The sweet mockingbird mama, Magdalena, is calling and searching for her lost ones this morning. She fearlessly fought off and saw the attack, and yet she boldly and desperately searches for them still today.
Makes me hate cats.
Makes me hate sin even more.
One more curse from Adam's fateful choice.
Romans 15
16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ,if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it,in hope
21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves,waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons,the redemption of our body.
24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.
1 Corinthians 15
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead,the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.
25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
27 For "God has put all things in subjection under his feet."
54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."
55 "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?"
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
My baby birds
April 3 -
Facebook status: Just found a birds nest, Mockingbird, I think, in the jasmine vine by my front door - four blue eggs! :^)
Facebook status: Named Mama bird "Magdalena" in honor of Easter and Mary Magdalene. Her offspring, when they hatch will be named Lily, Cadbury, Susan (this is from Rose because she just found out yesterday that Susan means lily), and Peep. Bonus - We get to sing "Magdalena Cagdelena".
I went out and bought a hanging bird bath and suet feeder for the front porch.
April 16 -
Brian first sees the new little baby birds. Only two. We thought there were three eggs after a few more counts. Not sure what happened.
April 26 -
I can finally see them now. They are growing so much and have lots of feathers.
April 27 -
They make such a racket! I got to see Magdelena feeding them.
Facebook status: I sometimes think that my kids are running me ragged, asking for different things at once. But sitting here, listening to the baby birds in the nest outside my front door chirping their loud demands to their poor overworked mother, I'm thinking I have it easy. At least they're only babies for a few weeks. Hang in there, Magdalena!
April 28 -
Facebook status: I heard a racket outside my door and a wicked cat had one of my poor little birds in his mouth. If I see another cat on my property, I'm going to kill it.
My heart is broken.
I woke Brian to check the nest and see if there was anything we could do.
Both my babies are gone.
KEEP YOUR CATS INDOORS!!
Facebook status: Just found a birds nest, Mockingbird, I think, in the jasmine vine by my front door - four blue eggs! :^)
Facebook status: Named Mama bird "Magdalena" in honor of Easter and Mary Magdalene. Her offspring, when they hatch will be named Lily, Cadbury, Susan (this is from Rose because she just found out yesterday that Susan means lily), and Peep. Bonus - We get to sing "Magdalena Cagdelena".
I went out and bought a hanging bird bath and suet feeder for the front porch.
April 16 -
Brian first sees the new little baby birds. Only two. We thought there were three eggs after a few more counts. Not sure what happened.
April 26 -
I can finally see them now. They are growing so much and have lots of feathers.
April 27 -
They make such a racket! I got to see Magdelena feeding them.
Facebook status: I sometimes think that my kids are running me ragged, asking for different things at once. But sitting here, listening to the baby birds in the nest outside my front door chirping their loud demands to their poor overworked mother, I'm thinking I have it easy. At least they're only babies for a few weeks. Hang in there, Magdalena!
April 28 -
Facebook status: I heard a racket outside my door and a wicked cat had one of my poor little birds in his mouth. If I see another cat on my property, I'm going to kill it.
My heart is broken.
I woke Brian to check the nest and see if there was anything we could do.
Both my babies are gone.
KEEP YOUR CATS INDOORS!!
Credit where credit is due
Like my new header? I won it in a contest from Sashwhy's Studio a looong time ago. Like nearly two years ago. But thanks to my having an ftp blog, I couldn't use the updated and customizable blogger templates that she created it for. So it's been sitting on my computer unused - until now.
So go check out Sashwhy's designs. I'm thinking I might need more than a header...
So go check out Sashwhy's designs. I'm thinking I might need more than a header...
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Kiddisms (copied from this month's Facebook statuses to be preserved for posterity)
Rose has decided that we should just eat blueberries, broccoli, and panacakes for every meal. (Not necessarily all at the same time.) Then after being happily surprised to find a dinner that included all things that she liked, she said that she forgot to add meatballs, and wice, and cawwots to the list. (See Gramma, she does eat more than just peanut butter and jelly!)
