So we got a little silly today! I was running my fingers through some blond curly hair and started laughing. That hair was so long. So I looked at my son and told him we should put his hair in pony tails. He protested a bit, but he is always one for a laugh. I managed to get him to do the whole top of his head. Then my dare devil walked in. He thought it was really weird, and I told him he should do it too. Daddy pipped up and said, "Guys, it's going to really hurt your head after they have been in for a bit." But I managed to convince them anyway. One by one I got ALL of my boys to put pony tails in their hair. All of them thought it was a bad idea at first, but after constant prodding from me, but constant warnings from Dad, they all eventually succumbed to mother's devious desires.
Then I realized I could make an awesome lesson out of it. They were told to go clean the front room, and a few of them already wanted the rubber bands out of their hair. I told them it was part of the lesson and they would get in big trouble if they took them out. I got LOTS of protests. Once the front room had been vacuumed we gave the first obvious lesson. I told the boys I was going to take their picture and ALL of them yelled NO! in unison. We talked about making sure you get peoples permission before they take pictures and that every stupid thing that you have done, that you post on the internet, will never go away. Non of them wanted their heads to be seen like an island of palm trees. We let that little lesson sink in...and they started asking again, "can you take these things out?!"
The the real lesson began. I told them that I couldn't do it, only their Father could. Then I explained that for the purpose of this lesson, I was the Devil, and Dad was the Savior. Each rubber band in their hair represented a sin. Some of them had tried to pull the out, but they are the little rubber bands and it hurt. Then I showed them a pair of scissors and explained that Dad could get them free of sin with the atonement. But they had to ask him personally. He wouldn't do it unless they came to him.
We talked about who they had listened to. And I reminded them that daddy had said a few times, "that is going to hurt your head" and non of them listened so he stopped saying anything. A lot of them didn't want to do it. I wasn't holding any of them down. Sometimes it hurt, getting the rubber bands put in, but as long as I told them it would be funny, and they could laugh together, and I really thought they should do it, they listened.
We talked about how cunning the Devil is, that he promises lots of things, but that we need to listen to the Savior as he cautions us on what is right and what is wrong. One by one, each of the boys went to dad. He was sitting in his chair in the front room. The boys knelt in front of him and each said, "Dad, will you please take away my rubber bands?" Sometimes it hurt when they snapped and pulled hair. But each boy was relieved once their hair was finally free.
Both Daddy and I bore our testimonies about the dangers of giving into temptation, and the love the savior has as he is willing to help us remove our sins. We talked about how their head still hurt even after their hair was back to normal. No one else knew about the palm trees, but the boys could still fill their sting. We noted that repentance can be a lot like that. We still remember the sin, but it helps us to grow and not make the same mistakes.
Then we talked about listing to their earthly Father. Mike bore his testimony to each of them of how much he loved them and that he would never intentional lead them to do something wrong. And if they came to them he would do his best to help.
All in all it was a really good family home evening. I think it sunk in pretty deep with the oldest four boys. The babies were all over the place, but the oldest four listened the entire time. Afterwards we did our talents and played "Good Kitty Kitty" (daddy hates that game), and sent the kids to bed. Over all, I'm pretty proud of how well our FHE turned out.
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