Promised Video

In this video from Sophia’s birthday, you catch only a tiny glimpse of her walking skills, but you’ll also catch a glimpse of Caleb’s antics.

Walking from Deborah on Vimeo.

Tomb

Over the Easter weekend, Caleb decided to create a tomb out of our sofa cushions.  As morbid as that sounds, it was fun to see what he was retaining from the Easter story.  (And whoever was dead got a free little “rest time.”  I gladly took my turn.) 

The first guinea pig:

The sealed tomb:

(Caleb had some help with the blanket.)

It quickly became evident (again) that Caleb doesn’t really understand what it means to be dead.  While we each took our turn in the tomb, we had to eat cheese and bread and other pretend foods.

Easter 2011 from Deborah on Vimeo.

Reminiscing

One year ago:

Two weeks ago:

We love you, Sophia!
(even when we stack things on top of you)

Sophia at One: A Snapshot

Favorite game: pretending to eat

Favorite books: Hello Bee, Moo Ba La La La, That’s Not My Puppy

Favorite words (really her only words): Mama, Dada, box, ball, up, banana (nana), also signs ‘milk’

Favorite food: scrambled eggs

Favorite toy: Hammer Away! or the Resurrection Eggs

Ticklish. World-class snuggler.  Helps me slow down and enjoy a game of peekaboo.  Likes to stay close to Mommy in big crowds.  Walking most of the time now.  Beginning to sign “milk” as a way of saying “I want something.”  Likes to watch the birds from the window.  Knows sign language for bird.  Doesn’t know the sign language for “more” or “all done.”  Would rather play than eat.   A source of joy.

Resurrection Eggs, Week 2

Last week I showed you a nice neat picture of our resurrection eggs.  They only look like that when the kids are sleeping.  Usually this is what I find at the kitchen table.

I’ve had to restrict them to the kitchen table so we don’t end up with swords and nails all over the house. I’ve also had to rewrite the numbers on several of them because the numbers have already worn off. 

I love these tangible reminders of the entire Easter story.  And I love watching Caleb play with them throughout the day.  I don’t know everything he’s thinking, and in this picture he looks entirely too happy to be holding a cross and a nail.  Like I said before, I’m trusting that his current basic understanding will pay dividends in his head and in his heart in the future. 

We’re on Day 12 right now, but I thought I’d get this post up before the weekend hit. 

Day 8: The Trial before the Sanhedrin  (main idea: Jesus is the Son of God)
Symbol: Picture of Daddy and Caleb, Stick figure drawing of God the Father and Jesus the Son

Day 9: Roman trial (main idea: Jesus is King)
Symbol: Purple robe and ‘signet’ ring

Day 10: Soldiers mock Jesus
Symbol: Thorns

Day 11: Jesus dies on the cross.
Symbol: Cross and nail
Activity: Build a cross (Look carefully and you’ll see the “sign” at the top of the cross that says “king” and the crown of thorns as well. A simple cross wasn’t good enough for Caleb.)

Hammer nails on a block of wood.

Day 12: Jesus is buried in a tomb.
Symbol: White strip of cloth
Activity: Take a field trip to a cemetery.  (I’m afraid Caleb is under the mistaken impression that the people are buried under the decorative boulders instead of under the grave markers….) We are also making a play dough tomb.

Day 13: The tomb is sealed.
Symbol: Rock
Activity: Act it out using the play dough tomb.

Day 14: Jesus is alive!
Symbol: Empty egg
Activity: I’m thinking of making resurrection rolls for breakfast. 

Scripture: Matthew 26-28, Mark 14-16, Luke 22-24, John 18-29

Resurrection Eggs

The excitement at the breakfast table has been high the past week.  Even Sophia practically jumps out of her chair, reaching for a plastic egg.  After eating breakfast, we open the new egg and tell a small part of the Easter story.  Depending on interest-levels and time, we may also read the rest of the Easter story. 

As a result of these eggs, we’ve heard things like, “Hosanna!” and “I’m going to cut off your ear, Daddy!”  I’m trusting that the truth we plant in our kids now will produce fruit…one day. 

Day 1: Jesus enters Jerusalem
Symbol: Leaf
Matthew 21; John 12
Activity: Act out Jesus coming to town using the springy, ride-on horse, leaves, and coats; Sing Shout Hosanna

Day 2: The Last Supper
Symbol: Bread and pretend cup
Mark 14, Matthew 26, Luke 22, John 13
Activity: Break and eat the bread and pretend to sip from the cup (The bread needed to be replenished multiple times.)

