Learning Measurement

I think I've written enough posts about the math in our curriculum that one should know that I am just beyond crazy about it.... and that's coming from a person who grew up hating math. It really isn't my best subject, but I am loving the way our curriculum is making it so fun for the kids.

We had a week of learning about measurements. We started off observing different objects and seeing which ones are shorter and which ones are longer. This was very simple, but the children enjoyed it very much. 

Then we explored the measurement of inches and centimeters. We played the "Inchworm Game" where they measured different objects using inches.

We used our unifix cubes as game markers and placed them on start. Then we shuffled the playing cards. Each card has a picture of an object that can be measured with a ruler.

Then the first player draws a card and uses a ruler to measure the longest side of the object that's pictured on that card. Then the player moves his marker that number of spaces on the game board.

For example, if the object shown is a pencil, the player measures a pencil (one that we designated to use for this game). If the pencil measures 5 inches long, the player moves ahead 5 spaces on the game board.

Each player then takes turns until one player reaches the tail of the worm on the game board. That player is the winner. 

Easy. Right?

Fun? You betcha! 

The children really couldn't get enough of this game, so after we played it a few times, we then played it again using the centimeter side of our ruler. 

We also went around the house measuring different larger objects using a yard stick and non-standard measurements, such as, our hands. We also read lots of library books about the other types of measurements. 

To end our week of measurements, we made a cake where I let the children measure out the ingredients and mix up the batter. 

This was another fun week of math. 

I couldn't be more pleased and the kids couldn't have more fun learning. 

5 Random Things ~ Back to Normal

We're back in our regular routine. Not very much interesting going on, but you know it's never boring with little ones.


1. Math

           

 

 

 

We are having more fun learning addition and subtraction than I knew was possible.

I made a giant number line out of 12 sheets of regular paper taped together. The kids start at what number I say. Then I give an addition or subtraction sentence. If I say plus, they turn themselves towards the bigger numbers b/c they know that plus means to add and the sum will be a larger number than they started on. Same with the subtraction. If I say minus, they turn themselves towards the smaller numbers b/c they know that minus means to subtract and the difference will be a smaller number than they started on. Then they jump to the answer of the math problem.

The 2nd game pictured here is called Free Fall. I divided a piece of paper by drawing a line down the middle. The kids dropped small pasta shells onto the paper. They wrote down how many shells landed on both sides of the line on the paper. Then you can add or subtract those numbers. Easy peasy and the kids keep asking to do it again and again. 

That certainly beats boring worksheets. I mean, we still have a worksheet or 2 to complete, but playing the math game before we do the paper work is so much more fun!

I love it!

2. Surprises!

The kids know how to put their clothes on hangers and place them in the closet. They usually grab the step-ladder to accomplish this task.  Little Man, who is all boy, decided he was going to get creative and tackle this chore in a different way. 

Yes, that is his dresser in the closet. I hid it in there for I thought he may get the idea to climb on it sooner and more often if I left it out in the bedroom itself. I guess I should find a different place for that piece of furniture.  *wink* 

3. DIY

I am domestically challenged. 

Seriously. 

What can I say? 

I discovered how to make your own powder laundry soap a while back, but I just made some of this last week since I've been trying to use up the store-bought stuff I already had. So I'm down to using the last bit of it and decided to make this homemade cleaner. Let me first say that it smells really good. It's super easy, and ya'll know me... it's gotta be easy for me to have success at anything! Ha! 

I'm sure you already know how this works and all (b/c you know, I'm behind a bit), but for the sake of journaling on this blog, I'll share how I made this super-money saver. 

Ingredients:

     *1 bar Fels Naptha soap - I've heard you can use Ivory or other natural unscented soap

     *1 Cup Borax

     *1 Cup Washing Soda (not regular baking soda)

     All these are found in the laundry isle. 

Directions:

     1. Grate up the bar of soap

     2. Add the other 2 ingredients

     3. Mix well.

*Secret spoiler*

I know my picture isn't very good, but can you see how fine the powder is? I used my food processor for this project. I washed and dried it and repeated right after I was done grating and mixing. At this point I cannot say that I've used my processor for food yet. 

Hu-hem! Anyway.....

I bought 3 bars of the Fels Naptha (at only $.89, who could resist?) and made 3 batches of this recipe and it fills a one-gallon ice cream tub over half full. The lady on the website I found this recipe on says she only uses 1 Tbs per load of laundry. {Is that enough?} If that is an adequate amount to use, then my bucket of soap should last a little while. Don't you think? 

