Halloween Crafts

I didn't want Melanie to feel alone in her bagging's, so here are the crafts we have been doing on Friday's of this Halloween month.

Don't I have great ideas! I love the warts on the witches!! Who said you have to have money to have you house decorated cutely?!?! Also notice the googly eyes on the bats.

Today the girls made crowns for their costumes tonight. You will have to wait until later to see them because A.) the glue is still wet and runny

B.) you will see it when the kids are all dressed up and ready for trick or treating!

Yesterday NJ was sick with the flu but today she feels much better. What a bummer to be sick on a day off of school! I'm hoping that none of the other kids get sick. Imagine having the flu for Halloween NO! On second thought don't think about having the flu of Halloween. It is truly a scary thought.

Oh! by the way. NJ has the hiccups and she said it is because she is just a little (holding up a infinitesimal gap between her thumb and pointer finger) sick.

Soccer

I'm sorry that I am behind in my blogs. My excuse is my level of activity. It has been the kind of busy that does not leave time for me to sit around feeling sorry for myself. Last week was full of this awesome kind of busy and I have pictures from a totally wicked Halloween party. Don't worry it was family friendly!! I will post those pictures later. The reason the soccer post is first (though it was one day later) is because it felt easier. Plus what can be more important then soccer, besides working off the previous night's cookies, pies, candy, and doughnuts? It was really cold on Saturday. Brr! You will have to look under their coats and jackets to see the jersey color. I coached the blue team.
NJ is the one in the light pink jacket. NJ does a really good job of running back and kicking the ball away from the goal. Last year she would hurry and stand in front of the little goal so that the ball could not get past her, but this year she has really improved in her understanding of the game.
The one skill that seems to be the hardest to learn (besides passing) is being able to quickly change the direction of the ball or to turn it around. A lot of time our team scored on themselves. But we clapped and cheered them on just the same.

This is me trying to be the bossy coach and tell NJ where she should stand. She mostly likes to do her own thing. One thing about NJ is she is very competitive, so that I don't have to be running around trying to keep her engaged in the game. There was a few this year that I would have to refocus.

"No we are not playing monster! Please get up off the ground! Hey no playing in the nets!!! Stop! Come back!! Where are you going? COOOOMMMMEEE BACK! You just took a water break. Can't you wait until the ball goes out again? Yes I saw that big kick. Good job! "

The cutest thing was when they backed up 10 feet to kick the ball really hard. It mostly threw them off, but at least I could tell that the were planning a HUGE kick!

The most rewarding aspect of coaching was seeing the players improve. It may not necessarily be in terms of soccer skills, but in how they related to the other players or just their confidence in their own abilities. I loved it when a big smile would cover their face and they jumped up and down with excitement. "I did it coach! I did it!"

I have a drawn picture from one of my players. It is a picture of him and I playing soccer. That is why I coach, so that they can have fun playing the best sport in the world!

The man child is stuck

On a lighter note then today's earlier blog.
Banana came up stairs to get me today. She told me that the man child was stuck in the laundry room.
Do you think I should turn on the fluff or do we have enough silliness in this family?

Wednesday write-up

On mornings when I can not seem to get going on my story, I open up a new page and just start to write. Sometimes it make sense; other times it's just ranting and raving. Once in a while it ends up being something I can use in my book. I decided to post this one because I did go to all the work to look up scriptures. There is a saying, "If you wrote today, then you are a writer." I hope grocery lists count!

It has been a week and I need to make a post. If I don’t then I might get out of the habit, and since I love reading other peoples blogs I feel I have a duty to keep up mine. At least it is not like having to clean your house when other people come. Why is it that as women, our self-worth is attached to the cleanliness of our homes?
We understand that our homes should be like a temple and that God is orderly. Then how come no matter how hard I work, the laundry and dishes are never done and the messes always seem to magically appear. What is it that we should learn from the polar opposites of what it real (realistic) and perfection.

Our home is like the temple:

After reading nearly 500 pages of neglect, grief and dealing with emotional trauma in Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, the book ends happily with the marriage between Jane and her Mr. Rochester. The ending is worth the wait.
She states, “I hold myself supremely blest-blest beyond what language can express, because I am my husband’s life as fully as he is mine…” Our homes are where this happy ending begins.
Not only can marriage last beyond the grave for us as couples, but also for children and siblings brought into this relationship. Home is where eternal families are made, taught and nourished.

God also stated in Eccl 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
This is a season and time when my house is going to be messy. My focus is on teaching and nourishing little spirits. That takes a lot of time and effort. And when I use the word effort I mean, spiritual, physically and mentally.

D&C 4:2: Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day. Whether we are raising children of our own, as members of a family are we not doing the work of God as we strive to have or continue our forever family?
“Only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness.” Bible dictionary (p.781)
We need to understand that these small mundane tasks are “sacred” and that they do not “get in the way” of the sacredness of our homes.

In an Essay by Kristine Manwaring, she begins expressing her discouragement in the daily routines of motherhood: three meals a day, soccer practice, dirty laundry. The connection between eternal life and daily life…escapes me… When I think of “sacredness” I think of temples…white couches, hushed voices, crystal chandeliers, and uninterrupted worship… Homes, on the other hand, are noisy, messy and often disorganized, and characterized by nothing but interruptions. But when we look on Christ’s life, he also took care of others physical needs along with their spiritual needs. Family work and talking care of life-sustaining tasks helps to bind family member.

When work is done together as a family, it gives a great opportunity for parent and child discussion and great teaching moments. When we realized that mundane tasks, such as like folding laundry, putting away dishes, picking up toys, help the child/parent relationship feel equal. The child feels a sense of family unity, involvement and needed. As an adult it teaches us humility and to not feel above these simple and repetitive tasks.

Matthew 25: 35-40
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

When I think of these scriptures the first thought is of those outside my family, when actually the first people we should be serving are those within our own families. Then as a Mother am I not doing this every single day?! What more could be important and sacred then this?