To answer the previous post... with the votes people were correct on the color personalities with Andy, Sammy, and we think Ashley. We are still trying to figure out what color she is but we tend to think she's a white. I was voted a red or blue personality. Both wrong! However, they were both tied for second highest. I happen to be a yellow personality... but I'm not feeling like one right now. I usually (not always) don't hold a grudge. If someone offends me I tend to get over it quickly. I guess it depends on how strongly I feel on the subject of the argument. Tonight I really wish I had a forgiving nature in me...
Andy and I have been having a discussion about putting all the girls in one room and turning the other two rooms into a guest room and a toy room. Both of us had a difference in opinion and we kept saying we'll talk about it later. Emily said Nate should be our "Marriage Ref" while he was here. (Have you seen that show? So funny!) Anyway, Nate refused to get into our argument. Curse you Nate!!!
Andy thinks that if we put all the girls in one room and move their toys out that only one room will be messy. That's really the end of his argument. I feel like we don't have a great routine for the girls going to bed unless they are seperated. And even that doesn't work all the time. When all three are in the same room they fight, play, talk, and get out of bed a million times. It seems to take hours to get them to actually go to sleep. Beside that I don't think moving the toys out will help much. Half the mess is their clothes! And the killer for me is that the "toy room" will always be messy! In my whole life I've only known one person to have a clean toy room!
The kicker for me not feeling so forgiving you ask? I went to a party tonight to watch my friend, Jill, on the Dr. Oz Show. We had a great time and when I came home the house was dark and quiet. Great! I was feeling very grateful toward Andy and then that changed the moment I walked upstairs... He moved all three girls into one room!!! He took down the twin bed from one room and set it up in the same room as the bunk! I can't believe he did it without finishing our discussion! It might be awhile before I get over this one!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Positive Parenting Week 3
Personality Color Code:
Okay this one is really fun! I think this was one of the funnest classes ever! And it really opened my eyes to a lot of things. I realized why I react the way I do to certain things, and I learned why Sammy does the things she does. I love this class!
There are 3 basic things that make up our personality
They are motivated by power! They are right! Just ask them. They tend to be the leaders of the world and we desperately need them. They believe they are good. Reds work quickly but like to have things done their way. They want to win! They get out of sorts if they lose and they want a bottom line. Be direct! They are a lot more prone to do it if they are not filled with woes. They are control oriented and they are good problem solvers. Learn to listen and be more sensitive. Don't embarrass a red in front of other people! They crave approval. Allow a red child to pick their own jobs. They want to be productive. They will have hotter tempers, but then it's gone. Present issues logically and demand their attention and respect. Be direct, brief and specific in conversation. Be productive and efficient. Offer them leadership opportunities. Verbalize your feelings and support their decisive nature. Promote their intelligent reasoning where appropriate. Be prepared with facts and figures. Respect their need to make their own decision their own way. Don't argue from an emotional perspective, because they will argue for the sake of arguing. Don't expect a Red to have a personal and intimate relationship, and be careful how much you expect from them. Don't force them to hug or kiss you. Don't attack them personally and don't take their arguments personally. Don't demand constant social interaction. They need alone time!
Blue: Intimacy
(Blue personalities are the majority.) They are loyal and predictable. Blues have closer relationships. They are family and group oriented. They are very well organized. They create stability and safety. They like slow and careful change. Don't spring things on them! They like to have a plan and want to know why. They do things because it's the "right" thing to do. Learn to count your blessings and quit being so negative. They can get stuck-- stagnates. They will take on other's problems as their own. Sometimes they lack creativity and are afraid to take risks. They tend to procrastinate. Blue is a very strong personality! If living in a jungle Blue/Red would be a lion. Be loyal, sincere, and genuine. Be sensitive and soft spoken in your approach. Promote their creativity and allow ample time for them to gather their thoughts before expressing themselves. Don't make them feel guilty. Don't be rude or abrupt. Don't demand perfection (they already expect too much of themselves). Don't expect quick forgiveness and immediate action. Don't expect them to bounce back easily or quickly from depression. Do not abandon them! They expect so much from themselves and take on other's problems that it's easier for them to fall into depression. They need to learn to lighten up and not take things too seriously and have some fun!
