Lachoneus is 8 years old. He is typically satisfied with what Ster and I teach him. The answers we supply.
Tiberias is 6 years old and not as teachable. And this year he was asking the hard questions about Santa's existence. "If there is no such thing as real magic in the world then how does Santa's sleigh fly?!"
I never wanted to lie to my kids about Santa. Before Ster and I had to deal with this I knew we had to decide how we were going to do Christmas for the kids. I considered doing no Santa from the git go and focus on the true meanings of Christmas.
But in the end we decided that the best option was Santa Clause. Why? Because 1) most American children are taught about Santa in their own homes and any child who isn't taught that ruins the fun for other children. 2) It's fun to play that there is a Santa.
We only kept it going to long with Luke because he has this adorable child spirit and belief system. He is humble and teachable and happy.
So when Luke asked a couple years ago "Is Santa real?" I replied "Some people believe in Santa and some people don't. You decide what you believe." That worked great. He was happy and he chose to believe.
But this year both boys were pushing me to tell them the truth. Tiberias may be 6 but he is only in Kindergarten. I don't want him telling a single friend the truth about Santa!
So last night Sterling and I had a talk with the boys. I was nervous because I didn't want it to seem to them like "Hey boys, guess what, we have lied to you your whole life." I wanted it to be special like I have heard of other parents doing. A passing down a secret that only those old enough in spirit could be apart of and help keep the magic alive for the younger children.
So I made sure to do all the talking. I didn't tell Sterling that...I didn't want to hurt his feelings. But he is not as gentle about these sort of things.
My boys were not upset. They took it great and agreed to not tell other children. They agreed to help keep the magic alive for Athena, friends at school and cousins when we got to Grandma's soon.
I am so glad that is over!
And I am so proud of my boys.
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Poor Unhappy Tiberias
Tiberias has done so very well since school started. I'm talking about his behavior, how he reacts to situations. However, when we allow a lot of sugar into his diet his behavior goes immediately down hill again.
He always has this look on life that it's not fair. He makes an angry sound any time I say he needs to do something that he doesn't wish to do. If it's time to put on shoes to leave for school he gets angry. If it's time to go to bed...he gets angry.
But it's worse when he is on sugar. He can't control his actions so he throws anger fits. He is mad at everyone and the world should change to suite him.
I am very worried that he will have this his whole life. Sterling is not worried about it. We have tried and tried to teach him to be thankful, to be happy and act calmly. Impossible.
Some children have such strong wills and sense of being right that they are not teachable.
If it were another child, even Luke or Athena, they would learn and grow from what we are trying to teach. But Tiberias is not one of those children.
I bet in life his will and stubbornness and confidence in himself will help him with some things. However, not being teachable is a fault. And looking at life as not being fair and that IT should change for him. Those two things will really be a negative in his adult life.
We continue to try and teach Ty to be happy. However, I pray that as he gets older he will realize it on his own and be able to change so he can be happy with life. He learns about life only when it seems to him that he taught himself. He trusts himself.
He always has this look on life that it's not fair. He makes an angry sound any time I say he needs to do something that he doesn't wish to do. If it's time to put on shoes to leave for school he gets angry. If it's time to go to bed...he gets angry.
But it's worse when he is on sugar. He can't control his actions so he throws anger fits. He is mad at everyone and the world should change to suite him.
I am very worried that he will have this his whole life. Sterling is not worried about it. We have tried and tried to teach him to be thankful, to be happy and act calmly. Impossible.
Some children have such strong wills and sense of being right that they are not teachable.
If it were another child, even Luke or Athena, they would learn and grow from what we are trying to teach. But Tiberias is not one of those children.
I bet in life his will and stubbornness and confidence in himself will help him with some things. However, not being teachable is a fault. And looking at life as not being fair and that IT should change for him. Those two things will really be a negative in his adult life.
We continue to try and teach Ty to be happy. However, I pray that as he gets older he will realize it on his own and be able to change so he can be happy with life. He learns about life only when it seems to him that he taught himself. He trusts himself.
Saturday, October 29, 2016
Trunk or Treat/Ty's 1st Sleepover
Sterling and I planned a date to see GhostBusters in the base theater. The military theater is free of charge and plays movies that are no longer in regular theaters.
However, the ward Trunk or Treat date moved from mid October to the same night the base theater is playing the movie. So we decided to kill two birds with one stone...give each child to a different family who is going to the Trunk or Treat. That way we have babysitters for our movie and the kids still get to attend the Trunk or Treat that Ster and I don't care to attend.
Luke went to Logan Stone's house. Tiberias went to Eli Hickman's house. Athena went to Chloe Duvorak's.
Luke and Ty decided to be Power Rangers for the Trunk or Treat. To match. So I decided Athena would be adorable being a Power Ranger too. Then people would know they belong to the same family. Unfortunately I didn't have a Dino Charge Power Ranger costume for Athena to really match her brothers. But it's cute still.
