I make pancakes in large batches and freeze them for breakfasts (whole wheat served with sugar-free syrup). A few weeks ago at Youngest's birthday celebration with hubby's family Great Uncle Bill asked the boys if they had ever had chocolate chip pancakes. With a naughty twinkle in his eye he encouraged the boys to be sure I made them some. The boys have been pestering me ever since that evil sugar filled idea was planted in their heads.
Today while making a triple batch I was thinking about how nicely the two have been playing together the last couple of days so as a treat I added chocolate chips to the last 1 1/2 cups of batter. (Fortunately the 1/3 cup of chips in the back of the pantry from Christmas 2 years ago didn't look too old.) The boys were thrilled and the pancakes were a yummy treat. I suppose I will forgive Uncle Bill this time but if a sugar high kicks in we're shipping them to his doorstep in Santa Rosa!
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Dogs
I have tried very hard to try to encourage the boys to not be afraid of dogs. Youngest really likes them and will go up to a dog that is with it's owner and pet it. Oldest will back peddle or hide. Today in grammar I asked them to give me some verbs that would go with the word Dog. Here is what Oldest came up with...
scratch
jump
destroy
kill
Perhaps I am failing in my attempts at portraying dogs as safe to be around...
scratch
jump
destroy
kill
Perhaps I am failing in my attempts at portraying dogs as safe to be around...
Sunday, August 26, 2007
The Chief End of Man
Q: What is the Chief End of Man?
A: To glorify God and enjoy him forever.
Question 1 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. The boys and I went over this today. I don't plan on finding a church anytime soon. I hear the collective Christian gasp. We start bible study on Wednesday, September 5. I am so glad. CBS is a very good in depth bible study. I receive my teaching and fellowship and support. The kids program is outstanding and is very effective so my children will also be receiving biblical teaching as well as receiving the ever popular "socialization". On Sundays I will be leading them through the Catechism and we will review the Q&A each day during our devotion time.
I am so satisfied with this particular point of the catechism. It speaks to me in a profound way and I am left saying, "Yes!" The Chief End of Man - to glorify God and enjoy him forever. It is not about me. It is not about mankind. It is all about God. Now stemming from that is our responsibility towards others. Love your neighbor as yourself and all the implications of that but that is another blog post or two. But, as stated in the Catechism guide "the true view of Christian discipleship is that which sees the whole life as that to be consciously lived unto the honor of god and in the service of his name."
This morning Lord, and everyday of my and my children's lives, may you be given honor and praise.
How Great is Our God by Chris Tomlin
The splendor of the King, clothed in majesty,
Let all the earth rejoice, all the earth rejoice.
He wraps Himself in light, and darkness tries to hide,
And trembles at his voice, trembles at his voice.
Chorus:
How great is our God, sing with me,
How great is our God, all will see,
How great, how great is our God.
Verse 2:
Age to age He stands, and time is in His hands,
Beginning and the end, beginning and the end.
The Godhead, three in one: Father, Spirit, Son,
The Lion and the Lamb, the Lion and the Lamb.
Bridge:
Name above all names,
Worthy of all praise,
My heart will sing
How great is our God.
A: To glorify God and enjoy him forever.
Question 1 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. The boys and I went over this today. I don't plan on finding a church anytime soon. I hear the collective Christian gasp. We start bible study on Wednesday, September 5. I am so glad. CBS is a very good in depth bible study. I receive my teaching and fellowship and support. The kids program is outstanding and is very effective so my children will also be receiving biblical teaching as well as receiving the ever popular "socialization". On Sundays I will be leading them through the Catechism and we will review the Q&A each day during our devotion time.
I am so satisfied with this particular point of the catechism. It speaks to me in a profound way and I am left saying, "Yes!" The Chief End of Man - to glorify God and enjoy him forever. It is not about me. It is not about mankind. It is all about God. Now stemming from that is our responsibility towards others. Love your neighbor as yourself and all the implications of that but that is another blog post or two. But, as stated in the Catechism guide "the true view of Christian discipleship is that which sees the whole life as that to be consciously lived unto the honor of god and in the service of his name."
