Gratitude Attitude

"Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God's love." Thomas S. Monson

As people are going gaga over Halloween, I prefer to focus on the last day of our Gratitude month. Here are a few things we've done this week:

Grateful for Grandmas!!! Our mothers have done more for us than any other and thus, felt an especially great need to let them know how much we appreciate them.  We visited Sam's mother with a grocery bag full of her favorite candy in hand to replenish the stock that my children constantly deplete. This thank you banner depicts the many things that Grandma does for us...for always having candy, for giving great hugs, for telling fun stories, poems and songs, for coming to all of our events, for smiling and being cheerful.....

We also visited my mother with a carved pumpkin and a banner specific to her, too. Thank you for homemade rolls at Christmas, for always knowing what to do and say, for lending your home for birthday parties, for giving us treats, for the SANTA CLAUS DOLLS....
We enjoyed an hour of leaf-raking and weed-pulling to further show our gratitude for EVERYTHING!

 

I picked up a few gratitude remembrances to keep the spirit of gratitude in our home as we move on to our next "Be". 

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to dance in the rain."

This has become a very popular quote. To me, it's a reminder to be grateful for the joys amidst the sorrows, or problems, or annoyances, or dumb stuff. Besides, I love the red polka dots!!

"Every day brings something beautiful if we are just willing to look up and see it." Marjorie Pay Hinckley

This is a refrigerator magnet that I found at Deseret Book. They have dozens of them with a variety of uplifting quotes. At the end of our year, we should have 9 of these on our fridge - one representing each "Be". Back to this quote....there is something to be grateful for every day. We just need to look for it!

Now, to come up with our "Be Grateful Celebration", but even more difficult - when to fit it in?

Today - Halloween activities
Tomorrow - 16th Birthday (License and Lunch and Family Party)
Friday - AHS Gala
Saturday - 16th Birthday Party
Sunday - Extended Bushman Family Home Evening

And then we move into our new monthly theme, "Be Smart".

Oh well, I'm grateful today for a family to spend so much time with, and that all my family on the East Coast is safe after Hurricane Sandy.

More to Come...but until then, have a Gratitude Attitude and Stick-to-it!

Why am I doing this?

Why? 

The age-old question. 

Why can't I have my own phone?

Why can't I drink a Dr. Pepper?

Why do I have to go to bed?

Why do I have to answer why all the time?

Why am I writing this blog???

I've been a little anti lately. The desire to write has not been there, and it feels as if there's not much to share or record. In fact, it's as if I've just been holding on, going through the motions...going from this activity to that chaos to that meltdown to that moment of joy. Most mornings I do try to sit down to write something, but doubtful thoughts creep in...Is this really important? Haven't I written about this before? Is this appropriate to discuss? I don't have any pictures to go along. This is interesting to me but will it be to someone else? I can't think of a way to begin. Why am I doing this? And so on...

As I was tidying the living room this evening, the basket of books I keep by the couch was a giant blob of unorganized reading material mixed with crumpled paper, broken crayons, dirty socks, random toys, and puzzle pieces. I decided to tackle it right then. It only took a few minutes to sort through it and create a nice basket of books with good stories to read to the children and beautiful picture books to look through. I decided to put my blog books in the basket. 

Background: A few months ago, I printed this blog to hard-backed books using the print service www.blog2print.com. The first book is for 2009-2010 because I didn't write that often. The second volume is for the year 2011. 2012 is going to be big! I may need to split it into two volumes. 

Why create these blog books if they are not in a place to be read? Before placing them in the basket, I opened one of them, perusing some of the past entries. A few of my children saw me sitting; they gathered 'round to see what I was doing. They were hooked! They spent the next 30+ minutes looking through the books - laughing, reading, remembering. Seeing this sight was an eye-opener for me. This blog - my words to them - really is important, and meaningful, and enjoyable to THEM. After all, I'm writing this for my children. I witnessed in this beautiful moment the impact that my time and efforts are having...NOW. Hopefully as they have their own children in the future, it will be even greater.

Quickly grabbing the camera, I recorded some precious moments...

 

So buckle up and enjoy the ride. Why, it's not going to end any time soon. 

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

Patterns to Ponder

Grateful for Print Shop Knowledge and a Daughter that Inspires Me

 Pattern: noun

"An original or model proposed for imitation; the archetype; an exemplar; that which is to be copies or imitated, either in things or in actions; as the pattern of a machine; a pattern of patience. Christ was the most perfect pattern of rectitude,patience and submission ever exhibited on earth."

Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary

My amazing daughter is about to turn 16. She finished Driver's Ed. She already passed her driver's test (with a perfect score!!!). Now it's the waiting game. Just a few more days and I'll have a driver again. Woo-hoo. It's not just the driving aspect that is exciting. It marks a huge milestone, new opportunities, a day she's long awaited. I'm happy for HER!!!

One exciting moment is her first boy-girl party. Yes, she's been to other people's parties, but this is the first party for her that has included boys. This is a big thing! She's had her list made, game ideas mixing in her mind, and endless food possibilities mulling around for MONTHS! In preparing for the big day, she found a super cute birthday invitation on one of the popular photo sites. No problem...only $1.46 per invitation. WOW! Multiply that by 30-40 people and you're spending over $50.00 just for the invitations - a little piece of paper that will just be tossed in the garbage. She realized the expense and said, "Mom - I like this invitation. Could we design something like it?"

Yes, we can! We went to work with my favorite little desktop publishing program, Print Shop. It is one of my best friends on my computer and has provided so many amazing creations that have saved money and time. We played with different colors, font styles, and font sizes. We came up with the following:

I cropped out all the personal info, but you get the picture.

Now, zap it to Costco's photo center and for $4.00 total, you have some darling invitations, ready to deliver. With the money we saved ($40 plus), we can buy the food for the dinner at her party. With a little bit of desire, time, knowledge, and patience, money is saved and knowledge is gained, but more important, a lesson is taught. Those lessons, one by one, will be passed on to our children, and their children, and their children. The responsibility of raising stick-to-it kids is one that affects our entire posterity. 

Think of the things you've learned from your parents. Many of those attributes were picked up from their parents and so on. Now it's our turn to pass these patterns down - good or bad. What are you passing down? Kind of scary to think about, but amazing at the same time. Am I passing down patterns of righteousness, kindness, responsibility, integrity, virtue, love, time, service, self-reliance, knowledge, and industry? Definitely something to ponder!

This simple invitation was one way to instill a pattern of frugality and self-reliance. Multiply it by dozens and hundreds of childhood lessons and it becomes part of them. That's one powerful invitation! Can you plan and carry out the party for me, too?

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

 

The Red Headed Hostess

Grateful for the Red Headed Hostess

My Learning Style: Visual, Hands on Interaction

One part of the day that I truly enjoy is my personal devotion and scripture study. 5:30 AM rolls around so quickly, but it's worth getting up to have some quiet moments of reflection and peace before the joyful chaos ensues. I am a visual and interactive learner. I don't do well with just one-sense learning. Just reading the scriptures quietly does not catch my attention. Just listening to the scriptures on my phone does not provide adequate depth. I need to read, write, highlight, and record my thoughts to have a truly meaningful experience, and to embrace the lesson that is meant for me.

For spiritual organization, my new friend is The Red Headed Hostess. I discovered her website a few weeks ago and instantly felt like this was the method that would work for me. She has developed scripture journals, a fabulous way to organize your scripture study. I picked up a chapter journal and a topic journal when she had a $3.00 off per journal sale. The chapter journal allows you to take notes and write down inspiration for particular scripture chapters. The topic journal is for recording scriptures, quotes, and thoughts about specific topics. Both journals can be referenced to the other due to her thoughtful and organized layout. Multiple designs are available to fit your style. I also purchased a topic journal for my son who is preparing for an LDS Mission. Just for your information, his journal is not pink and green like mine.

Because October is our Be Grateful month, I chose Gratitude as the first topic in my journal. Immense joy has been had as I've recorded all the scriptures, quotes, and personal experiences I've had this month in one place. Now I have a complete two page spread about gratitude that I can refer back to for future reference.

Now that I've finished my Gratitude scripture study, I've moved back to regular chapter reading. I love having an organized journal where I can record insights for specific verses, words I looked up, other scriptures I cross-referenced, or thoughts from study guides. It makes my scripture study more meaningful and I feel like I internalize the principles more fully.

I'm grateful today for The Red Headed Hostess. She has provided a product that fits my style and my needs.Try it out and let me know what you think!

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

Write-Downable of Last Week

Grateful for Dates with my Hunk-a-Love!

Write-Downable (n) 

"A statement that is cute, funny, priceless, sensitive, loving, one-of-a-kind, sweet, or spiritual; a word, phrase, sentence, or story that touches the heart of another and is deemed worthy to write down, thus recorded forever and not forgotten."

Word Created By: The Bushman Family

Definition By: Julie Bushman

Write-Downable of Last Week:

In her prayer, "Please bless that Mommy and Daddy can go on a date." (4)

YESSSSSSSSSS! 

