Some recent pictures of our fun lovin little son.
Baseball anyone?
Seriously, do you want to play ball with me?
Hmmm....where did that ball go?
Aha...I found it!
Seriously....I can't say anything. He's just C.U.T.E.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
A little Nate lovin
Friday, June 18, 2010
The Age of Innocence
There are several definitions of the word Innocence...I will point out two here:
1. Freedom from sin, moral wrong, or guilt through lack of knowledge of evil
2. lack of worldliness or sophistication; naivete
So often, when people see a baby or even a child they exclaim, "oh, he/she is so innocent". I often wonder what they mean. If they mean definition number 1, I think they are dead wrong, if they mean definition number 2....then, I agree.
Let me start with number 1....Innocence: freedom from sin, moral wrong, or guilt through lack of knowledge of evil. I don't believe anyone is truly innocent by that definition, according to the Bible. Even a child...even my sweet sweet baby boy, Nathan, harbors sin in his heart. It is the curse of the fall. Every man and woman is born seperated from God. How are we separated? Because we are unrighteous, we are sinners. Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was brought froth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. Gen 8:21....for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth... Pro. 22:15, Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child...Ecc. 7:20, Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins....
My point is that no one is innocent, not even my sweet babes. So, no....my little guy or girls are not innocent in the sense of "sinless".
BUT....I hope they are innocent in the sense of the other definition....lack of wordiness or sophistication. I know I've only been a mother for four year, but the longer I am a mom, the more I think it is OK to keep as much of the world away from your young children as possible. Recently, we have acquired a TV signal in our house. Yeah, it's been nice (we got to watch all of the basketball finals which Jeremy enjoyed), but it comes with downfalls too. We try to carefully guard what our children see and hear. And, quite honestly, TV is an area that they can potentially see and hear a lot. There are about 4 TV shows I let them watch, and even those I listen to and turn off if they are talking about something I don't want my kids to ponder upon. Because, just as the Bible reminds me us that we are all sinners, it also reminds us that what we allow in our minds and lives is extremely important in learning to follow Christ. Proverbs 4:23-27 Whach over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth and put devious speech far from you. Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left. Turn your foot from evil. earlier in chapter 4 vs 14-15, Do not enter the path of the wicked and do not proceed in the way of evil men. Avoid it, do not pass by it; turn away from it and pass on.
My job, as a mother (and Jeremy's as a father) is to train our children in the way they should go. This means right now, especially right now, we choose what we allow our children to see, hear, know. And, as far as I'm concerned, I believe my job...especially with the girls, is to protect them from worldliness. They will be exposed, much sooner than I hope them to....but they will, I know that. But, my goal is that when they are, they will have a strong foundation of God's word and that their little minds will be able to discern between right and wrong, good and evil, from a Biblical perspective, not a worldly perspective. I want to teach them that it's ok to be different from others, different from what our culture says is "cool" or "ok".
Nancy Leigh DeMoss says, " The Truth is, our task is not to rear children who can "fit in" or merely "survive" in this world. The challenge of every Christian parent is to bring up children who love God with all their hearts, souls, minds, and strength; who have a vibrant, personal relationship with the Lord Jesus; and whose lives will be bright and shining lights, penetrating the darkness around them. Christian parents ought to be seeking to raise up not just "good" children, but children who enthusiastically embrace the Truth, children who love righteousness and hate evil, children who will be used by God to change this world."
Even more strikingly she says, "Children will cultivate an appetite for whatever they are fed in their earliest, formative years." I think of this almost every time I turn on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. It's one of the few they watch, but I have turned an episode or two off, because I didn't like what they were talking about. It is so important for us to teach our children to be transformed by Christ and not conformed to this world.
Two things have made me think about this recently. The first is positive. Nicole received quite a bit of money from grandparents and great-grandparents this year for her birthday....almost $30 total! After we put a portion of it into her missionary bank, she had $25 left. I told her we would go to Target and asked what she wanted to buy herself. She thought a moment and said, "a cookie" I replied that was fine, we could buy a cookie, but what toy did she want. She thought again and said, "I just want to buy a cookie. Do I have enough money for a cookie?" Many, many four year old would have a running list in their heads of the coolest, newest toys that they want. I loved that Nicole had no idea what was popular (in part to the limited tv time I think). I was so thankful that she had not become worldly and materialistic.