White: Peace
They have the attitude of, "Why can't everybody get along and be nice?" They are easily broken. If you come across too strong, you'll discourage them and they'll quit and give up. Be careful about criticism. They are hard to motivate and you may have to hold their hand through a lot of things. For example, you could tell your white child to go clean their room and they would say, "Okay, Mom!" Ten minutes later you'll find them outside with the dog. This could go on and instead you may need to go with them to their room and say, "Okay, I want you to pick up the barbie dolls and put them in the toy box... Now I want you to pick up the books and put them on the shelf." However, they like things simple and peaceful. They'll do things right because they don't want to stand out. They will be the one at a dance content to sit in a corner. They don't mind playing/being by themselves. As a parent we need to teach the white child to be more aggressive. They fear criticism and work and they don't trust their own judgement. Be firm, but gentle and patient! That is key, in my opinion. Patience!!! They are happy to stay home, so make it a place they love!
Yellow: Fun!
They are very people oriented! They love to talk about themselves and tend to be interrupters. They are open and share their feelings. They have trouble staying focused. They don't need to be neat, and may feel that cleaning is a necessary evil. They want to be liked! This can be dangerous for a teenager in these perilous times. If they are turned in the right direction they will do very well, but they want to be popular. They fear rejection and are easily led. They are the life of a party! They like to have fun in the family and when there isn't any they will create it. "We need more yellows in the world!" They are the minority. (There were only 3 in our entire class.) You need to be positive with them. Adore them and touch them physically. Accept their playful teasing. Remember they are tender and praise them. Remember they hold feelings deeply and enjoy their charismatic innocence. Allow them opportunity for verbal expression and promote playful activities for and with them. Don't ignore them! Don't be too serious or sober in criticism and demand perfection. Don't push them too intensely. Don't forget they have "down" times also. Don't expect them to dwell on problems (think of Pollyanna). Don't classify them as "just" lightweight social butterflies. Don't totally control their schedules. Allow them to be spontaneous!
It was really fun to listen to Sister Tanner talk about her personality and her husband's. She is a blue and her husband is a "Bright Yellow!" I loved that she talked about her husband used to frustrate her and now she can honestly say that she doesn't criticize him. "When he (sniffs), I don't hate him! And I have to say that I'm grateful he's a yellow. He has taught me how to have fun." It really was very sweet, and so fun to sit in that class!
Homework:
Now, I'm curious to see what you think our color's are? Andy and I at one point turned, looked at each other, and said, "Sam's a ___!" We still can't quite figure out what Ashley is but we are eliminating what she is not. And Katie is just a 2 year old. She's too young to have a definite personality color, yet. I thought Andy's color was very bright and obvious but I was surprised to find out what I was. However, Shiloam picked them all out off the top of her head. There are polls to the right so you can vote or you can leave me a comment. I'll let you in on the answers soon.
Okay this one is really fun! I think this was one of the funnest classes ever! And it really opened my eyes to a lot of things. I realized why I react the way I do to certain things, and I learned why Sammy does the things she does. I love this class!
There are 3 basic things that make up our personality
- We come with a pre-existing core personality
- Gender (certain emotions and feelings)
- Environment (example: oldest child vs. youngest child.)
Our goal in the color code personality is to be the strengths of all the colors. Be a rainbow if you will.
We started our class with taking a color code personality test for ourselves. I was a bit surprised for two reasons. I first thought we would be taking them to figure out our children. Second, I was surprised to find out was color I was. Any guesses??? The test was taken from the book "The Color Code" by Taylor Heartman if you are interested to find out what color you are.
There are 4 colors:
- Red (Power)
- Blue (Intimacy)
- White (Peace)
- Yellow (Fun)
They are motivated by power! They are right! Just ask them. They tend to be the leaders of the world and we desperately need them. They believe they are good. Reds work quickly but like to have things done their way. They want to win! They get out of sorts if they lose and they want a bottom line. Be direct! They are a lot more prone to do it if they are not filled with woes. They are control oriented and they are good problem solvers. Learn to listen and be more sensitive. Don't embarrass a red in front of other people! They crave approval. Allow a red child to pick their own jobs. They want to be productive. They will have hotter tempers, but then it's gone. Present issues logically and demand their attention and respect. Be direct, brief and specific in conversation. Be productive and efficient. Offer them leadership opportunities. Verbalize your feelings and support their decisive nature. Promote their intelligent reasoning where appropriate. Be prepared with facts and figures. Respect their need to make their own decision their own way. Don't argue from an emotional perspective, because they will argue for the sake of arguing. Don't expect a Red to have a personal and intimate relationship, and be careful how much you expect from them. Don't force them to hug or kiss you. Don't attack them personally and don't take their arguments personally. Don't demand constant social interaction. They need alone time!
