The Smallest Flowers...

Cookies!

2012-02-16T19:26:00.000-06:00

My fingers taste good!

Mmmmmm.

Mommy said act surprised:

Sad face:

Mmmm….frosting.

Silly.

Valentine’s Day

2012-02-15T19:20:00.001-06:00

Strawberry pancakes (heart-shaped of course) with strawberry yogurt. One red rose. Heart-shaped sugar cookies decorated by Caleb and Sophia. Valentines from Grandma. A near-perfect Valentine’s day in my mind.

On Sunday night we also made a few valentine’s and watched Lady and the Tramp with the kids.

I’m not a fan of commercialized holiday frenzy, but I am a fan of remembering to love one another and acknowledging who gives us the capacity to love!

Learning

2012-02-15T15:57:00.001-06:00

…about static electricity.

Gotta love kid-directed play. What will he come up with next?

Trust

2012-01-30T14:21:00.001-06:00

When did I start associating the word “trust” with passivity?

Today we were exploring dishwashers and counting how many “spinning things” they have in them. (What other criteria do you really need?) One of our stops was at our local mega home-improvement store where they happened to be using a loader to move inventory. In Caleb’s mind the loader was a huge truck about to run him over at any moment. Its beeping was a regular reminder to take cover. In actuality, the truck was about a quarter of a mile away at the other end of the store and had no intention of crashing through appliances to come and get us.

When I saw Caleb’s fear and frantic response, I felt like I was looking into a mirror. How many times do I see a threat and completely freak out? Whether the threat is very real or only perceived doesn’t matter. What matters is who I trust.

Psalm 25:15 “My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare.”

Here’s what I learned about trust from my son this morning:

Trust is holding Mommy’s hand.

Trust is not incessantly herding your sibling so close to Mommy that you both fall down.

Trust is taking deep breaths and calming down.

Trust is not crying every time you hear the loader’s “beep.”

Trust is believing Mommy when she says she will protect you from the truck.

Trust is not running after the truck, yelling at the driver, and disarming the truck yourself. (Ok, Caleb didn’t actually do this.)

Trust is listening to Mommy’s questions and focusing on what she asks you to do.

Proverbs 3:5-7: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.”

Conversations

2012-01-25T13:45:00.001-06:00

We’re starting to work on our fourth memory verse with Caleb, and when I say memory verse I mean verse that he “reads” or says with help from Mommy. I’m still pretty proud of him! The first three have just happened to start with the word “for.” The new verse starts with “but.” On hearing this, Caleb said, “But that’s not the way verses go!”

And as we were talking about the new verse for the week, Romans 5:8, Caleb said, “I not sinner anymore. I growed up.”

Me: “But the Bible says all have sinned. Remember Romans 3:23? It say “All have sinned….” Has Mommy sinned? Sophia? Daddy? Grandpa and Grandma?”

Caleb: “Yes. But I not sin anymore.”

Oh Lord, help me lead this child to your forgiveness and grace instead of self-sufficiency. What do I say to that?

This morning over breakfast we were talking about the verse again and had the same conversation. I then reminded Caleb of one way he had already disobeyed Mommy before breakfast. After arguing about about whether it was disobeying or not and thinking for a bit, Caleb said, “Pray, Mommy.”

“Pray about what?”

“Pray that I not sin anymore.”

And just to keep things real, this is the conversation we had as Caleb and Sophia were getting dressed:

Caleb: “Why don’t boy pants have pink buttons, Mommy?”

Me: “Because pink is a girl color.”

Caleb: “But Caleb likes pink too.”

Amelia Bedelia

2012-01-20T13:52:00.001-06:00

We have an aspiring Amelia Bedelia on our hands:

Amelia Bedelia, genuinely concerned: “Can you fix them?”

Me: “Fix what?”

Amelia Bedelia: “The rules.”

Me: “Why do the rules need fixing?”

Amelia Bedelia: “You said Sophia’s breaking the rules.”

Jesus Tree

2011-12-29T21:57:00.001-06:00

This year, I wanted to do more than read the Christmas story over and over in the days leading up to Christmas. So after looking around a bit, I decided to turn our Thanksgiving stick tree into a Jesus tree that would help us celebrate and remember who Jesus was (and is). Just like celebrating birthdays are more than remembering the birth story, so celebrating Jesus’ birthday became more about his life than about his birth. Some days were decidedly un-Christmas-y. Other days were really fun (like when we played flashlight hide-and-seek).

I love that this led all of us to worship Christ, no matter what age we are.

The basic framework led us through Jesus as the Son of God, Son of man, a humble servant, and savior of the world. Each day the kids would open up the ornament for the day and we’d read a story to help us understand more about Jesus. Some days we did other activities if we had time, forethought, and energy.

Week 1: Jesus is the Son of God

Because God said so. Jesus is baptized. (Matthew 3:17)
Because he is strong like God. Jesus calms the storm. (Matthew 8:23)
Because he was with God during creation. The creation story. (John 1, Genesis 1, Colossians 1:16)
Because people said so. Jesus and Peter walk on the water. (Matthew 14)
Because he is worthy of worship and only God is worthy of worship. (Revelation 5:12-13, Exodus 20:3-4) This was a great day to sing “O Come All Ye Faithful” and other worship songs.
Because Jesus can forgive sin. Jesus forgives and heals a paralytic. (Matthew 9:1-8)
Because Jesus said so. Jesus stays in the temple when he’s 12 years old. (Luke 2:41-52) You can see Caleb’s version of the story here.

Week 2: Jesus is the Son of Man.

Mary’s son. An angel visits Mary. (Luke 1:26-38)
Adopted by Joseph. Learned carpentry from Joseph.
Became tired, hungry, and thirsty. Jesus is tempted in the desert. (Luke 4)
Sympathizes with our weaknesses. (Hebrews 4:15-16)

Week 3: Jesus is a humble servant.

Came as a dependent baby. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus running to Egypt to escape King Herod. (Matthew 2:13-23)
Born in a barn.
Announced to shepherds.
Washed the disciples’ feet. (john 13)
Died on the cross. (Philippians 2:6-8)

Week 4: Jesus is the Savior of the world.

Rescuer. I told my salvation story.
Lamb. The story of the first Passover. I used a chapter from One Wintry Night by Ruth Bell Graham.
Savior. Another telling of the gospel. by the way, this is supposed to be a parachute, but it hangs upside down on the tree. The parachute has been tested, and it does work.
Door/Gate. (John 10:9, John 14:6) We reviewed the heaven craft we did in preschool.
Redeemer. Caleb got to redeem some pop cans at the grocery store. He chose to keep the coins instead of buying something with them.
Shepherd. Psalm 23.
Light. We played flashlight hide-and-seek. Caleb begged and begged to play it again the next night, so we did.
King. (Philippians 2:9-11, Revelation 5:12-13 again)
Emmanuel. God with us. We were traveling on this day and I didn’t implement any of my ideas. One idea was to hang a prism and talk about how we can’t see God, but we can see what he does. I could also use a picture of a neighborhood. We’ll see what we end up doing next year!

My goal in doing this isn’t to create a regimented tradition, but to do something that will lead us into a deeper relationship with Christ.

