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  1. 2010 (35)
    1. December (3)
      1. Our fun and fresh acceptance tree
      2. Introducing the KOI Christmas lesson!
      3. Food on trial: acceptance v. squash
    2. November (1)
      1. Acceptance blues
    3. October (3)
      1. Giving back to God
      2. Kids of Integrity is headed to Uganda!
      3. Generosity as a lifestyle
    4. September (7)
      1. Patience and the Lord of the Rings
      2. Juggling generosity
      3. Send us your photo submissions!
      4. Surviving September?
      5. Wrapping up Kindness
      6. Random Acts of Kindness Week
      7. Announcing our summer challenge prize winners!
    5. August (5)
      1. Beginning lessons on kindness
      2. What do you think?
      3. It's all about respect . . . and Garfield
      4. Gains in gentleness
      5. Getting kids excited about lesson time
    6. July (7)
      1. Irritation, giggles and tears
      2. The official "Bugg Family Respect Rules"
      3. The story behind the series
      4. Next lesson: Gentleness
      5. Operation Covert Gentleman
      6. Fizzled out?
      7. Gentlemen, not cavemen
    7. June (8)
      1. Fabulous flexibility
      2. Live and learn
      3. Teaching respect
      4. Lessons on self-control
      5. Raising our boys to be men
      6. Can a vagabond and an anchor raise godly kids?
      7. Our families are ready to go!
      8. Are you on Facebook?
    8. May (1)
      1. Welcome to the Kids of Integrity blog!
  2. 2011 (31)
    1. December (3)
      1. Decorating our home with godly character
      2. Christmas character mittens
      3. Celebrating Christ-like character at Christmas
    2. November (3)
      1. Snarled spaghetti, special gifts and letting go
      2. Walk the talk
      3. The "A-OK as is" lesson
    3. October (3)
      1. To Halloween or not to Halloween?
      2. Perseverance wrap-up, and what's next
      3. Plan B
    4. September (2)
      1. Small steps from another busy mom
      2. A priority check for Mom
    5. August (5)
      1. Practice, practice, practice
      2. Pesky perseverance problems
      3. Perseverance pops up everywhere
      4. Congratulations to our prize winners!
      5. Perfectly timed perseverance
    6. July (1)
      1. Forging ahead
    7. June (3)
      1. Coming up: our weekly draw!
      2. Did you hear?
      3. Sweet forgiveness
    8. May (2)
      1. Laundry lessons
      2. How do you teach your kids forgiveness?
    9. April (2)
      1. Crosses of forgiveness
      2. Spring distractions
    10. March (2)
      1. Mouldy attitudes and grace from a seven year old
      2. Rainbow girls and stuffie-loving boys
    11. February (2)
      1. Respect is growing, mould is not
      2. Faith-building ideas for infants and toddlers
    12. January (3)
      1. Our rainbow of respect
      2. Reviewing character throughout Christmas
      3. An update on KOI in Uganda
  3. 2012 (10)
    1. May (1)
      1. The Shepherd's voice
    2. April (2)
      1. Life, interrupted
      2. The Patience Jar - and glitter, of course
    3. March (3)
      1. The fox and the hound - all ears!
      2. Jesus, to a three year old
      3. Tuning in to attentiveness
    4. February (2)
      1. Peace and Contentment 101
      2. Rich kid, poor kid
    5. January (2)
      1. Credit cards, contentment and burned down houses
      2. The Contentedness Challenge

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Blog Home  ›  Krista
Generosity as a lifestyle
Posted by Krista on Oct 11, 2010

 We’ve been working through some of the Practical Suggestions this week as we’ve cleaned out the kids’ closets in preparation for cooler weather. In accordance with “Caring for Others” and “What do we have extra?”... [READ MORE]
Can a vagabond and an anchor raise godly kids?
Posted by Krista on Jun 15, 2010

This blogging adventure may be best started with a confession . . . I am not very up on modern technology. In truth, I had to research exactly what a blog is and came away relieved to find that it can be like an... [READ MORE]
Lessons on self-control
Posted by Krista on Jun 18, 2010

It’s ironic how I seem to be attracted to lessons that perhaps I need as much as the kids do. Just last week, I raised my voice in frustration when Ben calmly looked at me and said, “Mommy, you need to be using self-... [READ MORE]
Live and learn
Posted by Krista on Jun 25, 2010

