Spongebob Squarepants Sunday School Lesson

My kids and I were eating dinner together at church last night and BB mentioned that a kid on the bus told them (Princess, BB and PH) that they were "not cool enough" to ride in the back of the bus. Well, this Mom was about to put on her Growly Mamma Bear suit and defend the honor of my kids...but instead, I stayed calm and said, "Well, in my opinion, kids who have to define who is 'cool' and 'not cool' are probably not feeling very 'cool' themselves." And then the thought struck me about how I could make a really good point.

My kids are big BIG fans of Spongebob Squarepants. It's silly and corny but there are some really good lessons that can be drawn from that cartoon. I told my kids that even though this child was being mean to them, Jesus tells us that we are to love our neighbors and we are to love our enemies. And even Spongebob, who gets picked on all the time by Squidword, continues to love and be kind to all the other creatures in Bikini Bottom and that this is really a good example of what Jesus is talking about.

The lightbulb went on. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ok.

I don't think I will be able to watch that cartoon in quite the same way again. I will be looking for examples to illustrate the truths I am trying to teach my kids. It's getting them in their culture, walking into their world and speaking in their language. I could get really adult-ish with them and watch them as their eyes glaze over and they fall asleep while sitting there.

It made me think back to another Wednesday evening at church when an older gentleman at church began to complain that the music they were playing in the sanctuary to start off the club event was too loud and then I heard him say, "That's devil music." It was the Newsboys singing a rock rendition of a hymn. Some of the others who were standing around were very offended at his offensiveness and I know that the topic was then discussed at the church council. However, the music was turned down a touch but not changed because what some of the parents in my church have noticed is that the kids we most need to reach and are most at risk of losing to the negative things in our culture were running into the sanctuary, singing at the top of their lungs "Our God Reigns" and they were learning the 10 commandments and by the end of the year, every 3rd through 5th grader could recite all 10 verbatim. That was exciting to me. But if we don't make what goes on inside the church more appealing than what is outside the church, there is a generation that will be lost.

I have had some tough discussions with my 9 year old, BB, who really really REALLY wants a playstation or some other sort of game system and I have adamantly said NO. I began to explain to him my reasoning for it. He pleaded and begged with me. I told him that I have read too many articles about kids getting adicted to video games and then they don't do their homework, they don't go outside to play any more...all they do is play video games and for a child like him, who has ADHD, I have already seen that there is such a draw to that stuff. I limit his time on the computer to 30 minutes a week. And he has a hard time with even that. He invades the other kids while they are on the computer and tries to monopolize their time and take over. What was kind of cute was how he said, "But MOM...won't you please change your mind? I will do all my homework. I will still play outside. I won't be on it all the time. PPPPlllllleeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaassssssssssssseeeeeeeeeee..."

To which I replied, "BB, you don't do your homework now without me breathing down your neck and making sure you do every single thing you are supposed to do. You take over the remote control. You take over the computer. You sneak on the computer when I go to the bathroom. These are all signs that this is not healthy for you. So, I will absolutely NOT ever change my mind."

He was very mad. But he has not asked me about it since. And he has since then been grounded off the computer for sneaking on it when I leave the room and forget to lock my screen.

My take away point is that this is a tough culture to raise kids in. There are so many things that pull at them. I have a hard time keeping up with everything. But I am glad that when I go to church on Wednesday nights, my son is doing a little Riverdance during the story but he is also completely engaged in what he is learning. And all my kids are singing christian songs while running around the house. And now they know that Spongebob is loving his friends like Jesus says to...and he is even loving his enemies.

This is too funny....

I didn't hear the whole conversation but what I heard made me chuckle the rest of the ride home. Pumpkin-head suddenly says loudly to Peanut, "you can't say that...that is taking God's name INSANE!"

They can't make this kind of fun at the toy factory

So my boys had a very BOY Christmas and they were in Boy Toy heaven. I realized this when I watched them playing with their new toys. I also greatly admired the way they incorporated all their new toys together.

The pirate ship was being attacked by the walking roaring dinosaur but then from the east, some sort of rough/tough guy in a boat came with his thing that shoots harpoons and catches critters to try to lead the scary dinosaur away and then the Lego StarWars droids flew in to rescue the pirates and help out the rescue boat and the ship was saved. And somewhere in there, Lightning McQueen entered the scene as well. It was amazing to watch how their little brains made the storyline flow. I can't think like that.

Maybe it's because I am a girl.

And quite honestly, girl toys do not really lend themselves to this kind of creativity. Barbie and Ken can have adventures but usually it involves romance or domestic spats. Sometimes you can involve the My little Ponies but unless they are being ridden by Skipper... they don't generally come out to play at the same time. It's all about playing in sets for girls. We don't really blend our toys the way boys do.