Christmas Stories

2011-12-15T16:42:00.000-06:00

Our Thanksgiving Tree has morphed into a Jesus Tree. Here’s Caleb helping to tell one of the stories:

Take 2. The one in which Sophia decided to participate.

Apology

2011-12-14T14:58:00.001-06:00

The hazards of teaching a kinesthetic learner to apologize:

Mama: You need to apologize.

Son (after a long pause): Sorry.

Mama (prompting): Sorry for…

Son: Doing this. (as he pushes his sister… again.)

More “What for?” Questions

2011-12-03T10:12:00.001-06:00

This morning as Luke was reading the Christmas story to Caleb, Caleb searched the pictures intently and asked, “Where’s Jesus’ Christmas tree?”

And then as they were talking about our Christmas tree: “There aren’t any brown Christmas lights. What for?”

Nothing like a fresh perspective to identify ritual. Not that I’m saying I want brown lights on my Christmas tree.

I’d rather have my kids help decorate:

Thanksgiving Favorite

2011-12-02T13:16:00.000-06:00

I almost forgot one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving this year:

Caleb started learning his first Bible verse, and he was so excited about it. Ok, I think he also has “Be kind” from Ephesians down too, but this is the first verse he’s willingly tried to learn. It was fun to see him learn it and teach it!

Thanksgiving Recap

2011-12-02T13:13:00.000-06:00

My parents came to our place on Thursday:

We traveled to Luke’s parents’ on Saturday:

We looked forward to it for a week by making a calendar and paper chain: (Why am I not more embarrassed to post my awful art skills online?)

We decorated our “thankful tree” on Thanksgiving Day.

We also made turkey napkin holders to help satiate Caleb’s requests to make something.

Like last year, we filled our gift bag with things we were thankful for throughout the month of November. I’ve grown to appreciate the symbolism and simplicity of collecting our thanks in a gift bag. We’re counting all the little and big gifts God gives us each day. I’m learning that a thankful heart puts so much of life in the proper perspective. I’m also learning a thankful heart isn’t an emotion, but a practice. This is the day the Lord has made. I will choose to be glad and rejoice in it.

What For?

2011-12-01T13:38:00.001-06:00

Sometimes it sounds like “what fo-or?” It usually means, “Why?” We’ve entered that stage.

Mommy: We’re going to put on hats so our ears don’t get cold.

Son: What for?

Today it was something a little more difficult to answer.

Mommy: Let’s go look for Grandpa’s Christmas present.

Son: What for? Christmas is Jesus’ birthday.

Preschool: Letter H

2011-11-30T13:49:00.001-06:00

I taught Caleb’s preschool today, and it was a little nutty. I was glad to see that Caleb was completely comfortable being himself around his preschool friends since he usually clams up in groups, but it also meant he required more than the usual amount of intervention. I’m so thankful that he’s making friends!

Here was what I came up with for the Letter H:

Opening play time: Build houses using boxes. We used various sized boxes to make houses for elephants, giraffes, big puppies, little puppies, and even frogs. Part of this time was spent hiding in the boxes as well…and spinning with boxes over their heads. Boys….

Introduce the letter: Read the letter. Say the sound. Repeat for hat, hug, and hop.

Story: Heaven. Since we had been building houses just before this, I started off by saying heaven is Jesus’ house. We also read an abbreviated story about heaven from The Jesus Storybook Bible. Heaven is a wonderful, exciting, happy place!

Heaven Sorting Activity: What is in heaven? What is not in heaven? I loved seeing the kids imitate the happy, sad, and angry faces. Hilarious!

Song: Big House, originally by Audio Adrenaline. We used a kids’ version. I took the time to introduce some hand motions before playing the song, and the kids actually followed along and did the actions as the song played. Usually, when we’ve tried songs, I see a lot of “deer in the headlights” faces.

Craft: Heaven’s gate. We spent a lot more time talking about what is in heaven during the craft (along with monitoring glue stick usage). The kids glued on things they thought would be in heaven like Jesus, angels, toys, good food, trees, and musical instruments. Then we glued a door on top, showing that Jesus is the only way to heaven. On Caleb’s, I think Jesus got buried under the Christmas tree and piano:

Bathroom break

Game: Hide and Seek with the letter H. Our kids are too young for full-blown hide and seek, so I simply hid an “H” cut out of construction paper and had them find it.

Snack time: Honey Nut O’s. Before snack time we talked about how God Hears us all the time, whether we whisper, shout, or just think. so we practiced by whispering, shouting, and then thinking, “Thank you for snack.” Whispering and shouting went really well. Not so sure they got the “thinking” part. We also spent time talking about what kinds of foods would be in heaven. Foods like Halloween candy, oatmeal with “flies,” mac and cheese, and ice cream.

Craft (again): Thank you card for the guy in charge of the Paint-A-Plow program. (By this time the kids were done with crafting!)

Show and Tell: Each child brought something that started with “H” and told us about it. Honda, helicopter, horses, hammer, heart, hot rod. This is another time when Caleb needed some intervention…to not hammer on his classmates.

Counting by Hundreds: I had written 100, 200, 300, etc. on different sheets of paper. We read the numbers together, and then I laid the sheets of paper on the floor and had them find different numbers that I called out.

The end. They were done and ready to play, and moms were starting to come.

If you’re still reading, you must be my mom. It takes quite a bit of planning to keep 6 active preschoolers engaged all morning long!

Paint is Easier to Clean than I Thought

2011-11-29T14:05:00.001-06:00

Recently I learned of an opportunity to have preschools paint a city snowplow, so I signed our little preschool group up. We were all a little nervous giving our kids real paint, but it was well worth the mess! We also got a short tour of the garage, which included dump trucks, graders, street sweepers, and snowplows. Little boy heaven?

Typical preschool photo…about half the kids and no one looking at the camera.

Some kids were done by this point. I think Caleb and Sophia would have kept painting all day.

Sophia was starting to blend in by this point. Surprisingly, it wasn’t too difficult to get the paint out of her hair.

Another First

2011-11-16T08:45:00.001-06:00

Sophia’s first sentence: “I do it.”

I think we’re in trouble.

Elephants for Breakfast

2011-11-09T14:17:00.000-06:00

This is what happens when I’m asked, “What’s for breakfast?” first thing in the morning. Since I don’t know yet, I jokingly respond, “Elephants.” And instead of getting the joke, someone starts looking for elephants. “Where are the elephants, Mama?”

Luke even acquiesced, “It does sort of look like an elephant.”

Can you see it? Use your imagination. It’s kind of like looking for pictures in the clouds on a warm summer day, except it’s a cold and dreary November day. And it’s french toast.

The bonus? One little boy, who has refused to eat even one bite of french toast for the past few months, gladly ate two slices along with “elephant food” (banana and sausage). Evidently this elephant was an omnivore.