Me: Rosie, you're crazy.
Rose: No, I'm not! I'm good and beautiful.
Anna, Rose, and I were playing memory. Rose won with five, Anna had three, and I had two. They proceeded to declare pace standings.
Anna: Yeah, you're first, I'm second, and Mommy's third.
Rose: No, you're first loser.
Anna: "My eye, matey. That's how pirates say, 'me too'."
Me: Rosie, you're crazy.
Rose: No, I'm not! I'm good and beautiful.
Anna, Rose, and I were playing memory. Rose won with five, Anna had three, and I had two. They proceeded to declare pace standings.
Anna: Yeah, you're first, I'm second, and Mommy's third.
Rose: No, you're first loser.
Anna: "My eye, matey. That's how pirates say, 'me too'."
Problem Solved!
Yippee! After weeks of limbo, my blog migration issues are over and my pictures are back - woohoo! I've missed blogging, but didn't want to invest a lot of time here when I didn't know what was going on. Now I'm excited that I might actually be able to work with my template and upgrade my look soon - stay tuned.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Best Baby Toy from Recycled Household Stuff
Don't you love that title?
Sorry, I've been absent lately, but if you've looked around the blog lately, you can see we're having issues here. Blogger was going to stop supporting ftps, so we treid to migrate the blog, but after it finished - the images and pictures suddenly dissappeared! Still trying to recover those. So, while I've been desperate to blog, I hated to input energy into something that is in a state of disarray, especially since I have no idea what will need to be done to resolve the issue.
But I wanted to share this baby toy idea since this is the day to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. :^) I think I started it for Ethan, and all of my babies have loved it. It's probably Bella's favorite toy.
Our favorite Chinese place has these great take-out containers for their soup in quart and pint sizes. I save them all - they stack and the lids fit either - plus you can see the contents. But, if your Chinese place isn't that awesome a quart size yogurt container or other similarly sized container will do. Cut a slit about 1/4 - 1/2 inch wide on the lid.Save your frozen juice lids - they don't have sharp edges (but check yours to be sure) and they make a delightful clink as they drop in on top of each other. We've also had a few of those flat plastic balloon weights from time to time. You only need a few to start the fun - I've been saving them for a while.
I think that Bella has been able to do this since about 9 months. And now - I've found a way to extend the life of the toy. Bella loves the foam stickers that I get the kids from the Dollar Tree. We had basic colored flower and butterfly stickers left over from Easter. I put them on the indented side of juice can lids in pairs. She tried to peel them off, but couldn't. I don't think that they would be a serious choking hazard even if she did since they're not stiff without the backing - you decide for yourself. But since I put the stickers on in pairs, the lids can now be used for color sorting, matching, and memory games. Rose and I played three rounds of Memory in a row and she was delighted with them too.
So there you have it!
And for another idea, I also made a square block dropper by cutting a square in the lid of a thin diaper wipes container and using the classic wooden blocks.
Have fun!
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Anna Kate's Seventh Birthday Letter
Anna,
Sleeping Beauty. I've never seen anyone sleep as well as you do. Rose will have already had second breakfast, Ethan finished another level of his favorite DS game, but you will still be sound asleep, blissfully unaware of the world around you. If they ever give medals for sleeping, you will take the gold. But it must be beauty sleep because you are definitely a beautiful girl.
But once you get going, you are up a tree. You can climb so well. The other day, you shot to the top of the magnolia tree and were announcing to the world that you could see the backyard. You even said you could see "tomorrow." You may not don costumes as much as you used to, but you still have a great imagination.
And you are determined to milk the tooth fairy for all she's worth. All you need is the slightest wiggle and you do all you can to get that loose tooth out, so you can cash it in for charms. I remember the satisfaction of pulling my own teeth, but you delight in it.
