Sunday Success!

Two consecutive Sundays have now passed with out either child being taken out of the Chapel for disciplinary reasons during Sacrament meeting!!! This makes me very very happy!  Our mini's are pretty good and have not really had to be taken out all that much to be honest. But the last few months I have been feeling like we needed to be more reverent, that the kids could be doing more (or actually less). I first eliminated all toys and play things.  This left them with coloring activities, reading books, and sometimes flashcards.  Then I found myself distracted and flustered each Sunday trying to keep up with their crayons and papers and mediating altercations about who's coloring book was who's and so forth. I also find it very disruptive that they do not sit in their chairs to color but want to be on the floor or have the book on the chair.  I, therefore, concluded that coloring materials had to go!  It took me a couple weeks to decide what they COULD have.  I had, or was given actually, the idea to make binders with pictures in them!  I also felt it would be appropriate to include copies of  The Friend Magazine. I decided to order the Primary Picture Packets for their age levels. Can I just mention at this point how VERY much I am thankful for the affordableness of the materials the church puts out?! I received nearly 100 sheets of photos in the packets, including the one of the First Presidency and the Salt Lake Temple all for $11.00! no shipping cost!  Anyway, I bought some binders and some sheet protectors and put together these:

 The front cover has a picture of the SLC temple and the a reminder that these are our Reverence books and our last name, so when I leave them at the church (which is only a matter of time!) I can find them again! The back cover has the packet envelope that comes with the pictures, this way if I ever need alternate storage or to know what is in the binder, bam! there it is.

 Each one begins with a picture of the First Presidency. Then the next page is this picture of the SLC Temple, on the back of the picture is a little note saying what it is and that Grammy and Muggs live near it! There is also a Logan Temple for Grandma and Grandpa Womack. More temples to come!

 Then there is a picture of a story we have been working on in our daily Scripture Study. We are working on Noah, on the back is a very brief synopsis.

 Then just the standard Primary pictures.

Finally in the very back a copy of a Friend magazine.  Ben will really like these as soon as he can read!

Here is the collection of books that are now allowed to go. Yup, they are all versions of the Book of Mormon. I usually take two from this stack. After Easter we will have two age appropriate versions of the New Testament, I look forward to adding those!

I have also decided to keep snacks for after Sacrament meeting. At home during the week we usually snack at about 10am. Or meeting ends at 10:10, I figure they can make it that extra 10 minutes!  This has eliminated the rustling of bags and any disagreements over said snacks.  I have brought them water to drink and that seems to be enough! Speaking of snacks, I think adding a post sharing/music time pre-class time snack to Ben's routine has really helped improve his behavior in primary class. He seems to be doing better with listening, and not being silly!  He has made it through the same two weeks without being brought to me for being silly!

I never would have guessed that one 3 hour activity each week could require SO much preparation and effort!  I am glad things are working right now, and look forward to how things will change in the coming months!