Thanksgiving Favors

One thing that works for me is to involve my children in decorating for the holidays. Here are a couple of ideas we've tried over the years for Thanksgiving.

For the first one, an M&M Turkey, you need a couple tablespoons of M&M's (or really any other small candy), a piece of ribbon (or even string) about 10" long, a 6-8" square of netting (or tulle), a couple of "googly" eyes and a couple lengths of chenille stem.

I'm sorry I don't have the "head" in individual pieces, but one of the neat things about this craft is you can do it once and use it year after year. The first time, take one length of "bumpy" chenille and fold it into the turkey head shape. Take a smaller piece of regular chenille (do they even still call it that? - I hope you know what I'm talking about - they were called pipe cleaners when I was little) and fold it in half. Glue it in place for the wattle and attach the two eyes with glue (one on each side).

Next, pour some M&M's into the center of the netting square, pull the edges up to the center, and tie with the ribbon.

Tilt it on its side and stick in the turkey head. Voila! You're done. Make as many as you want, using whatever materials you can find, and have fun.

We've also had fun making Cookie/Candy Turkeys. You can google these and find specific directions, but here are some pictures to get your creativity going.

The "I Am Thankful For . . . " Activity

Memorable Monday Moments

"I am Thankful"

It's quite safe to say that we've had many, many (or a "plethora" according to Miss Michelle) November family night lessons on gratitude and thanksgiving, but I'm not remembering a specific one today. Instead I decided to share something that I wish we had done. And even though it's not the beginning of November, I'm posting it here so I can find it again next year.

This idea came from my son's sister-in-law (via another sister-in-law here). When he got married last year, Weston inherited a wonderful set of nieces and nephews - and they're so wonderful because their parents are great. That's something I'm definitely thankful for, even if it's not on the following list. Anyway, the idea is to pick something specific to be thankful for each day as a countdown to Thanksgiving. I think these were written on little pieces of paper and put in a jar. Each day they're pulling one out and doing what it says. What a fun idea! And maybe we'll even try a shortened version this year. We still have ten days :)

•I am Thankful for My Family!

Play a game together, inside or outside! (board game, hike, chalk art, etc.)

•I am Thankful for Pies!

Make some Pumpkin Pies to deliver to anyone!

•I am Thankful for Grandparents!

Call and tell them "I love you" "I am grateful for you"!

•I am Thankful for Prayer!

Say a prayer only using the words "I thank Thee for..." and don't ask for anything.

•I am Thankful for Computers!

Send an email to someone you love, and a photo!

•I am Thankful for my Toys!

Give some of your toys to Goodwill to give to other kids. (Grown-ups--you know you have toys you can give up too).

•I am Thankful for my Teachers!

Make a plate of cookies and/or a card for your piano, Primary (church), or school teacher.

•I am Thankful for our Car!

Clean out the car, and go get ice cream cones in it!

•I am Thankful for Turkeys!

Art project: Make paper turkeys

•I am Thankful for Neighbors!

Do a secret service for your neighbor! (rake leaves, pull weeds, leave a treat, etc.)

•I am Thankful for my Heavenly Father!

Write in you journal and say a prayer expressing your love and gratitude!

•I am Thankful for my Cousins!

Call or write a letter to one of your cousins!

•I am Thankful for the Scriptures!

Have a Family Home Evening on a favorite scripture story--memorize a scripture!

•I am Thankful for Sisters!

Do something nice for her! (make her bed, do her job, play a game with her, etc.)

•I am Thankful for Food!

Go to the store and pick out a food that you haven't tried yet!

•I am Thankful for our Kitchen!

Bake something fun together in the kitchen!

•I am Thankful for my Ears!

Close your eyes and listen to music! Play some music. Enjoy it all day!

•I am Thankful for my Dad!

Do something nice for Dad! (run give him a hug when he gets home from work, write him a note, shine his shoes, clean his closet, organize the garage, etc.)

•I am Thankful for my Hands!

Art Project: Finger painting, or drawing.

•I am Thankful for my Eyes!

Watch a special movie with your family!