Freedom

2011-11-08T13:46:00.001-06:00

I needed this reminder (as a parent and as a person) from chapter 19 in Loving the Little Years by Rachel Jankovic:

“Obedience to God’s law is freedom. Your kids should feel the same way about obeying you. Sometimes you should give them little jobs to obey knowing full well that they will love to do it…. You should not be training them that obedience is bondage. Do not do epic training camps that teach them that obedience leads to sitting quietly on your hands and speaking to no one. Obedience to Scripture is life…. God does not command things that make life miserable—His commands are a means of joy. Make your children understand that obedience leads to freedom and joy—it is the path of life.”

Halloween Recap

2011-11-02T16:21:00.001-05:00

Monster cupcakes. I’m not sure adding more sugar to this holiday is a good idea, and I’m not claiming which cupcakes I decorated and which ones Caleb decorated.

Playdoh Pumpkins. This year Caleb decorated his pumpkin by himself.

We also carved the pumpkins—one surprised face and one sleepy face since it couldn’t stand up straight. Evidently I had taken my fill of pumpkin pictures by that time because I have none. The kids loved putting the “puzzle pieces” back into the pumpkins. Neither of them got close to the pumpkin guts.

We also took the kids trick-or-treating to about 10 houses. By that time, Caleb’s dump truck was full of enough candy to last several weeks, and we had said hello to our neighbors.

Fall Fest

2011-10-28T17:24:00.001-05:00

Our church hosted a fall carnival this year, so we stopped out for a little while.

The completed costumes:

Caleb’s favorite part of the evening:

Sophia’s favorite part of the evening:

Halloween Costumes, Part 2

2011-10-26T07:20:00.000-05:00

Caleb had to come up with special seating arrangements the other night when he wanted to watch one of his favorite shows while wearing his costume:

Here’s what he thought Sophia’s costume should be:

I decided against having the flip side of the stop sign say “slow.” I’m not sure how Sophia would feel about that when she saw pictures in a few years.

Leaves

2011-10-25T14:46:00.001-05:00

Halloween Costumes

2011-10-19T19:21:00.001-05:00

Caleb started working on his Halloween costume today. We’ve had some busy days lately, so it was good to stay home this afternoon and do something fun together. I’m not sure the costume will last until Halloween, especially since he’s still wearing it, but whether or not it lasts, it was worth the fun we had together this afternoon. Any guesses what he wanted to be for Halloween?

Luke’s Favorite Family Picture

2011-10-15T08:10:00.000-05:00

For once, both kids are looking at the camera and a leaf falls in front of the camera just as the picture is snapped.

Hiking with Young Kids: Survival Guide

2011-10-14T20:10:00.000-05:00

There are certain things that must be done when hiking with young kids.

#1: Find the perfect walking stick

#2: Measure height against trees

#3: Use a backpack carrier for snugglers.

#4: Play backpack games (The tickling shark game started on our hikes in Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains.)

#5: Let naps happen.

#6: Go at a slower pace. Build rock towers. Pretend the huge boulder is a dump truck. Battle the huge root system of a fallen tree with only a walking stick. Take interest in what the kids find interesting, not just what you find interesting.

#7: Give shoulder rides.

#8: Bribe with food when necessary.

Animals on the North Shore

2011-10-13T19:58:00.000-05:00

Here’s another post for Caleb’s and Sophia’s friends!

North Shore: Split Rock and Gooseberry Falls

2011-10-12T19:54:00.000-05:00

I think the thing I loved the most about the North Shore was its peaceful, quiet atmosphere. I felt like we saw and did a lot without feeling a lot of stress along the way.

Below is the view of the Split Rock lighthouse from a little island we hopped across a few boulders to get to. Peaceful. Did I mention we had great weather while we were up there?

We also stopped by Gooseberry Falls the same day that we stopped at Split Rock State Park. Gooseberry Falls was the exception to the peaceful atmosphere we enjoyed the rest of the week. I don’t know if it was because we visited on a Friday or because Gooseberry Falls is the southernmost park on the North Shore, but it was teeming with people. If we ever go back, I think I’d skip this park and enjoy the others farther north.

Even though Gooseberry was a bit disappointing, there was an ice cream shop in nearby Two Harbors that was worth the stop!

North Shore: Silver Bay

2011-10-12T06:58:00.000-05:00

Halfway through our week on the North Shore we moved from a cabin to a hotel farther south on the shore, partly due to booking our cabin the week before leaving. But it also allowed us to see a different part of the area without driving so far each day.

The Americinn we stayed at had a kiddie pool and slide, worth hours of entertainment. It was a fun change from all the hiking and outdoorsy stuff we had been doing the rest of the week.

The hotel was also nice in that our room had a door going directly outside. Sophia and I spent the morning picking flowers before everyone else woke up. (And yes, she wears rocket ship and dinosaur PJs.)

North Shore: Temperance River Gorge

2011-10-11T19:28:00.000-05:00

Our hike through Temperance River Gorge took us near quite a few cliffs…enough to give me a few nightmares of Caleb jumping off cliffs and Sophia sliding down waterfalls as if she were going down a slide. In reality, the kids did wonderfully and loved seeing all the falls. We thought about hiking further up the trail to Carlton Peak, but opted to wade across the river and take a different trail back.

On this vacation, I loved being able to take a leisurely hike and still be able to see something. A lot of the waterfalls or points of interest were accessible for even a three-year-old. We’d have breakfast, pack lunch, hike, have a picnic lunch at our destination, possibly play in the water, hike back, and possibly even have time for a nap. I enjoyed the slower pace and the quiet trails as well as playing with my kids instead of trying to get something else done.

North Shore: Tettegouche State Park

2011-10-11T07:33:00.000-05:00

Caleb had fun on this bridge, which he turned into an imaginary train.

Luke and Sophia exploring and looking for a way to cross the river without getting too wet.

North Shore: Grand Portage State Park

2011-10-11T07:13:00.000-05:00

Grand Portage is close enough to the Canadian border that we saw customs from the car as we turned into the park. The trail at this park is pretty short and mostly paved, so this was a quick but beautiful stop.

North Shore: Judge C.R. Magney State Park

2011-10-10T15:07:00.000-05:00

Throwing rocks in the water:

Taking a break:

Enjoying the scenery:

We loved this park, but be warned—the trail has over 200 stairs. This picture was taken after Caleb climbed all those stairs!

North Shore: Cascade River State Park

2011-10-09T15:02:00.000-05:00

On vacation, we took a tour of the state parks along Lake Superior. Cascade State Park was our first stop since we stayed in a cabin adjacent to the park.

View from Lookout Mountain:

Cascade River:

Even Sophia got in on the wading fun…

North Shore Vacation: The Lake

2011-10-08T15:01:00.000-05:00

So…we went on vacation almost 2 months ago, and I’ve never posted pictures. Oh well, I’m determined not to let documenting life get in the way of living life.

We loved our time along Minnesota’s North Shore—exploring Lake Superior’s shoreline, hiking trails, throwing rocks, wading across rivers, and enjoying time together.

Some highlights from the lake itself:

Sunrise along Lake Superior with my early bird

Throwing rocks into the lake

Breakfast on the shore one morning

The first part of our vacation we spent in a cabin just across the highway from the lake, so it was easy to walk down to the short and play when we have a bit of time.

Zoo Favorites

2011-09-30T14:23:00.000-05:00

This one is more for Caleb and Sophia’s friends than anyone else!

