A Bit of Comedy and Setting Goals

Not that those go together at all...but today they do.

"In my dream, I heard Fern throw up."

"One more day until the sleepover."

"Fern likes my water bottle."

"My neck is itchy."

"What time are we leaving?"

"Look at what I did to my paper.."...as I express my surprise at how a paper could be crumpled so beautifully...

"What does this mean?..."  (referring to a math concept discussed so many times I dream about it)

This is just a very small sampling of what I may hear on any given day in about 3 minutes time.  I guess it's no wonder that I want to crawl back into bed by 8:30 some days.  Not to mention the way they make it a competition as to who can tell me the most in the shortest amount of time so that before one is even done finishing their sentence of meaningful thoughts, the next one is already starting theirs as if they are on the edge of a world record award for most thoughts told to Mom in the shortest amount of time.  

Best mom ever, I am.  I do love talking to them, but I guess I prefer it to be somewhat meaningful at least part of the time. 

Anyway, I got the crazy idea this past weekend that we should all write down goals - and learn how to measure them and give time limits, etc., etc. 

I found a couple of worksheets online for my husband and I to use and another one online for the younger girls, but I was stuck for something for our teens.  I wanted something with a spiritual category which was left out on anything I saw online for teens. 

So I put together a little packet for the teens...a questionnaire about three people in their lives (they have to know them personally so no Selena Gomez or Tobuscus, thank God) that they admire and why.  Another couple sheets with these categories: Family, Spiritual, Education, and Social.  I included a quote from James Cash Penney:  "Give me a stock clerk with a goal, and I will give you a man who will make history.  Give me a man without a goal, and I will give you a stock clerk."  I loved this especially coming from a man whose name is on over 1000 stores in this country.  (Also interesting, he started working for a small chain of stores called the Golden Rule stores because that rule was so important to them.)  The last sheet in their packet was an official goal sheet (only for education) so they could write down specific goals, how to measure them and time limits.  They have to sign them and we will look them over from time to time.  I told them I wouldn't look at the other sheets so they could really write their honest thoughts and feelings.  Hopefully, our son won't take that to mean he can draw pictures of Hobbits on them or write about Bilbo as a person he admires (although I guess that wouldn't be so bad).  

I haven't even approached it yet with the other girls, but hopefully that will happen this afternoon if we can get past all of the other interesting thoughts they'll undoubtedly want to share.

Had to post this - this cardinal was sitting in a bush right near the window this weekend and she just is so beautiful...and fat!!!