Wg4, "The world is important."
"It is?"
"Yeah, and so are refrigerators. Refrigerators are important to hold your food."
"Oh."
He disappears into the bathroom, me on the computer and a minute later.
"That's a pretty long poo poo for one man." Then he talks at length about turtles.
"And Dad?"
"Yes."
"I got stabbed through the hand one time with a fork."
"Oh yeah."
"Yeah. I was trying to use my magic to get the watermelon seeds off."
"Oh."
"But I couldn't do it."
And on and on. How is it possible not to love your kids?
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Gila Valley Temple Open House
As we toured the Temple today my father held the hands of my sons. I also held the hand of my oldest son. When we walked through the endowment room door I was struck that the very purpose of the temple is to forge the links between generations, sealing them together back to Adam. I don't think I'll ever forget that moment.
Another notable moment was during the 12 minute presentation before the tour when the speaker talked about doing baptisms for the dead in the Temple. Dg6 turned to me and said, "Are you gonna do that for Grandma Daisy?"
"I have to ask Paw Paw first. He has to give me permission. But then Mom will do it, and I will perform the ordinance."
I'm amazed at how well these young boys understand. What a great blessing they both are.
Another notable moment was during the 12 minute presentation before the tour when the speaker talked about doing baptisms for the dead in the Temple. Dg6 turned to me and said, "Are you gonna do that for Grandma Daisy?"
"I have to ask Paw Paw first. He has to give me permission. But then Mom will do it, and I will perform the ordinance."
I'm amazed at how well these young boys understand. What a great blessing they both are.
Honesty. Honestly!
Wg4 is a wonderful boy. But he is 4 and is often at the mercy of his own zeal. Today as we left the temple open house for the Gila Valley Temple Wg4 pinched his brother. I was not happy. I explained that not only would he not get any dessert the rest of the day, but that he would get to see his brother double up because he was going to get both desserts.
Wg4 was not happy, but he gets it. He's not supposed to pinch. I was being leaned on pretty heavily when Dg6's giant fried ice cream showed up so I resolved to make a lesson of it.
I sat Dg6 on my left knee and Wg4 on my right knee after Dg6 was finished, but there was still dessert remaining. "Dg6, are you willing to forgive your brother and let him forgo his punishment and have some of what's left of your dessert?"
"Yes."
"And Wg4, if you promise to stop pinching you may have some dessert. Do you promise to stop pinching." Faint mumbling. "What?"
"I think."
"No, that's not good enough, you must promise."
A thoughtful pause and then Wg4 says, "Then no, I don't want any dessert," and begins to slide off of my lap. I laughed out loud. It was wonderfully obvious he was being honest with himself and he was being honest with us. Several of us laughed out loud.
"Wait a minute come here. Why won't you promise?"
"It's too hard."
"Okay then, will you try your very best to stop pinching?"
"Yes."
"Dg6, is that good enough."
"Yes." (He would regret this as soon as the ride home.)
"Okay, you can have some dessert."
How can you not love the kid's integrity and his brother's willingness to forgive him. Good boys!
Wg4 was not happy, but he gets it. He's not supposed to pinch. I was being leaned on pretty heavily when Dg6's giant fried ice cream showed up so I resolved to make a lesson of it.
I sat Dg6 on my left knee and Wg4 on my right knee after Dg6 was finished, but there was still dessert remaining. "Dg6, are you willing to forgive your brother and let him forgo his punishment and have some of what's left of your dessert?"
"Yes."
"And Wg4, if you promise to stop pinching you may have some dessert. Do you promise to stop pinching." Faint mumbling. "What?"
"I think."
"No, that's not good enough, you must promise."
A thoughtful pause and then Wg4 says, "Then no, I don't want any dessert," and begins to slide off of my lap. I laughed out loud. It was wonderfully obvious he was being honest with himself and he was being honest with us. Several of us laughed out loud.
"Wait a minute come here. Why won't you promise?"
"It's too hard."
"Okay then, will you try your very best to stop pinching?"
"Yes."
"Dg6, is that good enough."
"Yes." (He would regret this as soon as the ride home.)
"Okay, you can have some dessert."
How can you not love the kid's integrity and his brother's willingness to forgive him. Good boys!
Brilliant Boy
As we prepared to have Dg6 take a test that would enable him to enter the gifted program in our district I asked him, "Do you want to be a part of the gifted program?"
"No. Well, will we get to learn about dinosaurs?"
I exhange a look with his mother, "Well, I don't know, maybe."
"Then no."
At this point I did what all good parents do, I incentivized.
"You get to take a half day from class and go to a class where you'll do different fun activities."
"No. I don't want to do that."
Step 3, drop it and make him go if he gets in.
A week later he came home and I asked, "How was your day pal?" He usually responds with "good" or "okay" or "I don't know." On this day he said, "I had to do a big book of homework today in school." I didn't know what that meant and I let it slide. Later I learned this was the day he was tested for entrance into the gifted program.
His scores???? 98th percentile for Verbal, 81st percentile for Quantitative, and 91st percentile for Non-Verbal. Scores between 30th and 70th percentiles are considered average. You must score over 97th percentile in any one category to enter the gifted program. Well done little man.
He pays attention. He works hard. He has natural ability. Now we just need to nurture it.
"No. Well, will we get to learn about dinosaurs?"
I exhange a look with his mother, "Well, I don't know, maybe."
"Then no."
At this point I did what all good parents do, I incentivized.
"You get to take a half day from class and go to a class where you'll do different fun activities."
"No. I don't want to do that."
Step 3, drop it and make him go if he gets in.
A week later he came home and I asked, "How was your day pal?" He usually responds with "good" or "okay" or "I don't know." On this day he said, "I had to do a big book of homework today in school." I didn't know what that meant and I let it slide. Later I learned this was the day he was tested for entrance into the gifted program.
His scores???? 98th percentile for Verbal, 81st percentile for Quantitative, and 91st percentile for Non-Verbal. Scores between 30th and 70th percentiles are considered average. You must score over 97th percentile in any one category to enter the gifted program. Well done little man.
He pays attention. He works hard. He has natural ability. Now we just need to nurture it.
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