Ending the week

Dearest of the dearest deary dears,

I have had another busy day starting with getting the kids out the door and working out. I came straight home and showered and headed to parent preschool. I enjoy the class there it is a seminar about "Love and Logic" I have always related with this program and tried to implement many of their practices. Today we talked about allowing children to make their own choices and take ownership of their decisions. There are 5 steps when your child has a choice to make.

1. show genuine empathy - if they get called a name, they broke something, they want something

2. Ask them what they are going to do about it- this will almost always be "I don't know"

3. Get permission to give some suggestions - Some kids might... start with a bad idea because the first suggestion will always be thrown out.

4. Ask if they have a plan

5. encourage them in their plan and say "let me know how it goes"

I definitely want our kids to feel like they can come to us in any situation and that we will be there to guide them through any situation. Not to solve their problems but to help them work through something. There is so much fear in parenting knowing that we are totally screwing it up is always in the back of my mind but I am also hopeful that they are strong enough to overcome our parenting and see some good in what we are trying to do for them.

I finished Austyns bag and am now done all the bags i set out to do and only have two more pony hats to finish and the rest of the other costumes but it seems to be coming along well enough. I really just want to get it finished so it will be off my mind but it is nice to have a project at the same time.

I did workout, and practiced the piano with Izaac and Cora, Izaac finally played Mary had a little lamb all the way through correctly. It was awesome. I hope he continues to practice and sees little victories as he goes. Cora needs to straighten her fingers as she can barely push down the keys:) she is doing really well also and has most of the song down. She is doing well also.

Tomorrow I am going to workout, read scriptures for 20min, practice Piano, and enjoy our amazing children.

I am looking back at the day that seems so ordinary and looking for evidence of the Lord in my life. I am feeling a little distant and I know it is because I haven't been studying my scriptures. I have a desire to desire this but putting it into practice seems far away. I did listen to Elder Clarks conference talk about trusting in the hand of the Lord and I enjoyed it. There is just a difference in enjoying a talk and truly letting it change your heart. I did ponder that talk on the way to cutbank and felt the spirit of it but now am trying to bring back the inspirations I had had so I can act upon them. I have resolved to be consistent in reading and more important studying and will let you know how it goes.

I love you and am so thankful I got to talk to you tonight. Hearing your voice calms my nerves and brings me peace. I love you! do I say that enough?? cuz I do!

Love your adamant admirer