Write-Downable of the Week: Who's Medusa?

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:

Our family was watching a movie this week and Medusa was mentioned...you know, the tweako in Greek Mythology that had hair of snakes, and if one were to look upon her, he would be turned to stone?  

My daughter turns to me and says, "Who's Medusa?"

14 year old son says, "It's that guy that lived to be like 924, right?"

WRONG! Sorry, honey. That was Methuselah...and he was 969 years old. We all had a good laugh!

But hey, I'd rather them know about Methuselah than Medusa!

MOSES...Not Methuselah, but close enough? (2010)

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

Always Watching so Watch Always

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:

Child: Mommy, am I blind?

Mom:  No, you're not blind.

Child: How do you get blind?

Mom: Well, Daddy was born blind.

Child: Oh, that's bad!!!

This was my sweet little four year old talking to me this week. She has become very interested in the eye. She notices the color of one's eyes, if they're happy or sad eyes, and practices winking. She understands that her Dad can't see and quickly moves out of the way when he's coming her way. She has even learned how to draw an eye (thanks to La-La); a real eye...not just a filled in circle on a smiley face. I think it's pretty good for one who just turned four. This is my eye - she colored it the correct color and she even knows how to write my name!

These little people sure see a lot around our house. They see a huge range of emotions between all members of the family, they see messes but don't care to clean them up, they see Mom and Dad working hard, they see siblings tease other siblings, they see love and fun, and everything in between. They learn behaviors by watching those around them. I've seen them watch what I do this week and have a greater desire to do good so they learn proper, kind and loving behavior.

We were raking leaves the other day before the storm arrived. We finished up our yard then noticed another yard that was full of leaves with two teenaged girls trying to get the leaves raked up. What a task for them! I decided to go over and help them. A couple of my children saw me go over, and they quickly picked their tool of choice and joined me. The six of us got those leaves cleaned up so fast! It was exciting to see them follow my lead to help another without any complaining, nor being asked. 

This morning I was doing my exercise which consists of walking/running the stairs in the house. Kind of goofy but it's a good workout and I don't have to go anywhere! I usually do it early in the morning but it was Saturday and I enjoyed a little bit of sleeping in. The younger children were all awake when I began. I think they were shocked at this new phenomenon...Mom walking up and down the stairs, over and over again, listening to something on her iPhone. They all asked me what I was doing. Between pants, I told them I was exercising. They started following me. They went down the stairs, then up the stairs. They marched in place with me as I did so, trying to catch my breath. This lasted for ten minutes or so, but then they got tired...before I did. Oh, what satisfaction to beat out little people with endless energy!

What's my point? Children see our behaviors and follow them. 

Even if they're a little weird....

...or conspicuous.

Reminder to self: They are always watching so watch myself always!

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

Schooled by a Six Year Old

Schooled: 

Instructed, Taught, Tutored

www.dictionary.com

Yesterday was yet another birthday celebration. More on that another day! However, we were busy wrapping gifts and I had my two September Stars helping me. It takes double the time to have little people help with an activity. Yet the knowledge they gain and the time spent with Mom is worth the extra time. I literally tell myself that and pray for patience when I'm in the middle of it, though. I'm not even joking. While wrapping gifts, my six year old decides to take scissors, tape, and paper to the floor for his own wrapping project. He was happy and content.

While finishing the gifts with my youngest as the assistant, my eleven year old son walks in with a bit of a brain freeze and asks, "Mom, what's 16+16?" Without missing a beat and not even looking up from his project, my guy on the floor says, "32". 

I look at my older son. He looks at me and we both start laughing. He really does know the answer; he just simply had one of those moments. I can understand. Years ago I had to ask my daughter how to spell "of".....Yeah, embarrassing.

Then I told him, "You just got schooled by a six year old." He agreed and took it in perfect stride. I took the time to point out to Mr. Smarty Pants on the floor how quick and speedy he was with the answer. He was satisfied with himself but didn't stop dispensing tape. It will take some serious effort to get into that package.

I love these moments...those experiences that freeze all stress, problems and annoyances...when time stands still...where laughter and joy permeate the heart, sealing the memory forever. It's especially written on the heart and mind when one physically writes it down. Thus, my blog log for today.

My children consistently amaze me; I get "schooled" by one of them every day.

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!

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!

Write-Downable of Last Week

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:

Our older daughter complained to her little sister, "I have a headache. What should I do?"

4 Year Old: "Ummmm....put a bandaid on it."

She has all the answers!

Simple answers! Even though a bandaid is not the simple answer to a headache, many parenting issues can be resolved with simple answers...a hug, listening, validation, gentleness, love, discussion, communication, prayer, desire. What's the common thread? TIME. Kids don't need money or the latest toy or a new outfit to feel important or loved. They need Time. It's as simple as that.

