Spring is in Full Swing!

Well, it looks like spring is here in full swing…although this past week has felt a little more summer-like, don’t you think?  I was definitely ready for nicer, sunnier weather, but I am not sure I was ready for almost 90 degree temps!  But hey, beggars can’t be choosers I guess, right? ☺  

Here are a few activities to kick start your summer!

*Have a car wash (kids can help you sponge off yours or soap up their bikes and tricycles)

*Make (and eat!) popsicles

*Set up a lemonade stand with homemade lemonade of course!

*Blow bubbles, lots and lots of bubbles

     *Click HERE to make your own “bouncing bubbles” which I haven’t tried but would like to!  

*Swim, run through a sprinkler, have a water balloon fight…adding water makes everything more fun!

*For a quick, easy indoor activity when the temps heat up a bit too much, try making a stained glass kite by following THESE instructions.

*Read, read, and read some more!  Visit your local library to check out some new and interesting titles or check out this article from KCParent.com for a Little Free Library around the KC area (or better yet, start one of your own!).  

*Play a game!  Check out another KC Parent article written by our very own Jena Meyerpeter for some great advice on good ol’ fashioned board games.

**Updates**

I mentioned I would try the new Easter egg coloring techniques and let you know how they turned out.  Well, I didn’t.  We had one little with fever 4 days prior to Easter and the other little with fever actually on Easter…SO, we didn’t get around to it.  But I think maybe we’ll color some eggs this summer just because we can.  ☺ 

Also, remember my “humdinger” activity of paint filled eggs?  Well, I am getting there.  I actually have 2.5 dozen egg shells saved up with their little broken holes in the top.  I wanted to save up a lot so both kids would have plenty of paint filled eggs to chuck at a canvas.  Again, another great activity for summer because then we can go hop in the sprinkler to rinse our little paint covered bodies off!  ☺

MT was new for me this year as was doing these little monthly blog posts.  As I close out my last post for this season of MT, I can say I have truly enjoyed both experiences and hope you have too.  I look forward to the ways in which God will continue working in me and through me until we meet again in the fall.  Have a wonderful, safe, happy and REALLY fun summer!

Julie

Jesus Lives!

Image courtesy of morgueFile

Easter is here!  Hopefully you have been enjoying the season and finding some time to learn and study as a family just what this time means.  

Did you know…

Easter eggs, which symbolize the resurrection of Jesus, originated from early Christians of Mesopotamia, who dyed the eggs red to symbolize the blood Christ Jesus shed for us on the cross. 

While the Easter bunny doesn’t make his appearance in the Bible, rabbits are an ancient symbol of new life and fertility.  

The date for Easter is determined by a lunisolar calendar (I read a bit about this and it was quite confusing so we’ll leave it at that!).  Easter will be on April 5^th next year for those of you who like to plan ahead! 

I also found a few ideas I thought were really cool for teaching children about the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

Resurrection Eggs:  using visual representation, tells the Easter story in simple terms 

Resurrection Rolls:  super easy, fun to make with children, and a really cool way to explain the resurrection to young little minds!

Resurrection Cookies:  similar to resurrection rolls but maybe for slightly older children 

Jelly Bean poem:  great visual but very sweet (no pun intended!) way to explain the true meaning of Easter to children.  

Hopefully you can find a few moments today, Good Friday, to take time to reflect on the significance of the cross, either alone, with a friend, or with your family.  Have a wonderful Easter Sunday!

Julie  

Time for EASTER!

Easter is right around the corner so it’s time to get busy doing some crafting!  Even though I’ll be posting one more time before Easter, if you’re like me, you’d like to go ahead and do a few activities now to enjoy them through the next few weeks of the Easter season.  I found some fun, cute, fairly simple Easter crafts you can “whip up” with your children, grandchildren, niece, and nephews.  I hope you enjoy!    

Tissue paper chicks

Marshmallow Easter Bunny activity

I love that this one can be adapted in so many ways such as big bunnies on big paper for older children, little bunnies on little paper for younger children, estimation skills, patterns using colored marshmallows, symmetry, etc.  You may even have your own creative extension! 

Pom Pom Easter Egg Painting Activity

Again, this is a great activity to teach and reinforce patterns, colors, fine motor skills, estimation, etc.  

A few alternatives to traditional egg dying

I must confess, I have yet to try any of these, but I will and let you know how they turn out!

Kool-Aid Dyed Easter Eggs

Tie Dye Easter Eggs

Rubber Band (or sticker) Easter Eggs

Simply place rubber bands around the eggs in different ways before dying.  The same can be done with stickers as well.

