Its A Privilege, Not A Right

I had to wait until I was 12 to get my ears pierced. Remember this was back in 1978 and it was a bit more "taboo" than it is today. My sisters children follow this rule. However, I had changed my mind and said my girls could do it at 8 when they get baptized and are accountable for their decisions. Haylie has been talking about this for months. She is so tired of buying clip-on earrings at Claires. But whoa is Haylie. We have been having issues with her stealing ("borrowing in her mind") from others for quite awhile. Nothing seemed to be important enough for her to stop, not treats, not cash, not grounding, not taking away privileges, not anything. We couldn't find something that she felt strong enough about. Until the ear piercing. Her 8th birthday is in 16 days. And she is not going to have the privilege of piercing her ears. See, I don't feel this is a "right" just because you are a girl. This is a privilege that has to be earned. So she now has to go 6 months without taking anything. It can't be from me, her dad, her sister, her friends, no one. We have made her a 12 month calendar and will mark off the days until that 6 months is up. Each time she comes home with something that does not belong to her, an additional day will be added. And fortunately for us, we know all her hiding places. I hope that this will instill in her the seriousness of her actions.

We've Got a Middle Schooler!

Olathe School District is changing from 7/9 junior high to 6/8 format for middle school next year. I think I am more excited than Savannah is. She is anxious for her own locker and lunchtime. Go Timberwolves!

Stop Babying Your Missionary (or any child for that matter)

I love this article. We get a paper called the Mormon Times delivered with our weekly Church News and this article was in it so I thought I'd share it will all you mothers out there. It was specifically aimed toward male missionaries but it is a valid arguement for any child to make them be a functioning (and independent) member of society. I won't bore you with the entire article just the points I thought were awesome. "The best way to help prepare a young man for a mission is to stop doing his laundry, cooking for him, and cleaning up after him. So says a Mormon cleaning guru who's built a successful career on correct cleaning principles. Don Aslett, a former bishop in the Marsh Creek Ward in the McCammon Idaho Stake - who at 74 has more than 50 years of experience teaching people to clean efficiently and well - said it does missionaries no good to be babied. One year before their mission, quit doing their laundry, cooking their meals, clipping their toenails. Cease all tending to their every need. The worst thing you can do is protect and insulate them. Change the meaning of CTR to Clean The Room. Those who keep their physical house in order keep their spiritual houses in order. The Holy Ghost doesn't want to stick around where it's messy and dirty, there's a huge carryover from clean to conduct. If you're big enough to make the mess, you're big enough to clean it up. If they are taught from childhood to be responsible for themselves, they have much more successful missions and marriages. Teach your children that "I am responsible for my own outcome in spirituality, finances, health, everything"". The only thing I don't agree with is the timing. I was responsible for doing my own laundry once I hit high school, and my daughters who are 10 and 7 help me cook dinner fairly often. My oldest can make a dinner meal from start to finish on her own. So I feel all the laundry, cooking, and cleaning needs to stop WAY before they hit missionary age.

A Dream Come True

I know it is way early to blog about something like this, but I am so excited. I am finally going to be able to be at Disneyland during the holidays when they have all their Christmas decorations up. We always go in Sept because there are no crowds. However, we have done the Halloween thing once and the park is spectacularly decorated, but I've always heard that with their Christmas decorations its just all the more magical. So in deciding what we're going to do with my husbands 7 weeks of vacation this year we decided going during Thanksgiving would work. Disney has their holiday decor up from the 2nd Saturday in November until the 1st Sunday in January. So not only going during Thanksgiving week we get to experience the magic but the girls would only miss 2 days of school as opposed to 5. What a bonus. So let the countdown begin! --->>>>>

Really? Seriously?

Anybody want any of our snow? You can have it. Really.