Saturday, March 31, 2012

Convicted

I have been convicted today. 

This process of turning off the screens has already taught me SO much and we haven't even started yet!  I have been on fire all morning--on email, on Facebook, texting--because something struck me while grocery shopping this morning.  No, it wasn't the price of paper towels (although that is getting ridiculous...they're paper!).  It was the Easter Bunny.

It made me sad to see the Easter Bunny this morning because it reminded me of the mockery Easter has become.  The flowers, pastels, baby animals and marshmallows.  That's not what Easter looked like...and I don't feel like it's how it should be remembered.  Does that mean we won't have an Easter basket for the boys Sunday morning?  No.  Does it mean we won't dye eggs?  No, but not because I feel like it's pointless.  If we don't dye eggs it'll be because I really dread dying eggs!

I honestly had to fight back tears when I saw the holiday (HOLY DAY) aisle packed with people.  I wanted to shout that Easter wasn't pretty.  It was full of deceit and denial and blood.

I've strived the past few days to find a way to make each day this week significant.  Some have asked me what we're doing.  First, we're going to read Luke 22-24 from the Bible.  No watered down interpretation...straight from the King James.  I want to hear the words verbatim.  We're going to discuss the history of Passover, what it means.  I want to look at each day of the week and find out what Jesus was doing on that very day.  How the mood was in the city of Jerusalem and of the people there. 

Also, we're making these:

http://www.dltk-kids.com/recipes/resurrection_rolls.htm

And doing some of this:

http://www.childrensministry.com/articles/holy-week-family-devotions

I'll be blogging--old school though!  Pen and paper!  I guess you'd actually call it journaling!  I'll start posting them April 8th I guess.

We'll be hanging out and spending quality time together!  Board games, cooking, crafts, you name it!

What it comes down to is this; this week I want to shun the "tradition" that has become Easter and instead, strive for meaning, for reflection and to put ourselves in that place. That place where the disciples were, where Jews were celebrating their heritage...where Jesus was...and more importantly, where he wasn't.

We'll see you next week.


Friday, March 30, 2012

I Must Be Crazy

I must be crazy...

T-Bo and I have been reflecting a lot lately.  Wondering where "home" is and praying for an answer.  When we start talking about God and priorities the conversation usually circles around to the time we spend staring at "screens." 

If God were to show you a chart depicting the time you spent with your family, reading the Bible, charity and staring at a screen, what would that chart look like?  Be honest.

T-Bo and I know what our charts would look like and unfortunately...it's not pretty.

We also read an article this week:

http://www.google.com/gwt/x?noimg=1&u=http%3a%2f%2fca.news.yahoo.com%2fconcerns-grow-over-children-using-tablet-computers-203057554.html

Now, the boys don't have their own iPads--but they do know how to work them. Yes, even at 2, Kiki can find and play his favorite YouTube video, color or play BubbleBreaker!

This led me to bring up the "National Screen Free Week."  This week is usually in late April and it's a challenge for families to turn off the screens!  This includes, but not limited to, TV's, video games, iPhones, iPads, iEverythingelse--anything with a screen.  Shut it off...all week long.



T-Bo LOVED the idea.  He thought we should absolutely do it!  I agreed. 

With NSFWeek not until May this year (April 30-May 6), we decided to schedule our own week.  I didn't want to lose our enthusiasm for the idea, plus there are some really great reasons to have it sooner. 

First, Easter is April 8.  What better way to celebrate new beginnings and fresh starts and get your priorities straight than Easter?  Not to mention, if we aren't staring at a screen then hopefully we're being reflective.

I found a family devotional that I want to do this week.  I thought since we'd have all this free time an Easter-themed devotional would be perfect.  And I'm not talking bunnies people (although there may be crafts).

The second reason I thought next week would be perfect is because T-Bo and I are celebrating an anniversary!  As a family we could reconnect and actually SPEND time together...instead of just in the same room, each of us on a different "device."  A sort of "vow-renewing" experience without actually repeating the vows--I meant them the first time...I don't think they have an expiration date.

So, that's the idea.  Our week will start April 1 and wrap up April 7. 

Here are the rules:
1) No video games
2) No TV
3) No computer applications that aren't completely necessary**
4) No device that starts with 'i' and has a misplaced capital letter
5) No cheating
6) Phone calls are allowed. No texting.
7) Maybe e-mail checking once a day...maybe.