Baking Powder Easter Eggs

I want to try this one with my own children, but instead of using powdered tempera, I thought about just trying food coloring.  It may not work as well or the color might not be as bright…I’ll let you know!  You can also make your own “powdered tempera” by simply crushing up sidewalk chalk.  Put one color of chalk per zippered baggie and hammer or smash away until you have a fine powder.  This would be much more economical since sidewalk chalk is so inexpensive!

And the hum dinger activity for my post…Paint filled eggs!  See this blog (http://www.growingajeweledrose.com/2013/10/paint-filled-eggs-on-canvas.html) for the instructions on how to do it.  I figured with all these eggs around, why not try it?!  I mean, how much fun would you and your kids have and how awesome would the artwork look after?!  

If I am totally honest though, I saw this idea a while ago and thought it looked WAAAAAY fun and cool.  Then I read about it.  And I deleted the idea from my mind.  Until now.  I still really want to try it with my kids.  SO, while I have committed myself to trying some of the above activities for you all, I don’t know that I can fully commit to this one…yet, but stay tuned!  If anyone tries it, or has tried it, please let me know what you think!  

That’s all ladies!  I hope you can find one activity to challenge yourself and your children with these next two weeks until we meet again!  Happy crafting! ☺

Julie 

Put a SPRING in Your Step

Photo by hisks via stock.xchng

Ahhh, the temperatures are on the rise and SPRING is slowly, but surely, creeping its way into our lives.  Can’t you just FEEL it?!  The days are staying lighter longer, the sun is shining a bit more often, and the winter ‘fog’ is beginning to drift away.  Soon it will all be a distant memory as we’re back to taking walks, bike riding, playing at the park, eating outdoors…whatever it is you enjoy!  Kick start SPRING (and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!) with a few of these ideas:

*Open your windows and let fresh air infiltrate your house!

*Head outside for a walk--by yourself, with your family, with a friend.

*Visit a nearby park for some much needed outdoor playtime…stay a little longer than   

  you normally might!

*CLEAN.  All that sunshine and warm air makes me want to freshen everything up…guess that’s why it’s called SPRING cleaning!  Don your best gloves, put some music on, and get dirty!

Have a little ‘green’ fun with your family this St. Patrick’s Day with an idea from below too: 

*Have a contest to see who can wear the most green on the 17^th.

*Make green smoothies for a snack

*Blend 2 cups spinach, 3 oz yogurt (plain or vanilla), 1/2 banana (add water if too   

  thick) OR blend 2 kiwi, 1 banana, 1/2 c milk 

*Serve rainbow fruit skewers for a snack or special dessert at dinner (strawberries,  

  oranges, pineapple, kiwi, blueberries, grapes)

*Shamrock painting with:

*toilet paper rolls http://www.sassydealz.com/2014/01/shamrock-toilet-paper-roll-stamp-st-patricks-day-craft.html 

*corks http://www.sassydealz.com/2014/02/wine-cork-shamrock-craft-st-patricks-day.html 

*green bell peppers http://www.learnplayimagine.com/2012/03/peppers-and-shamrocks.html 

Hope these put a little “SPRING” in your step!

Julie

Think SPRING!

Image by dodo via stock.xchg

Oh the weather outside is frightful and my dear it’s so …not delightful!  By the time February…or March…or May rolls around (you never know in Kansas!), you are sick of being indoors and your creative juices may have been sucked dry.   I’ve put together a few activities you can do inside with your children to keep things ‘interesting.’  Stash away a few of these ideas to help beat the last (hopefully) of the winter doldrums!

Bring the outdoors in by planting seeds your child can nurture and watch grow.  Be sure to choose something that grows fairly quickly so your child can see the fruits of their labor and not get discouraged!  Some ideas might include bell pepper seeds, sunflower seeds, dry peas, beans, or basil.

Since March roars in like a lion and out like a lamb, have your child create a paper plate lion and lamb.  On one paper plate, have your child draw a lamb face, then glue cotton balls around the outside edges (the bumpy part).  On a second paper plate, have your child draw a lion face, then glue skinny strips of brown paper around the outside edges (again on the bumpy part).  For a little extra lion fun, have your child roll the skinny strips of paper around their finger or a pencil  first so the lion’s mane will have a bit of “curl” to it!

Make a windsock.  Let your child decorate a piece of construction paper.  Add crepe paper or tissue paper streamers to the bottom using tape, glue, or staples.  Roll the construction paper into a cylinder and secure with staples or tape.  Punch 3 holes in the top, thread some yarn or string through and tie all three pieces together in a knot at the top.  Your windsock is now ready to hang!

