What Kids Need

My desire to grow and to develop a more godly character has been greatly expanded through this FREE series entitled "What Kids Need."  It is just one more very helpful bit of information provided by Discipleland.  There are 48 short segments to be pondered at whatever pace seems helpful to you.  I encourage you to take a look!  Then, please be sure to share what comments or insights, if any, you found helpful.  May God continue to bless you and grant you grace, growth, and joy.

Magnetic Lunch Chart (from Martha Stewart)

Here is a wonderful little idea I found through my Facebook fandom of Living Locurto.  She always has a large selection of adorable printables and all FREE!  If you would like to become a fan just visit her profile page:  Living Locurto

Including the kids in the household chores and meal planning is something I have been trying to get a handle on! So, I was really excited when I found this magnetic lunch chart!  The great thing about it is that you can customize to your culinary tastes and then print (on magnetic paper), cut out (each individual food option) and stick (to your fridge)!  Then you let one child per week select the food options and place them on the chart.

Tia got to make our first week's meal plan just this morning (so we will start from Thursday instead of Monday)! I think she did a bang up job! We got to talk about how to put different food options together in a way that makes sense and she got excited about being the one to make the final decision from the options I provided! I highly recommend this activity to anyone who has kids in the home! It was such fun!

The magnetic pages were $6.99 at Hobby Lobby (in the magnet section).  This project requires at least two pages, but the package comes with three, all of which I used.  The first page is a colorful, and very adorable chart and the second page provides 24 rectangle shapes for you to list your food choices.  We have a lot of food "likes" so we were able to come up with twelve different food options for each category (which is why I used three pages instead of two). 

If you're interested in printing this project for your kiddos, just click here! You will find links to both pages and, again, these templates are FREE!  Have fun (and don't forget to include dessert)!

"Healthy" Dessert Options:

Fruit Juice Popsicles
Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
No-Bake Cookies
Chocolate Milk
Fruit Leather
Vanilla Pudding
Fruit (Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Honey Dew)
Cinnamon Graham Crackers
Fruit Smoothie
Yogurt

Summer Fun!

Since the last time I wrote my struggle has not been so much about what to write but about narrowing it down. I have been dealing with a literal flood of thoughts, resources, ideas and plans!  Yet, for your sakes here is the short version!

In am amazing sort of Wrinkle in Time sort of way I find that we are already coming upon the "technical" end of a school year! Still, learning does not stop so we will be "informally" continuing into the summer with some very interesting activities!

Circus Fun  (See "Three Ring-Circus")

We will kick off with a trip to the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus, this Friday, May 27th!  While we are there the children will each have simple lists of things they are to look for as a sort of visual treasure hunt. Then they will each work together to draw a picture and make up a story based on their visit to the circus.

Summer Reading

Beginning June 1st the children will be embarking on our own homemade summer reading program. All three of the children will tackle the task of reading three books per day (with Mommy) while my second grader will have to read one additional book per day on her own. If they meet their goal Mommy will surprise them with a special pizza party at Chuck E. Cheese's!

Family Discipleship  (See "FREE Discipleship Materials")

Also, every Friday morning during the month of June we will be studying the discipleship series I downloaded for FREE etitled "How to Worship God." (Since Daddy has Fridays off during the summer months we will most likely be able to do this as a family!)   If the series goes well we may go ahead and pursue opportunities to present this course to other kids in a once a week summer program. Please be praying about that possibility.

In the near future I hope to complete several posts detailing some of the things I have been working on.  The first involves our curriculum choices/educational goals for next year, the second has to do with what I am personally learning in my walk with the Lord in terms of being at home with children, and the last focuses in on how to help a busy child concentrate on her seatwork.  (I may not actually produce these posts in this order.)  Praying that these things will be both edifying and useful to those of us who have children in our lives!

The Kids at a Spring production of Seussical the Musical!

Tough Times Don't Last - Tough Women Do (Book Recommendation)

Dear Friends and Followers,

I am so very honored to represent my sweet friend, Amy Baggett in today’s post.  She is a contributor to a brand new book entitled Tough Times Don’t Last – Tough Women Do.

I know from watching Amy’s life that she is a person of joy, but I know from what she says that she has gleaned that joy from having to endure many difficulties and hardships.  She is a person of self-discipline and grace; a person of laughter and sober-mindedness; a person of strength and gentleness; and a person of simplicity and great depth.  In other words, she is mature in her faith and seeks to always persevere in both humility and confidence.

I think it would be a shame NOT to take a seat and listen to what this woman of wisdom has to say.  I highly recommend ordering a copy of this for yourself and even for the Moms in your life (Mother’s Day IS approaching)!  I'm sure this book will be a wonderful blessing to any woman in need of a little encouragement and loving advice!

For ordering information please go to:  http://www.teafortheheart.com/books/tough-times/

FREE Discipleship Materials

For those of us who really enjoy FREE things, I have some exciting news about really great resource from a publisher that I truly respect.  DiscipleLand is giving away their DiscipleTown Four-Lesson Series on How to Worship God, designed especially for elementary aged discipleship and church ministry.  Again, this is a completely FREE resource and available for download immediately!

To learn more about this FREE offer click here.

Butterfly Release

Our family enjoyed a beautiful moment outdoors today when we witnessed the Annual Butterfly Release hosted by Home Hospice of West Texas.  We watched in wonder as hundreds of Painted Lady Butterflies flittered silently on petal light wings.  In a sort of otherworldly moment they changed the landscape, creating a glimmering effect around us as the light was alternately reflected and then obscured by their gentle flapping motion.  You would think there would be a sound or a draft of some kind.  Instead there is this incredible quiet, a stillness, a slowing of time, and a teary eyed feeling of joy that something so fragile can rise to such heights.  It provokes those thoughts of alternately wishing them happiness in their newfound homeward breeze, and wishing that they would return to light upon your nose.

The parabolic nature of letting go of a butterfly becomes so clear when it is done in the context of saying good-bye to a loved one.  Imagine such a reality; that an earthbound creature can meet with such an indescribably amazing transformation!  One quiet, powerful change and no longer do they crawl.  Now they lift from the soil to dance in the sky!  What wonder!  What joy!  What grace!

I'm praying with all of my heart that the sweetness of their transformation will permeate my mindset as I watch my little caterpillars.  May they feed well upon those truthful leafy greens, rest in the chrysalis of Jesus' death and raise to new life with the winged, upward gaze of one who is truly free!

Let us Pause for Prayer

The news is reporting that at least 250 people in six states (Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Virginia) have been killed in an enormous spattering of severe winds and deadly tornadoes.  In some cases entire neighborhoods were obliterated.  Let's remember to pray for the rescue of those still trapped, the safety of rescue workers, the coordination of life-sustaining resources, the care and healing of those injured, and the comfort of those grieving those loss of loved ones.  Let us especially pray that believers rise up to minister the Gospel and that peace would come to those living in a world full of turmoil and pain.