What to Do with Your Summer

Now that I’ve established that it’s okay to take a summer break when you homeschool, your brain may be burning lots of fuel as you think about all of the grand possibilities for your extra time!

Here are some of my ideas:

• Household projects.  Spring cleaning galore.  Deep down cleaning of windows, baseboards, cars, garage, whatever!  Remodel or redecorate a room.  Organize cabinets and closets.  Declutter!
• Outdoor work.  If you like to plant flowers or a vegetable garden, the warmer weather provides ample opportunity for taking care of your landscaping.
• Outdoor play.  Bike riding, picnics, swimming, canoeing . . .
• Vacation.  Don’t forget the value of day trips!
• Spend more time with family and friends. Make a list of the people you would like to see more often this summer and make goals so these desires don’t get lost in the shuffle.
• Put away last year’s school stuff.  File away the important papers.  Get rid of the rest.  Record grades.
• Prep for the new school year. Order curriculum. Make a schedule for your days, weeks, and/or year.  Set goals for learning and field trips.
• Spend a lot of time with your kids!  Make memories!
• Make a bucket list for each family member.  Find out what your husband’s and children’s goals are as well and do the best you can to fulfill some of everyone’s wishes.

Have a great summer!

A Fun, Homemade Gift for a Toddler

Recently my friend’s daughter turned two years old.  We wanted to do something for her to let her know we love her and were thinking about her on her birthday.

This gift is a fun and cute way to express your best wishes for a toddler, and it is pretty much guaranteed to be used!

In a bowl mix various goodies that are appropriate for a toddler.

We mixed:

• Goldfish crackers
• Dried cranberries
• Pretzels
• Kettle corn
• Annie’s bunny crackers (chocolate chip)
• Jelly beans (for color and fun!)

We put the mixture into a transparent treat bag, along with some special (packaged) peanut butter crackers.  Then we tied the bag with a cute, pink ribbon.

Have fun.  Be creative.

Give a gift that will be sure to please a toddler!

Chores for Children: Assigning Zones

I am revamping my chore system.  My system has been for us to tackle a morning chore, for me to tackle certain chores on certain days, and for the rest to be tackled here and there by whomever.

We are still doing our morning chores, but I made the children’s chores more focused. I assigned them certain zones in the house to maintain. 

Each morning and night, my children are encouraged to keep their areas in order. Less frequently throughout the week, they are to target deeper cleaning.

Assigning my children zones has kept the home a bit more orderly and has simplified my morning chores. 

I am hoping this system will help my children learn more responsibility as they learn to be in charge of an area in our home.

Mom and Me Journal

This is a great idea to build relationship with any of your children, especially one who may be struggling personally or where closeness is lacking between the two of you.

Create a pretty journal where you and your child can write letters back and forth to each other.

I got the inspiration for this letter journal from Traci at “Ordinary Inspirations” a while ago.  After some tense moments with my daughter last week, I knew I had to do something to create more of a bond between us.  I remembered this journal, grabbed some basic supplies, and went to work.

Traci used decorative duct tape.  I had seen it in the stores, and it seemed a bit pricey to me to be honest… part of the reason it took me a while to get to this project.  I decided to use some pretty gift wrap I had on hand.  It worked out just fine, with the exception of a little bit of an air pocket on the cover.  I think I just needed to cut some more slits at the corners where I folded the gift wrap over the book cover.

Whatever supplies you use, this journal is worth the investment!

You can create special moments and pleasant memories for you and your child for days, weeks, and years to come!

Making Mornings Easier–Laminated Checklists

Mornings can be grueling sometimes.  I grow weary of being the pony motor, continually checking in with my children and pushing them to get through their morning responsibilities – things they have done for days, weeks, months, and years.

I decided to make my children checklists.  I figured these checklists could serve as good reminders of what they are to do each morning.

I whipped up some lists on the computer, printed them, laminated them with Contact paper, cut them, and adhered them to my children’s doors with an envelope containing a whiteboard marker between them.

Now I don’t have to say, “Go do ____________” as much.  I just ask if their sheets are complete.

Thank God for tools that make a mom’s life a tad easier!

Girls’ Lock-In

The past week has been busy.  I hosted a surprise 30th birthday party for a friend.  I celebrated my daughter’s 2nd birthday (for which I still have to post the cake recipe), and planned a lock-in for the girls’ groups at church, ages 5 through 13.

