Britta and Peter Kimball of Chicago, Illinois

By Linda Hoffman Kimball

It figures that kids like to have fun. For Britta and Peter Kimball, “figures” is what they do for fun!

Britta (7) figures with numbers. Whenever she gets a chance, Britta likes to solve math problems. Sometimes when her family is driving in the car or walking in the neighborhood, Britta and her dad play figuring games with numbers that they see.

Peter (4) figures differently for fun. He draws figures—figures of cowboys, figures of Robin Hood and his merry men, figures of dragons, knights, Indians, horses, crocodiles, wolves, space creatures, and dinosaurs. He likes to draw with crayons or markers.

Peter often makes storybooks with his drawings. First he draws the pictures on paper. After his drawings are finished, his mom staples the pages together. Then Peter tells her what to write down on each page of the story. Sometimes he gives his storybooks as presents to friends and relatives.

Besides his interest in art, Peter likes drama. For Father’s Day Peter wrote and acted out a play with paper puppets that he drew. The play, called “The Mystery Egg,” began like this: “Once upon a time there was an egg. It wasn’t a platypus egg; it wasn’t a chicken egg; it wasn’t a dinosaur egg. It was a dragon egg!”

Sometimes Britta and Peter do plays together. One time they performed “The Three Billy-goats Gruff.” They designed their costumes, using straws, winter hats, and parts of old Halloween outfits.

Using things from around the house helped Britta discover something else that is fun. Once she was experimenting with a long piece of string and a plastic baseball bat, and she made a pattern of special loops around the bat. Her mom saw that Britta had discovered how to knit. With some real knitting needles instead of the baseball bat, Britta was soon busy knitting scarves, a hat, and even a long cape that she gave to Peter for Christmas.

Besides knitting, Britta likes other crafts: crocheting, making pot holders, using a knitting spool, and finger knitting, which she also figured out how to do by herself. Reading is another favorite pastime. Britta also keeps busy as a Brownie Scout.

Peter and Britta have a little brother, Chase, who is seventeen months old. Chase likes to wrestle with Peter and to pull Britta’s blond hair. Chase is very curious about the things that his sister and brother make, but he is not very careful yet. Britta and Peter have learned to keep their important papers and projects out of his reach.

Britta and Peter go to the Hyde Park Ward in Chicago. The building where they meet is very crowded because many people have been joining the Church. The ward is trying to raise money to help pay for a new building. At a yard sale for the building fund, Britta sold a pot holder that she made. “Every penny counts!” Britta says. Peter is always proud to pay his tithing on the money that he earns doing special projects, such as folding clothes for his family.

Whether they’re busy with art, math, drama, crafts, Scouting, school, or Church activities, it figures that Britta and Peter Kimball are having a good time!

Photographed by Linda Hoffman Kimball

Pinwheels whirr while Britta and Peter sit on sculptures.

Britta knits on her fingers.

Peter makes a horse with clay.

Peter’s figures are always colorful.

Church is over.

Peter with Xiao-Lei Wang, a teacher from China

Britta has many wonderful puppets.

What an exciting story this picture of Peter’s illustrates!

“Mormor” likes the potholder that Britta made for her.