Pumpkins and Mums have arrived at our house! If you are interested in stopping by they are for sale. Pumpkins range from $3.00-$5.00 and the mums are 8" mums for $5.00. The mums are white, yellow, maroon and rust colored. I don't currently have any lavender, but if I get some I will let all know.
Thanks!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Leaf Collage
With the turn of the seasons, and upcoming 5th Grade Leaf Project, our house spent some time on Friday night out in the woods looking at leaves. We had the chance to observe how different in shape, size and color the leaves are. Not only that but we also looked at how big or little the trees were. As Robert was identifying leaves with his tree book for the ones that he need for the leaf collection, Garrett was just looking for unique shapes and sizes and colors of leaves. Both boys came back to the house with leaves but for completely different purposes.
Garrett and I created a leaf collage and 2 simple supplies. Contact Paper and leaves. I took 1 piece of contact paper, took the paper off and let Garrett place the leaves that he had collected onto the sticky side of the contact paper. I then took another piece of contact paper, cut it to the same size and placed it sticky side towards the leaves. And we now have our Leaf Collage. Currently it is being used as a place mat, but we have also hung it up on the window before for our leaf stain glass. Either way it is a great way to let the kids sort leaves by size or by color or if they are really into it by shape. But not matter what it is a fun fall decoration and a great way to get the kids outside for a fall walk too!
Garrett and I created a leaf collage and 2 simple supplies. Contact Paper and leaves. I took 1 piece of contact paper, took the paper off and let Garrett place the leaves that he had collected onto the sticky side of the contact paper. I then took another piece of contact paper, cut it to the same size and placed it sticky side towards the leaves. And we now have our Leaf Collage. Currently it is being used as a place mat, but we have also hung it up on the window before for our leaf stain glass. Either way it is a great way to let the kids sort leaves by size or by color or if they are really into it by shape. But not matter what it is a fun fall decoration and a great way to get the kids outside for a fall walk too!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Do you recycle?
Just an FYI to those who live locally - if you recycle aluminum - the price is up! We have been collecting most of the summer cans - from our house, the neighbors and places like the family reunion. Over the weekend we finally cleaned out the garage! $50!!! Can you believe it? From just picking up and collecting cans?!?!? Now the boys are looking for any kind of metal they can gets their hands on!(beware!)
Chore Charts made Easy!
Both of my boys have chores here at home that when they have completed all the chores for the week, they do get an allowance for. And after several attempts we finally found that a chart that had blocks on it and was enough for a whole month worked the best. At first I couldn't figure out why Garrett wasn't using his chart, he had completed the jobs, but nothing was marked off. Then it hit me that he couldn't read the titles of the blocks. So back to the computer I went and I added little graphics to help him identify each of the chores. This had been working rather well, but I had to keep running off chore charts, which meant that if I was running behind then the chores didn't seem to get done. But now I have made yet one more adjustment to our chore charts. I slid each into a full page photo sheet. Now the boys can mark off their chores with a dry erase markers and I'm no longer printing out chore charts! (well except for at the beginning of each season- we do try to rotate jobs and what is expected depending on the season!)
So now I know that chore charts need to be readable (or picture readable) and dry erase markers and photo pages work great!
So now I know that chore charts need to be readable (or picture readable) and dry erase markers and photo pages work great!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
First weekend of Flag Football
Okay I know the weekend is long over and I didn't get these up as quick as I would have liked, but sick children tend to change plans and how much time is available in a day!
So last weekend was the first weekend of flag football for this year. This year brought 2 players to the field instead of just one as Garrett is old enough to play this year. I'm not sure that he gets the game sometimes, but he enjoyed the mud last weekend and had a good time. Robert, on the other hand, has a team that looks like they could be really good and they have game plans and know what they want to have happen.
Good Luck with the rest of the season. Hopefully it is drier!!!
So last weekend was the first weekend of flag football for this year. This year brought 2 players to the field instead of just one as Garrett is old enough to play this year. I'm not sure that he gets the game sometimes, but he enjoyed the mud last weekend and had a good time. Robert, on the other hand, has a team that looks like they could be really good and they have game plans and know what they want to have happen.
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| Robert snapping the ball |
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| Robert is the ball carrier (in front of the kid with the red ball cap) |
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| Garrett's 1st game - Boy does he look serious! |
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| Garrett is the ball carrier! Just looking for the most mud! |
Good Luck with the rest of the season. Hopefully it is drier!!!
Luchbox notes for a 5th grader
This year Robert and I have been doing unusual mind puzzles. We started with just riddles, but now we have moved to the Rebus puzzles or in other words the Word Picture Puzzles.
For example
MCE
MCE
MCE
answer: 3 blind mice (there are no I's)
These are simple puzzles that I drop into his lunch and then the next day I put the answer on the back of the new puzzle. Towards the end of last year he had several friends helping him figure out some of the puzzles (including the lunch lady.) These are so simple to print out and then cut into slips and drop in.
Here are 2 websites that I turn to for these puzzles and other fun ideas.
http://kids.niehs.nih.gov (go to the Brainteaser and puzzle link
or
another great site
http://www.brownielocks.com once on this page I go to the riddles and jokes link.
For example
MCE
MCE
MCE
answer: 3 blind mice (there are no I's)
These are simple puzzles that I drop into his lunch and then the next day I put the answer on the back of the new puzzle. Towards the end of last year he had several friends helping him figure out some of the puzzles (including the lunch lady.) These are so simple to print out and then cut into slips and drop in.
Here are 2 websites that I turn to for these puzzles and other fun ideas.
http://kids.niehs.nih.gov (go to the Brainteaser and puzzle link
or
another great site
http://www.brownielocks.com once on this page I go to the riddles and jokes link.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Children's Sermon From an ear of corn
As I prepared for Children's Sermon this week, my hands were busy husking corn and then cutting it from the cob so that I could put it in the freezer. But this is what came to me and this is what I shared with the kids.
