The Power of Words

This month my mom has continued her 11 year fight of breast cancer, by getting another major surgery to get the cancer out. And to help her spirit go through something again, I came up with a word wall. This was where everyone that loves and knows her could give one word that they think of her and what she is. This is how it turned out. She was touched. Not only does she look at each word and get inspiration from it, but the wall as a whole gives her strength. Looking at the wall you think if you times it by 5 thinking that each person has a family of 5 that is lots and lots of prayers in her behalf. This surgery has gone far better than any other of her surgeries, and I think a major key, might be this wall.

My sister's family takes time every Sunday dinner to spotlight each other during dinner. They start with one person and the first person has to come up with something they love about them, things they respect from them, things they are good at. One thing. Then the next person will say something about that person, until everyone has told that person something nice. Then the next person goes and so on until every family member has had lots of compliments.

My husband knew I was having a really bad day one day and thought if she still exercised when she was having a bad day, then she deserves something special. So hidden in my scriptures on my exercise machine, was a beautiful love note from my husband. It meant so much to me and so I am going to frame it.

I just made a happy birthday board that is a 2x4 and 24 inches long. on the front it says Happy Birthday. On the top it has a place for 3 pictures. This is a place to honor the birthday person. I have decided that in addition each family member is going to write a card or a letter telling that person why he or she is special. I think this will make each child feel person in our family.

How many times do we hear as parents that we need to compliment our kids, that we need to tell them we love them and that we are proud of them. And that if we do, we will have different kids.

I believe in the power of words and I hope this will inspire you to give your family members and loved ones powerful words that will help them grow, be happy, and have a healthy life.

Spread The Love Around!

So this post is about a few experiences that has made today (Valentine's Day) something more than just a commercial holiday. I thought I would share and if you can pick up an idea for a future holiday, or just something fun to do on a random day, that would be GREAT! In fact if you can share one for the rest of us, that would be awesome too, of how you or someone else, Spread the Love around!

So this month has so far been really fun for me. I decided to not just focus on Valentine's day for just my little family, but also others. I delivered or sent in the mail over 45 Valentine's to people that I love and respect. I have tried to think about others all month long. It has been really fun, and lets those people know I care abut them.

This month also has been a month that others have shown me love. I got really sick in January with a heart that was beating 4 times faster than it should have been. I had to go to the E.R. and then went to a bigger hospital by ambulance, because the whole beating thing, caused a heart attack. This is a genetic thing that I have had for a long time and never knew it. Anyway so many have shown me love. I had people take care of my children for me. I had people bring yummy meals for my family. My Mother stayed home from a trip to care for my family and she came everyday to serve me and love me. I had people call everyday to check on me. I had cards that were sent by mail. All of it was so nice and really made me feel loved and helped me get better quicker.

This month I also had a stranger show me love. My husband and I were eating dinner with our two little African American boys and a man came up and told us that he respected what we were doing and he thought it was just wonderful and that our dinner was paid for. What a nice man. He didn't have to do that, but it made our day and we will never forget it.

A few years ago, a neighbor randomly brought us dinner, for no reason but that she wanted to. I still remember that kind action. It made us feel so loved and happy.

Lastly something was said in church yesterday that really made a difference in my life. It made me realize how powerful LOVE is. A story was told about a boy that was having problems, and a mother was trying to decide how to help him. Long story short, she decided to go into his bedroom, after he had been asleep and stroke his hair, hold him, and of course tell him that she loved him. Years later someone asked the Mom what turned him around. She started answering and he stopped her and said, "That wasn't it at all, Mom. It was when you came down and started telling me you loved me. I would pretend to sleep until you came down and said it, and then I would go to sleep after." What powerful words, I Love You, are.

I hope you all have a wonderful today and I hope you remember to spread the love around today and every day!

Valentine's Party Games

So I spent the morning trying to find fun group games for my Cub Scouts group. After an hour, I had only came up with one game, and it was one I posted last year for Valentine's Day. I was talking to my Mom and she told me I should do a Minute To Win It Valentine's Party. So that is what I did and here are the games we played. I might do this with my family, and if I do I will include the pictures of each activity.

