went to the market.
This little piggy stayed home.
This little piggy had roast beef.
This little piggy had none.
And this little piggy said weee, weee, weee, all the way home!
This Little Piggy
August 23, 2008 by Leave a Comment
OUR Summer Olympics 2008
August 23, 2008 by 2 Comments
With the start of the Olympics, our children have stayed up late to watch all of the Opening Ceremonies, watched at least a half hour of Olympic coverage every night, read factual books about China, watched a video about life in China, and have even been listening to us read about Eric Liddell (a famous Olympian and missionary to China). However, we just HAD to participate in our own Olympics to make the experience come alive!
So, look out world! We have some record breaking Olympians on our hands, right in our own backyard– well at least when it comes to pillowcase hops, spoon and ball races, water relays, and Beanie Baby balancing =)
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The night before, we had each chosen a country to represent. We located these on our globe and colored a flag to wave in our Opening Ceremonies.
We wore another flag from our respective countries on our back as well.(Yes, even the baby.)
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We colored in our Olympic coloring book before breakfast. Then, at our ‘breakfast of champions’, Daddy read some facts about the torch, colors of the Olympics rings, the medals, reason for the games, etc.
We worked on our memory verse throughout the day…
Colossians 3:23-24
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Here are some of our events..
Spoon and Ball Race |
Hurdles |
Balance Beam |
Water Relay |
Pillow Case Hopping |
At the end, everyone was awarded a gold medal for participating with joyful hearts, helping others, being encouragers, doing their best, trying to learn their Bible memory, etc.
And to round out the full experience of the games, we even ate Chinese food for dinner using chopsticks =) A fun day for all!
Here are some more fun links to another family’s Olympics…
The Fairy Olympics
Preschool Olympics – Throwing and Catching
Backwards Olympics
Showing Grace
July 15, 2008 by 1 Comment
My response would have probably been a firm ‘No.’ However, I was not the one in position to execute the decision and so I left it up to him. I heard his voice gently speaking to them. A little later, I heard the clanking of bowls and spoons. Some, looking in on this scene, might have said that he had given in to them and that he was showing them that they could get their way when they complain loudly enough.
But I saw a loving father demonstrating God’s grace in a tangible way.
The loud complaining was a ‘But, Daddy!’ and tears – over something as simple as not being able to have a snack before bed. A request that is sometimes answered by a yes and at other times, due to the lateness or other circumstances, receives a “No, not tonight.” Yes, they responded poorly to our answer and should have been disciplined appropriately and not have been able to have a snack.
And so enters unmerited favor from their daddy. After talking with the girls and explaining that they should not have a snack becasue of their poor response, he then extends grace by forgoing punishment and allowing them to have a small snack.
This showing of grace points me to Christ and His grace that was extended to us. May their earthly daddy’s small acts of grace towards them point our little ones’ hearts and minds to their Heavenly Father as well.
For it is by grace you have been saved,
through faith—and this not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
and are justified freely by his grace
through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Romans 3:23-24
Ants! (part 2)
June 27, 2008 by Leave a Comment
Taking our ant problem and making it FUN!
“Ants have three body parts. They have a head, abdomen, and thorax. There is one queen in a colony. They have jaws. They use their antennae to smell. Some ants have stingers. Some ants are brown and some are black. Most of the ants are females. Forager ants collect food. Some of the ants are builder ants. They fix the nest if some of the dirt falls. The male ants meet with the queen. The male ants have wings. After the flighting, the male ants die. The special part about the queen is that she is the only one that lays the eggs.”
by A – age 6
making an anthill with tunnels and rooms for all the ants…
our edible ants….
We also READ a ton of ant books that we gathered from the library, watched The Magic School Bus has Ants in its Pants (way too many times, LOL!), counted out raisin ‘ants’ with tweezers into muffin tins, made a construction paper ant, and read what the Bible has to say about ants …
Proverbs 6:6-8
Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.
Ants!
June 12, 2008 by 3 Comments
I have no problem with insects and spiders being outside. That’s where they belong – in nature. Let every insect and spider be forewarned, however, that once they crawl into our home they are traveling into dangerous territory!
We had our lawn service spray the foundations of our home a couple weeks ago – to keep the insects and spiders OUTside. Well, all this week we have been seeing ants INside on our main floor and up in our bedrooms. Argh! The lawn service came back out and reapplied the spray and left a note stating, “Please remember: This is a barrier treatment. It not only stops insects trying to come in, but also prevents them from going out…” So, since the ants were here before they sprayed, they are now stuck inside our home and have no place to go, except up and inside our house. Just what I wanted to hear =)
So, to eradicate the ant colony(ies) we need to get some ant bait/traps. (Love, if you are reading this, please stop by and get some ASAP =)) Until then, I have been seen on my hands and knees, squishing the ants, sweeping multiple times, and removing rugs or anything else that would normally be on the floor in the areas where we have spotted the little guys. I have been doing this so much in fact that one day this week our toddler was calling to me from the basement playroom and asking, “Smoosh ants, Mommy?” Um, yes. The kids have even got in on the ‘fun’ of finding them…
You know, I am going to great lengths to make sure we get rid of the ants in our home, but what measures am I willing to take to eradicate the sin areas in my life? One of the areas that God has recently pointed out to me is my use of time -specifically my time spent on (uh, oh) the computer. Do I really need to check my email every time I go to the office to get something? Must I check the homeschool forum to see if any additional answers to my question have been added –again? Do I have to check your blog to see if you have posted any new entries for me to read ? The answer I am hearing – No! At least not as often as I have been. Nothing is wrong with these things in and of themselves. I need to have support and correspondence with other moms, but I also need to set some limits so that I can better manage the affairs of my household.
Maybe I should place my Bible or a verse to memorize near my computer and read that instead. Then, I could go read a book to my children, sit on the floor and play a game with them, play cars, etc. I want to build strong and deep relationships with my children. That doesn’t just happen by chance. I have to make my little ones a priority over those times of ‘quick’ checking of my email and what I am discovering are actually a few moments of trying to escape my responsibilities.
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
Ephesians 5:15-17
