The thing I am most thankful for is family.
Friday, November 1, 2013
Halloween 2013
This year was quite different. I usually take the preschoolers to the Pumpkin Walk during preschool. So this year it was strange to only go once, and only at night.
Daddy helped the kids finish their Jack-O-Lanterns. I did the guts, he can do the precision work.
Also, the girls all dressed up as the same thing. Master J was a "Grim Reaper", Master A a Plague Doctor, and the Misses were Vampires.
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| Riding the bus to the Pumpkin Walk |
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| Misses A and K hiding from the camera!! |
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| Posing with cousins |
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| Miss K had to have a photo-op in the Pumpkin's mouth |
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| Little House on the Prairie |
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| Super Mario |
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| Princess Bride |
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| Pixar!! |
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| Star Wars |
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| How many Minions tall are you? |
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| Dad helping Miss E carve her pumpkin |
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| Miss K spent so much time on Hello Kitty |
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| Miss D |
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| Master A |
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| Master J |
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| Master A's 30 Seconds to Mars |
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| Miss E |
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| Thank you so much, Sir Spoil-Her-Highness |
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| Miss K |
Also, the girls all dressed up as the same thing. Master J was a "Grim Reaper", Master A a Plague Doctor, and the Misses were Vampires.
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| Doctor A |
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Sunday, October 13, 2013
Home Teaching
As some of you heard in conference, home teaching numbers are down quite a bit. When I first heard this about our ward, I was reminded of a story my grandmother told. I'm not sure if it was something she or a friend did, but it is quite a brilliant idea.
At the beginning of the month they would make a cake. When the Home Teachers came, they would serve the cake. It didn't matter if it was the beginning of the month or the end. If they didn't come, the cake was delivered to them. Not sure if it was a piece or what.
We tried this in August, with the support of his wife. It worked. After not having Home Teachers but a handful of times since moving in 11 years ago, they came. Hoping this will continue to be a good motivation in the coming months.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
What is Bullying & How to Stop It
So as I have been praying, doing research, and thinking about our situation. Obviously most resources I googled are not from lds.org. So this morning I decided to only search the church's site. Here are the articles I came across that have quite a bit of information to help us help our Miss K.
The first one is from the Friend Magazine. I felt this one helped quite a bit, since in elementary school, bullying is different from the middle or high schools. It is titled Stop Bullying Now by Hilary M Hendricks.
It discusses what constitutes bullying. "Bullying is hurting others by scaring them, leaving them out, making fun of them, using mean words, or harming them physically."
It then gives steps a child can take to help.
1. Tell an adult.
2. Stay in safe places.
3. Tell the bully to stop.
4. Remember your worth as a Child of God.
There are also things to do if you see a bully situation that you want to stop.
1. Don't go along. (Boy, this one seems to be what DOES happen quite often. Sometimes we may feel that if we don't go along, the bully will turn on us.)
2. Tell the bully to stop.
3. Tell an adult.
4. Be a friend. (I know from my own experiences that just having a friend who I could team up with, made the bully lose their power over us.)
The next article is from the New Era. This is basically the same advice, just at a more mature level. How to Beat Bullying. "Matt Watson, a therapist with LDS Family Services, says a behavior can be called bullying “when there’s fear and intimidation or when someone says ‘Stop,’ but the behavior continues. There’s no acknowledgment of the victim’s feelings.” Bullying can make people feel worthless, friendless, and alone."
I was surprised that the advice given was similar, with a few exceptions, for teens.
What others can do.
1. Say something.
2. Tell an adult.
3. Reach out.
If you are being bullied.
1. Try to appear calm and confident.
2. Tell an adult.
3. Avoid being alone.
4. Don't blame yourself.
5. Forgive.
Pin It
The first one is from the Friend Magazine. I felt this one helped quite a bit, since in elementary school, bullying is different from the middle or high schools. It is titled Stop Bullying Now by Hilary M Hendricks.
It discusses what constitutes bullying. "Bullying is hurting others by scaring them, leaving them out, making fun of them, using mean words, or harming them physically."
It then gives steps a child can take to help.
1. Tell an adult.
2. Stay in safe places.
3. Tell the bully to stop.
4. Remember your worth as a Child of God.
There are also things to do if you see a bully situation that you want to stop.
1. Don't go along. (Boy, this one seems to be what DOES happen quite often. Sometimes we may feel that if we don't go along, the bully will turn on us.)
2. Tell the bully to stop.
3. Tell an adult.
4. Be a friend. (I know from my own experiences that just having a friend who I could team up with, made the bully lose their power over us.)