The flip side happened today. After they finished watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Nicole came out and said, "Mommy, have you ever heard of Hannah Montanna?" I slowly looked at her and said, Yes-have you? She told me that she saw her on Mickey Mouse (one of the Disney channel commercials). Honestly....I was saddened by it. I told her that Hannah Montanna is a TV show for girls a lot older than her, like 12 or 14. Now, I don't think I have anything against Hannah Montanna, I've never watched one all the way through. But, I certainly don't want my 4 year old daughter watching her. She doesn't need to see a "tween" smart talking to her parents or gossiping about friends. For now, she needs to be encouraged to obey her parents and talking lovingly about others. Now that she knows about Hannah Montanna, she'll certainly see all of her stuff out there and this will be something we'll have to talk about a lot.
To be really honest, my kids see enough selfishness and negativity from me all day, they don't need to see it and let it be reinforced by strangers, actors no less. They see the world, but hopefully they also see me working through my sins, confessing them (sometimes to them) and hopefully growing each day.
My children are like tiny little tender plants. I am nurturing and growing them. Providing a good environment for them to grow strong and tall so that "when their roots have developed and they are strong enough to withstand adversity, they can be transplanted outdoors."
My decisions about our children are not to say a certain show or program or music or book or video or whatever is bad for you or for me, but I don't think it would cause to strengthen my children now Before their roots are firm. I may not always make the right decisions...and I feel like I err more on the side of trying to conform or not hurt feelings rather than stand up for my children, but I am working on always basing my decisions on what I think is best to train them in the way they should go. I only have a few years with them, and every morning I wake up feeling the burden of one less day to teach them and train them. I don't want to blow it, because I can't have this time back.
1. Freedom from sin, moral wrong, or guilt through lack of knowledge of evil
2. lack of worldliness or sophistication; naivete
So often, when people see a baby or even a child they exclaim, "oh, he/she is so innocent". I often wonder what they mean. If they mean definition number 1, I think they are dead wrong, if they mean definition number 2....then, I agree.
Let me start with number 1....Innocence: freedom from sin, moral wrong, or guilt through lack of knowledge of evil. I don't believe anyone is truly innocent by that definition, according to the Bible. Even a child...even my sweet sweet baby boy, Nathan, harbors sin in his heart. It is the curse of the fall. Every man and woman is born seperated from God. How are we separated? Because we are unrighteous, we are sinners. Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was brought froth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. Gen 8:21....for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth... Pro. 22:15, Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child...Ecc. 7:20, Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins....
My point is that no one is innocent, not even my sweet babes. So, no....my little guy or girls are not innocent in the sense of "sinless".
BUT....I hope they are innocent in the sense of the other definition....lack of wordiness or sophistication. I know I've only been a mother for four year, but the longer I am a mom, the more I think it is OK to keep as much of the world away from your young children as possible. Recently, we have acquired a TV signal in our house. Yeah, it's been nice (we got to watch all of the basketball finals which Jeremy enjoyed), but it comes with downfalls too. We try to carefully guard what our children see and hear. And, quite honestly, TV is an area that they can potentially see and hear a lot. There are about 4 TV shows I let them watch, and even those I listen to and turn off if they are talking about something I don't want my kids to ponder upon. Because, just as the Bible reminds me us that we are all sinners, it also reminds us that what we allow in our minds and lives is extremely important in learning to follow Christ. Proverbs 4:23-27 Whach over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth and put devious speech far from you. Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left. Turn your foot from evil. earlier in chapter 4 vs 14-15, Do not enter the path of the wicked and do not proceed in the way of evil men. Avoid it, do not pass by it; turn away from it and pass on.