You are quite the artist, too. You think outside the box. Sometimes mommy thinks you think outside the project, or outside the normal color spectrum. But you are being very creative. I've seen you do amazing things with colors, putting colors together that others wouldn't have. That doesn't mean they are wrong together. You're being creative in ways others have not been creative. And someone has to go first. Well, I'm glad you enjoy exploring color. And I think you'll find your harmony soon.
You still love to dance. And many nights you want to put on a show. But you're also a tomboy. You enjoy climbing trees and rough housing with Ethan and William. Sometimes it gets too rough for you, but sometimes you get too rough for them. So it all evens out. What will the world do with this beautiful dancing tomboy?
Sometimes you ask me difficult questions. You are always probing, wanting to learn. Maybe you just want to see if we really have an answer for you. But I'm glad that you ask. I want you to learn and I'm glad you have questions. Keep asking questions. I'll keep looking for the answers for you. We'll learn together.
You may not always quote along with everyone else when we are memorizing something. And you do need to keep up with us. We want your participation. But you also delight in rattling off the books of the Bible. Once you've memorized something, it is yours, and you cherish it. You like showing us what you know. So, do your best. Learn more. Share with us what you know. We like to hear it as much as you like to say it. Just say it at the right time.
Know that we love you very much. And we are so glad you are our daughter. I think of you often while I am at work, and I wonder what you will one day be. I even imagine the conversations we'll have together someday. I hope you always see us as a safe place to be - the place where you are always welcome and loved, accepted and appreciated.
You sure do love Jordan. If we've been away from home, the first thing you want to do when you get home is run through the gate and see if Jordan can play. I'm glad you have a friend so nearby. But you have a strong sense of justice and fair play when William is over. You must come inside every minute to report if the boys are not treating the girls the right way. Just don't take it into your own hands.
You're eager for Bible study. I can tell that you enjoy the stories and you enjoy learning. You especially enjoy being able to tell us what happened in the last lesson. Sometimes your questions are difficult or just catch me off guard. But I am glad you ask. And I want to make sure I am always teaching you what the Bible says and not just what I think. So keep the questions coming.
I don't think you'll ever seek approval by being nice. No, that's not your way. You have your own moral compass and you do follow it. Sometimes you might act out, because you think someone is being unfair. Well, it is my job to keep your moral compass pointed in the right direction. I'd rather you have a good moral compass and follow it, than just be nice for the sake of being nice. Sometimes I have to remind mommy that you are taking three steps forward for every two you take back. But I don't know. I think you might be taking a step forward everytime, you're just following your own compass. I'll have to do better in keeping it working properly - keep the north pointing toward "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, any excellence, anything worthy of praise" (Philippians 4:8).
Those were special days this year when you and I sat together in church and took Communion together. I think those were the happiest moments for me. And I could see that you understood Communion and you were enjoying it, too.
I love you, Anna Kate. Be patient with us.
Love, Daddy
Sleeping Beauty. I've never seen anyone sleep as well as you do. Rose will have already had second breakfast, Ethan finished another level of his favorite DS game, but you will still be sound asleep, blissfully unaware of the world around you. If they ever give medals for sleeping, you will take the gold. But it must be beauty sleep because you are definitely a beautiful girl.
But once you get going, you are up a tree. You can climb so well. The other day, you shot to the top of the magnolia tree and were announcing to the world that you could see the backyard. You even said you could see "tomorrow." You may not don costumes as much as you used to, but you still have a great imagination.
And you are determined to milk the tooth fairy for all she's worth. All you need is the slightest wiggle and you do all you can to get that loose tooth out, so you can cash it in for charms. I remember the satisfaction of pulling my own teeth, but you delight in it.
You are quite the artist, too. You think outside the box. Sometimes mommy thinks you think outside the project, or outside the normal color spectrum. But you are being very creative. I've seen you do amazing things with colors, putting colors together that others wouldn't have. That doesn't mean they are wrong together. You're being creative in ways others have not been creative. And someone has to go first. Well, I'm glad you enjoy exploring color. And I think you'll find your harmony soon.