My husband became the head of the boys’ groups last fall, and as of the beginning of June, I have become the leader over the girls’ groups.  My husband did a lock-in for the boys in the winter.  Since then the girls had really hoped they could do one.  It had been in the back of my mind to help host one for them, even before I became the leader.  When I took on my new responsibility a few weeks ago, I quickly hopped into action and planned a lock-in.

The girls had a lot of fun.  We didn’t even get to all of the things I had planned.

We had a beauty room where the girls could get their
hair done and faces painted.

We made mosaic craft designs.  I got the idea from “Family Fun”.
Sketch your design on a paper plate.
Mix an equal amount of white glue and water in a cup.
Paint onto mixture plate and affix small pieces of magazine scraps.
When design is complete, coat the top with the glue mixture.

We roasted marshmallows for S’mores over sterno fuel cans.

The girls also did an impromptu fashion show with sleeping bags and blankets that was quite amusing, painted nails, and had fun goofing around together.

They are looking forward to next year, Lord willing!

A Fun Craft to Do with Your Child–Simple, Quilled Designs

I am always trying to figure out good ways to connect with my daughter.  There are a lot of factors in our family dynamics that make our relationship challenging at times and also cause her to feel alone and needy.

I intend to be proactive. She likes to create, so I keep my eye open for things I think she may enjoy doing and squeeze them into our days.

Recently, I saw some simple – yet beautiful – designs made by the children at our church’s school.  They were made with rolled/quilled paper.

I didn’t know exactly how to make them, but I figured it couldn’t be too hard. I got out the colored paper, invented a quick system, and away we went!

You may be able to figure out a different way to do this or have done it altogether differently before, but here’s what we did.

Supplies needed:
Colored Paper
Scissors
Pencil
Ruler
Glue
Paper Plate

First, choose your paper for the background and which colors you will use to create your design .

Measure 1/2 inch thick strips and cut them by hand (or with a cutter). 

Cut each strip into thirds.  I did not measure this part.  I just eyed it. 

Roll the strips.  We just rolled them by hand. 

Dollop a good amount of craft glue onto a paper plate. 

Place an end of the rolled paper into the glue and place onto your background to start creating your design. 

Repeat the steps until you have the design you desire!

You could do all sorts of pictures!

If you search online regarding paper quilling, it is quite amazing.

Here are a couple sites I found:

http://www.handmade-craft-ideas.com/paper-quilling-instructions.html

http://increations.blogspot.com/2009/10/paper-quilling-for-children-10-tips.html

Connecting with Our Children: Part Two

After my last post some of you may be thinking, “Me oh my!  My schedule is already full enough!  How in the world am I going to plan extra things to connect with my children!  Aren’t I doing enough?”

Connecting with your children does not start with the calendar or the pocketbook!

Connecting with your children starts within the fibers of your own heart.

What is your attitude towards your children?

Are you cherishing them and doing your best to preserve and develop your relationship with your children?

Your goal isn’t to bless your children with things and emptiness that will drain both of you. Your goal is to do things intentionally and purposefully, every day, to win the hearts and minds of your children and to have a positive, victorious relationship with them!

The first thing we can do is evaluate our regular daily habits.

Are we telling our children we love them?

Are we snuggling with them?

Are we giving them our undivided attention?

Are we taking just a few moments each day to communicate and listen?

Are we praying for them?

Are we recognizing their needs and trying to help fulfill them?

Beyond our daily habits, we can plan special events that show our children that we care about them.

A couple things to consider:

• Relationships need a good dose of fun and lightheartedness.  Laughter is good medicine!  Do fun things with your children!
• Keep your children’s interests in mind.  All of us like it when people show interest in the things we like to do.  Can you plan an activity or a discussion with your children’s interests in mind?

We take our children on dates from time to time, and they love it!  They feel special, as they have more individualized/focused attention from us and oftentimes get to choose where to go.  (A couple of the above photos were from a date I had with my boys.  I took them to Panera Bread at 7 a.m. in the morning on a weekday.  It was a bit of a sacrifice for me, but they enjoyed it thoroughly!)

What can you start doing today to make better connections
with your children?

In my next post I will share a craft my daughter and I did together a few days ago.

Connecting with Our Children

Oftentimes, we feel like we are connecting with our children.

We serve them meals.

We provide ample activities and opportunities for them.

We drive them everywhere.

We spend many waking hours around them.

We educate them.

We train them, steering them away from evil and towards good.

We do a lot for our children, but are we doing a lot with our children?

Are we near to our children, in proximity, or are we also near to their hearts and minds?

