Tag: kids
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Parent free
An interaction with Emma encapsulates our boundary-free and authority-free culture. She asked this evening if we could make a cobbler since we had the ingredients available. I told her it was too late in the evening and said we could do that tomorrow. Teen minutes later she came back and asked me “so, what about…
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Stop helping
Laura us complaining that I am exhausted to the point of shouting at the kids. She says that she has been helping as much as possible but that at this point I need to figure out how to get a rest. The train I am so exhausted us because she is almost never helping while…
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Children and Youth
President Nelson “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” This is at the heart of the new youth program. This is going to be VERY INDIVIDUALIZED. To the parents: Please build strong relationships with your children. … Resist the temptation to take over for them. President Ballard…
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Adopted
Laura’s cousin Allison joined the family reunion this year. Her daughter Kathryn was playing catch with my girls and I joined the game. As we were playing she started calling me “Dad” and either Savannah it Alyssa responded with “why are you calling him ‘Dad’? He’s my dad not yours.” Katherine answered “everyone else is…
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Signs of growth
About 10 seconds after taking the sacrament bread Ezra leaned into me and whispered “Dad, I’m going to be good from now on.” When I asked him why he said “because I want to.” I don’t know what he felt but clearly he had some kind of experience during the sacrament today. I was proud…
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Car show
We managed to get out to the Cedar Hills Classic Car show this evening with the 4 youngest kids. It was fun seeing many old and/or beautiful cars. There was even one guy who encouraged the kids to get into his old truck (so long as they didn’t knock it out of gear). The kids…
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Home: a place of Belonging
I was very touched by Elder Carl B Cook’s talk from priesthood session. He spoke of strong quorums but I saw a description of what this family need to become. If like to make the following statement prominent in our family culture: The Lord would have you establish a place of belonging for each and…
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Cleaning and movies
We are trying a new tradition of cleaning the whole house every evening followed by a movie before bed. This is the second night so we still have links to work out but it is hopefully a way to encourage daily work and consistent tidiness while drawing the kids toward the family.
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Surveillance
The security cameras I ordered arrived today. Not 15 minutes after I set the one up in the garage I caught footage of Ezra and Noah opening both the fridge and the freezer. We have long known that the boys get into the outside fridge and freezer but it might have been happening much more…
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April…no foolin’
Today after work Laura asked me to take the kids to the park and the boys wanted to ride to Art Dye park. I took Emma’s bike in the van and told Ezra that he couldn’t ride the scooter all the way to the park and off we went. Emma told me she didn’t want…