Wise Words: What is Wisdom #1

"When we look at the foundational principles of the plan of happiness, the plan of salvation, we can recognize and appreciate in its plainness and simplicity the elegance and beauty of our Heavenly Father’s wisdom. Then, turning our ways to His ways is the beginning of our wisdom."

"Doing the things that matter most will lead us to the Savior"
from "Of Things That Matter Most" by Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Be Inspired,

Truly Tender: February Family Fitness Fun Moments

I feel that my February Mini-Mission was successful.  I noticed that we did many more active family activites which brought us more joy.  Here are some of my favorites:

• Several park playdates meeting friends from school and/or church.
• Family bike rides
• Patiently turning my Mommy yoga time into Mommy and Me yoga time
• Encouraging outside play even when it cut into normal homework scheduled time.
• Turning on music and playing Bunny Hop, Chicken Dance and Chicken Fat (with Robert Preston) games with my girls and their friends over at our house joined in too.
• Taking time to stop and play "Elefun" game with my littlest one when she asked me to and playing it slowly enough to allow her time to bend down and pick up individual butterflies to put in her net after they came shooting out of the elephant's trunk and onto the floor.  Then being patient enough to allow her to pick up one butterfly at atime to hand to me so I could put it back into the trunk for another game.  All the bending over added to the fitness!
• I found myself doing squats and stretches while performing normal house chores like laundry and dishes.
• My daughter came home so excited that she didn't give up when one day playing basketball she couldn't catch a chest pass correctly in pe class.  A couple of days ago she jumped into the car and excitedly cried out: "I caught a chest pass today!"

I would love your comments with suggestions or your own experiences making Fitness more fun for yourself and/or your family.  I will be continuing this mini-mission throughout the year.

Be Inpired,

Musical Motivation: Compose a Scripture Song

Music has really enhanced my ability to help my children love the scriptures.  I started out by singing the Article of Faith songs from the Primary Children's Songbook.  One day I was rocking my crying baby as I read my personal scripture study and so I started singing the words I was reading and my baby stopped crying.  That was the beginning of starting to compose my own scripture songs as another way to teach them.

My oldest daughter and I have been working on composing a song for  Mosiah 2: 22, (which is the theme scripture for primary in February).   I decided not to include our version now since it is more advanced composition.  On my music blog I am focusing on applying the Kodaly method of teaching music to children.   For a level one composition lesson, visit here.

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Truly Tender: Ode to Dishes

I just experienced the most tender moment with my toddler.  It has been repeated many times in the last couple of weeks.  She has discovered that helping mommy with dishes is so much fun.  Taking the cups and plates in and out of the dishwasher as I put them in, standing on the dishwasher door, opening and closing the dishwasher . . . .her creative possibilities are more than I can keep up with.

My thought process while doing dishes seems to have a similar theme. At first I am thinking: "oh please don't drop the plate!  It will break and you could get cut! Am I a bad mom if I don't let her help me?  What if she grows up not wanting to do chores with me because I stripped her of this precious opportunity?  What if she gets hurt because I don't do anything and I let her help? But shouldn't doing dishes with mom be a positive childhood memory?"   . . .my creative emotions and thoughts seem to instantly go full fire speed and I don't know if I even kept putting any dishes in while I tried to make a decision of what to do next.  Exhausting!!

So what did I do?  I almost gave up and didn't load any more dishes and waited to do it later when I can think clearly again,  but I really shouldn't put off the dishes anymore this time. So . . . I started handing her silverware to load in one at a time.
  Phew!  That worked!

Be Inspired
 

Family Friendly: "Yoga Alphabet"

While trying to encourage more fun fitness ideas into our daily routine,  I was happy when my daughter got excited to do yoga poses with me one day.  She started telling me about how her yoga teacher at school in second grade had helped them find ways to make shapes and animals with their bodies during yoga time and she proceeded to demonstrate several letters of the alphabet. 

We were having so much fun that I was inspired:  lets make a picture book with all the letter of the alphabet done in yoga!  So Dad got involved too and took the pictures and baby sister came in to be a part of some of the poses.  It was a very fun impromptu family fitness time.

 The letter D

The letter J

For more fitness fun visit my fitness blog.

Be Inspired,

Thankful Thinking: When Hubby's Home

I am so thankful for my Husband.  The spirit of happiness and peace in our home isn't the same when he isn't here with us.  However I am thankful for a quote I read in an LDS novel once (I think it was an Anita Stansfield book)  "We don't always need to be looking at each other as long as we are both looking in the same direction."  I know we are still connected to each other by love wherever we are since we both have the same ultimate goals and both continue to wark hard to achieve them.