Do a SPRING acrostic poem.  If you aren’t sure what that is, simply have your child write the word SPRING vertically on a piece of paper.  Then have them think of one thing about SPRING for each letter.  For example:

S for sunshine

P for plants, 

R for rain,

I for invigorating 

N for nice weather

G for gusty

There are also a few good places around the area to head to when you need to get out of the house but the weather isn’t cooperating. Check out some of these:

Johnson County Kids Museum (http://www.jocomuseum.org/EXH/kidscape.shtml).  They offer a free Kidscape exhibit or Pop N Play for $1 for non-members.  Pop N Play is only on certain Wednesdays so be sure to check their calendar on the website for exact dates.

Matt Ross Community Center (http://www.opkansas.org/things-to-see-and-do/community-centers/matt-ross-community-center/).  They also offer an indoor playtime called Toddle Time on Tuesdays and Wednesdays with the cost being $1 for non-members.  There is also an Exploration room right inside their front door that is free.

Sylvester Powell Community Center offers an indoor play time (similar to Matt Ross) Tuesdays-Fridays from 9:30-11:30am at the cost of $2 per child.

By the way, a few posts ago, I mentioned making indoor snow and vowed that I would do it and let you know how it turned out.  Well…we (meaning me) had great fun mixing it up (our son doesn’t enjoy the feeling of shaving cream for some reason) and playing with it.  We had trucks and trains, buttons and spoons, yarn and feet (yes, feet) in our ‘snow’…and really enjoyed it!  As you can see from below, we even had a go at making a ‘snowman’ although like I had said, it didn’t look anything like the Modern Parents Messy Kids one.  But who cares?!  The ‘snow’ ended up staying in our container for about 2 weeks before we switched it out with something else!

Praying you have a great weekend and week ahead!

Julie

Say the Right Thing

Our own lovely Jena Meyerpeter recently wrote a piece for KC Parent entitled Say the Right Thing.  In it she encourages us that, "Finding ways to simplify your words while loading them with meaning may just be your ticket out of the land of nagging and into the domain of happier parents and kids."  Join us over at KCParent.com to soak in her wise counsel on finding the right words to speak to our kids so they will remember the important points.

Valentine's Day with Family

Photo by vancity197 at stock.xchg

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, what better way to say “I love you” or “I care about you” than spending some quality time with your family and/or child(ren) crafting, playing a game, reading or doing an activity together.  

Have your child create a graph using conversation hearts.  You can find a printable graph here:   http://blissfullydomestic.com/life-bliss/valentines-heart-math/30392/

Make a fun heart or Hershey kiss shaped Rice Krispie treat to share with teachers, friends or neighbors.  You can find the recipe/instructions here:  

http://spoonful.com/recipes/sweet-heart-krispie-treats (for heart shaped treats)

http://partiesandholidays.blogspot.com/2010/02/rice-krispie-kisses.html (kiss shaped treats)

Make Valentine cards, or just sweet, happy, encouraging cards, and drop off at a nursing home or hospital.  Your child could even have fun painting and mixing colors on a plain white sheet of paper first, then once dry, cut out hearts to decorate a Valentine with.  

Place red-hots, conversation hearts, or another type of candy in a jar and have family members estimate.  

Attend Valentine Family Night at Ceramic Café in Leawood.  Pizza and flat studio fee is $15.  Call to register at 913-383-0222

Since February is also heart health month, have each family member cut out a paper heart and write an activity they will do to keep their heart healthy this month in the center of it.  Display these in a prominent place to hold each other accountable!  

As a slight variation, each family member could write 4 or 5 heart healthy activity hearts to be placed in a jar.  One could be drawn daily or weekly to jazz up how the family is staying active together, especially with all this cold weather!

Some other special days to consider this month:

February is also National Dental Health Month, African American History Month, International Friendship Month, and Red-Hot Month

Lincoln’s birthday (12^th) and Washington’s birthday (22^nd)

Random Acts of Kindness Day (17^th)

Cherry Pie Day (20^th)

National Tortilla Chip Day (24^th)

I’ll be praying everyone gives and receives plenty of love this month!

Julie

Snow Much Fun!

Image by vjeran2001 on stock.xchng

If you are like me and my kids, we love being outside, even if just for a short time.  This cold weather that we’ve been having definitely makes that challenging and sometimes impossible.  If your kids (and you!) have a little cabin fever, here are a few activities to add a bright spot to everyone’s day.  Since we’ve had some snow, and are likely to have more, the activities are “snow” themed to make the most of our natural resources…hopefully you can find something you and your kids would be interested in!

Snowman Estimating:  Cut out three white circles, small, medium, and large (construction paper, regular copy paper, or whatever you have will do).  Glue the circles together, one stacked on top of the other to make a snowman.  Have your child estimate how many marshmallows or cotton balls will fill up the snowman.  You could have them estimate the whole snowman or just each section.  As an added bonus, let your child actually glue their estimation materials down and decorate their snowman!

