How do you motivate little boys to pick up toys?

It's a puzzling question.

At least to me.

Mya never seemed to have a problem. I don't know if that is a first-born thing or a girl thing, probably a first-born thing.

Getting the boys to pick up their toys is like pulling teeth (not the loose ones, the permanent adult ones). It's a frustrating chore. Many times I'm tempted to just do it myself, but where would the lesson be in that.

I've helped them pick up toys (and ended up finishing the job myself) I've tried asking nicely. I've tried asking multiple times in a short period of time. I've even tried asking in a very loud voice.

I've threatened them with punishments. I've told them they can't leave their room until its picked up (they were in their room for 3 hours).

Last week I came up with a new scheme.

I asked them to pick up. When they didn't listen, I picked up the toys myself and then I took them away in a box and hid them...

for a week.

And, for a week their room was relatively picked up (mainly due to the fact that their toys were being held hostage in the utility room).

But today, their room is again a disaster area.

Which I asked them to pick up...

And they have not.

In fact, I hear water running in the bathroom as I write this.

Not a good sign my friends, not a good sign.

And so I will head up stairs, pull out a box and start packing the toys away, again.

Here's hoping round two is a little more successful.

I'm not holding my breath. :)

Video Review: Skeeter and the Mystery of the Lost Mosquito Treasure

Skeeter, a mosquito with a crooked nose, always gets lost, a trait, which makes him an unlikely candidate to find a hidden treasure. But when his famous older brother comes to town with a treasure map, the brother’s must work together to find the treasure. In the process they find that God made them unique for a reason and that God doesn’t make mistakes.

The moral is good, the story is cute, but I have to say the pace of this little video was S.L.O.W. And the humor (or attempts at humor) was not clicking with me… at all. If it were up to me, I would never watch it again. But then, I’m not exactly in the target audience.

When the video was over I asked my kids what they thought. My three-year-old immediately replied, “I want to watch it again.” A positive review.

My five year old did not. When I asked her why she said the part where they got lost was scary. Honestly, I don’t know what she was talking about; this movie is the opposite of scary. In my attempt to get a logical response I asked her what she learned from the movie. She replied, “Everyone is not perfect because that is how God made us.”

If you are looking for a video with a good message, Skeeter and the Mystery of the Lost Mosquito Treasure definitely fits the bill. If you want a video that you can enjoy with your kids, I would consider looking elsewhere, unless you’re hoping to squeeze in a little nap time while you watch!

Drumroll Please...

And the winner of Real Moms...Real Jesus is:

Ashley Baner!

Congrats Ashley - Use the "e-mail me" link on the side of my blog and we can figure out how to get you your book.

Thanks for all your comments everyone. Have a wonderful weekend!

Wordless Wednesday - You Never Know Where Thomas Will Turn Up.

Real Moms...Real Jesus

Hearts at Home recently released Real Moms...Real Jesus by Jill Savage. I am so excited about this book And to celebrate its release I am going to give away one copy! To enter the drawing simply leave a comment! You have until Friday (March 27th) at noon to enter.


Today I’d like to welcome author and speaker, Jill Savage. Jill’s recent book Real Moms…Real Jesus, just released, and I wanted to ask her about her real mom moments..

Jill, tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.
Mark and I have been married 25 years and we have five children. Anne is 24 and married to our wonderful son-in-love, Matt. Evan is 21 and married to our beautiful daughter-in-love, Julie. Erica is 18 and a college student at Heartland Community College. Kolya is 15 and in the 8th grade. We adopted Kolya at the age of 9 from Russia---the God story about his adoption is included in the Real Moms…Real Jesus book. And Austin is 12 and in the 7th grade.

Tell us about your newest book Real Moms...Real Jesus?
Real Moms…Real Jesus is a book designed to help moms understand that when Jesus lived on this earth he was fully God, yet fully man. We don’t often think about the fact that he was a human being and he lived the full human experience: pain, hunger, fatigue, frustration, betrayal, disappointment. He experienced it all!

There’s one verse in the Bible about Jesus that simply says “large crowds followed him everywhere he went.” Well, isn’t that the life of a mom? Large crowds follow her to the bathroom. They follow her to the kitchen. To the grocery store. She’s in high demand! And when Jesus lived on this earth, He was in high demand, too.

Why did you want to write this book?
Most of us long for a friend who understands. Yes, we need girlfriends who understand what our life is like. But we also need to understand that we have a friend who understands in Jesus. Too many of us think of God as being distant and unable to relate to our daily struggles. But nothing could be further from the truth! He understands and he wants us to build our friendship with Him. He wants to not only be our Savior, but also our Friend.

What do you hope your readers will gain from this book?
I hope that readers will gain a new perspective about their relationship with Jesus. I also hope to weave God’s truth into the daily life of a mom.

What unique elements will the reader find in Real Moms…Real Jesus?
Each chapter looks at some character trait in Jesus’ life that can help us in our life as a mom. In between the chapters are interactive vignettes that provide brief, refreshing glimpses into our real, messy, busy lives.

There are also questions at the end of the chapter for further consideration and suggested Bible reading in the book of Matthew. If the reader chooses to pursue the suggested reading, she will have read the book of Matthew completely by the end of the book!

There is also a leader’s guide in the back of the book so it can be used in a group setting.

This is a Hearts at Home book. What is Hearts at Home?
Hearts at Home is an organization that encourages, educates, and equips women in the profession of motherhood. Hearts at Home encourages moms through annual conferences, our extensive website (www.hearts-at-home.org), a free bi-weekly electronic newsletter, a radio program, and an entire line of books designed to meet the needs of moms all over the world!


Any closing thoughts?
I am very excited about this book! I believe that if a mom can strengthen her relationship with Jesus Christ, she will feel more equipped to be the mom she wants to be. I’m also offering an online book discussion on my blog beginning Tuesday, April 7. If you’d like to join us, you can subscribe to my blog at www.jillsavage.org.

I’d love to hear a reader’s thoughts after they read the book, too! You can connect to me through my blog at www.jillsavage.org.

Thanks, Jill, for taking time out of your busy schedule to share your real mom, real Jesus moments with us.

You can purchase your own copy of Real Moms…Real Jesus by clicking here.

And be sure to check out Hearts at Home, their conferences for moms, and all their online resources here.

Listening In

Mommy: Boys I need you to pick up the blocks so I can sweep your room.

Little Boy: But we are playing "Boz the Green Bear."

Mommy: Pick-up your blocks, I'll sweep, and then you can play "Boz the Green Bear."

Little Boy: But I am tired.

Mommy: Oh, then you are probably too tired to play "Boz the Green Bear."

Little Boy: No, I was talking about the blocks.

Gotta love the "logic" of a 3 year old!

Wordless Wednesday - We have a new reader in the family!