That's what Sisters are For!

Mary and Gideon had a great time together this weekend! I love his smile in this and I am sure he will love it too in about 10 years! Please try to ignore Mary's lack of hair being brushed. I wish I could honestly say it was early in the morning but it was not. She has this strange belief that if we aren't leaving the house to go somewhere, actually even if we are leaving the house but she doesn't have to get out of the car, then there is absolutely no reason to brush her hair. Most days I fight her on it but Saturday I just didn't want to...thus the crazy hair! Maybe one day years from now this picture will embarrass her as well (I can at least hope!).

Hide and Seek

For Family Home Evening tonight Thomas chose "hide-n-seek" for the activity.  Well, it was my turn to count and I quickly found everyone except Spring.  I looked everywhere for her and could not find her.  Noone else fessed up to knowing where she was either.   I even tried the old trick of calling out, "OK guys, time for treats.  If you aren't at the table in the next 5 seconds you don't get treats."  She didn't fall for that one.  Finally Joel showed me the following picture as a clue (now this was after I had been looking for just her for almost 15 minutes):

So, I ran down and opened the dryer up and yelled, "Boo!" thinking I would scare her but she wasn't in the dryer.  Look where I finally found her:

She had scrunched all the way down and had the lid down on her the whole time.  She definitely won the award for the best hiding place of the night!

A Family Affair

This is pretty much what it looks like in our home when there is any baking going on in the kitchen.

Choir Perfoms at Aeros Game

Spring was able to sing the National Anthem at the Akron Aeros game last Friday night. She really enjoys being in the school choir. They did a marvelous job and we all had a great time at the game.  Sue Ann and the MacPhersons came with us and we enjoyed the game as well as the amazing fireworks display following the game.

The Photographer

Joel and I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Reflections Awards Ceremony with Spring tonight.  She entered in the photography category and won a medal from her school and she won 1st place in the District and was advanced to the State competition.  Spring was so cute when we got to the awards ceremony and she saw trophies on the stage.  She silently was hoping she would get a trophy.  It was so amazing to see her walk onto stage when she was awarded her medal and trophy. She was so genuinely happy.  She really loves to take pictures and learn as much as she can about photography.  This is the first time she has entered a contest for it and she is already planning on doing it again next year.  We are so proud of her.  I think the greatest thing of the night was how excited she was to be on the stage with her best friend, Ava.  Those two girls are so funny together and we couldn't ask for a better friend for Spring.  I am so grateful for the opportunities our children have to explore areas of interest to each of them individually and to watch them gain confidence as they work hard.  We love you, Spring, and we loved spending the evening with you.

Baring Testimony

A few weeks ago Thomas came home from school very excited.  He said they had watched a film in History about the different theories regarding what group of people first came to the Americas.  He said the video cited proof that possibly the Chinese, Welsh, Polynesians, Vikings, Irish, Japanese, or Israelites first inhabited the Americas.  He was very excited that the video actually mentioned the Mormons and the Book of Mormon telling the story of Lehi's family that crossed the sea.  After the video a class discussion ensued about who the students felt was the first group.  Thomas raised his hand and said he knew there was a group that came even before Lehi's family.  He then recounted the history of the Jaredites.  For an assignment that evening each student needed to write a paragraph supporting their opinion of who came first.  Thomas asked if he could write about the Jaredites but was told he needed to choose from the groups that were mentioned in the film.  Here is the paragraph Thomas wrote:

I can firmly tell you, without a doubt, that the Israelites came to America first.  The Book of Mormon is a true record that Lehi's descendants kept about the events that happened to them and their people as well as testifying of Jesus Christ and His role in their lives.  The Jaredites came before Lehi's family.  I know Lehi's family did build a ship that was very watertight.  Nephi was instructed, through prayer, how to build this ship.  They sailed it to the Americas.  The Book of Mormon also states they were on the ship for many months.  Once they made it they began to prosper in the new land.  Also, they knew of the land as the Promised Land.  This is why I know the Israelites made it to America first.