Either she is really, really thoughtful, or she likes it when we go. In fact, I could hear my teenage son singing Party on the Dance Floor when we walked out the door a few months ago. Wish I could be a fly on the wall when we're not home!

Things have been better when we get home from an evening out. I used to get upset when we'd get home and the house was a mess, the food didn't get cleaned up, the children didn't get bathed, or nobody was in bed. My expectations were too high and could not realistically be met. I've learned some things that have really helped...

Win-Win Ideas:

Give specific instructions, but limit the list. If there's too much, children are overwhelmed and will give up. Make sure the tasks can be realistically accomplished.

Prioritize the list. Have some Must-Dos and some bonus jobs or money jobs, as my kids call them. You never know when a child will be extremely motivated. You just might end up with a super clean bathroom or an organized pantry when you get home...definitely worth a few dollars!!

Call or text when you're thirty minutes from coming home. That's when the hustle tends to happen. If they get a warning call, the panic sets in and people get moving.

Point out the accomplishments and thank the children for doing them, because they feel appreciated and validated. They'll remember that feeling and will have the desire to be helpful the next time. 

Create an incentive for fulfilling "the list". When all the jobs are done, they can rent a specified movie on Amazon on Demand (I LOVE THIS SERVICE), have a treat, go to the park, go get ice cream (if the babysitter can drive...17 more days!!!!!!!!!!!!!) or open up a surprise bag (if Mom plans in advance). I love incentives, don't you? Kids do, too!

Date in Salt Lake - August, 2012

Since she prayed for us to go on a date, let's turn that faith into action. Where are we going, honey?

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

A Woman's Perspective of Fathers and Sons

Zippity doo dah, Zippity aye,
My oh my what a wonderful day
Plenty of sunshine coming my way,
Zippity doo dah, Zippity aye. 

"Song of the South"

Because I'm a woman, and a wife, and a mother, my Raising Stick-to-it Kids Blog is naturally written from that perspective. I tend to be a blog-hog when it comes to my thoughts and ideas for raising stick-to-it kids. However, here's my chance to focus on the relationship between Father and Son.

A few weeks ago, Sam took our three youngest sons to a Fathers and Sons event sponsored by our church - an overnight camping trip in the canyon. What a wonderful opportunity to spend time together and learn some great lessons!

First lesson learned: Camping trips take a lot of work!
In our home, if an activity is taking place, all hands on deck. It's not Mom and Dad getting everything ready while the children veg on Game Cube or the iPad. EVERYONE, even the four year old, is involved. Assignments are given and hard work is expected. Fun times don't just magically occur. It takes planning, preparation, organization, and work to pull it off. Want to have fun? Get in on the prep work to make it happen. While preparing for this Fathers and Sons event, we had some complaining and griping. Certain someones weren't entirely thrilled about finding the flashlight or taking the tent out of the storage bag to be sure the poles and stakes are there. It was a good opportunity to discuss the above, and to stick to our expectations. Hopefully next time, the grumps will be non-existent. Wishful thinking?

Second lesson already learned: Pre-cook the tin foil dinners!
We have learned from experience that although in foil dinners are delicious, filling, and extremely satisfying on a camping trip, they take FOREVER to cook in a fire. Our solution - cook them in the oven BEFORE you leave. Nothing is worse than getting to the campsite, setting up all the gear, and realizing the potatoes and carrots in your tin foil dinner are still hard after sitting in the coals forever. So, the men left at 5PM with hot tin foil dinners. When they were ready to eat at 7:30, the food was still warm, cooked, and delicious. (Yes, I made them.) Some may say that it takes some of the fun out of it. Whomever those people are must have all the time in the world and no hungry kids whining at them.

Third lesson learned: Learn to setup the tent!
When my guys came home, one son expressed some frustration in having to help setup the tent. Here's how the conversation went...

"My friends didn't have to setup the tent...their Dads just did it." 

I asked him, "Why do you think Dad had you help setup the tent?"

"Because he's blind?"

"That's not the main reason. What's the real reason?"

"So we learn to do it?"

"YES!!!!"

Well, it's not just to learn how to setup a tent. Lesson number one comes into play here, too. It's the "all hands on deck" mentality. Hard work is expected and fun times follow.

Not our tent, but these guys sure helped!

