Toddlers vs. Teens

I am the caboose in my family. Most of my siblings are dealing with teenagers and that drama, not potty training and jr jazz basketball. They constantly tell me to enjoy my girls now, because in a few years, it's going to be a lot harder.
This past week my sister in Florida has been posting on her blog about how wonderful it is to have teenagers. I'm pretty sure that if she were given the choice to be 17 again, she'd totally take it, so I believe her that being a teenager is wonderful - to her.
Tonight I was talking with my brother in North Carolina and I was telling him about my awesome FHE for tonight. He said, "That's why it's great to have teenagers - all we have to do is read an article from the Ensign." And I got sad. That's it? No fun games, no pictures to color? That's it?

Tonight Lindsay was in charge of the lesson. (Which means I am in charge of the lesson). She chose to teach us about Moses. (Which means I chose to teach about Moses). I searched and searched for the perfect lesson. I finally realized that heck - I didn't know that much about Moses. So I googled him. I found this awesome idea from Rabbi Shraga Simmons (I can't find the link now).

Here's how FHE went down tonight.
We started with Lindsay wrapping a baby in a blanket and putting him in a basket and she told us why Moses' mom had to do this and who found him. Then we talked about when he found out he was really a Hebrew and when the Lord told him that he had to go free his people. Then we talked about the 10 plagues.
1) Lindsay poured water into a glass pitcher that had red food coloring in the bottom (turning the water to blood)
2) Then she hopped into the room like a frog
3) Next she came in again and threw bugs at everyone (she and I used the Cricut earlier in the day and made them)
4) She pretended to be a wild animal and ran around the room
5) Then she (the wild animal) died.
6) We all got "itchy" and scratched. (Boils)
7) For the hailstorm, she ran into the room and threw marshmallows on the floor. (which everyone ran and ate...not sure that was a bad plague)
8) We kind of skipped over the locusts - we were all hopped out from being frogs and still eating marshmallows.
9) Lindsay turned off all the lights for the darkness
10) and well, Jeramy is the first born son, so we had to kill him off.
Then I led the Hebrew people into the kitchen where I told them about the parting of the red sea. Lindsay and I had gone to the Dollar Store and bought a blue table cloth and hung it over the door. We had to part it and go through to be safe.
Then we colored pictures and watched "The Prince of Egypt."

I love family night. I will be sad when the day comes when my kids roll their eyes and say, "Mom, I am not hopping around like a frog, can't we just read from the Ensign?" I love how excited Lindsay has been all week about her lesson. I love helping her get it ready.

So sorry parents of teenagers...tonight, toddlers win.