Reindeer Tags

Growing up I remember there were a few Christmases that my mom used Reindeer names for gift tags in replacement of our real names.  My sisters and I loved trying to figure out who was which reindeer by what we thought each gift was. 

I have carried on this tradition by placing a couple of  wrapped presents for each kid under the tree about a week before Christmas.  It peaks their excitement and curiosity as they maul the presents almost to their undoing.  I tell them ahead of time that if the present becomes unwrapped, then it goes back to the store so they are usually pretty careful.  Every year when December rolls around one of the first requests from my kids is if I will do the reindeer names again.  The kids always get a new reindeer name each Christmas so that they won't know who they are.  I can't ever remember which kid was which reindeer name, but my kids sure do!  Write down who is what reindeer name on a paper, because if you have more than two kids it can become pretty hard to remember on Christmas morning.

Keep Christ at the beginning of CHRISTmas

 

 

 

God gave us the greatest gift- his son, Jesus Christ, that we could be saved and return to him.  Christ lived his life in service and love.  He not only gave us an example of how we should live our lives, but he gave us the ultimate sacrifice- he gave his life for us. 

 

Many of us start off the Christmas season with Black Friday Shopping or Cyber Monday to get a jump on the BEST Christmas buys.  I'll be the first to admit I'm one of those- which isn't necessarily a bad thing.   BUT I think it's easy to get so involved in buying the presents, sending out the Christmas cards, preparing the neighbor gifts, pinteresting the teacher gifts, decorating the Christmas tree, putting up the Christmas lights, wrapping the Christmas presents, planning the Christmas feast, attending the Christmas parties.... and da  da da da that we put the real meaning- The CHRIST part of Christmas on the end of the to do list. I think the very FIRST thing that should be done is to find ways to bring Christ into the beginning of Christmas to celebrate his life all month long. 

 

 

I  am currently in the works of creating a centerpiece in our home that reminds us of Christ.  I want my family to focus on giving gifts to Christ, by serving others. 

 

 

Here is what I want to accomplish and share with anyone else that is interested in keeping Christ at the beginning of CHRISTmas.

Purchase or make a white Christmas stocking and have the word Christ monogrammed on it.  Hang this stocking by a picture of Christ. Start off the beginning of Christmas each year by giving every person in your family (yourself included) a challenge to give gifts to Christ by serving others. Give them a hard copy of a list of ideas you've chosen and ask them to choose a certain # (according to their age and capabilities) of those things to do or even to make up a service opportunity on their own.  Hang a copy of the list in a visible place in the house.  Of course, for the little ones it's going to be a little more Mommy maintenance, but the older children should be able to accomplish several of them without help.  If this becomes a tradition as the children age- it will be easier and easier for them to do it.   When an act of service is completed write on a slip of paper what was done and put it in the stocking.  Keep the papers in an easily accessible place near the stocking. On Chirstmas Eve, take a minute to sit as a family to read and talk about the acts of service performed- the gifts that they gave to Christ.  Make it a point to have the children describe the activity, how they felt, and how they think those that received the service felt. 

 

My parents have been great examples of service.  The idea of giving service has come from them,  there have been many Christmases that they have helped my siblings and I find ways to serve others as we grew up.  Even though we are now grown and have families of our own, our parents still try to encourage this.  Just a few years back they gave each couple a list of service ideas and asked us to accomplish a few of them.  This year they want to give the challenge to the grand kids to serve.  With their idea in mind and the idea of the white Christmas stocking that I have heard from others, I want to start my own family tradition of keeping Christ at the beginning of CHRISTmas.  I hope to carry this tradition on (like my parents have) even after my kids are grown and have families of their own.

 

Here are several ideas for acts of service that can be done.  Some can be done as a group with siblings, cousins, or friends and some can be done individually or anonymously.  Have children earn their own money to donate for the service activities that will cost, if possible.

1. Serve someone you do not know.
2. Visit or send a card to a family member you haven't seen for awhile.
3. Visit or send a card to someone you know that might be lonely or going through a hard time.
4. Visit a Senior Citizen Center and bring homemade cards, pictures, perform a talent, or sing Christmas carols.
5. Give service to a homeless person.
6. Donate money to Sub-for-Santa.
7. Buy an "Angel Tree" gift.
8. Help a single mother or elderly couple decorate for Christmas
9. Help a single mother or elderly couple with outdoor/indoor things they need done.
10. Anonymously give money to a family in need.
11. Write a Christmas card to a missionary.
12. Make a treat and take it to a neighbor.
13. Do an act of service for a neighbor.
14. Do an act of service for someone in your family.
15. Do an act of service for each person in your family.
16. Make blankets or gifts to take to a homeless shelter, women's shelter, children's hospital.
17. Serve food at a homeless shelter.
18. Donate to the food bank.
19. Sing Christmas Carols around the community to those that might be lonely or in need of a little Christmas cheer.
20. Invite an elderly person or couple over for dinner.
21. Plan an activity to do with someone that is disabled or has special needs.
22. Leave secret notes of encouragement for someone else.
23. Do the 12 days of Christmas for another family.
24. Do a Nativity Gift-Away for another family. ( I will add a post about this one tonight.)
25. Do service for someone that has recently lost a loved one.

 

Another idea that you could work towards as a family all year long is to save your coins in a designated Christmas coin jar. Each year at the beginning of December choose a family that is in need to give your savings to. 

 

Please share any other service ideas in comments below that could be added to this list. Also, share any ideas or traditions of how your family keeps Christ in Christmas.



Big Families

I grew up in a family of 6 girls.  I found this article was hilarious that so many of the descriptions fit.  I've already seen many of them come to life in my home with our six kids too.  I just wanted to share my favorites that I can relate to and I added a few more.  I think many of these apply to families with even 3 or 4 kids.

