What a delight to share with you today the incredible journey we experience as parents as we watch our children grow in so many ways. JH turned double digits this past year and I remember specifically how badly he wanted to be 10. (I love you, JH!) He thought every day counting down to his birthday, "If only I was already double digits...I would be big!" I've got news for him...he IS already big! I'll be lucky if he doesn't pass me in height within the next 3 years ... and as you know ... I'm not that short. I'm not sure what it is that causes kids this age to have such a great desire to turn "double digits" but I know my niece MS was extremely excited when she turned 10 as well. (Hi, MS!) They feel more grown-up and closer to turning that next big milestone age of 13 ...the teen years! Our close friend JD is celebrating his 13th birthday this week along with his younger brother HD who is turning 6. Happy Birthday guys! Hope its the best birthday yet!!
No matter how old your child is, their birthday is always a special moment and a BIG DEAL to them. Make the most of it as best you can and help them feel extra special on their day. One of the extra things I like to do when I can is have a little fun by celebrating what we like to call their HALF BIRTHDAY. This means exactly 6 months after your last birthday...You would receive a half of a birthday card (kindly cut in half diagonally by mom or dad so it's impossible to read all the writing!) With this strange event, we follow up with half a cupcake or a couple of 1/2 size cookies each for dessert and sing, "Happy Half Birthday to You". I'm not sure I would try this idea with teenagers...they may think you're nuts! Or...they may think you're totally cool! Either way, it gives a good laugh and the message gets across that they are important enough to us for us to be creative and do something silly to make their day a little more special on the Half Year mark. We ususally give a token gift and let them choose somewhere special they would like to go that day...a park, playland, arcade, etc.
But then... we remind them they are another year older in Christ. Its always a good thing to sit down with your child once or twice a year or more and see how well they can describe the Gospel message to you. It gives a glimpse of their understanding of spiritual concepts and how well they can communicate what they know and believe. God will bless your efforts to allow your child to expand their minds and see the bigger picture of who God is and what Jesus really did for us that day he died for us on the cross. I felt that this year with turning 10, my son really expressed his inner desire to get Baptised and we know that soon he will get that opportunity. Bible memorization and communicating his understanding of the Gospel were two keys our pastor felt he needed to be able to do when JH first asked to be baptised two years ago. We feel he is now ready and hope to share in this joyous event with you someday soon.
Double Digits has brought with it lots of growing pains for JH, changes physically (needing to wear deodorant now and growing out of 2 shoe sizes in 3 mos!) and emotionally (better social awareness and maturity), but most of all - new challenges spiritually- as JH begins to ask more and more questions into understanding God's plan for his life. We welcome this challenge with open arms because a child that is curious and asking questions is on the right track to enriching and improving their relationship with Jesus Christ.
I hope you find this year (no matter what age your child is at) to be a year filled with new insight and understanding from your child's perspective on who God is. May you all rejoice in your children and crave to fan their flame of passion for living a life for Christ. We only get to have them for a short time in our lives...tomorrow brings another year and another step closer to JH developing more into a man of God and venturing out on his own. May we all prepare our children for that wonderful day when God calls them. Live the dream of a better life in Christ. Enrich your lives in His Word and shower your children with the love of Jesus. Praise the Lord for His Goodness. May you and your families be truly blessed today!
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Previous Kids Corner Pages
KIDS CORNER: Poptarts!
