Sweet Innocence

"Have you seen the future when you gazed through the hospital nursery window and saw the bassinet wheeled into your view? You see that beautiful newborn infant for the first time. A new spirit comes into your life as a son or daughter, grandchild, or child of a friend, and you know that your life will never be quite the same again. How often have you had to blink back the tears as you stood in awe and contemplated the miracle of a new life? This newly arrived spirit has come in sweet innocence from the presence of God.

"Every human being is a spirit child of God and lived with Heavenly Father before coming to earth. He entrusts his spirit children to earthly parents who provide a mortal body for them through the miracle of physical birth and gives to parents the sacred opportunity and responsibility to love, protect, teach, and to bring them up in light and truth so they may one day, through the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ, return to our Father’s presence.

"These precious souls come to us in purity and innocence. As parents, we assume an immense responsibility for their care and well-being. Parents share this sacred trust with brothers and sisters, grandparents, teachers, neighbors, and all who touch the lives and impress or influence the souls of these precious children. King Benjamin admonished parents many years ago, “But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another.” (Mosiah 4:15.)

"The critical nature of the first tender formative years cannot be overstated. These little ones are like seedlings in a plant nursery. All look much the same in the beginning, but each one will grow to become independent and unique. Parents are to nourish, tend, and teach their children so they will grow to their full stature and potential."

M. Russell Ballard, “Teach the Children,” Ensign, May 1991, 78

A Children's Picture Book for Parents

I'm happy to be sharing another guest post from my sister-in-law Eliza. I had a chance to read this book while on vacation this month and I thought it was great. Especially enjoyable for any parent!

Quentin Blake has a great picture book called Zagazoo. Even though it is marketed as a children's book, it is really for parents. It starts out with George and Bella receiving a package with a strange pink creature inside. The label on the creature says it is "Zagazoo." George and Bella are happy with this creature, but then one day, it turns into something quite different. I won't tell you more, or I will spoil the book. You have to read it yourself (it is really short).

Eliza is the mother of two boys and one girl, with another boy on the way. She has a Ph.D. in journalism and taught at Brigham Young University for several years, but now cares for her children full-time. Of all her mothering duties, she especially enjoys helping her children learn to read. In her few spare hours during the week, she reads the news and attends a weightlifting class (so, as she says, she can keep up with her children).

Fun Picture Books for Boys

This week I am happy to be sharing two guest posts from my sister-in-law Eliza. She has great taste when it comes to books for children, and I'm adding these to our library check-out list!

We enjoy reading books together, though we have discovered that boys sometimes like different picture books than do girls. Here are 10 fun picture book authors that our boys enjoy.

Jon Agee

Milo’s Hat Trick, Dimitri the Astronaut, Nothing, Terrific, The Retired Kid, and others

Doris Burns
Andrew Henry’s Meadow

Virginia Lee Burton
Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel
Katy and the Big Snow
The Little House

Dr. Seuss
Bartholomew and the Oobleck
Fox in Socks
Green Eggs and Ham
Bartholomew Cubbins and the 500 Hats
The King’s Stilts

Munro Leaf
Wee Gillis
Ferdinand

Robert McCloskey
Make Way for Ducklings
Blueberries for Sal
One Morning in Maine
Time of Wonder
Lentil
(and others)

Peter Spiers
The Star Spangled Banner
Noah’s Ark
The Fox Went out on a Chilly Night

David Wiesner
Tuesday, Sector 7, The Three Pigs, and others

Audrey Wood
The Deep Blue Sea, Alphabet Adventure, Alphabet Mystery, and others

Andrea Zimmerman
Digger Man

Eliza is the mother of two boys and one girl, with another boy on the way. She has a Ph.D. in journalism and taught at Brigham Young University for several years, but now cares for her children full-time. Of all her mothering duties, she especially enjoys helping her children learn to read. In her few spare hours during the week, she reads the news and attends a weightlifting class (so, as she says, she can keep up with her children).

FHE: Pioneers, Seagulls and Crickets, and Faith

We've spent a good portion of this month traveling and visiting with family, so our annual pioneer themed Family Home Evening lesson is a little late this year. But, better late then never, and perhaps this will help some of you who are a little late like me!

Scripture/Song of the Week
"A marvelous work has begun to come forth among all the children of men.
O ye that embark in the service of God, give heart, mind, and strength unto him;
For prophets have spoken and angels have come to lift the world from sin,
That Christ may reign over all the earth and bless his gathered kin.

'With faith in ev’ry footstep, we follow Christ, the Lord;
And filled with hope through his pure love, we sing with one accord."
(Faith in Every Footstep, by K Newell Dayley)

Lesson Plan
Watch "Faith in Every Footstep: The Epic Pioneer Journey" from the Church History Collection DVD. (We watched this during dinner)

Give a quick recap of the story of the pioneers leaving Nauvoo and reaching the Salt Lake Valley. We talked about my 3rd Great Grandfather, John R. Young, who was a nephew to Brigham Young and traveled in the first vanguard company with the prophet when he was 10 years old.

