let her be little.

Last Sunday Carly gave her first Primary talk. One of the things I have grown to love about our Church is how we all teach each other, and the teaching starts young. Three years old and we already have the kids up there teaching their peers the gospel. 

Carly's talk subject was "Jesus Christ taught the Gospel and set an example for us." I sat down to write Carly's talk, which I knew would only be a few sentences, and drew a blank. Chris suggested I have Carly help. I sat her next to me and asked, "What did Jesus teach?" I couldn't keep up with how fast she responded.

"To do the rightness.

About the scriptures.

The Holy Ghost.

He loves us . . ."

And just like that, Carly's talk came together, authored by me, ideas by Carly. We practiced a few times the night before, and when she gave the talk she was very calm and articulate, even if she was a tad too close to the microphone at times. She is three, after all.

The full transcript: 

When Jesus Christ came to Earth, He taught the Gospel to those around him. He taught people to love one another, to obey His commandments, and to pray. He taught them from the scriptures. He taught them about the Holy Spirit. He taught them about Heavenly Father and how much He loves them. He taught them if they did what was right, they could get blessings. This is a great example for us. We can tell our friends about Jesus and Heavenly Father. We can make good choices and have the Spirit with us. We can obey the commandments and get blessings. I love Jesus and I am grateful for the Gospel.

At the end, I told her she could add what she wanted, a sort of "baring her testimony", I suppose. She boldly declared: "Jesus loves the people!"

So true, sister. So true.

This girl has preoccupied so much of my thoughts and worries as of late. She is growing so fast, and yet she is still so little. She has been having some behavior and physical issues, and we are actually getting her tested for Celiac disease in a week or so. But she is so good. She has a good heart and such a sweet and faithful spirit. Her spirit just shines.

We have been having a lot of adventures lately, she and I. These last weeks of winter are always akin to torture, but I've been trying to keep things a little exciting. We went to "the beach" and dug in "the sand" (aka rice; I was finding it all over my house for days afterwards). One morning she woke up and said "I'm going to put on my adventure clothes so we can go on an adventure!" We ended up using her $1 butterfly net, made all sorts of paper bugs, and went on bug hunt after bug hunt. We ride off into the sunset in the wild wild west and draw, color, and paint lots of pictures, including her first ever portrait of our family of 5. We all have hair and hats, and she was even kind enough to include my black eyelashes (she prefers them black; when I go without makeup she asks when I'm going to color my eyelashes).

Mixed in the adventure we try to include some education. We practice writing numbers and letters (in our swimwear on the best days), do a little yoga, play learning games, and brush up on our geography. Carly is a pro at her map. She knows her house goes "on the mitten" and once I put the camel in Egypt and she corrected me and placed it in Saudi Arabia. She is just so smart.

It is that loves-to-learn little brain of hers that has had me all flustered as of late. Preschool applications are coming right up, and I have been wondering what to do with her. I have been stressing over what would be best for her and our family. My preferred option, a twice-a-week schedule in the little town just south of us, is expensive, and we are technically "out of district" (across the street!) so she'd be the last to be let in, and that has added to my worry.  I was able to learn more about my options through very helpful friends, but soon my worry reached its peak. I knelt in prayer, turning to Heavenly Father for answers, which I should have done much earlier.

The following morning, as I swept breakfast off the floor, I flood of thoughts rushed into my mind. The primary thought was, "Let her be little."

Let her spend her days stretching her imagination, playing with her babies, going on adventures, and learning from her mother. Let her go to library story time, enjoy long walks in the sunshine, and  play at the park. Before you know it, she will be gone. She'll be at school all day every day, and these few precious years that you have to teach her to be strong, teach her to be good, they will be over. Keep her with you a little while longer.

If we can get Carly into the two mornings a week option, and if we can find a way to afford it, that will be wonderful. She loves people, she loves new experiences, and it will be so good for her. I want that for her. But whether she goes to preschool or not, the place she will learn the most is within the walls of our home. As my ever-supportive husband reminded me, "The best place for her to learn right now is here with you."

I didn't realize it at the time, but my thoughts as I swept the floor that morning were the answers to my prayers. My worry is gone; I feel at peace. I look at Carly and want to hold on to her and just let her be little a little while longer.