Anyway. I'm a little bit skeptical (only b/c this is new to me), but I'll try it. So after 2-3 more loads of the store bought detergent, I will start using my homemade powder and will report back how well it actually worked. 

4. Crafting 

I am loving my wreaths! Remember the felt flowers in my last post? Here they are on my new wreath.

Tada!

That is a wreath form covered in... get this.... denim from an old pair of jeans! 

Clever, eh? 

Maybe not. 

But I have all this denim and wanted to give it a whirl. That is so thinking outside the box for me. LOL 

I've not decided if this wreath is actually done or not. I thought that maybe a bow would be too much b/c of the flowers, but it does seem like something is missing. Do you crafters have any suggestions for me? 

5. Home Economics

 

 

My little darlings are learning how to wash and rinse the dishes. Pretty soon they'll be able to do it all by themselves.  

Someday. 

Happy Happy Happy! 

*smile* 

5 Random Things ~ Adventure is Out There!

It's been a few weeks since I've written a "Random" blog post. 

Happy New Year! We had lots of fun this past Christmas/New Year's break.  

1. Traveling Museums: The Columbus Ships

      

 

     

 

The Columbus Foundation has built replicas of the ships that Christopher Columbus and his crew traveled in on his discoveries in the 15th century. The Nina and the Pinta are traveling museums visiting ports all over the Western Hemisphere. The crew says they have the Santa Maria as well, but it's too big to travel in the rivers. They also told us that the Nina is replicated to the exact size of its original and the Pinta is bigger than its original. Two times bigger I think? Anyway. It is bigger than the Nina. 

These ships were on display down on the coast, so we traveled down to take a tour and learn a few things. As you can see, we went on a cold rainy day, which the crew said was a good time to tour the ships because then it was a realistic lesson of how it really was on those ships. One interesting fact is the original boats and crew members were wet most of the time. The moisture-absorbing salt from the sea water kept the sailors clothes wet, so they welcomed the fresh water rain so they could rinse the salt away. 

This little adventure was pretty interesting and I hope the children remember it. Since these ships are a traveling museum, I hope they come to the coast again. 

2. Creative Door Wreath

I saw this very creative why-didn't-I-think-of-that wreath for the winter months idea online. It's so easy. The internet version I saw had you put 3 different sized wreaths together and add a real hat and scarf to it (stick arms and mittens too). Their snowman wreath fills the entire bottom half of the door. As you can see, mine isn't so big... maybe I should've went bigger? Anyway. So my version is actually 2 different sized wreaths and cone-bottomed basket that when turned upside down looks like a hat over top the face. Instant head! So I attached the wreaths and basket together with floral wire and made the scarf and "hat" with burlap ribbon. I attached red lace with hot glue. And there is my own snowman wreath...  

Maybe I should add stick arms......

3. New Year's Countdown

      

 

East Coast Mommy Blog gave me a great way to count down the new year with the children this year: Countdown Bags!  So I put together 8 bags for each child. The kids had a bag to open every hour beginning at 5pm all the way down to midnight. I just used regular brown lunch sacks with a homemade paper clock attached to them.

I'm going to try to remember what the bags contained. It was all simple silly stuff, but the kids looked forward to opening them:

5pm had a construction paper cookie with the instructions "Bake Cookies" printed on it. We then proceeded to bake some giant pumpkin cookies from store-bought dough.
6pm had supplies to make their own party hat, as you can see them wearing in the picture above.
7pm was sand art. I had a little sand art activity that I had purchased for Adelle a year ago that we hadn't done yet.
8pm was a few little party necklaces from the dollar store and 2014 glasses.
9pm was play Trouble - the board game.
10pm was some little blower things and balloons.
11pm were some noise makers (yes, I saved those 'til almost last to save our insanity!)
12am midnight was a cup for some alcohol-free sparkling grape bubbly and a giant pumpkin cookie that we baked from earlier.




 4. Monopoly

I can't really remember a time playing Monopoly where 1 person actually owned half the board, complete with hotels and everything. Good thing he didn't pull that card that said pay so much for each house and hotel. He might've lost then.  Ha! 

5. Felt flowers

I came across these oh-so-easy felt flowers about 6 months ago or so. My good friend gave me a bunch of felt when I asked around back then. I finally decided it was time to try them out. Look how beautiful they turned out! These are going on my next wreath. 

I'm serious guys. I am NOT a crafter. These things that I have made were possible only b/c of the simplicity of them. I have no patience and no talent for anything beyond what an elementary child can do. 

Have a fabulous weekend!

Math Games ~ Restaurant and Store

I just realized that I haven't written about the fun games we are playing to learn addition and subtraction like I had previously promised! 