1. Heart Hunt (find in categories under the second Valentine's Day section)

2. Heart Race (cardboard piece of a box that you fan a heart tissue paper with. First one across the line wins)

3. Heart Stack (Tongue Depressers or Popcycle Sticks, Conversation Hearts. Put the stick in your mouth and stack as many hearts as you can on top of it in 60 seconds.

4. Heart Sort (Give every kid 20 M&M's, on go whoever gets all their m&m's in the shape of a heart and raises their hands yelling Happy Valentine's Day wins)

5. Angel Dance (One White Feather, Keep your feather off the ground the longest, without holding it and you win)

6. Angel Run (One White Feather, race against others to see who can blow their feather to the other side of the room first)

and of course we had to do one Super Bowl game, because the super bowl was on Sunday

7. Super Bowl (Bowl, Spoon, Cotton Balls, and blindfold, Blindfold one at a time and give them a spoon. On go find all the cotton balls and carry them to the bowl with your spoon only. No touching or feeling around. Whoever gets the most wins)

At the end, I gave every kid a 100 grand for doing their best and because they are 100 grand to me. They all had a great time and were so cute playing each game. One kid said it was the best day ever. So if you are a Mom planning some Valentine's Party for whatever reason, try this party out.

Love, Your Pixie

We usually look at Valentine's two ways. The first is the romantic holiday. The second is the kids holiday. But really it is more than just a time for kids to give out Valentine's and a special night for the one you love. It is an opportunity to love others, especially the elderly and widowed.

When I was a child every Christmas, my parents did the 12 Days of Christmas, but we called it Pixing. We always chose an old person or a widower. We gave thoughtful gifts like bread, soup, an ornament, fruit, etc. We always left it on the porch and then would go home and call them and tell them, "Your Pixie has been there" It really made their day! I find it is hard to do this at Christmas time though, because life is so busy.

So because it has been busy, we have been inventive so we can still do it. One year we did this to a family in July, One year we wrapped Christmas books and put dates on them of when they should be opened and gave them to families.

Last year my Mom was recovering from sickness and was really down and that gave us an idea to do the Pixie thing before Valentines. We did this for both sets of parents. We got a big basket, tied a Valentine's balloon to it, and filled it with 12 gifts we thought they would enjoy and made a little note that went with each one. We told them to open one each night on the night it was given. I watched my Mom through the whole thing, having no idea who had done this. My kids loved watching her get excited and speculate about who it was. It was so fun! They were so excited to finally tell her that they had done it.

For Mother's Day (but it would be a great idea for Valentine's Day). We took breakfast to each of our Mothers. We told them the tray was their gift as well as the food and the cup. Walmart had really dang cute trays in their Valentine section that I bought then and saved for Mother's Day. They loved it. We have also taken Breakfast trays like this to people having a baby. Cartons of Orange Juice, Milk, Fruit, Pasteries, etc. is fun for the kids and makes them feel special too.

Another idea to do for older people is to give them a Heart Attack. On their front door, rest home door, bedroom door, car, etc. place hearts that have messages from everyone in your family. Things you love about them, or just an I love you. This is a great gift, for someone that has everything and just needs to be loved.

We connect with people all the time on the internet, phones, or facebook like stuff. But that kind of technology doesn't hit with most older people. So help your child send notes and stuff in the mail for your older loved ones. This will be a fun new experience for you child, but will mean something also to the ones you send stuff too. My sister in law lives out of state and she does this all the time with her kids. My Mom's fridge is covered in little notes from them.

One story that has been told to me over the years, is my Two sisters one Valentine's Day calling all the neighbors and singing them a Valentine's Song and saying it was from someone who loved them (pre-caller id). They had fun doing it, and the women all loved it and thought it was from their husbands.

