The Latta Family

 I've long since joked that Doug should have been a cult leader because he has some very loyal students.  Some of his students are still very much part of our lives as friends, fellow church members, hair stylists, horse riding instructors, dental hygienist, plumbers, fellow teachers. . . . I could go on.  Some of his students are part of our memories, like when Matt was parking the tractor and .. . , or when they came to school and . . . or when . . . we could go on forever.  Several of his girls have babysat my kids.  I know their families and when I run into them in Walmart or wherever, I ask how their mom/brother/dad is.  While I've known his students before, this group of his students I know even better because I'm around them a lot, since they are Doug's students and Andrew's friends. And I'm fine with it.  It's such a great group of kids.  They're smart, motivated, care about their communities, are involved, have interests, are well parent...

For me, 65% of parenting is entertaining myself.  When Andrew was 10, he was quite argumentative.  I issued a new policy, he could always have the last word, as long as the last words, were these: Did it work?  I doubt it, but I giggled to myself imagining him responding to me that way.   I FaceTime Andrew from different locations of the house to tell him it's time to turn his phone in and go to bed, or take out the trash, or whatever.  Because he answers, and I see him, I know he hears what I've said, and then I hang up super fast, so he can't argue with me about it.  And I giggle that he still picks up the FaceTime's from me, because he's hopeful that this time it'll be something fun (that's the trick- sometimes it is fun!  It keeps him from getting conditioned).  Well, one of my mother's good lifetime friends, gave me an absolutely BRILLIANT idea, and I put it into action today.  Alexa's Art Studio is "in business."...

My youngest child has been monopolizing my parenting brain here lately.  It's been brewing for weeks.  We had a minor episode a few weeks ago, and then on Monday it really blew up.  Alexa is my little artist.  Although- she doesn't consider what she does art.  She considers it crafting.  I think she only says crafting because I "craft."  Recently, she started a project and now that I see it in its completion, it is pretty awesome.  However, the process to getting there . . . She was crafting in our bonus room.  She would go up there, turn on the tv, and craft away.  For awhile she was making creations with popsicle sticks and hot glue.  She was using the hot glue gun on the floor- getting it on the carpet.  I made a new rule, "Hot Glue Gun is only to be used on the table." She has a table for crafting.   Then she moved on to using acrylic paints.  After I discovered her painting on the carpet, I had to make a...