Day 3: Jesus Washes the disciples feet
Symbol: Washcloth
Mark 14, Matthew 26, Luke 22, John 13
Activity: Wash each other’s feet

Day 4: Jesus prays in Gethsemane
Symbol: Moon (cut out from construction paper) and kleenex
Mark 14, Matthew 26, Luke 22
Activity: Pray that God will help us do what he wants, not what we want.

Day 5: Judas
Symbol: 3 coins and a Hersey’s kiss
Matthew 26, 27; Luke 22

Day 6: Jesus is arrested
Symbol: Toothpick sword
Mark 14, Matthew 26, Luke 22, John 18
Activity: Act out Peter cutting of a guard’s ear and Jesus healing it

Day 7: Peter denies Jesus
Symbol: Feather
Mark 14, Matthew 26, Luke 22, John 18
Activity: Any good ideas for this one?  This part of the story isn’t in our picture story Bibles.  We’ve been reinforcing that Peter lied when he said he didn’t know Jesus because he was afraid. 

Story resources:

• Mommy’s Bible
• The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones
• The Big Picture Story Bible by David Helm
• The Easter Story by Anita Ganeri (One I would not wholeheartedly recommend. It’s good except for the last few pages, which deal with more church tradition than the Easter story, so we skip those.)

This week we’ll continue through Jesus’ trial, death, burial, and resurrection. I’m also considering continuing past Easter to Jesus’ ascension into heaven. 

Don’t expect to see Letter N activities here for a few weeks.  We’re celebrating that Jesus is alive!

Snow

Sand toys turning into snow toys would be fun in December…not so much in April.

I expect the Magnolia to be white when it’s in full bloom in mid-April, but not from snow….

Today I’m thankful the snow has already melted and for all the sunny, sidewalk chalk days we’ve already had this spring!

How a One-Year-Old Celebrates a Birthday

Favorite breakfast food: scrambled eggs

It’s her turn to open the resurrection egg for the day.

Extra bath time and a morning nap at home in her crib instead of being dragged around town.

Hugs

And more hugs.

Lots of time to play.

One candle.

And her very own cake.

To eat as she pleases.

Reading a new book…actually playing with Uncle Bruce’s birthday card.  The card earned more attention than all the gifts!

Happy Birthday, Sophia!

Letter M

Attribute of God: “My” 
Not really an attribute of God this week, but more as in “O God, you are my God.”  (Psalm 63) Somewhat like asking someone in the middle of March Madness, “Who’s your team?”  Answering that question doesn’t mean you have any control over their performance, but that you place yourself on their side, declare loyalty, and claim the right to belong to their fan club.  Who’s your God?

I could have gone with mighty, majestic, magnificent, marvelous. the maker…

Bible Story: Ruth 1
For Ruth’s declaration: “Your people will be my people and your God my God.” 

Song: Step by Step
“O God you are my God and I will ever praise you….”  Yet another classic by Rich Mullins chosen because Caleb likes watching 80s videos on youtube. 

Give: M and M’s for the mailman; mints for Grandpa Mark; card for Great-Grandma Marjory after her surgery

Common Vocabulary: motorcycle, monkey, moon, mountain, muffins, mailman, magnet, medal, measure, music, moth, mouth, mushroom, muscles, mouse

People we know: Grandpa Mark, Great-Grandma Marjory, Miriam

Food: monkey bread, meatballs, marshmallows, magic muffins made by Grandma!

Activities: Magnets, marbles

Grandma also went above and beyond while watching the kids and introduced M&Ms, made magic muffins, played marbles, read about Moses, and more!

Letter L

Overdue post!

Attribute of God: Love

Bible Story: Psalm 36:5-7; John 3:16; Deuteronomy 6:5;
We tried measuring God’s love with my sewing measuring tape and the measuring tape from the tool box, but neither were long enough.  We didn’t have enough money to pay for it.  We couldn’t reach the skies.  God loves us so much he gave us his Son so that we could live! 

Song: I Love You, Lord; How Deep the Father’s Love

Food: Lemons, Limes, and Limas!

Activities: Making lemon bread and lime sugar cookies, drinking fancy lemon water, cutting hearts out of paper

People we know: Laura

Common Vocabulary: lips, lion, line, love, lizard, lady licking lollipop, lima bean, listen, leg, lime, lemon, look

I know Caleb has mastered starfall.com when the first words he thinks of that start with “L” are the same words that starfall uses.