Before the party we all went as a family to have dinner at Sam's Club. We bought a delicious pizza and ate there. Then we rushed home to get costumes on, take a portrait and get the kids to their friends' homes.
Ster and I enjoyed a movie out without the kids. We went home as the church party was ending. So Athena was dropped off at our house as soon as we got home. Luke came home a little later. And Tiberias was at his first ever sleepover.
One time, I think at the Stone's house, Luke tried having his first ever sleepover. He ended up coming up before midnight.
So he might have been the age Ty is now.
Tiberias is great at sleeping at night. So I thought he would do fine. He doesn't need music to sleep. He just needs a nightlight (preferably his own...one that doesn't create scary shadows around the room).
Sterling and I were still awake when the Hickmans called last night. Tiberias was sleepwalking. He was apparently trying to find the restroom. He went downstairs, walking in circles mumbling and laughing. Then he peed his pants.
He did that once before at home a couple months ago. Ster and I were watching tv that time and Ty came out sleepwalking and mumbling. He got to outside the bathroom then didn't go in but kept moving around. Then he peed his pants. That woke him up.
This time Ster went over to the Hickmans. By the time he got there (it's only a five minute drive) Ty was changed and asleep. So Ster just brought his peed clothing home and left Ty there. It's now 10:40am the next day. Ty made it through his first night at a sleepover. I hope he had a lot of fun.
However, the ward Trunk or Treat date moved from mid October to the same night the base theater is playing the movie. So we decided to kill two birds with one stone...give each child to a different family who is going to the Trunk or Treat. That way we have babysitters for our movie and the kids still get to attend the Trunk or Treat that Ster and I don't care to attend.
Luke went to Logan Stone's house. Tiberias went to Eli Hickman's house. Athena went to Chloe Duvorak's.
Luke and Ty decided to be Power Rangers for the Trunk or Treat. To match. So I decided Athena would be adorable being a Power Ranger too. Then people would know they belong to the same family. Unfortunately I didn't have a Dino Charge Power Ranger costume for Athena to really match her brothers. But it's cute still.
Before the party we all went as a family to have dinner at Sam's Club. We bought a delicious pizza and ate there. Then we rushed home to get costumes on, take a portrait and get the kids to their friends' homes.
Ster and I enjoyed a movie out without the kids. We went home as the church party was ending. So Athena was dropped off at our house as soon as we got home. Luke came home a little later. And Tiberias was at his first ever sleepover.
One time, I think at the Stone's house, Luke tried having his first ever sleepover. He ended up coming up before midnight.
So he might have been the age Ty is now.
Tiberias is great at sleeping at night. So I thought he would do fine. He doesn't need music to sleep. He just needs a nightlight (preferably his own...one that doesn't create scary shadows around the room).
Sterling and I were still awake when the Hickmans called last night. Tiberias was sleepwalking. He was apparently trying to find the restroom. He went downstairs, walking in circles mumbling and laughing. Then he peed his pants.
He did that once before at home a couple months ago. Ster and I were watching tv that time and Ty came out sleepwalking and mumbling. He got to outside the bathroom then didn't go in but kept moving around. Then he peed his pants. That woke him up.
This time Ster went over to the Hickmans. By the time he got there (it's only a five minute drive) Ty was changed and asleep. So Ster just brought his peed clothing home and left Ty there. It's now 10:40am the next day. Ty made it through his first night at a sleepover. I hope he had a lot of fun.
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
What I Want Them To Know Before...
What I want my children to know before they have children of their own...
Children will ruin anything in any room. You can't have nice stuff. We tried, your dad and I. We bought nice stuff and tried to teach our children to be careful. But children are UNABLE to be careful.
This morning Athena walked into the laundry to and tripped. As she fell forward she grabbed the washer liquid dispenser drawer, pulling it completely out of the washer. Unfortunately it was filled with bleach ...and the bleach flew all over the floor and the laundry that was laying in a pile on the floor. It did not get on Athena, except her feet when she stood up...because it was all over the floor!
Why did I have so much bleach? Because I was running a load of only bleach to clean out the washer so it would smell nice again.
Now, the laundry which became drenched in bleach was whites and few kitchen towels. Unfortunatley the load still had an hour left to clean. The best I could do was shut off the machine and turn it back on , this time, to a short wash. 15 mins.
The bleach had also spilled on a big garbage bag of clean sheets. Luckily the sheets are to our old bed and don't fit our new bed. So I was saving the sheets as fabric anyway. But the big bag sitting in a pile of bleach made the cleanup worse.
And outside of the laundry we find...carpet. Athena and I were bleach footed in the laundryroom and needed to somehow get to the bathroom to wash it off...without ruining the carpet in the hall.
I took two kitchen towels that were not wet with bleach and laid them one in front of the other on the carpet outside the laundryroom. Athena and I stepped from one to the next and lifted the one from behind us to place it in front of us. We made it to the bathroom. But I was not happy.