25 Things People with 5+ Siblings Know To Be True

1. There will never be a meal where everyone is happy with the food.
2. Getting a table at a restaurant will take at least half an hour no matter where you go.
3. Car trips to far away places are more crammed than Target on Black Friday.
4. Someone is always around to watch a movie.
5. Someone will always being talking during that movie.
6. If they are close to your age and size, clothing is communal.
7. The youngest will be the favorite child that gets away with everything.
8. There will be alliances within the siblings and you better make sure you have a buddy.
9. Everyone has their spot on the couch and will not be afraid to throw a couple elbows your way to defend it.
10. Everyone will refer to so you as "so and so's older/ younger sibling" instead of your actual name.
11. Sneaking extra people into a hotel room will be a normal vacation activity.
12. Sharing a room is just something you will have to do forever.
13. When mom and dad get in a cleaning mood it is best to round up the troops and take a sibling trip to anywhere but home.
14. Someone will always do the least amount of work and somehow get away with it.
15. Your cheering section for your soccer games is always larger than everyone else's.
16. Getting a picture where everyone actually looks like a human is near too impossible.
17. You will be called every other person in your family's name before your mom actually calls you the right one.
18. Board games will never end well because someone is cheating and someone else is a sore loser.
19. If you complain about your siblings it's fine, but the second anyone else does all hell breaks loose.
20. Even the Super family size option of a good cereal will be gone in a single day.

The family SUV doubles in value when the gas tank is full.
Laundry never ends!
There are always a jillion of shoes by the front door and never a matching pair.
Going through a drive-thru requires 10 minutes to place the order (as the person taking the order keeps asking, "will that be all now?") and holds up the entire line! It also costs a small (actually large) fortune in the end- even if it's only the VALUE menu!
Never a dry towel or hot water.
Nothing is sacred- not even underwear.
Never leave the dinner table if its a favorite meal-it will be gone when u get back from the bathroom.
When writing your name on the Styrofoam take out container means absolutely NOTHING to your siblings. Tip- leave a bite taken out of it to ward them off.
Fast food is CEREAL
Vacations are insane, and not for the faint of heart.
It is not uncommon to show up somewhere and somebody doesn't have shoes on.
There is always a GIANT sock bag with socks that don't match.
You have to count your children to make sure you have them all.
You often have to stand in line to use your own bathroom at home-many times you can't make it in there alone.
Shared french fries were the worst...  you would have to eat the french fries before you got to enjoy your burger or you wouldn't get any....
Going to Sam's Club/Costco is a normal, routine shopping trip.
There is never a quiet moment.
Hand-me downs from neighbors/friends are like Christmas.
You dish up large portions for yourself because there won't be seconds.
You need more than a dozen of eggs for breakfast and a gallon of milk per day.


It's not always easy having a lot of siblings. There will be days when you wonder why your parents thought your siblings were a good idea at all. There will be days when you literally cannot be in the same room as them. The thing is though, there will also be days were you and your siblings all belt the words to "Do You Know" by Enrique Iglesias together. There will be days that you all sit around talking and laughing about the horrible restaurant your dad made you go to in the Everglades. And when all else fails, they will indeed bail you out of anything, even jail.

A Meaningful Moment- Molly

Josh loves to hunt birds and so we have two English Pointer hunting dogs.  One of them is Molly, she is an awesome dog.  We have had her for about 7 years. We got her from Josh's brother when she was 2 years old. He had trained her to be a champion bird hunting dog.  So, she's somewhere in her 60's in dog years.  She's had a hard running, bird pointing life. She's very good at hunting and is also a very sweet, loving dog.  She truly is one of Josh's best friends, and my kids love her- especially Kale.  He's a lot like Josh in every way and loves hunting too. Molly's had a limp for about a month and a half that we have been trying to fix, but just this last weekend Josh took her out hunting and she couldn't use either of her back legs.  Her legs kept giving out and she'd collapse.  Josh brought her home and we let her stay in the kitchen for the last few days until we could get her to the vet.  Both of us felt the outcomes were not going to be good.  She looked bad and acted like her hips were displaced. She'd hardly get up or move- which isn't like this breed of dog, they are very hyper and all over the place.  The muscles in one of her legs had almost disappeared.  My dad looked at her and agreed that she probably had a problem that most likely wasn't fixable.  We prepped our kids a little that we might have to put her to sleep.  We prayed for her when we blessed the food and at family prayer.  I even prayed for her quite a bit on my own- not because I care a lot for her (I am not much of an animal person), but because I knew how sad Josh and Kale would be.

 Today Josh was going to take Molly to the vet at lunch.  I took the kids to drop them off for school  and Kale wouldn't get out.  It didn't take me long to realize he was crying.  He said he didn't want to leave Molly.  After several attempts to console him I took him home and told him he could watch Westerns and take care of Molly for the day while I taught preschool.  It broke my heart to see his heart breaking.  I tried to make him some breakfast and he refused to eat.  He put Molly's blanket in front of the TV alongside a blanket and pillow he had for himself.  At lunch time Josh and Kale came to the preschool to tell me the news. They both had smiles on their faces.  Dr. Myers took x-rays and examined her.  He said her hips looked great and it was both her knees that were bad.  He gave her a Cortisone shot and said if that didn't fix it- he had a simple surgery he could do that would most likely work(only $900-ouch).  How much is too much to spend on an animal- $ vs. broken hearts???