You still love to dance. And many nights you want to put on a show. But you're also a tomboy. You enjoy climbing trees and rough housing with Ethan and William. Sometimes it gets too rough for you, but sometimes you get too rough for them. So it all evens out. What will the world do with this beautiful dancing tomboy?
Sometimes you ask me difficult questions. You are always probing, wanting to learn. Maybe you just want to see if we really have an answer for you. But I'm glad that you ask. I want you to learn and I'm glad you have questions. Keep asking questions. I'll keep looking for the answers for you. We'll learn together.
You may not always quote along with everyone else when we are memorizing something. And you do need to keep up with us. We want your participation. But you also delight in rattling off the books of the Bible. Once you've memorized something, it is yours, and you cherish it. You like showing us what you know. So, do your best. Learn more. Share with us what you know. We like to hear it as much as you like to say it. Just say it at the right time.
Know that we love you very much. And we are so glad you are our daughter. I think of you often while I am at work, and I wonder what you will one day be. I even imagine the conversations we'll have together someday. I hope you always see us as a safe place to be - the place where you are always welcome and loved, accepted and appreciated.
You sure do love Jordan. If we've been away from home, the first thing you want to do when you get home is run through the gate and see if Jordan can play. I'm glad you have a friend so nearby. But you have a strong sense of justice and fair play when William is over. You must come inside every minute to report if the boys are not treating the girls the right way. Just don't take it into your own hands.
You're eager for Bible study. I can tell that you enjoy the stories and you enjoy learning. You especially enjoy being able to tell us what happened in the last lesson. Sometimes your questions are difficult or just catch me off guard. But I am glad you ask. And I want to make sure I am always teaching you what the Bible says and not just what I think. So keep the questions coming.
I don't think you'll ever seek approval by being nice. No, that's not your way. You have your own moral compass and you do follow it. Sometimes you might act out, because you think someone is being unfair. Well, it is my job to keep your moral compass pointed in the right direction. I'd rather you have a good moral compass and follow it, than just be nice for the sake of being nice. Sometimes I have to remind mommy that you are taking three steps forward for every two you take back. But I don't know. I think you might be taking a step forward everytime, you're just following your own compass. I'll have to do better in keeping it working properly - keep the north pointing toward "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, any excellence, anything worthy of praise" (Philippians 4:8).
Those were special days this year when you and I sat together in church and took Communion together. I think those were the happiest moments for me. And I could see that you understood Communion and you were enjoying it, too.
I love you, Anna Kate. Be patient with us.
Love, Daddy
Friday, March 19, 2010
My 34th birthday
my Publix birthday cake - I love Publix's cakes!
everyone getting a turn to blow out the candle
It was a beautiful day! I was able to take the three older kids to a children's theatre production, then we rambled around the university, eating ice cream and taking more pictures. Later we had dinner at the Dickie's Barbecue (because kids eat free in March and I hate spending money, even on my birthday, lol).
The next day was my birthday dinner at Brian's parents. His dad and mom made the boxes to replace some old canvas bins that hold our large amount of library books under the coffee table.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Cheater's Guide to Saint Patrick's Day
Menu:
Breakfast: Lucky Charms cereal - yeah, I know Irish oatmeal would be more nutritional, but want them to eat it Coloring pages to match. :^)
Lunch: Shamrock Toasties - if I get to the store in time to get the pepper
Dinner: Reuben Casserole
Dessert: Minty Irish Chocolate Cream Pie. Rather make a cake? I like this Celtic cross, but we've got two birthday cakes in our near future. These rainbow cupcakes are the coolest cupcakes ever.
Education:
We're doing this lapbook from A Journey Thorugh Learning this week, but there is one for free at Homeschool Helper, that you could pick activities from. Currclick also has a St. Patrick's day resource focusing on St. Patrick the missionary, as their weekly free product.