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

Write-Downable of the Week

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:

My daughter says to her brother,"You're so weird!"

He replies, "I'm not weird. It's called the principle of individuality." (Age 13)

I LOVE this!! He did not miss a beat with his retort. Yes, I've said it before, but it thrills me when the principles learned in the classroom are seen and used outside of the classroom. That means it's really sinking in and being recorded in the "fleshy tables of his heart."

This pretty much sums up his individuality!

And this!

 The Foundation for American Christian Education (FACE) has designed a principle approach methodology for learning. The school our children attend utilize the FACE curriculum. One of the seven principles of America's Christian History, Government, and Education is:

God's Principle of Individuality

"Everything in God’s universe reveals His infinity and diversity. Each person is a unique
creation of God, designed to express the nature of Christ individually in society. Parents
and teachers should cultivate the full potential of Christ in every child."

We just wrapped up Parent Teacher Conferences this week. This child's teacher gave us a quote as we left:

"I believe that each newborn child arrives on earth with a message to deliver to mankind. Clinched in his little fist is some particle of yet unrevealed truth, some missing clue, which may solve the enigma of man's destiny. He has a limited amount of time to fulfill his mission, and he will never get a second chance - nor will we. He may be our last hope. He must be treated as top sacred.

In a cosmos in which all things appear to have meaning, what is his meaning? We who are older and presumably wiser must find the key to unlock the secret he carries within himself. The lock cannot be forced. Our mission is to exercise the kind of loving care which will prompt the child to open his fist and offer up his truth, his individuality, the irreducible atom of his self. We must provide the kind of environment in which the child will joyfully deliver his message through complete self-fulfillment."

Sam Levenson, Everything But Money, 1966

That's a heavy responsibility as a parent - to provide the loving care and environment so that our child can offer up his individuality and deliver to the world his unique message.

The question is, how do we do this? If we focus on the principle of individuality, then the answer is, "It's different for every child". The tactic, method, and approach we use as parents will have to be learned, then adjusted, then practiced, then adjusted again for each child. It's an ever-learning cycle, one that involves a lot of prayer, thought, meditation, concern, time, and energy. 

One method that we use is to discover in each child what interests bring him joy or happiness and then look for experiences so that interest may be cultivated.

Here's a simple example that happened yesterday:

Our son (11) has become very interested in finances...saving, spending, and learning about coupons, freebies, bargains, and deals. We always get coupons in the mail, and as of late, he enjoys combing through those coupons to find things of interest to him...deals that will save him money and provide enjoyment to him or our family. He reads them to me and asks questions to clarify what each deal means. It has been so enjoyable to watch!

One of these coupons was to DP Cheesesteak, DP standing for Downtown Philly. Wow, Sam could have picked up his Philly Cheesesteak sandwich just two miles from home!

Located near Costco, our son heard that we needed to make a Costco-stop yesterday, so he asked if we could go to DP Cheesesteak. Now, I'm the practical one. When I hear a request like that, I have to think in my head what's going on for the day, will it fit in the schedule, how will it work out, who will drive, who will watch the other children, etc, etc. However, Sam's the spontaneous one. Due to this spontaneity, Dad jumped at the chance to help our son utilize his frugal desires and take him to DP Cheesesteak for lunch. This cute boy was thrilled to be validated and taken seriously, AND to use his coupon for a delicious sandwich for lunch. 

Love this coupon-clipping, money-saving boy! What is his message that we must unlock?

 

Today's Stick-to-it Tip: Look for little ways to cultivate the principle of individuality in your children.

So similar....

....yet so individually different!

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

Thumbs up for 'Sponsible Kids!

A 4 year old's take on responsibility....14 Years Ago:

"Mommy, Baby pinched her fingers in the drawer. 

I opened the drawer when she was crying.  

 And she spilled water on the table so I got a towel and wiped it up.  

 That’s me being ‘sponsible, huh Mom?”

Write-downable from 1998

Teaching children the principle of responsibility requires searching for opportunities for responsible behavior to shine. Many times those occasions conveniently present themselves, and all that is required is to take advantage of it.

My five year old son is an active boy who wants to DO things that require action. It seems he would rather tackle a project that Mom gives him than to play with toys or watch a movie. Thus, I try to look for things that he can take ownership of and when finished, feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. It's even better when the project is something that really needs to be done, and I don't have to do it!!

Our four year old daughter is the same way. Anything that involves food, she is there, wanting to assist. So many mothers struggle with cooking with their children and would rather "do it myself". Simple tasks to hand over to an eager-to-learn child teach the principle of responsibility, as well as the needed job. The more my children know how to do, the less I have to do because the work is divided and conquered.