The next article is from the New Era. This is basically the same advice, just at a more mature level. How to Beat Bullying. "Matt Watson, a therapist with LDS Family Services, says a behavior can be called bullying “when there’s fear and intimidation or when someone says ‘Stop,’ but the behavior continues. There’s no acknowledgment of the victim’s feelings.” Bullying can make people feel worthless, friendless, and alone."
I was surprised that the advice given was similar, with a few exceptions, for teens.
What others can do.
1. Say something.
2. Tell an adult.
3. Reach out.
If you are being bullied.
1. Try to appear calm and confident.
2. Tell an adult.
3. Avoid being alone.
4. Don't blame yourself.
5. Forgive.
Pin It
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
The Saga Continues...
The saga of the Bullying has continued.
A week after Miss K came home telling us about the bullying situation, I recieved an email message from her teacher. This told me two things.
1) She has a super perceptive teacher. I am so grateful for her. I love her, and so does Miss K.
2) This is a real problem. Not just something that is being blown out of proportion. If a teacher is noticing such things, they are real.
We have been discussing the occurrences each day. How was the day. What did so and so say? How did you handle it? What did you say? What can you do or say to make the situation more happy for all involved?
I also have been wondering what I should do. Should I talk to the other parents? Should I just hope that things get better. Gorgeous Graduate, who was bullied, said that this is exactly how things began for her. First it was one friend in the ward. Then it lead to another friend, and another, until she felt it was the whole school. I did, at the time, speak with one of the parents, who I felt comfortable discussing this with. She said she had already seen a problem, but nothing she did or said seemed to work. She had also spoken with another parent whose child was acting the same way.
Okay, so I will not go into more of that, just to say that I DO NOT want Miss K to feel the same way Gorgeous Graduate felt.
Sir Spoil-Her-Highness was against talking to anyone, but I told him I felt I should. So this morning, while getting ready to head out for a run with my running mates, I asked their opinion. It was a resounding, instant, "Yes! Speak to the parents and do it soon. Do not wait to see what happens. It must be stopped. Now!"
So I did something that was so super hard. I spoke with a wonderful friend and told them I needed help with this situation. I needed the bullying to stop. I will speak to the other parent tomorrow and have the same discussion. (Yeah, it was a CRAZY day and I wasn't able to get the other call made.)
Miss K has been going to school happily (and on time, I might add, as opposed to last year, which was half an hour late.) I did not want the same fight we had last year. It was so hard to have this discussion. But I think that now it will help.
I am going to let Miss K's teacher know that I have spoken with the parents, and to let me know if this has helped or made things worse. I am hoping for it to help.
We shall see...
Pardon the run on sentences. Pin It
A week after Miss K came home telling us about the bullying situation, I recieved an email message from her teacher. This told me two things.
1) She has a super perceptive teacher. I am so grateful for her. I love her, and so does Miss K.
2) This is a real problem. Not just something that is being blown out of proportion. If a teacher is noticing such things, they are real.
We have been discussing the occurrences each day. How was the day. What did so and so say? How did you handle it? What did you say? What can you do or say to make the situation more happy for all involved?
I also have been wondering what I should do. Should I talk to the other parents? Should I just hope that things get better. Gorgeous Graduate, who was bullied, said that this is exactly how things began for her. First it was one friend in the ward. Then it lead to another friend, and another, until she felt it was the whole school. I did, at the time, speak with one of the parents, who I felt comfortable discussing this with. She said she had already seen a problem, but nothing she did or said seemed to work. She had also spoken with another parent whose child was acting the same way.
Okay, so I will not go into more of that, just to say that I DO NOT want Miss K to feel the same way Gorgeous Graduate felt.
Sir Spoil-Her-Highness was against talking to anyone, but I told him I felt I should. So this morning, while getting ready to head out for a run with my running mates, I asked their opinion. It was a resounding, instant, "Yes! Speak to the parents and do it soon. Do not wait to see what happens. It must be stopped. Now!"
So I did something that was so super hard. I spoke with a wonderful friend and told them I needed help with this situation. I needed the bullying to stop. I will speak to the other parent tomorrow and have the same discussion. (Yeah, it was a CRAZY day and I wasn't able to get the other call made.)
Miss K has been going to school happily (and on time, I might add, as opposed to last year, which was half an hour late.) I did not want the same fight we had last year. It was so hard to have this discussion. But I think that now it will help.
I am going to let Miss K's teacher know that I have spoken with the parents, and to let me know if this has helped or made things worse. I am hoping for it to help.
We shall see...
Pardon the run on sentences. Pin It
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