Easter Traditions

We have really tried through the years to focus more on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ during the Easter holiday.  It seems the true reason for Easter has largely been forgotten, more so than Christmas for the most part.  I am so grateful for the beautiful Bible videos put out by the Church depicting events in the last week of our Savior's mortal ministry.  These helped us focus on the life of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and His unconditional love for us.  We were able to sit each evening in the week prior to Easter and watch at least one of these videos.  We would then share our feelings and testimony of the Savior with each other.  I am ever so grateful for the growing testimony of our children and their sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.  They would remind us each night at dinner that we needed to remember to watch another video.  Their tender thoughts and feelings expressed after we watched the video strengthened my testimony, gratitude, and love for Jesus Christ. 

We also hold our egg hunt on Saturday morning.  This allows us to have fun and build the memories of this part of Easter without overshadowing the meaning of Easter.  This year, however, Spring became very sick Friday evening and so we decided to hold off on the egg hunt so she could participate. After taking her to the doctor Saturday morning we discovered she had strep throat.  So, she rested throughout the day on Saturday and we all just enjoyed time together playing games on Saturday.  For dinner Sunday evening Sue Ann joined us as well as a couple and their young daughter that recently moved here from Texas.  He works for Dad and they are still in a hotel room so we invited them to share dinner with us.  It was a great opportunity to share a little about our testimony with them.  They saw our FHE chart and were curious so we explained that to them and they really liked the idea of it.  It was nice to have them here for dinner as well.

So, we ended up having our Easter Egg hunt on Monday night for Family Home Evening.  It was so entertaining to watch each of the kids.  Thomas and Spring still get really excited about finding eggs.  We designate the plastic eggs with different colored tops and bottoms as eggs for Thomas, Spring, and Sammy to find.  All the plastic eggs that are solid color are only for the younger ones to pick up.  Spring found the most eggs, by far.  We laughed as Thomas really struggled to find eggs.  We shouldn't have been surprised because whenever he is looking for anything he forgets that sometimes you have to move something around or look in places other than eye-level!  Gideon found an egg and opened it right away.  As soon as he discovered that there were gummy bears in it, he was done.  He started shoving them in his mouth.  When they were gone he just brought the egg to us wanting us to put more candy in it!  It was fun to spend the evening together.  I am grateful for the Easter week to help us remember and reflect on the great gift of the Atonement and Resurrection.

Another Grading Period Ends

The 3rd grading period had ended which means only one more until I get my kiddos home with me all day during summer vacation!  I can't wait.  I am so proud of the example these kids continue to set at school.  I am grateful for their testimonies and their desire to be a little different and to stand for the right no matter where they are. 

Again, all three had perfect marks on their report cards.  They all work hard and are very responsible for their schoolwork.  I am especially so proud of Sammy.  Academics don't come as naturally to Sammy as they do for Thomas and Spring, yet you would never know this by the scores he receives.  He has surpassed all our expectations and continues to prove to me that with dedication, desire, and hard work all things can be achieved.  He just lights up when he reads to us and wants to keep working over the summer to be a better reader when he starts 1st grade.

For journaling reasons, I am again including the comments from their teachers on their report cards as this is the most important and telling part of their report cards in our eyes.  It is much more important to know what kind of person they are than the grades they earn.

Spring, 3rd grade, Mrs. Poston

Spring continues to be such a strong student in every area.  Her writing, though always neat, has become more organized and almost completely conventionally correct.  She has matured in her written content.  i love reading the pieces Spring completes.  Spring has benefitted from our Friday math workshops.  I have been able to work with her on individual needs and challenge her in the concepts we work on.  This quarter will present new math concepts such as multi-digit multiplication and division.  i feel so lucky to have Spring in my class and get to work with her every day!

Sammy, Kindergarten, Mr. Castner

Sammy is having an excellent Kindergarten year.  He continues to develop in all academic areas.  He has especially shown exciting growth as a beginning reader and writer.  I am pleased to see him continue to gain both skill and confidence in this important academic area.  Sammy's positive attitude and enthusiasm about learning are great assets to him in the classroom.  It is a pleasure to have him in class.