My poptarts are little rectangles that taste like cinnamon and bread. They are the tastiest things I could possibly have for breakfast (besides McDonald's pancakes of course!). Although I don't care for the little dry parts around the edges...they aren't very tasty so I throw the crumbs from the edges in the trash. Its the soft chewy middle I like most! Wow! These are healthier than I thought! I just read the side of the box and found out they have 2 grams of protein...Woah! If you are interested..you also get 10% vitamin A, Niacin is 10%, Vitamin B6 is 10% (go vitamins!), Thiamin is 10%, Riboflavin is (can you guess?) Yep...10%, and the last is Folic Acid (very important) ...10%! Yahoo! Go Poptarts!! My favorite breakfast food! Silly articles just for you - by JH :)
My poptarts are little rectangles that taste like cinnamon and bread. They are the tastiest things I could possibly have for breakfast (besides McDonald's pancakes of course!). Although I don't care for the little dry parts around the edges...they aren't very tasty so I throw the crumbs from the edges in the trash. Its the soft chewy middle I like most! Wow! These are healthier than I thought! I just read the side of the box and found out they have 2 grams of protein...Woah! If you are interested..you also get 10% vitamin A, Niacin is 10%, Vitamin B6 is 10% (go vitamins!), Thiamin is 10%, Riboflavin is (can you guess?) Yep...10%, and the last is Folic Acid (very important) ...10%! Yahoo! Go Poptarts!! My favorite breakfast food! Silly articles just for you - by JH :)
KIDS CORNER - Favorite Foods by JH & Family
Watermelon JH
Macaroni And Cheese JH
Pepperoni Pizza TH
Chicken Tetrazini TH
Lasagna -Faithflower
My Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, & Applesauce MEAL-Faithflower
Mandarin Oranges -Little Faithflower
Chicken Tetrazini - Little Faithflower
KIDS CORNER TOP TEN - Favorite Video Games by JH
Super Mario Galaxy - Wii
Pokemon Pearl - DS
The Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask - N64
Pikmin 2 - GC
Super Mario Sunshine - GC
Super Smash Bros. Melee - GC
Megaman White 3 - GBA
Thrillville Off the Rails - Wii
Kirby and the Magic Mirror - GBA
Pokemon Fire Red - GBA
Monday, March 3, 2008
Clean out that clutter!
What a wonderful feeling to get a specific task done in a short amount of time! I'm not sure how well you are able to keep up with clutter, but in the house of a former ebay power seller and notorious pack rat, its hard to find space for extra items that were formerly being sold and shipped out in a flurry. We just did not have the space to keep these things in our home anymore along with all the other clutter that has accumulated over the years. Our house became a war zone so quickly after stopping my business, that all the extra stuff just ended up here and there and anywhere I could fit it. Needless to say, the house was a wreck. I had to do something.
About a week ago, I had focused my attention on the incredible mountain of junk in the kitchen first, and with the goal of spending a half hour at a time attacking the room. My efforts began to make a dent and the de-cluttering of all this unnecessary stuff was well underway. Yahoo! Working hard every chance I had between normal chores, homeschooling JH, and taking care of my active toddler, I set my sights on the cabinets. I sorted and purged, emptying all the cups, bowls, glasses, and plates that had either been cracked, chipped, stained or simply in our possession for over 15 years! Way too long for dishwear that you use daily! I couldn't believe how bad everything looked when I really studied their condition. I must have tossed two trashbags full of kitchen junk. Phew! Glad to be rid of all that! Unfortunately in the process we had to part with a few dear posessions that my husband didn't want to part with...,"Not that...that's my Red Sox mug!"
With a little more effort today, I finally finished disposing of all that had once plaqued my kitchen corners, under the table and in the cabinets. To my delight, when I walk in the kitchen now, it feels like a new room! How pleasantly surprised my husband was to see the efforts I had made to get the job done so quickly. If you are in need of some major clutter removal and junk purging, just remember this...God gives grace to his people and I'm sure he is pleased with our efforts as wives and mothers if we make an honest effort to improve the cleanliness and comfort of our family's home. In any circumstance of household need ...whether cleaning, de-cluttering, or reorganizing closets, when you set your mind on something, you can really get any task done in a rather short period of time. I still have more work to do in many other areas of the house, but my home will hopefully soon be my sanctuary again, and I will be able to enjoy seeing the fruits of my labor in a clean, organized house. Here's to attacking room 2 ....JH's room! Ahaaaa!!!!
About a week ago, I had focused my attention on the incredible mountain of junk in the kitchen first, and with the goal of spending a half hour at a time attacking the room. My efforts began to make a dent and the de-cluttering of all this unnecessary stuff was well underway. Yahoo! Working hard every chance I had between normal chores, homeschooling JH, and taking care of my active toddler, I set my sights on the cabinets. I sorted and purged, emptying all the cups, bowls, glasses, and plates that had either been cracked, chipped, stained or simply in our possession for over 15 years! Way too long for dishwear that you use daily! I couldn't believe how bad everything looked when I really studied their condition. I must have tossed two trashbags full of kitchen junk. Phew! Glad to be rid of all that! Unfortunately in the process we had to part with a few dear posessions that my husband didn't want to part with...,"Not that...that's my Red Sox mug!"
