FHE: The Parable of the Popcorn

The kids had school off today and dad didn't have to work, so we decided to mix things up and have Family Home Afternoon :)

I told this story (I adapted it from another version that uses language meant to sound scriptural, but I thought it would be confusing for the kids...):
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In the fall, farmers gathered their special ears of corn that are dried and used to make popcorn.  Then you and me bought the popcorn and took it home to make a delicious snack.

All the kernels of corn looked the same on the outside.

We put the corn in the hot popper.

Some of the popcorn exploded and made themselves much bigger and fluffier and white- which looks and tastes yummy. (show this kind of kernel)

Some of the kernels popped a little, but still had a hard part that we had to spit out so that it doesn't hurt our teeth.  (show this kind of kernel)

Finally, there were even some kernels that did not pop at all.  (show this kind)  Even though all the kernels were surrounded by the same amount of heat, these ones just sat in the warmth and kept everything they had for themselves.

The popcorn that puffed big and fluffy helped bring joy and delight for others, but those that did not were thrown in the garbage and not fit to eat.

"and thus we see that in the beginning all appear alike, but when the heat is on, some come forth and give their all, while others fail to pop and verily become like unto chaff, to be discarded and forgotten."
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I think this parable could be related to a couple of different ideas:
-magnifying your callings or doing chores/helping out in the family
-how we handle our trials (the 3 kinds of kernels can be 1)someone who endures to the end is positive and is made better from the heat, 2) someone who deals with the trial, but complains the whole time they are dealing with it and 3) someone who gives up and is not edified but trapped.

Because my kids are still so small, I talked about contributing to the family and doing your chores so that we can all enjoy having an orderly, clean house.

Then we ate popcorn and watched a movie (which we wouldn't have had time for if it were after dinner....)

Update: my son woke up the next morning telling me that he made his bed without any wrinkles so he is like the puffy popcorn :)

FHE: Love One Another

We revisited our Valentine's activity last year because it was a success (and was again).  We talked about how we can show our love to each other in the family.  (being kind, following mommy and daddy's directions the first time, service, spending time together, gifts, sharing) and then we all wrote down things we love about each family member on a heart (parents helped the younger kids do this).  Our hearts are now on the wall as a Valentine's decoration and a reminder that we love each other :)

This year my 5-year-old wrote them all himself.  So cute!

FHE: Howard W. Hunter

We are so close to going over all the modern day prophets!!  We sang the "Latter-day Prophets" song, while flipping through all the photos of the prophets we have saved from the Friend magazines all last year up until now.  We, as usual, just used the inside back cover of the February Friend magazine and read what was there about Howard W. Hunter.  I should probably try harder...

FHE: Family Tree

I have a lot of siblings, living all over, and they all have kids, and my husband's family lives across the country.  I thought it would be good to review who are relatives are :)

I first talked about the term "family tree" and I had actually drawn a picture of a tree on a piece of paper.  I had printed out a picture of each relative (and used a circle punch to cut out only their heads, so they would all fit on our "tree" easier) and put them on the table upside-down.  We took turns choosing a head and saying who it was, and I made sure they understood how they were related to us, (ex. this is daddy's sister Kama's husband, Uncle Todd).  They thought it was fun and there were a few people they didn't know.  It was interesting to me to note who they did and didn't know and that also tells me who we need to spend more time with! :)

I probably should have made a sibling tree, because we had to just put siblings and families off to each side of the tree trunk (one side was for my relatives, and the other for my husbands') so probably I would do that next time, so we can also put the siblings in age order.  But this was fine for now.  I'm thinking about turning these pictures into a "go fish" game or a memory matching game of some kind where people are a match when they are in the same family.  That almost works, except a couple families have an odd number of people.  maybe go fish would be better?

FHE: We Can Do Anything with the Lord

This lesson turned out quite fun, but the kids were quite rowdy by the end and I'm still wondering if anything sunk in at all...

I started out with some lunch sacks with a "mysterious item" in each one.  I asked the kids if they were afraid to stick their hand in without looking.  They said no, and I suggested that there could be a poisonous spider or snake, or maybe a knife inside... something dangerous.  They still said they weren't scared, so I asked my 5-year-old son to stick his hand inside without looking and he got really nervous and wouldn't do it.  So my 3-year-old daughter did it instead.  (it was a pincushion)  Seeing that it was nothing poisonous, he braved up and I let all three kids take turns pulling something out of each bag, guessing what was inside before pulling it out.

Then I read the story of David and Goliath while the kids colored this picture.  After reading it once, we acted it out a couple of times, first my 3-year old being David, my husband being the giant, and the rest of us being "brothers".  "David" got 5 pieces of crumpled paper to throw at the "Giant".  Then, of course, my 5-year old had to have a turn being David, and my 3-year old wanted to be the giant. :)

After all that, I asked my kids what we can learn from this story...  Do we have to fight giants?  (5-year old: Giants aren't even real, mom!)  But do we have to do hard things? (yes)  Can Heavenly Father help us to hard things? (yes) How?  and how do we ask him to help us?  (The Holy Ghost can help us.  We can pray to ask for help)

Then, I put the pincushion inside a clear plastic bag and asked them if they would be afraid to stick their hand in now.  (of course they said, no) and I asked why not?  (because they could see what was inside!)  I then **tried** to make an analogy, but everyone was being quite rowdy and excited about throwing pieces of paper at each other...  I told them that having a clear bag was like having the Lord's help - we don't need to be afraid if we do what the Lord wants, we know we will be blessed for keeping the commandments.

FHE: Remembering our Ancestors

Since today is my late Grandmother's birthday (Gi-gi, as my kids know her) I thought it would be appropriate to remember her.  I showed pictures of her with each of them on my computer, and told them some things I love about her.  We had cupcakes and then I taught my 5-year old and 3-year old how to play "Go Fish", the first (of many) card games my Grandma taught me over the years.  It was really fun!

FHE: Ezra Taft Benson

We just sand the "Latter-Day Prophet" song, while my 5-year-old son flipped through all the "Portrait of a Prophet" pages we have been saving from The Friend Magazine from the past year.  This month was, Ezra Taft Benson, and we read through that one and I talked about how he was the prophet when I was in Primary, and the first modern day prophet I really remember.

Not a particularly memorable FHE... Probably I should have done more research ahead of time.  I'd like to go through all the modern-day prophets again when they're older, and assign the kids to read about them and share their favorite things about each one.