*Tip:  When cutting out your snowman, the smaller it is, the simpler and easier the estimation will be.  Consequently, the larger the snowman is, the more challenging the estimation will be.  This activity can also be done just by drawing a snowman on paper too instead of cutting one out.  

As a fun family activity, make torn paper snowmen.  Each family member can tear and create their own or work on one snowman as a family.  Don’t forget the accessories!

Indoor snow:  If you are feeling particularly adventurous, check out the website/blog Modern Parents Messy Kids (http://www.modernparentsmessykids.com/2013/01/making-snowmen-inside.html) for making indoor snow.  This activity SOUNDS super easy with just two ingredients but I’ve not made this yet.  I vow now to make it though so I can let you all know how it turns out!  I can guarantee though that our snowman will look nothing like the one she has pictured on her blog (see below).  And I’m okay with that.  ☺

If you aren’t digging making indoor snow, then bring the snow indoors!  Use a bucket, plastic storage container, or even your bath tub…and fill it up with some snow!  You could even give your child a spray bottle filled with colored water to “paint” the snow.  Imagine the fun and laughter when they (or you) “paint” their name, letters of the alphabet, numbers, the possibilities are endless!

Lastly, if you feel like your house is closing in on all of you and everyone has some serious cabin fever, meet up with some friends at Cedar Ridge coffee house or the Great Mall.  Bonus?  Your children can burn off some energy for free!

With some new activities to try, I bet you just can’t wait for it to snow again…right?!  ☺  I’ve got more snow themed activities up my sleeve so come back to check out my post next month too!  

Julie C.

Family Fun Christmas Ideas

Tis the Season!  The holidays are upon us…and so is the hustle and bustle that comes with them.  That’s why this post will be short and sweet!  This year, I want you to take time to SLOW down and really enjoy this holiday season with your family.  A blog post I read the other day reiterated this same sentiment and I thought it was worth reading…hopefully you will too!  If you have the time, check it out: http://www.vitafamiliae.com/to-the-mamas-of-littles-during-the-holidays/.  In the meantime, here are just a few ideas to add a little sparkle to your holidays!

T  Make gingerbread cookies or a house and have fun decorating with frosting, sprinkles, and candy…it’s messy but fun and yummy too!  If you and your family aren’t too keen on gingerbread, mix up some regular sugar cookie dough (I hear Betty Crocker has a great mix J).  Break out the Christmas cookie cutters and let the fun begin!

T  Make a snowman ornament out of Styrofoam.  We made these one year for parent gifts when I was teaching.  I loved how easy and fun they were for the kids…plus they make wonderful little gifts or you can keep it for your own tree! 

*You need Styrofoam balls of a size of your choosing (we used a 2 ½” one).  Children can simply use markers for the eyes but glitter glue or googly eyes are super fun too!  Tiny pom poms, pipe cleaners, felt or other material can be used for the nose.  The mouth can be created using markers, glitter glue or yarn.  Finally, for the hat, use an old sock.  Cut off a section and roll back one of the cut edges to make a rim.  Secure by gluing onto the ball. To decorate the hat, simply tie a ribbon around the top.  For a little added fun, slide a small jingle bell onto the ribbon before tying.  Instead of a hat, make earmuffs for your snowman by gluing a strip of fabric or ribbon across the top of his head and adding pom poms over his “ears.”  Below is a sample picture (and no, our 2 ½ year old did not make this one!).  

T  Discuss different Holidays Around the World and how other countries celebrate (or don’t celebrate) Christmas and the New Year.  Many other countries celebrate with unique traditions, foods and crafts. 

For many, the holidays are a joyous and celebratory time but I recognize this isn’t the case for everyone.  No matter what your circumstances are, my prayer is that you and your family can find a little joy…a little light this holiday season.

Happy Christmas to all!

Julie Collett

November Family Fun

As I mentioned in my last post about fall, it is my absolute favorite time of year.  I LOVE how beautiful the trees are right now and the crisp, cool days.  Hopefully you were able to try one or two activities from my October post, but if not, no worries as I have more for you this month!

• Chocolate chips went on sale for the first time on November 16, 1939 so bake up a little chocolate chip treat to celebrate

• Make November a No TV Month…or if that fills you with complete and utter panic, at least pick one night a week to be tech free.  No phones, TV, computers, Ipads, etc.  Break out a good ‘ol fashioned game of Uno or Parcheesi and enjoy a little family friendly competition.

