game night

Tonight we had a fun night of eating pizza and playing a game. Maddie is not the most patient, persevering type but I thought a game might be a good family activity. So we pulled out an old favorite, Chutes and Ladders. After Maddie decided which character she wanted to be, I explained the game (even though we played a few times in the past) and she started spinning. After about 15 minutes, we had to remind her about finishing something you start and kept encouraging her to continue. She was in the lead for most of the game, went down a long chute at the end and by then Troy told her he would spin for her. By that time, Ellie was off reading books, Maddie was getting her "babies" ready for bed and Troy and I were finishing the preschool strategy game...so much for the perseverance lesson! We ended the evening by reading the books we had checked out from the library and now the girls are sleeping. I was thinking today about the earliest memory I have and it's right around 3 1/2 or 4. I realized that the things we do and attitudes we portray to our children start to influence them at such a young age, even at Maddie's tender age of three! I thought of Duet. 6:6-9 and it reminded me to ask myself what kind of memories, teaching and legacy am I leaving my children?

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.