This morning Lord, and everyday of my and my children's lives, may you be given honor and praise.
How Great is Our God by Chris Tomlin
The splendor of the King, clothed in majesty,
Let all the earth rejoice, all the earth rejoice.
He wraps Himself in light, and darkness tries to hide,
And trembles at his voice, trembles at his voice.
Chorus:
How great is our God, sing with me,
How great is our God, all will see,
How great, how great is our God.
Verse 2:
Age to age He stands, and time is in His hands,
Beginning and the end, beginning and the end.
The Godhead, three in one: Father, Spirit, Son,
The Lion and the Lamb, the Lion and the Lamb.
Bridge:
Name above all names,
Worthy of all praise,
My heart will sing
How great is our God.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Math for Star Wars fans
Note: Littlest is now 4 and FINALLY potty trained so I will hereby refer to the children as Oldest and Youngest rather than Biggest and Littlest.
We started school last week. The math program we are using is a bit different than the standard school program in that it teaches to mastery at each step before moving on (as opposed to the spiral method). We have entered the tedious phase known as Addition Math Facts. This weeks lesson is the +2 facts and for some reason we are stuck on 2+3/ 3+2 and 2+4/ 4+2. 2+9 and 2+7? No problem the answers come flying out of his mouth. But 2+3 and 2+4 still require fingers or blocks. In an effort to keep this from being too painful for either of us I have been exploring various methods of memorization and review. We play flash card games, do worksheets, sing songs and do oral and online drill. I am also finding that using the different visual/oral formats is cementing the facts in memory as actual (searching for the word) computation rather than a visual recall of what the picture on the flash card means (does that makes sense?)
This morning I tried a new flash card game called Train. You place 10 cards in a row. The first card is the starting point; the last card is the end station. Beginning at the starting point, the child says aloud the answer to each fact. If correct, he continues to travel. If wrong he has to look at the answer, repeat the problem and answer and then go back to the starting point and begin his trip again.
I sat down and explained the game. I pulled out a Thomas the Tank Engine wooden train that we could use for our journey across the "tracks". I gleefully made the "whoo whoo" sound and pointed out in a very Thomas voice that "I am a very useful engine." Oldest was less than pleased. Apparently, being beyond Thomas, he had other ideas. Instead he pulled out his Star Wars Legos Boga Lizard (Episode 3) and made the "Lelelelele" sound (hmmm, a little like his mommy). His game was to leap from card to card on the lava planet of Mustafar without falling in and being burned to a crisp.(mommy defensive note: he has NOT seen episode 3 but has heard enough of the story to know about Mustafar and the lava.)
We had a great time. Unfortunately poor Boga Lizard got a bit singed whenever we hit 2+3 & 2+4 but at least Math Facts for today were a little more fun!
We started school last week. The math program we are using is a bit different than the standard school program in that it teaches to mastery at each step before moving on (as opposed to the spiral method). We have entered the tedious phase known as Addition Math Facts. This weeks lesson is the +2 facts and for some reason we are stuck on 2+3/ 3+2 and 2+4/ 4+2. 2+9 and 2+7? No problem the answers come flying out of his mouth. But 2+3 and 2+4 still require fingers or blocks. In an effort to keep this from being too painful for either of us I have been exploring various methods of memorization and review. We play flash card games, do worksheets, sing songs and do oral and online drill. I am also finding that using the different visual/oral formats is cementing the facts in memory as actual (searching for the word) computation rather than a visual recall of what the picture on the flash card means (does that makes sense?)
This morning I tried a new flash card game called Train. You place 10 cards in a row. The first card is the starting point; the last card is the end station. Beginning at the starting point, the child says aloud the answer to each fact. If correct, he continues to travel. If wrong he has to look at the answer, repeat the problem and answer and then go back to the starting point and begin his trip again.
