Days of December 13

I absolutely adore these nativity puppets that my SIL Shelly made for us as a gift a few years back. (this picture doesn't even show half of the puppets) Ever since that year, we always do a special Family Home Evening lesson in December using them. I also came up with an idea to make each kid their own 12 day count down chain for Christmas. On each strip is written a compliment. I wrote 3 for each child and so did Clayne and then we had each child write 2 for each of their siblings. At the top or end of the chain is a bracelet that I picked up at Deseret Book that is a "Choose the Right" bracelet for them to wear. When I read the compliments that Carson wrote to Savannah one of them said, "I like it when you let me beat you up." I erased the latter portion of his "compliment" so he could re-write it & say something nice. He then wrote, "I like it when you let me play with you." Some of the other "compliments" were not what I had hoped for but I decided to just leave them and let them be what they were because that is what the kids wanted to write. Still they were funny to me & some were eye openers for me too. I'll share some of them and you can read more if you want.

Savannah's compliments on her chain were:
* I like it when you let me play on your computer - from Carson (she has an old computer in her room with no internet connection)
* I like it when you let me play with you - from Carson
* Thank you for being on my side sometimes when Morgan and/or Carson isn't sometimes - from Cheyenne
* I like it when Savannah lets me hang out with her sometimes - from Cheyenne
* Pretty - from Morgan
* Nice - from Morgan
* I love your kind heart - from Mom
* I love your way of obeying - from Mom
* I love your happy attitude - from Mom
* You help others - from Dad
* You are very loving - from Dad
* You look for ways to help others - from Dad

Carson's compliments on his chain were:
* Thank you for helping me - from Savannah
* And I love you very much - from Savannah
* Letting me play with your legos - from Morgan
* Playing with me - from Morgan
* I like it when you and Mom make me laugh with your jokes that have no meaning to them. Maybe that is why they have humor in them? HA! - from Cheyenne
* Thank you for being stupid sometimes so it makes me look smarter! - from Cheyenne
* I love the way you make me laugh every day - from Mom
* I love how creative you are with legos - from Mom
* I love how you always kiss me goodnight - from Mom
* You are very competitive - from Dad
* You try very hard to be your best - from Dad
* You are a hard worker when you want to - from Dad

Morgan's compliments on his chain were:
* Thanks for giving me gum - from Savannah
* Thanks for giving me candy - from Savannah
* I like when you don't mess with my legos - from Carson
* I like when you let me stay up - from Carson (they share a room and sometimes don't want to go to bed at the same time)
* Thank you for doing sports so I could be the musically talented one in the family. - from Cheyenne
* I like it when you are nice and on my side sometimes. - from Cheyenne
* I love to see you playing nice with Savannah - from Mom
* I love how reverent you try to be at church - from Mom
* I love how you are friends with everyone - from Mom
* You are helpful to others - from Dad
* You are friendly to others - from Dad
* You have a kind heart - from Dad

Cheyenne's compliments on her chain were:
* Thanks for painting my nails - from Savannah
* Thanks for doing my hair - from Savannah
* I like when you don't fite (fight) with Mom - from Carson
* Thanks for not going in my room - from Carson
* Being nice - from Morgan
* Helping me - from Morgan
* You really are beautiful. I love you! - from Mom
* Thanks for always keeping your room clean - from Mom
* I love the way you play the piano - from Mom
* You are respectful to your church leaders - from Dad
* You are musically talented - from Dad
* You are very competitive - from Dad