Not-Quite-Successful Family Home Evening

On Sunday nights we have Family Home Evening.  It is the only night of the week where we are all together and awake.  During this time, we sing songs, learn a spiritual lesson, do an activity, and eat unhealthy treats.  It is basically awesome.

Tonight, FHE was held half an hour after a fairly disastrous dinner.  Peyton cried at the table then screamed, then ran away and hid in the bathroom because she could not bring herself to even try the scalloped potatoes.  She wanted cereal and ice cream, NOT potatoes.  I will save you from all of the details, just know that things did not end well.

We waited to start FHE until things were much more calm. Chris began the lesson.  The topic:  Choosing the Right.   Here are some excerpts:

Chris: Peyton, what does it mean to choose the right?

Peyton: Always eat your potatoes and not cry!  And your rolls!  Eat potatoes and rolls!

****

Chris: Why do we choose the right?

Peyton: To get ice cream!

Chris:  Well....sort of.  When you choose the right at dinner time you sometimes get ice cream.  Is that the only reason we choose the right, though?

Peyton: YES!  Ice cream makes me happy.

****

Chris: Peyton, can you think of a time when you chose the right?

Peyton: Yes.  On my birthday.  When I was 16.

****

Chris: Peyton, do you know how we can choose the right?

Peyton: Yes.

Chris: .............By listening to the Holy Ghost, right?

Peyton: Yes.  

Chris: So how can we choose the right?

Peyton: .....

Chris: By listening....to.....

Peyton: By listening to church!

Chris:  Close.  By listening to the Holy Ghost.  So how can we choose the right?

Peyton:  .....

Chris: By listening....

Peyton: By listening to church!

Chris: (Sigh) Yes.  Good job.

****

As you can tell, the lesson went  very well.  After our lesson was the activity, which was basically writing letters to Santa. Peyton's requests: For Santa to sit by her at church and tell us that she is good, sixteen dollars for her bank, and a big letter "T."   ...Yeah.

In closing, you might also be interested in knowing that Loralie is currently throwing a fit and Peyton is singing, "You better watch out!  You better not cry!  Santa will see and you get no toys if you not choose the right!"  Clearly she took it upon herself to change the lyrics.

Here's to hoping FHE turns out a little better next week.