My job, as a mother (and Jeremy's as a father) is to train our children in the way they should go. This means right now, especially right now, we choose what we allow our children to see, hear, know. And, as far as I'm concerned, I believe my job...especially with the girls, is to protect them from worldliness. They will be exposed, much sooner than I hope them to....but they will, I know that. But, my goal is that when they are, they will have a strong foundation of God's word and that their little minds will be able to discern between right and wrong, good and evil, from a Biblical perspective, not a worldly perspective. I want to teach them that it's ok to be different from others, different from what our culture says is "cool" or "ok".
Nancy Leigh DeMoss says, " The Truth is, our task is not to rear children who can "fit in" or merely "survive" in this world. The challenge of every Christian parent is to bring up children who love God with all their hearts, souls, minds, and strength; who have a vibrant, personal relationship with the Lord Jesus; and whose lives will be bright and shining lights, penetrating the darkness around them. Christian parents ought to be seeking to raise up not just "good" children, but children who enthusiastically embrace the Truth, children who love righteousness and hate evil, children who will be used by God to change this world."
Even more strikingly she says, "Children will cultivate an appetite for whatever they are fed in their earliest, formative years." I think of this almost every time I turn on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. It's one of the few they watch, but I have turned an episode or two off, because I didn't like what they were talking about. It is so important for us to teach our children to be transformed by Christ and not conformed to this world.
Two things have made me think about this recently. The first is positive. Nicole received quite a bit of money from grandparents and great-grandparents this year for her birthday....almost $30 total! After we put a portion of it into her missionary bank, she had $25 left. I told her we would go to Target and asked what she wanted to buy herself. She thought a moment and said, "a cookie" I replied that was fine, we could buy a cookie, but what toy did she want. She thought again and said, "I just want to buy a cookie. Do I have enough money for a cookie?" Many, many four year old would have a running list in their heads of the coolest, newest toys that they want. I loved that Nicole had no idea what was popular (in part to the limited tv time I think). I was so thankful that she had not become worldly and materialistic.
The flip side happened today. After they finished watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Nicole came out and said, "Mommy, have you ever heard of Hannah Montanna?" I slowly looked at her and said, Yes-have you? She told me that she saw her on Mickey Mouse (one of the Disney channel commercials). Honestly....I was saddened by it. I told her that Hannah Montanna is a TV show for girls a lot older than her, like 12 or 14. Now, I don't think I have anything against Hannah Montanna, I've never watched one all the way through. But, I certainly don't want my 4 year old daughter watching her. She doesn't need to see a "tween" smart talking to her parents or gossiping about friends. For now, she needs to be encouraged to obey her parents and talking lovingly about others. Now that she knows about Hannah Montanna, she'll certainly see all of her stuff out there and this will be something we'll have to talk about a lot.
To be really honest, my kids see enough selfishness and negativity from me all day, they don't need to see it and let it be reinforced by strangers, actors no less. They see the world, but hopefully they also see me working through my sins, confessing them (sometimes to them) and hopefully growing each day.
My children are like tiny little tender plants. I am nurturing and growing them. Providing a good environment for them to grow strong and tall so that "when their roots have developed and they are strong enough to withstand adversity, they can be transplanted outdoors."
My decisions about our children are not to say a certain show or program or music or book or video or whatever is bad for you or for me, but I don't think it would cause to strengthen my children now Before their roots are firm. I may not always make the right decisions...and I feel like I err more on the side of trying to conform or not hurt feelings rather than stand up for my children, but I am working on always basing my decisions on what I think is best to train them in the way they should go. I only have a few years with them, and every morning I wake up feeling the burden of one less day to teach them and train them. I don't want to blow it, because I can't have this time back.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Annual Check ups
This week, all three kids had their well-check visits.
42.75 inches (97th percentile)
She had the remainder of her booster shots, so she is now fully vaccinated. I'm not sure how I feel about that...but she is. She got "four shots, because she's four" That's what the nurse told her (glad I don't get 30 shots next year, owey!) The nurse also told her I would take her out for icecream if she didn't cry (thanks a lot nurse Connie! haha) We had a really fun appointment with Dr. Brown. Nicole and I went alone, which was fun. Nicole jumped up and down, followed instructions Dr. Brown gave her and came out with a big A+. Yay for Nicole! We still need to work on her speech, but she is improving. We'll keep working on phonics and some sounds that she struggles with...but that is sort of normal for this age. And, yes...we did go out for ice cream after the appointment. She did not cry.
