BrilliantMomma Ideas

Lord of the Rings Birthday

2014-08-23T14:50:00.002-07:00

This year Isaac decided on a Lord of the Rings party. Followed the storyline of the movie and began with Bilbo's birthday feast, hobbit style.

We made Isaac's rice krispie cake into a hobbit hole.

Rivendell Activity - At the council of Elrond, where we explained what the night would be about and showed a few scenes from the movie to help them understand, we gave each child a costume to wear and keep. Abby is modeling the "Elf capes" we made just by cutting fleece.

Along with the elf cape, each girl got an Arwin necklace.

The boys each got a hobbit cape...

...and elf leaf.

Rohan Activity - We set up an orc archery range in the back yard.

These were Daddy's shots!

Gondor Activity - In one room we set up the supplies the kids would need to create a shield (cardboard, tape, scissors, and twine) that we would use for a sponge war.

Shelob Activity - we set up a yarn spider web on the stairs.

The web leads up to "Shelob's lair" upstairs, where we created a spider out of a balloon-filled garbage bag (with taped up garbage bag legs...classy)...that also had goodies inside (ring pops, of course!).

I didn't get a good picture of our spider before she was destroyed but this is the general idea.

Mordor Activity - we also used red plastic tables cloths as lava and black paper plates as rocks to create an obstacle course that ended in knocking Gollum into the lava.

The RIGHT way to celebrate Christmas?!

2013-12-13T15:36:00.000-08:00

I came across Jen Hatmaker's blog The Christmas Conundrum, about her conviction to cut back this Christmas. To do less. To worship more. As I read it, I thought, "Yes!" My favorite line from her article is: "Our family is going to celebrate Jesus this year in a manner worthy of a humble Savior who was born to two poor teenagers in a barn and yet still managed to rescue humanity." Yes! Doing less is good.

Then I read this article about why one parent, Lyz Lenz, chooses to go all out on Christmas gift-giving to her children: Why I'm Buying My Children A Lot of Presents and as I read, I thought, "Yes!" My favorite line from her article is: "I'm giving her gifts the way I want her to learn to give -- with generosity and without expectation of reciprocity. In sum, it's grace." Yes! Doing more is good.

I realized that I fully believed in two seemingly contradictory principles, and I wasn't going to let this bother me.

But then a friend of mine voiced her own confusion over the many convicting online articles that contradict one another. Who is right? What is right? What is the best way to celebrate Christmas in a way that honors the child in the manger? Is it better to do less? It is better to do more?

The answer is: Yes!

As with so many things, the Bible makes it clear that God cares far more about our heart than our actions (1 Samuel 16:7, Psalm 51:16-17, Matthew 22:36-40, Matthew 23:23-27, Titus 1:15...so many more...). So, the real question I need to ask myself as Christmas approaches is, "How is my heart?" I can ask God to help me search my heart (Psalm 139:23-24) to see if there is need for me to do more or do less this Christmas.

If my heart is filled with gratitude and love, and I feel that I have so much to give, the answer is probably: Do more.

If my heart is grieving and absent of joy, and I am considering forcing myself to put up Christmas lights out of guilt, the answer is probably: Do less.

If my heart is in aw of the innocence and joy of my children, and I want to encourage that, and grow more childlike in my own joy, the answer is probably: Do more.

If my heart is angry, snapping at my children because they are getting in my way as I try to perfect classroom goodie bags and sparkling teacher gifts, the answer is probably: Do less.

If my heart is thankful for my blessings, and I want to share what I have with others who have less, the answer is probably: Do more.

With God's help, I can judge whether cutting back or doing more this year will help grow my heart in the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23): love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. With God's help, I can know whether saying yes or no to a particular activity will grow my heart more for Him and for others (Matthew 22:36-40), or whether that particular activity will do more harm than good. And most likely, there are both things I need to do more of this year, and things I need to do less. Often it's down to the very minute:

God, would doing more or doing less in this moment most help me to worship you in a spirit of joy, peace, and love? Will doing more or doing less in this moment most help me to grow in love for You and for others?

Ask, lean in, listen, discern, and then do...more or less...as the Spirit leads.

A Day of Thanksgiving

2013-11-13T14:54:00.003-08:00

Start the day with a conversation about how much we have to be thankful for. Ask the kids to list everything they're thankful for, while you write it down. After they run out of ideas, ask them to imagine that tomorrow they will get to keep only the things they named on your list. See what they say about that! Then, give them a chance to add other things to the list. We have so much to be thankful for. So many things we take for granted: air, food, water, plumbing, hot showers, light, health...

After they have felt a little gratitude for everything they have, lead them in some activities to help them express their thankfulness to God:

Create a work of art for someone else to enjoy. Thank God for making you YOU, with all of the talents you have...they are all from Him!

Go on a walk, picking up trash as you go. Thank God for making nature so beautiful. Take time to admire the trees, flowers, leaves. Feed the fish, turtles, ducks.

Good job, trash collectors.

Spend some time playing at the playground. Thank God for creating you for Joy! Leave a small toy for another child to keep. (Isaac suggests leaving a note so a conscientious child will know it's okay to keep the toy.)

Do a chore for someone else in your family. Thank God for the people in your life who love you.

Pack a shoebox filled with toys and goodies for a needy child. Go to the web site for Operation Christmas Child and find how to send one to a child in need. In order to reach kids all around the world by Christmas, these are usually collected the week before Thanksgiving, so it is a great tie-in to preparing our hearts for Thanksgiving.

Thank you, God, that we have so much to give and share.

6 Days of Creation

2013-06-06T11:34:00.003-07:00

At church, we did big murals with the K-3 kids when we learned about creation. I think they turned out pretty darn cute and think it would be a fun thing for kids at home to do too.

Day 1: Light

Day 2: Sky/Heavens

Day 3: Dry Land and Animals

Day 4: Stars, Sun, Moon

Day 5: Birds and Fish

Day 6: Land Animals and Humans

The Get-Along Jar

2013-05-17T17:59:00.002-07:00

My kids have been really rotten to each other lately. As in not treating-others-the-way-you-want-to-be-treated rotten. The most repeated offense has to do with the fact that they both hate being upstairs alone. So as soon as I call them down, the one closest to the stairs takes off with a wicked smile on his or her face, leaving the sibling wailing in the dust. It has been very noisy in an unpleasant way and I have been starting to suspect that my kids are evil.

So, I felt I had to do something. I hate that I have to give incentives for them to be kind to one another, but I needed a tool. And here it is: The Get-Along Jar...10 popsicle sticks with smiley face stickers on one end.

We started with 2 popsicle sticks face up and 8 face down. Every time I catch them fighting they have to turn one face down. If all 10 end up face down, we pull one at random and they owe me the consequence written on it (30 minutes of clean up; 1 hour in your own room; lose screen time; 30 minutes in your own room; each owe mom $1). This has happened once so far and they pulled 30 minutes of clean up. I have to say, I really liked that consequence!