#1 Favorite: Cats
Since the weather was cool during our visit to the zoo, we had the opportunity to see the big cats up and moving. After touring the cat complex, Caleb could tell you the difference between tigers, jaguars, lions, and pumas.

#2 Favorite: Sharks
The aquarium at Henry Doorly Zoo is fabulous. It probably helps that we had Sophia singing the Jaws theme song. It started several years ago when Caleb was learning different actions for various animals. Somehow sharks evolved into tickle monsters at our house and the tickling kind of sharks stuck around. Two years later, Caleb still screeches and runs when he hears the Jaws theme song because he knows tickling is coming. Now that Sophia pretending to be different animals, there’s not much cuter than a one-year old pretending to be a shark and going to tickle her daddy or big brother.

Honorable Mention: Giraffes

Ostrich.

Penguins.

Big Orange Fish. (That’s the official, scientific name, I’m sure.)

Aggressive bird from Africa. (Another scientific name)

Rhinos.

Polar Bears.

Gorillas.

Starfish.

And more cats. Puma.

Tiger.

Jaguar.

Omaha Zoo

2011-09-30T13:53:00.000-05:00

We had the opportunity to visit the Omaha Zoo recently. It was cool and a bit rainy, so we didn’t have to push our way through too many crowds.

Here are a few pictures of our little monkeys during our visit to the zoo:

Enjoying the aquarium.

Caleb braving the rope bridge on his own.

I don’t really understand why gorilla statues make for good photo opportunities. Oh well, my little girl’s beautiful even if there’s a weird gorilla and daddy’s arms in the background.

Sophia Snapshot

2011-09-29T14:59:00.000-05:00

As Sophia is talking more and more, I’m realizing how little Caleb communicated with words. He made his opinion known, but not usually with words. Sophia, on the other hand, is beginning to be a little chatterbox. Some of my favorite words that she says include “smoothie” (moo-ieee!) and “pajamas” (JJJamma).

She continues to be a regular houdini. This is how I found her one morning in her crib:

Reminded me of this:

She also has a mild obsession with shoes, which is just fine until she wants to wear her church shoes in the sandbox or Caleb sees his shoes on her feet.

Sophia continues to be a world-class snuggler and would prefer to be close to mama in new or overwhelming situations. But put her in a shopping cart (familiar) and she starts waving and saying “hi” to everyone she sees.

It works!

2011-09-29T13:57:00.000-05:00

Did you know green onions will re-grow if you put the roots and some of the white part in water?

I didn’t either until someone in the grocery store shared this insider information with a friend, who then posted the news on Facebook. I proceeded to try it out after adding some green onion to a stir-fry, and it works!

Not only will it save fifty cents at the grocery store, it’s also a great project for little kids because they can see growth in just a few days. Caleb kept looking over at the glass of green onions and exclaiming, “Look! They’re growing!!”

If I can’t enjoy the little things, what can I enjoy?

Seasons

2011-09-28T13:51:00.001-05:00

I love living where I get to enjoy all the seasons!

Caleb Update

2011-09-25T20:56:00.001-05:00

wore his “coldies” (i.e. socks worn on the hands) throughout an entire morning at church. It’s innovation from a 3 year old, and while it’s a bit strange to wear “coldies” on warm summer days, it’s a battle I’m choosing not to fight.
has a pretend potty in the basement. That one has me really worried sometimes.
is absolutely convinced that there are two Princess Frostine cards in Candyland.
picks his Candyland person based on the color he’s wearing that day.
constructs bulldozers, excavators, yardy trucks, dump trucks, and garbage trucks out of our sofas and sofa cushions and gets very attached to them. Currently we’re working with him to not stash all the toys in his truck so that Sophia doesn’t come in and bulldoze the bulldozer. He gets very upset if she doesn’t use the door properly. If you come visit, give us warning so we can put the cushions back on the sofa for you!
creates digger trucks and dump trucks out of measuring cups while helping me make muffins.

Moppets Lesson: Jesus Feeds 5000

2011-09-22T10:39:00.000-05:00

I’ve recently started helping prepare some lessons for the preschool kids who come with their moms to my church’s MOPS group. In the tradition of French diminutives (i.e. book-let, cigar-ette), we call the kids’ program “Moppets.” I’m sure this won’t be all that helpful to the grandmas and grandpas who read this blog, but since I’ve taken the time to collect these ideas, I wanted to repost them here in case someone else could use some of the ideas.

My goal for these lessons is that the kids would get to know God better than they did coming in, the moms would be equipped to continue teaching their kids about God at home, and the volunteers would be prepared to share Christ with little people (and maybe even learn something themselves). May God take these simple ideas and use them for his glory!

The first lesson centered around the miracle of Jesus feeding over 5000 people with only 5 loaves and 2 fish.

Scripture: Matthew 14:13-21

Take-away: Jesus does what no one else can do.

Mommy’s take-away: Even though Jesus was grieving and tired (He had just heard the news of John the Baptist’s death.), he chose to show compassion. How can I show compassion to my family, my neighbors, or others when I may not feel like it?

Bible Verse: Matthew 19:26 “With God all things are possible.”

Song: “All Things Are Possible” by Michelle Endicott

For with God, for with God

All things are possible

Repeat

All things, all things

Are possible with God

Repeat

Craft: Make a picnic basket and necklace to re-tell the story of Jesus feeding over 5000 people with just 5 loaves and 2 fish.

Take It Home!

We’d love for you to interact with your child about today’s theme and story. Here are some ideas:

Read the true story of Jesus feeding 5000 people with just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish from an age-appropriate children’s Bible.
Jesus friends thought it would be impossible to find (much less pay for) enough food for that many people. Jesus provided even more than they needed. Pray for something you and/or your child thinks impossible. “Lord, we know that with YOU all things are possible. If it’s in your plan, would you…?”
Post this week’s memory verse (on the coloring page) in a visible spot. Share a time when you saw God do the impossible in your life with your child.
Pretend to be on a picnic with Jesus and act out the story with your child. Ask questions like… “Where do you think we can find food?” “Do you think it will be enough for everyone?” “How many baskets of leftovers did Jesus’ friends pick up?” “How do you think Jesus did that?”
Counting. Count the pieces of bread and fish on the necklace your child made in Moppets. Describe 5000 people in a way your child can begin to grasp: “Hundreds and hundreds.” “Lots and lots.” “The number of grains of rice in ¾ cup.” Or simply: “More than we can count.”
Act out the difference between impossible and possible. i.e. “Touch your nose.” vs. “Touch the ceiling.”

First Day of Preschool!

2011-09-21T14:26:00.001-05:00

Caleb, on his first day of pre-school, showing off his backpack and holding onto his MOPS craft from the day before.

Caleb will be doing an informal preschool co-op once a week this year. The first day was a success!

Pigtails!

2011-08-29T21:43:00.001-05:00

Thunder Cake

2011-08-23T11:10:00.001-05:00

Today’s the perfect day for Thunder Cake!

We read Thunder Cake a lot over vacation, so Caleb was very excited about making our own Thunder Cake this morning. We’ll see how it tastes! Licking the frosting was a hit!

