of my favorite tools. So I'd like to spend about $400 upgrading our computer. Rachel wants to get some games for a wii.

We don't have a wii, and we can't reuse all of our old computer parts (like the graphics card and RAM). So we've decided that if we pay ourselves $5 per time we exercise (which goes in our savings account), when we get enough money for the things we want, the family will help pay for the accompanying parts (like the wii and RAM).

I would much rather play basketball as my exercise, but our apartment makes the drive time as long as I'd be able to play, I've just been jogging in the complex workout room. We've been at it for a couple of weeks, and I'm at about 10% of the way there, and Rachel is probably around 25%.

Anyway, I thought I'd let you all know the details since it's helped us go from exercising 1 time a week to 3-4 (hopefully it sticks), and you may find a similar method of motivation for yourself (if you lack discipline, as we do).

Today I read a couple of chapters in Acts (4 and 5 http://scriptures.lds.org/en/acts/4). It seems that the body of the church was very close knit, and I wonder how much persecution contributed to this. I guess that the scriptures are full of examples of God's people being humbled in one way or another, which tends to draw them together.

One point of interest in these chapters is the story of Ananias and his wife. I don't quite understand what Peter means when he says:

"Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not ^alied unto men, but unto ^bGod."

Does it mean that his mistake was saying that he was giving all the money, or in retaining part? I suppose if he had covenanted to live the law of consecration (to have all things common), then he was guilt for retaining, but I feel like an extra sentence in this verse would be nice. I tried looking up other translations, but was left with the same question. I guess the moral of the story is don't lie.

Sometimes the boys like to take chairs and line them up to make trains and cars.

Here's one of them in a car with their backpacks driving to grandmas house (Ethan is putting the keys in the ignition):

Here is an older one of a train they made. I think it was a night train and every seat was taken:

a dorky eye-fi demo:

As a follow up to my last post: last night the boys and I were throwing balls at each other (it started out as "catch" but turned into dodge ball). At one point Jacob threw a couple at me and when I returned fire I was just a little to the left with my aim. Rachel and Makaylin happened to be on the couch, which was a little to the left of Jacob, so Rachel had to deflect the incoming missiles. She then said something like "boys!" and Ethan ran over to her and said "sorry mommy." I guess he's the official apologizer for me!

I was just reading D&C 67 (http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/67) and was again impressed at how often people (including Joseph Smith) are chastened in the D&C. Although, now that I say that, I'm reminded of the clearest revelation I've ever received, and it too was a strong reminder of what I already knew I should be doing.

A few minutes ago Rachel was downstairs chatting with me. Jacob came down and I asked him if we was all done picking up the cereal (he spilt a bunch on the floor). He said yes, but in a way that made us feel like we needed to go and check. So we all started up the stairs but Rachel was kind of blocking the way and going slow so that I'd push her up the stairs. But instead, I went between her legs and lifted her up on my shoulders. She started freaking out, grabbing onto the railing and saying that I needed to put her down right now. So I didn't, and took her up the stairs, which calmed her a little once we were off the stairs, but she continued to insist that I put her down. So I started spinning around (like I do with the kids) and she started freaking out again. It was great. Then I let her down and Ethan said: "sorry mommy." We really need to get a bunch of cameras in our house so that we can relive some of these moments!