sock jars

Dallan, Oct 25, 2009
Well I taught the lesson in RS today and nobody threw any rotten Tomatoes my direction so hopefully I did an Okay job. The lesson was Elder Cooks talk on how our Heavenly Fathers plan is big enough for all of us. Most of the talk centers on different Stumbling blocks. It was hard to work together the two ideas. Elder Cook did it well. I am not sure I taught the lesson half so well. I guess that is why he is the Apostle and I am in the cub scouts.
Speaking of Cub scouts this week was pack night and the theme was Jungle safari. Part of the night was a skit in which the cub master and myself took the boys in a “jeep” on a safari and learned about different values. Stiles was able to help me make the “jeep” we used a box that Jon gets siding in and with some paint and scissors we made a fun prop for the skit. Stiles was able to pass off that part in his scouting book and I didn’t try to control him the whole time. (it was a camouflage jeep so letting him paint it wasn’t so bad)
Marcus spent most of the week sick. He came home from School on Monday and complained of a headache. Then he spiked a fever. I kept him home from school on Tuesday and Wednesday. Sent him to school on Thursday and Friday and the School sent him back home on Friday about noon. When I went to pick him up on Friday the secretary at the school said that half of the 4th grade was out sick and a lot of the rest of the school was out sick as well. The Swine flu has caught up to us in Idaho. I don’t think Marcus had it. He had no respiratory issues. But we are not holding our breath that we will get away with it. Or rather we are holding our breath trying not to get it.
Erica’s gouge above he eye is healing up quite nicely. She is really enjoying school and is beginning to pick up on the stuff she is being taught. Right now they are on the letter A and she is not quite sure why the small letter a in type looks nothing like what her teacher showed her they look like. It is no wonder that our kids have a heck of a time learning anything. Everything is backwards and upside down.
Hunter has managed to survive another week. No speech breakthroughs though. Although he did sit on the potty and grunt once or twice. I think the novelty of having his brothers and sister go off to school is beginning to lose its charm. Mostly because instead of sitting still and bumming around the house with mom and her fuzzy pink bathrobe, mom is in crisis cleaning mode and gives little attention to anything else. Now he is suppose to entertain himself and not mess anything up- a very hard combination for my Hunter.
William is taking more and more wobbly steps and thinks that pointing out noses’ is the funniest game in the entire world. He is a master cruiser at going down the stairs and Manages to follow Hunter right out the door. I have found him outside, more that once, with little more than a diaper, hanging out with the cat and the chickens. He is so happy to be able to move around the house and I have to keep abs on him because he can get lost pretty fast and plug yet another toilet. Yes we are back down to one toilet we thought we had three just yesterday but then William came along -AGAIN. “Honey better pick up a few more Wax rings at the home depot , William has been practicing his TP dispensing skills again.”
Wyatt and I are still going the rounds with nursing. He was suppose to see the DR this week but then Marcus was sick so we rescheduled. I am on some drugs to help my milk come in and it seems to help. He is pretty easy going and we are in a pretty good groove-maybe. Last night was a LONG night but that is part of the whole parenting GIG. All in all he seems to be putting on weight and that is a relief to me.
Jon is getting all geared up to start his deer hunt on the river. Yesterday we loaded up and drove to the Blackfoot area and scouted for Deer. I saw them first (Jon’s eyes are getting really bad) and we watched about 15 deer run across a field as the sun was setting. I thought the Sunset was much more cool to watch than the deer, but everybody else thought the deer were way cool.
I introduced my children to sock and shoe jars. Every week I add 25 cents to each child’s jar. Then if I have to pick up socks or shoes during the week I charge the owner 1 penny per sock and 2 pennies for each shoe. I charge double if I remind the child to pick up the shoes and / or socks and nothing is done about the footwear. Now shoes and socks do have away places in their bedrooms but I do not charge if the socks and shoes are in the owners bedroom. Most socks and shoes are just barely inside the door of the bedrooms but I have been told by my children that they are “safe” and I can not charge for them. This week I am going to start charging for coats and backpacks. Maybe eventually my kids will learn to pick up after them selves.
The church is true. I am very proud of you and your example to me and my children. It is So important for My son’s to see their Uncle serve a mission and have the opportunity to pray for you daily it is a blessing for my family that I am sure even I do not comprehend. Thank You Thank You!
Love Monica and the pokey little people at the Woodin Nickel