We learned an important lesson this week . . . it might be better to build a self-control poster featuring positive behaviours rather than negative. Why? The kids love moving their arrows, and they’ll find any reason to... [READ MORE]
Fabulous flexibility
Posted by Krista on Jun 30, 2010

I so appreciate the fact that Kids of Integrity doesn’t have any kind of specific timeline stamped on its lessons. We’ve tried devotionals meant to be done each day. I always felt guilty if we missed a day . . . then we... [READ MORE]
Fizzled out?
Posted by Krista on Jul 9, 2010

Well, we didn’t exactly end our Self-Control lesson with a bang. I wanted to use the object lesson of the shaken-up pop as our final illustration, but for some strange reason, the soda didn’t spray out like it was... [READ MORE]
Next lesson: Gentleness
Posted by Krista on Jul 20, 2010

When we first had a look at the whole list of 16 Kids of Integrity lessons, we mentally placed Gentleness near the bottom of our priority list. After all, our kids are pretty sweet, right? Then Benjamin became the... [READ MORE]
Irritation, giggles and tears
Posted by Krista on Jul 27, 2010

Last night before bedtime, Rob asked the kids if they would like a “treat.” In our house, that usually means something special, sweet and not necessarily healthy. He meant to say “snack” and was planning to offer fruit... [READ MORE]
Gains in gentleness
Posted by Krista on Aug 10, 2010

Inspired by one of the practical suggestions on the Gentleness lesson, we went to the humane society (instead of a petting zoo). Our city has a beautiful facility where you can go into various rooms and play with cats... [READ MORE]
What do you think?
Posted by Krista on Aug 24, 2010

Now that we’ve gained a little experience using the Kids of Integrity materials, a few thoughts have been floating around in my head. I would love to hear if anyone else out there has been thinking the same things.Kids... [READ MORE]
Beginning lessons on kindness
Posted by Krista on Aug 27, 2010

Well, we finally finished our 100-square Gentleness Quilt and, as promised, went bowling and had ice cream sundaes to mark the event. Kids of Integrity is helping us realize we must learn to rejoice over any and all... [READ MORE]
Random Acts of Kindness Week
Posted by Krista on Sep 6, 2010

Even though our week seemed kind of disjointed, and it didn’t feel like we took complete advantage of what we could have done for “Random Acts of Kindness,” we know this can (and should) be an ongoing effort long after... [READ MORE]
Wrapping up Kindness
Posted by Krista on Sep 10, 2010

I don’t know about you, but we often find that our kids simply do not respond appropriately to compliments. Though we’ve coached and coached, they usually look like they’re ignoring the admiring remark or they turn... [READ MORE]
Juggling generosity
Posted by Krista on Sep 24, 2010

Now that we’re more than halfway through September, you’d think life would be settling into more of a routine. Unfortunately, our household still feels somewhat out of sorts. Ben and Jess seem to be getting a little... [READ MORE]
Surviving September?
Posted by Krista on Sep 17, 2010

I am overwhelmed, exhausted and already so far behind on everything. Oh, the joys of the start of school! We were warned by other parents that when Benjamin entered the full days of Grade One and Jessica started half-... [READ MORE]
Giving back to God
Posted by Krista on Oct 24, 2010

 It had never occurred to Rob and me that the term “giving back to God” didn’t make any sense to our kids. We had started using the phrase around them but hadn’t given any thought as to how it sounded to four- and... [READ MORE]
Acceptance blues
Posted by Krista on Nov 12, 2010

For two weeks now, we’ve been trying to start the Acceptance lesson, but “stuff” just kept cropping up unexpectedly. Usually it’s just me being unprepared that stalls us, but this time I was ready ages ago. We... [READ MORE]
Food on trial: acceptance v. squash
Posted by Krista on Dec 1, 2010

 Question: What do squash, green pancake batter, and Asian and Polish food have in common?  Answer: An initial “Yuck!” response from my kids.It was a week of culinary testing in our household. We dove into the... [READ MORE]
Our fun and fresh acceptance tree
Posted by Krista on Dec 16, 2010

 Two posts ago ("Acceptance blues"), I lamented the static nature of the family tree suggestion for the Kids' Corner activity. At the time, I expected to breeze through this lesson because there wasn’t a project my... [READ MORE]
Reviewing character throughout Christmas
Posted by Krista on Jan 21, 2011

