day 73: dirt and genes

It's been warm enough that our weekly play-date with friends has turned into a backyard affair.  The kids were having some serious fun with the dirt pile at today's house and I loved the smears of dust all over E's nose and mustache area.  IMPORTANT NOTICE: what is that place between the nose and mouth even called!?!  It is a serious trial that there is no word that the common people can use.  I always have to call it my "mustache area" which is very unbecoming as you can imagine. Help a girl out if you are privileged enough to be let in on that great secret of life.

As far as genes go.  Look at E's mouth and think my dad.  I've never seen it before but as I was scanning through these pictures, I did a double-take.  My dad does this EXACT thing with his mouth when he is concentrating.  

Hub's family played a game at one of their big family reunions called "I got that gene!".  The host had written down a bunch of weird traits that he remembered from his father and mother (our common grandfather/dad/great-grandfather) and you would yell out "I got that gene!" and raise your hand if you had the same thing.  Many things that I've noticed about Hubs were talked about in that game and I realized that he got it from his family. 

Last night we had a Relief Society meeting about family history.  We talked a lot about that meaning lots of different things; that yes, we absolutely need to be searching for our family to take them to the temple.  But as a mother of small children who is unable to use the restroom without an audience, I don't have hours to spend on the computer.  But I can tie their little hearts to their ancestors.  I can tell them stories and help them know where some of our traditions come from.  My mind has been filled with ideas of how I can get those little minds to realize they are part of something much bigger.  And then, BAM;  I realize my daughter has a trait from my dad, a trait I don't think I have.  And because I wrote it down and documented that find...SCORE... I JUST DID FAMILY HISTORY! I think I just earned a drop of awesome.