I {Heart} Primary

Thank you so much to all the well-wishers and commenters who offered their kindness and love after last night's post!  It's amazing what a difference a full night's sleep can make, and today was a much better day than yesterday.  :)


As I mentioned a little while ago, I've recently been called into the Primary presidency.  {The Primary is the children's Sunday School organization in our church.}  And I have to say I love it.  There's a reason I studied elementary education in college.  I've been pleasantly surprised with the way my children have reacted to me being in there with them every Sunday, and aside from Jane being a little extra needy, they've done really great.  Certain first-born children are quick to tell me at HOME, however, that I'm ruining Primary because I've changed so many things about it since I've been in, but rest assured that certain firstborn children {like their mother} have a tendency towards extremism and hyperbole and I certainly haven't changed EVERYTHING.  This certain firstborn child also likes to let me know that I talk to the Senior Primary kids like they're babies, but I like to let him know that when kids act like babies, I'll talk to them like babies.  Hahahaha.  I'm just kidding.  I'm just kidding.  I really don't think I talk to them in any way but normal, but perception is reality, and he likes to keep it real.  :)

Here are a few of the ideas I have come up with for the upcoming year: 

• Reverence help -- 

I came up with an idea for something to hand out to kids who are "caught being reverent" during Sharing Time.  I found a fish theme on Pinterest and decided to take it from there and run with, and created my own little sketched out fishies that I free-handed after doing a Google image search of black and white fish clip art.  It was so fun!  {NO sarcasm here.  I love doing anything artsy!  :) }

If I knew how, I'd totally make a PDF file for anyone to download who wanted to use the idea, but I don't.  Sorry!  But maybe you can still print out this image and make it work??

After copying the fish on brightly colored card stock, I put Ethan to work one Sunday afternoon by helping me cut out and laminate over a hundred of them.  He LOVED the project.  And so did I.  :)  I love how bright and colorful the end result is!  The idea is that if a kid is "caught being reverent," they can trade their fish out at the end of church for a sticker from the Sticker Box I've put together.  Hopefully, it will be incentive enough, but only time will tell.

Another idea I thought of was to have some items on hand to help with kids who are extra wiggly and/or chatty to help them be still and listen.  I'm stocking up our "Fidget Bucket" with some Silly Putty, notepads and paper, and stress balls that I made this evening out of balloons and flour and which the kids had a BLAST in helping me to make, and wouldn't let go of all evening long.  I do have to say that they are surprisingly mesmerizing to play with.  Hahaha.

I found a genius idea on Pinterest to cut the bottom off of an empty water bottle to use as a funnel for filling the balloons with flour, and it worked like a charm!  After spooning a bunch of flour into the "funnel," I used a marker that was lying nearby to jam it all in.  It was "easy" enough that Grace and Sophie were able to help without too much of a problem, and even Alex and Jane were able to "help" me make a few as well.  :)

• Sister Friendly --

The only other new thing that I have come up with, is the concept of a special Sharing Time visitor in the person of "Sister Friendly."  However, long time readers of the blog shouldn't be too confused as to who she is, because we've been utilizing this fictional character for years in the occasional Family Home Evening lesson where she (or sometimes Brother Friendly) will share with us the latest happenings from The Friend.  {Our church's monthly children's publication for the Primary.}

The idea is simple -- I dress up in disguise {although everyone obviously knows it's me} and wear an apron with lots of pockets.  Inside each pocket is a slip of paper referencing a story or activity from that month's Friend magazine, and I call on different kids to come and pick a pocket and then I tell the story or help them do whatever activity is written on it.  Last month was Sister Friendly's debut in our Primary, and she was a hit!  Hahaha.  She's scheduled to make another guest appearance this Sunday {since it's a 5th Sunday and there's no curriculum assigned}, and I'm hoping she'll make just as big a splash this time around.  {Although, since none of the other adults had ever heard of her, I'm starting to wonder if the New Orleans 1st Ward from my growing up years totally made up this character on their own.  Were we the only ones??}

Hahahahahaha.  My friend, who is one of the teachers in the Primary snapped this shot of me from last month.  Perhaps Sister Friendly needs to work on that Hostile Resting Face of hers.  Hahaha.  :)

So there you have it -- all the ways I'm changing up the Primary!  Hahahaha.  Goodnight and have a Happy Thanksgiving week!  :)