Some examples this month:

Quesadilla Making
I taught these two to put together a quesadilla. No, they didn't cook them. It didn't save me time (this time) for them to make them. In fact, it probably took four times longer than it would have if I had just done it. But that's not the point. I LOVE seeing my children learn new things and have confidence in their knowledge and abilities.

Watermelon Serving
Give her a bowl of cut up watermelon and some plates and let her serve-it-up! A task is accomplished, hand-eye coordination is developed, and she is so excited about doing it. Perfect combination! Last night, I asked her to put away the left over pineapple. She got a container out of the cupboard, scooped it up and put it in the refrigerator. Awesome!

Shredding
A few weeks ago, my shredding box was completely full. It needed to be emptied into a bag to hand over to the shredding company. 

NOTE: This is the best way to handle your shredding needs. Don't buy a shredder. They get clogged and overheated and broken. Office shredders cannot handle our output, so once or twice per year we call up the shredding truck (coined by my kids) and it picks up our documents that need to be disposed of. One call, one bill. 

This is a task that almost any child can do so why not have them do it?! This guy fetched the garbage bag and went to town with the job.

Involve your children. It will pay off for you and for them. The little acts of responsibility when they're young will turn into big acts of responsibility when they're older! All those years of little things have given that four year old from long ago (see the write-downable at the top) the opportunity to work his way to college. Yes, I admit, I couldn't resist stalking my son while he was working. How rewarding it is to see the fulfillment of all those years of teaching and training! He really is being 'sponsible!

Today's Stick-to-it Tip: Simple and consistent opportunities create a responsible, Stick-to-it Kid! Search them out and embrace the moments. Thumbs up for 'sponsible kids!

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

Write-Downable of the Week

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

I've talked about Write-Downables before. You can see past examples, here. There are plenty of precious and priceless phrases (love those alliterations) uttered in our home; thus, I've decided to create a weekly post entitled, "Write-Downable of the Week". 

Write-Downable of the Week:

 "I want to have kids when I grow up, like Mommy." (Age 4)

Making Sure Baby's Safe, Too

So proud of herself!

This just makes it all worth it! If I can be a mother that my children want to emulate for good, I have succeeded. Yes, I love the cute and funny phrases that my children say, but those that take true and deep thought, especially at such a young age, tug at my heart and soar to the top of the list.

This Write-Downable was spoken last night while tucking her in bed. I got in bed and thought to myself, "I won't forget this one. I'll remember." But, having thought that before and NOT remembering, I texted it to myself so I would have the reminder. 

Today's Stick-to-it Tip: Write it Down. You WILL NOT be able to remember it later when you try to recall it, unless you STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING and WRITE IT DOWN. 

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

Who's Your Hunk-a-Love?

Hunk-a-Love (n) - bosom friend, BFF, cuddle buddy, playmate, one deserving of a kiss, the go-to individual...

Warning: This person can change at any time depending on mood and emotion so don't let it go to your head!!

(Definition by: Julie)

Being our daughter's Hunk-a-Love is a coveted position in the family. "Am I your Hunk-a-Love?" is a typical question to our three year old who designates a different individual almost daily, sometimes multiple times per day.

How did it all begin? Our son, The Great Bamzini, stated one day that he was her Hunk-a-Love. OK.....??

It was the most random expression of affection, but it stuck.

 

Now the other children want the title. They kiss up, butter her up, bring her things, offer to play with her, ask in kindly tones, beg and plead to be dubbed her "Hunk-a-Love".

Once she determines a Hunk-a-Love, she hugs the person, gives extra affection, becomes the best little pal, and is overly sweet and kind. However, look out! If you do something she doesn't like, you may hear, "You're not my Hunk-a-Love anymore" and then she's off looking for a new one. There goes the self-esteem of the one no longer deemed "Hunk-a-Love"!

However, she has declared, "Mommy, you and Daddy are always my Hunk-a-Love". Awesome!

Some Hunk-a-Love Pics...

Frequently her Hunk-a-Love

Her Hunk-a-Love when he's home, which is rare. Certainly not her Hunk-a-Love that day!

The original Hunk-a-Love

A Lewis and Clark kind of Hunk-a-Love

Her Hunk-a-Love when it's just the two of them home

Sisterly Hunk-a-Lovin'

He has the most desire to be the Hunk-a-Love

Always her Hunk-a-Love!!

Ditto!

 

Who wouldn't want to be her Hunk-a-Love?

Copyright: Vover Virl, International

So, who's your Hunk-a-Love? Whomever it is, make it known, and don't be a flip-floppin' three year old. Let your Hunk-a-Loves know they're loved... FOREVER!

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