If all 10 end up face up, we pull one at random and I owe them the reward written on the opposite side (sleep in mommy's room tonight; donuts for breakfast; playdate with friend of your choice; rent a redbox movie; trip to Buc-ee's <the gas station that has all kinds of treats>).

My favorite part of this is that they have to work together to win. It works...for now...at least it's saving my sanity...for now...

Passover Seder: The 15 Steps, Medium Version

2013-03-29T10:04:00.001-07:00

Introduction: The Story

Explain:

the father’s role and the concept of the Seder and the “Direct,” “Say,” “Do” directions.
the mother’s role of looking up the scripture passages while the father leads his part, and reading them to the group (be sure to name the book and chapter before reading).
to the kids that it’s not about liking the foods we taste. It’s about the experience of what the foods symbolize. Sometimes a bitter taste will have a meaning to help us understand something better.

Do: The mother lights the candles and says a blessing before the Seder begins. Start by reading the story of the Passover and the escape from Egypt from a children’s story bible (My First Study Bible, p.48-55...save page 56 for step 5).

Say: Jesus was a Jew, an Israelite. His people have been eating a Passover meal every year since God brought them out of Egypt thousands of years ago. On the night before Jesus was lead to the cross, Jesus had a special meal with His disciples: A Passover meal. God’s timing made it so that this special meal happened on the day before Jesus died for our sins. As we eat our own Passover meal tonight, we will see how the first Passover, the Jews escape from Egypt, was an indication of a greater rescue to come: Jesus’s death on the cross for our sins.

Say: During our Passover ceremony we will be having 4 symbolic cups of wine or juice. These 4 cups correspond with a promise that God made to the Israelites when they were still slaves in Egypt in Exodus 6:6-7: “Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgements. I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.”

God’s Promise	Cup of Wine
I will bring you out	1st: Cup of Sanctification
I will rescue you	2nd: Cup of Plagues
I will redeem you	3rd: Cup of Redemption
I will take you as my people	4th: Cup of Praise

1. The First Cup: The Cup of Sanctification

Direct: Each person fills a glass with wine or juice.

Do: Hold up your cup of wine as you talk.

Say: This is the cup of sanctification. The word sanctification means to be set apart for God. Remember God’s first promise: “I will bring you out.” Jewish families remember that God performed miraculous deeds to free (or set apart) Israel from Egypt. We remember that Christ set us apart from the world as a holy nation to himself. (Read 1 Peter 2:9).

Direct: Everyone drinks the first cup.

2. Washing of Hands

Do: Dip your hands in a bowl and wipe your hands on the towel.

Say: Jewish families remember how the priest washed in the basin before he could come before God on behalf of Israel. The ritual of the washing of hands pointed to Jesus, who washes away our guilty conscience so that we can draw near to God (Read Hebrews 10:22).

3. Dipping of Parsley

Do: Hold up the Parsley.

Say: The first dip of Parsley refers to the tears shed by the Israelites while they were enslaved.

Direct: everyone to dip the first sprig of parsley into the saltwater and eat it.

Say: The second dip refers to the drowning of the Egyptian army in the Red Sea and the miraculous deliverance that came for the nation of Israel.

Direct: everyone to dip and eat the second sprig of parsley.

Do: Read the story of the Crossing of the Red Sea (My First Study Bible p.57-60) from a children’s bible.

Say: In the New Testament, the apostle Paul compares the crossing of the Red Sea to baptism, which symbolizes our redemption from sin (Read 1 Corinthians 10:1-2).

4. Breaking of the Middle Matzah

Do: Take the middle square from a stack of three matzah, break it in half, put one half back in the middle of the three and wrap the other half in a napkin.

Say: We use Matzah, or unleavened bread, during the Passover meal because it symbolizes how God’s people were brought out of Egypt. It also represents, for Christ-followers, that we are new creations in Christ (Read 1 Corinthians 5:6-8).

Do: Now hide the middle half of matzah as the rest of the family closes their eyes.

Do: Hold up the remaining stack of three matzahs.

Say: We can see the beautiful picture of the Trinity in the matzah — the top piece representing the Father; the bottom piece representing the Holy Spirit; and the middle piece representing Jesus, who was broken for us and then wrapped in linen to be hidden away.

5. The Four Questions and the Passover Story

Do: read the dialog called “Passover: The Four Questions” (below) with the youngest child.

Introductory Question

Child: Why is this night different from all other nights?

Leader: Once we were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but now we are free. We set aside this night each year to remember the great things God did for us.

Question 1

Child: Why, on this night, do we eat only unleaved bread?

Leader: Matzah reminds us of two things — we were delivered from slavery in Egypt, and we have a new life.

Question 2

Child: Why, on this night, do we eat only a bitter vegetable?

Leader: We remember how bitter our ancestors' slavery was while they lived in Egypt.

Question 3

Child: Why, on this night, do we dip our vegetable twice?

Leader: We are reminded of tears and of a miraculous deliverance, as we just saw portrayed with the parsley.

Question 4

Child: Why, on this night, do we all recline?

Leader: Before, we were slaves, but now we are able to recline to express the rest we enjoy as free people. This pillow represents our freedom.

Do: hold up the lamb bone as you read or the story of the Passover (My First Study Bible p.56) from a children’s story bible.

Do: Pass the lamb bone around for everyone to look at.

Say: At the original Passover celebration, a lamb was killed and its blood was spread on the doorposts and lintel of the house to protect the home from the 10th plague, the slaying of the firstborn. God said He would pass over the house when He saw the blood. Each person had to eat of this sacrificial lamb — no one could eat for another person. We understand that we must each make a personal decision to spiritually apply the blood of Jesus to the doorposts of our heart so we never experience sin's judgment.

6. The Second Cup: The Cup of Plagues

Direct: Everyone fills the cup a second time.

Do: Hold up your cup of wine as you talk.

Say: This is the cup of plagues. God poured out 10 plagues on Egypt in order to show His strength and deliver the nation of Israel. Remember God’s second promise: “I will rescue you.” Thank God that He delivered Israel and He delivers us.

Direct: Each person dips his finger into his cup, then makes 10 drops of wine fall onto his white napkin as he says the name of each plague: blood, frogs, lice, flies, cattle disease, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and slaying of the firstborn. Finally, each person drinks from his cup.

7. Eating of the Bitter Herbs

Direct: Everyone takes a piece of matzah, adds a small portion of horseradish and eats it.

Say: Eating bitter herbs (like horseradish) symbolizes the bitterness of slavery the nation of Israel endured in Egypt. We also remember the bitterness of our slavery to sin (Read John 8:34).

8. Eating of the Charoset

Direct: Each person enjoys a piece of matzah with a little charoset.

Do: Hold up your matzah and charoset.

Say: This mixture symbolizes the mortar that was used by the Israelites to make bricks while in Egypt. This sweet mixture represents bitter toil because even harsh labor is sweetened by the promise of redemption. We know that it was through Christ's bitter suffering that the sweetness of redemption also came to us.

9. Sharing of the Charoset

Direct: Everyone takes another piece of matzah with charoset and feeds it to the person on his right, saying, "Shalom, peace to you."