Blue: Intimacy
(Blue personalities are the majority.) They are loyal and predictable. Blues have closer relationships. They are family and group oriented. They are very well organized. They create stability and safety. They like slow and careful change. Don't spring things on them! They like to have a plan and want to know why. They do things because it's the "right" thing to do. Learn to count your blessings and quit being so negative. They can get stuck-- stagnates. They will take on other's problems as their own. Sometimes they lack creativity and are afraid to take risks. They tend to procrastinate. Blue is a very strong personality! If living in a jungle Blue/Red would be a lion. Be loyal, sincere, and genuine. Be sensitive and soft spoken in your approach. Promote their creativity and allow ample time for them to gather their thoughts before expressing themselves. Don't make them feel guilty. Don't be rude or abrupt. Don't demand perfection (they already expect too much of themselves). Don't expect quick forgiveness and immediate action. Don't expect them to bounce back easily or quickly from depression. Do not abandon them! They expect so much from themselves and take on other's problems that it's easier for them to fall into depression. They need to learn to lighten up and not take things too seriously and have some fun!
White: Peace
They have the attitude of, "Why can't everybody get along and be nice?" They are easily broken. If you come across too strong, you'll discourage them and they'll quit and give up. Be careful about criticism. They are hard to motivate and you may have to hold their hand through a lot of things. For example, you could tell your white child to go clean their room and they would say, "Okay, Mom!" Ten minutes later you'll find them outside with the dog. This could go on and instead you may need to go with them to their room and say, "Okay, I want you to pick up the barbie dolls and put them in the toy box... Now I want you to pick up the books and put them on the shelf." However, they like things simple and peaceful. They'll do things right because they don't want to stand out. They will be the one at a dance content to sit in a corner. They don't mind playing/being by themselves. As a parent we need to teach the white child to be more aggressive. They fear criticism and work and they don't trust their own judgement. Be firm, but gentle and patient! That is key, in my opinion. Patience!!! They are happy to stay home, so make it a place they love!
Yellow: Fun!
They are very people oriented! They love to talk about themselves and tend to be interrupters. They are open and share their feelings. They have trouble staying focused. They don't need to be neat, and may feel that cleaning is a necessary evil. They want to be liked! This can be dangerous for a teenager in these perilous times. If they are turned in the right direction they will do very well, but they want to be popular. They fear rejection and are easily led. They are the life of a party! They like to have fun in the family and when there isn't any they will create it. "We need more yellows in the world!" They are the minority. (There were only 3 in our entire class.) You need to be positive with them. Adore them and touch them physically. Accept their playful teasing. Remember they are tender and praise them. Remember they hold feelings deeply and enjoy their charismatic innocence. Allow them opportunity for verbal expression and promote playful activities for and with them. Don't ignore them! Don't be too serious or sober in criticism and demand perfection. Don't push them too intensely. Don't forget they have "down" times also. Don't expect them to dwell on problems (think of Pollyanna). Don't classify them as "just" lightweight social butterflies. Don't totally control their schedules. Allow them to be spontaneous!
It was really fun to listen to Sister Tanner talk about her personality and her husband's. She is a blue and her husband is a "Bright Yellow!" I loved that she talked about her husband used to frustrate her and now she can honestly say that she doesn't criticize him. "When he (sniffs), I don't hate him! And I have to say that I'm grateful he's a yellow. He has taught me how to have fun." It really was very sweet, and so fun to sit in that class!
Homework:
- Figure out what you, your spouse, and children's colors are
- Figure out their needs
- Strengthen their strengths
- Help them overcome their weaknesses
Now, I'm curious to see what you think our color's are? Andy and I at one point turned, looked at each other, and said, "Sam's a ___!" We still can't quite figure out what Ashley is but we are eliminating what she is not. And Katie is just a 2 year old. She's too young to have a definite personality color, yet. I thought Andy's color was very bright and obvious but I was surprised to find out what I was. However, Shiloam picked them all out off the top of her head. There are polls to the right so you can vote or you can leave me a comment. I'll let you in on the answers soon.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Daddy-Daughter Date!
A couple weeks ago our neighbors across the street told us that it's tradition that a couple of the dads on the street get together and take their daughters to the Valentine's dance at the Rec. Center. They start by going to the Knight's house for pictures, followed by going to dinner somewhere, and then they head off to the dance. It's for dads and daughters age 3 to 12... I think. So this year Ashley, Sammy, and Andy joined in the festivities!.jpg)
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Give Daddy a smooch!
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(Hard to believe Sammy was spittin' fire minutes before this picture!)
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(Ron and his daughter Madison, Gordon and his girls Emma and Gracie, Andy and our girls Sammy and Ashley, and Chris and his daughter Timber.)
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The whole gang! They went to the Olive Garden for dinner.