With a little more effort today, I finally finished disposing of all that had once plaqued my kitchen corners, under the table and in the cabinets. To my delight, when I walk in the kitchen now, it feels like a new room! How pleasantly surprised my husband was to see the efforts I had made to get the job done so quickly. If you are in need of some major clutter removal and junk purging, just remember this...God gives grace to his people and I'm sure he is pleased with our efforts as wives and mothers if we make an honest effort to improve the cleanliness and comfort of our family's home. In any circumstance of household need ...whether cleaning, de-cluttering, or reorganizing closets, when you set your mind on something, you can really get any task done in a rather short period of time. I still have more work to do in many other areas of the house, but my home will hopefully soon be my sanctuary again, and I will be able to enjoy seeing the fruits of my labor in a clean, organized house. Here's to attacking room 2 ....JH's room! Ahaaaa!!!!
Sunday, March 2, 2008
KIDS CORNER - English: Parts of Speech
ENGLISH Worksheet: FILL IN THE BLANKS SILLY STORY FUN
How to play: Read the story. As you come across a word that's missing, ask a friend to answer the questions you ask them and write down the answers on a separate sheet of paper. Make sure you ask them to pick a word that meets the description of the proper parts of speech or other term (adjective, noun, verb, number, liquid, part of body). Once you have picked words and written them down for all the blanks, go back and read the story again, but this time filling in the blanks with the words they picked. (Other option is to print this page and fill in the blanks using a pencil once it's printed.) Have fun! Be prepared to laugh ALOT! Take turns with family members and friends and make sure they help you get a turn to choose the words for the blanks too. Enjoy! We welcome you to leave comments below the blog with your favorite selected words for the matching blank spaces and share them with everyone here so we can all enjoy a good laugh from your best choices. Thanks for visiting and playing our Silly Story Fun!
Today was a (adjective) day! The (noun) was out and the temperature was (number) degrees! We decided to (verb) to the (place). I patted my (pet) and headed out the door. It took awhile to get there, but the (noun) was (adjective). I brought my handheld video game player and started enjoying a quick game of (favorite video game) in the back seat. It was only shortly after we left that we suddenly realized our (liquid) was leaking! (Family member's name) stopped and asked where the nearest (place) was so we could fix it. After taking care of the minor disaster, all was well again and we were able to rest our (part of body -plural). Now it was time to get back to our (adjective) day!
Our (parent) drove the (type of vehicle) super (speed - fast or slow), but we got there just the same. We entered into what seemed like a garden and soon walked passed a (noun). (friend's name) was distracted by the (adjective) fountains and (color) flowers that they almost tripped over a (animal)! They were so thankful it was not a (poisonous reptile) like the one we had seen at the zoo! We entered the (color) building and checked to see which floor our destination was on. The only elevator was busy though, so we took the stairs to the (number) floor. By the time we almost had reached our floor level, our (part of body - plural) had already gotten tired and our (part of body) was weak. We were very (emotion) when we finally got to the right floor.
At last it was time to (activity)! Yay! Everyone got to have a turn (verb: add -ing ending) and (verb: add -ing ending)! The place looked (adjective)! My family and friends all had a (adjective) time! On the way home, my (parent) offered to treat us all to (food). It was a (adjective) ending to a (adjective) day! "Don't forget to (verb) when you get home!", my friend (friend's name) said. I promised I would and gave them a (noun) before they left. "See you again (length of time)!", I shouted. Once home, I drifted off to sleep immediately and dreamed of (noun -plural).
The end.
How to play: Read the story. As you come across a word that's missing, ask a friend to answer the questions you ask them and write down the answers on a separate sheet of paper. Make sure you ask them to pick a word that meets the description of the proper parts of speech or other term (adjective, noun, verb, number, liquid, part of body). Once you have picked words and written them down for all the blanks, go back and read the story again, but this time filling in the blanks with the words they picked. (Other option is to print this page and fill in the blanks using a pencil once it's printed.) Have fun! Be prepared to laugh ALOT! Take turns with family members and friends and make sure they help you get a turn to choose the words for the blanks too. Enjoy! We welcome you to leave comments below the blog with your favorite selected words for the matching blank spaces and share them with everyone here so we can all enjoy a good laugh from your best choices. Thanks for visiting and playing our Silly Story Fun!
