The Lesson

On Wednesday Briggs and Benson went to Declean and Hayden Courts birthday.  They had a lot of fun swimming.  On thursday morning Briggs came to me and told me that he took some of Benson's bday money, and gave me the rest back.  I was upset and a little frustrated.  ( I managed to keep my emotions in check.)  I thought that we were behind this! I sent him to his room and took some time to think and pray about what I was going to do about this situation.
I went in and saw him.  I sat down with him and asked him why he did it.  I asked him if he ever went with out anything.  I asked him if he wore nice clothes and had a nice bike and got to do fun things.  I told him that he didnt need to steal things, he already had more then enough. I reconginzed that this was   a teaching moment.  I asked him how he felt, and why he did it.  He told me that he wanted candy.  I asked if he didnt get any at the bday party.  He said he did, and he told me that he felt sad about his choice.  I asked him if he felt this way before he spent the money and he said yes.  I told him that the Holy Ghost would always let him know if he was doning something wrong, and that the Holy Ghost did warn him.  I then said were you scared to tell me. He said yes, but he knew he needed to. I told him that was the Holy Ghost telling him that he needed to repent.  I was on the verge of tears the whole time.  I told him that he said sorry but now he needed to make his wrongs right.  I asked him how that should happen.  He said that he would have to loose some of the money that he worked for by shoveling the neighbours sidewalk.  I believe that there was a lessoned learned here.
We promptly then rounded up everyones money and went to the bank!!!

Breath of fresh air!!

This past week  the kids had off of school! We went to the bike jumps on Saturday and on Monday we went to Waterton for Family Day.  We were invited by friends to hike to Forum Falls and other friends to Cameron Lake by snowshoe, and other friends to go on a sliegh ride and go Sledding down bertha trail head.  We didnt want to hear any whinning so we went sledding! It was so MUCH fun! We sledded from 10:30-1:00 and stopped for lunch and then again from 2:00-5:30. Trev went up behind the tree line and the snow was so deep that it was up past his waist and he broke to sleds. The kids were really tired and we stayed to have supper at Waterton Lodge.  They crashed in the van!! We then spent the rest of the week recovering and doing bday parties and play dates and laundry.  By recovering I mean that Benson and I both got a cold because we were wet most of the day. It was a noce relaxing week of no lessons and school runs and driving!!! So nice to be able to do fun things with our kids!! I hope they always know how much we love them.

one more

I wish that I had one more hour in the day to get things done!
I wish that I had one more set of hands to help kids out!
I wish that I had one more of me to be in the place that I need to be in all the time!

I wonder if anyone else feels like this ever?  I love my family but sometimes I struggle to be where I need to be when I need to be there.  Sometimes I feel like oppurtunites have been missed because I am taking care of someone or something else, and them my patients leave and I that leaves with me with just want ing them to go to bed so I can have some quiet!!  Once they are asleep I just wish I hold their little bodies close and never let them go!! I love them so much, and my goal is that they may always know and feel that.  Sometimes I am able to do that, and sometimes I am not the mom I should be, and yet they still love me and want me to be apart of them. So thankful for them. I love them.

My goal is to be more present and to be more pateinet in the little day things that do not matter as much as a hug and a kiss!

Benson

Benson is doing a great at school.  He is starting to really pick things up.  I am so pleased with his progress. He has a few friends in his school that I convinced to go there.  It has made a BIG difference. He is still behind in his speech and might always be but I am so glad that he is starting to build a support network for himself. I am really nervous for when he goes to kindergarten. I don't think that he is ready.  He has a hard time writting his name, and can't count to 10, and doesn't recognize a lot of the letters.  We work and work and work at this.  I am so worried.  I just have to trust that all will be well.  I love that little boy so much my heart bursts and I just want to keep him safe and protect him.  I want him to stay little!!
He just turned 5 and that was hard on me.  He is growing up to fast.  He is an awesome little buddy and a joy to have around.  We went swimming for his bday and he had 8 little friends.  They had a great time.  He has 2 little girls that he really like.  And he had to have them sit right beside them.  Wouldn't it be funny if he married one of them?
Benson at 5:
Benson favorite,
food: apples with peanut butter
colour: red
outside: ride bikes
friend: burke hall
girlfriend: Olivia Muise and Bridgette Lindsay
toy: spiderman and batman houses
Likes to "read" books and likes to swim.  He also likes to be the "big brother to Hannah when Nyla and Briggs are at school!

violin

Well Briggs did not take take to violin at all.  We weren't going to let him quit but his teacher suggested that we should stop things to keep it a positive experience.  Nyla on the other hand has been playing this year.  She is very talented and plays very nice.  She is willing to practice for the most part.  Her hard work is starting to pay off.  I am excitted to see were she will be by the end of this years lessons.

ski time

We just came back from spending a week in whitefish skiing and swimming.  It was SO much fun!! We pulled the kids form school for a week and stayed at Meadow Lake.  There was on one there.  It was really quite nice.
Briggs Nyla and I went skiing.  We skied teusday and wednesday.  We all had lessons in the morning and then skied together in the afternoon.  It was great.  I was SO TIERD by wednesday afternoon.  My shines hurt.  I had not been skiing since Jan. 1 1999.  So it had been awhile.  I was nervous about taking the kids because my own abilities were really lacking!
The kids did great and really liked it.
Trev stayed back with Benson and Hannah and they swam in the morning and afternoon and in the night.  The had a great time with their dad. They don't usually get to spend time with him like that.  It was a nice reversal.
I hope to be able to do this again.