Hannah30.1 lbs (90th percentile)
36 inches tall (97th percentile)
Hannah received 3 vaccines, her first MMR, chicken pox and Hep A ( she also did not cry...she just said "ow" with the last one). She's a bit behind on the schedule, but that's ok....I like it that way. Hannah also had a very good appointment. She answer nearly every question with "uh huh" but also participated in Dr. Brown's question (like, touch your toes, stand up straight....). Hannah also checked out great. She's a big girl! Taller and bigger than most girls her age, but we knew that already:-) She is healthy and happy, and that's what really matters!
28.5 inches long (94 percentile)
Nate also did great. He is very long for his age, and his weight is just a little above average. Again, no surprise for me. I was worried a little because he's not fully sitting up on his or crawling yet (I thought the girls were by this point, but she told me not to compare boys and girls). Anyway, she said that he is right on track physcially. He's putting weight/pressure on his feet when lifted up. He's semi sitting (like a tripod), his head is strong and he's scooting around on his belly a bit. Nathan got his first shot, so...he's way behind, but again... I'm ok with that. he'll get them eventually.
Now, the mystery of the constant diaper rash. Well, I'm not even sure I want to call it a rash. It's almost never bumpy. He's always just bright red in the peepee area. Well, Dr. Brown told me that it's probably something acidic that I eat or drink that is coming out in his urine that is causing the redness. Instantly I thought of my Dr. Pepper (or two) that I drink every single day since having 3 children. So, no more. I went through terrible day of headache and withdraw (like, I couldn't move my head or eyes...it was horrible. I feel bad for anyone who's been addicted to drugs and had to go off, sheesh!). Anyway, he's pretty much free and clear. I finally chocked up his redness to just being a boy, and boys are a little grosser than girls, you know? Powder wouldn't work, creams wouldn't work, different brands of cloth and disposable diapers weren't working. Guess what worked. Giving up my beloved Dr. Pepper. Now, it just so happens that I had already decided last weekend that Monday I would stop drinking soda. So, now when I really want it or think I need it, I can't drink it, because I know it'll cause problems for Nathan. Thank you Lord for giving me a REAL reason not to drink my soda. I'll stay away now.
We are very grateful that we have three very healthy children. As you can see, they are all very tall (thank you Jeremy....or my Papa Sam is also very tall, maybe they take after him ; )
Nicole
40 lbs (82nd percentile)42.75 inches (97th percentile)
She had the remainder of her booster shots, so she is now fully vaccinated. I'm not sure how I feel about that...but she is. She got "four shots, because she's four" That's what the nurse told her (glad I don't get 30 shots next year, owey!) The nurse also told her I would take her out for icecream if she didn't cry (thanks a lot nurse Connie! haha) We had a really fun appointment with Dr. Brown. Nicole and I went alone, which was fun. Nicole jumped up and down, followed instructions Dr. Brown gave her and came out with a big A+. Yay for Nicole! We still need to work on her speech, but she is improving. We'll keep working on phonics and some sounds that she struggles with...but that is sort of normal for this age. And, yes...we did go out for ice cream after the appointment. She did not cry.
Hannah36 inches tall (97th percentile)
Nathan
18lbs 12 ounces (60 percentile)28.5 inches long (94 percentile)
We are very grateful that we have three very healthy children. As you can see, they are all very tall (thank you Jeremy....or my Papa Sam is also very tall, maybe they take after him ; )
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Chicken-Broccoli Couscous
I found this recipe a few months ago in Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine. I ripped it out of the magazine because it had broccoli and chicken in it. I finally tried it about 2 months ago, and it has become a family favorite. It is so fast to make, very yummy and can be modified I'm sure to include whatever veggies your family likes (our veggie of choice is broccoli). I like this recipe because it takes just a few minutes to make if you have already done your prep work.
Here is a link to the full recipe.
