If you can't beat 'em join 'em!

Recent polls showed my numbers have been slipping. I was risking being voted out of the tribe if I didn't revamp our Family Home Evenings,so alas I have sunk to a new low. Yes, you may have guessed by the photo, we played "Spit Wad Scriptures" last night. I am not sure what came over me. We had invited another family with plenty of boys over to join us. I recalled the last few FHE's we have endured with our children and figured it can't be worse. It actually turned out really fun. Everyone had a good time, except the dogs that is. They quickly became moving targets. I highly recommend this activity for your family, seminary classes, or even to increase the attention span in most Elder's Quorums. It reminded me of a tradition in the Washoe Valley ward we used to live in. There was an older gentleman named Bud. He looked like and played Santa every year at the Christmas party. Each week in Sacrament meeting he would have pockets of candy for the kids who were being reverent. After the meeting each week, the kids would line up, and Bud would pass out treats. One Sunday was unusually rowdy in the meeting. Frustrated with Parents whom he felt were not taking care of the situation, Bud took matters in to his own hands. Literally. He reached in to his pocket and grabbed a hard butterscotch candy. He aimed, and sure enough, he beamed the little culprit in the back of the head. A new tradition was born. Whenever the boys in the ward got out of hand, Bud would just huck something hard at them. This may not have helped the missionary effort of the ward, but all the High Priests started to stay awake just to see who would be the next victim. Perhaps that's the real answer to my Family Home Evening woes.