Say: When Jesus brought sweetness into our lives through His forgiveness, He never intended for us to keep it to ourselves. As we feed each other the charoset, we are showing that we want to pass this sweet message on to others (Read Matthew 28:19-20).

10. Explanation of the Roasted Egg

Do: Hold up the egg while you read the explanation below.

Say: The egg is a reminder that because the temple was destroyed in A.D. 70 the Jews were no longer able to sacrifice. The egg is referred to as the Hagigah, the holiday sacrifice that was made during temple times. We are also reminded that Jesus was the final sacrifice that took away sin once and for all (Read Hebrews 10:14).

Do: Pass the egg around for everyone to look at.

11. The Eating of the Meal

Say: At this point, a Jewish family would eat the Passover meal, including the roasted lamb. We are going to taste a bite of lamb.

Direct: Everyone tastes a bite of the roasted lamb.

Say: It is significant that for His last supper on the night before He was taken to the cross, Jesus asked Peter and John to prepare the meal, which was the traditional Passover Seder. Preparations for the meal would have included the slaying and roasting of the lamb. (Read Luke 22:7-8). Later both Peter and John referred to Jesus in their writings as the Lamb of God. Peter compared Jesus to a lamb without blemish. John wrote that the Lamb who was slain was worthy of our highest praise.

12. Finding and Eating of the Afikomen

Say: The Afikomen ("ah-fee-koe'-men") is the piece of matzah that was hidden earlier. It's time to play a fun game as we send all the kids on a hunt to look for the hidden matzah. Whoever finds the piece gets a token reward — a ransom is paid for the Afikomen. When found, the Afikomen is broken in pieces and distributed to everyone.

Do: Send the kids to find the Afikomen. Give the prize to the one who finds it.

Do: Break the Afikomen in pieces and distribute it to everyone.

Direct: Every holds up his piece of the Afikomen.

Say: Jesus himself used matzah as a picture of His sacrifice when He broke the bread during the Last Supper and declared the traditional matzah from that point on to symbolize His body (Read Luke 22:19).

Direct: Everyone eats his piece of the Afikomen, saying “This is my body, broken for you.”

13. The Third Cup: The Cup of Redemption

Direct: Everyone fills the cup a third time.

Direct: Everyone holds up his cup of wine as you talk.

Say: This is the cup of redemption. The word redemption suggests the idea of a price being paid to bring someone out of slavery. The sacrificial lamb offered on Passover paid the price to deliver the nation of Israel from the bondage of Egypt. Remember God’s third promise: “I will redeem you.” We know that Jesus drank this cup with His disciples, declaring it from that point on to symbolize His blood (Read Matthew 26:27-28). Drink the third cup in remembrance of Jesus.

Direct: Everyone drinks from his cup, saying, “This is my blood, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

14. Looking for Elijah

Direct: One of the children goes to the door and peeks his head out to see if Elijah is coming.

Say: Is Elijah there?

Direct: The child should reply: "No, he is not here."

Say: Maybe next year Elijah will come!

Do: Read Malachi 4:5-6.

Say: According to the prophecy in Malachi, the Jewish people know that Elijah will prepare the way for the Messiah. When they ask if Elijah is coming, they are actually proclaiming that they are waiting for the Messiah. We recognize that John the Baptist prepared the way of the Lord more than 2,000 years ago. The bible even says to John the Baptist’s mother, that her son will come “In the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17). Although the Jews who do not believe that Jesus is the Savior still look for Elijah when they partake of the Passover Seder, we who are Christ-followers recognize that this part of the prophecy and tradition has already been fulfilled.

15. The Fourth Cup: The Cup of Praise

Direct: Everyone fills the cup a fourth time.

Do: Hold up your cup of wine as you talk.

Say: This final cup is a reminder of God's promise to Israel. Remember God’s fourth promise: "I will take you as my people.” The Jewish people look forward to a golden age when everyone will be at peace and will be reunited with God. As followers of Jesus, we, too, have been chosen by God to be His people, and we eagerly wait for the return of the Messiah so that we will be with Him forever (Read 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). So, with the Passover ceremony finished, let us drink the fourth cup, proclaiming, "Come, Lord Jesus!"

Direct: Everyone proclaims “Come, Lord Jesus!” and drinks the fourth cup.

Self Confidence and Self Doubt

2013-03-22T14:03:00.001-07:00

God has given me a complicated personality, an unusual mix of impulsive overconfidence and lurking sensitivity to other people's opinions. This unlikely combination tends to lead me into a pattern of quick, impulsive decision-making, followed sometimes by slow, churning self-doubt. I need God on both ends of that strange spectrum that is my personality.

"He must increase, but I must decrease." -- John 3:30

When I am impulsively bold and brilliant, I need God to remind me that He made me this way for His glory, and not my own. I need Him to remind me that wisdom takes time and that He promises to give me wisdom if I will slow down enough to ask for it.

"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of God." -- Galatians 1:10

And when self-doubt leads me to question my right to keep standing in the shoes of leader, teacher, mentor, mother, wife, friend, because of my many mistakes and failures, I need God's grace to remind me that it is precisely because of my weakness that He is made strong in the eyes of those to whom I minister. I am not standing in those shoes because I am brilliant and worthy, but I stand in those shoes because He is brilliant and worthy.

"He must increase, but I must decrease." -- John 3:30

This is why I relate to Peter so much. I just finished reading Mark, chapter 9 with my small group, and my heart was so happy when I got to verses 5 and 6 that tell how Peter spoke, not simply when he didn't know what to say, but because he didn't know what to say. That's so me! And yet, time and time again, Jesus calls Peter to His inner circle. Peter is among the three that Jesus most often calls to Himself. And Jesus chooses Peter as the rock on which to build His church.

So in the moments when I feel like I have failed, I am able to push through the insecurities to keep serving the Lord in every area of my life, knowing that, like Peter, God has chosen me. That's the catch of all catches, God has chosen me, and you, His people, flawed and failing, to tell the world about His glory and His kingdom.

Lord, help me make much of You with every aspect of my personality.

Easter Week

2013-03-18T08:13:00.003-07:00

My dad has gifted us a subscription to Focus on Family's Thriving Family magazine. I like their articles for inspiring godly growth in families. This year I have decided to use their suggestion for helping kids prepare for Easter. The article is called "Exploring Easter: Simple ways to celebrate Easter with your kids." I am chronicling my efforts in this post (as well as summarizing the article's suggestions). I'll come back and add to it each day until Easter is here.

SUNDAY

Read John 12:12-13.
Have your kids make palm branches out of construction paper.
Decorate the dinner table with branches.
Place extra branches on the floor as a path from the door to the table to mark a path a honor.
Before dinner, discuss the meaning of "Hosanna."
Ask your kids what they might shout if they saw Jesus coming down the road.

We were out of time to make our own palm branches, so we went out and picked some branches from various trees. The kids enjoyed waving them and shouting "Hosanna."

Abby said if she saw Jesus coming, she would shout "Hooray Jesus!"

Isaac said he would ask Jesus to wait and he would go get all his friends to meet Him.

