Just Another Day In Paradise- With An Artist

Lets Start The Season Out Right

After Thanksgiving we start to worry about lights and trees and gifts... but are we thinking about the 'reason for the season'? We should be. Even from the very beginning.

Please understand, I am in no way saying that Christmas trees, presents and lights are bad. I'm simply saying that we all (including me) need reminders of what it's all about. A religious advent calender is good.

So here are my other recommendations for reminders to read with your kids:

My All-Time favorite for preschoolers and kindergartners. A Board Book about ALL the great things about Christmas!

A Classic Golden Book

Once upon a time, there lived a little princess who enjoyed all the privileges of being wealthy, especially at Christmastime when visitors from far and wide would bring her piles and piles of presents. But when the little princess becomes ungrateful for all she has been given, her parents decide to make a change to their Christmas celebration.

Fun activity book

With gentle rhyme and number fun from one to ten, this Christmas board book is full of shepherds, kings, & angels

I Spy Christmas, an engaging photographic puzzle book with rhyming riddles that invite children to find hidden objects among a treasure trove of Christmas items

The most popular children's Bible story series in the world Generations of Christian children have learned the Bible through the lively poems and colorful illustrations of Arch Books

A full-color, beautifully illustrated, wonderfully written holiday story about hopes and aspirations, and appreciating the possibilities of life.

Traditional as well as less familiar tunes, specially arranged to suit children's voices

Join the Patterson family in celebrating all the craziness, joy, love, and true meaning the Christmas season brings.

An endearing and amusing variation of the Nativity story that will appeal to children and adults alike

Here Is the one that I am wanting to get read this year:



This Christmas, cut through the hype that leaves you exhausted and broke at the end of the year. Instead, experience the peace of knowing that God is truly with us, the joy of giving sacrificially, and the love of a Savior who gave everything he had for us.

This one has been recommended to me:



Journey with Adam Hamilton as he travels from Nazareth to Bethlehem in this fascinating look at the birth of Jesus Christ

Of course, I always encourage you to buy local. Help your neighbors keep their jobs and businesses. Most of the books are linked to one of my favorite local stores, so if any of them look good and you can't support your local businesses... feel free to support the ones near me! :)

Spiritual Sunday- Moms

1 Corinthians 15:58:

Therefore, my dear [sisters], stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Reasons NOT to go out on Black Friday



1. There are WAY too many obnoxious people out that day.

2. Two words: limited stock.

3. How do the staff feel about going to work at 3:30AM? Don’t worry, they’ll let you know!

 

4.  There are HUGE crowds of obnoxious people out that day.

5. Have you been watching the price of that product? A lot of the prices aren’t really that great.  

6. There are great deals online too.

7.  If I lay down on the floor on any weekday, several preschoolers will gladly trample me, I don’t need to go to Toys R Us for that.

8. I don't believe in fighting for a parking spot. If there aren't enough for everyone, then there are WAY too many obnoxious people in that store already.

9. The people of America already have too much stuff. Our houses are overflowing with stuff. Here's a novel idea: Lets spend more then one day being thankful for what we have before beating each other up for more.

10. There's not enough coffee or happy pills in the WORLD to make me able to deal with that many obnoxious people

 

Cliques, Hicks, and Ugly Sticks by K.D. McCrite

11 year old April Grace Reilly lives in a small town in the 1980's with her teenage sister & her parents and just across the field from her Grandmother whose love life is interesting to say the least. She has all the struggles of a girl entering middle school including a friend who is no longer friendly and a boy that won't leave her alone, but that is nothing compared to the drama at home. The St. James's have moved into her house until they can fix up their own. If Isabel St. James isn't enough to deal with now April's mother is hiding something from her.

I stalked Booksneeze.com for a free copy of this book because I love young adult books and anything with Ugly Sticks in the title is right up my alley. The reflections of this preteen had me chuckling over and over. All kids this age are overly sensitive and dramatic, but April Grace approached everything with a strong sense of self and an amazing heart for others. I would highly recommend this book, though since all of my experience is with kids 9 yrs old and younger I am unsure whether 11 is old enough for some of the content. I advise parents to preview it and decide for themselves.

Just Another Day In Paradise- Pillow Fight

Imagine A Day

When kids ask to borrow books over and over from the library. That's what makes them special. Imagine A Day by Sarah L. Thompson is a special book. Renowned Canadian artist Rob Gonsalves stretches the limits of visual exploaration with his breathtaking paintings and encourages parents and children alike to look beyond the limits of the everyday world and imagine.

