FHE backfire

We have been doing little mini-lessons for FHE on topics that we are noticing we (the girls) need some help with.  A few weeks ago we did a lesson on choices and how it nice to make good choices. Each time the girls made a good choice they got to put a cotton ball in a jar and when it gets full we do fun family activities together.  Well, this was such a hit that we thought we could a lesson on being a good listener!  HA, HA!

The lesson started out great...Ben told the story of Helaman's Stripling warriors and how they listened and obeyed their Mothers.  Then we tried playing Simon Says but they just didn't get it...so we switched to Do as I'm Doing and that was much more successful.  After that our activity was to make cookies...we wanted a good object lesson on following directions and listening.  Ben and I came up with a brilliant plan to set out all the ingredients needed and let the girls make the cookies.  They happily set to work...

Our plan was working perfectly as they put in lots of flour, tons of salt and way too much baking powder. They did not add any sugar but made sure to add the chocolate chips and butter!  So we thought...these cookies will taste horrible and then when the girls spit them out we can explain how good it is to follow instructions and listen.  Then we would help them by reading the recipe for the cookies and make some yummy ones.

Well...did it work, you ask?  After 8 min. of cooking they cookies looked much more like biscuits.  The girls could not wait one more second to eat their cookies so they eagerly took a huge bite.  Jade immediately got a big grin, chewed it up well, ate the rest of her cookie and asked for another one. Kiera chewed on hers for a bit and then secretly spit it out, but then kept asking for more.  Ben and I just looked at each other and laughed....maybe they weren't ruined enough. So I took a bite out of one of them and immediately spit it out, the salt taste was so strong it turned my mouth inside out.  I have no idea how Jade was just munching them down...she must have an affinity for salt!  Anywho, our plan backfired and our wonderfully crafted object lesson failed.  We decided to let it rest and after we let them enjoy one more cookie we threw the rest away.  

I have to say though that Jade has been quite a good listener this week.  I usually one have to give her one reminder and then she remembers to listen and make good choices.  It is funny though because she will ask me, "what did you say?" alot after I say something.  I think she is getting the idea.  

And now before she starts talking she will usually start with "I'm going to tell you a story..."  All I can figure is we have been talking about not whining or tattling and so she figures if she just tells us a story that it is not whining.  Too stinkin' cute and such a smartie!