MONDAY

Bake bread as a family.
Read John 6:35.
Discuss why Jesus called himself the Bread of Life.
Put bread in a basket along with Easter goodies and deliver to someone who may be in need of extra kindness

We bought a box mix of Auntie Annie's Pretzels (mmmm...).

The kids helped make the dough and we had our little "bread of life" discussion. They needed much assistance in getting the concept.

We wrapped up some bite-sized soft pretzels fresh out of the oven and delivered them to our retired neighbors who have no grandkids to do sweet things for them.

TUESDAY

Send your children on an Easter scavenger hunt to find items that symbolize parts of the Easter story:

A rock (the tomb)
two sticks (the cross)
something black (sin)
something red (blood)
something white (a clean heart)
something green (growing in Christ)

This one was super fun and required no preparation.

Two sticks representing the cross:

Something black representing sin:

Filling up his basket with something green to represent growing in Christ:

WEDNESDAY

Read the story found in John 13:1-17 (can find this story in a children's Bible too).
Fill a bucket with water and grab a towel.
Take turns washing each other's feet and praying for each other.

After reading the story of Jesus, the Servant-King, washing his disciples' feet the night before his crucifixion, it was special for us to get to wash our kids' feet and pray for them.

Mommy washed Isaac's feet.

Daddy took care of Abby.

The kids enjoyed the chance to wash Mommy's feet too.

(And things got rather silly when they tried to wash Daddy's feet because his feet are too ticklish).

THURSDAY

Visit a garden or park.
Read Luke 22:39-46 (can find this story in a children's Bible too).
Have your kids talk about what plans they have for tomorrow. How do they feel about their plans?
What do they think Jesus may have been thinking/feeling on the night before His crucifixion?
Pray together.

I liked doing this one at night in our "garden," as the darkness may have reflected more of what Jesus may have experienced. The downside was that I waited so late that the kids were too punchy for a serious conversation.

FRIDAY

Place a white carnation in a vase. Read 1 Peter 1:18-19 (or the story of the crucifixion from a children's Bible).
Discuss with your children what it meant that Jesus was a "lamb without blemish or defect."
After cutting the stem diagonally, add a dozen drops of red food coloring to the water. Watch what happens over the next few days. Use the red flower petals as a reminder that Jesus took our sins upon himself when he died on the cross.

Jesus, the "lamb without blemish or defect."

Each kid added some drops of red food coloring to the water, representing their sin. (By the way, that is my dad's hairy arm in the picture below, not mine! ;)

Two days later, we look at what happened to our white flowers and talk about how Jesus took our sin upon himself when he died for us.

SATURDAY

Let your kids help you clean the windows.
Talk about how much better they can see through them afterward.
Read Luke 18:31-34 (or find the story in a children's Bible of when the disciples were sad and confused after Jesus died).
Explain that the disciples did not see clearly at first. They did not understand that Jesus had to die and rise again--until He did!

I left this muddy window up for a few hours before our actual lesson time to get the kids to really wonder what a muddy window had to do with Easter.

They had fun scrubbing it off.

And hosing it down. And after it was clean, they seemed to get the idea that it wasn't until Jesus' friends saw him alive again after his death that they understood why he had to die.

EASTER SUNDAY

Read Matthew 27:57-61 (or find the story in a children's Bible of when Jesus' friends discovered his empty tomb...especially the sections of his burial and resurrection that mention his grave clothes or wrappings).
Wrap a child volunteer in toilet paper or "grave clothes" and have them break free from the toilet paper.
Talk about how happy the disciples must have been when they saw that Jesus had conquered death.
Use a trick candle to show how Jesus, the Light of the World, appeared to be extinguished, but wasn't. He was dead, but He came back to life!

Wrapping up Isaac in "grave clothes."

He thought it was pretty funny.

In his "tomb."

And he loved breaking free.

We didn't plan ahead to get the trick candle but I think that would be a great visual for the concept of Jesus coming back. This was a lot of fun. Looking forward to next year.

Teaching the True Meaning of Easter

2013-03-18T07:58:00.002-07:00

Over the past few years, I have really enjoyed gathering and building some great tools for teaching my children the true meaning of Easter. I wanted to compile on this post my whole tool chest so that it's all in one place.

To start off with, I found the most exciting directions for how to lead a Passover Seder for Christian families in Thriving Family magazine. Thankfully, they also have an online version I can share with you. Traditionally, Jewish families celebrate a Seder during their Passover celebrations to tell the story of how God freed the Jews from Egyptian slavery. For Christians, there are many ways that the rituals of the Seder also illustrate the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Here is a link that will help you learn how we hosted our first Passover Seder.

Here are the links to the other Easter teaching tools I have used:

Resurrection Cookies Recipe

Easter Week (includes daily activities for the week before Easter)

I hope I'm posting this early enough this year for some other parents who had expressed interest to gather the materials and do some of these simple daily lessons with the kids. My kids loved them.

Passover Seder: The 15 Steps, Long Version

2013-03-04T17:00:00.000-08:00

The inspiration for this event came from an article on leading a Seder by Stan Kellner with Pam Woody from Thriving Family magazine. You can see their online instructions to see where I got the bulk of what we did. However, my small group, which has been studying about the life of Jesus by Beth Moore, learned just last week more details of how the Seder is significant for Christ-followers. So, I added a lot of that information in there as well. To distinguish, Stan Kellner's information below is in black and my additions are in gray.

I also shortened the Children's questions in Step 5 to help my non-reader youngest child in fulfilling her role of asking the questions. The full, traditional version is linked here and would be better for a child who can read to use.

Introduction: The Story

(Explain the father’s role and the concept of the Seder and the “Direct,” “Say,” “Do” directions. Explain the mother’s role of looking up the scripture passages while the father leads his part, and reading them to the group (be sure to name the book and chapter before reading). Also, explain to the kids that it’s not about liking the foods we taste. It’s about the experience of what the foods symbolize. Sometimes a bitter taste will have a meaning to help us understand something better.)

The mother lights the candles and says a blessing before the Seder begins. Start by reading the story of the Passover and the escape from Egypt from a children’s story bible.

Read: During our Passover ceremony we will be having 4 symbolic cups of wine or juice. These 4 cups correspond with a promise that God made to the Israelites when they were still slaves in Egypt in Exodus 6:6-7: “Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgements. I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.”

1. The First Cup: The Cup of Sanctification

Direct: Each person fills a glass with wine or juice.

Do: Hold up your cup of wine as you talk.

Direct: Everyone drinks the first cup.

2. Washing of Hands

Do: Dip your hands in a bowl and wipe your hands on the towel.

Say: Jewish families remember how the priest washed in the basin before he could come before God on behalf of Israel (Read Exodus 30:17-21). The ritual of the washing of hands pointed to Jesus, who washes away our guilty conscience so that we can draw near to God (Read Hebrews 10:22). This symbol of cleansing also provides insight concerning the comments and reactions of the disciples when Jesus washed their feet at His Passover Seder (Read John 13:8-9).

3. Dipping of the Parsley

Do: Hold up the Parsley.