First you cook up your salted and peppered chicken breasts.
When that is finished, you saute your chopped onions and boil your chicken stock in a different pot for the couscous.
After 5 minutes, add your chopped broccoli and a couple of cups of chicken stock to the onions.
Also, pour the couscous into the boiling chicken stock, cover and set aside.
Let the broccoli cook for 5 minutes, then add your chicken (which you should have shredded), couscous, raisins, parsley and toasted almonds. You can either toast your almonds in the oven or over the stove top. I just sprayed a little olive oil and toasted my almonds on the stove over medium heat. I LOVE toasted almonds....yummy.
I add a little more than half of my cooked couscous, but I could add all of it if I cooked more chicken and broccoli. Also, fresh parsley is best, but this is what my fresh parsley looked like.
I haven't cooked a real dinner in a week (family was in town and I didn't get a chance to cook much), so I haven't used my fresh herbs in a while. I guess a few days of neglect create a great opportunity for bugs and caterpillars :-(
Anyway, I know the ingredients are a little odd in this dish, especially the raisins...but they are very good. This has become a household favorite. Quick, easy, yummy, and healthy. I like that!
First you cook up your salted and peppered chicken breasts.
When that is finished, you saute your chopped onions and boil your chicken stock in a different pot for the couscous.
Also, pour the couscous into the boiling chicken stock, cover and set aside.
Let the broccoli cook for 5 minutes, then add your chicken (which you should have shredded), couscous, raisins, parsley and toasted almonds. You can either toast your almonds in the oven or over the stove top. I just sprayed a little olive oil and toasted my almonds on the stove over medium heat. I LOVE toasted almonds....yummy.
I add a little more than half of my cooked couscous, but I could add all of it if I cooked more chicken and broccoli. Also, fresh parsley is best, but this is what my fresh parsley looked like.
I haven't cooked a real dinner in a week (family was in town and I didn't get a chance to cook much), so I haven't used my fresh herbs in a while. I guess a few days of neglect create a great opportunity for bugs and caterpillars :-(
Anyway, I know the ingredients are a little odd in this dish, especially the raisins...but they are very good. This has become a household favorite. Quick, easy, yummy, and healthy. I like that!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Nicole's Fourth Birthday
We have had a really busy week, so I am a little late on a few posts. Nicole turned 4 two Saturdays ago. We had a pretty relaxed day....but a very fun day too.
The night before her birthday we asked her what she wanted to do. The first answer.....
"In the morning, when it's day time out, I want you and daddy to walk in my room and say 1,2,3 Surprise!"
and
"Um, I want to play a game.....and build with my blocks....and eat peanut butter and jelly sandwich and have spaghetti for dinner."
So, at 6:45am when Hannah came in our room, I woke Jeremy up and said, "Come on, we have to go in and surprise Nicole". He gave me an "Are you absolutely kidding me? Do you have any idea what time it is" kind of look, but he got up. We tiredly crept into her bedroom. She was wide awake and staring at the door. We "snuck" in, counted to three and yelled SURPRISE. She immediately started laughing, squealing, kicking and having an "I'm so excited, I'm so excited type of tantrum". I think that was the highlight of the day for me. She was totally looking forward to us doing that for her. I loved her expression and excitedness.
Then, we all got dressed and went to McDonalds for pancake breakfast. After McyD's, we went to Home Depot and did a free workshop. Hannah even got to help.
Then we took off for a local park with a splash pad and the let the girls play for a little while. It's incredibly hot and it's only June! So, this was the best place to be if your going to be outside. We had lunch at the mall, with icecream included. Came home, zonked out and took a nap (all of us I think).
That night we had the requested spaghetti dinner, decorated our own cupcakes
and watched Homeward Bound (and of course painted our nails).
I'm pretty sure Nicole thought it was a near perfect day. She spent all day with both Jeremy and I, ate pretty much any treat she wanted, watched a movie and played outside.
As far as gifts are concerned - she got....
Roller skates (which she can't use....like, maybe she needs to wait a few YEARS!)
It was a great, low-keybirthday.
The night before her birthday we asked her what she wanted to do. The first answer.....