Be Inspired,

Worthy Wife: "Bike Ride"

I was amazed at how much more our marriage came alive after I finally said "yes" to my husband's repeated invitations to go bike riding with him.  He wanted me to go with him so badly he even picked out and surprised me with a new bike with a baby seat attached on the back so we could go anytime without needing to find a babysitter. 

I quickly noticed that I was feeling happier and more energized, my toddler loved our rides and especially the stop at the park at the halfway point.  It was also like a daily date time.

Those bike rides really did change our relationship to an even more closely linked and happily newlywed type feeling again.

Be Inspired,

Holiday Hair: Heart Halo

Happy Valentine's Day!

Although I haven't been there in a while, I am sure these ideas came into my head because of posts on Babesinhairland. In the pictures above,  I just did three corkscrew braids (two on the right side of her head and one on the left)  and connected all three at the bottom.  Then using white ribbon I wrapped it around the left and middle corkscrew braids to make a heart shape. 

 

This one is a fun memory from last year.  We used red yarn.

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Truly Tender: "Loving Little Hands"

My littlest one loves lotion.  It is a special treat to her whenever I stop long enough to let her put some lotion on her hands.  I realized that special moment is simple and easy to do and I can still continue with what I need to do afterwards.  The couple of extra minutes gives me some breathing time and it helps her feel loved.  Soft hands are just a bonus.

Be Inspired,

Musical Motivation: Music Can Transcend Time

"Music has the power to relieve pain, to transcend time.  It is a universal language which unifies and crosses language barriers . . ." (Michael Ballam "The Healing Wings of Music").

Be Inspired,


For tips on teaching children's music in church or at home see my Music Blog

Simply a Supermom: Rachel with Sun Swing Media

Rachel Leavitt and her husband, Brent, have started an online business with a goal to create and share uplifting children's media.  My daughter and I recently watched the first video: "The Decision."  Their videos are based on stories from the Friend Magazine. 

This particular story is valuable because in a short, simple way it teaches the importance of not only avoiding pornography, but even more importantly teaches children the importance of going to their parents when they come across pornography and giving their parents a chance to share their good decision with them.  Children are much safer this way than if they try to figure out what they just saw by going on an Internet search themselves or by just feeling strange inside and having no one to help them understand why they feel the way they do. 

I am very impressed with this video and the lesson it teaches.  A perfect   teaching moment to share with your children in a very fun, non-confrontational way.  I highly recommend it.

Thanks Rachel for being a supermom and helping all the rest of us teach our children in this fun and creative way.

See http://www.sunswingmedia.com  for more information or too view "The Decision" or any of their other videos.

Be Inspired,

Jason F. Wright's "Kissing Booth"

Last Christmas time, I read again the book "Christmas Jars,"  By Jason F. Wright.  I am so thankful for this author who shared his talents with me. A family in this book had an inspiring family tradition  where the daughters and mother suddenly yelled out "kissing booth" and then ran to smother their Dad with kisses as he sat in his favorite chair.    Not only do I save my extra coins to help someone special, I also have added a kissing booth tradition in my home. 

Be Inspired,

Thankful Thinking: The Sound of Water

I love the sound of  the water running in my fish tanks.  I am so thankful for waterfalls and the sound of the ocean waves.  I love little mini water fountains.  The music the sound of water makes is a soothing retreat for me whenever I stop and pay attention to it.

Be Inspired,

Wonderful Wife: "I Will Get That For You!"

When I was first married, I learned that my husband really felt loved when I would bring him things he asked me to get for him. He didn't see me as a servant, he just loved to ask me to do something for him because he felt so cared for when I would do it. He was really saying: "Do you love me today?"

Now I have found it is even more wonderful when I am the one who thinks of things to do for him without even being asked. Although sometimes I appreciate when I notice him doing those things for himself, I also miss that chance to tell him I love him. I love the look of happiness on his face when I run up to stop him and cheerfully say "I will get that for you!"

Be Inspired,

Truly Tender: "Will You Please Tuck Me In Mom?"

I am so happy to still hear my oldest daughter come to me each night and say "Will you please tuck me in Mom?"  I treasure those special moments.  Each time she invites me to tuck her in is a precious moment and I wonder how many of those moments I still have with her.  I don't know, so I want to take advantage of it today!

Be Inspired,

Monthly Mini-Mission: February Family Fitness Fun

I hope to find more joy this month by finding simple and fun ways to foster more movement and energy into my family.  I also want to be an example of more physical fitness myself.

I would love your suggestions or experiences!

Be Inspired,

Musical Motivation: "The Healing Wings of Music" by Michael Ballam

I was very inspired by Michael Ballam's audio book "The Healing Wings of Music."  Check out my Music Blog for my review.

Be Inspired,