No coloring

So today I had 6 girls show up. I have a total of 10 kids, only 2 boys, the rest girls. Let me just say that they where quite the handful in class. Sharing time they were gems. We even got the reverent bear! (A bear that sits in front of the room and gets sent to the class that is the most reverent in sharing time so they could have it in their classroom.) I had to repeately tell them to sit in their chair, put their dress down, put their shoes on, stop dancing around and fold their arms and be reverent. I started to get a little upset. At one point I even stopped in mid sentence and folded my arms and said that I would just wait until they are ready and folding their arms. After just a minute or two (that felt like forever) they listened and payed attention for a few minutes until one would do something then the rest would follow. I had the reverent bear sitting in front of the class and had to keep reminding them that the reverent bear is watching and is not happy that they are not being reverent. I then started threatening them with no coloring time. They listened again for a few minutes then were back to their own worlds. At the end of class when they asked if it was coloring time I said no. I told them that they had not been respectful and were not reverent and didn't deserve coloring time. Top it off I had them each give the reverent bear a hug and say their sorry for not being reverent. Boy what a mean teacher I am! When the parents came to get their child I handed the coloring page that I had planned on using and gave it to the child and said that if they want to color next week they better be reverent. (I said it in front of the parent in hopes that they would have a little chat about how to act in class.) I guess we will see next week. I felt like it was a bit harsh to take away coloring time, but hopefully they will learn to listen and obey and be reverent.

Sharing Time

Today was a normal Sunday, so I thought. Having church at 8:30am seemed a bit too early to me today. I was a little late waking up since I just got back from a girls trip at 1am. Not a good start I guess, but didn't think much of it. We were a tad late to church, but we made it as the opening prayer was being said.
I had prepared my lesson earlier in the week since I knew I wouldn't have much time Sunday morning. Normal Sunday I thought until I walk into sharing time and one of the primary counselors asked if I was doing sharing time today. WHAT? You should have seen my face. I said no, and I said that I didn't know I was suppose to do it today. I didn't get a note in my roll a few weeks in advance like I had before telling me or a reminder note in the roll the previous week. Turns out I didn't even fill out my roll the week prior, but she said that they weren't doing the notes anymore and they were just going to call to ask. Turns out she forgot to call me. Not my fault, but I still ended up winging sharing time. When I have done sharing time in the past, I stress about it and get all nervous. I guess it was a good thing I was just thrown into it so I wouldn't have time to stress. The topic was. "I lived in Heaven before I came to earth" or something along those lines. Good thing my sunbeam lesson for today was pretty much the same thing! I just did my lesson. It turned out not to be long enough and I was not good at fudging any longer, so we sang a couple more songs. Then it was off to class time for me to do my lesson again. The kids enjoyed it.
This it pretty much what I did:
*Got a doll and placed it on a chair. Asked everyone to stand up, twirl around, touch head, toes, etc. and asked why the doll wasn't listening to me and obeying. (the doll is pretend)
*Where did the doll come from? (store)
*Where did we come from? (Heaven)
I had a long piece of string on the floor (representing Heavenly Fathers Plan) and had someone come up and walk along the line asking everyone to say things that are following Heavenly Fathers Plan go to church, read scripture, prayer, FHE, be baptized, take sacrament....) then I would push the child off the line and say something like.....you didn't say your prayers, you skipped church. They weren't following the plan when they don't do good things.
Overall it worked. the kids seemed to participate well and listened. Hope they got something out of it.

Sunbeams

I teach the cute sunbeam class in primary. Since its a new year...I got new kids! Sunbeams are 3yrs old turning 4 this year. Coming from nursery is a big deal. They feel all grown up going to primary but still need that little kid attention and attitude.
It will be 2 years in March/April that I have been in sunbeams, you think I would be a pro right...NOT! Each week is different and each child is different. I really enjoy it.
Tyson joined me today!!! He has come in once or twice and subbed for me once. (He said he would never do that again, and he hasn't) He was such a help to me today.
Today's lesson was "Heavenly Father has a body." We did lots of action songs and Tyson came up with the coloring/activity idea of tracing their hand, bringing a scale to weigh them and a measuring tape to see how tall they are. Great idea, and the kids love it!
The couple times Ty has come in to 'help' me he just sits there. It was really great to have him in both sharing time and class time interacting with the kids and helping out! I hope that he continues to come. There are times that I really could feel the Spirit in primary. It is the simplest things about the gospel that are so essential. I also LOVE the music! Right now my favorite 2 songs the kids sing are: I love to see the temple, and If the Savior stood beside me.

Mesa Temple

I just got home from the Mesa Temple. I went to do baptisms while my friends Trina and Karolyn did inititories. I had such a peaceful and calming experience today. After doing confirmations and baptisms I got back dressed and ready and had still some time to wait until my friends were done. I decided to just sit in the baptistery chapel and think. I picked up a hymn book and listened to the music and tried to think of the hymn and find it fast enough and followed along thinking about the words. I LOVE what music could do.I LOVE how it brings the Spirit in so quickly. It completely calmed me and uplifted me and encouraged me. A couple songs that stood out were "Where can I turn for peace" and "Lead kindly light." I wanted to be in that room forever. I loved the feeling. I loved having the Spirit with me so strong at that moment. I Love my Heavenly Father and KNOW that he is my older brother. He is there to lead me home to Him.

Inspired?

Would I say I have been insipred? I don't know. But this morning at about 2:30 in the morning I woke up and could not go back to sleep. I have had a lot on my mind and pondering about a lot of thing in life. What am I doing? Am I suppose to be doing the things I am right now? Marrigae? Family? So many things! I saw 4:00am roll by....and think I fell asleep for about an hour but woke up about 5:30am when Tys alarm went off. Lovely. Not alot of sleep.
I had the thought running through my mind about needing to have a journal, a place to write my spiritual feelings, a place to vent, a place to write my everyday personal happenings. Right down to what I was to title my journal.....so here I am. Following my thoughts that have kept me up all night.