Let the Fall Festivities Begin!

Each month when I sit down to write down our family happenings, I always say I'll just do it 'real quick.' Then a few days and a few hours later, I'm finally done. But this month I REALLY am just going to do it real quick.

To kick off the fall, I enrolled the boys in a karate class through the recreation center. I also enrolled Leah in a drawing class. I was super excited about the classes and the kids were anxious to go. A week before classes started, I got a call to inform me that both classes were cancelled because of low enrollment. Sad! Now I had more time to fill for the kids and had no idea what to do. I called around and decided to put the boys in a private karate company called USA Martial Arts. They go three times a week for 30 minutes and have a great time. It's mostly game play but there is a lot expected from the boys like the way they sit, when they talk, taking turns, listening, etc... Caleb is mostly there for the fun but Zachary has really taken to the whole experience and is actually pretty coordinated and VERY good at listening to instruction! Who knew!?  We'll be done at the end of this month.  It's a little pricey for us to keep up, especially with them being so young, but I could see us putting Zachary back in when he gets older. Some days Caleb would say he didn't want to go and I could never figure out why. He usually would say he wanted Dad there. I think the strictness makes him feel uncomfortable sometimes. He always ends up going and having a good time though.

I didn't find a replacement class for Leah but not without lack of trying. I have ended up just making some time each week to teach her new things to draw from a drawing book like ladybugs, butterflies, bees, sunflowers, etc... She's into it but is hard on herself if it doesn't look perfect. She certainly has a knack for drawing and creating.  She tags along to karate with me and enjoys just sitting and watching her brothers. She actually did the beginning trial class and participated in a few activities. Then the instructor put a punching bag on the floor for the kids to balance on and she bolted out of there as fast as she could. Ha! Let's just say she is NOT coordinated added to the fact that she is a perfectionist.  Not a good combo. She can write her whole alphabet perfectly but can barely jump off the curb without hurting herself. So I suppose we'll focus more on the arts with her.

A big reason I started the karate was to really get a handle on Zachary's attitude.  I was reallllllly struggling with him at home and it was taking a toll on me and the other kids.  Right about when they started karate I also starting reading a book about decreasing defiance in children.  It was a ten day program and I implemented all the information I was reading.  I saw results RIGHT AWAY and thought WOW!...this karate thing is really helping.  Now that time has passed I know that my implementation of the book's program is what has made the difference in Zachary's behavior.  I have hardly ANY problems with him anymore.  I know how to handle things better and talk to him in a certain way.  This book has been a huge lifesaver for me and will be my reference book while Zachary grows.

I have found, in my short four years of mothering, that when I have a really difficult struggle to overcome with the kids, it never fails that I am led to a book that has just the information I need to make positive changes in mine and the kids' lives.  I really have felt almost inspired when it comes to finding these books and while I'm reading them I just can't believe I found a book so helpful and pertinent.  Definitely some obvious answers to prayers for me. 

Speaking of books and studying, the trio is doing a little bit of school this fall.  Since I'm doing this post 'real quick,' I'll skip the details of my joy school decision.  Let's just say I vacillated and could never commit to doing it, for whatever reason.  I convinced a friend to do a weekly school morning with me that was very laid back, flexible, and much less time committed.  So once a week we have a little friend come to our house or we go to her house and have school time for an hour or so.  We happened to fall into an alphabet schedule so each week we alternate letters and do activities and crafts around those letters.  It has been fun with no pressure at all.  Usually either one of us moms will sneak away for an hour and then come back while the kids play.  On our first day, I had the kids looks through magazines to cut out pictures that they liked.  Then they stood up and told us about their collage.  Hazel and Caleb were pretty spot on with the pictures describing their personalities.  Leah only did pictures that had two people playing or socializing.  She doesn't do well by herself so those pictures were pretty accurate too I guess.  Zachary's was by far the funniest.  He only chose candy, desserts, and Halloween decorations.  Zachary's personality could be summed up in one holiday:  Halloween.  I suppose his pictures were pretty spot on as well.  Anyway, it was a fun time all around.  Before our school playdate ends, we usually try to get the kids to do a human letter.  It always gives us a good laugh.

We had our first backyard campout this past month which meant we got to bust out our new fall pajamas!  The kids could hardly contain their excitement over the pajamas.  Combined with the campout excitement....there were some pretty hyper kids that night.  We read spooky Halloween books with a flashlight which the kids loved and made them nice and unsettled.  Sure makes for some good dreams right?  :)  It did get pretty chilly that night so Leah and I came in around 1am while the boys toughed it out. 

As previously mentioned, Halloween is in FULL swing around here.  This has totally been the kids' doing.  Like I said, Zachary loves Halloween.  ESPECIALLY skeletons.  He likes it all but skeletons are definitely his thing.  Witches for Leah and pumpkins for Caleb.  It's funny how they all just choose something to attach to.  We've also been checking out Halloween books from the library since mid-September because Zachary inevitably finds that section and can't put his spooky books down.  Whatever!  All three were so obsessed with decorating their bedrooms this year that I finally gave in and went to the dollar store.  They each got six items, plus we made some sticker pages and jack-o-lanterns to add to the spook-factor.  Let's just say that walking down the hall in the middle of the night is a different experience now...a little unsettling.  :)

Don't you just love Leah's welcome mat to her room?  We even went as far as making countdown chains which started with over 40 links.  Ha!  That's what I'm saying, these kids have just been totally into this year.  I admit, it has been fun and I even got some decorations for our living room.

One of the more funny conversations going on since all the Halloween stuff started is the topic of graveyards.  Zachary likes skeletons and sees them in his books in graveyards.  So he asks about graves and who is in them.  Then he has started putting some pieces together and asked me if we will go in the ground too?  I said that our bodies will but our Spirits will be with Heavenly Father and his response was:  "But I don't want to go in the grave alone!".

I tried to explain that our bodies are just for this earth and when our bodies don't work anymore, our Spirits will go to heaven and we will NEVER be alone.  I mean, it's a pretty legit conversation we were having and pretty legit concerns of his.  I don't want to go in the ground alone either.  Maybe I should start checking out the Christmas books instead??!!

Another little memory from Zachary I want to note happened after my sharing time lesson a couple weeks ago.  I taught on the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's and how they buried their weapons of war in the ground.  I even brought all the weapons we own and placed a blanket over them to really drive the point home.  :)  Then I talked about how those people promised God to never fight again.  They were true to their promise and 'perfectly honest.'  When we got home, Zachary and Caleb wanted all their weapons back that I had borrowed.  Caleb immediately assumed the roll of a Lamanite who did NOT bury his weapon and wanted to fight. I wonder if he missed the point of my lesson.  Ha!  When bedtime came I went into Zachary's room to say goodnight and sat on his bed. I felt a bunch of toys underneath me so I lifted the blanket and saw all of Zachary's weapons.  He proceeded to tell me that he came home and buried them.  Oh my goodness, melt my heart. 

I'll end with one of my favorite words from this past month.  Leah has been using the word 'yesternight' pretty regularly which I think is adorable.  I plan not to correct her because it makes me smile every time and I'm starting to wonder why we don't say it too!  Makes complete sense!