Say: The first dip of Parsley refers to the tears shed by the Israelites while they were enslaved.

Direct: everyone to dip the first sprig of parsley into the saltwater and eat it.

Say: The second dip refers to the drowning of the Egyptian army in the Red Sea and the miraculous deliverance that came for the nation of Israel.

Direct: everyone to dip and eat the second sprig of parsley.

Do: Read Exodus 14:13-31 or the story of the Crossing of the Red Sea from a children’s bible.

Say: In the New Testament, the apostle Paul compares the crossing of the Red Sea to baptism, which symbolizes our redemption from sin (Read 1 Corinthians 10:1-2).

4. Breaking of the Middle Matzah

Do: Take the middle square from a stack of three matzah, break it in half, put one half back in the middle of the three and wrap the other half in a napkin.

Say: We use Matzah, or unleavened bread, during the Passover meal because it symbolizes how God’s people were brought out of Egypt (Read Exodus 12:39). It also represents, for Christ-followers, that we are new creations in Christ (Read 1 Corinthians 5:6-8).

Do: Now hide the middle half of matzah as the rest of the family closes their eyes.

Do: Hold up the remaining stack of three matzahs.

5. The Four Questions and the Passover Story

Do: read the dialog called “Passover: The Four Questions” with the youngest child in the room.

Introductory Question

Child: Why is this night different from all other nights?

Leader: Once we were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but now we are free. We set aside this night each year to remember the great things God did for us.

Question 1

Child: Why, on this night, do we eat only unleaved bread?

Leader: Matzah reminds us of two things — we were delivered from slavery in Egypt, and we have a new life.

Question 2

Child: Why, on this night, do we eat only a bitter vegetable?

Leader: We remember how bitter our ancestors' slavery was while they lived in Egypt.

Question 3

Child: Why, on this night, do we dip our vegetable twice?

Leader: We are reminded of tears and of a miraculous deliverance, as we just saw portrayed with the parsley.

Question 4

Child: Why, on this night, do we all recline?

Leader: Before, we were slaves, but now we are able to recline to express the rest we enjoy as free people. This pillow represents our freedom.

Do: hold up the lamb bone as you read Exodus 12:1-13 or the story of the Passover from a children’s story bible.

Say: It is significant that for His last supper, Jesus asked Peter and John to prepare the meal, which was the traditional Passover Seder, also called the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Preparations for the meal would have included the slaying and roasting of the lamb. (Read Luke 22:7-8). Later both Peter and John referred to Jesus in their writings as the Lamb of God. Peter compared Jesus to a lamb without blemish (Read 1 Peter 1:18-19). John wrote that the Lamb who was slain was worthy of our highest praise (Read Revelation 5:6-12).

6.The Second Cup: The Cup of Plagues

Direct: Everyone fills the cup a second time.

Do: Hold up your cup of wine as you talk.

Direct: Each person dips a spoon into his cup, then makes 10 drops of wine fall onto his plate (or white napkin) as he says the name of each plague: blood, frogs, lice, flies, cattle disease, boils, hail, locusts, darkness and slaying of the firstborn. Finally, each person drinks from his cup.

7. Eating of the Bitter Herbs

Direct: Everyone takes a piece of matzah, adds a small portion of horseradish and eats it.

Say: Eating bitter herbs (like horseradish) symbolizes the bitterness of slavery the nation of Israel endured in Egypt. We also remember the bitterness of our slavery to sin (Read John 8:34).

8. Eating of the Charoset

Direct: Each person enjoys a piece of matzah with a little charoset.

Do: Hold up your matzah and charoset.

9. Sharing of the Charoset

Direct: Everyone takes another piece of matzah with charoset and feeds it to the person on his right, saying, "Shalom, peace to you."

10. Explanation of the Egg

Do: Hold up the egg while you read the explanation below.

11. The Eating of the Meal

Say: At this point, a Jewish family would eat the Passover meal, including the roasted lamb. We are going to taste a bite of lamb.

Direct: Everyone tastes a bite of the roasted lamb.

12. Finding and Eating of the Afikomen

Do: Send the kids to find the Afikomen. Give the prize to the one who finds it. Break the Afikomen in pieces and distribute it to everyone.

13. The Third Cup: The Cup of Redemption

Direct: Everyone fills the cup a third time.

Do: Hold up your cup of wine as you talk.

14. Looking for Elijah

Direct: One of the children goes to the door and peeks his head out to see if Elijah is coming.

Say: Is Elijah there?

Direct: The child should reply: "No, he is not here."

Say: Maybe next year Elijah will come!

Do: Read Malachi 4:5-6.

Say: According to the prophecy in Malachi, the Jewish people know that Elijah will prepare the way for the Messiah. When they ask if Elijah is coming, they are actually proclaiming that they are waiting for the Messiah. We recognize that John the Baptist prepared the way of the Lord more than 2,000 years ago (Read Luke 1:13-17). Although the Jews who do not believe that Jesus is the Savior still look for Elijah when they partake of the Passover Seder, we who are Christ-followers recognize that this part of the prophecy and tradition has already been fulfilled.

15. The Fourth Cup: The Cup of Praise

Direct: Everyone fills the cup a fourth time.

Do: Hold up your cup of wine as you talk.

Say: This final cup is a reminder of God's promise to Israel. Remember God’s fourth promise: "I will take you as my people.” The Jewish people look forward to a golden age when everyone will be at peace and will be reunited with God. In Jewish homes, it is traditional to close with the song, "Next Year in Jerusalem," a further indication of their waiting for the Messiah. As followers of Jesus, we, too, have been chosen by God to be His people, and we eagerly wait for the return of the Messiah so that we will be with Him forever (Read 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). So, with the Passover ceremony finished, let us drink the fourth cup, proclaiming, "Come, Lord Jesus!"

Direct: Everyone proclaims “Come, Lord Jesus!” and drinks the fourth cup.

Heart-Shaped Pizza

2013-02-14T16:28:00.002-08:00

Since Adel and I have vowed never to go out on Valentine's day again (we don't like crowds!), we have been spending Feb 14 with our kids, celebrating family love and God's love as well as romantic love. Now, I have found out that Papa Johns makes a heart-shaped pizza for Valentine's day, and my life will never be the same.

And of course, the annual viewing of The Princess Bride.

Creative Dating

2013-02-14T16:11:00.000-08:00

If you are on a budget, a Dave Ramsey fan, or just don't want to fight the crowds on Valentine's Day, below are some ~~cheap date~~ creative dating, ideas. Let's be realistic, these creative dating ideas will only work after the kids are in bed. Music and lighting don't hurt either.

· Create a romantic picnic in your bedroom. Spread a clean blanket or sheet on top of the bed as a “table cloth,” and enjoy your favorite take out.

· Plan a movie night. Rent, borrow, or use one you own. Get popcorn, your favorite candies and sodas, and snuggle on the couch.

· Plan a game night. There are many board games designed for four or more players that can be creatively adapted for two players. And who else can you play trivia with while snuggled up in bed?

· Watch your old home videos or look through your photo albums together. Make it fun by playing your old tunes too.

