Butterflies, Baby, and the Fancy New Phone

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . Anna learning to be helpful.  Lately she has started bringing Joy and Daniel clothes and shoes to help them get dressed.  Daniel prefers to do things on his own, but Joy usually appreciates Anna's effort, possibly because she likes to help out, too.

. . . watching butterflies sip nectar from the flowers at a gardening store.  It was also fun to buy some pink nasturtium seeds--they're unique and colorful, and they remind me of my mom.  Hopefully the plants will prosper in my container garden.  They're supposed to be pretty hardy, so I think they have a good chance.

. . . using the word "compunctions" in context.  Isn't it such fun to say?

And another thing . . .

. . . well, I finally caved in and got an iPhone today.  For a variety of reasons it made more sense than the bare-bones phones I usually gravitate toward, but I have mixed feelings about it.  On the one hand, it's nice to see texts as a scrollable conversation instead of isolated snippets, and to type with a digital keyboard instead of predictive text (I meant "if Joy" not "he Low"!).  On the other hand, I suspect that within a few weeks I'll start viewing this 21st century luxury as a "necessity" I can't survive without.  I think that kind of misconception is a big problem in our society (myself included), and I don't like adding another dose of it to my life.

Anna feels no such compunctions.  She asked me at least two dozen times to open the photo gallery so she could look at pictures of herself and her siblings.  She calls herself "Baby," and I hope we can persuade her to adopt a different title before our next baby arrives.