This month there have been two consistent themes in the house. The first one is nature walks. We have consistently been walking around outside and by the reservoir and the kids have enjoyed looking at the fall leaves, discovering bugs, and pressing fall leaves. The second one has been books. We seem to have read quite a bit over this month. For me, this feels like success. I want my children to be readers because readers turn into leaders.
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Justin really enjoys looking at bugs. On one of these nature walks he managed to catch a praying mantis. I could tell from watching his face that the little boy tendency toward destruction and annihilation was about to take place.
"Resist the urge to pull his legs off!"
Aghast that I knew what he was thinking, he came out with, "I want to study how the praying mantis dies!"
"Why don't you study how he lives?"
It took maybe five minutes (a very long five minutes!) but he did in the end let the praying mantis go. He then went on to poke a number of tiger spiders that are so prominent in fall! Boys will be boys!
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Another highlight this month was Jordan getting a hold of the scissors, and (Can you guess?) taking off a few chunks of his hair!
"Jordan, don't touch the scissors!" I could see in his eyes that he knew the scissors were sharp and he wanted to badly to cut up something. I went one step further. "Do not cut your hair!"
All was well for a few hours. He did not cut his hair until close to bedtime. I must have been in another room because when he was going to sleep I lovingly was brushing his hair to the side and noticed that the bangs and other spots on his head were definitely shorter than before.
"Did you cut your hair?"
Guilty panic was coming across his face.
"I told you not to cut your hair! Why did you do it?"
No answer of course! Just more guilty panic. The rest is history! Here is the result of time with the scissors!
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Justin really enjoys looking at bugs. On one of these nature walks he managed to catch a praying mantis. I could tell from watching his face that the little boy tendency toward destruction and annihilation was about to take place.
"Resist the urge to pull his legs off!"
Aghast that I knew what he was thinking, he came out with, "I want to study how the praying mantis dies!"
"Why don't you study how he lives?"
It took maybe five minutes (a very long five minutes!) but he did in the end let the praying mantis go. He then went on to poke a number of tiger spiders that are so prominent in fall! Boys will be boys!
********
Another highlight this month was Jordan getting a hold of the scissors, and (Can you guess?) taking off a few chunks of his hair!
"Jordan, don't touch the scissors!" I could see in his eyes that he knew the scissors were sharp and he wanted to badly to cut up something. I went one step further. "Do not cut your hair!"
All was well for a few hours. He did not cut his hair until close to bedtime. I must have been in another room because when he was going to sleep I lovingly was brushing his hair to the side and noticed that the bangs and other spots on his head were definitely shorter than before.
"Did you cut your hair?"
Guilty panic was coming across his face.
"I told you not to cut your hair! Why did you do it?"
No answer of course! Just more guilty panic. The rest is history! Here is the result of time with the scissors!
Aidan escapades were kept to a minimum this month except for the problem with games in his device. One evening I saw him moping on the couch and he was holding what looked like an invoice. I didn't think too much about it at the time, but a little later he was crying.
"What is going on?"
"Mom, I spent Dad's money playing games!" he exclaimed in a dry-eyed moment.
"How much?"
He handed me the invoice. The child had unwittingly spent close to $100 and he really wanted to make it right.
"What can I do?"
I paused. "First, you should apologize to Daddy. I'm sure saying sorry will help a little." I thought a little further. "Why don't you give daddy some of your allowance show you are sorry? You can offer to pay it back slowly each week."
I saw his face drain when he realized how much of his allowance he was going to lose. But he did it. He bravely went up to his father, broke down in tears, apologized, and then offered to pay.
Hubby let him off the hook. "You don't have to pay me back but you do have to stop spending money on games!"
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I entitled this the delights of fall. I love this season. It relaxes and energizes me like no other! The kids are enjoying this season as much as I am. God has blessed all the seasons, but our families loves this season the most!
"What is going on?"
"Mom, I spent Dad's money playing games!" he exclaimed in a dry-eyed moment.
"How much?"
He handed me the invoice. The child had unwittingly spent close to $100 and he really wanted to make it right.
"What can I do?"
I paused. "First, you should apologize to Daddy. I'm sure saying sorry will help a little." I thought a little further. "Why don't you give daddy some of your allowance show you are sorry? You can offer to pay it back slowly each week."
I saw his face drain when he realized how much of his allowance he was going to lose. But he did it. He bravely went up to his father, broke down in tears, apologized, and then offered to pay.
Hubby let him off the hook. "You don't have to pay me back but you do have to stop spending money on games!"
**********
I entitled this the delights of fall. I love this season. It relaxes and energizes me like no other! The kids are enjoying this season as much as I am. God has blessed all the seasons, but our families loves this season the most!
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