*T-Bo and Gman have work and school responsibilities.  I have two thoughts on Gman's work though.  Either print out all of his lessons ahead of time...or just give him the week off.  I'm sure he'd love the latter, but without screens we all may lose it.

Goals for the week:
1) To become more reflective and understanding the sacrifice of Easter
2) To become closer as a family
3) To realize what true "family time" means
4) To figure out ways to entertain ourselves

I CHALLENGE you to do this with your family too!!  If you can't do it next week, do it sometime!





If you are interested in the devotional I found, let me know...but do it before Sunday! 

See you on the 8th!

Yup, I must be crazy.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Writer's Block

It's been 9 days since we attended the Central Missouri University's annual Children's Literature Festival.  I've been meaning to write about it ever since!!  Irony of ironies the festival is all about kids going to meet some favored authors and listen to them speak about their careers and the books they wrote.  I'm sure they NEVER had writer's block (note the sarcasm).

The authors were SO inspirational! I can remember going to this festival when I was in 4th grade too. It was really neat to meet some of my favorite authors from this age as well.

To prepare Gman for the day, we read books written by the authors we were meeting.  I didn't want one of the authors to ask Gman, "which was your favorite?" and have the blank stare of "um...I haven't actually read any of your books..." meeting them back!  So, he was well versed in all of the author's work BEFORE we arrived.

We had to wake up pretty early to drive all the way to Warrensburg!  I'm so proud of the boys for getting ready and heading out without a hitch!

Gman doing some "cram" reading


Our first stop was the book sale!  Thankfully, I'd had the opportunity to pre-order books from each author we were meeting that day.  We wouldn't have to fight the throngs of students at the tables.  Unfortunately, when we got to the table to pick them up...they'd lost the order.  Thankfully (yes, again), a very organized and speedy employee gathered up the books we'd ordered and we were quickly on our way.




A little rain didn't get us down!



Our next stop was the Kirkpatrick library.  T-Bo and I can not say either of us spent much time in this building during our stay at (then) CMSU...that's a story for another day!

We registered and picked up our schedule.  MUCH to our dismay, one of the authors we were most looking forward to meeting was sick and cancelled for that day!  There was a substitution, an author I'd never heard of, so we were bound to learn something!


Our first author scheduled was C.S. Adler.  Gman read and very much enjoyed Ghost Brother.  We purchased (and had autographed!) Magic of the Glits.

Gman and C.S. Adler


Because Kiki is 2+, we knew he wouldn't want to sit quietly and listen to the authors speak.  Therefore, T-Bo and I took turns listening to the authors.  T-Bo took the first round! 

Kiki and I goofin' during the first session


Ms. Adler spoke to the kids about her journey as an author.  She said her love of writing came from her love of reading.  She said she as an only child, putting her thoughts on paper was her way of expressing her emotions.  She said she didn't become a published author until she was in her 40's.  She said part of becoming a published author is rejection--lots and lots of rejection. 

To me that helps the kids realize that just because one person says, "no," or "change this," that they should quit. 

The second author we met was Ms. June Rae Wood.  She wrote The Man Who Loved Clowns, one of my absolute favorite books as a kid.  I was SO excited to meet her and get her autograph!!  Gman read and loved this book several months ago, so when we saw she'd be at the festival she was the first one we signed up for!!

Gman and June Rae Wood.  I admit, I was a little jealous
I didn't get my picture with her!


Ms. Wood spoke so eloquently for 40 minutes.  She spoke about her brother, Richard, who had Downs Syndrome and for whom The Man Who Loved Clowns was written.  Reading and loving this book, then hearing the story behind it was so meaningful to us.  Several times during her oration she had me in tears!  I don't think I was the only one!




After lunch, headed to our 3rd session. 
No, he's not quite that tall.  I was stooping!

A new favorite?  Gman and A. LaFaye
After lunch we were scheduled to see Mary Downing Hahn.  Since she canceled at the last minute they had a substitute, Alexandria LaFaye.  Never heard of her...but she was very entertaining!  I thought we'd really be in for something interesting when she began speaking in an English accent--then later she confessed that she'd never even been to England and that, to her, speaking to students was like performing.  Because we didn't know we'd be seeing her we were not familiar with any of her books.  I can say with utmost confidence we will definitely be checking them out.  She writes fiction.  One of her books, Worth, is about two young boys, one of whom was in a terrible farming accident and the other an adoptee from the Orphan Train.  If you've never heard of the Orphan Train, you should really read about it; it's very fascinating.  I was first introduced to it in 4th grade (of course) through the Orphan Train Quartet series by Joan Lowry Nixon.  Find them.  Read them.


