frozen obsession

there's a little girl in our house who is quite taken with the latest disney offering - frozen. ever since the first time she watched it she's been obsessed and i have to admit that it is pretty good... just saying.

i finally made a cd for the car with all the songs from the album and she loves it (actually loves is the understatement of the century) and always asks before jumping in the car - mama can we watch frozen in the car? mama? can we? so cute! then she sits in the back singing along at the top of her voice just generally loving her life. we've also gotten to enjoy (had to endure?) her singing let it go - literally - just the one line from let it go... over and over and over for weeks at the top of her voice!

the other morning she actually asked niques if she could go and build a snowman and insisted she needed clothes for the snow, so aunty put her in tights, a jacket, hat and gloves... she's also insisting that her name is queen elsa (which anyone who has seen the movie would know is weird seeing as it's anna who is really the star of the show - plus maddie totally has red hair - just like anna! and to make it even stranger, all the while she is telling us she is queen elsa, she's quoting anna! she told us for over an hour the other day that "she's my sister, she would never hurt me..." and then today said to doug "please don't shut me out daddy! please don't close the door!" it's all we can do to not crack up and actually answer her with a straight face!

i am fairly certain all her dreams are about to come true, on sunday the mother of a little girl from maddie's nursery class called ruby - asked us if maddie could come to ruby's birthday party in a few weeks, apparently she is having a frozen theme!! she is going to think all her dreams have come true. can't wait. we caught the two of them jumping up and down in glee a few minutes later with ruby chanting, "you're coming to my party, you're coming to my party!!!!!!"

plus - just for your amusement, if you happen to have seen the movie - check this out - it is absolutely hilarious, it'a a couple driving in the car perfectly lip syncing the song "love is an open door" from the movie. the husbands facials are priceless, and the daughter just sits in the back seat looking bored, completely oblivious to what is going on. watch it now. you'll find it here! enjoy!

p.s. last week we got in the car and i started singing and looking across at doug - laughing about the abovementioned video only to have him look back at me and offer one single word. no. there go my dreams of a theatrical performance in our car! haha.

i am a child of god

i am a child of god,

and he has sent me here.

has given me an earthly home, 

with parents kind and dear

lead me, guide me, walk beside me

help me find the way.

teach me all that i must do -

to live with him someday

(lds hymns 301)

this little girl loves to sing - and every day without fail will sing this song to her daddy and i. it is her absolute favourite and she will make sure you know. she sings it on the phone to her grandparents in qld and my parents in samoa and anyone else who will listen. so last week aunty dominique recorded her singing so my parents so far away, could see this little girl growing up before their very eyes. (you can watch it here!)

this song was always my favourite as a child as well - and when i hear her sing it so cleary, it brings such joy to my heart. i had no idea that someone i work with would confront me about it and try to use it to start something awful - but that's exactly what happened. this person came to me and said that what i was doing wasn't right and that teaching madeline about god and the gospel at such a young age would never allow her to choose for herself. i was shocked, because as far as i am concerned, that's my job! i thought for a moment, before replying very carefully and said, "when i made a decision to bring a child into this world, as far as i am concerned, i made a commitment to teach her the things that she needs to know. i was brought up correctly, by good parents, who taught me the gospel and taught me to love god. if madeline makes a decision to leave the things that are important to me when she is older, then that is a decision i will have to deal with, and i certainly will not love her any less if that's what she chooses to do; if that's the path she chooses to take. but my responsibility as a parent is to ensure that she is taught about the things that are important to me and my family."

i know they didn't agree with me, and certainly don't plan to, but they didn't take it any further and i must admit to breathing a sigh of relief as they walked away. and in all honesty, it simply made me more determined to ensure that she learns everything i can possibly teach her. to love the gospel, to love her heavenly father, to pray and to look forward to sundays with the same eagerness that i do. after all - as i parent, given a child from my father in heaven - that's exactly what i promised to do.