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Sammy and Gracie dancing the night away!
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Andy said they all had a great time! I will gladly give up my Valentine's night out for the girls to have a special night with Andy. I'm sure they will be talking about this for a long, long time. (I really didn't give up my night with Andy... It just happened a day early!)
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Give Daddy a smooch!.jpg)
(Hard to believe Sammy was spittin' fire minutes before this picture!).jpg)
(Ron and his daughter Madison, Gordon and his girls Emma and Gracie, Andy and our girls Sammy and Ashley, and Chris and his daughter Timber.).jpg)
The whole gang! They went to the Olive Garden for dinner..jpg)
Sammy and Gracie dancing the night away!.jpg)
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Andy said they all had a great time! I will gladly give up my Valentine's night out for the girls to have a special night with Andy. I'm sure they will be talking about this for a long, long time. (I really didn't give up my night with Andy... It just happened a day early!)And since Katie wasn't old enough this year. She and I went out! We went to McDonald's (I know, I go big) with Brigetta, Mikayla, and Porter. Katie had a great time and hardly realized she was missing out on the dance. We then went to Target and she picked out her very own plastic cell phone! Whoa! And then we slipped over to my mom's house for a quick visit. We love Grandma's house!!! (Porter calls her G-G, it's pretty cute!)
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
I Hate Sugar Cookies, but...
I have always hated sugar cookies...always! I don't like the taste of the cookie and I especially don't like frosting. I think that's why I mostly hate cake, too. Anyway, I came across a recipe for sugar cookies that "The Girl Who Ate Everything" claimed to be the best. I figured I would try them, even if they are just for my girls. Well, I have to agree! These are seriously the best sugar cookies I've ever tasted! I even thought about going back for another one. Yummy! Check out the recipe here!
Additional, funny side note! I even had a dream about them last night that someone (I don't know who) ate them and I was very upset. When I woke up I had to laugh and then of course make sure there were some cookies left. Phew! The girls didn't eat them all!
Additional, funny side note! I even had a dream about them last night that someone (I don't know who) ate them and I was very upset. When I woke up I had to laugh and then of course make sure there were some cookies left. Phew! The girls didn't eat them all!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
We love Aunt Lisa!
As I mentioned we spent last weekend in eastern Idaho. We stayed with Lisa and Doug and just before we arrived we planned on stopping at my favorite restaurant, Cafe Rio. Yummy!!! We called Lisa to find out the quickest way there and she said we should leave the girls with her. How could we pass that up? We were very surprised when Katie didn't even whimper when we left. Shortly after Lisa went down to the basement to find Katie and Ashley undressing. She said, "Whoa, whoa! What's going on?" They managed to find dress up clothes in a house where the youngest girl is 9 and wasn't ever really into that. The next girl up is a teenager! Things were said such as, "Where did that come from?" and, "I forgot we had that. Where did they find it?" Those girls could find sparkles in a tornado!
Later that day Lisa was helping Whitney get ready for cheer and this is the conversation that went on.
Lisa: Katie, are you going to grow up and be a cheerleader?
Katie: No, I be a princess.
Lisa: Where's your prince?
Katie: Uh, he's at my castle.
Whitney: What color is your castle?
Katie: Mm, purple!
It was so stinkin' cute to listen to! My girls had such a fun time at Aunt Lisa's house and it was hard to pull them away. They were pretty upset when we told them we were leaving straight from American Falls to go home. Apparently we need to make more trips that way. We love you Lisa and thank you for your kindness!
Later that day Lisa was helping Whitney get ready for cheer and this is the conversation that went on.
Lisa: Katie, are you going to grow up and be a cheerleader?
Katie: No, I be a princess.
Lisa: Where's your prince?
Katie: Uh, he's at my castle.
Whitney: What color is your castle?
Katie: Mm, purple!
It was so stinkin' cute to listen to! My girls had such a fun time at Aunt Lisa's house and it was hard to pull them away. They were pretty upset when we told them we were leaving straight from American Falls to go home. Apparently we need to make more trips that way. We love you Lisa and thank you for your kindness!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Family Weekend
This last Thursday I was getting ready for our much needed trip to eastern Idaho. I got a phone call from Emily and she asked if she could come home with us on Sunday. Absolutely! We left Friday morning and headed to IF for a fun filled family weekend. We visited, ate yummy food, ran (Wahoo!), visited some more, and stuffed ourselves... again. Sunday we went to Halle's blessing and decided Katie is banned from sitting with Grandpa Wyne during sacrament meeting! He thought it was so funny to make her laugh and then when I would turn and make a face at her, he would make me laugh with his comment, "Nice face." After the luncheon at Sarah's house we headed home.