· Create a spa in your home. Play serene music while you pamper each other with massage. Light candles and make the atmosphere romantic and relaxing.

· Create a puzzle or mystery for each other to solve. You can buy a dollar store puzzle, assemble it, and then write a message on the back for each other to discover while assembling the puzzle. You can also make your own puzzle with a good piece of cardboard.

· Cook a fancy dinner together, something you’ve never tried before. Share a bottle of wine while you cook.

God is Love

2013-02-14T15:25:00.001-08:00

I'm not the only momma who's brilliant. My friend Shannon is brilliant too. (She wouldn't want me saying that, but it's true so I'm saying it anyway.)

This Valentine's day, Shannon invited the kids and I to join her for a Valentine's breakfast.

Before the kids ate, Shannon talked to them about the source of love. She asked how we have the ability to love other people. Where does that ability come from? And she reminded them of how God loved us even while we were still His enemies (Romans 5:8). Then she encouraged them to seek the love of Jesus first before any other love, that Jesus could be their first Valentine. After a prayer of thanks, they ate a yummy breakfast.

And then each child received a small bunch of flowers with a little tag reminding them of God's love (1 John 4:19).

What a great way to start Valentine's day off right. Brilliant.

Valentine's School Box

2013-02-11T17:48:00.001-08:00

My kid is a genius. No, really.

In 2nd grade this year, Isaac was assigned to decorate his own Valentine's box, to receive all his Valentine's on the big day. He came up with the idea for this Valentine's monster and did all the decorating himself (I did the wrapping).

His first idea was to make a monster, which I, of course, thought was genius. But, I added that it must be a Valentine's monster.

His design was partly inspired by the iPhone/iPad app, "The Creeps," one of my all-time favorites because it's battling, but it's cute.

(There is a hole in the "neck" so the Valentine's drop from the mouth down into the belly of the monster.)

Love that crazy-creative kid!

Kids in Big Church

2013-02-09T18:27:00.002-08:00

Our church has AMAZING, FANTASTIC children's ministries (if I do say so myself!). But once a month, the church hosts an evening service where children age 5 and up are encouraged to attend with their families.

Question: how do you keep your kids engaged in the "Big Church" message on these occasions?

The kids love the worship part, and are fascinated by the communion part (although our family policy is to save participation in communion until baptism, which is of course in turn saved until they are able to express their understanding and acceptance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! If you are not sure what that means, check this post for a simple explanation). The part that is the hardest for them to sit through is the "talking" part.

Although I admittedly regularly abuse technology to keep my kids busy, I did not want to establish screen-time as a way for my kids to "get through" the service. My solution so far: old school entertainment...pen and paper. But with a twist. I am trying to use the pen and paper as a tool to help my kids engage in the message. During the prayer time, I encouraged my kids to write or draw their prayer to God. Isaac wrote this:

"Dear Lord. Can you please help me not be scared of ghosts. And can you make it go to normal." Yes, he has had a few anxious nights lately since the girls at school have been teasing about ghosts. But I thought it was great that he thought to pray for it.

During the message, I encouraged the kids to listen to the speaker's words and draw or write what it made them think of. Abby did great on this assignment:

She also wrote out the Fruit of the Spirit, which is what we are currently teaching in the children's ministry (proving how AMAZING and FANTASTIC our children's ministry actually is):

As a momma who loves Jesus, it makes my heart melt to see their little hearts grow in Him as they express it in words and pictures. I'm not saying this method makes for a stress-free, relaxing service for me, as I spend a great deal of whispers and energy in redirecting them back to the pen and paper, but the reward of helping them engage in the message is worth the effort.

Ooze!

2013-02-06T14:20:00.001-08:00

I found this recipe for making Ooze on ehow and we decided to give it a try.

1 Cup water
Food coloring
2 Cups cornstarch

Pour 1 Cup water into a bowl.

Add food coloring.

Mix.

Add cornstarch 1/4 cup at a time and stir each time, scraping along the bottom of the bowl.

Once you are at 2 cups...OR when the mixture appears solid, you can play!

It will appear solid when you pick it up.

And then turn to liquid in your hands...so hold it over the bowl!

The recipe also recommended laying down newspapers first...smart!

"I'm a zombie!"

"Zombie brains!"

And it washes up easily with just water.

Rockets!

2013-01-26T18:29:00.000-08:00

Adel has been saving a model rocket since his college days and finally decided it was time for lift off.

During assembly, Isaac asked, "What makes the rocket go up?"

This started a physics lesson on Isaac Newton's third law of motion: "To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction." We marked a spot on the ground where the rolling chair started and then Isaac gave it a push so we could see how far the equal and opposite reaction would carry Abby.

Then we put both of them in rolling chairs and did the test again.

Surprise...Abby went farther. Why? According to Adel, because the mass was not equal (Isaac is heavier than Abby), the equal and opposite reaction of the push moved the object with less mass (Abby) farther than the object with more mass (Isaac).

And, of course, he got out the white board to explain with equations and illustrations. They can probably both now teach physics at a college level.

Time to launch!

5, 4, 3, 2, 1...

Lift off!

Run and get it!

For the second launch, Abby decided she was brave enough to press the button again. Isaac decided he would rather stand back and cover his ears.

"Parachutes are out. Oh no! The wind is carrying it toward the school roof!"

"Doh!"

"Hmmmm..."

Isaac (Lagoy's) fourth law:

Ladder + Broom

= Rescued.

Chore Checklist

2013-01-12T09:34:00.001-08:00

I have been on an evolutionary path the past few years with trying to make kids' chores work for us.

This was my first chore chart (when the kids were around ages 4 and 2):

This was my second, about a year later (ages 5 and 3):

Today, I think I hit the jackpot. I combined what I learned from making the getting-ready-for-school checklist with the chores we have already established and with a conversation I had with my new friend Sheila, who opened my eyes to the idea that my kids are capable of doing more than just taking out the trash.

From Sheila, I was inspired to teach Isaac how to clean the bathrooms.

It took several weeks to get to the point where he could do it without too much supervision (and I removed any products containing bleach from the cleaning basket, and have taught him to wash his hands after cleaning):

1st week: He watched while I cleaned and I explained the how and the why.
2nd week: He cleaned while I watched and re-explained the how and the why.
3rd week: He cleaned and I checked afterward and asked him to explain the how and the why.
4th week: He cleaned and I took pictures. :) Best. Week. Ever.

I also was inspired by Sheila to come up with a new chore that Abby could do. I picked swifter-vacuuming the hard floors.

This didn't take as much of a process to teach, but I did have to point out exactly what I was aiming for her to clean. I also had to go over some areas a second time more thoroughly, but this is a step in the right direction!

From the school checklist, I got the idea to have the kids write down a list of what they were responsible to complete.

As they were writing their lists, I found that I make quite an ~~evil~~ efficient dictator. I can really see this working for us. The beauty of a checklist is that it eliminates nagging. The kids can pick the order in which they want to complete their checklist, and that helps give them ownership. It is a mighty powerful tool!