We started PBS Nature's program on Ireland and will finish it soon. It has that confusing level of Ice Age, poor dating evolutionary stuff that someday I'm going to figure out the correct interpretation of, but really interesting observations of ancient Ireland and the plants and animals of the island.
We watched these fascinating clips from History.com a couple of days ago too.
Crafts:
Cute preschol crafts,
love this one, but I'm way too late to find the supplies - another year
I think I can handle this shamrock pin (or make it a magnet), but I like this even better.
We've got stroybooks and The Quiet Man and Darby O'Gill and so much more to work in too. So many things, so little time. More from me here and here, but be forewarned, I haven't checked these old posts for broken links.
Breakfast: Lucky Charms cereal - yeah, I know Irish oatmeal would be more nutritional, but want them to eat it Coloring pages to match. :^)
Lunch: Shamrock Toasties - if I get to the store in time to get the pepper
Dinner: Reuben Casserole
Dessert: Minty Irish Chocolate Cream Pie. Rather make a cake? I like this Celtic cross, but we've got two birthday cakes in our near future. These rainbow cupcakes are the coolest cupcakes ever.
Education:
We're doing this lapbook from A Journey Thorugh Learning this week, but there is one for free at Homeschool Helper, that you could pick activities from. Currclick also has a St. Patrick's day resource focusing on St. Patrick the missionary, as their weekly free product.
We started PBS Nature's program on Ireland and will finish it soon. It has that confusing level of Ice Age, poor dating evolutionary stuff that someday I'm going to figure out the correct interpretation of, but really interesting observations of ancient Ireland and the plants and animals of the island.
We watched these fascinating clips from History.com a couple of days ago too.
Crafts:
Cute preschol crafts,
love this one, but I'm way too late to find the supplies - another year
I think I can handle this shamrock pin (or make it a magnet), but I like this even better.
We've got stroybooks and The Quiet Man and Darby O'Gill and so much more to work in too. So many things, so little time. More from me here and here, but be forewarned, I haven't checked these old posts for broken links.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Pinewood Derby
Ethan did a great job building and painting his pinewood derby car and racing it for the first time this year. It didn't perform as well as he'd hoped, but it sure was a beauty.
everyone got a certificate - he just wanted to win
second from the left
Monday, March 08, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Fairy Rose
Do your children beg for you to tell them stories? Does this make you panic?
I used to answer "yes" to both. I usually tried to redirect with , "I'm not good at stories, but I'll read you a book." I like books. I read well. Seemed like a much better plan. Ethan went along with this. On the rare occasion he persisted in the need for an actual story, I managed to drum up a lesser known Bible character or fairy tale. I slipped through the early years of Ethan and Anna Kate this way.
But not Rose. Rose the snuggler. Rose the "will you lay down with me for just a few minutes", then inevitably, "will you tell me a story?" child. Now what?
There is a lovely storybook called Rosy's Visitors (I just bought it for a penny plus shipping - you can too!) about a little girl who hauls her treasures in a wagon to a hollowed tree and prepares to entertain many magical guests. The name and concept, not to mention the whimsical illustrations made this story stick in my imagination, and was, I believe, part of the inspiration for what happened next.
I said, "okay." And I began the Fairy Rose stories. I thought I was just telling a story called "Fairy Rose" about a little girl who found a magic fairy tree and twirled around inside and turned into a fairy. From there all sorts of little adventures have been possible. Initially, Fairy Rose's adventures were based on my girlhood daydreams of being able to turn into a fairy and sneak into homes and leave things for people who were sad or in need. Fairy Rose has done those things. One day she gathered butterflies to fly to the garden outside the window of a sad shut-in she visited earlier that day as the girl Rose. But sometimes she just has fanciful adventures.