"In the morning, when it's day time out, I want you and daddy to walk in my room and say 1,2,3 Surprise!"
and
"Um, I want to play a game.....and build with my blocks....and eat peanut butter and jelly sandwich and have spaghetti for dinner."
So, at 6:45am when Hannah came in our room, I woke Jeremy up and said, "Come on, we have to go in and surprise Nicole". He gave me an "Are you absolutely kidding me? Do you have any idea what time it is" kind of look, but he got up. We tiredly crept into her bedroom. She was wide awake and staring at the door. We "snuck" in, counted to three and yelled SURPRISE. She immediately started laughing, squealing, kicking and having an "I'm so excited, I'm so excited type of tantrum". I think that was the highlight of the day for me. She was totally looking forward to us doing that for her. I loved her expression and excitedness.
Then, we all got dressed and went to McDonalds for pancake breakfast. After McyD's, we went to Home Depot and did a free workshop. Hannah even got to help.
The next aisle over, a home depot employee turned on a saw to cut some wood. Immediately the girls stuck their fingers in their ears! hahahaha. They don't like loud noise and are terrified of the "beep beep" sound at Home Depot.
Check out that concentration!
I enjoyed being a part this time.
We made a soccer Foosball table.
Then we took off for a local park with a splash pad and the let the girls play for a little while. It's incredibly hot and it's only June! So, this was the best place to be if your going to be outside. We had lunch at the mall, with icecream included. Came home, zonked out and took a nap (all of us I think).
That night we had the requested spaghetti dinner, decorated our own cupcakes
and watched Homeward Bound (and of course painted our nails).
These girls LOVE to get out their blankets and pillow and lay on the floor to watch a movie. It's such a treat!
Again, the concentration....
Blowing her fingernails dry
Yes I "trusted" Hannah with nail polish too.
Hannah's Big toe she painted over and over ( think it was the only nail that got any attention)
As far as gifts are concerned - she got....
Roller skates (which she can't use....like, maybe she needs to wait a few YEARS!)
She loves this science set. Wait for many more pictures to come on this one!
These are really cool books I got a a garage sale for a dollar (for all of them). They have a wheel that turns the first letter so the child can practice reading a certain sound. The stories are ok....but the basic reading skills they teach are great.
We haven't played this game yet, but I know Nicole will love it.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Swing, Swing, Swing
We took a quick walk this morning to a neighborhood park. And, of course, the kids were on the swings, almost the whole time.....except for 2 slides down the slide and one snack break. If we had a bigger yard, I'm pretty sure I would ask for a professional size swing set. Just the swing...maybe big enough for 4, that even adults could go on. That's really all my kids care about.
Anyway, I didn't have the camera, but I did have my phone. I got some sweet sweet picture of Mr. Nathan enjoying himself and some fun pictures of my sweet girls. You gotta love these kids!
Anyway, I didn't have the camera, but I did have my phone. I got some sweet sweet picture of Mr. Nathan enjoying himself and some fun pictures of my sweet girls. You gotta love these kids!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
MLB History in the making
Any loyal follower of major league baseball would know that last Tuesday, June 8th was a night that would go down in history. Now, I'm not a loyal follower, just a casual "whatever my husband tells me I'll try really hard to remember, but probably get wrong" follower.
Anyway, Tuesday night was the first start for Stephen Strasburg, a 21 year old fresh out of college pitcher who regularly throws 98, 99, 100mph. In case you don't watch baseball....that's fast. Jeremy was incredibly excited to be watching the game and even more excited when I passed Nathan on to him. I believe it is one of his dreams to be able to sit and watch baseball with his son. Nate seemed into it too (at least, he didn't cry). The boys sat and watched this phenomenal new pitcher. We wanted to make sure we had it written down that Nate saw this kid's first pitch, first strike out, first major league 100mph throw, first everything (except walk).
So.....here it is Nate. You and your dad, watching baseball together. Hopefully there will be many more games watched together.