This year I was thinking it might be fun to put a fruit or treat in a Valentine's bag and deliver these little gifts to a retirement community in our area, with a note telling them Happy Valentine's Day. I think my kids would love ringing all those door bells and spreading love around.

And lastly invite them over. For about 6 months now we have been taking my Mom at least once a week to our house for dinner. She gets a good healthy meal, she gets out of the house, she gets companionship, and we get HER. My kids love when she comes for dinner, and they beg for her to come all the time. Today I burned beans and my Mom was over. She of course could have cared less, because she was just glad to be out of her quiet house and have some fun.

And remember that no matter what you do, sign it with.... Love, Your Pixie

Little People With Adult Opinions

I am thinking about World Issues, National Issues, Local Issues, and Race Issues in association with our children. Little people with adult opinions. Certain football teams suck, Mexicans are horrible and shouldn't be allowed into our country, Special Needs Kids are weird and should be teased, wheel chairs are scary, the president is evil, Immigrants shouldn't be in our country, certain countries and their people are horrible, etc. Have you heard kids expressing things like this? Where are they getting this? I would hear kids talking in scouts and figured that their parents must have these pretty strong views. But when my own child made a comment about hating all immigrants, because she doesn't like one that goes to her school, I was floored. I realized that she didn't get this from me, but where is she getting it? My sister in law shared with me an experience of her being at school and her child told a little black child that his mom doesn't help black kids. She was floored because her little boy has 4 black cousins (my kids). I have had my daughter come home many times in tears because of something someone has said about her skin, hair, or size. Last year when Obama was going to talk to the schools, each of my children came home with stuff others had said. Now one of my daughters loves Obama cause he is black like her. Personally I don't share her opinion, but that doesn't mean I am going to make her hate him. My other daughter asked me one time if I hated the 9-11 hijackers. I could honestly say that what they did was wrong, that they had a ton to learn in heaven, but that I didn't hate them. I felt sorry for them that they had to grow up the way they did and learn to be bad as little children. I also am touched my the poverty in Mexico, and don't wonder why people are trying to come here to a great country. I understand, but I do think we need stronger borders. But instead of focusing on that part, I choose to teach my children about poverty, and why Mexicans want to come here, and why they want to leave where they live.

So here is my conclusion.

1. I think they are getting this from all around us. T.V., Channel 1, Reading, Listening to Parents, Other kids on the play ground, Teachers, etc.
2. We can't control others views, and what our kids hear, but we can control what we are saying and letting our kids hear us say.
3. Kids can misunderstand things that you say and repeat them in a misunderstood way, that might really embarrass you.
4. Above all else, we need to teach our children to love all. Stop the scare of differences and hate, teach them to love and accept differences.
5. Anyone that deals with lots of kids on a regular basis will tell you. Kids repeat, kids share, kids talk lots. If you don't want something shared, don't talk in front of them.

Compliment Stocking!

My sister, Jill shared this on facebook, and I thought it was cute and would post it here. Doing anything like this with children is a really good idea.

Christmas idea to share One thing we did with our kids was to let them write compliments to each other during the month of December(we did too). They could choose any day. No one was assigned. More than one person could do it in a day. You write a complement for each person in the family including yourself. They are put in the empty stockings. When someone noticed they were there we would read them as a family. Children that were too little to write could dictate to someone else. They could be things like "You are a good jumper." or "You have a great laugh." This was really fun to do.

My Favorite Quote!

Whatever you are... Be a good one! A. Lincoln

I think this is a great quote to start out the school year right.

As a child I hated being compared to my other siblings. Maybe one was more talented, or one had better grades, maybe one was more outgoing, or maybe one teacher liked my older sibling best. I was not a straight A student, but I didn't get bad grades. I hated having my report card on the fridge with my straight A honor roll brother.

When I got kids I started out with an honor roll daughter. The next one came and she is delayed. Now I have 5 and I have no idea what life is going to throw us. I have learned that it doesn't matter about honor rolls, or being delayed, it matters what is in each of your children that makes them special. It doesn't matter if we are still on a first grade reading level, it doesn't matter if we all go to college and get honor cords. What matters is that we be whatever we are and that we be a good one. I am sure that all my kids will be educated, but I have no idea what they will choose and how long that might take them.