Tonight we were reading a book of children's prayers. One illustration showed children sliding down a rainbow. Rose, in all seriousness, asked how you can slide down a rainbow (she has a gift for seeing these things as realities), and thus provided the inspiration for tonight's tale of a lake fairy named Misty who always had the best secrets. And today Misty showed Fairy Rose and Fairy Anna the secret of how to slide down a rainbow.
So the one who was unable to tell stories has become (at least in her daughters' eyes) a master storyteller. For me the secret was to take an imagining that both they and I could relate to, and then keep making up stories about that one thing. That way, I feel like I'm sort of telling a story I already know.
What stories do you tell?
I used to answer "yes" to both. I usually tried to redirect with , "I'm not good at stories, but I'll read you a book." I like books. I read well. Seemed like a much better plan. Ethan went along with this. On the rare occasion he persisted in the need for an actual story, I managed to drum up a lesser known Bible character or fairy tale. I slipped through the early years of Ethan and Anna Kate this way.
But not Rose. Rose the snuggler. Rose the "will you lay down with me for just a few minutes", then inevitably, "will you tell me a story?" child. Now what?
There is a lovely storybook called Rosy's Visitors (I just bought it for a penny plus shipping - you can too!) about a little girl who hauls her treasures in a wagon to a hollowed tree and prepares to entertain many magical guests. The name and concept, not to mention the whimsical illustrations made this story stick in my imagination, and was, I believe, part of the inspiration for what happened next.
I said, "okay." And I began the Fairy Rose stories. I thought I was just telling a story called "Fairy Rose" about a little girl who found a magic fairy tree and twirled around inside and turned into a fairy. From there all sorts of little adventures have been possible. Initially, Fairy Rose's adventures were based on my girlhood daydreams of being able to turn into a fairy and sneak into homes and leave things for people who were sad or in need. Fairy Rose has done those things. One day she gathered butterflies to fly to the garden outside the window of a sad shut-in she visited earlier that day as the girl Rose. But sometimes she just has fanciful adventures.
Tonight we were reading a book of children's prayers. One illustration showed children sliding down a rainbow. Rose, in all seriousness, asked how you can slide down a rainbow (she has a gift for seeing these things as realities), and thus provided the inspiration for tonight's tale of a lake fairy named Misty who always had the best secrets. And today Misty showed Fairy Rose and Fairy Anna the secret of how to slide down a rainbow.
So the one who was unable to tell stories has become (at least in her daughters' eyes) a master storyteller. For me the secret was to take an imagining that both they and I could relate to, and then keep making up stories about that one thing. That way, I feel like I'm sort of telling a story I already know.
What stories do you tell?
this is, of course, copyrighted by Alicia (just in case I ever write a book)
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Walking a Lenten pathway?
Here are some ideas for focusing hearts toward the story of our redemption.
- Mark the days on this printable Lenten calendar for children. Yeah, I'm starting a day late too - it's okay. For me, it's about teaching my kids to have a deeper understanding of and appreciation for Jesus' sacrifice and building momentum toward the greatest celebration on the church calendar - the Resurrection!
- A box of repentance - I love the imagery of this idea - and I believe that my children would benefit from this object lesson.
- Why not plant some Lenten grass too? This activity definitely falls into the "building anticipation" category. I have grass seed that I bought last year. I think this time it might happen...
- I'm suspending our normal daily wisdom stop in Proverbs for the short Bible lessons in Before and After Easter: Activities and Ideas for Lent to Pentecost.We'll also be taking on Isaiah 53 for memorization. I have a book that illustrates it verse by verse, but it's location remains allusive. I probably put it in the Valentine decorations box that remains lost from the reflooring of the attic. Perhaps, we'll do Psalm 22 - a verse a day, instead. I think I'll give myself 24 hours to locate that book, then go to Plan B.
graphic courtesy of Crystal Cloud Graphics
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Warning: Killer Roses
A few minutes ago, Anna Kate started yelping that she's stepped on one of my roses. My roses? I'm trying to figure it out as she continues yelling about her foot. Did she bring a branch in from the rose bush in the backyard yesterday and it suddenly appeared on the floor? No, she tells me, it's from those roses. The roses from my Valentine bouquet. And sure enough, I pick up from the floor a long stemmed pink rose whose petals immediately fall off in bud form. Who took this rose out of the vase? No one.So, after she finished howling, Anna Kate sat at the table to eat something. I told her that she better watch out for the roses. That since no one had dropped that other one on the floor, they must be killer roses. They might jump out at any moment and throw themselves on the floor for unsuspecting victims to step on.
