Hot, glorious summer is upon us! My very favorite time of year – mainly for good memories of summers past spent at camp, the enveloping heat and the juicy fruit that is in abundance throughout summer.

While working out our summer schedule and activities, I thought I would ask the boys what they wanted to do to serve others this summer. I was impressed with their list of ideas and will be collecting all needed supplies so we can do at least one of these per week throughout the summer months.

When looking for activities to do with your children you can’t go wrong looking for ways to turn it into service related activities.

To borrow a quote a dear sweet friend of mine used as her graduation speech, “When I stand before God at the end of my life I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and I could say; ‘I used everything you gave me’.” -Erma Bombeck

Ideas for Kids to Serve Others This Summer:

1. Ice cold water for the mailman – add a pack of Crystal Lite (or similar) and a cheerful note with a rubber band tied around it all. We did this many times last summer and the mailman always stopped outside our box and wrote a thank you note to us! I was amazed that he did that, but he always took the time to express his thanks for the cool relief we provided with the simple ice cold water.

If you know what time the mailman arrives at each day pull the water out of the fridge and take it out a few minutes before he shows up. If you’re unsure or if it changes each day put it in a fabric cooler with an ice pack with a note requesting he only take the water bottle so you can do this again throughout the summer. To make sure we faithfully do this throughout the summer I am going to buy a few cases of water next time I am at the grocery store and keep several bottles chilled in the fridge ready to run out on the pre-determined date. {I’m thinking Monday for Mailman! Easy to remember!}

2. Car Wash – possibly one of the boys favorite things to do ever! They’ll do our two cars and possibly the neighbors as a practical and fun way to serve.

3. Bake something special for the neighbors – this is another favorite thing the boys enjoy doing. We’re surrounded by older folks and they are all so good to our family. When the boys take baked goods over they’re always invited in and treated to undivided attention and elaborate praise for their skills in adding just the right amount of chocolate chips to the cookies or in drawing such perfect likeness of themselves in the marshmallow art. We seriously have the most awesome neighbors and we are very thankful for them.

4. Send mail to people – We live far away from all of our family and the boys thought it would be good to send cheerful notes to them. They will probably think it’s a good idea too! I am going to stock up on stamps as that is usually the biggest deterrent in mailing letters.

5. Take friends out for ice cream or have them over for homemade ice cream – After Wesley tried handing out ice cream to strangers last year we learned our lesson … ice cream treats are for friends. {It was a good lesson, but strangers just don’t care for ice cream from, well, other strangers!} I love when the boys take ownership of ideas for having people over and we will try to have people over regularly for ice cream and will give the boys the freedom to plan the evening as they’d like.

6. Invite people over to play – the boys thought that sharing their toys with others would be a good way to serve others, and I can’t argue with that! This will probably be combined with idea #5.

That’s it – our simple list of things to do this summer to encourage and serve others. With a little bit of preparation {keeping supplies on hand!} almost all are things we can do easily without much work and are easy to repeat and continue throughout the summer months, which is exactly what I need to ensure we continue doing things faithfully.

Ideas to Encourage Kids to Serve Others This Summer is a post from:

I love, love, love our LEGO Minifigure Ice Cube Tray. I purchased it a few months ago {after waiting AGES for it to become available online!} and have been having fun stocking up on Lego minifigures shaped ice cubes for a special treat some evening to come.

The other evening I was making butter and realized butter shaped like Lego minifigures would be the coolest thing ever and would make supper a whole lot more fun and vegetables that much yummier.

If you’re using store bought butter simply soften {room temperature} and then spread evenly into the mold. Refrigerate until set. Repeat as necessary. {I had two get ruined as I pulled them out of the mold, so make extra!}

I think chocolate and jello Lego minifigures will also be fun additions to try sometime! What other Lego minifigures shaped food could be made?

*This isn’t meant to be a sales post what so ever. I purchased this on my own when I saw it on Amazon and thought the Lego minifigures mold would be a perfect tool to add to my “super mom bag of tricks.” I thought I would share it as it’s exceptionally cool and I think an item worth buying if you’re a Lego loving family.

Eating Lego Minifigures {Or, How to Help Your Children Eat Their Vegetables} is a post from:

It happened. He asked for a haircut. A short haircut, so that he would be “all ready to join the Army” when he’s old enough to join it.

I can’t quite get over the boys haircut – he was practically born with more hair than he currently has! But he is delighted with his new do. And so are we.