I didn't realize this personally until I was a junior in college. I didn't even realize that I had very specific talents that no one else in my family has. They did, but I never knew. For my kids I want better. I am recognizing these talents and helping them by pointing them out and making them feel proud. My 12 year old is very musical and very responsible, my 10 year old is very courageous, she is very organized, and she loved dance, My 7 year old has a love of life, she loves sports, and she is a really good reader. She also is my nurse of the family. My 4 year old is a great runner. He runs faster than anyone else in the family. He loves anything that involves pipes! and My 1 year old baby: He is very interested in lights. He is always trying to figure out how they work.

As my daughter is starting Jr. High, I think of all the kids that will potentially pick on her or make her feel less than who she is. My goal is to make sure she has a good self esteem before all that happens, so she can just shrug it off and move on.

So I guess this post is just about helping your child realize what talents they have, voicing them to them, and that we didn't all come out of the same mold. We are all unique and it doesn't matter what we are....... just be a good one.

Straw for Jesus!

This idea is very similar to the one I added earlier today. You make or buy a manger that is big enough for a doll to be in it. Then you get a bag of straw and place it by the manger. Then either you let your child put a piece of straw in every time they do something good for another person, or my favorite at the end of the day you all do it together as a family and tell each other what you did that was nice. By the time Jesus is "born" there should be plenty of soft hay for him to lay in. Use your doll on Christmas day and place him in the manger. I also before my kids get to open presents (and so daddy can set up cameras and such) read them a short child version of the Nativity. It sets the right kind of mood for the day!

A Different Kind of Christmas!

One year someone gave us a really fun activity, that made Christmas more special and more focused on making others happy and not ourselves (which in turn made us happy). Anyway make a list with 25 activities and print it up using a white, red, and green piece of paper. The activities could include:

1. Do something nice for your mom today

2. Do something nice for your dad today

3. Write your grandma a note

4. Draw a picture of Jesus and give it to someone

5. Help sister make her bed today

6. Sing someone a Christmas song today

7. Call and talk to someone you love on the phone today

8. Read a story about Jesus and tell about it at dinner

9. Do 3 nice things today for your brother

Etc.

Then cut up the daily activities into strips and take each strip and make a paper chain, rotating each color. Each day rip one off until you get to the end and reach Christmas. Also at the top of your chain have your child color a picture of baby Jesus and then talk to them about the gift they are giving Jesus this year. Which is all the acts of service. This really gets the kids thinking about how and what is important in life and not so much of what Santa is going to bring them.

For Grandma on Mother's Day!

Grandma,

You are like the icing on a cupcake,

You make my life sweeter!

So you make a card that says this. Then you could either give a cupcake with it, you could let them make a cupcake on their card, or I guess both, or you could give them a cake mix, frosting, and muffin tin if you have no time! I thought it would look really cute to use real muffin cup holders on your card. I like the silver (really pretty) ones. You can find them at any store. You would cut it in half and only use one side. Then cut out the top of the muffin and let your child color, paint, or decorate it any way they want. Then I would glue that over the top of the muffin. Anyway Grandma would love this!

Valentine Bags!

A couple of years ago we started something really fun in our home at the first of February. I made each person a big heart bag. I used string for a hook, and two hearts stapled together for the purse. Then I wrote the person's name on it. We told everyone to think of kind things that someone has done for you, or what you love about them, or what you think they are good at. Then we told them that every time they should write that person a note (Little kids: Color a picture or have help from mom and dad). Then the Sunday before Valentine's Day (or after which ever is closer) everyone gets to look in their bags. NO LOOKING BEFORE THEN! Each bag hangs on the outside of their room. If you have multiple children in the same room, then you just let them choose an inside door to hang theirs from. Anyway it is really fun!