She said that she'd heard of that on a commercial. A commercial? Yes, she said, don't trust roses that come in a box. You don't know what they might do. Give a bouquet yourself.
Now we know.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Winter Olympics
I'm so excited to be covering the Olympics with my kids! I just wish the best stuff wasn't on so late at night. I'm trying to pick out the best ideas the web has to offer without staying up all night, so I'm posting them here for both of us.
First, I got this fantastically priced Olympics lapbook. It is going to be the centerpiece of this study.
Printers have been the bane of my existence this year. Last week was no exception.
I'd found this Cool Country Poster printable and thought that it would be really neat to choose another country from this list and have each kid do a report ahead of the Olympics, so that they would have a second country to cheer for when the U.S. was not a medal contender. I think we're still going to try to do that this week. Originally, Anna chose Italy, and Ethan, Sweden (he wanted South Africa or a South American country, but apparently those countries don't particularly excel at winter sports.) For some reason, though, we are never seeing Sweden and always seeing Norway, so I think we're going to make a swap. I just hope I can get a new set of library resources fast!
I'm making a preschool version of an Olympics lapbook because Rosie wants one too. Printing some saved documents through windows photo gallery automatically allows me to reduce things to 3x5 or 4x6 so that I can fit lots of things on a folder. Do a google search for coloring pages for your child's preferred sports. How about some of these? Homeschool Share has so many lovely resources for the Olympics here. The Canadian Animal Cards & Pocket and the Canadian Flag pages are perfect for Rose. I've got a good head start now on that.
Okay, first we're supposed to be learning about our countries. You can explore other countries at Time For Kids Around the World and National Geographic Kids People and Places. That will give us a head start on those library books (our library has an inservice day tomorrow.)
Next is Ancient Greece and the Olympic games. All of the information necessary for filling in the lapbook is part of the document, but Mr. Donn's Ancient Greek Olympics site looks excellent. We will definitely be viewing this video he linked to about Olympia. I've also placed a library request for some Magic Tree house books, Hour of the Olympics (Magic Tree House #16), Magic Tree House Research Guide #10: Ancient Greece and the Olympics: A Nonfiction Companion to Hour of the Olympics, and the books on CD set that includes this book. Ethan likes to listen to stories when he goes to bed. Or they can listen while drawing and doing art projects, since he's already reading a book set during the Civil War, the topic that we are momentarily breaking from.
First, I got this fantastically priced Olympics lapbook. It is going to be the centerpiece of this study.
Printers have been the bane of my existence this year. Last week was no exception.
I'd found this Cool Country Poster printable and thought that it would be really neat to choose another country from this list and have each kid do a report ahead of the Olympics, so that they would have a second country to cheer for when the U.S. was not a medal contender. I think we're still going to try to do that this week. Originally, Anna chose Italy, and Ethan, Sweden (he wanted South Africa or a South American country, but apparently those countries don't particularly excel at winter sports.) For some reason, though, we are never seeing Sweden and always seeing Norway, so I think we're going to make a swap. I just hope I can get a new set of library resources fast!
I'm making a preschool version of an Olympics lapbook because Rosie wants one too. Printing some saved documents through windows photo gallery automatically allows me to reduce things to 3x5 or 4x6 so that I can fit lots of things on a folder. Do a google search for coloring pages for your child's preferred sports. How about some of these? Homeschool Share has so many lovely resources for the Olympics here. The Canadian Animal Cards & Pocket and the Canadian Flag pages are perfect for Rose. I've got a good head start now on that.