  Anyways- tonight at dinner I asked our kids if any of them had prayed on their own for Molly.  All of them did- I was touched that they prayed without me telling them too.  Then Kale said, "Mom, I fasted for Molly today."  He told me that was why he didn't eat breakfast and he didn't eat lunch either.  I am so grateful for that glimpse of Kale- a glimpse of his heart, what he believes in, and that he has a testimony of fasting.  A testimony of fasting that I didn't think he had, because only a month ago he chose not too fast, because he was "just too hungry."   We talked for a quick minute about how Heavenly Father answered their prayers and how Kale's fasting had worked.  I added at the end that we needed to keep praying that the shot would work- and Kale piped in that he knew I wanted the shot to work so we wouldn't have to pay for the surgery.  Smart kid-- but really that is a valid reason to pray!  Later, at family prayer we thanked Heavenly Father for answering our prayers for Molly.

 I am so grateful that our family had a "Meaningful Moment."  Even though it might cost a lot- the price tag is nothing in comparison to the testimony my kids have gained from it. I think Heavenly Father sends us these moments, because they are building blocks for my kids to place their house upon as they grow older.  They need these moments, these experiences, to challenge and strengthen them while they are young.  It is a time for them to test their knowledge of the gospel and faith, a time to prep them for the future when trials are much harder.  Molly may not be completely healed and perhaps she may only live for a few more weeks or a few more years.  But my kids will know that their prayers were answered at this moment in time- that Heavenly Father did hear them and was able to keep their dog alive for a bit longer.  Their prayers may not always be answered in the future, but my kids will know that their Father in Heaven is there- that he is on the other side of that prayer listening.

The Ghost

We were eating dinner a couple weeks ago and Kennadi left to use the bathroom.  She came running back to the table with a really scared look on her face. With very exaggerated face and hand expressions she said, "Der is a ghost in the bafroom!"  It made me laugh because she was so cute and serious.  She wouldn't go back to the bathroom so I went in there with her and she pointed to the ghost.  I was very surprised to see we DID have a ghost in the bathroom.  Our hand soap dispenser was a ghost that I had used to decorate for Halloween and I had forgotten about it when I put the decorations away for the month.  (This is one of the reasons why I don't like to decorate much for holidays, except Christmas- it seems there is something I always forget to put away and it roams around the house for weeks....)  Kennadi took the ghost and said, "I jus can't have dis in here."  LOL  I don't know why this ghost hasn't bothered her before now. 

Mom's Time Out

My kids get a lot of time out, but I have to admit sometimes I wish it were me that got the Time Outs.

I have found only three sources of Time Out for myself for those moments when I just can't handle anymore.... 

• My boys have finally realized that bathroom time is only MOM's Time and they don't get to join me as I shower or use the toilet. I love my shower time- it has become my meditation minute .
• I have also found that when I'm kneeling down saying a prayer, my boys will leave me alone.  Which is an answer to my prayer in most cases, cause usually if I've made it to my knees  during the middle of the day it means my kids have pushed me to my blowing up point and I need a little extra help.  Often times I'll stay on my knees a little longer, just so they'll keep quiet and stay away.
• My third trick is that I lay on the floor on the side of my bed where my kids can't see me.  They usually run from room to room yelling "Mom" and looking for me, but most times they don't go in my room and look around.  I lay there until their voices start to sound frantic because they think the aliens have abducted me.  I've heard of some mom's that go sit in their car in the garage, but I'm not that brave- my kids might call 911 if they can't find me.

Leave a comment and share how you find your "Mommy Time Out Moments"

I Love Chocolate

I love chocolate- I could share chocolate with anyone or everyone.  I would love to tell anybody about how much I love chocolate.  Chocolate makes me happy:)  The gospel makes me happy too.   Why is it so hard to share the gospel with others? There are so many that I would love to share the gospel with, but I am afraid to.  My daughter taught me a lesson today that humbled me a bit.  She has been asking for weeks now if she could invite a friend to go to church with us.  I kept putting her off and telling her we will do it next time, because I figured I already knew the answer would be no.  Finally, Josh overhearing our conversation told me to just let her go and ask.  Before she left she asked me what would happen if her friend said no-and I told her it's better to have asked and have her say no 100 different times than to not ask and miss the 1 chance of her possibly saying yes. She then fearlessly ventured over to her friends and asked.  The answer was no, but it didn't seem to bother her much and I'm sure she'll want to ask again soon.  Why is it so easy for me to give her that advice, but yet it is so hard for me to do it myself? 

"Becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love" Mosiah 3:19. Our desire and fearlessness should be that of a little child to share the gospel with our friends.  We shouldn't be scared of a "NO".  We shouldn't give up on friends, just because we think we already know the answer. We should take every opportunity we get to share through our example, through our daily comments, and through invitation to attend meetings or activities.  We should share what brings us true happiness and joy- The Gospel (which means btw "good news", who wouldn't want to hear good news?!)

 

Because I love to write-  I've decided I want to use my blog as a way to share the two things I love most....my family and the gospel. 

It's TIME---Teach your children and teens about pornography

I had a friend recently tell me a story about a 7 yr. old boy preparing for his baptism.  When he had his interview with the bishop, it came out that this young boy already had an addiction to pornography.  How can this happen to a 7 yr. old...??!!   With so much access to the internet, the harmful experience to view pornography awaits with a touch of an innocent fingertip.  NO matter how much we try to shield our children from these pictures, it's almost impossible to do to some degree with all the technology, media, billboards, and magazines around us.  One of the best things we can do for our children is to teach and give them their own set of tools to pull from when they are confronted with these harmful situations. The links below offer 4 family home evening lessons from the church about how to teach children of all ages and teens about pornography. 

 1- My Body is from God  

2- The spirit can help me choose good media

  3-What should I do if I see pornography  

 4- The Savior desires to forgive and heal the wounds of pornography  

He's a Champion!

