Thursday, April 22, 2010

Playdate Rescheduled :( and Prayer Post

My 9 year old daughter has strep throat - yuck! So I have to reschedule our playdate tomorrow due to the fact that she is contagious for the next 24 hours and she can't go to school. Our playdate will now be next Friday, April 30 from 9 - 11 am at Stonefire Pizza Co. I am so sorry to reschedule, I was so excited for tomorrow. Let me know if you will be able to come next week.
Also, we'll use this as our prayer post. If you have any prayer requests, please feel free to leave them in the comments.
Have a good week!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Little things we can do to make a difference


Did you know you could help earn money for schools, at no expense to you? There is a program called Boxtops for Education that earns cash for schools. Cash that schools can use to buy equipment, supplies, and any other number of things that schools need to help educate our kids. I'm sure you've seen those little pink coupons on all sorts of packages like cereal, crackers, tubes of biscuits, Huggies diapers, and lots of other products. Each of those coupons are worth 10 cents and they add up fast once you start collecting them. I would urge you to start looking for them on the products you already buy and start saving them. Even if you do not have any school age kiddos, save them for family, friends, or neighbor kids that are in school. You could probably even drop them off at a neighborhood school. Then once your children are in school, you've already developed the habit of looking for and saving these pink coupons. Schools need all the help they can get and this is an absolutely free way to help out! It sure beats buying overpriced wrapping paper and tubs of cookie dough, doesn't it?

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Complaining

Once upon a time there lived twin boys who, aside from looking identical, were opposite in every way. One was an eternal optimist, always able to look on the bright side of life, while the other was a pessimist, who complained about everything. One year for their birthday, their father conducted an experiment. He loaded the pessimist's room with every imaginable toy and game; but the optimist's room, he filled with horse manure.
That night the father went to the pessimist's room, where he found the boy crying bitterly amid his new gifts.
"I have to read all these instructions before I can do anything with this stuff," complained the boy, frowning. "And I need a ton of batteries, too."
After trying to comfort his son, the father left the miserable boy and walked down the hallway to his brother's room. Amazingly, this little boy was smiling and dancing around the piles of manure.
"What are you so happy about?" the father asked.
The boy grinned. "With all this manure, there's got to be a pony in here somewhere!"

from Lisa Whelchel's book, Creative Correction

Monday, April 19, 2010

Mommy and Me Playdate Reminder

Just a reminder that our Mommy and Me playdate is this Friday at Stonefire Pizza from 9:00 - 11:00 am. So far it looks like I am the only one going. I plan on having a fun time but I will have so much more fun if you would join me! Let me know if you are planning on coming. Hope to see you there! :)

Friday, April 9, 2010

Spring Cleaning

Next week, my boss ;) has given me the week off so I can get some
spring cleaning done. I have some major work to do. I want to
reorganize cupboards and closets and clean out the kids bedrooms.
Cleaning is not my favorite thing to do and I've obviously passed this
down to my kids because they are the messiest little things. Sigh. So,
I'm looking for some good cleaning tips, shortcuts, or moral support.
Help me out and leave a comment. In the meantime, I'll read my Martha
Stewart Housekeeping Handbook - yes, I really do have one - but I'll
have to clean it off first, it's been collecting dust on my
bookshelf! :)

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Prayer

This week is spring break. The weather has been rainy and yucky the past 2 days. I have a couple of sick kids - one of which has kept me up the last 3 nights. I figured this would be an appropriate time to introduce prayer posts. About once a week, I will make a post labeled Prayer. Please feel free to leave any prayer requests in the comment section. I know personally there are days that I know I will not be able to cope without someone praying me through. These are trying times ;), ladies! Please know that I am here and willing to pray you through. I'm home a lot and I check my iPod often (too often according to my husband). So if you are having a day that needs prayer, leave a comment and I will lift you up in prayer right away. We can all be praying for each other, too.
Happy Spring Break!

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Resurrection Cookies

Easter is almost here! This is such an exciting time of year. Everything is coming to life and starting anew. We get to celebrate God's love for us! He sent His son to die for us so that we may have new life in Him. Amazing! As Mommies, we can now appreciate what a sacrifice that was.
Here is a recipe I found on the Internet for Resurrection cookies. I've seen it a couple of times over the years and thought it was just the cutest idea. Maybe this will be the year that I actually try it with my kids! Let me know if you try it or if you have a fun Easter activity that you do with your kids!

Resurrection Story Cookies - A Real Recipe
What a wonderful recipe to share with the children. These cookies are made the evening before celebrating the Resurrection, and are cooked in a warm oven overnight so they will be ready on Easter morning.
You need to preheat the oven to 300 degrees (this is important--don't wait until you are half done with the recipe!)

3 egg whites
1 cup whole pecans
1 tsp. Vinegar
A pinch salt
1 cup sugar
A zipper baggie
A wooden spoon
tape
Bible

Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.

Read John 19:1-3.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink.

Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.

Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.

Read Luke 23:27.

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him.

Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.

Read Isa. 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.

Read Matt. 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF.

Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed.

Read Matt. 27:65-66.

GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.

Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Resurrection morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Resurrection, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.

Read Matt. 28:1-9