Share the story of the crickets and the seagulls. We used a picture from the Gospel Art Picture Kit to illustrate the story. I was thrilled to discover the words of my ancestor included in the summary on the back of the picture:

Their prayers were answered on a clear afternoon when seagulls began to appear in the sky. John R. Young described the event:

“There must have been thousands of them. Their coming was like a great cloud; and when they passed between us and the sun, a shadow covered the field. …

“At first we thought that they, also, were after the wheat and this thought added to our terror; but we soon discovered that they devoured only the crickets” (Memoirs of John R. Young, as quoted in William E. Berrett, The Restored Church [1961], 285; see also 283–84).

Play Seagulls and Crickets Memory Game.

Discuss the faith of the pioneers and sing "Faith in Every Footstep".

Refreshments: Homemade Lemon Ice Cream (our annual July tradition, find the recipe here)

Use personal revelation to prioritize and do the right thing

"A good woman knows that she does not have enough time, energy, or opportunity to take care of all of the people or do all of the worthy things her heart yearns to do. Life is not calm for most women, and each day seems to require the accomplishment of a million things, most of which are important. A good woman must constantly resist alluring and deceptive messages from many sources telling her that she is entitled to more time away from her responsibilities and that she deserves a life of greater ease and independence. But with personal revelation, she can prioritize correctly and navigate this life confidently.

"The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life. Qualifying for the Lord’s Spirit begins with a desire for that Spirit and implies a certain degree of worthiness. Keeping the commandments, repenting, and renewing covenants made at baptism lead to the blessing of always having the Lord’s Spirit with us. Making and keeping temple covenants also adds spiritual strength and power to a woman’s life. Many answers to difficult questions are found by reading the scriptures because the scriptures are an aid to revelation. Insight found in scripture accumulates over time, so it is important to spend some time in the scriptures every day. Daily prayer is also essential to having the Lord’s Spirit with us. Those who earnestly seek help through prayer and scripture study often have a paper and pencil nearby to write questions and record impressions and ideas.

"Revelation can come hour by hour and moment by moment as we do the right things. When women nurture as Christ nurtured, a power and peace can descend to guide when help is needed. For instance, mothers can feel help from the Spirit even when tired, noisy children are clamoring for attention, but they can be distanced from the Spirit if they lose their temper with children. Being in the right places allows us to receive guidance. It requires a conscious effort to diminish distractions, but having the Spirit of revelation makes it possible to prevail over opposition and persist in faith through difficult days and essential routine tasks. Personal revelation gives us the understanding of what to do every day to increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and seek those who need our help. Because personal revelation is a constantly renewable source of strength, it is possible to feel bathed in help even during turbulent times.

"We are told to put our trust in that Spirit which leads us “to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously.” We are also told that this Spirit will enlighten our minds, fill our souls with joy, and help us know all things we should do. Promised personal revelation comes when we ask for it, prepare for it, and go forward in faith, trusting that it will be poured out upon us."

Julie B. Beck, “‘And upon the Handmaids in Those Days Will I Pour Out My Spirit’,” Ensign, May 2010, 10–12

Pray and read scriptures every day

"There are places where it is easier to feel the Spirit. Testimony meetings and general conference are some of those places. Certainly temples are another. The challenge for each of us is in providing an environment where the Spirit can be felt daily in our homes and weekly at church.

"One reason we are encouraged to pray and read the scriptures every single day is that both of these activities invite the Spirit into our homes and into the lives of our family members.

"Because the Spirit is often described as a still, small voice, it is also important to have a time of quiet in our lives as well. The Lord has counseled us to “be still, and know that I am God.” If we provide a still and quiet time each day when we are not bombarded by television, computer, video games, or personal electronic devices, we allow that still, small voice an opportunity to provide personal revelation and to whisper sweet guidance, reassurance, and comfort to us."

Vicki F. Matsumori, “Helping Others Recognize the Whisperings of the Spirit,” Ensign, Nov 2009, 10–12

Gloop

For one of our date nights, the Sweet Bee and I made Gloop.
Gloop is a wonderful hands-on sensory activity that most children will enjoy. Most kids I know love getting their hands dirty, so just relax and enjoy the texture, and don't worry about the mess in your kitchen. Better yet, do this activity outside!

This was the recipe for Gloop that I started from:

1 cup cornstarch
1 cup water
food coloring (optional)

We started mixing it together with our hands, but at this point it was pretty runny. We just kept adding cornstarch until we got the consistency right (probably another cup), so you might want to start with less water. We chose to make ours light green.
The Sweet Bee had a great time squeezing, pulling and letting the gloop drip through her fingers.

If you store it in an airtight container you can use it again. We just added a little more water, and the Ant Bug spent an hour playing with it the next afternoon.
After two days of use it had kind of a funny smell, so I wouldn't recommend keeping it for too long. But it was cheap, creative entertainment while it lasted!