•I am Thankful for my Brother!

Do something nice for your brother! (make his bed, do his job, play a game with him, etc.)

•I am Thankful for my Legs!

Go outside--run and jump or ride your bike!

•I am Thankful for my Mom!

Do something nice for mom! (write her a note, good chocolate, cook and clean up dinner, do the laundry, clean any room, etc.)

•I am Thankful for Books!

Go to the library and pick out some Thanksgiving books!

•I am Thankful for the Seasons!

Go on a walk, enjoy nature, the colors, etc.

•I am Thankful for my Teeth!

Give Mom & Dad some Halloween candy and brush & floss

•I am Thankful for a Prophet!

Read a Conference talk or article in the church magazine by him! (If you are of a faith other than the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, feel free to pick a different leader of a church or state).

•I am Thankful for my Home!

Clean out a hall, bedroom, or upstairs closet together--play music and have fun!

Come Along, Come Along

Works for Me Wednesday
"Come" vs. "Go"

A while ago Michelle had the opportunity to babysit some cute kids. When she got home I asked her how it went and she said, "Fine, except I felt really bad that they were still awake when their parents got home." As we discussed what she could do next time I asked if she said "go to bed" or "come to bed" and if she ever turned the television off. Guess what the answer was?

I felt badly that she hadn't learned something I learned before she was born - that there is a huge difference between telling someone to do something and taking them by the hand and doing it with them. We remembered the hymn we had sung recently - "Come Along, Come Along" -

"Come along, come along" is the call that will win
In leading to virtue and keeping from sin.
Most men can be led, but few can be driv'n
In shunning perdition and striving to heav'n.

This applies to little children, and for little things as well. She noticed that the child she took to get their teeth brushed, got their teeth brushed. The older one that she told to just go do it, never did. We never had a problem with getting children up in the morning, because instead of yelling across the house, I would always go to them and wake them up with a gentle nudge, basically inviting them to join the family for breakfast or family prayer. Yes, that way took a bit more time, but it helped the decibel level greatly throughout the whole day. When I could hear the bickering/squabbling beginning to start in the other room, I learned that it stopped more quickly if I went to the kids and gently distracted or separated them rather than yelling at them to leave each other alone and be nice. This principle works with doing chores - whether it's cleaning rooms, doing dishes or pulling weeds. It works with homework - "Come and do some flash cards with me." or "You do your math while I balance the checkbook." And it definitely works with going to church and serving others and following the Savior, as the hymn suggests.

So, that's what "works for me" and the next time she babysits, Michelle's going to give it a try as well - AFTER she turns off the TV!

What is it?

If you want the answer, it can be found here.

The kids at the dinner table wanted your opinion as to what you think this might be. Hint: dinner table = edible.

Can it really be November already?

Works for Me Wednesday

Holiday Tips

This week everyone is sharing their best holiday tips over at "Works for Me Wednesday." Rather than reinventing the wheel, I thought I'd just share some links. These are ideas that we've tried before so I know that they really work. And sharing ideas works for me!

Christmas Countdown: Wrapped Books. Our kids were older before I learned of this tradition, of wrapping 24 books and opening one each night and reading it together, but we tried it anyway and they loved it. In order to come up with 24 items without buying anything, I added some Christmas movies to the collection. That was fun.

Food in the Freezer: Freezer Inventory. One of the most helpful tips for keeping sane in December is to have several dinners already in the freezer. Fishmama shares how she keeps track of the meals she's prepared. Our system is basically the same (I use checks instead of numbers), and it really works great.

More Food in the Freezer: Baking Early. Amy suggests starting right now to put cookies and quick breads in the freezer, so that when you need a quick gift you don't have to get stressed. I know this REALLY helps my sanity, especially when someone decides he wants to go home teaching right now and wants to take a treat! During December, I try to keep Rocky Road and Poppy Seed Bread in the freezer just for this reason.

Displaying Christmas Cards: Ribbon Hangers. We haven't done this one in a while (we've used a basket on the kitchen wall the past few years), but this way you can see all the cards at once. I may just try it again.