I sat down and explained the game. I pulled out a Thomas the Tank Engine wooden train that we could use for our journey across the "tracks". I gleefully made the "whoo whoo" sound and pointed out in a very Thomas voice that "I am a very useful engine." Oldest was less than pleased. Apparently, being beyond Thomas, he had other ideas. Instead he pulled out his Star Wars Legos Boga Lizard (Episode 3) and made the "Lelelelele" sound (hmmm, a little like his mommy). His game was to leap from card to card on the lava planet of Mustafar without falling in and being burned to a crisp.(mommy defensive note: he has NOT seen episode 3 but has heard enough of the story to know about Mustafar and the lava.)
We had a great time. Unfortunately poor Boga Lizard got a bit singed whenever we hit 2+3 & 2+4 but at least Math Facts for today were a little more fun!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
"Laissez-Faire Mom"
What Kind of Mom are You quiz results:
"Laissez-Faire Mom"
The results of The Balancing Act indicate that you are an "Laissez-Faire Mom." You are the type of mom that chooses to let your children do their own thing and make their own mistakes. You want your children to be independent, and feel that you shouldn't have an active role in the decisions and choices your children make. You like for them to choose and plan their own activities. You monitor their choice of TV shows, friends, and extracurricular activities, but you also give you them the leeway to choose what they enjoy. You love to spend time with your children, and your children love all of the fun you have together! However, you like to have time for yourself to just relax and do things that are important to you. You don't like to follow schedules or expect your child to either. You just let things happen, as they will. There's nothing wrong with being flexible!
Your children are a very important part of your life. You are the type of Mom that regardless of whether or not you currently work, you would probably rather be home and a homemaker. You would be happiest being flexible with your activities, spending time with your children, and nurturing yourself and your family.
However, living a carefree and schedule free life can have some negative consequences. Some children do not thrive well if they are not on a stringent schedule. If you have adopted this style of mothering, it is important that you are in tune with your children so you can recognize their dissatisfaction with it. Also, being flexible lends itself to time management problems. If you are too flexible, you often to not get everything you need done, which can stress you out and leave you frazzled. A stressed and frazzled mom is a grouchy one, which can alienate your child. Therefore, it is important to balance your flexibility with practicality.
Children of "Lazziez-Faire" Moms are often very creative and secure. They are not afraid to take risks or to be independent. They often get excellent grades in school because mom is always there to encourage them to do their best and follow their dreams. Most importantly, this mom is secure enough to let her children be their own person, and that is the greatest reward of all.
"Laissez-Faire Mom"
The results of The Balancing Act indicate that you are an "Laissez-Faire Mom." You are the type of mom that chooses to let your children do their own thing and make their own mistakes. You want your children to be independent, and feel that you shouldn't have an active role in the decisions and choices your children make. You like for them to choose and plan their own activities. You monitor their choice of TV shows, friends, and extracurricular activities, but you also give you them the leeway to choose what they enjoy. You love to spend time with your children, and your children love all of the fun you have together! However, you like to have time for yourself to just relax and do things that are important to you. You don't like to follow schedules or expect your child to either. You just let things happen, as they will. There's nothing wrong with being flexible!
Your children are a very important part of your life. You are the type of Mom that regardless of whether or not you currently work, you would probably rather be home and a homemaker. You would be happiest being flexible with your activities, spending time with your children, and nurturing yourself and your family.
However, living a carefree and schedule free life can have some negative consequences. Some children do not thrive well if they are not on a stringent schedule. If you have adopted this style of mothering, it is important that you are in tune with your children so you can recognize their dissatisfaction with it. Also, being flexible lends itself to time management problems. If you are too flexible, you often to not get everything you need done, which can stress you out and leave you frazzled. A stressed and frazzled mom is a grouchy one, which can alienate your child. Therefore, it is important to balance your flexibility with practicality.
Children of "Lazziez-Faire" Moms are often very creative and secure. They are not afraid to take risks or to be independent. They often get excellent grades in school because mom is always there to encourage them to do their best and follow their dreams. Most importantly, this mom is secure enough to let her children be their own person, and that is the greatest reward of all.
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