Sunday, December 4th. I cut some new branches from the Crabapple tree and put them with some Pampa grass for an arrangement for church.
The meeting was exceptional today! I went to teach my class of 3 year-olds and everything went fine during class. It was when we went to sharing and singing time that two of the boys gave me problems. They did not want to sit...period...and were making noises, etc. I kept taking them out.
When I go out, I usually just go to an empty classroom, unless they are screaming and then I take them outside. I hold them in my arms with their face against the wall. I hold them right against the wall so they cannot see anything, plus I hold their arms so they cannot move.
Having raised six sons and one girls who thought she was a boy, I learned that this is very effective. They absolutely cannot stand to be held like that.
I do not get angry or frustrated and I calmly tell them that they get to choose. That I am allowing them to choose whether they want to stay against the wall or if they will be quiet and sit still that we can return to the meeting/class.
If a child leaves for misbehavior and is allowed a treat or to run around, the only thing that has occured is that the child won, and is being awarded for bad behavior.
Eventually, (each child is different) the child will realize that you are more stubborn than they are and that they are NOT going to win. You will, and are not allowing them to manipulate you. Then they will be still.
Some of my children took just a few months to learn this. One took 18 months.
DON"T GIVE UP!
Just remember that once they have learned to sit still, the next 20 years are easier. Also, I found that once they sat still they began to listen as there was nothing else to do, i.e., no quiet books, no cereal, no toys, no watches, no games, no drawing...
And once they listen...they learn...then behavior changes and the spirit can work in their lives. What a great blessing to help them master themselves and learn to sit still.
When I home schooled, we even had reverence practice every day, where they sat on the couch and had to practice sitting still.
I set the timer and we made it longer and longer each day. Remember, our job to help our children become disciples through discipline not through entertaining them.
After church, I went to visit some ladies with another sister then I went home.
We had a Christmas devotional to watch in the evening and I also worked on my Christmas letter.
Monday, December 6th, I worked all day on the Christmas letter. Printing, addressing, etc. I watched movies while I was working on part of it. It was my birthday, so I had decided to be lazy anyway.
There was some leftover turkey still and I took it and mixed it with tortillas that I fried and dipped into sauce. The tortillas were old and kept falling apart so I couldn't roll them into enchiladas. I just sort of stacked them and the turkey into layers; the way you do lasagna and then put the cheese on top.
I think it was perhaps the best enchiladas I have ever made. There was quite a bit of broth with the turkey. I don't know if that made the difference, but boy, were they good!
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