What a Guy!

I give Brian a hard time often, most of the time I am serious about the things I say, sometimes I am joking, but when it is all said and done I LOVE MY MAN!

Brian has been home for a week and things just go so much easier when he is home for a few days in a row. The boys are on a nighttime sleeping schedule, Brian is home for dinner and here in the morning. It has been great.

YOU SAY IT CAN'T BE DONE!

If you say it can't be done, Brian will try it out on our family. I said "it can't be done" when he wanted to hike Arches a year ago this past Mothers Day. Everyone passing us on the trail said the same thing. "Turn back now, you will never make it." Jacob went really low and luckily we had some sugar, we were at the bottom of the big climb and I wanted to skip it. Brian said "we can do it." Well actually I think he called me a overprotective worry wart dooms day mothering sissy woman who had no back bone. The kids will be fine! Brian often says kind words to me to help me accept the idea's that he has.

Yes we made it and it taught me a great lesson! It is okay to push your kids sometimes, as long as you have a over prepared, over protective worry wart mother along with you. OH and a strong husband that can carry a 18 month old on his shoulders!

Almost 2 weeks ago we started a new bedtime routine with the boys. Brian wanted to give them some responsibility at bed time, and along with that responsibility comes consequences. He sat the boys down with a clock in hand.
1. First he gave a quick lesson on telling time (Jacob 6, Aiden 4, Jack 3)

2. Second he told the boys that bed time was at 8PM Sharp

3. Third he told them that they could choose to not go to bed on time but they could not choose what would happen to them as a consequence.

4. Fourth he gave them guidelines, things that they need to get done before they went to bed.

If they didn't get those things done, even if they are in bed at 8PM, when we come up for family prayer they will have consequences.

5. Fifth he is tough, no chances no exceptions, they got out of bed and they went to bed the next night 30 min earlier. (Jacob today ended up having to come home early from tumbling because he had to eat and be in bed by 6:30.)

6. Sixth he told me that I could not help them. This is something they need to be accountable for and do on their own.

Well I am mother hear me roar. I have done everything I possibly can (well all that I can without making Brian mad) to make sure they are ready for bed on time, all but drag them upstairs and do it for them.

Darn it, Brian has some screwy ideas but once every year or so they work out! The boys are really doing well. Jack is the exception to the rule, he doesn't have a strict agenda, in fact he has no agenda, he is up and about all the time.

What I have learned from this is how Heavenly father must feel. I sit and give hints to my boys on what they should be doing. I suggest little things like, "maybe you should go check the clock, and I see the toothpaste is still in the drawer." I have even set alarms on Jacob's pump to help him realize that the time and when he should be getting to bed. I do all of this and yet the other night the boys looked at the clock and said "we have tons of time, the big hand is only on the 1." I said "that means you only have 24 min. before you need to be in your bed. I compared other events that had happened that day to the amount of time they had. MY BOYS ARE PROCRASTINATORS. They were in bed on time but it was close. Heavenly Father has given us all that we need to know and do to get "to bed on time," and like me I am sure he just rolls his eyes when we wait until the last minute to say our prayers, read our scriptures... etc!

Aiden tells me this morning,

Aiden: "momma, you know how we were almost late last night getting into bed because I had to go poop!"

Me: "yes Aiden"

Aiden with that look of accomplishment and amazement: "Well I said a prayer to heavenly Father and I only had to wipe two times before there was no poop on the toilet paper, that is why I was in bed on time." Aiden still giving me that mouth open amazed look and shaking his head as if to say, prayers help me get to bed on time, save on toilet paper use, and daddy having to plunge the toilet.

Me: "Very good Aiden, It is good to say our prayers."

I love my family!