Our children need a lot from us, but they mainly need a vibrant, close relationship!

Activities and things in our childrens’ lives
will never be a good substitute for love.

How is your relationship with your children?

Are you spending good quality time with your children in good quantity?  Both are important to evaluate!

Some may say quality time is sufficient in and of itself, but I disagree.

Duration of time and the frequency of good memories help mold a relationship.  Without those, relationships can grow stale and superficial.

Do something to connect with your children today!

In my next post, I will give some practical ideas for connecting with your children.

Keeping Toddlers Busy

Last fall my baby was a few months old and people wondered how I would be able to homeschool.  My comfort then was that I had homeschooled with a baby before and also knew that last fall would pale in comparison to this fall.  After all, this fall I am homeschooling with a… toddler!  What do you do with a toddler for the entire day?

Here are some ideas for keeping your toddler busy, whether you homeschool or not:

A Notebook and Crayons for Scribbling

Containers with Craft Pom Poms

Just be careful the toddler does not EAT them!

Chore Time

Toddlers can do things like help with the laundry, taking out clean laundry from the dryer and putting in the next wet load.

Sticker Time

This is a more interactive activity.

Peel off stickers for your toddler to place on other sheets of paper.

Playthings:

Toys that come in sets, like blocks or animals.

Safe kitchen items, like measuring cups and bowls.

Books!

… And don’t forget to use the Pack ‘N Play!  ~smile~

Your child may not like it in the beginning.  Persevere!  Aim for small amounts of time.  It is okay if you listen to a bit of crying at first.  It’s for your own sanity and the rest of your household!

Enjoy your toddler!

She grows fast!

A Date with My Son

Last night I had a date with my son.  It was very delightful!  First we stopped at the dollar store and Target, where I had to pick up a handful of things.  Then we went to his desired location – Panera Bread.  It was his reward for filling up his pom jar!  We cherished our time together.  We didn’t have as much time as would have liked at Panera Bread, but it was still fun.  We ate our goodies and then played some drawing games on a napkin.  I felt a bit rushed, but I TRULY enjoyed it.  The whole experience brought a smile to my heart and does, even now, as I write about it.  He is such a sweetheart, and I love being with him.  It’s great to be alone with one of your children.  You can really bond in a special way, getting to know that child individually. 

Have you had a date with one of your children lately?

Plan it!

Superbags!

I wasn’t sure what to call these bags.  Initially, I was going to call them the “Boredom Bags” or the “I’m Bored Bags”, but that does NOT sound inspirational at all.  I discussed it with my oldest son, and he thought they should be called, “Superbags”.  The other kids agreed!

I started making a bag with my five year old son in mind, at first.  He oftentimes has moments throughout the day when he doesn’t know what to do.  We will find him mulling around, doing close to nothing, or standing on his head on the couch.  Therefore, I thought it would be wise to make a bag for him, one that had various activities and tasks inside to occupy him.  We can use it on his initiative or mine, whenever we need it.  Basically, he is to draw a slip of paper out of the bag and do what it says.  The activities center around chores, doing kind things for a sibling, building, crafting, physical exercise, and toys he owns that he rarely plays with or just got for Christmas!

I thought my other children might hop on board, and sure enough, they did.  They made bags, too!  Now we know what to do when someone looks or says, “I’m bored”. 

Precious Moments

Our precious baby girl was dedicated to the Lord at church on Sunday.  We love her dearly and are so very thankful that God has bestowed this blessing of love upon us.  As a man said to me in the store the other day, “Oh, you got your Christmas present early”.  Yes, indeed I did!

At one point yesterday I sat down with my older children to discuss how they were treating each other.  Afterwards, I told them that I wanted them to go play with each other … altogether … a board game or something.  A short while later, my daughter came upstairs from the basement and said, “Mom, come see something”.  I went downstairs and found a message waiting for me.  How creative and beautiful children can be.  ~Smile~

The Kindness Meter

You may remember the reward system I started recently in my home.  The first round went well, but I think my children may have caught a case of the winter blues or something!  They have not been as motivated to earn their poms.  Well, this mother has gotten “Pom Happy” this week, during the Christmas season!  I told the kids that I am going to start handing out poms more often.  My son even made this sign that is currently hanging from our chandelier:

To motivate the children even more, I have started a kindness meter on our whiteboard.  I have noticed a lot of unkindness between them and wanted to spur them on to goodness!  Once their meter is full, they earn three poms to put in their jars. 

I’m looking forward to reaping

some goodness in my home!

