Primary Firsts

As always, I'm extremely behind, but there are some things that I don't want to forget. 

Jayci gave her first talk in primary yesterday.  Well, it was maybe her second or third, but it was the first time where she needed very little help.  She and I wrote it together, and I stood by her when she gave it, but for the most part she was able to say it herself.  She was confident and wasn't scared or nervous in the least bit.  She was really funny too.  My parents and Jess came in to watch her and several times in the middle of her talk she'd look around across the room to make sure that everyone, including her family, was listening.  Right in the middle of the talk she even turned to me and whispered, "Look mom, Xander's asleep!", and then carried on.  

The theme of her talk was, "When I obey I am happy".  This is what she and I came up with. 

"In the Book of Mormon, the Lord told Nephi to build a ship.  Nephi said, 'OK'.  He was happy because he chose the right.  Laman and Lemuel murmured.  They did not choose the right.  They were grumpy. " 

(That last sentence was not what we originally came up with but it was her interpretation of the pictures that we drew for that part, and it made everyone laugh.  I thought it was darling and perfect!) 

"I can be like Nephi and choose the right too!  I can share my toys.  I can share my food.  I can help mom with the baby.  I can help clean the house.  I can obey my teachers and my mom and dad.  When I obey the Lord, he blesses me, and I am happy.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

She was more shy in front of Jesse's family when I tried to persuade her to repeat her talk for everyone at our family dinner.  After the bribe of 3 prizes out of the prize box she finally gave in and did a great job again.  

I desperately wish that I would have documented Jack's first primary talks.  I just didn't think about it, or realize that I should, but his were just as sweet, precious, and innocent.  His first talk was basically a paragraph that I'd written and then just whispered into his ear for him to repeat.  After that I got the idea from a great neighbor to help him write talks in a story book form.  He and I (and dad) talk about the subject, we come up with ideas together, and then we get a notebook and draw pictures that will give clues to what's supposed to be said, and then write the words he knows.  We've had great success with this, as it has given them the chance to "write" their own talk, and deliver it with little or no help.   I did save some of his talks but because they were mostly just illustrations that he drew I can't remember enough to translate them.  

(Someting kind of funny, I drew the pictures for Jayci's talk and after she presented it to Jesse's family, Jenny (Jess's sister) gave Jayc lots of praise, and then said, "I like your pictures! Did you draw them all by yourself?"  Haha, no, I truly can't illustrate any better than a four year old.  Nobody was really supposed to see her talk!  Jenny just happened to be sitting right next to Jayci and could see all my lovely drawings.  Even Jayci put up a bit of stink when we were writing it because my Nephi just didn't look like Nephi.  Oh well, I'm no artist and I'm ok with it :)

I was also asked to go into Primary during sharing time and share a story about a time I chose the right, and how I was blessed because of my choice.  It made me feel really good when I asked my kids later that evening how they liked my story, and they were able to relate nearly the whole thing back to me.  My children have a really hard time sitting still (as do Jess and I!  Poor kids, why can't they just inherit our good qualities?!) so it was sweet to know that they actually listened to my story!  

I LOVE primary!  There is a genuine purity in there that can't be found anywhere else.  I recently got released from the presidency, and it's been a hard (but good!) transition back into Sunday school and rs, so getting to go back in yesterday was so fun!  I miss it, and especially miss seeing my own littlies in there.