This post should have been written three weeks ago (you know an excuse is coming, don’t you?). Well, our family’s “birthday season” begins right after the Christmas season – two are in the first week of January. We go... [READ MORE]
Our rainbow of respect
Posted by Krista on Jan 31, 2011

 We started on the Respect lesson with a bang last week! One of the object lessons involves becoming “Respect Detectives.” The original suggestion has the kids looking for disrespectful actions. We added a positive... [READ MORE]
Respect is growing, mould is not
Posted by Krista on Feb 23, 2011

 Squeals of delight rang through the house. “This is like a treasure hunt!” crowed Jessica. “I can’t find any!” cried Benjamin. Both kids raced from room to room, searching behind doors and under furniture. No, we... [READ MORE]
Rainbow girls and stuffie-loving boys
Posted by Krista on Mar 14, 2011

There she stood in the doorway of her bedroom, in all her four-year-old glory. Her tights had wide, horizontal, rainbow-coloured stripes. Her skirt (pushed down below her kindergarten belly . . . the way she likes to... [READ MORE]
Mouldy attitudes and grace from a seven year old
Posted by Krista on Mar 25, 2011

Don’t ask me how we managed to do it, but we were UNABLE to grow any mould on our bread! Seriously, are there any scientist-type people out there who can explain that? We kept it warm. We made sure it was moist. Then we... [READ MORE]
Laundry lessons
Posted by Krista on May 19, 2011

The other day, Jessica came home all excited about a painting they had been doing at kindergarten. I wasn’t exactly happy as I caught sight of the wide brown paint stripes now adorning her brand new shirt! But then I... [READ MORE]
Spring distractions
Posted by Krista on Apr 13, 2011

Spring weather typically puts a bounce in my step and seems to make life purr. Everything is lighter . . . easier. Goodbye, bulky winter wear, hello windbreakers and rubber boots! Mr. Sun’s newfound warmth is banishing... [READ MORE]
Crosses of forgiveness
Posted by Krista on Apr 25, 2011

I had a tough choice to make the other day. I could clean the interior of my car (hadn’t had a vacuum and wipe-down all winter) or I could read over the Kids of Integrity Forgiveness lesson so we could start it after... [READ MORE]
How do you teach your kids forgiveness?
Posted by Krista on May 5, 2011

There’s a rule in our house that if anyone being tickled says, “Stop,” the tickler must quit immediately. (Grandpa has had to be completely re-trained in this matter!) We have labelled it an essential form of respect,... [READ MORE]
Practice, practice, practice
Posted by Krista on Aug 31, 2011

Ever since Jessica was a baby, I’ve taken kickboxing classes. I’ve long wanted the kids to see my instructor and friends in action, so I jumped at the opportunity to work through “Persevering in Practice.” One evening,... [READ MORE]
Sweet forgiveness
Posted by Krista on Jun 7, 2011

Until my early 30s, “forgive” was not a common term in my vocabulary. I was quite capable of staying mad at people, situations . . . anything that ticked me off. I often felt the need to be justified, vindicated. Then I... [READ MORE]
Forging ahead
Posted by Krista on Jul 6, 2011

Sorry for the long absence. It’s been a whale of a month. The past 27 days have held more illness for our family than we’ve collectively seen in years. A nasty respiratory virus hit us all, spinning off a host of... [READ MORE]
Perfectly timed perseverance
Posted by Krista on Aug 2, 2011

I was looking through the latest new lessons for KOI, relishing the thought of digging into something totally fresh, when a friend said, “Why don’t you let your kids pick the next topic? Mine always love doing that.”... [READ MORE]
Perseverance pops up everywhere
Posted by Krista on Aug 11, 2011

It never ceases to amaze us how the Kids of Integrity lessons inject critical vocabulary into the lives of our kids. We just got back from summer holidays and our week was totally peppered with the word “perseverance... [READ MORE]
Pesky perseverance problems
Posted by Krista on Aug 19, 2011

During our week of holidays, we were extremely blessed to have been offered the use of a friend’s condo. She happened to be away on vacation; hence, we had the entire place to ourselves. A lovely three-bedroom unit with... [READ MORE]
A priority check for Mom
Posted by Krista on Sep 13, 2011

