Trevor Is a Child of God

Brr-Buh-Buh-Burr . . . Trumpet fanfare!!! Unveiling the colorful new manual: Behold Your Little Ones, useful not only for Nursery (this is to the old nursery manual what Preach My Gospel is to the old missionary discussions), but also for use in Primary and in the home. Currently available in seventeen languages, plus Braille. (Not Japanese yet, sorry Elder West) Our marvelous nursery leader has already given the parents a letter with the lesson schedule for the rest of the year. I've ordered my copy. Have you?

Also available online, we used lesson #1 last week: "I Am a Child of God." It had the song, a scripture story and an activity rhyme we used, several days in a row. Forget our old family scripture attempts that Miriam and Trevor wouldn't attend. They loved the presentation of the scripture story in the manual:

Show the illustration of Moses on page 99. Explain that Moses was a great prophet who lived a long time ago. Tell the children that Moses went to a mountain to pray. Invite the children to pretend to climb a mountain; then have them fold their arms as if praying. Open the Pearl of Great Price to Moses 1:4 and say, “God said to Moses, ‘Behold, thou art my son.’ ” Explain that Moses learned that he was a child of God.

Trevor climbed the post of Miriam's bed, of course (what he usually does during scripture study, but this way it was related). Wrapping up our lesson, we announced that Miriam was a child of God, Trevor was a child of God . . .

"No!" said Trevor vehemently. "I'm not a child of God! I'm a pirate!"

I calmly responded, "Even pirates are children of God."

"Oh. Trevor looked thoughtfully at his feet, then said quietly, "I am a child of God."

Fun Storage

We've been working on our "fun storage:" accumulating a wealth of healthy memories to enjoy in case the weather or our schedules prohibit such indulgences this fall. Kaith's school starts in less than 2 1/2 weeks - that feels so soon!

This week we met friends at a playground.

When I woke up that morning, it was pouring rain. I coaxed the children into personal prayers that morning, and they prayed that it would stop raining so we could go to the park. It did and we did. Trevor rode a two wheeler (with training wheels, of course) for the first time, borrowing one his friend had brought. I suppose that's another improbable possibility for Christmas. We already have helmets.

Three Birds, One Stone

I have had several elusive desires, my Three Birds:
*spend one-on-one time with each child
*have a good kitchen education
*kids involved in staging family night

A couple weeks ago I had a humble stroke of genius, my Stone:
*Let one child a week choose and assist in making treat for family home evening, rotate so everyone regularly gets an opportunity.

This stone first flew three weeks ago. Trevor chose Chocolate No-Bake Cookies. Last week Miriam chose Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies (from C is for Cooking). Kaith had been anxiously waiting for his week. When his Monday finally arrived, he spent the morning perusing cookbooks. I did not have to entertain him, and he wasn't whining! After musing aloud, "We could make ___" numerous times, he finally settled on Rainbow Sprinklers, which are a soft sugar cookie rolled in colored sugar. He was so proud to be making (or helping to make) such fancy cookies! I think we need to have the children rotate responsibilities on the lesson, now.






As you can see, Sterling enjoyed the forbidden contraband that his sister gave him.

Tag-I'm It

Thanks, Suzanne.

My Joys
1 Stargazing, looking at pretty pictures, etc.
2 Alone time
3 One-on-one time with Cory or kids

My Fears
1 Baseboard heater fire
2 Not getting a timely epidural during labor (dormant fear)
3 Giving birth all alone in a dirty bathroom (dormant fear)

Current Obsessions/Collections
1 Giving children enough intensive nurturing in the right things at the right time.
2 Succeding, or at least surviving, Kindergarten with Washington Virtual Academies
3 Succeding, or at least surviving, another semester toward my BFA in Traditional Illustration

Surprising Fact
1 I'm trying to read the Book of Mormon in French
2 I daydream about ironing my sheets and scenting them with lavender sachets
3 I actually do like my children

Tag
I'm afraid of guilting others into work, so I think I'll end here (okay, and I'm trying to save time).

Family and a Temple Visit

Well could you follow the formula given by the Lord: 'Establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God' (D&C 88:119).

