Easter 2008

We had a rushed Easter this year. Andy was in Haiti and made it home Saturday night (click here for Andy’s photos). We visited my sister in Louisiana until early Friday morning (click here for pictures). So needless to say if my mom hadn’t bought and planned their Easter outfits, that never would have happened. Thank you Nana! They looked so cute and had a lot of fun at church. (click here for easter pics and some random family pictures) We watched the Veggie Tales Easter Carol, the God Rocks “The Rock that Rolled”, and made Easter Story cookies. We had never baked these cookies before. I had heard about them and had always wanted to try them. You read verses as you add the ingredients. The cookies have so much symbolism and they are fun to make. The kids liked smashing the nuts and smelling the vinegar. But the recipe calls for the whipping of egg whites. Me not being a cook, I had no idea how fragile egg whites can be. If you whip them too long, too short, too hard....they don’t turn out. Well, they did not. So I had soupy batter that was supposed to sit overnight on a cookie sheet. I decided to improvise and I filled muffin pans with the batter. It kind of worked and the next day we had hollow cookie like things. So the point of the empty tomb with hollow cookies was accomplished and the kids enjoyed it!

Spare the Rod...?

I have been reading several books about discipline and raising children. It seems that I have run out of ideas and I needed a refresher. I have described myself lately as having an anger problem, and this has to do specifically with my children! I have done some serious soul searching/praying and I think it is working. And reading these books has been kind of encouraging, because I have discovered that we have not been doing such a bad job after all. Many of the examples of common mistakes, or bad practices, are things that we avoided from the beginning. And some of the tips, we are currently using correctly. But there were plenty of things I needed to learn or remember. Here are a few points from the books I have been reading:

1. 1)Spare the rod, spoil the child? He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him Proverbs 13:24 “The Jews believed in discipline, true, but when biblical writers used the word rod they were thinking more of correction and guidance rather than hitting and beating. For example, the shepherd used his rod not to beat his sheep but to guide them. We are all well acquainted with that phrase from the 23rd Psalm thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” --Leman
   

2. 2)Parent Temper Tantrum? “Actually ninety-nine percent of the time that parents scream, hit and spank their children, the parent is simply having a temper tantrum. The tantrum is a sign that 1)the parent doesn’t know what to do, 2) the parent is so frustrated that he or she can’t see straight, and 3) this adult has an anger management problem.” --Phelan
   

3. 3) Parent’s Prayer “Lord you know my inadequacies. You know my weaknesses, not only in parenting, but in every area of my life. I’m doing the best I can to raise my kids properly, but it may not be good enough. As You provided the fish and the loaves to feed the five thousand hungry people, now take my meager effort and use it to bless my family. Make up for the things I do wrong. Satisfy the needs I have not met. Compensate for my blunders and mistakes. Wrap Your great arms around my children, and draw them close to You.” --Dobson
   

The New Strong-Willed Child by Dr. James Dobson

1-2-3 Magic by Thomas Phelan

Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours by Kevin Leman