Girls- you better watch out-we are raising this boy right!  Kaden's the official 2014 "Pie Eating Champion" for the Nephi South Stake.  We have tried for years to teach our boys how to have manners and eat like gentlemen, but it obviously hasn't sunk in--thank goodness....  Kaden was able to wolf his pie down the quickest out of 20 young men and women at a stake activity.  He was one of the youngest to boot.  He used to boast in elementary school how he was the quickest Milk Chugger, now he's advanced to the quickest Pie Wolfer.  It takes so little to make him happy.  Something to be proud of:) 

Have Courage

Courage NOT Compromise brings the smile of God's Approval
-President Thomas Monson

Mordecai- an ordinary man, trying to live a normal, righteous life.  I bet he was a lot like many of us. He probably made good choices every day, but little did he know that just one of his choices would endanger his people with a near death experience.

This week we are studying the story of Esther in the Old Testament with our children.  She is an amazing example of great faith, prayer, and fasting.  I don't want to sell Esther short because I think the story is what it is because of her, but the part that Mordecai played in the story has stuck out to me.  I think his is also a story worth looking into and learning from his experience. 

 Mordecai is the uncle of Queen Esther.  He raised her because her parents were killed.  When she married the King, she did not tell him that she was a Jew- because they were frowned upon.  The King had a right hand man named, Haman, who was worshipped and the people bowed before him.  Mordecai refused to bow because he wanted to keep the commandment not to worship anyone except for God.  When this happened Haman went to the king, and told him that Mordecai and all the Jews should be killed because of this. The pain that this caused Mordecai really tugged at my heart strings.  In Esther 4:1 it reads, "When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, ... and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;". 

I wondered what sort of thoughts were going through his head. Perhaps he thought, "Oh, wow- maybe I shouldn't have followed just that one little commandment. Look what I've done. Because of my choice, not only am I going to be killed - but my family, and friends, and ALL of my fellow believers are too."  Do you think Mordecai might have second guessed himself?  Do you think just a few of the believers might have ridiculed him for "Choosing the Right," because now they were going to be killed because of him?  I bet Mordecai felt awful- I'm sure very few of us can begin to understand the sorrow he felt!!  Maybe it wasn't quite like that, maybe he didn't second guess his choice, maybe his people were so righteous they gave him a high five and told him, "Way to choose the right". BUT if this happened in today's world, I think many would rather choose not to follow just one little commandment than to be ridiculed by others or cause a negative consequence on themselves and those around them. 

Are we ever in situations that if we stood up for what we believed or chose the right  it might cause embarrassment, awkwardness, or harsh realities we don't want to deal with? I think experiences like this happen all the time in the work place, around friends, in school, and probably even inside the home.

Mordecai may or may not have second guessed his decision for following the commandment. But his soul was tormented with sorrow because of a choice he had made.  Not always does choosing the right bring immediate, wonderful blessings. Sometimes the blessings of a choice, may not appear for days, months, or years later. Mordecai could not see that the Lord had greater blessings just around the corner because of that one little commandment he DID choose to follow.  Because of his choice, not without hardship- the fasting of his people, and the  faith and courage of Queen Esther to go before the King- Haman was killed, Mordecai received the house of Haman, and the Jews were blessed. They went from being a persecuted people to one of favor.  Had Mordecai chose not to follow that one little commandment- look at the blessing they would have missed out on.

 Sometimes we might think that one little choice, one little commandment- won't make a difference, but it does.  Sometimes it may seem that choosing the right may hurt us more than help us.  But God gave us commandments to follow because he knows things we do not.  He knows that by those little choices we can change the outcomes of our future, our family or friend's future, or even the future of a nation. 

When the choice is at hand- don't worry, don't fret that you might later second guess it because of the repercussions for following the commandments.  Just do it- for great blessings await those who have the courage to choose the right.

 

Our world, more than ever, needs courageous people to choose the right!

http://www.mormonchannel.org/youth-videos?v=2886657808001   this is a short video clip about a true story of someone faced with making a courageous decision. 

FHE-Scripture Story Memory

A simple, and fantastic family home evening idea is to get index cards and write the name of a person from the scriptures on one card and on another card write a short phrase that describes what they did.  You could do different sets of stories from  Book of Mormon, Old Testament, New Testament, etc.  This could be a quick and easy FHE game to pull out on more than one occasion.  I feel like this is a great way to teach and review the stories. You could even write the scripture reference on the card and use this time to study some of the stories. One of the most important things we can teach our children are the scripture stories. Take some time to teach how we can learn from these powerful stories. Smart people learn from their own experiences and smarter people learn from other's experiences! The Lord speaks to us through the scriptures.

 

Examples from Old Testament

Person	Action
Adam	Left the Garden of Eden
Enoch	His righteous city was translated
Noah	Built an ark
Abraham	Willing to sacrifice his son
Rebekah	Left her family to marry Isaac
Joseph	Forgave his brothers
Moses	Saved his people from bondage
Ruth	Accepted the gospel from her mother-in-law
David	With the strength of the Lord, killed a giant
Elijah	Fed by ravens during a drought

The WILDE Family

Wilde= WILD right? 