Nate, Emily, and family joined us at our house. The kids have played so well together and Emily and I have been able to play, too, while the boys brought home the bacon! While Emily and I were out having fun doing a little shopping Emily said, "Hey Ally, here's a jacket I want you to try on. Do you have a shirt on?" I opened the door and she said, "Hey, Lexi has that same tank top! She wears it with a little black shrug." I grabbed the one I had on the hanger and said, "Like this one?" I didn't end up getting either, but later we were at Aeropostle finding sweat pants that don't make me look like a boy and Nate took pictures and sent them to Lexi to let her pick out some for babysitting. I picked out mine and then Lexi texted Nate back with her choice. Apparently my 11 year old niece and I have the same taste. I think she struts them better than I do, though. Isn't she cute? 
Sorry, I didn't have any other pictures of the weekend.
Sorry, I didn't have any other pictures of the weekend.Monday, February 1, 2010
A Full Marathon?
I got a phone call last night from my SIL, Emily, asking me a question, "Do you have any desire to run a full marathon?" She told me that there are two she was looking into doing. The first you have to run as a team and it's based on a lottery. We have to register by April 1st and then they let us know I think by April 30th if we get in or not. That one is not till October so I have plenty of time to train. The other one is a bit intimidating even for a marathon. It's done at Walt Disney World and it's called "The Goofy Challenge." The first day you run a half marathon. Okay, that's not so bad, I've done lots of those. The second day, however, you run a full marathon. That's right! You run a half and then the very next day you run a full. You get three medals for that one and Emily thought, "What idiot could I sucker into running with me?" I'm a sucker for medals! I love the ones I have but I'm not sure I'm willing to kill myself for three medals. I told Emily I would think about it, but a lot of my decision rests on a certain trial I mentioned earlier. I think the one in October seems like something I could contemplate. What do you think?
Friday, January 29, 2010
I Should Be More Careful!
As you may know Andy and I take a parenting class on Thursdays. Andy had double duty at work today so he was running a little late. In the meantime the girls and I sat down together for dinner. Sammy asked for seconds which included another piece of Challah bread. The end piece wasn't quite cut all the way through. I grabbed the bread knife and "Whoops!" You guessed it! I cut my thumb pretty good. It bled for quite awhile and I wondered if I should need a stitch. Thanks to my friend, Christina, we ducked out on the ER. I held open the cut and she super glued it shut for me. Sting!!! The bleeding has stopped and now the tip of my thumb is a little numb, but yippee for no needles and we made it to class right on time. Thanks, Dr. Christina!
Postitive Parenting Week 2
4 Legs of the table: Family Home Evening, Family Prayer, Family Scripture Study, and Regular Temple Attendance.
"When we try in faith to walk in obedience to the requests of the Priesthood, the Lord opens the way--even when there appears to be no way." (Pres. Gordon B. Hinkley)
Sister Tanner started out the class saying that she went to the temple on a Friday afternoon and it was crazy busy. She talked to one of her friends that is a temple worker and said, "Hey what's going on? Is there a wedding or something?" The friend's response was, "No. It's just the New Year. Come back in February and it'll be back to normal." Of course we all laughed but were reminded of our New Year resolutions.
Whenever you make a goal, half is what you are going to do. The other half is what you have to give up. Example: When training for my half marathons I have a schedule of how many miles I have run each day. I run four days a week and my training is at least ten weeks long. If I continue to run races the training continues. The thing I give up is my time. That time used to be spent with my family, watching my favorite TV shows, doing cross stitch, and other activities.
There was a story of a dad and his son. As they were discussing what movie to see the boy asked his dad what PG-13 meant. The dad told him that it meant the movie was mostly good, but there were some parts that were not. The boy said, "We're a PG-13 family! We're good most of the time." With that story Sister Tanner talked about setting our goals of the 4 legs of the table, being obedient to the commandments, and doing them with exactness. The Stripling Warriors followed and obeyed with exactness. If the Lord makes a promise He will follow through with exactness! The Lord never leaves us not knowing what He wants from us. The Lord wants us to succeed and He has told us with exactness what to do to save our families through the law of witnesses. Our Prophet has told us on numerous occasions what the Lord wants of us and His promises in return.
"There is a law,... upon which all blessings are predicated-- And when we receive any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." (D&C 130: 20-21)
Prayer:
"In the past, having family prayer once a day may have been all right. But in the future it will not be enough if we are going to save our families." (Pres. Spencer W. Kimball) We are in that future he was talking about. It's not enough to have a few extra words at mealtime. Kneel down! Pray morning and night, and more often in troubled times. In the morning ask for guidance and protection. Pray in specifics for each member of the family. In the evening return and report.
