Gifts

Don't you love it when I am giving you a gift and you look on my blog and you see it before I get it to you? It's like peeking. The top one is for my sister. I kind of took some liberties with the verse.

"Blessings on all who reverence and trust the Lord - on all who obey him. Their reward shall be prosperity and happiness. You (liberties taken - since it should be 'your wife') shall be contented in your home. and look at all those children! There they sit around the dinner table as vigorous and healthy as young olive trees. That is God's reward to those who reverence him." Psalms 128: 1-4

Okay, terrible picture, but this is for our sweet Nicole's new baby Anna. She was wanting a way to portray her Biblical namesake in her nursery. Hopefully it will get ot her before the baby is born! Have I mentioned how terrible I am at mailing stuff?

Bake Shop Preschooler Gift

We had so much fun making this gift for our friend in Mexico. The whole project was less than $15. Most of this stuff came from the dollar section of Michael's. Rolling pin, apron, oven mitt, chef hat, check out the great cookie bag to keep it all in! Fancy napkins, doilies, plates, a few cookie cutters, and a play knife to "spread icing."

We had fun making the cookies, the felt pieces are for rolling out the dough and cutting out the shapes. There is also a baggie of candy felt pieces for sprinkles and lots of icing colors. The round candy sprinkles are actually scrapbooking stickers.

What a great project with hopefully HOURS of fun for a busy little cook! Just the thing to pull out to entertain a little girl when her newborn brother requires all Mom's attention!

Mommy's Busy Box

The girls and I had a great time putting together a box of neat activities and ideas for our sweet friends who are about to add child #2 to their family. This box is full of neat ideas for some intentional activities to share with the older sibling. This was also a $1 Michaels pencil box.

Here's the inside of the box. If all the supplies needed were small, they are clipped to the card to make it easy. The clothespins say: Easy, Later, and Plan (meaning this one might take some advance planning). This busy box would in itself make a great frugal gift for a 2nd time mom. The ideas for the busy cards came from my own kid's memories, Slow and Steady Get Me Ready by June Oberlander and some of them from a great preschool activity blog: Frugal Family Fun.
I included a box with some of the supplies ready to go for many of the activities and just some other activities just for fun. This was a hodge-podge of stuff to be used with kid tweezers - or to be placed on colored paper with tweezers to make a color match game.

In a perfect world - where mommies get plenty of sleep and babies don't cry too much - it would be great to shoot for 5 Intentional things with that older sibling every day:

1. Bible time - this one could be done with Daddy or at bedtime all together. 3 year olds can start learning verses and retelling Bible stories they've heard.

2. Outside play -That's an easy one.

3. Paper time - cutting, coloring, crafting, or drawing.

4. Music time - just a few simple songs - maybe some active songs like Greg and Steve, a clapping game, or my favorite books of the Bible rap. Ideally, this would be intentional music time - with dancing or playing, waving a ribbon. singing - not just music in the background.

5. Learning time - book time, alphabet cards, or just simply counting or talking about colors and shapes. No big production needed. Don't stress about this one - just talk to your kid and ask them lots of questions!

This list is not meant to convict or overwhelm, but to help young moms somehow capture some simple structure out of a life that is often dictated by toddler tirades and poopy diapers. The best advice is to keep it simple, but be INTENTIONAL. Plan your week and then do whatever you can to set yourself up for success! Make things easy for yourself!

Okay, you have to come back to my blog later in the week when I share the last part of this gift - and the part the girls and I really enjoyed.

Mommy Brain Revisited

When my first child was born one of the things that was important to me was to give her memories like I had as a child of all the old nursery rhyme songs and sweet lullabies. However, my "mommy brain" kicked in and I would settle into that rocking chair and go blank. I couldn't remember what happened when that looking glass got broke, whose nose the 4&20 blackbirds pecked off, heck it was the middle of the night I could hardy remember Jesus Loves Me . So, I printed out an actual cheat sheet and taped it on the wall next to the rocker. Yes I did.

Now, to tell that story with the proper spin I should say I was partaking in some "Intentional Parenting." Isn't that a buzz word you hear alot? But I like it. Being kind of a creative person with maybe and inclination toward scattered-brain-ness and overscheduling - if I'm not carefully intentional about everything - things go really bad!