*If you’ve never played or heard of Parcheesi, you gotta check it out!*

• In honor of the Pilgrims, churn up some homemade butter.  This was often a chore that Pilgrim children had to do along with fetching water and caring for the animals. 
• Pour one cup of whipping cream into a clean, sturdy jar, such as a mason jar.  
• Put a clean marble in the jar to act as the “churn” and seal with a lid. 
• Let your child or children take turns shaking the jar until a lump of butter forms (this can take a while, approximately 15-20 minutes).  
• In the meantime, whip up some cornbread or muffins (from scratch is applaudable but a box of Jiffy is great too!) and spread your freshly churned butter on top…yum!

• Trace your child’s hand on paper and have them write one thing they are thankful for on each finger.

• Design a tortilla teepee.  Using a small flour tortilla, wrap it into a cone shape (like a party hat), making sure to leave a small hole in the top (the pointy end).  Secure the seam with a line of hot glue.  If desired, cut a door flap for the teepee using kitchen shears or regular scissors.  The flap of the door can be left open by securing it with a bit of hot glue as well.  Have your child gather a few small twigs (I usually use 3) that can be placed up through the top of the teepee opening (again, secure the twigs with a bit of hot glue to hold them in place).  After the teepee dries/hardens, allow your child decorate using tempera paints.  You could even Google Native American symbols for your child to recreate on the sides of the teepee!

• Remember that leaf walk?  Maybe you never had the opportunity to go…well here’s your second chance!  Go grab some leaves with your children and bring them back to make a leaf turkey!  I did this last year with my son, although I had to do most of the work (he was only 20 months at the time), he was able to position the leaves on the paper.  Here is a sample picture of what it might look like: 

Happy early Thanksgiving to each of you!

Julie Collett

Treat Overload

Picture by canberkol

I don't know about you, but I struggle with the influx of candy and treats that comes with many of our major holidays - especially Halloween.  We try to limit processed foods in general, making halloween candy a nightmare.  A couple of years ago I started getting healthier candy alternatives to pass out to trick-or-treaters, but I am still left with extra if the demand didn't deplete my supply.  Add to that the candy haul from three excited kiddos and we could have a mountain of sugary excess that would make King Candy jealous.

So, what do you do with all of that (after you have squirreled away a few choice treats for yourself of course...or is that just me...)?  Typically we have allowed the kids to choose a couple of pieces, then the remainder is put away and usually forgotten, then months later thrown away.  However, I was curious as to what others did so I Googled it!

There is one post on about.com listing several Uses for Leftover Halloween Candy.  Some of my favorite ideas include: bake/reinvent it (with links to recipes), play/learn/craft with it, trade it (with a link for a dentist buy-back program), donate it (to food pantries, shelters, etc.), and...my favorite by far...EXPERIMENT with it!

If you are cool eating/using the sugary stuff, there is a post on about.com that lists 12 Ways to Use Up Halloween Candy.  Some ideas are repeats of the first post, others - like buying the candy from your kids - are different.  The comments/responses to the post have some ideas too.

What do you do with all of that yummy sugar?
- Katrina K.

Holey Punkins!

In the spirit of the season, head on over to Eat Your Peas Please!, the blog of our very own Amanda W., to read about her awesome pumpkin carving project and a yummy recipe for pumpkin seeds.  Such a creative take on the carved pumpkin - and who wouldn't want to use power tools!

Fall Fun

Fall is by far my absolute FAVORITE time of year.  I love everything about it, from the yummy fall foods to the crisp, cool weather (although we aren’t totally there yet…) to the beautiful colors of the foliage.  There are also so many creative, fun activities you can do with your children and as a family, just another one of my many reasons for loving this time of year!

In case it’s not your favorite time of year or you are stuck for ideas, here are a few to get you started:

*Rake leaves just for the sake of letting your children jump in the piles. It’s definitely more work for you (just consider it extra exercise!) but so much fun for the kids.  Who doesn’t remember jumping into a pile of leaves as a child and loving it?!

*Visit an apple orchard.  We really like Cider Hill Family Orchard, butthere are loads around the metro area.  I think there is something super cool and special about traipsing around an orchard, picking your own apples, tasting them along the way, and then bringing them home to make yummy treats with.  A few apple recipes we enjoy are apple crisp, homemade applesauce, apple muffins (I particularly like this one from Spark People http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=488687), and simply slicing them up for an afternoon snack.  You can also taste test different kinds of apples or do apple print making…the possibilities are endless!

*Go on a hayride

*Take a nature walk and collect different leaves from your neighborhood. Make leaf rubbings or a giant graph displaying the different kinds of leaves you found.  You can also make a collage by ironing the leaves in between two pieces of wax paper.  Sprinkle shaved crayon in and around the leaves before ironing for added fun!  

