Kids and Candy

Last Oct. a cousin came to stay with one of my kid's friends. This girl hadn't eaten candy for 10 months. She made a deal with her dad to not eat candy for a year for a cash reward. My girls were really impressed with this idea. On Jan. 1st my girls came to me and asked if I would do a similar deal. My son hadn't drank any pop for 3 years since his track coach told him how bad it was for runners. So all 3 decided to do the deal. No pop and no candy for 1 year for a cash reward from mom. I knew I couldn't do it, so I figured I wouldn't go broke doing the deal. I thought the kids might learn some valuable lessons, even if they could only do it for a month or two. They would learn that it was ok to try something different, to not do things when everyone else was doing it, how to conquer peer pressure when their friends were trying to get them to eat candy, how to put off immediate gratification (pleasure of candy), how to have a very long term goal. It seemed like a great idea to support. 2 of my kids are still in the contest. Whenever they go to a birthday party, school or church activity they give all their candy to me. I am shocked at how much candy is given out to kids!

Frozen Grapes-The Perfect Summer Snack

These grapes came out of my garden. I am getting this much everyday for a little while. I have been force feeding the family and trying to keep up. I remember how much my kids like frozen grapes so I pulled off the grapes and put them in individual servings bags and froze them in a tupperware container. I will probably do this with all that we can't eat. I hate to waste food and I didn't want to ruin these beautiful grapes by juicing them.

Enjoy

How fun would it be to see beautiful words painted around town like this one? What a happy surprise. I'm wondering where I can paint some hidden words at my own house.


I got this off of this blog http://desertphotography.blogspot.com
The french song Le Vie En Rose--Madeleine Peyroux that plays on her blog is fun to listen to as you stroll around her site.

J.K. Rowling Delivers Commencement Address

Author of the best-selling Harry Potter book series, delivers her Commencement Address, “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination,” at the Harvard Alumni Association June 5, 2008.

I found her sincere, humble and funny. I enjoyed listening to the path she followed. She continued to follow her passion no matter what. It was her failure that gave her courage. She said "I was set free, because my greatest fear had already been realized, and I was still alive..."

If you prefer to read this 24 min. video click here:

http://harvardmagazine.com/go/jkrowling.html

I'm Proud of You Jacob

I haven't put very much about my kids on the blog but I feel like I wouldn't be a good mother if I didn't acknowledge my son and his big year. He is such an example and teaches me how to be a better person. I really look up to him. He aims his goals high and achieves them one by one. What a blessing it is to be able to associate with a person like him.
Here he is with a friend at high school graduation. He had a 4.1 GPA. It was cold, rained on us the whole time and was held outside. (NOT fun!)
This was after getting his Eagle Scout Award. If you aren't familiar with scouting it takes years and years of work and service to get this award. I was amazed at what it takes to get this award. Here he is standing next to my mother after graduating seminary. This is 4 years of religious study. He also just got his Duty to God award.
Jacob ran track and cross country. This was as hard on me as it was for him. I could hardly handle watching him in such pain. We live in Arizona and it wasn't unusual for them to be running in 110 degree weather. Ouch!He finally quit playing in his band. Besides him blowing the roof off of our house, I enjoyed hearing the boys writing, singing, laughing and performing their songs.
I can go on and on but I won't. I can't take any credit for his accomplishments because he just came this way.
Your nickname "Jakey my Joy" is so fitting, because you were truly a joy to raise. I'm going to miss you when you go off to ASU. I LOVE YOU SOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!

Treating Children as you Would a Stranger

A friend of my daughters sent this poem to her. I'm not sure who wrote it.
F A M I L Y
I ran into a stranger as he passed by, 'Oh excuse me please' was my reply. He said, 'Please excuse me too;
I wasn't watching for you. We were very polite, this stranger and I. We went on our way and we said goodbye.
But at home a different story is told, How we treat our loved ones, young and old. Later that day, cooking the
evening meal, My son stood beside me very still. When I turned, I nearly knocked him down. 'Move out of the
way,' I said with a frown. He walked away, his little heart broken. I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.
While I lay awake in bed, God's still small voice came to me and said, 'While dealing with a stranger, common
courtesy you use, but the family you love, you seem to abuse...
Go and look on the kitchen floor, You'll find some flowers there by the door. Those are the flowers he brought
for you. He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue. He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,you
never saw the tears that filled his little eyes. 'By this time, I felt very small, And now my tears began to fall...
I quietly went and knelt by his bed; 'Wake up, little one, wake up,' I said. 'Are these the flowers you picked for
me?' He smiled, 'I found 'em, out by the tree. I picked 'em because they're pretty like I knew you'd like 'em,
especially the blue.' I said, 'Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today; I shouldn't have yelled at you that way.'
He said, 'Oh, Mom, that's okay. I love you anyway.' I said, 'Son, I love you too, and I do like the flowers, especially
the blue.'
I know we have all been there. We all can get impatient. I hope we remember how much our children love us, and treat them as we would a friend. In a few years we are going to want that kind of relationship with them. I have two married daughters and I know how fast kids grow.
My youngest daughter left this outside my bedroom door as she left on a trip this morning. Children are so sweet!!!!!

Thanks Cutie Pie! I'm going to miss you too!!!!!