I'm always sharing my intentional wearing of tennie shoes to get me moving in the morning. Yes, I am a geek, but I once imagined 20/20 had hidden cameras in my kitchen and it totally changed the way I did things. After kid #2 was born I was intentional about my activities with the older sibling. I scheduled time with her in an almost preschool-like way. With a newborn, handling the older sibling is always a challenge. Without intentional planning; meltdowns, jealousy, and you name it - it's all SURE to occur.

So, Monday I am going to share a neat gift I am preparing for my sweet friend who is expecting her child #2. I call it, "Mommy's Busy Box." The girls and I have had a ball creating all kinds of fun preschool activities to make special Intentional mommy time easy for her once the new baby is born.

Hamlet

I have loved teaching Shakespeare at our homeschool co-op this year. I LOVE to read Shakespeare with kids who get his jokes! That's so fun! I had originally planned to have Ally (7th grade) read Hamlet too since I was preparing everything for the class. However, I read an article about the benefits of not reading Shakespeare too early. The basic idea being so some themes aren't lost to lack of experience and students can have a greater awareness and appreciation.

I can't say enough about Progeny Press for Shakespeare! I so love the Christian perspective! The students are asked often in study questions to compare Hamlet's view with the Bible. Even from a non-spiritual-English teacher perspective this is so amazing! The depth of thought required to understand their own spiritual belief, apply it to the perceived belief of a character, compare it, and to analyze it. Not only do they gain a greater understanding of their own beliefs, the level of thinking is so much greater. Hamlet is so spiritually lost as a character, and it was neat from an apologetics standpoint for students to get an understanding of what does the Bible say to and about these situations.

Here's a couple of neat resources for Hamlet:
STICK FIGURE HAMLET
HAMLET FACEBOOK
LEGO HAMLET
Veggie Tales Omlet

Great Valentines Ideas

I LOVE Homemade Valentines! LOVE LOVE them! Love making them. Love giving them. Love cutting up lots of red and pink paper and sprinklin' glitter and glue. Fun! I'd like to appoint myself the queen of the homemade Valentine, but most of my ideas come from the yearly Family Fun February issues, so maybe I'm not so great after all.

It's so funny the phases kids go through. Up until my kids were about 2nd grade they thought my Valentine's projects were incredible, I was brilliant, and couldn't wait to get involved in my projects. About 3rd - 5th (younger for boys) there comes a period of indifference, "as long as you make them all, I'll give them, I guess." Followed by a discovery that cheesy commercial Valentine's blanket the isles of every store in America and a, "Mom, why can't we just give people NORMAL Valentines?" Then, it rebounds apparently and at 13 Ally now has the maturity to recognize the superior quality and creative genius of the handmade Valentine.

So I'll be sharing several projects in the upcoming weeks- the link below gives you step by step and PRINTABLE template for an awesome Alligator? Crocodile? Valentine. Very cute and simple! I made these last year for my kids.

http://skiptomylou.wordpress.com/2008/02/06/id-snap-at-the-chance-to-be-your-valentine/

I like to drag out a holiday, so I like to have a special treat for every school day the week of Valentine's waiting for them on our school table each morning. Nothing elaborate. This year here's some of my ideas-

• Baggie of Chex muddy buddies with card attached -? Your my Muddy Buddy? - not sure, I'll think of something. I've just really been wantin' some muddy buddies & needed an excuse to make some.


• Baggie of Lucky Charms & a sweet note for each child telling them why I am Lucky to have them.


• Silly Banz Rings (jungle animals) and a card that says, "I'm wild about you!" I found a big pack of these for a dollar on clearance somewhere.


• A note written out of glued on candy hearts. We usually do this for writing around Valentine's and they compose a whole story.


• Chocolate kisses with a sweet note - just because they love them.

Games for Homeschooling

I love using games for homeschooling. I wish we made more time to play them more often! We all get focused on getting the list done and don't play as much as we should. I forget that kids (especially boys) learn so much better that way! Here's a few of the Ayers Family favorites:

1. Ayers Brain Ball - made with a $5 Nerf baskeball goal and ball. Very simple rules. If you get your question right - you get a point AND the opportunity to make a basket and get 1 additional point. I love this game because all levels can play together - I can mix various subjects; spelling words, math problems, science review, whatever.