*GASP* 

Better late than never, right?

So a few weeks ago, our curriculum gave us the idea to play "restaurant" and "store" to help the children practice addition skills. 

For restaurant, I served lunch as if we were at a restaurant.  (No pics for this one. Sorry!) The lunch menu had a few selections on it priced from 1 to 9 cents. The "customers" had only 10 pennies at a time to "buy" their meal with. {In the future when we are learning bigger number addition facts, they'll have 20 cents to work with.} So they choose 2 items from the menu at a time. The "waiter/waitress" writes the 2 amounts down on a "guest check", adds them and asks for the payment. The "customer" then gives the payment. Of course the food is served and we all eat. Each one of us takes turn being customer and waiter/waitress. The kids liked that. 

For store, I took items out of the pantry and wrote prices 1-9 cents on each item and set the items up on the counter.  {Now I've been saving food boxes and containers as we empty them so we can play with those.} Again, each "customer" has only 10 pennies. The "customers" go "shopping" choosing 2 items to "purchase". They take their items to the "clerk", who writes up a receipt adding the total amount each customer needs to pay. We each take turns being the customer and clerk. 

Adelle and Jonathan both have fun with these activities. I have fun not giving the clerk or waitress enough money and they have to tell me how much more I need to give them.  {How clever of me!}

We alternate playing these games on different days. 

I love it when the children are learning and they don't realize it! 

All Who Are Thirsty

My time with The King was so moving and precious this morning that I just had to share it. I usually share an excerpt from the devotional I read from on my FaceBook page, but there is no way I could pull just a little bit from it and post.  This entire devotional reading illustrates the depth of Christ Jesus' love for mankind. I was brought to tears and repentance this morning. 

John 7:37 - Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.

Patience had her perfect work in the Lord Jesus, and until the last day of the feast He pleaded with the Jews, even as on this last day of the year He pleads with us and waits to be gracious to us. The long-suffering of the Savior is truly admirable as He bears with some of us year after year despite our insults, rebellions, and resistance to His Holy Spirit. Wonder of wonders that we are still in the land of mercy!

Mercy expressed herself most plainly, for Jesus "cried," which implies not only the loudness of His voice, but the tenderness of His tones. He entreats us to be reconciled. "God making his appeal through us," says the apostle, "we implore you on behalf of

Christ . . ." What earnest, pathetic terms are these! How deep the Father's love that causes Him to weep over sinners and, like a mother, to tenderly call His children to Himself! Surely at the sound of such a cry our willing hearts will come.

Provision is made most generously: Everything that man needs to quench his soul's thirst is available. To his conscience the Atonement brings peace; to his understanding the Gospel brings the richest instruction; to his heart the person of Jesus is the noblest object of affection; to the whole man the truth as it is in Jesus supplies the purest nourishment. Thirst is terrible, but Jesus can remove it. Even if the soul were utterly famished, Jesus can restore it.

Proclamation is made most freely, that every thirsty one is welcome. No other distinction is made but that of thirst. Whether it be the thirst of greed, ambition, pleasure, knowledge, or rest, he who suffers from it is invited. The thirst may be bad in itself, and not be a sign of grace, but a mark of inordinate sin that longs to satisfy itself with deeper lust; but it is not goodness in the creature that brings him the invitation-the Lord Jesus sends it freely and without respect of persons.

Personality is declared most fully. The sinner must come to Jesus-not to works, ordinances, or doctrines but to a personal Redeemer who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree. The bleeding, dying, rising Savior is the only ray of hope to a sinner. Oh, for grace to come now and drink, before the sun sets upon the year's last day!

No waiting or preparation is even hinted at. Drinking represents a reception that has no special requirements. A fool, a thief, a harlot can drink; our sinfulness is no barrier to the invitation to believe in Jesus. We need no golden cup, no fine china, in which to convey the water to the thirsty; the mouth of poverty is welcome to stoop down and drink of the life-giving stream. Blistered, leprous, filthy lips may touch the stream of divine love; they cannot pollute it but will themselves be purified. Jesus is the fount of hope. Dear reader, listen to the dear Redeemer's loving voice as He cries to each of us, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink."

Did you see Christ's love illustrated in this? Oh how He loves us!

This morning I was reminded of His love, not only for me, but for everyone! This morning I could not hold back the tears, weeping over the condition of my own heart; the sin that is still present. I have moved an inch or two closer to the King this year, but I have far too much further to go to reach that most intimate place in Him. 

I will always be in need of Him as long as I am in this mortal body on this corruptible earth.