But I have to say that I really enjoy the way boys do that. I just sat and watched them play and listened to them create this intricate storyline and play off each other's ideas and I was really enthralled. It proves my point that boys are born wired very differently then girls. It's not an issue of nature vs nurture. My boys came out of the womb ready to wrestle and build things with blocks, and drive toy cars around and with a real affinity for mud that I have yet to explain. Believe me, I did nothing to foster or teach that. It happened in spite of me. I didn't go to the extreme of trying to create feminine boys and forcing them to play with dolls or what have you...I just let them do what seemed natural and watched it happen.

My mom laughed the other day when she heard me tell Peanut, who bumped his foot and was not crying but was about to moan a little, "Are you hurt?" He nodded. "Well, tough guy, walk it off." She questioned me a little. I told her that I have to be both mom and dad to my boys. So, sometimes, I offer comfort when the situation warrants, and sometimes I will tell them to walk it off and tough it out. But at the same time, I also am teaching them to recognize when they hurt others and to apologize and be sensitive to other people.

I am praying that I am doing a good job. They seem to be very normal boys with boistrous energy and active imaginations but also a deep need for affection because they still like to cuddle up in my lap from time to time and let me rub their back or behind their ears and tell them stories about when they were a baby. And sometimes I teach them how to flex their muscles and grunt.

The Office Drama

My unit, Adult mental health, is divided in two offices...North and south. The division runs deeper than geography and it is becoming more readily apparent as time goes on. This week, I was afraid we might have bloodshed or at least some raised voices.

It started at our monthly unit meeting where supposedly all 22 of us are to meet and go over various topics. Every one of my team was present and accounted for. But the south team was missing a few people, a fact I took a mental note of. I figured that if any one from my team had missed a meeting, my supervisor would mention it. I can verify it as true because it happened to me when I had inadvertantly missed a unit meeting. And I have never missed one since. Made me wonder if any one from the south team gets a little mini lecture about the importance of attendance...this was of course, all in my mental note to self.

The meeting carried on through the items on the agenda. And then the topic of the Unit Christmas Party came up which has been postponed til after Christmas due to other events that have come up and schedules...It was announced to us that the party would be held at this very swanky, upscale restaurant on a golf course in Woodbury. One person spoke up to say that he most likely would not be able to attend because he is in his graduate program and has a very heavy schedule...he's on my north team. Then another person on my team spoke up and clarified that this was the restaurant on the golf course...It was. The meeting adjourned and we headed off to return to our work.

Later in the day, the drama began.

The Grad student printed off the menu and began to show it to people in the office, "Did you see the prices? They start at $20 a plate and that is just for a meal...that doesn't include the gratuity...or a drink...."

I walked by and Grad student mentioned the menu to me. I said I would take a look. I mentioned that I was just a little miffed that we were not included in the decision at all...we were just told that this was where it was going to be and was this date ok. But the prices were concerning.

After I made my copies and checked my mailbox, I walked over to the cubes of my co-workers. The grumblings were getting louder. And suddenly, it sounded like there was going to be a coup and the north team was going to skip the fancy-schmancy party and go to Taco Bell instead.

Our acting supervisor was on her way out the door for the evening and we stopped her and told her how we were all feeling. She said that she would discuss our concerns the next day with the south supervisor. So we felt a little better, at least we had been heard and we had an alternate plan; Taco Bell and bowling.

After this drama, I had a conversation with my mom and told her about this. She started laughing and said it was just like an episode of "The Office" she had just seen about two companies that merged and were planning a joint Christmas party. We were both laughing by the end of the conversation. I am living out a television show.

The next day, I was back at work but not in my office until the afternoon and my supervisor said that she had some "proposals" from the south team for the Christmas party. Already, I don't like the way this is going. They are once again, taking charge, but I tried to hear out their suggestions. Option 1: Drinks at this Snooty Bar with the option of staying for dinner. Option 2: Bowling and Option 3: Renting the conference center at St. Croix Bluffs and having a potluck.

Well, my opinion is that I definitely didn't want to go to a snooty place and have the "option" of having dinner. I'm not a big drinker so having that as the focus is kind of bothersome to me too. And then we are all working that day, so how are we supposed to prepare something for a potluck in the evening and bring it all the way down to St. Croix Bluffs....and I live way up in Forest Lake?? Nope...So I opted for bowling...or to go to some place like Champs.

The drama continues. We shall see how things unfold this week. And I thought the crazy people I would work with were going to be my clients!!!

My Adventures in Shoveling

Being in a house for the first time in MN, as an adult, and being responsible for my own shoveling has been eye opening after this past weekend's storms. First of all, I didn't have a shovel any bigger than a kid sized shovel that I found in my work car. So, I gave the kids lids to plastic storage containers and had them scoop up snow while I used the baby shovel for the first storm. It was frustrating and exhausting.