*Campout in your own backyard…or at least make smores over a campfire!  If you don’t want to, or have the means to campout, lay out a blanket, bundle up and stargaze while sipping hot cocoa or tea instead.

*Visit a pumpkin patch.  Again, just like apple picking, visiting a real pumpkin patch is a unique and entertaining activity the whole family can enjoy.  Once you’ve chosen pumpkins, head home to continue the fun. Pumpkins are math and science excitement waiting to happen…weigh, measure the circumference, count the lines, try a sink or float experiment, generate comparisons between each family member’s pumpkin.  Eachperson can make an estimate first, then actually find the correct answer.  What a fun, non-threatening way to be competitive as a family!  Don’t forget to buy a few extra pumpkins for the sheer pleasure of decorating.  Whether it’s carving, painting, glittering, or another option, it’s bound to get creative juices flowing and bring out lots of smiles too!  Go online to KCParent.com for the low down on all the area pumpkin patches.

*Since October is Fire Safety Month take the opportunity to develop, review, and discuss your own emergency plan at your house.  Visit your local fire station for a tour as well.  In fact, take them some of those apple muffins you’ve made by now, or a freshly and creatively decorated pumpkin!

I hope you’ll have some fun this fall and maybe try one new activity whether it be from this list or not.  I’d love to hear how you celebrate fall with your family too, so come and find me sometime!

Happy Fall!

Julie Collett

You and Your Child

This wonderful piece was sent in by Tasha and written by Joe White, President of Kanakuk Kamps.


Years ago when my kids were small, I was walking my youngest daughter home after an evening K-Life at Kamp. A splendid display of stars spangled overhead; a gift to enjoy from our Creator.

As Courtney and I marveled at the heavenlies, perhaps ten thousand feet above us we gazed at a jet airplane cruising through the night; its lights brightly visible as it prepared to land at an airport fifty miles away.

"Courtney, see those lights?" I pointed overhead.

She leaned back further. "Yes, Daddy. What is it?"

"It's a jet, Sweetheart. See how bright those lights are?"

"Wow, that's neat!"

Capturing a teachable moment, I continued. "See that brightest star just above the plane? That star is thousands of times brighter than our sun, but it is over ten million light years away, so it looks like a tiny dot in the sky."

"Wow, Dad, that's awesome!"

Just then a lightning bug, only a few feet above us, lit up brightly. It was almost like the startling flash of a camera. Just imagine- a lightning bug, whose tail measures only an eighth of an inch across, outshining an airplane's light that can illuminate a runway or a star that could comparatively make the sun look like a flickering candle.

The principle I observed began to grip me with excitement as I related it to parenting.

For years, my kids were exposed to negative peer pressure at school, anti-family music at their friends' houses, seductive messages on television commercials and a giant assortment of modern-day bad influences. Their world was full of it; all presented in the brightest trappings to light up the eyes of children of all ages. It all looked so appealing and irresistible!

But, I was filled with encouragement when I resolved that amidst the alluring display of illuminating corruptive influences that surrounded my kids, if I could get my "Daddy light" consistently as close to their eyes as possible I would be the brightest lightin their sky!

I know that Jesus' light is the light I want them to see, but Matthew 5:16 lays the wonderful task on my should when it says, "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds, and glorify, your Father in heaven."

My light may only be a "flicker" compared to the neon fireworks display they faced every day, but the light that is closest is the light that is going to win their hearts for a lifetime!!!

My light; the steady beam of my biblical, old-fashioned, pro-family values may be small, and I knew I would never give it the same seductive dazzle that the media fantasy-makers gave their message. But I knew I would keep my light just a whisper away from those four precious pairs of eyes as they looked for leadership and direction.

Adolescence and pre-adolescence are difficult skies to navigate, but one thing has remained constant in my 40 years of counseling kids; parents who stay close to their kids with meaningful touch, consistent encouragement, participation with the child's activities and most importantly praying and reading the Bible together daily almost always raise the best kids! Kids spell love T-I-M-E!

As your child's skies are filled with neon stars that glitter with temptation, I pray today that your light and God's light will shine ever more brilliantly and that your child will navigate successfully by THAT light through these challenging years that lie ahead!

50 Simple Ways to Show Your Daughter You Love Her

                         www.kcparent.com

This week head over to KC Parent and learn 50 Simple Ways to Show Your Daughter You Love Her from our lovely Jena Meyerpeter.  She has some amazing suggestions that will work with a variety of ages.  How do you show your daughter you love her?

