Magic Bullet Mishap

Sunday afternoon: First day home after three long workdays and before that, a road trip to buy a car.  I was tired and should have just gone for a nap. But I've been thinking of making hummus for the first time, so I gave it a try but my foggy brain forgot to secure the clear plastic ring around the blender cup...

A good day

Today was a good day. The coolness of fall helped put everyone in a good mood and we stayed home all day!

Building the Pyramids

It wasn't as easy as the how-to web pages made it look. http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0213185/root/makepyra2.html

The Secret's OUT

 

We tented very near Lake Michigan at Indiana Dunes State Park. It was a gorgeous FREE beach. Big fun was had by all. Too bad we spent so much time trying to see Chicago. The Museum of Science and Industry was impressive, but we had been travelling several days (Ozark canoe trip even before the drive up to the big lake). The kids were remarkably good travelers!

Home Economics - controlled chaos

Today we are STAYING IN. The deck floor was painted yesterday, it rained last night, so the paint is still sticky. The deck furniture is in the kitchen! -as if we have room for extra stuff. Plus the linoleum has been torn up so we are walking on a hodgepodge of rugs. And the fridge is on the other side of the room. And there had been a drip under the sink leaving the wood soaked, so all the under-sink misc. is out and on the kitchen floor.

But life goes on. Thank God for a handy husband who works tirelessly to update the house on his days off . Don't stand still, you might be painted.  The deck has been screened , floor painted, TV installed (on the deck? really? at least it's not in "my" kitchen!) Also, the new linoleum in the entryway is in place!

I've spent most of the day in the kitchen baking bread and making soup. The girls and I even made a little pesto and "Peanutella"! 

I preferred the pesto, but the girls thought it was neat to make our own peanut butter.
We changed the piggy's cage, changed the sheets on the girls' beds (a bi-monthly event. They hardly sleep in their own beds anyway!), and I'm proud of this:

I used an old curtain to make a sling for stuffed animals that were always on the floor. Now the toybox is just full, not overflowing.

It's 5 p.m. now we'll spend some time in the playroom reorganizing school stuff. Or not.

Cavy Chronicle 6

The Guinea Pig will stay on the bed while I change his cage (I do it just because it's up on the dresser, too high for big sister to reach comfortably. She is more than willing to be responsible for his care!). He will wait quite a while before relieving himself.  Maybe he knows where the toilet isn't?

busy, busy

I keep a stack of cups in the corner of the kitchen.  Lil sister will occasionally grab it and start stacking...

Today's Treasure

Art produced while listening to "Adventures in Odyssey", inspired by Fantacylandfilms on Youtube.

cavy chronicle 5

Finally.
Lil' piggy eagerly chuffed around the bathroom, looking for the expected treat. He climbed right up on big sister's lap! It has become  his safe spot. I clip his toenails, little sister loves him too hard, but he knows who loves him best!

Cavy Chronicle 4

Tonight when we brought the guinea pig into the bathroom for his outing, he scurried around the room, making that cute  little "chut" sound, meaning he was exploring.  Little sister had her turn to hold him on her lap, but he quickly escaped and explored the pile of wood blocks she was building for him. Later I herded him onto big sister's lap where he happily settled in and enjoyed a piece of green pepper.  He readily purrs for big sis, stretching out his neck to be scratched.

Cavy Chronicle 3

Little sister loved the guinea pig somewhat too exuberantly and the next time we tried to take him out of his cage, he adamantly refused, kicking and nipping. Li'l sis was put on restriction for a few days until he came to tolerate handling again. Tonight she built an obstacle course for him on the bathroom floor with a carrot in the middle. She was busy enough to resist the urge to grab him around the middle. He was confident enough to climb around the blocks and find the carrot. :)

Cavy Chronicle 1

What a nice dynamic this pet has made. Both girls and I were somehow restful after a session with him  on the bathroom floor. Our minds were exercised and we all enjoy the petting. He learned quickly which hands to trust. Rather than chasing him around the bedroom and under the bed, which only serves to irritate everyone, we all sit calmly (the 3-year-old not so calmly) on the floor observing and maximizing the positive interactions. This is habit training. Note to self: maximize on positive interactions, not nagging...

After one week, our piggy is vocalizing for us. He squealed when he received a treat and later, during exercise time in the bathroom (great set up!), he purred when stroked under his chin. He knows his main caregiver.  :) Little sister certainly isn't trusted as well as big sis. He likes to walk circles around the room and explore any new boxes, tunnels, paper, etc, on the floor. His favorite hiding spot is behind the toilet, so we keep newspaper there to catch most of the "mess." I'd like to think he gets the idea and goes there when he needs to. Friends were here yesterday for a sleepover. He did well as the object of so much attention.

Good Book

My 8-years minus-one-day-old daughter and I enjoyed a library book tonight. It's called Marooned: the strange but true adventures of Alexander Selkirk, the real Robinson Crusoe.  The format is small and comfortable to hold, chapters are short and good for elementary level children. The first couple of chapters were stiff, but the following tales of survival were enchanting. He's stranded on the island but there are no dangerous animals. He finds goats, cats, various edible plants. We're only halfway done.  Imagine, I'm reading, "January 31, 1709, another day ended..."  Hey. TODAY is January 31. Hmmmm....

Whatta Trip - "fur" real!

