Wordless Wednesday ~ An Audience

Wordless Wednesday ~ Play Time

Wordless Wednesday ~ 6,000 Words

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Wearin' Awa'

I'm wearin' awa', John,
Like snaw when its thaw, John,
I'm wearin' awa'
     To the land o' the leal.

( The Land O' the Leal by Carolina, Lady Nairne )

Wordless Wednesday ~ Daily Smiles

Practicing Our Pleasant Words and Portrait Drawing

I recently found a devotional idea to help the kids be more aware of how they use their tongues. I'd link it but can't find it for the life of me. So, my apologies to the originators.

The main idea is a poster-size board with Proverbs 16:24 at the top: Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

Then we cut out "tongues" out of colored paper and taped them to the bottom of the picture. Above each of the tongues, we put pictures of each of us. I let Cowboy draw these. This might have been a mistake. We'll get back to the pictures.

Then for a specific period of time - we just did it over the weekend - for every pleasant thing someone said, they got a sticker on their "tongue." For any unpleasant words, they lost a sticker. At the end of the weekend, the family member with the most stickers wins the contest and get some kind of prize.

We had to make a few rules.... 

1) "I love you" does not count.

( Cowboy: Momma, yoor priddee... I just love you so much. Can I have a sticker?)

2) Saying "I'm sorry for _____________" does not count.

 ( Joozie: Momma, I sorry for bein' a nawty gurl. I sorry for everee-sing. I needa sticka now. )

3) The pleasant words have to be recognized by another family member; no one can give themselves a sticker.

4) Once bedtime routine starts, the pleasant words game is suspended until morning. No whispered sweet words can be counted for that day. 

(Joozie: Yoo are sweet, Brutha. 

Cowboy: You are a good sister, Joozie.

Joozie: You are so nice to me sumptimes, Brutha.

Cowboy: I'm glad you're my sister, Joozie.

And on and on until Momma makes the new rule. )

Overall, the project worked pretty well. More than getting the kids to day pleasant things to each other, it really helped them to see how nasty they can be to each other sometimes. The kids really got into it, and I'm definitely going to do it again sometime.

One thing that I will definitely do differently next time is that I will use actual pictures of each of us, instead of letting Cowboy DRAW the pictures under each person's name.

Here's why...

 This is Cowboy's self portrait. Notice the two missing bottom teeth. Very realistic.

This is Cowboy's version of his baby sister...

Apparently he sees her as spikey-haired chubby alien fighter with brass rings bolted into her neck.

  

This is Sweetie Daddy. 

A Super Hero Sweetie Daddy who's main super power is holding marshmallows in his cheeks.

And then Cowboy drew Me. 

I felt so special that the portrait of me was the only one Cowboy colored. 

But, like Cowboy's last portrait of me, I'm a tad worried about what it says about how he views me.

Really? Seriously? 

Yep, next time, we'll print some cute, Momma-approved pictures on the Pleasant Words poster. 

After many lost stickers and tears, Cowboy eventually won our contest. His prize was something sweet to his tongue, mint-chocolate chip ice cream cones. The residual effects have been more careful words and less nasty words. 

And a little more insight into the mind of my Cowboy.