Thomas S. Monson,

"The Spirit of Relief Society," Ensign, May 1992, 101-102

Saturday morning we drove to the tenple, and my heart skipped a beat to see the unexpected scaffolding on that sacred building. The spire was barely visible, but, as we drove closer, I could see the grounds covered with properly dressed people, returning to the temple on the first open Saturday since the summer closure. Cory was watching the kids, so he dropped me off. Just past the front desk I saw that part of the ground flooring had been replaced with beautiful, glossy tile, that magnified the sound of every high-heeled step. I was relieved to reach the next stretch of carpeting. I arrived barely in time for the 9:30 session, with four men and four other women, the smallest session I have ever been in. In the Celestial room I took my time reading and rereading the last page of Proverbs where it describes a virtuous woman, and the spiritual differences between sacrifice and self-indulgence.
Afterwards, I waited for Cory in the shade outside, wondering how they had used the snacks I had made, and if Cory had taken pictures at the park. When he pulled up, I could hear a lively, unfamiliar rendition of "Give Said the Little Stream." He handed me a box with a new quad (Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price bound together) to replace my baptism set that is not really bound and often missing. After playing at the park, he had decided to purchase what may be our last set of treasures before Christmas, and milkshakes for the kids.

Freaky Friday

I've been determined to master "early to bed, early to rise." I'm getting good at the early to rise, but struggle with early to bed. Well, we were out of milk, didn't have enough cheese for a Friday pizza, etc. I considered initiating my Albertsons online account, but you have to order by 10 pm the night before, and today is payday. Quite proud of myself, I got out of bed while all were asleep, changed into exercise clothes ( a lady does not go shopping in her pajamas), and pulled out of the drive way at 5:59. Traffic was nearly non existent. In 20 minutes I acquired 3 gallons of milk and 8 bags of groceries (most of what we need to enjoy the next two weeks). I was elated. With the children it's been taking about two miserable, humiliating hours. At the check-out stand, I noticed my keys were missing. Yes, I locked them in the van. At 6:33 am, instead of putting the groceries in the van to drive a few blocks home, I called my husband to explain why he might be late to work. He told me to avoid the appearance of homelessness and not push the shopping cart home (I would have returned it, really I would have), and offered to walk over with the children.

Right.

Puppy guarding my van and my groceries, I thought I'd look less silly if I stood there chatting on my self-one, I mean cell phone, so I called my mom. She thought she could get there sooner than my husband.

Fine.

Cory was already getting the children dressed, and had gotten them excited to "save Mom!" The super heroes, especially Kaith, were not happy to find out that Grandma got to be the "cavalry" and they had to stay home and wait. Finally, a little after seven, I got home. Those twenty minute groceries took nearly two hours to put away, since I was then caring for children again.

The milk? They each ate about five bowls of cereal with milk, and weren't done until around ten.

Apple for Baby?

The Lord is good to me,

and so I thank the Lord,

for giving me the things I need:

the sun and the rain

and the apple seeds.

The Lord is good to me.

Johnny Appleseed's Prayer

Origin unknown to Me

I have begun Sterling on a word book. It claims to be an alphabet book for babies, so the first picture is an apple. We start at the beginning each time. Familiarity is increasing his stamina, so now we can get about halfway through.

The neighbors have apple trees. They are not pruned. They are not picked. The branches extend several feet into our property, fruit falls thickly in our grass, and one has espaliered itself down our side of the fence. The children joyously pick and eat these apples. I picked and washed a small apple for Sterling, who thought it the funniest, most exciting thing when I called it "apple." He Who Must Now Hold the Feeding Spoon would not accept applesauce this morning, but was vigorously attempting to ingest this fist sized morsel. Okay, so it only lasted for a few minutes.

Now I present my moral dilemma: is it okay to pick the neighbor's apples that grow on our side of the fence? Do I:

A: forbid children from touching and severely prune off the disputable branches?

B: do I look the other way while the children eat all they can reach?

C: do I walk halfway around the block to spend twenty minutes discussing this with said neighbor, while my children run in the street?

D: rejoice in the manna from heaven and make apple betty for Mom's Movie Night?