Fourth lesson learned: Don't drink multiple cans of soda before bedtime!
Before retiring for the night, they all made a bathroom stop. After settling in their sleeping bags, our youngest son declared that he had to go again. Great! Dad had everyone get up again so there would be no chance of another child having to use the facilities. 4AM rolled around. He had to go again. Wow! Dad had everyone get up again to make the trek to the restroom. We don't drink soda on a regular basis at our house. Instead, we use it as a privilege for special times. Was it worth it boys?

Their friend all night long

 Fifth lesson learned: Have a zip line at every camping trip!
The zip line was the highlight of the Fathers and Sons outing. They truly could have come away with singing:  

Zippity doo dah, Zippity aye,
My oh my what a wonderful day!

All the boys, even Dad, went down several times and loved every minute of it!

Sixth Lesson Learned: Just do it, even if you're not feelin' it.
The thought of spending a night in a tent, in the mountains, is not my husband's idea of a good time. When he hears the yearly announcement for Fathers and Sons, he isn't exactly jumping up and down. However, he has learned to just go with it, even if it's not his thing. He does it for our boys, he does it to spend time with them, and to create memories. And oh, what memories they created!

A great Fathers and Sons Camping Trip!

And that's my perspective of the annual Fathers and Sons adventure. How'd I do, boys?

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

Write-Downable of the Week: Stick-out Ears

Grateful for Write-Downables!

Write-Downable (n) 

"A statement that is cute, funny, priceless, sensitive, loving, one-of-a-kind, sweet, or spiritual; a word, phrase, sentence, or story that touches the heart of another and is deemed worthy to write down, thus recorded forever and not forgotten."

Word Created By: The Bushman Family

Definition By: Julie Bushman

Write-Downable of the Week:

 

"Did you know snakes have holes in their heads to hear? They don't have stick-out ears." (8)

 

Love the JOY this sweet girl brings to our family!!

We have "stick-out ears", but I'm afraid they don't quite stick out enough. Ever heard the phrase, "You have two ears and one mouth...use them proportionally!" Listening to our children should be the order of the day, not lecturing, telling, commanding, criticizing, or convincing. 

 

Sometimes, I find myself half-listening when my children talk to me. Yes, I'm "hearing" them talk, but I'm not internalizing the message because my thoughts are elsewhere. I know I'm missing out on hidden messages that could let me in to their life and heart. So, I'm trying to do better. When one of my children is talking to me, my goal is to clear my mind of all other thoughts, look at her and really listen to the message.This is one way to be a better stick-to-it Mom!

 

Let's use those stick-out ears to not only hear, but really listen. Frankly, I'm grateful for stick-out ears, 'cause I really wouldn't want to look like a snake!

More to Come....but until then, Stick-to-it!

Victory with a Vacuum

Grateful for broken vacuum belts

Last night the carpet was full of crumbs, strings, bits of paper, and crushed leaves - all from one day's worth of living. Even though it was 9PM, I couldn't stand it; I had to get out the vacuum. 

Tip: Do you ever sweep the space between the carpet and the baseboards to get out all the junk that accumulates there? My mother in law taught me this trick and it works marvelously! No need to get out the canister vac, bend or kneel down to clean up the dusty bluckyness. Just sweep it away from the wall and vacuum it up. 

While vacuuming last night, a VERY loud sound ensued. Definitely not normal! I turned the vacuum over then turned it on to see if the roller was spinning. Nope! One of two things - either the belt slipped off or broke. Lovely...I really didn't need this! Because I've owned an Oreck since practically Day 1 of marriage, I'm a vacuum belt replacement expert. The quick fix can be a less than five minute exercise.

I obtained the necessary screwdriver and was about to begin when my eleven year old saw the tool. "Can I do it, can it do it?"

I could see what was coming. He'll unscrew the chamber that holds the belt, and then he'll want to change it, too. It was late and I just wanted to do it myself. However, I quickly realized that this was a teaching moment and I couldn't let it slip away. I don't think any of my brothers knew how to change a vacuum belt until they were married. Well, maybe they don't even know now. Sorry guys!!

So, the process of checking the vacuum belt commenced with my cute guy at my side. That quickly switched to three boys by my side. Our six year old was sad that he couldn't unscrew the screw; I told him he could screw it back in when we were finished. He ran off to get his own tool set that he received for his birthday. My thirteen year old son sat by watching and processing since he has always had a fascination with how things work.

After removing the cover, we quickly determined that the belt broke and needed replacing. #11 slipped the new belt over the wheel and tried with all his might to stretch it over the metal rod, using a screw driver for leverage. He just couldn't do it.