Scripture Study:
"When we try in faith to walk in obedience to the requests of the Priesthood, the Lord opens the way--even when there appears to be no way." (Pres. Gordon B. Hinkley)
Sister Tanner started out the class saying that she went to the temple on a Friday afternoon and it was crazy busy. She talked to one of her friends that is a temple worker and said, "Hey what's going on? Is there a wedding or something?" The friend's response was, "No. It's just the New Year. Come back in February and it'll be back to normal." Of course we all laughed but were reminded of our New Year resolutions.
Whenever you make a goal, half is what you are going to do. The other half is what you have to give up. Example: When training for my half marathons I have a schedule of how many miles I have run each day. I run four days a week and my training is at least ten weeks long. If I continue to run races the training continues. The thing I give up is my time. That time used to be spent with my family, watching my favorite TV shows, doing cross stitch, and other activities.
There was a story of a dad and his son. As they were discussing what movie to see the boy asked his dad what PG-13 meant. The dad told him that it meant the movie was mostly good, but there were some parts that were not. The boy said, "We're a PG-13 family! We're good most of the time." With that story Sister Tanner talked about setting our goals of the 4 legs of the table, being obedient to the commandments, and doing them with exactness. The Stripling Warriors followed and obeyed with exactness. If the Lord makes a promise He will follow through with exactness! The Lord never leaves us not knowing what He wants from us. The Lord wants us to succeed and He has told us with exactness what to do to save our families through the law of witnesses. Our Prophet has told us on numerous occasions what the Lord wants of us and His promises in return.
"There is a law,... upon which all blessings are predicated-- And when we receive any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." (D&C 130: 20-21)
Prayer:
"In the past, having family prayer once a day may have been all right. But in the future it will not be enough if we are going to save our families." (Pres. Spencer W. Kimball) We are in that future he was talking about. It's not enough to have a few extra words at mealtime. Kneel down! Pray morning and night, and more often in troubled times. In the morning ask for guidance and protection. Pray in specifics for each member of the family. In the evening return and report.
Scripture Study:
If we as parents will read the Book of Mormon daily personally, and with our children we will have the following:
- The Spirit of reverence will increase
- There will be mutual respect
- Consideration for each other
- Spirit of contention will depart
- Parents will counsel in love and wisdom
- Children will be more responsive and submissive
- Righteousness will increase
- Faith, hope, and charity will abound
- There will be peace, joy, and happiness
Get everyone their own set of scriptures. Have a scripture bag because it creates a warm fuzzy feeling in the children. Remember that videos such as "The Living Scriptures" or CD's such as "Scripture Scouts" are wonderful and help teach the children they should not be the means of scripture study. Children need to hear the language of the scriptures. They will learn to love it! Put scripture heroes on their walls. Have "markers" for their scriptures. They are their work books. Underline! Write notes, and teach them to study and use the scriptures.
FHE:
"If the Saints obey this counsel to have regular FHE we promise that great blessings will result. Love at home and obedience to parents will increase; faith will develop in the hearts of the youth of Israel and they will gain power to combat the evil influences and temptations which will beset them."
- Be enthusiastic
- Challenge and involve the children
- Introduce variety into the lessons
- Use resource materials
- Take advantage of teaching moments
- Don't be afraid to experiment
- Teach the gospel for it's own sake
Teach the gospel and build family ties. We've been directed to have FHE on Monday nights. Follow with exactness! We should give FHE the highest priority. It's family home evening, not family home hour. Have a lesson and then spend the rest of the time bonding. Bond through the spirit!
Temple Attendance:
You are invited... to spend a half day (or even a full day) in the temple each month. "Let us be a temple-attending and a temple loving people." (Pres. Howard W. Hunter)
- In a man, you will become mighty; if a woman, powerful.
- It will serve as great "insurance protection: for you marriage.
- The blessings of the Eternal Gods will be called down upon you, and great spiritual growth will be yours.
- Unseen angels will watch over your loved ones when Satanic forces tempt them.
- Your families will draw close to the Lord and there will be no empty chairs in the Celestial Kingdom.
- Your children will go on missions.
- Your children will get married in the temple.
- The veil will be thin, you will have great spiritual growth, and many spiritual experiences will distill upon you.
- You will be prepared for exaltation--with a celestial body, a celestial mind, and a celestial personality.
- You will become receptive to divine guidance and you will receive spiritual perception to help you grapple with your problems and cares.
- You will see clearly how to make critical decisions that weigh heavily on your mind.