My soon-to-be 8-year-old asked for a guinea pig. Since our schedule isn't dog-friendly, it's the next best thing.  We scoured the internet for a discounted pet. No breeders listed in our state. No enthusiast group. But hurray, Craigslist! Yesterday: A listing nearby! A deal nearly closed! But alas, the seller called to apologize that someone had sold it already.
Another C-listing, but one hour's drive each way. Hmmmmm....After checking prices at the pet store, and since the piggy was soooo pretty and came with all supplies, I agreed. Baruch Hashem. The cage j.u.s.t. e.x.a.c.t.l.y. fit into the passenger seat.  The trip was smooth and the pig tolerated it and the subsequent affection quite well.  He seems content. Now he can have a few quiet days before the B-day slumber party.

But tomorrow is a work day. After a full week at home with a sick child, (and husband. I will not get sick. I will not get sick...) we all have to get up early tomorrow. I was in bed but my mind was busy with the events of the evening, so here I sit blogging.

Little sister had fallen asleep on the way home, but couldn't miss the activity upon our arrival with our new furry friend. She was tired but wound up. She "baby-sat" while big sis and I cleaned the cage, not - so - gently encouraging it to drink and trying to ruffle its fur and pick it up so that it jumped around in its holding pen.  Daddy came in for bedtime prayers (what bedtime?) and she turned around to read a book, so she got a time out. Poor piggy is welcomed home by a screaming tired preschooler.

"Get your jammies on"(Know that song? by the group Go Fish)
-But I haven't had a bedtime snack.
ARRRRGH!
-Chocolate milk. 
She takes the milk and syrup from the fridge while I try to call the sitter and tidy the kitchen. When I look back, she's poured waaaay too much syrup. While talking on the phone, I moderate the milk-to-syrup ratio. 
I wash a few dishes, repackage dinner for the fridge, then she cries loudly. She was in the drawer for gum (GUM? NOW?!) and pinched her finger.  I think she wanted to be sure there was a package in the bag for tomorrow. Good thinking, poor execution.

Later we go to brush her teeth and she realizes she hasn't even finished her milk. More crying. I stick a toothbrush into a crying mouth and then we can finally cuddle in bed for a SHORT book (Mr.Messy :) and all is well. I hear big sister talking her into lying in bed by herself. A short time later, I am amazed to see two still bodies in two beds. I go in for a kiss and jinx it.  Little sister follows me in to my bedroom and It's too late to argue tonight. (But not too late to write it down for the world to see?)

Treasure Hunt

My parents made sure I was in church every Sunday and at least once midweek. I remember telling a classmate in Kindergarten that she wasn't going to heaven unless she "had Jesus in her heart". But it wasn't until I began considering my own child's education that I recognized my own Biblical illiteracy.  The curriculum for my daughter's pre-K sunday school class covered the journey of the Israelites and went on to highlight other Jewish "Mothers and Fathers".  I suddenly realized, "These people are all related! And they're  all ancestors of Jesus!"
"So THAT's what the Old Testament is all about."

"Bits and Pieces" Sunday School lessons aren't enough. Sitting through every sermon isn't enough. Personal Bible study is essential to understanding the whole story.  My parents took me to church, but never read the Bible with me. I wasn't compulsive enough to read through it myself.

Not long after my epiphany, I was given (Thank God!) an audio presentation by Ray Vanderlaan  that rocked my world. He explains Jewish culture and contrasts with some of the false images that have crept into our curriculum.    For example:

Close your eyes.  - wait. keep reading-   Picture this:
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures...

What did you see? A serene bearded Irishman in "knee-deep alfalfa"?
The writer of that Psalm lived IN THE DESERT! Any green that shepherd found was probably just whatever grew overnight on the rocks! Provision was given just enough for ONE DAY! ("Give us our daily bread...)

Thank-you, Ray for the list of images to search for as I read my Bible.  It has become a treasure hunt! I'm glad I can pass that on to my children. 

TIPS FOR TEACHING CHILDREN:  Help him/her look for the big picture, so that the grown-up child will see the single story of God in History instead of shuffling disconnected snapshots in his/her head.  EVERY story from the Old Testament must be followed by,

1.  "What does this teach us about the nature of God"
2.  "How does this story point to Jesus?"

My daughter (pre-K) brought handout from Sunday School that said, "Jesus' helpers went to church..." WAITAMINUTE!
His disciples went to synagogue!
Doesn't that put a different image in your head?  Understanding the culture and education of the day puts such a different spin on it. Don't tell me the curriculum is "developmentally appropriate".  The images can be tweaked and kids will be on track to stumble across more layers of meaning as they are able to absorb them.

Listening to RVL's presentation I heard hours of jems like this:

Jesus was born in Bet-Lechem, literally, the House of Bread. The "Bread of Life" was "born in a bakery!"


"Taste and See that the Lord is good." Engaging multiple senses enhances the learning experience and helps to intuitively connect diverse scripture verses.
Bread
Honey
Water
Fruit
Light


Names have meanings. Barak (lightning) needed help from Devorah (bumblebee)!
Numbers have meanings.
Goliath's height: 6 cubits and a span
Goliath's armor: 5000 shekels
Goliath's spear:  600 shekels
We might translate these measurements into common units, but don't stop there! 6 is man's number. Man is imperfect and incomplete. These numbers don't just show how huge and strong he was, but identify him as the villain.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_symbolism

What if Mary didn't ride a donkey?
What if the manger wasn't made for hay, but for water? (to hold the Living Water!)
What if the disciples were preteens? (You must become like a little child)

WHY WHY WHY does the evangelical church pay no attention to the Jewish Calendar- *God's Calendar* given to Moses at the Exodus?  Jesus in the Feasts printable Bible Study