So.....here it is Nate. You and your dad, watching baseball together. Hopefully there will be many more games watched together.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Scientific Study
We bought Nicole a beginner's Chemistry Set for her birthday. She loves to pour and mix and add weird objects to her mixtures. So, we thought this would be something she would like. I think we were right!
I got this set at a teacher supply store. It's super cute! It has 3 test tubes with holder, a large beaker, a funnel, a flask, eye protection, water dropper and a large magnifying glass, along with 10 cards with step by step instructions on experiments or activities to do.
Yesterday we practiced mixing different primary colors to see what other colors they made. We used water, food coloring a some other tools. Nicole and I did the activity, step by step and then I let her mix and play for almost an hour. She loved it.
She wanted to wear the safety goggles.
Getting started....we put a towel down since we were working with food coloring. Of course, the only one to get it on themselves, was me! Ruined a perfectly fine shirt.
Counting 5 drops into the large test tube
Here she was counting yellow drops I believe. I guess I didn't get any pictures of her pouring and mixing. Oh well....she had fun doing it anyway.
$80 in free Amazon Gift Cards
So, I know I've told you all about Swagbucks before, but I feel like I should mention it again. Since January...I have redeemed $80 in FREE Amazon gift cards. I have use $20 I believe to order magazine subscriptions and books. So...it's true, it really works.
Swagbucks is a search engine that rewards you for searching.
There are lots of ways to earn swagbucks....let me tell you of the easiest.
1. Toolbar....download the toolbar and use it when you do a search. I even "search" for my e-mail. Like, I'll type into the tool bar, yahoo mail and then click on the link when I want to sign in. I've earned swagbucks from searching just basic internet sites I use daily. Searching is the easiest way to earn swagbucks. I average 9 or 12 swagbucks a couple of times a day. You don't get swag bucks for every search....but you'll get them every once in a while. You also get 1 swagbuck every day just for having a tool bar. That is almost enough to earn on $5 Amazon gift card without doing anything!
2. "Special offers"- There are two types. The easiest is the no obligation special offers. You just click through the list saying you are not interested, and you get 1-3 swagbucks. You can also complete a real special offer (like sign up for a free trial of netflix) and earn a few hundred swag bucks...but, I've never done that.
3. Poll - they have a poll every day. Just for answering it, you get one swag buck.
With those three ways alone, you would earn enough for $10 in Amazon gift cards in one year.
Other ways to earn....
1. online shopping - When I buy something online, I go through their webiste, and you get 2 swagbucks for every dollar you spend.
2.- swagbuck codes - sometimes they will release codes and give you a clue to find it. If you are bored, then you can be rewarded with a few bucks for finding a code.
3. Referrals - when someone signs up under you. You get matching swagbucks with that person for their first 1,000.
If you sign up today (under my name ) you get an instant 30 swagbucks. You can also enter this code SUMMEROFSWAG to get 20 more swagbucks (only new sign ups) This is a great way to have a little money to buy books or gifts or whatever else you want, but don't want to use your own money for....
Swagbucks is a search engine that rewards you for searching.
There are lots of ways to earn swagbucks....let me tell you of the easiest.
1. Toolbar....download the toolbar and use it when you do a search. I even "search" for my e-mail. Like, I'll type into the tool bar, yahoo mail and then click on the link when I want to sign in. I've earned swagbucks from searching just basic internet sites I use daily. Searching is the easiest way to earn swagbucks. I average 9 or 12 swagbucks a couple of times a day. You don't get swag bucks for every search....but you'll get them every once in a while. You also get 1 swagbuck every day just for having a tool bar. That is almost enough to earn on $5 Amazon gift card without doing anything!
2. "Special offers"- There are two types. The easiest is the no obligation special offers. You just click through the list saying you are not interested, and you get 1-3 swagbucks. You can also complete a real special offer (like sign up for a free trial of netflix) and earn a few hundred swag bucks...but, I've never done that.
3. Poll - they have a poll every day. Just for answering it, you get one swag buck.
With those three ways alone, you would earn enough for $10 in Amazon gift cards in one year.
Other ways to earn....
1. online shopping - When I buy something online, I go through their webiste, and you get 2 swagbucks for every dollar you spend.