Just to give you an idea, Isaac's (7 years old) list had:

pick up toys
empty small waste baskets (he has certain rooms he is responsible for emptying)
take out kitchen trash
take out recycling
clean bathrooms

Abby's (5 years old) list had:

pick up toys
pick up craft supplies
empty small waste baskets (she has certain rooms she is responsible for emptying)
Swiffer vaccuum hard floors
take towels to laundry room

They were done in an hour, while I have been doing my own chores. Now the downstairs is all clean and I have sent them upstairs to play while I blog. Sweet, right?!

Since I have added new chores, I have also given them a raise to their weekly allowance. You can see how we teach them to handle their money by reading the posts called Money, Money, Money, under the "Teaching kids about Money" label on the right margin of this blog.

A Date with God

2013-01-03T16:27:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I found myself in an unusual situation. It was the first instance in a looooooong while that I had a nice window of time all to myself. Isaac was, of course, at school, and Abby had the happy (yummy) privilege of going to a cookie making class for kids at the YMCA.

It took me a while to figure out what to do with this precious and rare "me time." When my kids used to take naps, I would prioritize how I would spend my time by asking the question: What is the hardest thing to get done with kids around? Whatever it was, it should be done first! By using this as a priority, I tended to focus my "me time" on quiet times reading the bible, napping, or writing, rather than doing laundry or cleaning.

So it was yesterday. I have been feeling a little out of sorts in the past couple weeks and I really felt like it would be the best use of my time to have a date with God. Once decided, I was as excited about planning my time with God as I would be in planning a date night with my husband. How would we spend our time together? Quickly I landed on a morning spent in prayer. I didn't want it to be a morning of begging God to give me what I want in life, but rather some quality time spent together with the Lord. If you're anything like me, the idea of spending more than five minutes in prayer can be pretty daunting, let alone a whole morning at it! As excited as I was for my date with God, I was also nervous. What if I couldn't last for a whole morning? What if I got bored ten minutes into it? I decided to use my time to walk through the ACTS prayer I learned of so long ago:

Adoration: Praising God for who He is
Confession: Asking God's forgiveness for specific sins
Thanksgiving: Thanking God for specific blessings
Supplication: Bringing specific concerns before God

Through each aspect of prayer I did a little bit of singing, some journaling, some time in prayer, and some time (the hardest part) in just quietly listening. The morning flew by.

A - Adoration. I find that this is the part I tend to skip over most of all in my own private prayer life. It is easy to worship God in the context of singing together with the church in guided praise. For some reason, it is harder for me to praise God in the privacy of my own mind. So, this morning, I spent my workout time on the elliptical machine listening to worship music on my ipod. Normally during my workout I am watching some brainless TV show or other. Not a terrible thing to do, but I must say that the worship felt like a much better use of time. Since my mind is not trained on the art of private worship, I had to several times pray for God's help in focusing my heart on Him and helping me commune with Him through the time spent with Him. Some instrumental songs on my mix allowed me to speak my own words of adoration to God. The lyrics of the other songs led me to worship different aspects of His glory and character. Fernando Ortega's "O Thou in Whose Presence" became a favorite of the morning. These words were particularly powerful to me:

"He looks, and ten thousands of angels rejoice,

And myriads wait for His word;

He speaks and eternity, filled with His voice,

Re-echoes the praise of the Lord."

C - Confession. This tends to be the second most brushed over aspect of prayer in my prayer life. I think that is partly because, in the eyes of the world (and myself), I'm a relatively "good" person. My behavior is usually socially acceptable. But I know that with God, the inward sins I harbor are as significant as the outward sins I refrain from. If you don't believe that, check out Matthew 5:18-48. In those verses, Jesus takes the letter of the law twenty times further by proving that it's what's in the heart that matters, and that, no matter how wonderful we think our actions are, there is always another step toward goodness that we failed to take. In short, godly perfection is impossible. God has even declared what we view as our "righteousnesses" to be like "filthy rags" to Him (Isaiah 64:6). Maybe I am not so "good" after all and the topic deserves some introspection. And so I took some time to confess my repetitive inward sins: pride, selfishness, self indulgence, ambivalence toward God, caring too much for the approval of others (need I go on to prove my point!?). I also confessed some specific sins that I know I have committed lately. Even though God knows all these things about me already, it felt good to be in communication with Him about them. There is nothing withheld or hidden between us.

T - Thanksgiving. Counting my blessings is easy and I love to do it. In my daily prayers I usually sprinkle in the obvious ones: "Thank You for my children, my husband, the financial ability to pay for the good life we live." But it was good to spend some time really dwelling on all the ways God has blessed me and thanking Him for each one. I find it really hard to have a bad attitude or feel sorry for myself when I'm focusing on thankfulness for all of these blessings.

S - Supplication. This is the one that I tend to focus on the most in my private prayer life, so much to the extent that, without the other aspects of prayer, it seems like I'm using God as my own personal vending machine. I hastily pop in my quarter, a quick prayer, a thin slice of time, asking God for something I need. And I expect results. Sadly, I understand how God feels when I treat Him like this, neglecting the other aspects of our relationship and only coming to Him when I want something. There are many instances and many people who treat others this way and I have felt what He must feel like when supplication is the only aspect of prayer which I perform with regularity. However, on this particular day, I had spent time in His presence. I had opened my heart to Him in worship, I had grown closer to Him through the transparency of confession, and I had laughed and smiled with Him in thanks for all that is lovely and good in my life. So then, when I came to Him with my requests, it was as a close friend revealing the desires of her heart to her companion, rather than as a beggar expecting a handout. I'm not sure how He will choose to respond to my desires, but I know He has heard me and His response will be what He knows is best for me.

The whole experience today was wonderful. It did nothing to make me any more holy. It did not earn me brownie points with God or extra treasure in heaven. But, like quality time with someone I love, this time with God has brought me closer to Him and I feel ready to head out into the world again, healthy and filled. Sisters, I pray for you and me that we will find more opportunities in our days to make dates with God!

How do you put your husband first?

2013-01-03T16:22:00.000-08:00

I have always been taught that God was to be my highest priority, followed by husband. Everything else was to fall in line behind those two priorities. And I agree with that to this day. The trouble is, often what I believe to be true is not consistent with the choices I actually make. I was convicted recently, yet again, that my sweet husband had again taken the backseat in my daily comings and goings. Sometimes everything else seems so important and he is so steady and faithful that it is easy to take him for granted.

So, I thought it would be encouraging for growth to investigate practical ways that a wife can "prefer" her husband to the other things she has in her life. I mean, what are some ways that I can move from simply believing that my husband should be a priority to actually living that out. Here's a few starter ideas:

Over Self:
I can prefer him over myself by encouraging him to spend time doing things he enjoys, even if it means taking time away from me and the kids. He actually really likes being with us and is not an initiator so there have been a few times that I have actually planned things for him and then pushed him out the door with assurances that it was okay.

I have been talking about this one recently with some of my awesome Christian girlfriends. We are encouraging each other to make a more frequent effort toward intimacy. I know it's important to him and I usually even admit it's important to me...when I am able to get over my own selfish excuses.