Children Will Make Choices

When I became a mother nine years ago, I always pictured my sweet children standing beside me, walking the way I walk, doing the things I do, following God and serving Him… purely.  Over the past few years, though, I have seen things that remind me that my children will grow up and determine, ultimately, who they want to be.  That can be a very scary thing, if they choose the wrong path.  I have seen heartaches in good, solid, Christian families where children have been raised as proper as proper can be and choose to go astray.  I have seen the culture of Christian schools and churches.   Many times, they don’t appear to be different than the world.  The youth have the same entertainment, speak the same filthy language, have improper dating relationships, wear immodest clothing, etc.  It is disheartening, to say the least.

My heart’s cry goes out… I pray that God will preserve my children and present them before His throne blameless one day.  I pray that they will be able to find godly mates and that they will always cherish the Christian heritage they were blessed to have in their youth.  I pray that my prayers will make a difference in their lives!

May we do all that we can to help our children make good choices.  May our prayers be potent, our example be worthy, and our love be fervent!

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Some funny things my children have said recently:

From my almost seven year old daughter, after discussing that our niece is a tenor:

Well, if she is a tenor, I must be a twentier.  (My daughter has a high-pitched singing voice).

 

One of the leaders of the boys’ group at church asked my five year old son which grade he is in.  He responded:

First grade, second book.  (A good, old-fashioned homeschool response, huh?)

 

My five year old son set up a game in our basement the other day.  After he set it up, he said that it cost a quarter to play the game.  Also, if you get one ball in the basket, you PAY a penny.  If you get two balls in the basket, you PAY a nickel.  My daughter responded, trying to change the rules a bit, and said people do not have to pay a quarter to play the game.  My five year old then said:

Annabel, I’m trying to make money!!

 

To Make You Laugh

My daughter is growing out her bangs – a difficult process, as some of us are fully aware!  Every day, for school, I require her to put her hair up so it is out of her face.  While we were working on math today, I noticed her hair was hanging in her face, so I told her to get a barrette or something.  She fixed her hair and started working again.  When I looked up, I saw this and it made me laugh!!  I hope you get a chuckle.

{this moment}

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.   inspired by SouleMama

Sweetness

Sweetness = A newborn melting in your arms as she falls asleep.

Sweetness = The warmth of your kiss on her baby soft cheek.

Sweetness = The grasp of your newborn’s tiny hand.

Sweetness = The glimpses of her sweet smile.

Sweetness = The comfort of nursing and cuddling your baby.

Sweetness = The love you feel when you care for her.

Sweetness

Dear Lord, thank you for this measure of sweetness in my life right now.

Camp at Home – the Finale

Well, we made it through the week!  Camp at home was fun, and I’m sure it will be a little easier next year without a newborn.  :-)  However, then I might have a walking toddler…. Hmmm… 

Friday was supposed to be our final day, but we’re sort of stretching it a bit.  I felt like my pace got slower throughout the week as I realized, once again, that I am only 3 weeks postpartum and actually feeling quite exhausted.  It’s taking me some time to get back into the swing of things.  I am not one of those moms who can just BOUNCE right back into life at warp speed.

On Friday the kids wanted to play outside quite a bit, and we did some water activities.  We made Sponge Balls.

The kids played a couple different games with them.

• They set up buckets of water.  A person would dunk the ball into the water and then throw it at the other person to catch who would, obviously, then get quite wet.  The game would continue as the children moved back a little bit each time, trying to catch the sponge ball.
• Each child had a bucket set up for himself – oldest child’s bucket was furthest away and the younger children’s were closer to the starting point.  Using the sponge balls and a couple water-filled buckets, the children would dip the sponge into the water, run to their buckets, and SQUEEZE out as much as possible.  The winner was the person to fill his bucket first. 

TIE  DYE SHIRTS 

I can not remember if and when I made a tie dyed shirt last!  On Saturday we tackled it!  I was glad to have Brian home to help me with this somewhat tedious project, mainly because the dye is so messy.  We made a spiral pattern for the boys and a double spiral pattern for my daughter, per their request.  It went so well, we are thinking about dyeing some shirts for the rest of the household soon.  I am anxious to see how the shirts fare through the washer and dryer – GULP!

The last activity I have planned is to make some homemade (Rocky Road?) ice cream in our ice cream maker.  We only usually pull out the ice cream maker about once a year, so this would be its big debut.

Some of you might want to know what the baby did during camp.  Besides being held, she did

Some of this…

and some of this…

  Back to normal life!