Okay, first we're supposed to be learning about our countries. You can explore other countries at Time For Kids Around the World and National Geographic Kids People and Places. That will give us a head start on those library books (our library has an inservice day tomorrow.)
Next is Ancient Greece and the Olympic games. All of the information necessary for filling in the lapbook is part of the document, but Mr. Donn's Ancient Greek Olympics site looks excellent. We will definitely be viewing this video he linked to about Olympia. I've also placed a library request for some Magic Tree house books, Hour of the Olympics (Magic Tree House #16), Magic Tree House Research Guide #10: Ancient Greece and the Olympics: A Nonfiction Companion to Hour of the Olympics, and the books on CD set that includes this book. Ethan likes to listen to stories when he goes to bed. Or they can listen while drawing and doing art projects, since he's already reading a book set during the Civil War, the topic that we are momentarily breaking from.
Next is a page on the Olympic mascots. They're really too cute. I look forward to checking out the videos and games with the kids, and I've already downloaded new wallpaper for Ethan's desktop. If you don't care for the mascots, you can download regular Olympic wallpaper.
We'll also be learning about several different sports, and also recording which country won the gold medal for many of the Olympic events.
Along the way, I think we'll make an ice rink, craft a chenille snowboarder, and make our own Olympic rings.
And here is our spelling list:
- Olympics
- ski
- luge
- skate
- skating
- Canada
- Greece
- medal
- hockey
- torch
Thanks for joining me on my planning run for this week. Hope you found something that you can enjoy.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Making the most of your southern snow days
I have to start this post with some dressing tips. I know that most southern kids don't have snow suits, but I also know that with a little thought, they can do better than hoodies and sweats.The first thing to remember is waterproof. So if you have running pants, please use them. Put sweatpants or pajama pants under them, but if you have something nylon, put it on top. Same thing for the top. A nylon windbreaker is a better jacket than a hoodie. Put on an undershirt or pajama top, another top, a sweatshirt, then your waterproof jacket. Even if it's a thinner jacket, the waterproof layer will keep you warmer in the long run, with layers underneath. And then, shoes. That's a little trickier, but still the same principle. Plastic bags can be tied over shoes and tucked under pant legs. Put a hat on your head. Put at least two sets of those cheap little stretch gloves on, and have a dryer ready with a couple of towels to absorb moisture and dry those babies fast during cocoa breaks.
Okay, now that you're dressed to enjoy the day, here are some more ideas:
- Make snow cream or sugar on snow. We tried sugar on snow last year and it was a hit! I've managed to not replenish our real maple syrup, so we're going to giver snow cream a try this year.
- Make a snow turtle or other snow sculpture. Snow snakes are even easier.
- Have a snow ball battle.
- Make snow angels.
- Eat icicles.
- My kids love to make a mini snowman and store it in plastic in the freezer. It would be fun to retrieve for your Fourth of July party. Family Fun suggests using empty egg cartons to store mini snowballs in the freezer. :^)
- How about some snow games?
- Scatter seed on top of the snow for the birds. They will thank you.
- No sled? I think that some of your summer pool inflatables will work. Just be prepared to replace them. Let me know in the comments, what other sled substitutes work. We have sleds and saucers, so we haven't experimented much beyond that. Family Fun suggests finding an intertube at Pep Boys and has a great plan for making a snow slide.
- Spray paint the snow.
- If you really have a good bit of snow, you can use these snow fort ideas.
- And when you're building your snowman, keep this idea in mind for a photo op.
- If you're planning ahead and like a good project, how about catching a snowflake and keeping it forever?
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
NCIS Los Angeles quote
"Sam sees the glass as half full. I see it as half empty. That's why we make a good team. Kenzie, on the other hand, just drinks right out of the bottle. Nate wonders why it has to be glass, and Eric usually breaks the glass by putting his feet up on the table." - "G"
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