2. Hyperdash - my ALL time favorite for Math review. I've seen the game on clearance at Walmart occasionally pretty cheap too. The game contains a sensor kids press over colored cones, up to 4 can play and the game will give each players time. My kids have to answer a math flashcard before they can press the sensor. Sometimes we place the cones far apart to make this a really active game! Works for various levels also. It is especially fun to let preschoolers play and just say the color of the cone instead of answering a math question.

3. Spelling Activity Cards - I found these SOMEWHERE on the web. I can't for the life of me find them again. It's pretty simple - the kids draw a card and have to spell a word using the "mode" on the card: spell like a robot, dribble the letters and shoot the word, Drum the letters on the table, funny voices, etc.

4. Jeopardy - I made a huge Jeopardy board out of typing paper and we get it out occasionally for a fun game reviewing all kinds of subjects. We lay it out on the floor and place colored paper over each space as it is used. I change out the titles; but generally I have categories like Spelling, Language, Science, Math, History, and a fun one with just zany stuff. I don't make up questions in advance, I just have a lot of their school books spread out before me and I make it up as I go along.

5. Math Games - I need LOTS of help with math; especially to make it fun! We use as many manipulatives as possible - everything I can get my hands on; musical math CD's, games, Wrap Ups, fun homemade counters. I love the ideas on the education world site too.

Art Projects

I had a fun time playing with some new art supplies tonight. Yes, that's my creepy looking hand to the left trying to take a picture & keep shadows OFF the paper. I've decided to do more art - something everyday in an art journal. Maybe I can manage that.

I have this weakness for fancy paper. Watercolor paper. Crayola anything. Sharpies, especially the fine point ones, and the metallic ones, and the chisel tip ones. I've been accumulating some Office Depot Star Teacher rewards and I had such a good time spending them today, buy one get one free Sharpies.

I love my children so dearly, I'm so grateful to have them at home with me. BUT their is something so DIVINE about my Fridays when they are all at co-op. It just brings out the creative me and I just bask in the SILENCE. Aahh. Even if it is only for half a day. If I have to run errands I do them with a Coke Slurpee from Burger King. :) It's the little things that make me smile!

May you have a wonderfully BLESSED weekend! We've been super busy with school, softball, basketball games and cold weather that just makes us want to curl up and read and go nowhere!

Shoes Bring Peace

I have a verse in my kitchen that says, "God is not a God of disorder but of peace." I Cor. 14:33. I may be taking this scripture totally out of context but for me this means God can relate when a messy house makes me crazy! Sometimes I just crawl around on my floor scrubbing up muddy paw prints and saying this verse to myself. Maybe God means by this verse that dogs belong outside?

Yesterday some 6th grade girls and I were talking about practical ways to move out of the chaos in your life and into peace. What an excellent message for all of us as we start this great New Year! So here's some practical thoughts:

1. How can you work in some more prayer? Prayer is our path to power and peace! Where are some places as a family you can work in more prayer during your time together? When someone approaches you with a problem or concern; do you take the time to stop right then and pray with them about it? Prayer is time with God - you don't have to bring him your list - I like to pray in my head in the grocery store (one of the few places I get to go alone).

2. Find some great scripture to memorize and literally stand on. This was my dad's idea a long, long time ago when I was a kid. He encouraged me to write scripture on the bottom of my shoes -standing on the word - literally. He quoted Romans 16:20, "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet." Satan's under our feet - I love to write that passage on the bottom of my shoes because I'm pretty sure Satan sees it from under my feet and I can just visualize it rubbing his nose (literally) in what's coming for him. I remember as a kid feeling attacked or frustrated and stomping my feet as a reminder that, "Satan you are under my feet - God is in control and you are not!" This is such a great way to help kids cope with difficult situations as well!

3. Peace comes easy with Joy - joy's not always easy. A great way to begin is to increase your thankfulness all the time especially when you don't want to. It's a slow start but when you are focusing on God that thankfulness brings joy and joy brings peace. Other ways to increase the peace? Singing music that glorifies God. I am still crazy about seeds family worship - I love their seeds of praise CD -for me- not just the kids!

Little things just for me:

• For me I need constant reminders that God is in control so I won't try to take over and cause more chaos.


• I need to force myself into action - I've shared before how I have to get my tennie shoes on as early as possible to get myself moving.


• I need to make time for organization. If I don't have a plan we'll all be trouble. In every aspect of my life - spiritually - When am I reading my Bible? physically - What are we eating this week? homeschooling - What are the kids learning this week?