2.- swagbuck codes - sometimes they will release codes and give you a clue to find it. If you are bored, then you can be rewarded with a few bucks for finding a code.
3. Referrals - when someone signs up under you. You get matching swagbucks with that person for their first 1,000.
If you sign up today (under my name ) you get an instant 30 swagbucks. You can also enter this code SUMMEROFSWAG to get 20 more swagbucks (only new sign ups) This is a great way to have a little money to buy books or gifts or whatever else you want, but don't want to use your own money for....
Monday, June 7, 2010
The National Anthem
I really wanted to spend the next four weeks or so preparing the girls for The Fourth of July. I feel like Nicole can understand a little better this year what the holiday is about. So, I decided we would take one national song a week....learn about it, sing it a lot and use it as our "jumping off" point as we prepare for Independence Day.
Last week it was our National Anthem, The Star Spangled Banner, written by Francis Scott Key. We found out that it was a poem (with a different title) written by Key while he was on a boat asking for his friend, who was being held captive by the British, to be released. The British captain said he would release the man, but that they had to stay on the boat for several more days because they (Key and his friend) had heard about the coming attack on Fort McHenry and so the captain didn't want to release them and jeopardize the attack. So, Key and his friend anxiously watched the British attack their beloved country while on the boat. They determined that as long as they saw the flag flying high, the fort had not been taken. The battled raged all night, and in the morning, Key looked up and saw the United States flag flying high. He wrote his poem "The Defence of Fort McHenry". The poem was quickly published and set to the tune of a drinking song. It became the national anthem in 1931.
So, the girls and I sang this song a lot (they've got the basic tune down) and they know the highlights of the story. Even Hannah knows some of it (when I ask who wrote the song, Hannah says "Scot" not bad for a 2 year old!)
One day last week, we decided to make a picture of how the song was written. We used sparkly paper, Popsicle sticks and glitter.
Nicole cut out the boat (and cut off the sail, which I'm claiming is why it doesn't look like a boat. But, the REAL reason is because I'm not very artistic, and I didn't know how to draw a boat for her cut out...but don't tell anyone else that!)
Hannah "built" the fort with Popsicle sticks.
The complete picture. You see the big flag flying over the fort that Nicole made (by the way, I copied this flag from a bad picture in the book. I later found out that the flag had 15 stars, not 13...and that they were not in the circular shape, rather in 3 rows of 5). There are glitter fireworks flying over the fort and ship too.
Next is America the Beautiful.
Last week it was our National Anthem, The Star Spangled Banner, written by Francis Scott Key. We found out that it was a poem (with a different title) written by Key while he was on a boat asking for his friend, who was being held captive by the British, to be released. The British captain said he would release the man, but that they had to stay on the boat for several more days because they (Key and his friend) had heard about the coming attack on Fort McHenry and so the captain didn't want to release them and jeopardize the attack. So, Key and his friend anxiously watched the British attack their beloved country while on the boat. They determined that as long as they saw the flag flying high, the fort had not been taken. The battled raged all night, and in the morning, Key looked up and saw the United States flag flying high. He wrote his poem "The Defence of Fort McHenry". The poem was quickly published and set to the tune of a drinking song. It became the national anthem in 1931.
So, the girls and I sang this song a lot (they've got the basic tune down) and they know the highlights of the story. Even Hannah knows some of it (when I ask who wrote the song, Hannah says "Scot" not bad for a 2 year old!)
One day last week, we decided to make a picture of how the song was written. We used sparkly paper, Popsicle sticks and glitter.
Nicole cut out the boat (and cut off the sail, which I'm claiming is why it doesn't look like a boat. But, the REAL reason is because I'm not very artistic, and I didn't know how to draw a boat for her cut out...but don't tell anyone else that!)
The complete picture. You see the big flag flying over the fort that Nicole made (by the way, I copied this flag from a bad picture in the book. I later found out that the flag had 15 stars, not 13...and that they were not in the circular shape, rather in 3 rows of 5). There are glitter fireworks flying over the fort and ship too.
Next is America the Beautiful.
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