- You will become more Christlike. (Elder Vaughn Featherstone)
"Maintaining our spiritual strength is a daily challenge. The greatest source of that spiritual strength comes from our temples." (Pres. James E. Faust)
Homework:
Do one of these 4 legs of the table with exactness for 8 weeks!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
My Dancing Days!
Tonight I was thinking about my dancing days! I really miss those moments of dancing my heart and soul out! One of my favorite dance performances I did was the Tango to this song. Some of our dance steps actually came from this clip... just not so provocative. It took me back when I saw this clip and I remembered a lot of the dance. It was so fun and I wish that one of these days I can get Andy to learn and then take classes with me. It may take several years, but maybe in heaven he will have a natural skill for it... that would be my heaven, not so sure it would be his. :)
BTW, it makes me laugh that we have some friends who think this song is about redemption. It's obviously about prostitution! Just had to mention that because we have to tease them every time we talk about the song.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Who Will Save You?
Last night we were watching "Cutthroat Island." In the beginning the main character is trying to save her father who is drowning. The girls asked Andy why she was saving her dad. Andy said, "Well, if I were drowning wouldn't you try and save me?" I had to laugh at their witty response, "Maybe Mommy will." Let's just hope that never happens because if Andy is counting on me we will both die!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Be Still
This evening it took quite awhile to get my baby to stay in bed! Unfortunately, all three of my girls are sick but Katie took the brunt of it. She finally went down around midnight but even now she randomly cries out, "Momma!" After she went to bed I felt I needed to sit and be still.
I started searching on the Internet for some possible answers. Andy and I have been struggling with a particular trial. The trial itself is irrelevant, but it's frustrating. I've come across some information and it makes me think about our decision that we feel is right. I've been advised, "Don't worry. Things will work out." However, it's hard to not worry. I understand that the Lord knows the desires of my heart, but He also has a plan for me and my family. What I wonder is will the two come together? In the midst of trials I know that we need to do our part and work hard. In this trial I must rely on the Lord completely. Andy and I have done what we can and the rest lies in the hands of our Heavenly Father. I guess for now I just need to "be still" and put my trust in the Lord.
I started searching on the Internet for some possible answers. Andy and I have been struggling with a particular trial. The trial itself is irrelevant, but it's frustrating. I've come across some information and it makes me think about our decision that we feel is right. I've been advised, "Don't worry. Things will work out." However, it's hard to not worry. I understand that the Lord knows the desires of my heart, but He also has a plan for me and my family. What I wonder is will the two come together? In the midst of trials I know that we need to do our part and work hard. In this trial I must rely on the Lord completely. Andy and I have done what we can and the rest lies in the hands of our Heavenly Father. I guess for now I just need to "be still" and put my trust in the Lord.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Positive Parenting Week 1
Take Time To Teach: Creating the Environment
- Build on a positive foundation. As a parent be a coach, not a referee. The referee sees every mistake, calls them on it, and then gives them a penalty. A coach teaches them what they can and cannot do, and then they practice all week. Sometimes parents are constantly saying, "Don't, don't, don't!" Put a positive spin on things, "Shut the door quietly, please" instead of "Don't slam the door!" When your child is jumping on the couch tell them they may jump on the floor or outside on the trampoline.
- Keep your word! Be honest and make it an absolute. Don't threaten your kids that if they touch "that" one more time you're going to cut their hand off! You obviously will not do that. If you tell your child you'll pick them up at 3:00, be there 5 minutes till. If you think you might be running late, tell them you'll try your best to be there at 3:00 but you'll probably be there a little later. If you tell them something and don't keep your word they trust you less and less.
- Use the language of respect---Please and thank you. (This one I will gladly admit we usually don't have a problem with at home... It's the tone that we have a problem with. I said, "PLEASE!")
- Use eye contact. Don't yell across the house for them to do or don't do something. Walk over to them and look them in the eye. For small children, get down on their level.
- Use physical contact! (Angela chuckled and said, "Ally that doesn't mean you get to hit your kids!" She was joking, btw.) Touch their shoulder, give them a hug or kiss. They need it for their emotional growth. But don't expect too much in return. Even those children that give you the look of, "Don't touch me!" even need some sort of touch.
- Keep your children out of the emotional corner. It becomes a power trip. If your child has gotten into the Oreo cookies and it's obvious because it's all over their face... Often we get upset and say, "Did you get into the cookies?" The child will look you straight in the face and say, "Nope!" They will lie to you! Instead try saying, "I see that you've been into the Oreo cookies. Those were for dessert and I guess you've already had yours."