Summer

2011-08-07T18:50:00.001-05:00

Caleb

2011-08-02T09:18:00.000-05:00

Sophia

2011-08-01T09:12:00.001-05:00

Backbone State Park

2011-07-21T13:12:00.000-05:00

As a trial camping trip, we hit Backbone State Park for the weekend. One little boy was very excited about the tent.

Another camper was very excited about his new toy—a GPS.

Sophia enjoyed her cozy hiking seat.

And Caleb found many things to explore and enjoy.

The excitement over the tent and sleeping bag lent to a late night. Unfortunately, our early bird was up with the sun.

More hiking:

Looking for a geocache on a small side trail:

We also swam/waded in the lake, rented a canoe, and enjoyed a s’more before the thunderstorms hit the second night. Overall, it was a fun trip, but camping with little kids is a lot of work, too.

My Days

2011-07-21T10:50:00.001-05:00

I ran into a former co-worker the other day and was at a loss as to how to describe my life these days. Maybe these pictures will help.

We’ve been enjoying the outdoors: taking care of flowers, building a retaining wall, painting our front porch rail, swinging on the new swing set, picnicking with PB&J, splashing in the water at the splash pad (Sophia), and avoiding the water at the splash pad (Caleb).

Tired of cheesy grins, Caleb began “eating” the leaves:

If he didn’t enjoy this so much, it’d be a great time-out spot--

Middle of the day hugs and smiles--

Random decisions to be gross while Sophia’s cuddling with Mommy--

Trumpeting, just like her older brother--

So what have I been up do lately? Random, silly, and simple things.

Grandpa and Grandma’s House

2011-07-20T14:40:00.000-05:00

Some more pictures from our trip to Grandma and Grandma’s house over the Fourth of July:

Caleb sitting on a decades-old Cat in the Hat ride-on toy and playing with a similarly old Transformer.

Caleb loves playing with the toys at Grandpa and Grandma’s house. (Hopefully not more than he likes seeing his extended family. Caleb recently woke up from a nap and immediately shouted, “Uncle Paul!” So I’m guessing he likes the people too.) ;)

Sophia we her usual clingy self in the midst of the crowd of people, so Grandma had her hands available to hold Noah. I caught this picture in a rare moment when Sophia was not in my arms:

Thanks for the great weekend!

Waterpark

2011-07-19T14:30:00.001-05:00

Over the Fourth of July, we visited Luke’s parents and family which included the usual relaxing, eating good food (that I don’t have to cook), and playing a round of frisbee golf.

This time we also added a visit to the waterpark. I think we went down this slide at least 50 times:

On your marks:

Get set (making sure to cover your eyes so they don’t get):

Go!

Each time we’d reach the bottom, both Caleb and Sophia would run as fast as they could back to the top. Sophia loves water, so even though it looks like she couldn’t see anything in these pictures, she was having a blast. And although Caleb is generally cautious in water, the fun won out over his need for control this time.

The waterpark also had a playground in the middle of the kiddie pool. How fun! (That is, if you’re brave enough to get past the sprinklers.)

Best Job in the World

2011-06-30T14:38:00.001-05:00

I have the best job in the world.

Who else gets to splash in a backyard kiddie pool with some of the best people in the world?

No pictures today. I was having too much fun splashing.

Sad Goodbyes

2011-06-14T14:36:00.001-05:00

It started with a small tear that gradually grew. I watched it grow with trepidation, hoping the day it turned into a choking hazard would not come too soon. Some big crocodile tears were shed this past weekend as a little boy realized his beloved pacifier was broken.

You may think I sound overly dramatic. Last year we stupidly and mistakenly tried taking away the pacifier cold turkey, traumatizing the whole family in the process. (Two year olds should not stay awake until midnight.)

This past Saturday, I was fully expecting to have a long night trying to reteach Caleb how to fall asleep. Surprisingly, he quickly fell asleep and has slept normally (if not easily) since, aside from a few early mornings.

We’ve offered to let him keep his dilapidated remnant of a pacifier, but he’s made it very clear that he doesn’t like it. If telling us or throwing it off the bed wasn’t enough, he has also left it several times on the farthest corner of the bed, as if it had cooties.

He’s still plotting how he can get another one from the store, so we won’t be going by that aisle for a very long time. Thankfully he hasn’t realized that he could raid Sophia’s unused stash of rejected pacifiers right next door.

And now when I check on him sleeping, I leave his room thinking, “He looks so old.”

Here’s to growing up—moms who learn from their mistakes and little boys who learn to grieve over a broken pacifier.

Letter S

2011-06-13T15:04:00.001-05:00

If you’re like me you’re getting tired of reading these posts about crazy preschool-ish alphabet activities. Summer was in full swing early last week, so we spent a lot of time swimming and splashing.

Attribute of God: Strong
We had plenty of teachable moments while the storm sirens went off during a big storm Wednesday night. We talked about how strong the winds were and who made the wind. Thursday we toured the neighborhood several times, looking at the big trees that were uprooted or blown over by the strong winds. If God can do that so easily, think how safe we are when we take refuge in him!

Story: I had planned on retelling the story of Samson, but didn’t get in gear to do it.

Song: Mighty to Save

Common vocabulary: saw, stop, sad, splash, strawberry, swim, spaghetti, smoothie, sundae, Saturday, Sunday, sunscreen

People we know: Sophia!

Activities:

Thanks to a delivery of prime hand-picked strawberries from Grandpa and Grandma, we enjoyed strawberry sundaes, smoothies, cereal, yogurt, and pie!
Splash pad (If you’re not in the area, we have fancy sprinkler systems at several parks in town…and they’re free! Sophia loved it and “dove” right in. Caleb still likes to stay mostly dry, but is learning to tolerate more water in his face.)
Swimming in the kiddie pool
Swinging (I can’t believe I haven’t taken pictures of the kids on the new swing set yet!)

(It got a lot of attention this week.)

Ramps and Racecars

2011-06-12T16:07:00.000-05:00

Siblings

2011-06-10T15:54:00.000-05:00

Just a few videos highlighting some of the fun ways Caleb and Sophia are interacting these days.

Giggles

Games

Of course, this isn’t the whole picture. They’re also getting lots of practice saying sorry and sharing. My prayer for them is that they would continue to be best of friends for many years to come.

Birds

2011-06-09T15:53:00.000-05:00

Looking for the birds she heard out the window and climbing as high as she can to find them:

Sophia loves to look for and listen to birds. “Bird” was one of the first signs she used consistently, even before milk and all done. I’ve seen more robins, blue jays, cardinals, crows, and other birds I can’t identify this year than any other. It reminds me of my Grandma McCracken who could identify any bird I pointed out. I love that my kids open my eyes and help me be amazed by the world God made and put right in front of me.

Seeds Take Time

2011-06-08T15:06:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder that seeds take time to grow:

I planted these columbine seeds three years ago. This is the first year they’ve bloomed.

Recent Projects

2011-06-07T14:58:00.000-05:00

“Recent” meaning “I barely have time to make the stuff much less blog about it.”

