Bus Adventures and Working Day

Friday for our field trip, the kids and I went on an adventure. We decided to take the bus into Logan and go to the Fairgrounds for a Children's Sale. They had used clothes, toys, books all for kids. The kids decided to buy foam swords which they have had a fun time playing with. I was hoping to find some school clothes for Traeden for next year but I struck out. I think finding clothes for boys past the age of four is impossible at yard sells or even the DI. Boys play so rough and tumble that they usually wear holes through everything before they can pass it on to someone else. After the sell we decided to eat our lunch at the park. We ate cherries under a tree. I sure love local produce! Since we had a little more time before the bus came we decided to go to a local bakery that was a block away and I let the kids choose a treat. After bathroom breaks we headed for the bus stop. I knew we were in trouble when I saw the but coming from behind and we were still a block away so I told Traeden to run ahead and get to the bus stop. Running up the hill with the stroller and Samantha on my back we were not fast enough and the bus passed us by. So we sat by the bus stop and played in the canal which had a momma duck and her four ducklings swimming close by. It ended up being really fun. We practiced skipping stones. After a half hour the next bus came and we got on. Since the Nibley bus only come every hour we had another half hour to spare so we headed to main street and dropped off our tent pole that needs repair at the post office and then we went to the sidewalk sale on main street. The kids rode on kids ride and then looked at a few things and then it was time to get on the bus. And we saw the bus coming, we could have made it but with a stroller going down a crowded sidewalk with vendors and shoppers we were stuck in traffic. Traeden said he could made it so he ran ahead to the stop. As I got to the bus stop I couldn't see Traeden. I saw bus stop very briefly and I saw one man get off it but no Traeden. I thought maybe he had jumped on the bus and I started worrying just a little bit. We stood at the bus stop for a minute then we asked a vendor close by if he saw a boy get on the bus. They said that only one guy got on and no one got off. Well Traeden didn't see the bus stop and he just kept running for another block then he decided to turn around. I stayed put and another minute later Traeden came back and found us and I was relieved. The kids learned a lot by taking the bus. You have to be on time, it doesn't wait for you. When you get off the bus you have to be fast as well. Samantha was taking her time off the bus on time and the doors started closing on her. It didn't hurt her just startled her a bit and she was much faster in moving the next time we got off the bus. We also met some really nice people on the bus. Free fare busing in Logan is pretty cool so we decided we are going to try to ride more often and I'm sure we will get better at it. The boys also like not having seat belts after I explained to them that the bus was so safe that you don't need seat belts.

Working on house and yard projects can be crazy with kids! We started a project of staining the play set Saturday morning and thought it would take about three hours and then we would reset some sprinklers that are too low, seal our newly poured edging and run some errands. We have seen some other neighbors playsets get pretty worn by the weather and so we hope this will help protect it. Well the staining took ALL day. The kids were unbelievably good workers and in the end, Conrad said that he loves to paint. Samantha and her friend Camry even helped for about 1/2 hour. The great thing is we got it done and even had fun doing it together. Abigail played well in her playpen that we set up close to us for a good hour. She ate in her highchair and took two great naps so that helped out a ton. Samantha helped in the morning and then after lunch she took a nap. I tried to picture on the camera the mess the boys got all over them. They paint like their Grandma T. She gets paint all over her when she paints. When they took their shirts off they even had stain in their arm pits from the stain running down their arm. We will have to do the other projects another day. We had a great time painting together. The playset looks great and now it will hopefully last long enough for Abigail to play on it till she out grows it.
Today I am home with Samantha and Abigail. Samantha is not feeling well. She started running a fever last night and has a cough. Devin and I had a date night planned but we ended up coming home an hour into the date since the babysitters called and said Samantha was sick. We hope she will have a quick recovery.

Children are worth it!

So I have been toying with the idea of starting a parenting blog and today I did.  I will still be posting here our overly adventures but I will also do a weekly blog about different parenting issues. I am going to discuss different chapters of books I am currently reading as well as research I have done on a particular trying problem that is occurring in my house.  I am hoping to spur some discussions.  Please share this blog with friends or family you think might enjoy or benefit from discussions about our greatest asset, our children,-- because they are worth it.  