Today was a (adjective) day! The (noun) was out and the temperature was (number) degrees! We decided to (verb) to the (place). I patted my (pet) and headed out the door. It took awhile to get there, but the (noun) was (adjective). I brought my handheld video game player and started enjoying a quick game of (favorite video game) in the back seat. It was only shortly after we left that we suddenly realized our (liquid) was leaking! (Family member's name) stopped and asked where the nearest (place) was so we could fix it. After taking care of the minor disaster, all was well again and we were able to rest our (part of body -plural). Now it was time to get back to our (adjective) day!
Our (parent) drove the (type of vehicle) super (speed - fast or slow), but we got there just the same. We entered into what seemed like a garden and soon walked passed a (noun). (friend's name) was distracted by the (adjective) fountains and (color) flowers that they almost tripped over a (animal)! They were so thankful it was not a (poisonous reptile) like the one we had seen at the zoo! We entered the (color) building and checked to see which floor our destination was on. The only elevator was busy though, so we took the stairs to the (number) floor. By the time we almost had reached our floor level, our (part of body - plural) had already gotten tired and our (part of body) was weak. We were very (emotion) when we finally got to the right floor.
At last it was time to (activity)! Yay! Everyone got to have a turn (verb: add -ing ending) and (verb: add -ing ending)! The place looked (adjective)! My family and friends all had a (adjective) time! On the way home, my (parent) offered to treat us all to (food). It was a (adjective) ending to a (adjective) day! "Don't forget to (verb) when you get home!", my friend (friend's name) said. I promised I would and gave them a (noun) before they left. "See you again (length of time)!", I shouted. Once home, I drifted off to sleep immediately and dreamed of (noun -plural).
The end.
KIDS CORNER - Math: Fractions - GCF
MATH Worksheet - Fractions: Greatest Common Factor (GCF)
1) GCF (45 , 45) = _______________________ 2) GCF (110 , 33) = _______________
3) GCF (60 , 108) = ______________________ 4) GCF (30 , 30) = _______________
5) GCF (96 , 12) = _______________________ 6) GCF (48 , 72) = _______________
7) GCF (54 , 12) = _______________________ 8) GCF (120 , 80) = _______________
9) GCF (55 , 55) = _______________________ 10) GCF (22 , 22) = _______________
11) GCF (25 , 15) = ______________________ 12) GCF (32 , 56) = _______________
13) GCF (66 , 132) = ____________________ 14) GCF (144 , 12) = _______________
15) GCF (100 , 40) = _____________________ 16) GCF (63 , 63) = _______________
17) GCF (20 , 12) = ______________________ 18) GCF (120 , 70) = _______________
19) GCF (110 , 60) = _____________________ 20) GCF (84 , 49) = _______________
*Parents and Homeschoolers...feel free to copy this page and print it out for your student to practice at home. For more opportunities to make your own great custom Math worksheets or for timed online practice worksheets...check out this site: http://www.noetic-learning.com/
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1) GCF (45 , 45) = _______________________ 2) GCF (110 , 33) = _______________
3) GCF (60 , 108) = ______________________ 4) GCF (30 , 30) = _______________
5) GCF (96 , 12) = _______________________ 6) GCF (48 , 72) = _______________
7) GCF (54 , 12) = _______________________ 8) GCF (120 , 80) = _______________
9) GCF (55 , 55) = _______________________ 10) GCF (22 , 22) = _______________
11) GCF (25 , 15) = ______________________ 12) GCF (32 , 56) = _______________
13) GCF (66 , 132) = ____________________ 14) GCF (144 , 12) = _______________
15) GCF (100 , 40) = _____________________ 16) GCF (63 , 63) = _______________
17) GCF (20 , 12) = ______________________ 18) GCF (120 , 70) = _______________
19) GCF (110 , 60) = _____________________ 20) GCF (84 , 49) = _______________
*Parents and Homeschoolers...feel free to copy this page and print it out for your student to practice at home. For more opportunities to make your own great custom Math worksheets or for timed online practice worksheets...check out this site: http://www.noetic-learning.com/
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