The kids....

We try and do family home evening regularly.  It is a time when we get together as a family and we kind of go over the week schedule, we have a quick little lesson on a gospel topic, and then we play a a quick little game.  Notice the word quick.  We are dealing with short attentions including myself and the goal with family home evening is not to end in crying or yelling.  If it over 10 minutes....trust me both yelling and crying are happening and usually by me.!  We are definitely not perfect about having it!  But....we try.....that's what counts right?  It seriously lasts about 10 minutes and often times it isn't even on a Monday.  Lately we have been putting different children in charge of the lesson.  It has been amazing....because I don't have to do a thing.  I relinquish responsibility.  Truly the things these kids come up with makes me smile and laugh!  I try my very best to be oh so serious.  I feel like the child when my kids are teaching family home evening.....trying to not giggle.  

Last night Cath was in charge.  Just knowing this made me laugh before we even started.  She was very very serious.  Her lesson was on Easter.  She had two profound sentences about Easter.  Her first sentence a lecture..."Easter is not about candy".  Her second sentence.  "Easter is about Jesus and that he died for us."  That was her lesson.  Simple. 

 Next was her activity.  She gave each of us a piece of paper with six boxes in it.  We were to draw each member of the family in the 6 different boxes.  Then she handed out another piece of paper.  Apparently Cath doesn't believe in saving the trees with all the paper she uses!  On the second piece of paper it had one of the names of our family on it.  She then explained that we were to write on the back of this paper what we loved about the member of the family we had been assigned.  

After the lesson it clicked and I a had a moment of clarity.  I was reminded by Cath and her lesson two things.  First.....6 year olds are more capable and creative than we sometimes give them credit.  Second....kids (especially perhaps mine, but I think all) LOVE to be TOLD A LOT.... special things about themselves.  They love to hear kind words from other members of the family about qualities and traits.  I tell my kids a lot that I love them.  I tell them they are great, and good and wonderful.  However, I don't always tell them specific qualities that I love about each of them.

My kids love to hear specifics.  They like to be reaffirmed not just generally but specifically.  I have a good friend here in Mesa who has the gift of making everyone feel like a million dollars.  She is just one of those people that you want to be around.  I notice that when she compliments me it always feels genuine because she doesn't just say a blanket compliment.  She will  notice specific instances or specific traits in people and genuinely compliment them.  What a great lesson and example she is.

I cherish these little moments with my kids and the memories that they create when we actually take the time to do the small and simple things.    

Cath had my name...."I love you because you clean my room."

I need to remind Mikey often of why he loves Alyssa....:)

I am not sure if I am impressed more by the tree and the boxes or the artwork in them.