He looks ahead to watching Lawrence Welk on PBS each Saturday night, proclaims that Frank Sinatra is by far the best singer and thinks elevator music is the best jazz around. With this sweet sentimental, old soul kind of ways Canaan also can run to be a bit uptight. He is an absolute rule follower, morally conscious kid. We have nalways worried about him lying to us or being sneaky because if he ever would do such things he would say on himself before we always had a chance to query him. Sometimes I give to almost pinch myself at how big he is (all my boys are. Over the days we have worked hard to work a life of thankfulness in him. Children, from what I have found, are generally pretty selfish, whiny and ungrateful_its just the nature of the beast. It takes turn to work in them a genuine appreciative and grateful heart, which is a study in advance~ as with all of us. He ever takes time to thank me for making dinner (even if it isn`t his favorite meal). He will often get up and leave me a hug or a kiss and say "thank you for being such a great mommy." I am so blessed.In recent months we have interpreted small steps to teach Canaan some life lessons in a new country he has begun struggling with. That sphere of self consciousness. He is a people pleaser and is devastated when he displeases anyone. He is likewise very dread of looking dumb, doing something embarrassing or saying something wrong. He takes life very seriously, which for goof balls like Mike and I is a strange concept. It is critical to produce and sustain our children as individuals. Ezra, our middle son, has no problem bustin` a run on the dance floor or wear the funkiest outfit he can find. Ezra`s guidance these years are more in the country of choosing his attitude (he can run to be a bit mopey). All of this teaching is, of course, given in modest amounts with large doses of encouragement and praise for the areas they are excelling in and the big choices they do make. So how does Britney tie into all of this, you may ask? Well in an effort to relax our sweet son up a bit we began a nightly dance party. The 1st night was disastrous. He was on the threshold of weeping as we encouraged him to have caution to the thread and dance. He kept saying things like "I`m going to look dull" and "I can`t do this". It was disheartening as a raise to see him fight with something as bare as dancing around the room with his family. After 3 songs we called it a night with the declaration that there would so be dance night the following night. The next night, after dinner, I casually walked over to the CD player and put the old faithful Britney Spears CD in. I cranked it up and began doing some funky_I mean really cool dance moves. To my surprise Canaan quickly joined me. It was evident he was still worried about the mind of dancing freely, but he united in with a big smile. By the end he excitedly asked if we`d be having a dance party again the following night. Success! It is such a random and albeit silly way of drawing him out of his serious, self conscious shellbut you live what? Its working. Since we started our family dance parties we can assure there is a big shift in his outlook on the day. He laughs more (he exploited to say he liked things more severe than silly), he tells more corny jokes, he is just overall much more relaxed and easy in his own skin. Don`t worry, we make no plans of winning the `old soul` out of Canaan_just mixing a bit of his 80 year old ways with the heart of youth.And that`s what Britney Spears taught my kid.**Mike is oh-so interested that people all about the earth will mean we are endorsing Britney Spears. We wants me to give it make that he likes Snow Patrol, Wilco, Coldplay and Van Morrison. Britney is just around for my jogs on the treadmill. Just wanted to clear that up for my dear husbands music reputation.
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