Thomas, 5th grade, Mrs. Eddy

We are so proud of Thomas and his AR goal-holy cow!!  Way to go!  He is doing a great job in 5th grade and I am so glad that he is now in Oasis and being challenged with other good thinkers.  Keep up the great work!

Knots...Good Thing or Bad Thing?

I don't know if Thomas learning more about knots and lashings at Scouts this past week was a good thing or a bad thing. This is what the kids are spending their day off today doing! I went out to check on them to hear Sammy saying, "you can have so much fun with ropes!" And Thomas telling him, "Ropes and knots are our friends!"

Our Sammy

As I walked past Sammy's room tonight after checking on him and he was sound asleep, with headphones still on and his playaway story still going, I was overcome with such gratitude for this sweet son of our's.  Sometimes I feel I get frustrated much too quickly with him and his overabundance of enthusiasm, energy, and outbursts.  I daily try to remind myself that he has such a joy of life and a gift of making everyone around him instant friends.  I don't want him to lose this quality because this is what makes Sammy such a blessing to all around him.  Joel and I talk often of how much fun he is going to continue to be in our life.  He will be the one that constantly is inviting friends over to hang out.  I am sure there will be many of these times that in his excitement he forgets to let us know there will be friends coming home with him.  I hope he always knows his friends are welcome here.  He will be the kid that will not be afraid to take a dare.  Now, this scares me to an extent.  We have already had conversations with him, and will continue to do so, reminding him that he needs to think, briefly at least, to be sure his choice will not lead to something that will hurt his spirit.  We know there will most likely be broken bones, countless ER visits, and crazy stunts in his future.  I pray we will continue to develop the trust and relationship with him that he will feel comfortable coming home and saying, "Hey, Mom...we did the coolest thing ever today...." followed by a recap of his antics.  I hope I will respond to his adventures in a way that will help him understand if that is something he should or shouldn't repeat and, at the same time, be OK still coming to tell me the next time he tries something else crazy and fun!

One of our biggest struggles right now with Sammy is he has a tendency to lash out in anger when is frustrated with his siblings or a situation.  We have been trying to help him have some tools to use when he starts to feel angry and frustrated.  We have talked about taking deep breaths, removing himself from the situation, singing a primary song in his head, and coming to ask us calmly for help.  This morning he was having a rough time before school.  I am grateful for the prompting I had to sit him on my lap in a room by ourselves instead of getting angry with him.  We sat together and talked about how he was feeling.  I could visibly see and feel his body relax and a calm presence return to his countenance.  I asked him how he thought he could respond better to the situation and he opened up so much.  He described to me how he feels inside when he is frustrated with such detail and description that my heart went out to him.  After we talked for a while he said, "Mom, I think I know something that will help me try to remember to not get angry so fast.  Can we get a jar and whenever I go a full day without getting angry I can put a marshmallow in it?"  I thought that was a great idea and we adapted it just a bit.  I told him when I saw a situation that I know would make him angry or frustrated and he controlled his anger and handled it appropriately, then he could put a marshmallow in.  He loved this idea and his smile filled his face.  He ran down to the basement to find an empty jar and brought it back up.  It has really helped him too.  The rest of the day he never once got angry and I watched him try different ways in various situations to control his anger.  Each time I went to him, hugged him, and thanked him for working so hard.  Then  he would light up as I told him to put a marshmallow in his jar.

I know I have so much to learn from and with Sammy.  I know he is teaching me how to love more like our Father in Heaven loves each of us.  He is teaching me how to forgive unconditionally because there are too many times that I don't react well to him and I have to ask for his forgiveness to which he so readily gives me.  He is teaching me how to love everyone around me as if they are the most important person around.  I am grateful for the lessons he is helping me understand and learn and I hope and pray I can be the kind of mom that he will always know loves him unconditionally.