Ms. LaFaye continued to talk to the students about her career, being bullied as a child and overcoming the difficulties of dyslexia.  I found the idea of her having dyslexia particularly interesting.  Not knowing a whole lot about the "condition" myself it seems very impressive that she would overcome a reading disability to become a very successful author!  I think this is another GREAT lesson for the students there that day.

Our last author was Ms. Veda Boyd Jones.  Admittedly, another author I was not familiar with.  Because we were prepping ahead of time I googled her and found a list of her books.  She does write some fiction, mostly of the adult romance genre.  But some of her most impressive work includes biographies of people written for children.  It just so happened that Gman had recently been assigned to write a biography!  So I gave him a list of people Ms. Jones had written about and he picked one from there.  I won't deny that I was so very proud when he picked President George W. Bush.

She's not stooping.

Our local library did not have her book on GWB in house but we were able to locate it through Inter Library Loan.  He received it just in time to read it before attending the festival!

Ms. Jones spoke a lot about rejection!  She said one of her books was rejected 50 times before it was published.  This really made me think.  She could have easily given up but she persevered and became a successful author.  Yet another great lesson for the kids (adults too!)!

Our day was so wonderful!  I'm so glad we decided to go.  It was a great experience!

Even big kids get tired!

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Age of Discovery

I love this age...my age, Gman's age, Kiki's age...and yeah, even TBo's age. 

It's such an age of discovery.  Here are some things we discovered this week:

The dirt pile in the backyard...






A petrified goldfish under the car seat...



Political rallies can be educating entertaining...








(yeesh...tough crowd...)



Science fairs can be entertaining too!






Gman entered his first Science Fair this weekend!  At first he was very skeptical and not at all interested in another assignment.  Then I gladly showed him how FUN science can be; after that it was all I could do to hold the reins!

We tried to do one of Science Bob's experiments, but discovered we had done something wrong and considering our time constraints, we decided a simple research project would be...well, more simple.

Gman had recently had some lessons on science in the Bible.  There are SO many verses that pertain to "modern" science (in relation to the age of the Bible).  It's absolutely fascinating.  I suggested this science project to Gman and he took off with it!   He did all the research and writing.  I was very impressed.  Here is his finished product:





There were ten topics. Each one with Biblical support. We both discovered many new things about science and the Bible. Here are Gman's conclusions:





HE GOT 3RD PLACE!!



We are so proud of the work Gman did on his display!  We've discovered homeschooling is such an enriching experience.  It is truly a "reap what you sow" process. 
What in the world will we DISCOVER tomorrow?




Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Are you Smarter Than a Fourth Grader?

MY FIRST GIVEAWAY!

One of Gman's favorite gameshows is "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?"  I don't know about you, but some of those questions can really stump ya.  In the spirit of academia I've decided to share some actual test questions Gman has had on his recent tests.  See how many you can answer!  Email me your answers; the person with the most correct will receive one dozen Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies baked by yours truly. 

PS  I'll know if you Googled it.



1) PUT THESE EVENTS IN ORDER:
Saul is born in Tarsus.
Saul preaches about Jesus in Jerusalem.
Saul is taught by Gamaliel.
Saul sees Stephen die.
Saul becomes a great persecutor of Christians in Jerusalem.
Saul follows Christians to Damascus.
Paul suffers for Jesus.
Saul sees Jesus on the Damascus Road.
Saul asks Jesus what He wants him to do
Paul dies and goes to heaven to be with Jesus.

2) Who told Paul what to write in the letters to the churches
A.  the High Priest
B.  the Holy Spirit
C.  rabbis

3) Saul learned from his father how to make .

4) The two parts of the British Congress are the House of  and the House of .

5) The Arabian Desert is rich in
A. Gold
B. Coal
C. Oil

6) The nomadic reindeer herders of northern Europe are called the
A. Eskimo
B. Inuit
C. Norse

7) Leads are cracks of open water that form in the , the frozen sea water around the poles.


8) The first ship to reach the North Pole was a submarine called the
A. Akula
B. Alpha
C. Nautilus

9) Which step in the writing process is missing?

Choose topic
Narrow topic
Ask questions about topic
Find purpose and audience
Find information about topic
Write outline
Write first copy
Make corrections on report
Write final copy

Step missing:

10)  Add and Simplify.