The text on this page says: Imagine a day when you don't need wings to soar. 

Look closely at the picture. That's what the kids have been doing to every page in this book. I can't wait to borrow the companion books. Imagine A Night and Imagine A Place. They're on thier way from other libraries.

   

Spiritual Sunday- Compassion

Jonah: Well, I did my job. I warned them they would be punished, and now were going to watch them get wiped off the face of the earth! [whispers] I picked a safe distance so we wont get singed.

"Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience" Colossians 3:12 (ESV)

Too Dangerous

One of my little boys went to Story Book Land last summer with his brother and parents. Story Book Land is INCREDIBLY little kid friendly. It's where I went on my Kindergarten field trip and I took Gwen when she was four & she went on every single ride. It's a really cute place.

Anyway, they took him on the little roller coaster and it totally traumatized him. They both came the next day wearing the T-shirts with the roller coaster on them (LOL) so I asked him how he liked it. The response was something like this:

"No. No ga roller coaster. Agbash hanfalwa domgawa. No, Miss Colleen. Too dangerous." And a really long hug.

Ever since then random things have been 'too dangerous' for him, from eating breakfast to going down one of those enclosed twisty playground slides. It has become one of the inside jokes around here, as many funny kid phrases tend to be.

But... I would really like to worn you about MY 'too dangerous' because I wouldn't want to see anyone else get hurt this way.

 

This object is to be considered armed and extremely dangerous. As it stands right now the score is

Apple Wedger: 2

Colleen: 0

I probably should've gotten stitches this last time. Here, I thought it was really cute that it had a plastic cover for the sharp side... HA! That plastic cover is not just decorative. Let this be your warning.

Don't let this happen to you.

In The Past 7 Days...

I have watched kids that are not used our schedule and rules

I have led a story time with books, felt board characters and action songs.

I have helped with a pig roast that benefited the youth of my church that are going on a mission trip next summer.

I have attended church, taught Sunday School & Jr. Youth Group and helped with refreshments after a concert.

I have attended a very stressful meeting where no matter how many ways I tried to convey my concerns... nobody heard me.

I have nursed a highly contagious child with a high fever for 3 days, causing me to miss a meeting I was expected to attend at the ambulance hall (...Sorry guys!) while still caring for several other children including a gassy 4 month old 10-12 hours out of each day.

I have dealt with useless email drama that is the reason for yet another meeting tomorrow night.

These are my excuses for, in the past 7 days, only having read 591 (out of 849) pages of the book that I waited THREE YEARS for! I should have finished it DAYS AGO. I'm sorry fellow book lovers. I am a pathetic excuse for a bibliophile.

My Poor Baby

My poor baby is sick with a terrible cough and fever today. Because I still have to work and need her 'Quarantined' so the other kids don't get sick, she has totally taken over my bedroom with her lounging about. A friend gave me the idea of a 'sick basket' with small toys, juice or tea, activity and reading books, her DS, and other things. This is what's left in the basket, the rest is all over my bed and night stand

Of course, it's not a sick day without a few movies... LOL!

She was watching Fantasia :)

Story Time

When I worked at Barnes and Noble regularly, I would usually do the Tuesday morning or Thursday night story times. It was simple. 2-3 age appropriate books and a coloring page. Followed by a massive cleanup of all the books the parents allowed them to take off the shelves and rip or stomp on.

Since I started watching kids in my home story times have gotten a little more in depth. With all the iPads, video games and TV shows that are coming out for younger and younger children, encouraging a love for books and reading is becoming more and more challenging. The decision is to either give up or work harder. So, story time now includes books, of course, but also matching crafts, stuffed animals, games, and felt characters. 

   

When the Strouds asked me about doing a story time at their store, The Way Station of Truth and Life, I knew that I would have to do a little extra leg work to make it interesting.

Step one: Pick the stories  

  

Step two: Create a decent looking felt board (I think mine is as old or older then me... and it looks its age)

Old:

  

New, but temporary. I can do better:

Step 3: Create characters

Step 4: Pick music

It went really well. There were 8 kids... of course one was Gwen and one was the Stroud's granddaughter so I don't know if I can count them :) 

They all got cute little goody bags too. Next time we might get brave and add a small craft or coloring page... We're thinking on it.

Spiritual Sunday- Temptation