 I love my last name!  We get so many comments about being a Wilde family.  Church is the most common place for people to try and make a funny with our last name (probably because we rarely go anywhere else in public with all eight of us, that's just a disaster waiting to happen).   Usually the comments are something as simple as "How's that Wilde family?" and then they chuckle.  We give a courtesy laugh back and mention how we are glad we have a name we can live up to.  What else would you expect from a family of six kids?  Although, we fit the name even when we only had three kids (three energized little boys I must add).  I'm just glad my last name isn't Tranquil or Serene- we'd be in trouble with either of those!  When someone is talking in front of a group and they say something in reference to the Wilde family, they always have to stop and make sure everyone knows that they don't really mean the "wild" family.  I have to laugh because it usually catches me off guard. I rarely think about how people would take it that way.  I'm not easily offended so most comments just go in one ear and out the other- and to be truthful I'm the kind of person that doesn't really get the Pun intended.  But once in awhile there will be a comment that sticks with me.  A long time ago when we were the family of just Wilde boys I had a friend once tell me she didn't know how I made it through sacrament meetings with them.  She was trying to be nice and tell me how I had Sooo much patience because I was able to handle my boys that were all over the place and disruptive (ok, she didn't say it just like that, but that's how I took it... )   I told her if she only knew--- if she could see my face straight on instead of watching me from the side or from behind me.  If she could only see my face, she would see my jaw clenching, my blood vessels popping on my forehead from my blood boiling, and my mean mommy "Stop It Face."  It's probably a good thing only the bishopric was sitting straight on and could see my face- and to our advantage we sat far enough in the back that hopefully they couldn't see these distinctions.  Sacrament (with kids) never has been and continues to prove not to be a place of serenity, or tranquility for my family.  BUT I value it enough that it is worth it to me to take my kids every Sunday and hope we survive.  When we find our seats in the chapel I tell all those around us I'm sorry ahead of time for the Wilde circus they might see.    In the past, for the most part we have been back row sitters.  1-because we are usually late and 2- because the fewer people behind us the fewer witnesses to our chaos.  We have recently decided that we feel it's important to move our kids closer to the podium in hopes that some of the spiritual words of wisdom spoke from it will enter into our little people's ears. Our boys are getting old enough that we want them to listen, feel of the spirit, and learn from the speakers. It's kind of like the speaker is spewing out darts of spiritual knowledge and the closer we sit, the better the chance is of having them hit us.  Hopefully, some of those darts will make some dents-or impressions upon my kids throughout the next few years. I figure the payoff of sitting closer to the podium is greater than the worry of what others' opinions might be of us when they see how truly Wilde we really are. 
Two weeks ago, a sweet lady in my ward that I look up to wrote me a message on Facebook.  It obviously made my day when she wrote, "I just wanted to tell you what you already know and that others of us see and hear. You have a really well behaved and awesome family. I love to watch how you and Josh react with them and show them your love. Good job!!"  This last week as we sat four pews from the front of the chapel, I thought we were doomed.  She would most certainly see that she had a misconception of us.  Josh was out in the hall for the most part with Kennadi, while I wrestled the other five kids.  Kaden is usually the only one I don't have to worry about.  Kam and Kale were for a time being pretty good while playing a dot game. I just had to work on keeping Kate from sharing her Pterodactyl scream with the whole congregation and keep Kinnli content.  Before I knew it Kale and Kam started arguing and elbowing each other about cheating and so I took the notebook away from them.  Kale just couldn't control his anger anymore and stabbed Kam right in the heart with his purple crayon... leaving a little purple dot on his shirt.  I was lucky to stop any more violence from erupting, but I quickly looked around to see if my dear sister friend was sitting near and happened to see my naughty children.  Close call- I didn't see her, but I'm sure the people in back of us saw.  I guess all in all- I have come to the terms that I can handle my kids living up to their names right now. But in the next four years when all of  my boys become teenagers, I'm going to change the pronunciation of my last name to have a short I and a long E.  Then the WILDE  children won't feel compelled to live up to their last name. 

A Mom of 6 Kids

 

Last week was a bit rough!  I wish I had a reason to explain why it was rough, but I don't.  Truthfully, the biggest problem was that I was just being myself.  It started out that I had just received a used smart phone from my dad (yep, I finally retired my dinosaur cell phone).  He had used it for several years and it worked and looked great.  Well, only after having it for a little over 2 weeks- I had my hands full of stuff (like a mom of 6 kids always does) and I dropped it face down on the cement and the screen broke.  Oooooh, I was so mad at myself!!

 ALL DAY!! 

 On different day that week I checked Kaden out from school to go to Walmart to buy some black church pants that he had to have for his choir concert.   I checked him out early because we had a time crunch to get him back to football practice.  We drove to Payson Walmart (about 20 min. away), parked, and started getting out the babies when IT (that terrible feeling) hit me again- I had forgotten my purse!  Who does that???  (A mom of 6 Kids) Kaden couldn't believe I would do something like that- I had to do the unthinkable and tell Kaden it was time he knew that I wasn't perfect:)  Luckily, I have a fabulous husband that was on his lunch break and he met me half way with my purse.  So we made it to Walmart, found the pants, and many other things I never knew we always needed.  As we were checking out, Kate was crying, tired, and hungry.  I had bought some milk for home, but knew she wouldn't drink it because it was cold.  She still likes her milk heated up.  So I quickly grabbed a warm drink in the check out isle that looked like what I thought was a vitamin water or something similar to it.  We loaded the car, and the crying babies and started homeward bound.  I had Kaden pour some of the drink in her bottle and feed it to her.  Kennadi was thirsty and had a few drinks.  I drank the other half of it.  It tasted just like a sweetened water- I never took the time to read what it was.....  From that time on Kate, and Kennadi were zonked.  They slept most of the evening away.  I told Josh I must've really wore them out shopping.  By the time eight o'clock hit I was not going to make it any longer- I was so tired, Josh told me to go to bed.  The next day I showed Josh the drink and he read it.  NOT GOOD- the NEURO drink "SWEET DREAMS" is a sleep aid.  It said on the back "Do not Drive", "Do not give to Children", and other important warnings.  Who puts that type of a drink right next to the candy?? Shouldn't that be against the law! AND-Who doesn't read the labels? (A Mom of 6 Kids) I felt horrible, I had given my children- my BABY- a drink that I didn't even realize was not good for them. I was just trying to survive the moment and didn't pay attention to details.... I'm glad nothing more came of it.  Except, that my mom decided she needed to try the drink out for herself.  She was a bit disappointed it didn't have the same effect on her.  (I will have to remember to buy that little drink for my kids the next time we drive to Lake Powell or Yellowstone though:)

 



Fill Your Lamp

Fill your Lamp

 

  I was inspired by Linda K. Burton's talk  "Prepared in a Manner That Never Had Been Known" during the General Relief Society Meeting two weeks ago.  I decided to do a Family Home Evening on the things we should be doing daily to prepare for the temple and for eternal life. I borrowed a decorative oil lamp from my sister for a display. We are going to listen to the last seven minutes of the talk.  Then our kids will write on little slips of paper representing drops of oil what things we should do to fill our oil lamps.  I'm going to tape their drops to the oil lamp.  I'd like to focus on each of the acts we talk about for the oil drops in subsequent weeks.  This week we are going to follow up with very short mini lessons (2-5 min.) on prayer each night during our scripture study time. 

