1/6/08

Sunday

Breakfast: Grape Nuts for Jenna and Randy, nothing for Dion, Corey and I since it's "Fast Sunday" today
Lunch: roll sandwiches again for all the kids
Dinner: I'm planning tomato zucchini stirfry
(Update - we ended up having chicken broccoli casserole)

Well, early church is an adjustment. We were on time, but Randy had some difficulties. He didn't eat much breakfast and I think that was the root of the problem.

Since it's the beginning of the year all the 3 year olds that were in nursery got to come to Primary with all the big kids for the first time today. Wow! I forgot what a transition that is! They come from having snack time, puzzle time, reading time, lesson time, singing time, etc. to being expected to sit still and listen for 3 hours in a row! All 8 of them were pretty good in Primary (well, except Randy - he was constantly wriggling, twisting, turning in my lap). After Primary Udelia and I took them on a walk so they could all use the bathroom and get a drink. For the first part of class they did a nice job of sitting still - I think they were interested in this new and different routine, classroom and teacher. But, about halfway through class they started getting out of their seats and it slid downhill from there. Udelia and I took turns teaching the lesson. She started out, had us all say our names, and laid down some expectations, we had the opening prayer and she gave her part of the lesson - all of that took quite a while. So, when it came to my part they'd nearly had it. But, I did a little finger play/poem with them, about how God knows and loves us, that went fairly well. (It would've helped to not have Randy whining and pawing at my skirt.) Looking back, I think I should've mixed it up a little. I was just following the teaching manual and did what part was next. But, I should've done the part that was supposed to come last, that we never got around to. I was supposed to tell the story of the baby Moses. I'd brought a doll and towel and basket so that we could kind of play it out, which I think would've interested them and been a bit of a change. Anyway, then it was back to Udelia and she had them color a picture and then it was over. I felt bad for one of the boys - he was really acting up (fighting with another girl, messing with the heater). He said once, "It's too boring in here." Randy, too, said he wanted to go back to nursery. And, another little girl had brought some tiny princess dolls and those were a distraction. I want them to like their Sunbeam class and enjoy coming to church, but it IS hard to give up toys and snacks. Where do you set the expectations? They're 3, so can we realistically have them sit nicely in their chairs non-stop? At the same time, they need to begin to learn to be still. So, they need practice, but I think that ability also comes with age. We thought that maybe we should have an activity song in the middle or maybe save the bathroom/drink trip until the middle. It's hard having been with them in nursery for over a year to get used to things being different. Here are some of my ideas: we should move around the room more and do activities that differ more - like for one part we sit in our chairs, for another we sit on a blanket, then stand and sing, then sit in chairs again, then color or read a story or do puzzles that relate to the lesson. They'd still have to be on task, but there's more variety. So, this experience has helped me know what to do differently next week. Udelia has been teaching Primary kids for the last couple of years, so she has some good thoughts for routines and such. So, it's good to work with someone else and use their ideas. It's just going to be a change for all of us - teachers and children! We'll get into a groove in a few weeks, I expect.

Dion is going to be gone most of the day. After church he had choir practice, then he went to his weekly meeting with the Bishop, then he has his EQ presidency meeting, then there's another special meeting for the Elders in the stake from 3:30-5 or so. I'm taking a break (which I need after 3 hours with 3 year olds) by enjoying some computer (email and blog) time while I allow my kids to veg.

It snowed again today.

And, a disclaimer. If anyone decides to watch The Office because I said it's funny, I must warn you that there ARE some crude parts. . .some episodes are worse than others.