God Forgive Me When I Whine

© Sedmak | Dreamstime Stock Photos &Stock Free Images

My great-grandmother, Lela, passed away this year at 106 years old. Everyone who knew her spoke of her grace, strength, faith, and how she carried herself with dignity, whatever her circumstance. Lela outlived all four of her children and two husbands. Her first husband died when he was 29 years old. She raised her children on her own and did not remarry until her last child was out of the house. Her youngest son died of scarlet fever at age 10. 

She was a hard worker and taught herself to type after her first husband died, and she worked as a court reporter until she retired. Those who knew her best, said you would have never known all the trials she faced, and although they thought she had to be in pain - they said she never complained - never. Her second husband passed away over 30 years ago. She lived on her own, until the day she died. She renewed her driver's license at age 104. She was a remarkable woman.

She was a private person and did not talk about herself often. She did not have many possessions and didn't keep most anything. However, going through her things, after she had passed away, the poem below was found in her drawer, yellow and worn. She was a woman of faith and I think it's worth sharing that after 106 years on this earth, this poem was one of her few possessions - and might give a little insight into how she lived her life and the legacy that carries with it. 

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT) Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

- Tara Godard

Enough is Enough - Control that CHAOS

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Join our own Wendy Connelly over at KC Parent where she walks us through her family's journey back from a life of CHAOS in her article Enough is Enough.

How have you put your foot down to crush the clutter in your life?

Cultivating a Love of Reading...in the Digital Age

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I am the first to admit that I have nerd-like tendencies.  My love of reading is one of the manifestations of my inner nerd.  I don't remember when I learned to read, but I have very clear memories tied to specific books I read (where I was, what I felt, etc.).  I moved a lot growing up...I mean 13 different schools K-12 kind of a lot.  Books were one of the constants in my life.

Fast-forward 30-some-odd years and my love of reading has turned digital.  I am rarely without ready access to a book in some form, be it an audiobook on my iPod (which actually contained no music until recently), an e-book on one of the many (yes, many) e-reader apps on my phone or iPad, or a good old paperback.

One of the greatest joys I have experienced as a parent is watching my oldest learn to read and, more importantly, develop a love for reading.  As a homeschooling mom, it has been amazing to use books to make our school time special for both of us.  We read to each other every day - school books, fun books, informative books, you name it.  This time spent reading has been the most important part of developing that love of reading in my daughter.  We finished our "read-aloud" book list from our school work weeks early because she begs for, "just one more chapter, mom."  I love it!

Whether you are a digital fan or a paper and ink kind of girl, we are blessed with an amazing wealth of options for getting our reading fix around here.  Luckily major retailers know we crave books so the selection at places like Target can be pretty good.  Even with the shrinking footprint of big box book stores, there are many retail options out there to buy books, paper and on CD (even Sam's, Costco, and most grocery stores).  Smaller, boutique bookstores are hanging in there as well and can be a special outing to take your kids on - there is nothing like browsing the shelves at a cozy bookstore to get you excited about reading.

For e-book and audiobook options the internet is wide open...truly, the sky is the limit.  Amazon.com is a favorite of mine for e-books because they have thousands of books for free or very little cost.  You can even borrow books library-style if you own a Kindle (not the app) and have an Amazon Prime account.  You can also lend some Kindle books to other Kindle users - this is open to all users, even those with just the free app.  There are many sites out there that send out lists of the free or low-priced Kindle books of the day - Inspired Reads is a nice list because they send only faith-friendly titles.

Some of the other major players in the e-book arena are Apple with iBooks through the iBookstore, Barnes and Noble with Nook app, readers, and books, Books-a-Million, Kobo with Kobo app, readers, and books, Sony readers and books, and Google with books on Google play.  I know there are many I am missing, but these are some of the bigger options.

I often find it hard to actually sit down immerse myself in a good book with three small kids - I am constantly on my feet or in the car.  Enter audiobooks - let me tell you, I am obsessed.  Again, there are quite a few options out there, but fewer big players in this arena.  Audible.com is my go-to source.  They are now owned by Amazon I believe and when you are searching for a book on Amazon.com you are often presented with a choice of purchasing hardcover, paperback, Kindle, or Audible versions.  Audible books play on most mp3 devices and there are apps for Apple and Android phones/tablets for searching and listening.  Of course, Apple wouldn't be left out - you can purchase audiobooks through the iTunes store to play on your i-(pod, phone, pad, etc.).

I discovered something last year - we are fortunate in Kansas City that we live in a metro area that spans two states.  Our public libraries have relationships!  You can sign up for a Johnson County Library Card, as a resident of Johnson County, and walk yourself into a Mid-Continent Public Library in Missouri and be issued a library card tied to your JCL card.  I mean, this is life-changing people!  Not only does this give you access to the paper and ink beauties across the Metro, but their digital catalogs as well.  Yes, my friends, you can check out e-books and audiobooks through Johnson County Library, Olathe Public Library, and the State Library of Kansas (you can get a card at any library in Johnson County) - all without leaving the comfort of your home.

