Faith Sisters

I am behind as usually here are the last two weeks worth of challenges.


Challenge: Blessing of children/childbirth

Write a letter to your family.

Top ?

I thought I would do a top ten but I am not sure that I want to stop there. So let's just say, somethings that make me very happy right now.
1. Both my kids are asleep. (They don't seem to stay asleep at the same time these days. I am not getting much done.)
2. My husband mopped the floors yesterday. I can still smell the murphy's oil soap. I LOVE that smell.
3. My husband is on his way home from work.
4. Charlie saw a policeman in uniform tonight at a birthday party. She started past him, got to her seat and turned around. "I just want to tell you something. Thank you for keeping us safe." And she gave him a big hug. She wasn't prompted. And, I have never been so proud of her (well, at least for today.)
5. Brantley's smile. I just love that kids smile!
6. Tonight Charlie asked if she could have a stencil. I said she would have to wait until I got B to sleep before I could get them down. "No, mom, You can be my stencil." I was a little confused. After further investigation I realized that she was talking about a model not a stencil. So I sat ever so still. And she examined me over to make sure that she had just the right line. She drew me. She made me take my glasses off so she could look at my eyes and then had to make sure that she added freckles to her picture. "It wouldn't be you without freckles, Mommy." I just love her picture!
7. I am almost finished w/ mapping. I only have May to go!!!
8. My birthday is next week. I am looking forward to my party. I am doing things a little different this year. I invited friend over to pray. I have really been feeling that God is calling me to pray. Pray often, and pray much. I have always prayed. It has not been consistent. That has changed in the last year or so. God is doing some amazing things in my life. I can't wait to see the final product. (Okay, I may never see that product but at least I can wish.)
9. I finally learned my verse today. I have been working on it for a week. I finally remember it. Isaiah 41:10
10. I am out of ice cream. (I know can you believe that this is a good thing.) I have been trying to lose weight since school was out. I would like to lose 20lbs before school starts back in Aug. I weighed 258 the last week in May. I am now at 249. 9 lbs!!! That is why I am excited to be out of ice cream.
11. I am blessed with wonderful friends and family and even though I battle loneliness God has never NEVER left me.
12. I am learning that when I feel lonely I need to pick up the phone and call the first person I am thinking about...maybe, just maybe they are feeling lonely too. I need to look more to others and less to myself (especially when I feel lonely).
13. Tomorrow is father's day. I am amazed daily at the amazing father my kids have. An answer to prayer and an incredible blessing from God.

So, What are your tops for the day?

Fall ECAO Conference

So, I am trying to decide what to teach at the fall conference. I did two "presentations" this year. This is so out of my comfort zone that it is not even funny. Both of them were on the same topic: Beginning family literacy night at school. I really don't know which one was better. I wish I had the feed back from the conference but no such luck. Anyway, I am toying with the idea of doing something that incorporates my passion for scrapbooking. I use a lot of scrapbooking stuff in class. Here are a few of the things I have done over the last few years.
A valentine card

I have scraps to make birthday cards.

We made blessing boxes one year.



One year we made thank you cards and sold them for a small fund raiser to buy a hand bell set for music class (one that we Pre-k 4 could use).


This year we made who love you books for our christmas presents. We drew the pictures and wrote the names.

We have made Christmas ornaments and decorated our own "journals."


The last two years we have made cards for the Children's hospital. (I can't find those pictures.) But, do I have enough? Can I talk about projects that you can do with scrapbooking in the classroom for an hour? What other projects could I do? I have two weeks to decided on my seminar topic. (If you have any other ideas, please leave them in the comments. Thanks!)

Sound Garden

I don't know if I have told you before, but I have an amazing husband. Why is he so amazing, you ask. Because he humors me. I love this blog by Teacher Tom (a preschool teacher in Washington). Most days I just think what he does is really cool. But some days...

I just have to try out his stuff. He posted about a sound garden. I loved it. So, we made one.