Blog address:  www.childrenareworthit.blogspot.com

It takes a village to raise a child

I just want to thank my extended family for the love and support they give us as parents.  It is so much easier to raise my children when I have parents, and brothers and sisters who help teach my children just by example and love.  

Both Devin's and my parents have taught my children numerous things.  I see it even more now that Traeden is almost eight years old.  It is the parents responsibility to teach children the gospel principles so they can make a decision to be baptized at the age of accountability.  This can be overwhelming.  I feel like I have done OK but because of Traedens grandparents, aunts and uncles, school teachers, primary teachers, friends and neighbors, he has learned so much more.  

Just this week we have been working with Traeden on a few things.  Grandma O. stayed with us for two nights.  The kids love to cuddle with Grandma in the mornings.  She will tell them stories and ask them about things.  Just hearing bits and pieces of their conversations just touches my heart because I can see the blessing this good influence is on each one of them.  

My parents have continued having monthly FHE's as an extended family.  This has been a blessing in our life.  The lessons have become very child centered and it has helped them be more involved and learn on their level.  We also include the kids in sharing testimonies, talents, activities, prayers, and the lesson.  

I was saddened to see that in a Parenting magazine we got, a survey done where people were asked if they felt their children should be disciplined by other adults.  Overwhelmingly the percentage of parents said that NO, it's not OK for other parents to discipline their kids.  I was amazed with these results.  

I feel that if my child is at their grandmas, aunts, or a friends house, and he does something to break the rules of the home, I want the adult in charge to feel like they can give them a consequence.  I'm not talking about spanking or anything cruel, just something to allow my child to understand that there are boundaries and rules everywhere in the world.  I think we do our kids and other children a disservice if we just bat an eye when they misbehave.  I know I am not afraid of telling visiting children they should stop, if they are using language in our home that we don't use, disrespecting our property, or hurting others.

I have heard several times from teachers that more often then not when they have gone to a parent because a child is misbehaving in class the parent immediately defends their child instead of seeking a solution.  I think this is disrespectful to our teachers.  Our children pick up on this.  

It does take a village to raise a child, these good influences can help our children gain essential experience and lessons that will bless their future.  I thank all of you that make my job easier as a mom and bless my children's lives with your goodness and example.   

Builders and Destroyers

Devin and I have mused several times about the two types of children we have.  We have a builder and two destroyers.  One is developing into one and seems to be favoring the building traits.  Builders enjoy putting blocks carefully on top of each other as high as they can and a destroyer would rather push it over.  

Here is some examples that Samantha gave us this week.  

Samantha and her friend were playing while I was making pizza and bread sticks.  The phone rang and I left the kitchen to grab the phone.  When I came back, the can of non-stick fat free (ya right) cooking spray was completely empty and all over my kitchen floor, cabinets, and stools.  This took many washing to finally come off everything.  As I slid across the floor I knew all this spray was just oil.  I think if you use enough of it on your pans when you cook-it's got to have some fat content.  I decided I'm not buying it again-well at least for a long time.  Back to the greasing the pans with shortening or oil with a paper towel.

Grandma O helped Conrad build a fort with blankets and chairs yesterday.  He was so excited to hang out in his fort.  He got all tucked in this fort and then Samantha got in for a minute and couldn't stand it anymore she jumped up and pulled down the blankets.  Conrad was beside himself and decided to make a sign that said, DO NOT DISTURB, SAMANTHA. 

This same day I organized all of the children's books in Samantha's room.  I had all the board books on one shelf and the next shelf had the older kids books on it.  I figured because Samantha couldn't reach the second shelf it was safe.  Not a couple hours later, all the books were on her ground, and in Abigail's crib.  

She also has some cute letter on her wall that spell her name and Devin and I can't count how many times we have put those back on her wall.  They are now on her bookshelf-we will wait for a while to retry it.  

Now don't get me wrong, Destroyers aren't bad or malicious.  They have a zest for fun and excitement.  They are just learning how to express it.  There are challenges to both personalities and I'm grateful we get to raise both.  

I could be wrong but I think I was a builder and maybe Devin was a destroyer as a child?  I think I better ask our moms for that info =)