Last Week

I got a chance to do something I've been wanting to do, yet never seem to make it to....Book Club! This month the book was The Book of Mormon, which worked out nicely since I was already reading Alma. We got a chance to sit & chat & then share some insights we got about the particular book we chose to read within the BOM. The Spirit could be felt so strongly & I love hearing what other people are doing. It inspires me to ask more questions & seek more answers, which is always a good thing!

I've also been more focused on the kids this week. I've been trying to restore some peace & love & respect in our home. The kids were getting out of hand again & I realized I'd slacked off using the parenting skills I paid to learn last year. It's been a bumpy road this past week, but overall I do see a difference in the way they talk to one another & the way they treat Dave & I. It's not perfect, by far, but for just getting back into the swing of it, it's going better than I had hoped.

Jordan's been my biggest pill lately. He's bored, being on track break, & he kept acting out to get my attention. While meeting with the Bishop of our ward (LOVE that man!!) he suggested some one-on-one time each day between Jo & I. It not only made sense at the time, but since implementing it, Jo has been treating me with so much more respect. He's become very helpful without me even needing to ask for help!

We also implemented a kind of reward system for behavior I want to reinforce. Whenever I catch any of the kids being kind to one another, helping each other out, saying nice things, etc., I tell them to go get a "caughtcha" & put it in our Caughtcha Box.

The kids decorated it themselves, with very little help from me. They get very excited when they get "caught"!

Each week during Family Home Evening, one child will get to pick out a "caughtcha" & whoever's name is on it will get a special reward. I debated over what the rewards would be because I don't want it to be a food reward for obvious reasons, nor do I want it to be some kind of toy because I don't want them to be under the impression that's what happens in the real world. So, ultimately I decided the reward would depend on the child & what they want. Some would love a trip to the park with just Daddy & the dog. I wanted it to be something that included one-on-one quality time with them, to help strengthen relationships.

As a side note, though no small news by any means, Tyler got to pass the Sacrament today for the first time in a very long time. I was so proud. He looked so mature & I just know how hard it's been for him to get to this point. Dave had to work today but wound up taking the day off because he really wanted to witness Ty passing the Sacrament. :*) He's very excited to get this privilege back. I can't even tell you how happy I am for him. :*D