Isn't he great! He made this great sound garden with the kids. Thanks honey. You are the Greatest!!

Fear & Faith

I am terrified of water. It didn't get any better after the accident at Denny's years ago. I am afraid of drowning. I am afraid that even though I know CPR it won't work. If I get in water over my head for a second I panic until I remember that I know how to swim. So, when we received an invitation for a pool party I didn't want to go. Dusty is always suggesting that I face my fears. "Go, Charlie will be fine." And so we went. Charlie and I reviewed the "rules" of the pool. We reviewed what we do if we go under and had not planned. We talked about how the pool has a shallow end and a deep end. Charlie has had swimming lessons (once and not this year) so I wasn't too worried. Besides she would be wearing her life jacket. We are about 30 minutes into the party and Charlie decides that she wants to swim like her friends. All the other girls can touch so I figured Charlie would be okay. Charlie does great. Until she gets just a little too deep. I see the look in her eyes. I see her trying to bob to the surface. I realize that she isn't going to come up and that I am going to have to go into the pool. I didn't stop to take off my shoes, socks or jeans. I just stepped in the pool. Clothes and all. I think i did toss the contents of my pockets on the side of the pool as I went it. And can I tell you my very Brave girl held her breath. You know how most people who go under the water flail about and take in water yelling for help. Not my little one. She just kept bobbing with her eyes fixed on mine. She had fear that she was underwater. She had faith that I would get her. When I pulled her out, she was so calm. I wasn't but she was. "Mommy, I was underwater."
"Yes, you were."
"I couldn't touch."
" I know."
"I held my breath just like Daddy said." And she did no coughing, no water in her mouth.
"Yes, you did."
"I don't think I want to go swimming anymore."
Everything in me wanted to agree with her. But I knew that if she did not get back in that pool she would be afraid like me. I don't want her to be afraid of the water I just want her to know how to stay safe.
"Charlie you are going to go swimming but I think this time we will leave your jacket on."
"But mommy, I am afraid."
"I know. But I am right here."
She got back in the pool and by the end of the party she wanted to take her jacket off again. I said maybe next time.
This incident has me thinking. Should I have said no to taking off the life jacket? I don't think so. She wanted to try. I can't protect her all the time. I was right there. And, this incident has made me see that I should have that kind of faith with God. I know that he is always with me. I should be as calm and confident as my little one was that God will always be with me.

Worth it 2

About a year ago, I read about an acitivity to help a child learn to focus and to pay better attention. The object was to use garage sales and thrift stores to create a mix-match tea set to have tea parties with. Charlie LOVES tea parties. We have spent the last year looking at different garage sales trying to find the "perfect" tea cups for her mix-match set. We spent $3.50 on the this set. I love how each cup is different, each cup unique. This weekend I made the table cloth and "fancy" napkins for her as well as curtains for her room. D says the curtains are for me so that she will sleep later and not for her. I say who cares. She loves them and I get to sleep later. :) Charlie's video is a huge guilt trip. "I am annoyed b/c no one accepts my invitation for a cup of tea." I have declined several times over the last two days b/c I was making "fancy" napkins and new curtains for her room. So, we had a spot of tea after the video and before bed. I that she remembers these moments and not just the moments where I am the mom that constantly reminds her to behave, to use her manners, and to pick up and return things to their place.

Worth it!

There is one thing that I HATE about summer. When I am in school I have this amazing husband who helps me keep the house clean . He mops floors, cleans the kitchen, makes dinner, and washes and dries all the laundry. When it is summer he jokes that he is "on vacation" and I do most of the work. He still helps a little but not like during the year. And I HATE it. I feel like three times a day I am running around the house cleaning up and/or making the kids clean up. Yes, the kids rooms are cleaner in the summer than during school but boy do I hate it. Tonight before I picked up the house and as I was putting my two to bed, I took a few videos. My son's video reminds me that it is all worth it. I am just getting him to do things that just make me smile. I want to remember they years from now.