Kate is 1 year! Not an Ounce of Preemie left on her:)

A good friend of mine- Amanda Livingston-took Kate's one year pictures.  She always does such a great job!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can't believe it's been a year since this little miracle joined our family!   She's been so much fun and brings so much happiness to us.  She's come a long way in the last 6 months.  Although she's a year, her adjusted age is only 9 months.  She bypassed scooting and went straight to crawling in September and recently figured out how to pull herself up to a standing position by holding on to things.  She likes to mimic other's actions like clicking her tongue, nodding her head, or waving her arms around.  She loves her daddy!  She says "DADADADA" a lot.  Josh has been Mr. Mom for the last two months at night, because often times he is the one who takes care of her in the evening and puts her to bed at night since I do my preschool prep during that time.  Just the other night she was crying and I couldn't console her.  Finally I gave her to Josh and she immediately stopped crying and went to sleep....    I felt a little bit shunned.  She's become very stranger danger and won't go to hardly anyone. She still loves to be held almost 90% of the time, but will spend a little bit of time on the floor when she's in a good mood. I could really benefit from a kangaroo pouch and a few extra octo-arms!  We should be able to grow some of these parts when we have babies-just for a short time. She hasn't taken on the roll of holding her own bottle-I think this is more by choice than by development though.  She probably knows once she starts doing that then she won't get as much mommy time. 

  Lately- Kate hasn't been in much of a good mood.  Just this week she had double ear infections so we treated her with a prescription and she had an allergic reaction  (a rash all over her body)  to penicillin.  She got her first two teeth around the time of her birthday and was not a happy teether either! 

She loves her siblings, but Kinnli can make her laugh harder than anyone else.  Kennadi claims Kate to be her baby and calls her "Kate the Great".  She wants to hold Kate at least once a day, but Kate has almost passed Kennadi up in size-at least in weight. Kaden is such a cute big brother with her.  He watches her a lot for me and he has the baby whisperer touch to put her to sleep.  He cuddles her and sings her songs. He likes watching her for this reason because he has prematurely started the teenager sleep mode-if he can get Kate to nap then he gets to nap too.   

Kate refuses to eat baby food anymore and we switched her to milk when she turned one, even though we should've waited until her adjusted age 1 yr. mark. 

 It's crazy to think back to a year ago and how far my little pop can baby has come.  I'm grateful everyday for the many miracles that has made her as strong as she is today!  I'm so glad we are on "The Other Side of Hard" now and we are enjoying all the blessings she brings to our family. 

Bull's Balls....

Fear Factor

Kaden participated in the fear factor contest for the Juab County Fair. The contestants ranged from 11 to 17.  I have to give Kaden some credit, because I've always thought he was a sis- and he proved me wrong tonight!  He's the kind of kid that's scared of grasshoppers and won't hardly touch or do anything gross. He'd rather not carve a pumpkin than clean it's guts out. 

His first round they took the first 21 people to eat a whole banana with peel and stem-he made it. 

Second round, he had to put another contestant's earwax cutip in his mouth and hop on one foot as long as possible to make it to the last 12 people-he made it.

Third round, he had to eat a lint sandwich.  Belly button lint was saved throughout the last year and was mixed with mayo and put on bread- it was very hairy.  Kaden shoved it all in his mouth in one bite and swallowed- he made it (top 9). 

Fourth round, he received a cow poop makeover.  He laid down on a chair and someone poured cups of cow poop over his face-his was runny, others recieved chunks and blobs- they had to stay on the chair and endure the makeover- he made it.

Fifth round, they each had to eat a small plate of bull's balls aka Rocky Mountain Oysters.  I thought for sure Kaden would back out!  He didn't, he ate them right up-all the while gagging and heaving.  He finished the plate of bull's balls, but not soon enough:( by only a few seconds another person beat him- he was eliminated.  They only took the top 5 to the championship round.  I was truly impressed he made it as far as he did!

The last round the players had to fully immerse themselves in freezing cold water in a cow trough with dead catfish, then eat a worm and swallow a live fish.  I think Kaden could have done that easier than eating bull's balls.  The winner received $100. 

Kaden said the worst round was the bull's balls because they had veins and chewy things in them. Most of them were dry, but one was wet.  He said it was like eating a NASTY hamburger. 

Kaelee and Kaden- he is holding someone's unfinished plate of bull's balls. 

Kennadi is a HOOT!

