Caution Slow: Children at Play

This week I found relics of children's play all over my house. I love watching how children play and learn through play. They are so incredible! 

Hazel has been making lots of lists. First up: Safety Tips...

1. Never stand on a swivel chair.
2. Never blow your hair in the bathtub.
3. Do not go out in the rain in lightening storms.
4. Don't follow your cat up the tree.
5. Do not eat crayon (PS. your poop will be different colors)
6. Do not watch too much T.V. (PS. your brain will turn to mush).

Such great advice! Obviously she's like a sponge just soaking up everything around her. I also found this one under her bed. I'm sure this was the work of her and Rose.

Girl Club Rules: 

1. No boys allowed. 

2. Always bring a bag.

3. Come fancy.

4. Wear your club bracelet.

5. No project is perfect without glitter.

Next up there's Eliza. One freezing cold morning she made sure to tuck in Ellie by the heater before she left for school. She's such a good mommy! 

Lenora is just starting to play with her peers and it's adorable. She and her little friend at the YMCA played and played this week. They also walked around holding hands as they moved from toy to toy.

Mr. Orson is adorable. One minute he's carefully holding a baby doll and beaming with pride, and the next minute he's pretending a play spoon is a sword. Already it's amazing to me to see the difference between how boys play vs how girls play. He LOVES to wrestle with Lenora. (and she tolerates it, most of the time!)

Today in church one of the speakers spoke about the Savior's love of children and His admonition that we become as little children. He then gave the example of a child learning to walk. The child doesn't quit trying to walk because he falls down. He doesn't think he's hopeless or that he will never figure it out. He simple keeps trying and trying until he can take steps. Then he moves from toddling to walking to running and so on. Meanwhile the child's parents don't just let the child figure it out on his own.They help him stand up. They "practice" walking by holding his hands. They reach out to the child from a few steps away and catch him when he falls. They help him back up.

He compared us to the toddling child and our Heavenly Father and Christ to the parents. All we have to do is keep trying. When we struggle to master something, we shouldn't become discouraged. In the the grand scheme of things it's a blink of an eye. We should also remember that our Heavenly parents and Jesus Christ are right there - helping us, picking us up, helping us try again. They are pleased with our efforts even when we feel frustrated by our slow progress. I love that analogy! It was such a good perspective to me. I want to be more loving and patient.I want to be more devoted in scripture study, etc, etc. But to me my progress is painfully slow. But I can keep getting up. I can keep trying. I can keep taking step after toddling step!

I'm so thankful for my amazing children and all they teach me. Let's all be a bit more like a child.(It's so much more fun too!)