Posted by Cindy on June 20, 2007
Here’s the latest summer center at our house. The topic for the next couple of weeks is the good ol’ USA!
I’ve included a few library books, a book on tape, 4th of July/American history songs, The 50 Great States Game, The Game of the States, a US puzzle, a magnetic states puzzle, a red,white & blue chemistry experiment set, picture timeline cards of some famous US events of the 20th century, and some patriotic stickers.
Behind the scenes: Everything on the table (almost) was under $1.00 or free! I’ve told you many times before how much I love curriculum sales, yard sales and Goodwill. Well, when I find something cheap, I usually buy it. When I decide on a theme for my center, I go on a treasure hunt around the house to see what goes with the theme. Even the star fabric was 1/4 yard of $1.00/yd fabric = 25 cents! The only thing I paid “real money” for was the experiment set. I bought Mahayla a few fun sets from Home Science Tools last Christmas. You wouldn’t believe how much fun I have putting these together! It’s okay to call me a nerd!
Posted by Cindy on June 13, 2007
This is how he looked as I dropped him off Monday. See those nervous eyes? Yes, I cried. Not in front of him, though. He was being brave, so I needed to. Right before I left, I introduced him to two little boys who were playing the ring toss. Apparently, that was a good introduction because the camper group picture shows the three of them all chummed up together!
How did he look when I picked him up? Well, he was moving so fast and talking so fast that I couldn’t get a picture! He had a blast. I’ll share just a few snippets of our conversation on the way home. Mostly for my sake as a journal.
Did you have fun? Well, ofcourse!
Did you make any new friends? Oh, yes! I made eleven and none of them were girls!
Where are your friends from? I don’t know! Boys don’t ask those kinds of questions.
What did you get to eat? Skittles, Gatorade, Cheez-Its and 10 pieces of sausage. Anything healthy? Uuummm. I think so, but I don’t remember that part.
Did you gets lots of mail? Oh, yeah! I got mail three different times. Wow! Who was your mail from? I don’t know. What did your mail say? I don’t know. What did you do with your mail? I opened it, looked at it and then…….I don’t know what I did with it. Didn’t you ask someone to help you read it? No way! Why not? I didn’t want anyone seeing the mushy stuff you wrote! So, you chose to just not read them altogether? Pretty much. (Between me, hubby, sister, grandma, grandpa, another grandma and an aunt, I think he missed out on THIRTEEN letters from home!!) I’m still chuckling about this!
What was your favorite thing? Swimming, slip-n-slide and carpet ball! What about the Bible classes? Did you learn anything? Oh, you know, church stuff. How did you like the missionaries? They were nice, they even swam with us. What did you learn from them? Uummm. I don’t remember.
Did you sleep okay? Oh yeah! Did you miss Mom at all? Nope. Not at all? No. Are you sure? Maybe one little smidge that you can’t see at all.
Oh, Mom, I was the first one up in our whole dorm in the morning! You were? Did you just lay around waiting on everybody else to get up? No! I slithered down from my bunk and tiptoed to everyone else’s beds and tickled their toes to wake them up. Caleb! Did you really? Well, ofcourse! What did they say? Most of them laughed, but some people told me to get off because they wanted to sleep some more. Was there a bell that rang to get everyone up and moving? Yes, but by the time it rang, our whole dorm was up and dressed already! I bet they were. I bet they were. 
Co-op gals – Caleb gave me permission to share this, but said that I have to ask you NOT to show your children. He gets really embarrassed when they know stories about him. Thanks!
Posted by Cindy on June 10, 2007
This week’s art center focuses on Mary Cassatt. I’ve only put out pastels and watercolors this week to encourage them to really use each medium. I found that putting out more than a couple of choices last time didn’t give them much practice with any one thing. As a side note, if you need to buy watercolors, I’ve found the Prang brand to be the best (of the cheapo kids brands, that is.)
Posted by Cindy on June 7, 2007
Seven. How do the years go by so quickly? As I sit holding Eli, I remember holding Caleb the same way what seems like only yesterday.
He’s always been my cuddle-bug. I don’t understand how someone can be so full of energy, so busy, so fast and so independent, yet give more hugs than anybody I’ve ever met. Have you ever seen Dash from The Incredibles? Have you ever seen Hammy from Over The Hedge? Put them together and you’ve met Caleb. But in the midst of all the action, he still always has time for me. His Mom. I prefer Mommy, but Mom will now do.
I’m very proud to be his Mom. I know the Lord must have some amazing plans for him. I don’t want the years to go quickly, but I do look forward to watching God in action with this kid.
Thank you, God, for this beautiful little boy that you’ve entrusted to my care. Make him yours and do amazing things through him in spite of me and the lousy job I sometimes do. Happy Birthday, sweet son.
Msack asked if I made the cake. Yes, and it was VERY easy. The sand is crushed vanilla wafers, the seaweed is a twisted fruit roll, the lobster is m &m’s, I used Goldfish for the school of fish, the other animals are gummy Swedish Fish candies and the Sponge Bob 
characters were found in the cake decorating section at the grocery. I sort of combined a few ideas I found from the internet. My kids were very excited because I never buy gummies and roll-ups!
Posted by Cindy on June 6, 2007
My children pulled all the Miller’s books out again the other day. I can’t tell you how much we’ve enjoyed these books!
From the time they were preschoolers and we started reading
Storytime With the Millers
, my children have intently listened to and learned from the stories. I think they’re so good, in fact, that they were read during devotion time usually.
Even though the books come from a very conservative Amish-Mennonite perspective, I found them to be very useful in teaching topics like trusting God, manners, friendship, obedience, respect, forgiveness, self-sacrifice and much, much more! Each story centers around a Bible verse and that verse is used at some point within the story. Many of the stories are full of some excitement, too. That helps to keep my son’s attention!
Choosing a favorite is hard, but I would probably choose Missionary Stories with the Millers as my personal favorite. This book is just full of the true adventure stories of actual missionaries. Some I had heard of, some I hadn’t. I have read other reviews that said the stories in this book were a little too much for their younger children, but mine had no problems it. Be warned, though, that the real stories of missionaries aren’t always smily, joyful stories. But in each, God’s faithfulness and care shine through!!
