Conferences

First I'll just post a really good picture of Shekinah.

This past weekend my hubby and I went AWAY.... ALONE! It was the first time we were away overnight without any kids....ummmm since we went to Ch*na for Hope. That is almost 13 years ago.

Yes we went to an Empowered to Connect Conference, but we did not have to talk if we didn't want to, or even listen if we didn't feel like it. But the conference was one of those that made you sit up and listen, take notes, and laugh till your all your kleenex were saturated. (didn't know a lawyer could be so funny) Look for them at Empowered to Connect

The funny thing is that one of the speakers mentioned peanut butter spoons and a whole row of Mennonite mamas gave a thumbs up. The basics to remember:

feed 'em and water 'em every two hours.  That comes around pretty often!

 Connect- "look in my eyes, buddy"

 give them voice -while we shut up  (within limits) "tell me what you need"

 give them choices (two and be sure you are OK with either choice) sometimes they need help with their "voice"
 I can hear you saying, "hmph, they won't pick either choice!" If they are regulated, they can ASK (with respect) for a compromise (you need to teach that in a relaxed time), if  the decision is important and really has no compromise you may need to tell them "sorry this time it is #1 or #2 choice...good job accepting 'no' "

 get them moving- they hear best when they are playing  and movement helps with a whole other raft of issues

most "feelings" pass in 90 seconds if you let them

Rewind and Remember...don't fast-forward and forget- take time to look in your past and figure out why you have "hot buttons" and how you can dis-arm them.

Flexibility is your friend, Expectations are you enemy somewhere I read, "teach the child you have, not the one you wish you had"

Oh and you will make mistakes, but our kids will allow you to have re-do's

"Bring them up in the nurture and admonition (structure) of the Lord" Eph 6:4

Balance the nurture and the structure.

We walked away with our minds full...I've read a lot of Karyn Purvis' materials and watched her videos online, but the refresher was so necessary.

Then we collected our children from my brother's house. We had my brother and his wife keep them, they already have 8 children at home...we figured we could slip 4 more in the door and they'd never notice.  Shekinah had a wonderful weekend, she'd had a night terror the night before we left and I was worried that staying at someone's house would trigger another. Thankfully she did great, she had two cousins close her age to keep her occupied the whole time.

The interesting twist to this came on Monday night as we were doing the dishes, "Mom, why do you need to go to these "parent-teacher" conferences anyway. Isn't that for people who have trouble with their kids?"
Hmm maybe that was what was behind the protests against mom and dad going away for their anniversary.



Quote of the YEAR:  "You never helped me with my homework last year, I almost didn't make it in math!  (wait for it)



  I got an A-!"