    7 2/3    =
+  4 2/6    =


11) If an object is moving left, friction is moving:

A. left
B. right
C. down
D. forward


12) When an object is electrically charged, what has been added to or removed from the object?

A. protons
B. electrons
C. neutrons


13) An electric cell must have:

A. only an electrolyte
B. 3 electrodes
C. 2 electrodes and 1 electrolyte

14) Wind force and speed are measured by a(n)
   .


15) Temperature drops about for every thousand feet of altitude.


How'd you do?  We can't wait to see your answers!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Occassionally Gman has writing assignments in Language Arts.  He has proved to be quite the creative writer.  Here is one of his most recent compositions.  Enjoy!



The Mystery of the Missing Cakes!


Hello. So, you want to hear a story, eh? Well, I’ve got a whopper of one for you. The mystery of the missing cakes!



   It was a sunny day. I was riding my snazzy new bike I won at a raffle at the store. I carried a shoe box in a basket I attached to my bike. Inside was $7.45, just enough money to watch the new movie coming out at 4:00 today. A mystery movie. As I rode down Marlin Line St. I parked my bike by Mr. Chocolate’s bakery. I wanted to see what kind of new pastry he had baked. He always bakes something new every Saturday. Since it was only 12:30, I had plenty of time for a break and besides, I was thirsty, as I forgot my water bottle. Thankfully, Mr. Chocolate has a water fountain in his bakery.  
    Before I walked in I paused. Mr. Chocolate’s window display was covered by what looked like a bed sheet? Or maybe a curtain?  Perhaps he was preparing to unveil his new baking item. I know I’ve seen something like this before, but I can’t put my finger on it. I hurried inside. An aroma of rising dough, chocolate and sugar, and...what was that other smell? I didn’t see Mr. Chocolate anywhere. Where could he be?
    I got a drink at the fountain, then went to The Window. The Window was a big long wall of windows, going all across one end of the bakery to the other. Mr. Chocolate had keys that he could use to open a door in the wall. Behind the wall was where Mr. Chocolate baked things. His bakery area has windows all along it so that you can actually watch him work.  You can see his magical creations being formed before your very eyes!
    Mr. Chocolate was nowhere to be seen, nor his workers. I got off the stool and headed for the door. When I was about to leave, I heard a soft grumbling, coming from a dark corner. It was Mr. Chocolate!

“Oh, hello... what’s your name?” he asked.

“Chelmey,” I replied.

“Ah, Mr. Chelmey. Aren’t you the 10 year old who loves mysteries and reads books like crazy, never forgetting a single detail?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Well then, I may just have a mystery for you.”

“You do?”

“Oh, yes. Could you help me?”

“You bet! But one more small detail. What do you need done?”

    Mr. Chocolate explained. I wrote everything he said in my clue journal. An hour before I arrived, Mr. Chocolate was putting in a new type of cake in his display case. It was a giant cake. It had three layers, and was very wide. It was a cake fit for a party! He had baked each layer separately. It was so big, he had to carry each layer in a box on a dolly! He brought the first layer and put it in the display case inside the display window. He did the same for the other layers. Then he got the other things that he baked as toppings. He put them by the cake. Then he went and got signs to tell about his bakery item to put on the window. He went outside and put the signs up. Then he realized he hadn’t locked the back door where he kept his keys to the display case. Oops! He came around the corner...and blacked out.
    As he woke up, he realized that he had been hit with hard with something. He felt dizzy and hot on his head...probably the same spot where he had been hit. He got up and went out the door. He realized when he came out that he had been put in a supply closet. He was able to push the door open. He looked back. Someone had locked the door, but didn’t shut it all the way!
    When he looked around, he noticed something. His keys to the display case were gone! He had rushed to the display case, only to see that someone had draped something over it and made off with the cake and toppings. He was looking at the clock when I arrived. He was mumbling the time to himself. “Don’t worry,” I said. “I’ll get your cake back.” I looked at the time. 1:30. Looks like I wasn’t going to see that movie.
    I was starting out on my bike, when I saw commotion down the street. People were handing out fliers. Someone gave me one. “Party!” it read. “3:00 today! Games! Eat-all-you-want-buffet! Water balloon fights! Fun!!” I looked for an address. It was on the other side of town! Wait a second. Go back. Eat-all-you-want-buffet? Other side of town? Commotion? Giant cake? That’s it! This party has an all-you-can-eat-buffet. If this is on the other side of town, there must have been a lot of people that were handing out fliers. And if all of them had that kind of commotion, where do you get all the food? The cake! I had better be there.
    I decided to ride my bike there. By the time I got there, it would be time. Plus, this town has water fountains on some sidewalks, so I won’t have to worry about water. I raced for the party. It was 2:30 when I got there. I went inside. A person came up to me.