As we come to the end of our lesson on Perseverance, I find myself reflecting on my own struggle to persevere with personal daily prayer time. Questions and thoughts buzz in my head like pesky horseflies . . . Why is... [READ MORE]
Plan B
Posted by Krista on Oct 3, 2011

Okay, confession time. The fridge chart that I’d hoped would keep me on track with personal devotional times was an utter flop. For the first week, I had some success. After that, the rows of unchecked boxes stared back... [READ MORE]
Perseverance wrap-up, and what's next
Posted by Krista on Oct 18, 2011

It was high time we finished off our Perseverance lesson, so I purchased a 750-piece puzzle at a garage sale. The image of puppies in paint cans was attractive to our mini problem solvers, though it had way more pieces... [READ MORE]
The "A-OK as is" lesson
Posted by Krista on Nov 4, 2011

A few months ago, I was selling an item online and the woman who came to pick it up had a great personalized license plate on her car: AOKASIS (A-OK as is). The kids were curious and asked me what it meant. I explained... [READ MORE]
Walk the talk
Posted by Krista on Nov 18, 2011

The same night I wrote our first Contentedness post, I went to bed with a nagging thought in the back of my head: “Hypocrite.” The words I wrote in my last blog post may have made me sound like a cheery, perfectly-... [READ MORE]
Snarled spaghetti, special gifts and letting go
Posted by Krista on Nov 29, 2011

Ben and Jess couldn’t quite figure out what was going on at dinner the other day when Rob and I put a glop of spaghetti on each of their plates but removed their forks and put the sauce out of reach. We told them they... [READ MORE]
Christmas character mittens
Posted by Krista on Dec 15, 2011

While we’re having a blast doing the Contentedness lesson (especially at this time of year), we also didn’t want to miss out on the new Christmas lesson that was just posted. So we’re taking a wee break to do the... [READ MORE]
Decorating our home with godly character
Posted by Krista on Dec 22, 2011

Well, the kids had a hoot sewing their mittens and deciding which character trait fit with which fleece. They’re quite proud of their handiwork, and rightfully so. If you’re also working on the Christmas lesson, let... [READ MORE]
The Contentedness Challenge
Posted by Krista on Jan 16, 2012

CAUTION: It is advisable to sit down in cushioned surroundings while playing this game. There is a strong possibility you may fall over when you hear some of your children’s questions and answers. When we chose this... [READ MORE]
Credit cards, contentment and burned down houses
Posted by Krista on Jan 25, 2012

Recently, Rob and the kids came down with some kind of nasty cough and fever bug. So on Saturday, we decided to do “church at home” the following morning. I was wiped from being up with crazy coughers all week, so I... [READ MORE]
Rich kid, poor kid
Posted by Krista on Feb 1, 2012

Rob and I had a feeling our results for the “Rich Man – Poor Man” exercise might be atypical for two reasons: our kids don’t get a lot of screen time (no TV at all, occasional videos and computer time), and do get a lot... [READ MORE]
Peace and Contentment 101
Posted by Krista on Feb 24, 2012

Well, we’ve wrapped up our Contentedness series. It was the perfect lesson to straddle the holiday season and use in tandem with the Christmas lesson. I do believe our family experienced fewer “gimme-gimmes” and more “... [READ MORE]
Tuning in to attentiveness
Posted by Krista on Mar 9, 2012

The Attentiveness lesson never really caught my eye before, but recently we’ve been having those kinds of issues with our boy. I don’t know what’s up with Ben, but his brain is SO far away most days! Honestly, he would... [READ MORE]
The fox and the hound - all ears!
Posted by Krista on Mar 26, 2012

The Kids’ Corner activity in the Attentiveness lesson was a huge hit with our two creature lovers. Making animal ear hats proved quick, easy and more popular than I thought. At first I wondered if Ben, who is now eight... [READ MORE]
Life, interrupted
Posted by Krista on Apr 25, 2012

It was a sunny Wednesday afternoon. I had picked up Benjamin and Jessica from school, prepared a snack and was about to get them started on homework. Without warning I felt a stab in the left side of my back. I figured... [READ MORE]
The Shepherd's voice
Posted by Krista on May 10, 2012

In the past two months, we’ve had problems with Benjamin sometimes being quite mean to his younger sister. We’ve witnessed cutting comments, little physical assertions and callous selfishness. When confronted, Ben turns... [READ MORE]