I know I don't need to extoll the virtues of reading to your kids, but as a reminder, there is no downside to spending precious time with your kids exploring a good book, whether you are reading to them, they to you, or you read and discuss book club style.  What are you reading with your kids?
- Katrina K.

Edible Easter Traditions

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I don't know about you, but food factors into many of my best memories of holidays and special occasions as with the Seder Meal.  Next to Christmas, Easter has some of the best edible traditions!  Many of these traditions date back to the early church and before.

Two treats that can be used to tell the story of the resurrection are Resurrection/Easter Rolls and Resurrection/Easter Cookies.  Both end with a special surprise that reminds us of the empty tomb on Easter morning.

Resurrection Rolls are made with pre-made bread dough of some sort (crescent rolls, dinner rolls, biscuits, etc.), large marshmallows, melted butter, cinnamon, and sugar.  Pinterest has many examples (as usual) with more detailed directions.  There is an excellent explanation here at Happy Home Fairy that includes accompanying Bible verses or culturally relevant pieces of information related to how the dead were honored in the time of Jesus.

Image from Happy Home Fairy

You begin with a large marshmallow that represents the body of Christ.  Dip the marshmallow in the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon and sugar to represent the oils and spices that were used to cleanse and anoint bodies in preparation for burial.  Flatten the dough you have chosen to use, rolling it out large enough to completely wrap the marshmallow.  Place the marshmallow in the dough and wrap, sealing the seams to keep the yummy cinnamon/sugar mixture in when baking.  Place on a baking sheet, in the cups of a muffin tin, or pressed together in a round cake pan.  Bake according to package instructions for your dough.

When you break open the cooled rolls, you will find a sweet surprise - an empty center representing the empty tomb, coated in cinnamon, sugar, and melted marshmallow to represent the sweetness of the gift Jesus gave us by taking on our sins.

Resurrection Cookies are a little more time consuming, but can be a special Easter morning treat.  The recipe is on our Recipes and Traditions page here.  Other great recipe/explanations can be found at Tasty Kitchen here and Beneath My Heart here.

Picture from Tasty Kitchen

First, you must preheat the oven to 300 or 350 (depending on recipe you choose to follow).  Then you put 1 cup of pecans into a plastic zipper bag and beat it with a wooden spoon, breaking the nuts into pieces (remembering that Jesus was beaten after his arrest), taking 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar (a reminder that on the cross Jesus was given vinegar to drink), adding 3 egg whites (because eggs are a symbol of life and Jesus gave his life for us, so that we may have a new life in him), sprinkling a pinch of salt into the mixture (representing the tears shed by Jesus' followers) - at which point the mixture is very unappetizing, but the sweetest part comes next - add 1 cup of sugar (because Jesus died for us because he loves us and wants us to be with him).  You beat the mixture with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form (12-14 minutes), noting the white color which represents the purity of Jesus and that our souls are washed clean through his sacrifice.

Fold the broken nuts into the mixture and drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets.  Place in the oven, seal with tape (remembering how the tomb was sealed), turn the oven off and go to bed.  It is disappointing going to bed without getting to taste the cookies, Jesus' followers were sad to leave their friend and teacher in the tomb.  The next morning give everyone a cookie and marvel that they are hollow, just as Jesus' followers found an empty tomb on the very first Easter.

Hot Cross Buns have been a traditional Good Friday treat since at least the early 1700's.  While the traditional buns eaten in celebration seem to predate Christ, hot cross buns have become a symbol of Easter for Christians.  Food Timeline has an interesting discussion of the origins of many of these treats and their relation to the Easter holiday.

Image from Spoonful

Spoonful has a straightforward recipe here.  Other recipes include other dried fruits in addition to the dried currants.  The process is fairly involved, but looks like it could be an awesome tradition to start with slightly older kiddos!  My daughter loves helping in the kitchen (even if it stresses me out a bit) so I look forward to making these this year.

Braided Easter Bread is a sweet treat that brings together eggs as a symbol of renewal and rebirth and a crown shape that puts us in mind of the crown of thorns that was thrust upon Christ's head.

Image from Dishbase

This is a yeasty bread with candied fruit and nuts, rolled out and "braided" before forming into a circle or crown shape, then adorned with raw colored eggs prior to baking.  You can find a recipe at Dishbase here.  This particular recipe refers to it as Italian Braided Easter Bread so we may have the Italians to thank for such a neat Easter tradition!