“Dollar.” he said.

“Read the fine print,” I said.

The man looked at me funny. I whipped out the flier.

“Read the fine print,” I repeated.

The man read. “I don’t see anything,” he said.

I whipped out my magnifying glass. I put it over the bottom. It read, "Anyone who arrives early can enter without admission fees.”
    The man let me in without a dollar. I realized that I was in the church I go to every Sunday! No doors were open. Then I heard noise. I went over to it. Someone opened the door. He saw me and said, “Open.” I went in. It was the sanctuary. There, I saw a gigantic table. There was food galore! Then, I saw a sheet covering something. It was big.
    Two other men carried a sign that was shaped like an arrow. It said, “Enter!” The man said, “At three o’ clock, we’ll be removing that sheet for people to see. Eat whatever you want now, but at three o’ clock, that sheet reveals something for everyone to eat. I don’t want you being the only person to see it!” He went out the door. I went outside for some fresh air. I saw a car parked by the curb down the street. No one was in it, yet no one seemed to be in the house by the curb. Hmm. What could that be? I went inside.
    Then I went into the sanctuary. I got a plate and sat down at a table. Then I turned around. I saw something weird. I went to a man. I asked where the person running this party was. I went over to the man that he pointed at.

“I know what you’re up to!” I said to the man.

“Really?” said the man in a childish tone.

“I’m not joking!” I said. “I found something that proves my hunch!”

The man looked surprised. “And what is that?” he said, laughing.

“Nothing,” I said. “And that’s what proves you guilty of stealing Mr. Chocolate’s cake!”



What did I see?

Scroll down to find out!





















NICE TRY!

GO BACK AND READ THE STORY. THERE’S NO SHORTCUTS IN LIFE.









 Answer: Chelmey never saw the board for singing hymns. The board was used to cover up the display while the host stole the cake. After everyone paid admission, the host would run off with the money and get in his car. With all the people at the party, those little one-dollar bills would add up! The host was arrested, but the party went on. Everyone got their money back. The police were helpers. And who was the new host but Mr. Chocolate! His party cakes sold like a seat right behind the end-zone of someone’s favorite team in a stadium for a dollar-a-seat! And as a reward, Mr. Chocolate bought tickets for Chelmey for the mystery movie that night. By the way, the party cakes were called Party Giants. And do you recall the strange smell? That was part of a baking Party Giant. It was an edible cake topper. Mr. Chocolate was baking another Party Giant. It was your choice of flavor (hence the chocolate), with your choice of toppings (hence the chocolate and white chocolate chips) and of course, the dough for the cake. This particular cake was for an example for a Mix-and-Match display to show what the Giants looked like.





The End

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Look at me go!!

So I guess when my brain starts thinking "metaphor" it just won't quit!


I had to share the most awesome metaphor I came up with yesterday while working with GMan on some Math.

He had been studying Perimeter and Area and finding both using formulas.





Now, Gman can do the math.  He can do the math all day long.  He can tell you exactly what to do to find the number you're looking for...but to explain what a FORMULA actually is?  That was a concept he just couldn't wrap his head around. 

"Symbols, letters, mold...what?!"

At the time he'd been doing a lesson and the question had asked him, "Write the formula for finding perimeter."  Well Gman was like, "say the length is 7 and the width is 5 you just double both and add them."  Yes, but that's not the formula...

We went back and forth for several minutes until finally, lightbulb!



I said, "Gman, a formula is like a mold, like a cupcake tin.  It's what you pour the batter into.  The tin, like a mold, keeps the batter a certain shape."




Gman, "okay."

Me, "You can put different things into the tin all day long but after you bake it it's still the same shape.  The end result can be different flavors and look different, but the shape is always the same.  The ingredients are the NUMBERS you put in, the tin is the FORMULA and the cupcake?  Well, it's the PERIMETER!"

Tastiest perimeter I've ever seen...



It was like a whole new Gman.  I amaze myself...and now I'm hungry.