Christmas Binder: Making a List. Mine is tailored for us, but Lisa shares what works for her, and the idea of keeping copies of past lists really helps make current celebrations easier. I can go to mine to find favorite recipes, remember what I gave my parents last year and who we received cards from (so I don't forget them this year), etc. Give it a try!

Perfection vs. Reality: Lowering Expectations. Erin shares the story of decorating their tree and her daughters putting all the ornaments in one spot, leaving it with an un-balanced feeling. Wisely, she left it that way, and now has a great memory. The best holidays are NOT perfect, but they're filled with gratitude, happiness, and love. That works for me!! What works for you?

Letters and more Letters

Memorable Monday Moments
Week Two of the Assignment Wheel

Remember we were interested in seeing how Wayne would fulfill his assignment to play the piano? Well, never fear, he did a fine job. But first it was Michelle's turn for the lesson. She started by reviewing the importance of always remembering our Savior through reading the sacramental prayers and Moses 6:63. Then Michelle decided to give us practice by playing Boggle. At the end of each round, we had to choose one of the words on our list and explain how that object can remind us of Jesus Christ. (For example, Jesus cast the NET into the sea. It doesn't have to be profound!) We've done this before and it's really a great activity.Although it's more fun when you're not losing!Wayne was delighted to be reminded that he got to choose the closing song. He decided "The Alphabet Song" would be perfect. So Steven led while he plunked out the tune. (It wasn't a very reverent introduction to the closing prayer, but it is a great memory!) Although this was a simple song, he assured me that he can play any hymn in the hymnbook with one finger, so he's not stressing over the assignment returning to him.Two weeks in a row with actual refreshments! This time it was Halloween Sugar Cookies.We hope you're all enjoying your family home evenings as much as we are!

October UFO's

Yay! I was able to cross a couple of things off the to-do list in October.

First, I took advantage of having someone home to climb the ladder and reach the ceiling and change the filter.

Then I sent him to work outside pulling out more over-grown bushes.

And, finally, he hauled the non-working freezer out of the garage (and also an old lawnmower battery).

But I did some things as well. The extra computer finally disappeared from the family room. That meant I had to transfer everything we wanted to keep from our old computer onto the newer ones. That took a lot of time, because the only drive that worked was the floppy with a 1 MB limit! (Don't tell me that there was an easier way to do it.)

And since I was busy doing computer stuff, I figured it was time to cover the worn out chair seat. The fabric I had on hand matched the curtain and not the black chair, so it's not the most beautiful, but it works to cover the holes!

Seminary Game

Here's the "rest of the story" for Friday's spiderweb scripture relay. Don't they look like they're having fun? It was a successful activity!

Counting Down to Halloween #10

Happy Halloween!!!

One of our most favorite traditions is to dump out all the candy received while trick-or-treating. That makes is much easier for the parents to inspect!

These are just a few pictures that I found in the files. You'll notice that they find time to remove costumes before doing the candy inventory and organization.

We've never really had any rules about when and where they can eat their candy. We figure experience is a good teacher. However, if I find any empty wrappers where they don't belong (like on the couch or the floor), I get to confiscate all the rest. That worked quite well to convince the kids to throw away their own garbage.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, the budget didn't allow for everyone to receive their own Costco-sized box of candy bars. Sometimes growing older is tough. Maybe they'll each get a bag of candy from the clearance sales next week.

Counting Down to Halloween #9

Trunk or Treat


If you've never heard of "trunk-or-treating", here's a definition I found here: "A Trunk or Treat is a Halloween event that is often church or community-sponsored. People gather and park their cars in a large parking lot. They open their trunks or the backs of their vehicles and decorate them. Then they pass out candy from their trunks. The event provides a safe family environment for trick or treaters."

Having a trunk-or-treat is traditionally a part of our ward's Halloween dinner/activity. I haven't learned how to take good pictures in the dark but here are a couple from last year.
Someone's truck is decorated and they're ready to pass out candy.The kids going "door to door".

Tonight's the night, and we'll take the camera. If any of the pictures turn out, we'll add them to the post. Last year: "fun candy treats"