So, when snow was threateningly imminent, I bought a bigger shovel for me and another smaller shovel for one of my kids. So, now there are 3 shovels, figuring my two older kids can shovel. I didn't count on my kids fighting over the opportunity to shovel. Having a bigger shovel did make a difference. And having more shovelers made a difference too. We got more done and faster.

My house is right off of a busy road and having a clear driveway, I am realizing is not only "nice", it's critical. So, I was up at the top of the drive trying to clear it down to pavement and the gravel so that I would have traction when I need to dart out in the morning, because that is often what I have to do to when I leave for work. I saw the snowplow coming at a pretty fast clip and I turned in toward my house and began walking but not fast enough. A huge spray of snow and road junk hit me full force across the back. I was stunned silent for a moment. I looked at Princess and PH and their jaws were on the driveway. Princess was wiping snow from her face and said she got a face full of snow. I told her that I got hit real hard with snow, dirt, ice and whatnot and that I probably was going to bruise.

I still didn't know what to say but I knew something had to be said. I continued shoveling for a few minutes, taking advantage of the rush of adrenaline that hit me but I started to ache and my head was getting cold and I knew I was full of road slop. Before announcing I was going inside for a hot shower, I told my kids, "This would be why it is very important that you NOT play by the side of the road during the winter. Did you see how fast that snow plow went? And he didn't see me at all? And even if he could, he couldn't slow down."

Then I looked at the driveway and decided it was good enough. My daughter said, "Mom, there isn't much left. I will finish it." What a good girl. If I wasn't so cold, my heart would have melted into a puddle right there.

"Be careful of snowplows", I said, as I walked into the house.

"If we see one, we are going to RUN!"

They are good kids and fast learners.

I have a bruised shoulder and bruised rib on top of sore muscles and back from shoveling. And believe me, if I see the snow plow coming, I'm running too!

Spelling

My little first grader, Pumpkin Head, is reading and spelling. He is quite tickled by this fact. Up until now, he has said he was just "practicing" but the other night we were at church having supper before Wednesday night clubs and BB offered to read a prayer off the table tent. After BB was done, I said to PH, "Next week, you can read the prayer."

"Oh Mommy, I can't read yet."

"You can't? What have you been doing in school all this time?" And then I had him read one of the prayers. He only stumbled on a few words but was able to sound out the rest just fine. After he finished and I said, "Honey, that was real nice reading.", he just about glowed like light on a Christmas tree.

Well, now that the connection has been made that he can read, he has realized that he can SPELL. Most of the time.

But I overheard him say to Peanut, "Peanut, I told you not to do that...Do you hear me...I said O-N."

I about fell off my chair. He was so sincere.

Presents from my Cat

My kitten is now 5 months old. She's the sweetest thing. We are all crazy about her. And this week, she has told us in her kitten way, that we are special to her. She brought us a gift. Twice.


I will warn you that this may be a little graffic

She came trotting up the stairs. Actually, it would be more acurate to say that she was strutting. So, I looked at her and she had something in her mouth. Princess was next to me and says, "OHHH! She has a mouse."

"Good Girl, Tiger"

She went downstairs with her trophy and I am thinking to myself, "I wonder where I will find the carcass?"

A few more minutes go by, and here comes Tiger again. The mouse is in her mouth. Apparently, the applause was not enough. She struts all the way in to my room and now I can see that she has the mouse by the back foot and it is not dead. The eyes are still shiny.

I found that a little unsettling.

My daughter squeaked as the mouse made a squeak. Tiger then drops the mouse, only to then quickly snatch it up again and trot back out of my room in triumph. If she could have made a noise with the mouse in her mouth, it would have been a haughty "hmmmphh".


I looked at my daughter and said, "I do believe that she was showing off. And wants us to know what a good hunter she is."

Then out of the corner of my eye, I see Tiger in the kitchen, she drops something and then jumps in the air and starts to romp. She was not done with her prey. She had more playing to do.

I am proud that she is a good mouser. I do so hate having mice in my house and I would rather not resort to poison. I am not opposed to it. I just don't like it. So, that was part of the reason for getting a cat and choosing not to declaw her...to keep little critters out of my house. I just wish she would keep these little gifts and trophies to herself. But then, how is a cat supposed to say "I love you guys and thanks for the food, the warm place to sleep and the playtime." She can't take the keys and go to Wal-mart for a card. I don't even think she can read. So, I shall resign to the occasional token mouse. New York's cat Cookie is a good hunter too. She brings him chipmunks. It's only fair.

However, this has inspired my daughter with an idea for her Young Inventors Fair. She needs to design some sort of invention. I told her that she should invent some sort of mini trash can that the cat can step on and drop her "gift" in and I would not have to scoop up a dead mouse, only tie up a little trash bag and toss it away. But seeing my kitty in action, she isn't likely to utilize such a convenience for my sake. But Princess needed a creative idea. The assignment said nothing about having to be totally based in reality.