The Boys Haircut is a post from:

Tray of Items – Fill a tray with 10-15 miscellaneous items that the children would be familiar with {toys, utensils, food items, etc.}

There are then two ways to play this game – for older children I would recommend leaving the tray out in plain view during another activity {dinner, school activity, etc.} At a certain point give each child a piece of paper and ask them to number it 1-10 {or however many items are on the tray}. Then remove the tray and announce that the tray has been laying out for them to have noticed and ask them to list all the items they saw on the tray without being able to see the tray anymore. Let them work on this activity for as long as their attention is engaged and then show them the tray. Use discretion to give sneak peaks to the tray while they are working on remembering the items. Point out that just because something is right in front of you it doesn’t mean you notice it. Likewise, the habit of paying attention to other people’s needs takes a concentrated effort.

For younger children pull the tray out while they are sitting down. Put the tray in the middle of them and tell them they have a couple of minutes to look at the items and pay attention to as much of what is on the tray as possible. Take the tray away and discreetly remove a couple of items from the tray. Bring the tray back and ask them to notice which items are missing. After a few rounds of them noticing which items are missing keep the entire tray hidden and ask them to list all of the items that were on the tray. Talk to them about how it takes effort and work to really notice and pay attention to things and that when we’re trying to pay attention to others needs we need to work at it too.

Super Spies – I like this simple game a lot! I have used it with my Sunday School class {grade 4 & 5} and with my own boys {almost 4 & 5 yrs}. I tell the children they are going to play Super Spies and they need to notice as many needs as possible. For every need that they notice they get 1 point. For every need they notice and they stop to help they get 2 points.
Older kids were given a Super Spy notebook to keep track of their list.

Secret Buddy Day – This game has only been played with my two boys, but was a lot of fun! In the morning I secretly told each boy that they were each others secret buddy – they needed to pay attention to each other’s needs and help each other out without the other one knowing what they other was doing!! Obviously it would work much better with more children!

Guess Who? Board Game - An old board game that requires you to pay attention to the details of a person as you narrow down who your opponents character is. Develops the habit of paying attention to details.

Funny Dinner Night – {or breakfast, or lunch!} Set the table for your meal but leave out necessary items – forget to give one child a cup, another their fork. Leave necessary condiments in the fridge, serving spoons in the drawer – whatever items your child will notice aren’t at the table both for themselves and others eating needs. The goal is for them to notice the needs of those at the table and to fetch those items from the kitchen to meet the needs of the rest of the family.

Games that Encourage the Habit of Noticing Other’s Needs is a post from:

Never underestimate the abundance of fun a simple sheet can provide in creative play for kids!

Creative Play is a post from:

Pineapple Pico de Gallo

This is one of my favorite summer time recipes and it is delicious as a side with dinner or served with chicken in tortilla wraps. I am sure there are many other ways to serve this Pico de Gallo, but those are the two ways we most enjoy it.

Pineapple Pico de Gallo Recipe:

1 cup chopped fresh pineapple
.5 cup chopped mango
2 T minced fresh cilantro
1 T lime juice
1 T finely chopped red onion
1/4 t salt

Combine ingredients in bowl. Best if it is given at least an hour to chill in the fridge before serving.

I usually triple or quadruple the recipe so we can enjoy over several days.

Pineapple Pico de Gallo is a post from:

Last year a quick run into our local thrift store had me leaving with one of the greatest treasures I have ever scored, dozens of brand new, large, white picture frames for just under $2.50 each. They all had the original price tags on them, from a local photo store, and had been selling for $40-$60 each.

Those frames were the inspiration for our gallery wall, which is in our dining room. I love the unity of white frames. The smaller white frames have been picked up at various places over the years.

The pictures will change, but I thought I would show you what we have on our gallery wall right now. To give you an idea of scale the large square frames are 14×14 with 12×12 prints in them.

{Starting on the top left:}picture of Judah and Wesley when they were little, a tea towel with the year 1985 on it*, another of Judah and Wes, Wesley and 3 Nigerian friends

{bottom left} Wesley, Judah and me, Paul and the boys, Judah

*My mum started collecting calendar tea towels from the year I was born until the year I got married. She gave them to me when we got married. Since we were both born in 1985 I thought it would be fun to frame this one. I keep thinking about doing a cross stitch heart around our birthdays.

{top left} Judah’s finger painting, World map,  picture of dandelion weeds, Judah’s picture of Pharoh and the Superhero – his first ‘real’ picture

{bottom left} oval framed picture of women preparing a meal in Nigeria, Wesley’s finger painting, picture of Judah and Wes

Picture of “In This House We...”, Judah’s knees, skeletal print found on a free printing site {I can’t remember where!! Anyone recognize it?}, old military prints {that were cards Paul sent me before we were married} with the center print being a rose on Paul’s military boots.