Over Kids:

Both of my kids go through phases of wanting nothing to do with their own beds. They just want to spend the night snuggling with Mommy. And part of me would love to do this, especially when they're crying so emphatically to come downstairs. But I believe it's a matter of choosing my husband over my kids to insist that my kids sleep in their own beds. This gives the two of us time to spend together before we go to bed.

I know some women make it a rule to enforce 10 minutes of uninterrupted conversation with their husbands when they come home from work. I think this is a wonderful rule but I can't seem to get my kids to stop talking for 1 minute, much less 10. Anyone do this well who has tips?

We have been scheduling dates nights once a month (doing a child-care swap with friends of ours) for over a year. It's wonderful for us to have time to be together without the kids and not just at the end of the day when we're exhausted. We recently added a second date night each month, swapping kids with other friends of ours. Those two nights are my favorite nights of the month!

Over Others:

I like to plan fun events ahead on the calendar. Most of the time there's not a problem when the day rolls around for the planned event. But sometimes, our family life seems stressed and I have to realize that I need to put my husband (and family) before those events with other people. Sometimes this means a last-minute cancelling of plans.

This one is kind of silly, but I've actually cleaned the bathroom with this thought in mind! When I clean the guest powder room, I am working toward my guests' comfort. It is really easy for me to skip a week cleaning our master bathroom because, hey, my husband and I are the only ones who will see it. But it would be preferring my husband to my guests if I kept his bathroom equally as clean for his comfort.

Gingerbread Village

2013-01-01T17:37:00.000-08:00

What's better than a gingerbread house? A gingerbread village!

Bed Bath and Beyond has gingerbread village kits ($10 before Christmas and $5 after).

Each kit has 5 small houses and all the icing and toppings, so the kids can each do their own house (or two, or three).

It has become an after-Christmas tradition for us.

Gingerbread Kits (Or, Cheap, Yummy Fun)

2012-12-30T13:36:00.001-08:00

For the past few years, we have been buying ginger bread house kits during the after-season sales. Two years ago we found them at Kroger for $1 per house. Last year, we found a kit with a whole gingerbread village (5 small houses) at Bed Bath and Beyond for $5 per kit. I advise calling before heading out to get one, but I do hope somebody has them for cheap because my kids love making them (and I am cheap).

Cute kids. Yummy houses. That's about it.

Neighborhood Nativity Scavenger Hunt

2012-12-11T18:40:00.001-08:00

We added an element to our usual tour of lights.

The kids helped me complete these little notices for homes that had Nativity decorations on their lawns. It was Isaac's idea to sign it "From your mystery neighbors."

And as we walked or drove around, one of the kids would stop to tape it to the door if they saw a Nativity.

I told them they had to be sneaky like spies so Isaac started belly-crawling and rolling on the grass. This isn't a good picture, but it gives you an idea of his movement. Silly guy.

And...cocoa.

Neighborhood Tour of Lights

2012-12-10T15:31:00.002-08:00

During December, we try to use as many evenings as we can to drive to a different area of the neighborhood and then get out and walk a few blocks to see the lights up close.

My preference is for cold weather so we can bundle up and justify a fire in the fireplace and mugs of hot cocoa when we return home.

But as you can see by the kids' clothing, it was quite warm when I brought the camera with us last week.

This week, it was cold enough to be bundled up. Yay!

Of course, there's always a little (lot) of goofiness going on.

So if you hear very loud children's voices passing in front of your home at night in December, it might be us.

And we try to end with a quick cocoa stop before bedtime.

Nativity Story Advent

2012-12-01T07:54:00.000-08:00

This is our favorite countdown to Christmas! Every day, the kids get to add a new character to our nativity scene, while we read a bible verse that tells a bit of the Christmas story. Lately, we have had fun creating new nativities.

This is the one I made when Isaac was two years old. I just found clip art online for each character, printed it out, and had it laminated so we could reuse it every year.

I am having Isaac make his own advent this year with his massive Lego supply.

What he has made by December 8: That's Mary and Joseph with their angels talking to the inn keeper, who is saying, "no room!"

And Abby got way creative, trying to use toys we have around the house for the nativity characters. I'm not sure how I feel about Dopey playing the part of baby Jesus, but she sure had fun with the story, so I'm going to let that one slide.

I am also having the kids get crafty, trying to draw each character each day.
Today they each drew their own Mary.

Isaac's Mary and Joseph

And his angels

Abby's scene (up to December 8th).

Whichever nativity you use, here are some bible verses to go with each character or piece. We start with #1 on December 1 and end with #25 on December 25.

Mary. Say: This is Mary, the mother of Jesus. Read: Luke 1:26-27.
Angel. Say: This is the angel Gabriel who visited Mary. Read: Luke 1:28-33.
Joseph. Say: This is Joseph, the husband of Mary. Read: Matthew 1:18-19.
Angel. Say: This is the angel who visited Joseph. Read: Matthew 1:20-21.
Donkey. Say: This is the donkey that carried Mary to Bethlehem. Read: Luke 2:1-5.
Stable. Say: This is the stable where Jesus was born. Read: Luke 2:6.
Inn Keeper. Say: This is the inn keeper that had no room for Mary and Joseph to sleep. Read: Luke 2:7.
Animal. Say: This is an animal that lived in the stable where Jesus was born. Read: Luke 2:12.
Animal. Say: This is an animal that lived in the stable where Jesus was born. Read: Luke 1:46-48.
Animal. Say: This is an animal that lived in the stable where Jesus was born. Read: Philippians 2:5-7.
Shepherd. Say: This is a shepherd, who took care of sheep near Bethlehem. Read: Luke 2:8.
Shepherd. Say: This is another one of the shepherds that the angel told about Jesus. Read: Luke 2:9.
Angel. Say: This is the angel who told the shepherds about Jesus. Read: Luke 2:10-12.
Many Angels. Say: These are many angels who praised God when Jesus was born. Read: Luke 2:13-14.
Sheep. Say: These are the sheep that the shepherds watched. Read: Luke 2:15.
Manger. Say: This is the manger where the shepherds found baby Jesus. Read: Luke 2:16.
Wise man. Say: This is a wise man who went to find Jesus. Read: Matthew 2:1-2.
Wise man. Say: This is another wise man who went to find Jesus. Read: Matthew 2:3-6.
Wise man. Say: This is another wise man who went to find Jesus. Read: Matthew 2:7-8.
Camel. Say: This is a camel that carried the wise man to find baby Jesus. Read: Matthew 2:9.
Star. Say: This is the star that guided the wise men to find baby Jesus. Read: Matthew 2:10.
Gold. Say: This is the gold that the wise men brought as a present to baby Jesus. Read: Matthew 2:11.
Frankincense. Say: This is the frankincense that the wise men brought as a present to baby Jesus. Read: Matthew 2:12.
Myrrh. Say: This is the myrrh that the wise men brought as a present to baby Jesus. Read: Matthew 2:13-15.
Baby Jesus. Say: This is the baby Jesus, born so that God could be with us forever! Read: Matthew 1:22-23.