Combined birthday cake:

Birthday pajamas for Sophia:

More PJ pants:

Lightweight winter hat from this pattern:

Felt fried egg (perhaps the easiest and fastest item I’ve ever made):

Toddler drawstring backpack from this tutorial and a larger one using the dimensions and “stringing" instructions from this tutorial:

It’s pretty cute to see Sophia carrying one of these around, so a girl-version may need to be made.

More PJ pants (the accompanying shirt has yet to be made):

Caleb’s birthday block cake:

Every time I try decorating a cake, I gain new appreciation for people who are actually good at it!

So the water was a bit cold…

2011-06-06T15:28:00.001-05:00

Letter R

2011-06-06T14:39:00.001-05:00

Attribute of God: Rescuer
This is a theme that The Jesus Storybook Bible hits really hard, so the term was already familiar to Caleb. For his book, we used this picture along with 1 Samuel 17:36-37, 2 Samuel 22:20, and Colossians 1:13. We also played a game where Caleb pretended to be drowning in the crashing waves (a blanket) and to being eaten by a crocodile (a stuffed caterpillar). After all that fun, he would yell, “Help!” and I’d come to rescue, pick him up, and put his feet on the rock (a laundry basket). A little cheesy, but perfectly fun.

Bible Story: The Rich Young Ruler from Matthew 19
We kept it pretty simple. I pulled out the camel from our Little People Nativity Set, a blunt tip needle, and we read the story from my Bible. Main idea: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Song: Rejoice in the Lord Always

Common vocabulary: rain, red, run, rainbow, raisin, rock, root, rub, rice, ramen

People we know: Grandpa Ray, the Ryons

Activities: We kept busy visiting relatives, building and playing on the new swing set Luke built, and hiking over roots and rocks in Palisades.

Letter Q

2011-06-06T14:20:00.001-05:00

Guess I wasn’t very quick to get this posted since we’ve already done Letter R. I could add a quip, but it’d just be the quintessential excuses.

Attribute of God: Quick (as in quick to listen, forgive… Ps. 103:8)

Bible Story: Queen Esther

Song: Um, yeah. I hit a blank on this one.

Common vocabulary: quack, quarrel, queen, question, quick, quiet, quilt, qwerty, quinoa, quarter, quesadilla

Activities: playing loud and quiet games, typing using qwerty keyboard, doing everything quickly, making rubbings of quarters

Just because:

Teaching Attributes of God

2011-06-03T17:24:00.001-05:00

I’m pretty passionate about teaching my kids that the Bible is more than a group of fun and strange stories; namely, that it’s a way to know God. As such, I’ve been trying to incorporate an attribute of God into each week’s alphabet activities with Caleb.

Sometimes the most effective discussions come at random times of the day—cleaning up after lunch, singing songs at the piano, sitting in the middle of a pile of toys—and it helps me to be prepared and looking for opportunities. Other times, it’s helpful to create opportunities. This week we played a game where we pretended we were drowning and someone came to rescue us. We had a bit of fun, and hopefully it’ll give Caleb a clearer picture of how God relates to us.

I’ve also recorded each attribute so that we can look back and remember what we know about God. Each page includes the attribute in large text, some clip art or a drawing to help us remember, and a Bible verse. Every so often, Caleb and I will sit down together so Caleb can “read” the book to me. I’m amazed at how much he remembers!

Some are simple:

Some have several pictures:

God is the Creator along with pictures of some of the things he made.

Here I explained holy by saying God never makes mistakes. We then drew pictures of several commonly made mistakes around our house—breaking dishes, yelling in anger, not sharing, etc.—and drew a line through them.

Some, I mean, most are good reminders for me:

Immanuel: stick figure with a barely visible person next to him and Joshua 1:9. A good reminder that God is with me even when I can’t see him, and that if I look closely I’ll be able to see him at work.

More than anything, the time we take to draw or look at pictures and talk about them is beneficial. I pray that as we think and talk rightly about God, our hearts will turn to worship the One who is worthy of so much more than we can give.

Work of Art

2011-05-27T16:01:00.000-05:00

I may like this birthday present better than my kids do, which is staying a lot. You’ll notice they kidnapped several pieces while I took pictures.

Luke’s mom makes these books with her high school classes, and she was kind enough to make one for us. Thanks!

For Caleb

2011-05-26T21:08:00.001-05:00

On your third birthday, three things I like about you…

Your intense imagination can turn practically anything into a digger truck, phone, museum pass hand stamp, house, or musical instrument. May your imagination serve you well in getting to know a God who is more than we can understand.
You try new things and explore. May you take big risks for the right reasons and at the right time!
You have a lot of energy. It’s never boring when you’re around! May you use your energy well.

Letter Pages

2011-05-25T15:24:00.000-05:00

Each week that Caleb and I have done alphabet activities, we create a letter page early in the week. I mostly use it as a brainstorming tool. At first I did most of the brainstorming, but now Caleb is coming up with words to add. I write the words we come up with and then draw a simple picture (I’m no artist.) so that Caleb can “read” the words himself. Depending on the week and on his interest level, we may have a lot of words or just a few. The pages usually end up with scribbles, and I remind the teacher in me that the scribbling is a mark of interest and attention more than destruction.

Sandbox

2011-05-24T22:03:00.000-05:00

Dandelions

2011-05-23T15:59:00.000-05:00

Hair

2011-05-22T15:57:00.000-05:00

For a time, the hat kept the hair out of her eyes, but now that it’s over 70 most days, it’s not really an option.

So the great hair debate begins…

Barrette?

Au natural?

Pebbles’ Ponytail?

I suppose there’s always this option…

Any votes?

Letter P

2011-05-21T15:12:00.001-05:00

Attribute of God: Patient

Bible Story: Peter walks on water. Matthew 14. We used a blue blanket, a paper boat, and a couple stick figures from our Easter tomb to tell the story.

Song: “Have Patience” from Music Machine’s Agapeland, 2nd verse of “I’ve Got the Joy…”

Common vocabulary: penguin, purple, pink, puppy, potatoes, polite, please, pizza, pretzels, peach, pancakes, puzzle, pepperoni, peppers, pajamas, pudding

Activities: Picnic at the Park, Pudding Paint

Caleb sitting in his “house”-otherwise known as the tree stump.

Bettendorf Family Museum

2011-05-20T21:46:00.001-05:00

Last weekend we spent the day in the Quad-Cities, most importantly seeing Grandpa and Grandma, but we also had the chance to go to the Bettendorf Family Museum.

Caleb’s favorite part was driving the car with Grandpa, but the steel drums were a close second. There was quite a bit to do: grocery store, gas station, play kitchen, pond, art/craft station, wacky mirrors, music exhibits, weather exhibit (tornado included) and more that I'm forgetting. Sophia loved exploring and especially playing with the interactive pond mat.

Thanks for the fun adventure, Mom and Dad!

Model T:

Wacky Mirrors:

Gas station:

Kitchen:

Farm exhibit. I think Sophia’s riding a cow here.

Various mallet instruments:

Steel drum, Sophia-style:

Quotables

2011-05-19T14:52:00.001-05:00

As I was cutting an onion: “Good job not being sad, Mommy!”