I held up a small kernel of corn and asked what we could do with it. IT was just 1 simple kernel of corn. After some discussion we decided that we could pop it, or plant it. Well if you go drive around the countryside, you can see field of corn almost ready for harvest, but what do you think about those farmers? Did they go out and plant the seed in the dirt and leave it alone. Wait correction - not dirt soil, or did they go out a week after planting it and dig up the seeds to see if anything was happening? Well if the went and dug it up there wouldn't be any corn, but they were patient and waited on who? God- right. God provided the rains because we don't normally see farmers out there with watering cans watering each plant? And he provided sunlight and heat for those plants to grow. But still what can 1 simple kernel give us? Well you see with God great things are possible and from 1 kernel God can multiply it (at this point I pulled from my bag a large full ear of corn with hundreds of kernels) into hundreds of kernels like on a full ear of corn. But that is only corn. How does this effect us?
Well in the Bible it talks about the tithe, or tenth of the harvest and income is to be offered to the Lord. So if you get a $1- 10 cents should go to the Lord. And you will still have .90 cents. Sounds okay doesn't it? He can multiply that money to do great things for his kingdom. How about your time? Could you give an hour to help someone? If we all gave just one hour- well we would have a whole work day (there was exactly 8 kids on Sunday!) So we could be like that simple corn kernel and plant ourselves in God's word and grow in the ways that he directs and he can use us to multiple the number of Christians in his kingdom or increase the time available for his use or increase the amount of money available for him to do great things with.
So the next time you see an ear of corn or just a corn kernel, remember that you can multiply things for God just like that kernel will multiply from 1 kernel to thousands of kernels!
-I then gave each a package of microwave popcorn and we closed in prayer.
I held up a small kernel of corn and asked what we could do with it. IT was just 1 simple kernel of corn. After some discussion we decided that we could pop it, or plant it. Well if you go drive around the countryside, you can see field of corn almost ready for harvest, but what do you think about those farmers? Did they go out and plant the seed in the dirt and leave it alone. Wait correction - not dirt soil, or did they go out a week after planting it and dig up the seeds to see if anything was happening? Well if the went and dug it up there wouldn't be any corn, but they were patient and waited on who? God- right. God provided the rains because we don't normally see farmers out there with watering cans watering each plant? And he provided sunlight and heat for those plants to grow. But still what can 1 simple kernel give us? Well you see with God great things are possible and from 1 kernel God can multiply it (at this point I pulled from my bag a large full ear of corn with hundreds of kernels) into hundreds of kernels like on a full ear of corn. But that is only corn. How does this effect us?Well in the Bible it talks about the tithe, or tenth of the harvest and income is to be offered to the Lord. So if you get a $1- 10 cents should go to the Lord. And you will still have .90 cents. Sounds okay doesn't it? He can multiply that money to do great things for his kingdom. How about your time? Could you give an hour to help someone? If we all gave just one hour- well we would have a whole work day (there was exactly 8 kids on Sunday!) So we could be like that simple corn kernel and plant ourselves in God's word and grow in the ways that he directs and he can use us to multiple the number of Christians in his kingdom or increase the time available for his use or increase the amount of money available for him to do great things with.
So the next time you see an ear of corn or just a corn kernel, remember that you can multiply things for God just like that kernel will multiply from 1 kernel to thousands of kernels!
-I then gave each a package of microwave popcorn and we closed in prayer.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Life with 2 boys in School
Okay, many people have asked what I would do while the boys were in school with all of my time. When asked this I have reassured them that I could easily fill the time.
So Monday - I got to straighten the house and get caught up on laundry from the crazy weekend. I got supplies returned from Horsetheif Parade float And oh yeah, I got to have breakfast with Gary and actually talk with him!
Tuesday - I took off for the Produce Auction to see if I could scoop up some produce deals! Jackpot - a bushel of peaches and a couple pecks of peppers! I ran a few errands while I was out.
Wednesday - Now here is what I will be doing for the next few weeks off and on - canning or freezing produce. It is that time of year and I enjoy seeing what we have raised and how I can save it for later this winter. Plus it always tastes so much better. So I canned most of the bushel of peaches, but I did make a batch of Peach Jam! It was so easy and delicious. I think I may make another batch for gifts for Christmas (an those will be done:)
Thursday - Sweet Corn. Cleaned, blanched, cut off the cob and put into the freezer. Also did a few things for Gary's birthday!
Anyhow so far this school year, I think I'm doing okay with being by myself - but I will admit - Boy is it quiet around here and that is with the radio on!!!!
So Monday - I got to straighten the house and get caught up on laundry from the crazy weekend. I got supplies returned from Horsetheif Parade float And oh yeah, I got to have breakfast with Gary and actually talk with him!
Tuesday - I took off for the Produce Auction to see if I could scoop up some produce deals! Jackpot - a bushel of peaches and a couple pecks of peppers! I ran a few errands while I was out.
Wednesday - Now here is what I will be doing for the next few weeks off and on - canning or freezing produce. It is that time of year and I enjoy seeing what we have raised and how I can save it for later this winter. Plus it always tastes so much better. So I canned most of the bushel of peaches, but I did make a batch of Peach Jam! It was so easy and delicious. I think I may make another batch for gifts for Christmas (an those will be done:)
Thursday - Sweet Corn. Cleaned, blanched, cut off the cob and put into the freezer. Also did a few things for Gary's birthday!
Anyhow so far this school year, I think I'm doing okay with being by myself - but I will admit - Boy is it quiet around here and that is with the radio on!!!!