Always Do Your Best

Dan and I tell the kids this ALL THE TIME. When they're unhappy with something they've created (drawing, painting, Play-Doh sculpture, etc), we ask, "Did you try your best?" When they reply, "Yes." we continue with, "Then you should be very happy with what you've created because you can't do any better than your best." When/if they complain they can't do something, we remind them to just try their best, because sometimes it takes some practice to get something just right. I think Em's got the idea down.

We took the kids to the Science Center over the weekend, and we watched a science demonstration about liquid nitrogen. Emily got called up on stage to blow up a balloon for part of the experiement presentation.


She tried her very best to blow up that balloon. She really did.


It was at the point that her face was purple and the balloon was blown up to about four inches in diameter that she needed a breath. She forgot to pinch off the end of the balloon to keep the air from blowing back out... She was ready to try again, but for the purposes of the show, they needed to keep things moving at a steady pace, so the "teacher" got a new balloon and blew it up herself.