As he was looking at a picture of Jonah and the big fish: “Going in the intestines.”

As he was helping Sophia color: “Beautiful!” then a bit later… “No eatin’ colors, Sophia.”

And so as not to give a skewed perspective of our day, I also heard, “Give me my ‘tuff!”

Letter O

2011-05-13T17:09:00.001-05:00

Attribute of God: Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent
Ok, so Caleb doesn’t quite get these words yet, but he understands that God sees him wherever he is, that God knows how many hairs are on his head, that God is strong enough to do anything, and that God can find him wherever he goes. Several times this week, we acted out Psalm 139 as we read it. We also tried counting how many hairs are on our heads (Matthew 10:29-31). We made it to 20 before giving up and saying “lots.”

Bible Story: The Widow’s Offering from Luke 21:1-4
Another dramatic presentation. Caleb got the big bag of toys representing the rich people bringing their offerings to the temple. Sophia got the little bag carrying 2 toys representing the poor widow. Which offering is bigger? Even though the rich man gave more stuff, the widow gave more of her heart.

Song: Old MacDonald, Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord

Common vocabulary: octopus, owl, on, off, oatmeal, omni-, orchestra, opposites, OK, obey, omelet, onion, orange, offering, ocean

Books: Owl Moon (one of my favorites) and several non-fiction books about owls and oceans

Food: omelets, mandarin oranges, Cheeri-O-s, oatmeal cookies

Activities:

Opposite game (I say up, you say ____. I say loud, you say ____.)
Make oatmeal raisin cookies
Create an octopus (with 8 legs, 36 stickers, and a smiley face)
Create an ocean in an old soap container. It included salt water, sand, rocks, seaweed (yarn), a shark, lots of little fish, an octopus, 2 shells, some starfish, a jellyfish, and 2 crabs. Since we cut all the fish out of fun foam, they all float. I guess we created a polluted ocean that killed all the fish off. Caleb also took the opportunity to taste salt water. A fun activity to do together and talk about even if it doesn’t look very pretty.

This week also included our second bike ride to the park. I love listening to Caleb’s chatter as he and Sophia ride in the bike trailer. Sophia’s not a fan of her helmet yet, but Caleb tries to convince her that it’s ok. We’ll go to the park a few more times, and then I bet she’ll realize that the helmet is worth the reward.

Letter N

2011-05-10T14:08:00.001-05:00

Attribute of God: God never changes.

Bible story: Noah, Namaan, Nathan

Song: Nothing new this week, but Caleb did create a “song” that involves the words “I love you” over and over and over. Pretty sweet. I’m also hearing an interesting medley that includes Awesome God, The B-I-B-L-E, and The Alphabet Song.

Common vocabulary: neighbors, net, nest, nap, no, noodles, nine, numbers

People we know: Noah

Activities: Pied Piper Brass Quintet concert. It has nothing to do with the letter N, but Caleb loves these trips to the mall. We listen to the concert, eat lunch there, and usually do some fun kid stuff like riding the escalator multiple times.

To Mom

2011-05-08T19:57:00.001-05:00

Who inspired and nurtured in me a love for reading and learning. Your legacy will extend for generations…

I could say much, much more, but I’ll keep it simple this year. I love you, Mom!

Dress

2011-05-05T15:30:00.001-05:00

I made my first dress for Sophia using Prudent Baby’s Snappy Toddler Top Pattern. I printed it at 94% to attempt a 12 month size, and it’s pretty close. If I ever use the pattern again, I’ll make the armholes a bit more generous since they are snug right now. The side seam length is 14” from underarm to hem. Overall is a fairly simple, fairly forgiving pattern. If Sophia didn’t already have a summer wardrobe, I’d be tempted to make several shirts like this.

Resurrection Eggs, Part 3

2011-05-02T14:19:00.001-05:00

Ok, I know they’re called Resurrection Eggs, so they should end with the resurrection, but both Caleb and Sophia have been so excited about the eggs and the stories that I decided to continue through Jesus’ ascension into heaven.

Day 15: The women at the tomb.
Symbol: Stick figure with dress.

Day 16: Jesus appears to the disciples.
Symbol: felt fish (which is currently hiding somewhere in our house…)
Activities: We read the story locked inside a room with the lights out, ate goldfish for snack (uncommon around here), and ate fish for dinner (not uncommon around here).

Day 17: Doubting Thomas
Symbol: Pair of googly eyes
Activities: Blindfold games (“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed!”)

Day 18: The miraculous catch of fish (John 20)
Symbol: Fishing net (part of a bag that we buy onions in)
Activities: Fishing in the bathtub. We used the rest of the onion bag to catch the bathtub ducks.

Day 19: Jesus’ ascension into heaven
Symbol: Cloud (cotton ball)
Activities: Caleb remembered gluing cotton balls to paper when we talked about creation, and he wanted to do it again so he did. I considered releasing helium balloon with them and watching it float away, but I was afraid it’d be more traumatizing than it was worth.

Promised Video

2011-04-29T06:48:00.001-05:00

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

2011-04-28T15:04:00.001-05:00

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

2011-04-27T14:03:00.001-05:00

One year ago:

Two weeks ago:

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

Sophia at One: A Snapshot

2011-04-27T13:57:00.001-05:00

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

2011-04-22T15:32:00.001-05:00

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

2011-04-18T15:03:00.001-05:00

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

2011-04-17T14:59:00.001-05:00

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

2011-04-15T14:28:00.001-05:00

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

2011-04-09T14:30:00.001-05:00

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

2011-04-05T14:20:00.001-05:00

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.

First Steps

2011-03-21T09:09:00.000-05:00

Sophia took her first toddling steps this past week, and like the classic story of the second child, I don’t have video. She’s still pretty shaky on her feet, so maybe when she’s more stable I’ll be able to captures some video and post it.

Letter K

2011-03-20T20:28:00.001-05:00

Attribute of God: King of Kings

Bible Story: Heaven
Once again, I used the Jesus Storybook Bible. I really wanted to come up with something creative, but everything I came up with seemed too cheesy. It wouldn’t have done heaven justice. So we kept it simple. This is what I know Caleb knows about heaven: It’s where Jesus lives. Jesus is the king of heaven. There won’t be any tears or sadness in heaven; Jesus will take them away. (I can hardly wait for the day… )

Song: King of Kings; Hallelujah, Salvation and Glory

Common vocab: kittens, kite, kangaroo, kids, key, kick, kitchen, kind

Food: Kiss cookies

Video: BBC nature videos of kangaroos (like this one)

People we know: Katie H., Katie L.

Activities: Make paper kite, fly a real kite
The expression on Caleb’s face when Luke first got the kite in the air is something I hope I don’t forget for a long time. Caleb had a lot of fun flying the kite by himself (just like Curious George). Thankfully, he didn’t fly off like Curious George does in the story.

And one last activity: Kickboxing. Literally.

Grocery Lists

2011-03-17T14:55:00.001-05:00

Last week, as we were cruising through the grocery story, Caleb spotted donuts. (And not the good donuts, but the donuts that say, “I’m loaded with sugar, and I don’t even taste good. Why are you eating me?”) Unfortunately for Caleb, donuts weren’t on his grocery list, so we couldn’t get them.

