Funny Home Evening

We have one of those stereotypical Family Home Evening Charts. You know, the ones with the vinyl lettering. The ones everyone made for an Enrichment activity 3 or 4 years ago. We use it every week, and every week the kids argue about who gets to change the names to the next assignment. It is a great idea. I like things that keep things orderly.


But sometimes I am SO tired of doing the Family Home Evening chart, especially after a busy day and playgroup and dinner. But the kids like the chart, so we ALWAYS do the chart.

Well, this week was going to be different. We actually planned on Sunday during family council that we would watch a movie for FHE. I was so relieved! Hooray for a Change!

So, after dinner, I made chocolate chip cookies.(We won't even talk about the tantrum I threw last night when I was in the process of making them and discovered we had no chocolate chips.) While they were baking, we all went out in the back yard. Dallin taught us a fun new game called SPUD. It is kind of like the game POISON, only take out the basketball part. It was a beautiful day and lots of fun.

We ate our cookies and all headed down to watch Curious George 2. I was excited to watch this movie because I absolutely loved the first one.

What a disappointment. Not only was it PAINFUL to have to sit and watch that movie and pretend I liked it so my kids wouldn't feel bad, but Simon and Sarajoy were tired and cranky and both wanting to sit on my lap that was already occupied by Brandon. Fun times. I took a break from the movie and put the babies to bed and suffered through the rest of the show. Note to me: NEVER try to watch a movie with the whole family. It never works.

So after the movie, I was thinking we'd have a quick gospel discussion and get everyone to bed and get the whole thing over with.

Things were going great until we started talking about Jacob and Esau...Again. We talk about them a lot because like so many of the Old Testament stories, it is weird. #1: Pottage vs. birthright....no brainer. #2: Mom conspires with the kids to trick Dad who also happens to be one of the greatest prophets of all time. #3: They use lamb's wool to make Jacob's arms feel like Esau's. I've known some hairy people in my life, but LAMB'S WOOL? Come on.

So of course we decide to try the old switcheroo on Dallin. I actually happen to have some fake wool in my fabric cupboard. I line up the kids, and he has to guess who it is by touch. It would have been harder if the kids hadn't kept laughing. Then I wanted a turn, of course. Then we took turns doing feet, hands, noses. Lots of laughs.

Then Dallin had an idea.We've done the head puppet thing before, but it has been a few years. So while the kids were getting ready for bed, we got him all set up. I found a cowboy hat that would fit on his chin, so we decided to call him Russel M. Dawgies.

Other than frightening our baby half to death, it was a big hit. So glad we could end the night on giggles.