A month of yellow

Liam has been a yellow belt for a month now. He has earned his green tip so far and will hopefully get his blue and white in the next week. They test again on Friday, but we are not sure if he'll have his yellow belt f0rm memorized by then. He was really discouraged on Saturday morning when he claims someone messed him up as they did the form in groups of three. We have reassured him that when he really knows it, those distractions won't matter. Soon very soon!

Advice for my son - Work in Progress

Play a sport. It will teach you how to win honorably, lose gracefully, respect authority, work with others, manage your time, and stay out of trouble.  And maybe even throw or catch.

Save money when you're young because you're going to need it someday.

Don't ever be a bully and don't ever start a fight, but if someone hits you, please defend yourself.

Your knowledge and education is something that nobody can take away from you.

Take pride in your appearance.

Be strong and tender at the same time.

A woman can do everything that you can do. This includes her having a successful career and you changing diapers at 3 A.M.  Mutual respect is the key to a good relationship.

"Yes ma'am" and "yes sir" still go a long way.

The reason that they're called "private parts" is because they're "private". Please do not scratch them in public.

Peer pressure is a scary thing.  Be a good leader and others will follow.

Bringing her flowers for no reason is always a good idea.  Doing anything kind for no reason is a good idea.

It is better to be kind than to be right.
 
A sense of humor goes a long way in all situations - even painful ones.

Please choose your spouse wisely. My daughter-in-law will be the gatekeeper for me spending time with you and my grandchildren.


Pray and be a spiritual leader.  Put the Lord first and everything else will fall into place.
 
Remember to call your mother because I might be missing you

Making Strides

Since December we have made some extensive changes.

First, we found an effective homeopathic medicine that assists Liam with his focus and impulse issues. Along with a high protein/high fiber breakfast, this has been a major stepping stone for all of us - including those beloved resources who tend and teach him on the week days.

Second, we implemented a system for Liam to start earning everything - and I mean everything. Initially this was based on safe or unsafe days at school. 3 safe days merited a 30 minute time reward. Most "entitled" things he once received so easily, went away. This also included a strike system recommended by his therapist, so on strike three he would have a consequence for his actions.

Along with the resource incentive programs at his school, we have seen some drastic changes in his behavior. Tae Kwon Do and the masters mentoring Liam are also a great influence on his behavior. If he has a rough day at school, he loses Tae Kwon Do (3 chances to attend per week). He is even making his bed every day because of one particular master's insistence - otherwise he's doing push-ups for an extended amount of time in class. {Insert my happy face here.}

The other thing that I think has been monumental in Liam's behavior shift is the change in our attitudes at home. There has been less arguing, less TV background noise, and more quality one-on-one time in the mornings with Dad (getting ready for the day) and in the evenings with me (doing homework - mainly learning to read). I am incredibly grateful for the abiding spirit in our home and additional opportunities to show love to one another.

The last hanging item has been negative behavior at church. Liam has had ongoing issues with staying in his seat (or even in the room) and making rude comments during the two hour block of Primary. I was called as a teacher in Primary the last quarter of 2011 to help them get a handle on the weekly disturbing situations. So... I taught his class for a short time and struggled largely with that. I had my hands full teaching the other children so there wasn't much I could do when he lost his mind. I was disappointed that the plan kinda backfired. So for the new year, I teach the 4/5 year olds and Liam is in the class above it. So I am able to help during sharing time and when we go to individual classes, I desperately hope he handles himself well. There have been some growing pains with that, but this last Sunday I taught his teacher the strike system and it worked. I was so proud of him!!!! (If you are asking yourself where Dad is, well, Ian works nights so he isn't with us at church. He's sleeping.)

And speaking of proud - I was beaming with pride the week previously at Stake Conference. He was reverent for 2 hours while we listened to some wonderful talks.

Anyway, all is well on the homefront and, again, I am very grateful for such good boys that love me no matter what!



Photos by Tomi Kennedy.

Happy Valentine's Day

Below is the Valentine card we sent out to family and friends this month. I love the candid of Liam laughing and the second one of him bundled in the blanket. So grateful to Tomi Kennedy for taking these photos for us on a cool January day.

We are so blessed to have one another. I love my boys so very much!

Caramal Sundae for Liam

I took Liam to discover Leatherby's for the first time! I have loved their ice cream sundaes for years and was pretty upset when they closed the Utah County location long ago. It's about time we found the SLC location! Liam loves it as much as I do now!


I had my old standby - Almond Joy - a monstrous pile of almond joy ice cream, homemade hot fudge, and coconut!!!!

Our little bundle of boy

OH YEAH! He did it!

Ready to rumble!

We love Uncle Drew

Bronte' and Liam having a grand time with Uncle Drew at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Our Yeller

I don't know if you can hear him from there, but he's the loudest one in the class. Kills our ear drums 3 x a week... the Masters praise him for it though. Someone wishes they had a sticker stripe for being the loudest!

Christmas Eve's Eve

I didn't have to work the Friday before Christmas Eve, so I was able to plan a play date with our awesome neighbors, Gavin, Preslie, and Lindsey. We went to Airborne and we watched the kids have a blast getting out all their energy. It was nice to get to know Lindsey even better as I listened to her life story. What a woman. I am blessed to know her.

Here are the kiddos doing their thing...

Another perk of having a Friday off work, I was able to take Liam to the 4pm Tae Kwon Do class. I am glad we were able to attend because after the kids did all their warm ups, Master Kwon had a Christmas gift for all of them! GAMES! They played capture the flag and dodge ball!

Warming up...

First was capture the flag... what a riot watching those little ones duke it out!

Liam was defeated by Zane in that round.

Here is Liam cheering for the other matches.

Dodge ball... Liam was the last one out on the second round. He is one nimble kiddo!

That kid has got game!

Tree Trimming and Tae Kwon Do Milestone

So it's been a month of Tae Kwon Do and Liam has been working very hard. It all paid off today when he got his first sticker stripe on his white belt. I was so glad I was there to see him get it and celebrate with him. First thing we did was call Daddy!!! (Two days later he got his yellow stripe and the same excitement ensued!)


That same day we thought it was about time to put up our Christmas Decorations. Liam was a HUGE help and we got it all done! He is such a cute kid (in need of a hair cut.)

Buttoning and Building

One of Liam's homework assignments was to use buttons and stack them up by the number given on each card. I was really impressed at how focused he was and how he didn't get frustrated when one pile would topple over. He would just start again and be content with his work. I like how his homework assignments really get the parents involved and help us remember to take the time to get down on the floor and play (or take photos, in my case, while praising his work).









Check it out - his nails are clean - only because he soaked in a 30 minute bath tonight!