10 Things I've Learned from My Children

1. When you go at a task with enthusiasm, it makes it a lot better. My kids get so excited when I "let" them dust (they pretend they have their own secret agent cleaning company) or I allow them to help me cook or bake. They are so excited for some of the tasks that I would rather not do. I need that excitement.

2. If you like the music that's playing, then dance. Dance with your whole body, and don't worry about what you look like.

3. The most fun games are the ones you make up when you aren't even trying.

4. Going through the car wash is like an amusement park ride if you make excited noises while you're going through it.

5. Always give great big hugs to the people you love when they leave the house and to greet them when they come home. Even if they have only just run to the grocery store -- let them know how happy you are to see them again.

6. Being able to receive Communion every week makes us pretty lucky people.

7. Winning isn't everything. Sometimes, it's more fun to let someone else feel like a winner. (This, of course, doesn't always happen in our house. But, every so often, someone will obviously throw their win, just to let another sibling feel good. And, you can always tell that it meant even more to the one who didn't win than to the one that did.)

8. It's okay to get mad sometimes. But if you're going to blow up about something, it's better to yell it out by yourself behind closed doors. (Yeah, so we have to tell Jack to go into his room to do it, but we've learned from him that it works.)

9. It's okay to sit around and just play all day.

10. Big vacations are fun, but sometimes, it's just fun to go stay in a hotel just because it's a hotel.