The 5 minutes it takes to make a list for Caleb more than pays for itself, especially now that Sophia is taking his spot in the cart. He gets to be like Mommy with her list, and he gets something to read. It also serves as a useful distraction and as a restraint when day-old donuts start calling his name.

Enrapt

2011-03-12T15:02:00.000-06:00

This is what they were watching:

Letter J

2011-03-11T14:58:00.001-06:00

Remember Caleb’s imagination? Ever since attending the Pied Piper Woodwind concert (put on by our local symphony), the vacuum extension tubes have turned into a bassoon, and the hammer has turned into a flute.

On another note, Sophia decided she wanted her cheeks to match.

And now on to our letter of the week activities:

Attribute of God: Just (Deuteronomy 32:4, 1 John 1:9)

Bible Story: Jesus
I’ll admit I was rather lazy this week. We read a few stories from Caleb’s story Bible and reviewed Joshua and Jericho just for kicks. I was curious what Caleb thinks of when he hears “Jesus,” so I asked. Caleb said, “Amen.”

Song: I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy…; Joy to the World (nothing like Christmas in March)

Common vocabulary: jazz, jump, jet, Jello, jam, jellyfish, jelly beans, joy

Craft: Read books about jellyfish and then make one (Those are fish getting eaten by the jellyfish, by the way.)

Treat: Jelly Bellies (Caleb sorted and counted them before enjoying them. Actually he’s been enjoying them for dessert all week. It’s been a great motivator to finish his food. He’s also noticed the words on each jelly bean, except he shouts “Jingle Bells” instead of “Jelly Belly.” )

Give: Take a meal to baby James and his family (Caleb helped make the brownies and carry the gift.) If our friends keep up this trend of naming babies to match with our letter of the week activities, I won’t have to

People we know: Uncle Jon, Joel, Aunt Jenn, Uncle Jason, Joey, James

Great-Grandma

2011-03-10T14:39:00.001-06:00

I love these pictures. I am so thankful for our loving and generous parents and grandparents. We love you, Great-Grandma! Let’s read books together again soon!

Reading is Dangerous

2011-03-10T14:27:00.001-06:00

Sophia sat down while holding a book. Ouch.

God Grew Tired of Us

2011-03-08T15:54:00.000-06:00

If you’re more of a movie person than a book person and are interested in an eye-opening story, watch God Grew Tired of Us.

God Grew Tired of Us tells the story of the Lost Boys of Sudan, a group (actually thousands) of boys displaced by the civil war in Sudan. After reading What is the What, I borrowed this documentary from our library. It’s definitely an eye-opening story. Maybe it wouldn’t be as eye-opening for someone who followed this story from the get-go, but most of the “lost boys” would be my peers, meaning I would have been in elementary school (maybe younger) when they lost their homes and families, walked across their country, and started calling a refugee camp home.

If you want to see America with fresh eyes, watch the scenes in this documentary of a group of Sudanese refugees climbing onto a plane, seeing an aerial view of their camp, eating airline food, seeing an aerial view of New York, walking on an escalator, turning on a light switch, going to a grocery story, asking about our Christmas traditions…. These scenes feature both comic and sober moments.

The whole story makes me think back to a video our church showed before Christmas that tried to answer the question, “What is poverty?” In the video, they defined poverty not by a standard of living, but by relationships. If you suddenly didn’t have a place to sleep tonight or food to eat today, how long would it take you to find a place to sleep and food to eat? How many people could you call that could give you these things? How many people could a Sudanese refugee call?

Anyway…the documentary was well-done. Interesting and informative. Not your typical boring high-school-history-class documentary. I’d recommend watching it.

Letter I

2011-03-07T15:40:00.001-06:00

Attribute of God: Immanuel. God is with us.

Bible Story: Jericho…because of Joshua 1:9. I reinforced the theme that the Israelites didn’t have to be afraid because God was with them. Grandma and Grandpa (and even Great-Grandma!) got to participate in this one! The slide turned into the city of Jericho, and the vacuum extensions turned into trumpets. We marched around the city, sounded our trumpets, yelled, and the walls fell down.

Song: Emmanuel

Common vocab: ice cream, ice, icicle, igloo, iguana, ill, instruments, imagination, idea, icky

Give: Delivered art kit to the hospital foundation office.

Activity: Musical instruments. Nothing really new here, but we did a lot of drumming and trumpeting this week.

Seems kind of slim this week, but oh well. I considered helping Caleb make musical instruments, but I decided that he finds enough of those without my help.

imagination

2011-03-04T15:04:00.001-06:00

In honor of letter I week, I thought I’d show what Caleb’s imagination has concocted this week.

Who needs a fancy play kitchen when you already have a bookshelf? Who needs an oven mitt when you already have duplo blocks? Who needs a chef’s hat when you already have a stocking hat? (Caleb has even gotten Sophia to play along. “Here, Sophia, have some blueberries!” And Sophia dutifully pretends to eat air. So cute.)

Who needs to make a trumpet or trombone when vacuum extension tubes will do? Who needs to make a fancy drum when you have laundry baskets, toy boxes, oatmeal canisters, baking powder cans, walls…

Who needs a phone when you’ve got a domino?

Who needs a camera when blocks will do?

What is the What

2011-03-02T20:04:00.000-06:00

Very rarely does a book inspire me to action. In this case What is the What by Dave Eggers did just that.

Reading What is the What made me realize how naïve I am and how blessed I am. Imagine living in a country that has known nine years of peace over the course of fifty years. Imagine eating one meal a day for years on end. Imagine losing your parents, family, and home when you’re six years old and not having anyone to turn to. Imagine calling a refugee tent city home. Imagine moving to the United States not knowing how to use a refrigerator or freezer.

After reading this autobiography/novel of one person’s journey through the civil war in Sudan and his life in a refugee camp, I read a series of news articles to see what has happened in the region since the book was published and to learn the outcome of Southern Sudan’s recent vote for independence. I read some of the country’s history from Wikipedia and browsed the main character’s foundation website. Proceeds from the book are donated to this foundation. They’ve built a secondary school among other endeavors. I also came across this timely series of blog posts, encouraging the support of refugee families coming into Des Moines through this agency. I also learned more about Christar, a mission agency working with refugees among other things.

What is the What does an excellent job telling a difficult story, making the unimaginable real, and a clarifying a complex political situation. I’d recommend spending the time to read it.

Birthday Balloon

2011-03-02T19:51:00.001-06:00

Caleb’s not the only one who enjoys the birthday balloon!

Grand Visits

2011-03-01T15:27:00.001-06:00

When Grandma’s coming to visit, I don’t hesitate to suggest that Caleb or Sophia ask her to read to them. Somehow I know she won’t mind. :)

This time Caleb got to read one of my childhood favorites Lolly Elephant Says Sharing is Fun. The pages are fuzzy and it was often quoted in our family. What else is there to say?

Unfortunately I didn’t get pictures of Luke’s parents on their visit. Sophia was a bit too overwhelmed and snuggly for me to wield the camera.