Slipping the belt onto the wheel

Stretching the belt with the screw driver

Big brother is patiently waiting and watching

#13 was begging inside for a turn to prove his manliness. The task was turned over to him and within five minutes, he had the belt secured. 

Belt secured!

Belt Positioned Correctly

And just as promised, #6 screwed the belt compartment closed with his very own screwdriver!

So excited for the opportunity!

Making sure he pushes in and turns so he doesn't strip the screw.

You know the best part? Three boys now know the process of replacing the vacuum belt. Do you think I will ever have to change the vacuum belt again? I don't think so. Fifteen minutes with three boys vs. five minutes by myself is worth the extra ten minutes because now they're empowered with knowledge. How many minutes will they save me in the future? Plus, it was a tender teaching time. As they get older, those sweet moments start to dwindle so we need to take full advantage. Also, the teaching goes both ways. I was taught a serious lesson last night. #6 also had to show me how to put down the blade of a pocket knife yesterday. Wow!

Today's Stick-to-it Tip: If there's something you can teach, take the time to do it. It will pay off big time...no more belt changes for me! 

A working vacuum again, thanks to boys and tools

More to Come....but until then, Stick-to-it!

October Theme - Be Grateful

"Look for the Sunlight in the Clouds"

Gordon B. Hinckley

This week kicks off the first month of our Family Theme, Way to Be, based on the book, Way to Be - 9 ways to be happy and make something of your life by Gordon B. Hinckley. The month of October is geared toward the principle, Be Grateful, perfect for leading up to Thanksgiving. We spent Monday night reading the chapter from the book, Be Grateful, and discussing things we can do all month to be more grateful. Here are a few things we came up with:

1. Gratitude Quotes - We chose three quotes from the chapter to be the monthly memorization. We are encouraging everyone in the family to memorize them. Prizes are awarded for participation.

"There are two little words in the English language that perhaps mean more than all others. They are 'thank you'."

"Let a spirit of thanksgiving guide and bless your days and nights. Work at it. You will find that it will yield wonderful results."

"Look for the sunlight in the clouds."

2. Gratitude for Eachother - We created a sign for each person in the family that says, "I am grateful for _____ because:. The goal is to fill up each person's page by the end of the month, stating specific things we're grateful for. When one is grateful for another, service ensues and love follows. I'm hoping for more love in our home! Each family member wrote on every page before refreshments were served. Love those no bake cookies!

3. Gratitude for others - I've always been a big thank you note person, thanks to my Mama. I've shared my thoughts before (read all about it) so I won't go into detail. However, I will stress the importance of expressing thanks often, and thank you notes are the perfect way to do so. This month we have a goal to write 100 thank you notes as a family to show gratitude for the many, many people whom have blessed our lives. When a note is written, it is recorded on a square in the below chart.

4. Examples of Gratitude in the Scriptures - For our family devotional each night, our scripture readings are geared around gratitude and thankfulness. I've enjoyed researching these and recording my thoughts. It's very rewarding when the children come up with their own as well.

5. Words of Thanks - We'd like to learn to say thank you in many different languages. We're reinforcing the children's song, Children All Over the World

Other ideas are in the works which we may or may not implement. I don't want to be too overboard, because I have a great desire for our family to be successful with those things that we introduce this month.

I'm grateful for the inspiration I received for our family theme for 2012/2013. I'm grateful for a supportive husband and children who are taking it seriously. 

I'm grateful to you for reading my blog. Now, go out and Be Grateful!

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

Be a Hero in 15 Minutes

Gratitude for Duck Tape and Velcro

Flag Football has been "the thing" at our house. Even the little girls want to get in on the action. Our children have been getting together with our neighbor's kids for some fabulous flag football fun. However, there was one problem a few days ago. The neighbor kids had the flag kit and they couldn't play because they were not available. What to do?

The kids were mopey and bummed out. Mom got out her creative cap and said, "Why don't you make your own?" They looked at me as if I did not have a brain. "How do we do that?"

It was as simple as duck tape and sticky velcro. Fifteen minutes later, they all had a belt and flags made and were outside playing together.

This is the stuff I love to see. My thoughts that day: "Get away from the TV and the computer. Communicate, Create, and Cooperate. Oh, and have a fabulous time doing it! But will you please wear your shoes next time?"

Today's Stick-to-it Tip: Spend some time assisting your child with a task important to him/her. You'll be a hero in his eyes and he'll feel extremely valued - all in 15 minutes. You may just end up with lots of thank yous and hugs, too. That's the best part!

PS - Thank you to the duck tape and velcro for bringing joy to our family.

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!