 Kennadi is 20 months old now.  Her personality is showing through in full force now.  When she is having her good days or moments she is hilarious.  She makes us laugh all day.  (She still seems to have a lot of ornery moments too though.)  She has a face of many faces!  She can go from the evil eye to the brightest smile in a split second and she pulls all the other in between faces to boot.  She's my rough and tough girl.  She doesn't like wearing earrings-we've lost many a pair from her pulling them out.  She doesn't like her hair done in elastics.  She pulls it out and is left with spikes, so it's better looking undone.  She has found her curious side!  She loves to get into everything...  all day- if she's not attached to my hip she's making a mess.  She loves to open and pour things out, put them on, taste them, rub them on like lotion, just whatever she can imagine.  She loves my make-up, fingernail polish, dish soap, lotion, toothpaste, medicine (I don't know who had the notion that child proof-lids were really child-proof), and cleaning products..... I have to keep an eye on her all the time.  She loves to unroll the toilet paper rolls, and pull out the tissues and wipes from their containers.  Although she makes most of the messes, she is also my child that cleans and listens the best.  Sometimes I'll ask one of the older kids to get me something and Kennadi beats them to it.  She always does what we ask.  She is always picking up after herself and the other kids.  She likes to throw garbage away- especially diapers.  She likes things in order.  She likes to help me vacuum, do laundry, wash dishes, etc.  She still hasn't picked up on saying very many words yet, but she understands everything.  She only says a few words like- Mama, bye, uh-oh, no, Papa, Ganma, Ganpa, baby.  She just recently found that biting is a new way to get what she wants from Kinnli.......  She also discovered she likes to hit her siblings (including Kate) and quickly give them a hug and a kiss and then repeats it all over again.  She loves her sisters & brothers, baby dolls, books, snacking, and being outside.   

 

 Aunt Jackie cuts Kennadi's hair.  She recently cut off the baby mullet and gave her a bob to help thicken and even out her hair. 

 

 

 Kennadi made sure to use each wipe as she pulled it out.

We went to Peter Piper's Pizza in Arizona and she loved riding the carousel. 



Kate is 6 months old

 Kate is 6 months old now or 2 1/2 months adjusted age.  Her face and legs are getting so chubs.  Today, marks the day of her first giggle.  She has such a soft, sweet personality so far.  She is still such an easy baby!  She did catch one cold last month and had an ear infection, but she's done great besides that.  I finally just couldn't muster pumping any longer.  I was only getting a half an ounce total per time and decided it just wasn't worth it anymore.  She eats about 4 ounces per feeding now.  Just last week she cut back waking up to eat 2x at night to just 1x-yahoo.  Not a day goes by that I don't look at her and think of the blessing and miracle that she is!    

 

 We went to Arizona last weekend to spend some time with my sister and her family.  We enjoyed some 75 degree sunshine-AWESOME! 

 

 

One of Kate's first public outings was this Monday for my Aunt Georgia's funeral.  Even though she's still not supposed to be out until May- it was between taking her or leaving her with a babysitter and I'm not ready for that yet. I just had to capture the surprise clothing coordination between Aunt Telila and Kate.



Kale's Bear Award

 

 

 

A shout out for Kale! 

 

 
 
Kudos to and bless those Scout Leaders!  If it weren't for them, my boys wouldn't be advancing in scouts.  Kale received his Bear Award this last week.  He loves scouts and all the things he learns.  It's right up his alley.  He is such a hands-on, outdoors child.  Josh received the pin at the awards ceremony, because I was in Arizona. 

 When Kaden first started scouts, I thought it was kind of weird that the mom's received the pin.  I thought the dad's would because they "should" be doing all the scouting stuff with their sons.  Boy, was I wrong- I now- do believe it is the mom that does the work and rightly so should receive the pin. 

Growing up in a house of all girls, I never really understood what Scouts was all about and what it consisted of.  With three boys, I imagined that I'd delve into it and be an awesome scouter mom.  Nope- Kaden never did get any of his awards sewn on his uniform, but he did complete all the levels and received his Arrow of Light (thanks again to his awesome leaders).  I did try to hot glue his awards on once and that was a failure-popped off at pack night (embarrassing).  So far Kale is still in the same boat, but at least he has a uniform.  Kam doesn't even have that yet, and he's been in scouts for 6 months.  I guess my take on scouts at this point is that it is good for them, but not something I have the time or motivation to put a lot of energy into thus far.  Maybe sometime in the near future- I will jump aboard(and by that I don't mean a calling).   I do want all my boys to receive their Eagle.    

 

 

Basketball

While Kate was in the hospital we opted out of football, soccer, and extracurricular activities.  My boys were so excited when basketball season came around and I signed them up to play.  Finally- a bit of time out of the BUBBLE of our house when the light could be shined on them!  A bit of normal life again.  Each of their have been on different nights of the week- Tues., Wed., and Friday.  Josh and I take turns going to their games while the other stays home with the littles, because Kate is still homeward bound until May. 

This was Kam's first year playing basketball and also the first year that our recreation department offered it for 2nd grade.  They get together on Fridays and learn skills for the first 30 minutes and then play a game for the last 30 minutes.  It's pretty hilarious to watch their games, but they've come a long way since the beginning.  Kam started out the season like a watch dog on constant guarding alert-even when his team had the ball:)  I had to remind him several times to move away from his opponent and get open so he could get the ball. 

This was Kale's second year playing basketball.  Last year I put him on the 3rd & 4th grade team even though he was a 2nd grader.  He is a very aggressive player and works hard. He got the ball a lot, and shot a lot.  Some games he even made quite a few baskets.  He needs to work a bit on slowing down and getting better ball control.   I think with time and practice he will be a great player.  He did have one of those embarrassing moments when they switched sides at halftime and he dribbled down and took a few shots for the other team:) Luckily, he didn't make it- but they don't keep score for his age group anyway. 