This lesson you must learn as a parent:
Children are dangerous in any room! However, we cannot simply ban them from every room.
Even if they are only in a room for 10 seconds they could destroy something.
We cannot avoid every situation. We may not even be able to imagine every possible disastrous scenario. But, we can write about them. And make sure our children know when they are grown how horrible they were. Because all children are horrible even if they don't mean to be. Some however, some children are angels more often and easier than others. I did not get any angel children. lol
But they do try. They try to be good and I love them for it. I love their efforts.
I love their talents. I love their kindness and sweetness. I love their souls.
I thought I knew, before I had children, what being a mother would be like. I had no idea. I had no idea how hard it would be to raise successful, healthy and amazing human beings. And I have hope that all three of mine will be just that. But it is the most challenging thing in the universe! To figure out what is best for each individual child. To figure out how to teach your children in every situation. Life raising children is always changing. They are always moving to a new level of learning and new struggles.
One day you will all be grown and the hard part of my job will be done. I will still guide you and love you and help you. I look forward to then...but I am enjoying the journey there.
Children will ruin anything in any room. You can't have nice stuff. We tried, your dad and I. We bought nice stuff and tried to teach our children to be careful. But children are UNABLE to be careful.
This morning Athena walked into the laundry to and tripped. As she fell forward she grabbed the washer liquid dispenser drawer, pulling it completely out of the washer. Unfortunately it was filled with bleach ...and the bleach flew all over the floor and the laundry that was laying in a pile on the floor. It did not get on Athena, except her feet when she stood up...because it was all over the floor!
Why did I have so much bleach? Because I was running a load of only bleach to clean out the washer so it would smell nice again.
Now, the laundry which became drenched in bleach was whites and few kitchen towels. Unfortunatley the load still had an hour left to clean. The best I could do was shut off the machine and turn it back on , this time, to a short wash. 15 mins.
The bleach had also spilled on a big garbage bag of clean sheets. Luckily the sheets are to our old bed and don't fit our new bed. So I was saving the sheets as fabric anyway. But the big bag sitting in a pile of bleach made the cleanup worse.
And outside of the laundry we find...carpet. Athena and I were bleach footed in the laundryroom and needed to somehow get to the bathroom to wash it off...without ruining the carpet in the hall.
I took two kitchen towels that were not wet with bleach and laid them one in front of the other on the carpet outside the laundryroom. Athena and I stepped from one to the next and lifted the one from behind us to place it in front of us. We made it to the bathroom. But I was not happy.
This lesson you must learn as a parent:
Children are dangerous in any room! However, we cannot simply ban them from every room.
Even if they are only in a room for 10 seconds they could destroy something.
We cannot avoid every situation. We may not even be able to imagine every possible disastrous scenario. But, we can write about them. And make sure our children know when they are grown how horrible they were. Because all children are horrible even if they don't mean to be. Some however, some children are angels more often and easier than others. I did not get any angel children. lol
But they do try. They try to be good and I love them for it. I love their efforts.
I love their talents. I love their kindness and sweetness. I love their souls.
I thought I knew, before I had children, what being a mother would be like. I had no idea. I had no idea how hard it would be to raise successful, healthy and amazing human beings. And I have hope that all three of mine will be just that. But it is the most challenging thing in the universe! To figure out what is best for each individual child. To figure out how to teach your children in every situation. Life raising children is always changing. They are always moving to a new level of learning and new struggles.
One day you will all be grown and the hard part of my job will be done. I will still guide you and love you and help you. I look forward to then...but I am enjoying the journey there.
Friday, September 16, 2016
My 3 Children
Tiberias is doing great. His behavior has vastly improved since the Summer began. I know it has to do with his diet. Keeping his sugar intake to a minimum.
Athena has discovered she loves being naked. She will take her clothes off if she is left alone anywhere. Outside, in the tv room, etc. She loves watching tv naked in her blankie. And any time I allow her to go outside to play she almost immediately takes off her clothes and pees and poops in her playhouse. Why?! I am at a loss. I can't figure out how to convince her to use only the toilet and keep her clothes on.
Luke has joined Scouts since he turned 8. That is really fun. I even taught his last scout meeting. We played a bunch of games the book requires. He is learning the Scout Oath. And has started working on his Duty To God pamphlet too. He is excited to earn awards and badges.
Athena has discovered she loves being naked. She will take her clothes off if she is left alone anywhere. Outside, in the tv room, etc. She loves watching tv naked in her blankie. And any time I allow her to go outside to play she almost immediately takes off her clothes and pees and poops in her playhouse. Why?! I am at a loss. I can't figure out how to convince her to use only the toilet and keep her clothes on.
Luke has joined Scouts since he turned 8. That is really fun. I even taught his last scout meeting. We played a bunch of games the book requires. He is learning the Scout Oath. And has started working on his Duty To God pamphlet too. He is excited to earn awards and badges.
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