Maybe the shoes are what it is all about! Get 'em on and get going - crush Satan under them - and as it says in Ephesians 6:15, they are an important part of our armor, "and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace." I pray Eph. 3:16-21 over all of you this morning. And you'll have to go look that one up yourself if you are curious!

Holiday Wrap Up

Okay. All birthdays are done. Parties with friends done. Christmas done. Scheduled visits done. Everything back in the attic. Outside Christmas & birthday toys have been thoroughly enjoyed during a wonderful week of 65+ degree weather. Now, I don't mind if winter comes. Some school was done this week, but Monday begins the week as usual. Here are a few pictures and highlights... We had a fun trip to the zoo with Shalome! We liked the howler monkeys best. I've been so frustrated with this strange blur on top left of my photos; was it the cold morning air? sunlight?some kind of strange malfunction? I struggled with it and wondered why it ruined so many photos! Was something terribly wrong with my nice, new camera? No! It was a smudge on the lens. Duh? I'm so smart.

We have to do the Christmas pageant with each set of cousins.

This was a rather UNIQUE production with Mary and Joseph going to the Superbowl in Arlington and gangsters instead of shepherds. Interesting.

Our games at my parent's were a huge hit. The Amazing Race was so much fun. This is Daniel and Sydney racing to empty a Kleenex box in 60 seconds in our Minute to Win it Game.

Then of course they had the empty Kleenex boxes to strap on and bounce 8 ping pong balls out of.

No trip to Grandma & Grandads can be complete without some major family sporting event. Baseball or basketball or something.

Gracie and her friend Anna both got matching quilts made by their older sisters. They LOVED them!

Gracie had a fun skating party with some of her best friends. Daniel had a fun party at Chuck E. Cheese with some of his friends.

All this excitement has about done Abby in. She is ready for a few weeks of QUIET! Me too, Abby! Me Too!

Double Digits

Gracie turns 10 today! We are having a few of her friends over tomorrow to go skating with her, but we celebrated with a school holiday and lots of fun today. She wanted to go on a bike ride and have the whole day to spend playing with her brother (they are major buds lately). The sparkler in the cake was a bit scary by the way.
Unfortunately her cake was a bit of a train wreck. It seems I've been plagued with several major culinary disasters lately - but this one literally takes the cake. The cake (not pictured) looked nice, your average round 2 tiered cake with one tier slightly smaller, chocolate frosting with Sixlets decorating it as requested by the birthday girl. Just before supper I reached into an upper cabinet and a jar came crashing down onto the cake shattering the glass cake stand it was on and sending glass everywhere. What a MESS! My husband, the hero as always, jumps into action to handle messes so I ran to HEB to pick up a store-bought cake. So, this photo is cake #2.

She talked us into letting her open her presents the night before her birthday. She was torn - she wanted Daddy to be there for present opening, but didn't want to wait until evening to open them (dad leaves too early to be here for A.M. present opening).

She got a pogo stick which she has LOVED, a skateboard, and some awesome red rubber boots, and a few other things.

Since there were no actual presents on her birthday, we went overboard with tons of decorations all over the house.

We went to Bahama Bucks for their awesome root beer snowcones, went to the library, went for a bike ride, and she spent a birthday gift card from her great-grandma.

Happy Birthday, Gracie Pearl! I can't believe you're 10!

and my phone was dead...

And my phone was dead. I know for a lot of people that sounds like the start of a horror movie. But, truth is I could of charged it and I chose not to. Shocking, I know. We ate in a restaurant not too long ago and I bet 3/4 of the people there were not speaking to each other, but playing on their phones. Don't you think it's terrible the way people are so tied to their phones?

We spent kind of an unplugged weekend in the woods at my parent's house. They travel alot - and although we LOVE their sweet presence, we also like to invade their house uninvited when they aren't home. It's such a peaceful place and we eat all their food and snuggle in their new snugglies and watch their old movies.

We had a great couple of lazy days. We napped. We played in the woods. We drank hot chocolate and ate popcorn, okay sidenote to my Mom - we pretty much ate everything -you might stop and get groceries before you come home. We played Apples to Apples. We shot guns, we played frisbee with the dog, we built a massive fort system beside the pond. We read, we watched movies. We rested.

It was a great way to start the New Year! I hope you have a blessed and happy 2011!