A frame was recently removed from beside the skeleton picture and hasn’t yet been replaced, but shall be soon.

I hesitated sharing this for so long because I thought it wasn’t right. It wasn’t quirky enough. It was too quirky. It looked too uniform. It looked too messy. But then I realized this is us. It is our heart, our loves, on our wall. Each of the 19 images has a special reason to be up there on the wall and it just makes me so happy to look at it every day!

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Never doubt in the dark what God has shown you in the light.

{Supermoon from last Saturday night}

Doubt is a post from:

 I tried this recipe out because I didn’t think it would work – but it’s incredible! And topped with Cracker Barrel’s new Mediterranean Herb cheese it is quite spectacular. It is very simple to make.

Three Ingredient Pizza Dough Recipe

2 eggs
1 8oz package cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F and prepare your cooking dish* by spraying lightly with oil.

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. It will look runny. Pour into prepared dish and bake for 30 minutes.

Once the pizza crust has cooked top with your favorite pizza toppings and put back in the oven at 425 F until cheese is bubbling, about 10 minutes.
I just used pizza sauce, cheese and pepperoni.

*The original recipe, seen here, suggests a 9×13 dish to cook the pizza dough in. When I made it the first time I was skeptical about it stretching far enough in that size dish and opted to use an 8×8 dish instead. It created a much thicker crust. When I made it the second time I prepared it in a 9×13 dish, and while it worked, we all preferred the thicker crust.

{Picture above is the “thicker” crust, as you can see, it’s not exceptionally thick at all!}

For another gluten free pizza dough recipe check out our cauliflower crust pizza – more labor intensive, but also yummy!

Easy Pizza Dough Recipe is a post from:

A collection of our favorite chapter books for boys, which shall be added to as we read new treasures. All books have been enjoyed as read aloud books.

{Newer titles will be added to the top of the list}

Favorite Chapter Books for Boys

The Secret World of Og by Pierre Burton is an exceptionally imaginative book about 5 children who discover the secret world of Og under their playhouse – a world of little green people that live in a land of creative play. This book is delightful and funny and I couldn’t help but read several chapters at each sitting, resulting in the book being completed in about 5 days.

The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Eleanor Cameron is a wonderful piece of retro science fiction that draws you into the incredible imagination of the author. An adorable book that brings out rich characters and a hope in science and technology from a time past.

The Queen’s Smuggler: William Tyndale  - by Dave and Neta Jackson. An easy to read biography on the life of William Tyndale. Part of the Trailblazers series, which does take a few liberties by adding in fictitious child characters to help tell the story and make it a bit more child friendly.

The Little Lame Prince and His Traveling Cloak - unabridged by Miss Mulock is a fantasy story about a little lame prince who had his kingdom stolen from him. Richly written with descriptions that draw you into the wonder of the little prince seeing the world for the first time once he escapes from his imprisoning tower. Well worth the read.

The Space Ship Under the Apple Tree by Louis Slobodkin is very imaginative, although a bit awkward to read aloud, about a Martian from Martinea that befriends a human boy in his quest to collect information about humans.

Peter Pan - unabridged by J.M. Barrie was a bit challenging to read through as a read aloud! But once we started it Judah insisted we finish it, and so we persevered through it. It has some fabulous sentence structure and detailed descriptions.

David Livingstone: Africa’s Trailblazer  - by Janet and Geoff Benge is part of the Christian Heroes: Then & Now series. Well written and engaging.

Winnie the Pooh - by A.A. Milne is adorable and funny and delightful. I am so glad we read this! A worthwhile, charming read.

THE LITTLE PRINCE. Translated from the French by Katherine Woods - We have read this twice now to them. Charming and full of wit.

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink - An excellent story about a little girl in the 1860′s and her grand adventures in Wisconsin.

Andy Buckram’s Tin Men by Carol Ryrie Brink - An imaginative, fun book about a boy who creates Tin Robots that come to life and help him and a friend survive when they are stranded on an island.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl - Fun and imaginative, with rich characters and natural consequences for behavior.
Edited while being read out loud for some words we’d rather not introduce at this time.

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White - Classic story of Charlotte, the spider, and Wilbur, the much loved pig.

Paddle-to-the-Sea by Holling C Holling - The adventures of a little hand carved boat traveling through the Great Lakes.

The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Spear - The story of a boy, left alone in a cabin while his father goes to bring the rest of the family to their new home, and his fight for survival and his budding friendship with the local Indians.

Chapter Books for Boys is a post from:

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