- Be on your child's side, always. You must always be your child's cheerleader. Build them up and encourage them.
- Be at the crossroads. When they are leaving for school or coming home get up, greet them with a smile and a touch. You MUST be at the crossroads. That says, "I love you." Sister Tanner went on to say it's important for you to do this to your spouse. When Andy came home the other day I will admit it was hard for me to greet him with a smile. I was so upset about some things that he was responsible for and I failed in this area. I was too stubborn to smile at him... or give him a hug. The worst part is he didn't even think anything of it. He thought it was a normal day coming home from the office. We need to work on this one!
- Learn to communicate---not control!
Our homework:
- Watch ourselves and see if we parent as a coach or a referee. I fully admit I am a referee parent. I seem to find everything my children do wrong. I've been trying hard to change that and remind myself that they are children, and human.
- Take one of the nine things above and work on it. First, recognize it, and then put forth the effort.
- Read Elder Bednar's talk "More diligent and concerned at home." Listen with both ears that hear and hearts that feel.
Sister Tanner's lesson was wonderful and there was a lot more that I could go into, but those were the things we were to work on this week. She also suggested reading Elder Ballard's talk "Daughters of God." I, too, recommend you read it. It is one of my favorite talks ever! I relate to so much of what he said. I went one step further and downloaded it onto my iPod. When I'm having a really bad day I put my headphones in so I don't have to hear everything going on around me and listen to his talk. Somehow, I tend to feel better.
This week I have been trying hard not to say, "Don't!" so much. Can I tell you how hard that is?! It has been such a struggle to put a positive spin on things. I thought I used eye contact appropriately enough, but I find that I do that when I'm upset and not other times. And I obviously need to be better about the crossroads with Andy. I am there for Sammy because I make sure she gets on and off the bus, but Andy is a big boy and he finds his own way home. I guess even big boys need hugs and kisses, too.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Positive Parenting
For those of you that follow my blog find that I struggle as a parent, as we all do. Back in the summer I was struggling especially with my challenge in life who is only 3 feet tall. How in the world can someone so small make me so angry?! Of course my frustration would shine through while running and I would gripe to Angela. She told me about this lady who teaches a parenting course and thought I would benefit from it. She had never gone to the parenting class, but had gone to a class on spouse relationships. Angela emailed me the link last night and the class started this morning. Wow! I walked away from that class and told Angela that Sister Tanner must have had a hidden camera in my house. It was awesome and if you ever have the opportunity I highly recommend going. It's a 10 week course and it's only $12.50 per person! They provide daycare for the morning classes and it's $3 per child. If you are at all interested in taking the class click HERE for more information. It's worth your time and little money. I'm going to try talking Andy into taking it with me Thursday evenings so he can get stuff out of it, too.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
2nd ER visit
About 2:00 this morning Ashley woke up, crying. Usually if one of my girls wake up in the middle of the night I let them find there way to our bedroom floor... Yes, you can call me lazy. Anyway, it must have been that "mother's intuition" because I jumped out of bed right away. Ashley said there was something stuck in her mouth. She was wheezing and had a pretty deep cough. She wanted Andy so I went in and woke him up saying, "I think Ashley has croup. She's having a hard time breathing and she's calling for you." He got out of bed and went to Ashley. I asked him to give her a blessing and I was shocked to hear Andy reply, "I'm taking her to the hospital. You stay here and I'll call you to let you know how bad it is." Keep in mind, he's one of those people who will make you wait three days before you do anything. (He's his father's son! My MIL walked on a broken foot for months before they ordered an x-ray!) I couldn't sleep the whole time they were gone and I thought about calling someone to come over so I could be with my baby. The doctor saw Ashley about 3:00 and he confirmed it was croup. He gave her a dose of medicine to help with the inflammation and said she is highly contagious. The poor girl had it twice when she was a small baby. I hate to see her go through it again. But, the good news is we know how to treat it and she was home shortly after.
Small tangent, Katie fell last week and did the exact same thing Ashley did that sent her to the ER the first time. She fell with a tent pole in her mouth and cut herself. We thought we threw all the tent poles away, but we apparently missed one. Katie's cut was more on the roof of her mouth and she barely bled. I promise I'm not negligent as a mother... they're just sneaky, and clumsy!
Small tangent, Katie fell last week and did the exact same thing Ashley did that sent her to the ER the first time. She fell with a tent pole in her mouth and cut herself. We thought we threw all the tent poles away, but we apparently missed one. Katie's cut was more on the roof of her mouth and she barely bled. I promise I'm not negligent as a mother... they're just sneaky, and clumsy!
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