Kaden has played basketball for 5 yrs. now.  Just last year he started to really love basketball.  He became a pretty good shot- but just not very consistent in games.  He surprisingly hit a few 3 pointers in some of his games.  He was asked last year if he wanted to be on a competitive traveling team.  I'm not a big believer in doing the competitive teams all year long, they take away from the much needed family time that happens in the home (let alone the cost).  But I do believe that every kid needs to have at least one or two activities they can gain self-esteem from and that they love doing.  I think carefully balancing their time by involving them in healthy activities helps to keep them out of trouble when they are older- and it doesn't have to be just sports.  So we decided to let him play on the travel team.  It was a great experience.  Kaden was able to make some new friends and learn some new skills.  He sat the bench more than not though.  He didn't show much of what he could really do-during the games.  He seemed to turn off and put up a wall of self-consciousness.
This year he played basketball non-stop with his friends at home and at recess.  He wasn't asked to play on the travel team again.  We had a little chat about how he's going to have to work much harder, if he really wants to play basketball in high school.  When I watch him play, I can see he's improved a lot.  This season of basketball he played a bit better, but in games he still seemed to put up that dang wall of reservation.  It's hard to sit back and watch him be gun shy when I know he can do it.  He seemed to lack the spirit of aggressiveness.
He had a tournament game tonight, single elimination, and they lost.  In spite of the game, I was so proud of him.  He actually "showed up" for the game and played hard tonight.  He surprised me with skills and confidence I hadn't seen before.
Basketball is the only thing (besides video games...) that he has shown a passion for.  I just want him to be able to make the teams as he gets older, if that is where he really wants to put his effort.  I love living in a small town, because I think one of the advantages are that it is easier to be involved in the high school sports, and activities due to the small numbers.  But just since the good old days when I was in school, things have hit a new level of competition and it seems to start younger and younger.  Kaden hasn't been on the competitive end of things growing up and I worry he's almost to the age where he is too far behind from his peers. He tried out for the 6th grade traveling basketball team a couple weeks ago and didn't make it.  Kaden really is pretty smooth at making baskets.  He participated in the Jr. Jazz Fun Shot competition and he took 2nd place in his grade level.  He will go to Pleasant Grove on March 9th to compete.  Winners from there will get to shoot at a Jazz game half-time.  He is absolutely certain he is going to play for the NBA when he grows up:)  He asked the other night in all seriousness if he could go to college to be in the NBA.  I had to keep a straight face and reply that he needed to go to college to get an education to support his family with and he could play in the NBA on the side. 
To say the least- it will be interesting these next couple of years to see what he ends up doing.  He is a very smart, academic kid and is pretty natural at playing the piano.  He's got several great talents he can pursue and enjoy. 

Kinnli wanted me to take her picture just because...

The #1 Reason to say "NO" to screen time

The #1 reason , I believe, to say "No" to screen time is to save human relationships- real live human interaction.  AND the relationships and interactions with your children are the most important of all!

 

All too often screen time is used as a cheap and convenient babysitter so we as parents (myself included) can get something done or enjoy some peace and quiet.  As hard as it is to be truly present and put the "To Do" list aside- it is the most important thing we can do for our kids- Give them US, give them Our TIME! 

 

Below I quoted my favorite part of a blog entry from a mother I read a few weeks ago.  Other people are so talented at writing.  They share things I cannot write as well, but that I feel just as deeply.  I think the things she writes not only applies to boys and girls, but to teens, and adults all the same.  Although technology has opened many doors to communication, it has also put up a barrier to true human interaction. 

Here is the link to her full entry:
http://renee-robinson.com/a-letter-to-my-sons-the-real-reason-i-say-no-to-electronics/

When I tell you no to devices, I’m giving you a gift.  And I’m giving me a gift.  It’s a gift of relationship.  True human connection.  It’s precious and a treasure.  And you mean so much to me that I don’t want to miss a second of it.

I want to talk to you when we are out to eat.  I want to listen to your questions.  I want to have training opportunities.  I want to allow space for conversation that can take us deeper.  And if you are always distracted with electronics, well… I might miss those moments.

I could give you all the statistics about how damaging it is to your development, your attention span, your ability to learn.  While all of those are valid reasons to keep electronics away, that is not my primary reason why I say no to you so much.  It’s more than that.  Much more.  I need you to understand this.

When we are together, I want all of you.  The fullness of you.  I want to experience you. Truly experience you.  And I can’t do that with you when there is an electronic device between us. You see it acts as a barrier.  I want to see what brings life to those eyes.  I want to watch the wonder and magic dance across your face as you discover the wonders of this world.  I want to watch you as you figure things out.  I want to watch you process life, develop your thoughts. I want to know you.  I want to know your passions.  I want to watch you as you discover your God-given talents and gifts.  And when you hide behind a screen, I miss out on all of that. And my time with you….well it will be over in the blink of an eye.

I want to guide you into an understanding of life and who you are.  Boys, kids today are starved for attention, true connection and relationship.  I don’t want you to feel starved. That is why I say no.  I know that feeding the desire to play in your device is like giving you candy.  It satisfies for a moment but provides no long term nutrition.  It does more harm than good.

I don’t want to look back when I’m out of the trenches of child training and regret a second I had with you.  I don’t want to merely survive.  I want to thrive in this life with you.  We are in it together.  We are a family.

I can’t bear the thought of allowing you to miss out on the wonders and mysteries of this world. When you are transfixed on a screen, the beauty of this world will be lost to you.  In every moment beauty is waiting to be discovered.  I don’t want you to miss it.

I want you to be comfortable with yourself.  I want you not to feel a constant need to be entertained and distracted.  If you stay behind a screen, you never have to experience just being you, alone with your thoughts.  I want you to learn to think, to ponder life, to make discoveries, to create.  You have been gifted by God in unique ways.  I want those to bloom.  They can’t bloom in the glow of a screen.  They need life, real life, to bring them to light.

I want you to be confident in who you are.  I want you to be able to look people in the eyes and speak life into them.  If I allow you to live behind a screen, you get little practice relating eye to eye.  To truly know someone you have to look into their eyes.  It’s a window into their heart.  You see what can’t be seen in cyberspace.

This world needs more selflessness.  This world needs more connection.  This world needs more love.  We can’t learn these behind a screen.

I want to watch your face illuminated by the majesty of life – not the glow of a screen.