This morning I cried to God to fill me with His love, His tenderness and His compassion. I asked for His eyes that I may see others through them. I asked for His heart that I may love with it the perfect love that casts away fears. And I asked for His tenderness that I may grow my children in His grace. 

Glory be to God that His mercies are new every morning!

2013 - One Amazing Year!

I cannot believe that 2013 is almost gone! Where does the time go? Is it just me, or does time move faster the older I get? This is one good reason to take a look back at this year and thank God for all the difficulties He has carried us through and for all the blessings He has bestowed upon us.  

JANUARY-MARCH

We got SNOW last year! My kids prayed for it.  :-)

I live 12 hours away from my family so it's always a highlight when I get to see them. 

My little man turned 4 years old. When he took his birthday shirt off that night, he said, "Will I still be 4 tomorrow?" Talk about some major cuteness!

Big big hail during a thunderstorm. That was crazy.. and a little scary listening to the big balls of ice smacking the rooftop. We were lucky enough blessed to get only one little ding in the hood of our Trail Blazer. 

APRIL-JUNE

My Sugar Bear turned 6 years old. She is getting big way too fast. 

Inspired by a shirt one of my friend's husband was wearing, I made this hand embroidered shirt for my Hunny for Father's Day.  He says he needs to get the "real" shirt. Being my first hand embroidery project, I didn't get the picture on the shirt straight and the image is a little small for the size of the shirt. *SHRUG* Live and learn, right?

My Mama, sister AND niece came down for a visit. This is the time that my mom got real sick and ended up needing my Dad to fly down here to drive them back home. 

Not pictured:  I was baptized in water June 9 as a public confession of my decision to follow Christ no matter the cost.  You can read my full testimony here. 

JULY-SEPTEMBER

I made my very first flower arrangement. 

Not too bad for a non-crafter. 

We participated in the Summer Reading Program at the library and Adelle won 3rd place for reading the most books in her category (independent readers). 

Jonathan won 1st place in his category (read-to-me)!

After beginning a contract on a house end of March (looong story), we finally got to close the deal and move in! 

We got to have a mini-vacation in Branson, Mo with my family. The kids enjoyed seeing their cousins again. We certainly got to see my family a lot this year. I am so blessed! 

Remember these? We found this outside the Walmart there in Branson. I couldn't resist taking a picture. 

Ah yes. What is a vacation without a BANG ending? That's just what we did.... literally!

OCTOBER-DECEMBER

I made my very first wreath for my front door. This one was just fall colored fabric scraps tied onto a wire circle. Add a bow and voila! I'm quite proud of this one. *Patting my own back*  You have to understand.. I am one NON-crafty person, so to accomplish something like this AMAZES me! 

Adelle has begun learning hand embroidery too.

I attempted another wreath. I'm really enjoying crafting wreaths. Can you tell?

We celebrated our first Christmas in our new house. 

I am looking forward to what God has in store for us in 2014!

Meant to Be. Forever.

Paul and I had a very interesting conversation last night......

When Paul asked me to marry him, we didn't set a date for a while. At some point, he said it's now or never. Then we planned a wedding in 5 months time.

I'll never forget those words he spoke. "Now or never." 

A very interesting phrase to say. God has a plan for our lives and it was so clear to me then and even clearer to me now, 16 years into marriage, that God brought Paul and I together. No doubt about that. Not a single ounce.

So when Paul asked me last night where I thought I might be if we hadn't married, I couldn't think of anywhere else I would be except with him. I may have lived with my parents for several years longer and I'd still be in my hometown attending services at my home church house. Would I have ended up with someone else? I seriously can't see it. However it may have happened, Paul and I would've been a couple again and planning a wedding. Whether it was right when we did or a couple of years later, I am certain that we would be married to each other. Paul is the man God had for me. Period. 

To further this thought, we have stayed together through all kinds of junk. We have had plenty of situations where one or both of us had good reason to walk away.  I admitted to Paul last night that the times I wanted out, I couldn't, just because it wasn't the right thing to do. Apart of being scared to follow through those thoughts & feelings, it just wasn't right. That is what kept me there.  

I am so glad both of us have stayed in this life-long journey together.

Now we love each other so much more than the day we got married. We are stronger, individually as well as a couple. And we are witness to God's faithfulness through all the rough "I-can't-go-on" times. We started off young, immature and ugly (in our conduct), but God has worked in our lives.  He takes the broken and makes something stunning out of it. Our marriage is proof of that. 

Sixteen years and two beautiful children later, we are still relying on God to mold us into His servants as we continue to commit ourselves to Him.