tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251111361322564072024-03-05T09:46:43.100-08:00For the Love of LearningCharityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16421133921888870041noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225111136132256407.post-43216821000874692232014-06-13T00:46:00.001-07:002014-06-13T17:43:08.755-07:00What I Believe<center>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This
week in our sacrament meeting one of the speakers (a fairly recent
convert to the church) shared her conversion story. She then
suggested that all of us whether we are converts or lifelong members
of the church will have to go through our own conversion story. She
urged us to think on our own conversion to the gospel of Jesus
Christ.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This
week as I have been pondering on her challenge several of my dear
friends have been facing a clear and difficult challenge to their own
testimonies and conversion. I don't pretend to have an answer to
their questions or doubts. They are serious and difficult and my
heart breaks seeing those I care about feeling so troubled.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">With
this in mind I wanted to share my own conversion story and some
thoughts that have come to me this week.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My
own testimony has progressed gradually over the course of my life. I
was born in the church and raised by two wonderful parents who
encouraged me to develop my own testimony. They stressed that real
truth can withstand any question. Search out your answers, don't be
afraid to ask questions was the theme of my gospel upbringing.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In
spite of that, I rarely had any real questions. I was surrounded by
faith and and love and had no real challenges. When I began
attending the university things shifted a bit. As I biochemistry
major I was surrounded by students and professors who scoffed at the
idea of a God. At one point it seemed that every lecture I attended
all day long was aimed at disproving His existence. As I was
bombarded with arguments from every angle trying to tear down my
testimony I tried to face those questions head on. I wasn't afraid of
questions. The gospel can handle them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Eventually
though the constant barrage of questions began to wear me down. I
couldn't logically argue against all of the points they were making.
I didn't have time to deal with each one individually. Instinct said
to fall back on the peace of the spirit to confirm the truth of the
gospel in my heart. But that very feeling of peace was also being
called into question. Could I trust it? Was it just what I wanted to
feel?
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I
felt exhausted and sad. I didn't know what to do. My mind was
troubled and a pondered on my doubts constantly. I am a logical
person by nature and I couldn't leave logic behind in this quest. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then one day, as I sat studying for my organic chemistry
class, The light broke through.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I
had let my mind wander once again to my doubts. I was on the verge of
tears unsure what I believed. And like a flash of clear light the
thought came into my mind “If they are right, and there is no God,
then Jesus Christ is not my loving friend and Savior.” And my feet
found solid ground. I knew that Christ was there for me. I knew it.
He has been my closest friend. I have felt his hand in my life and
his arms around me comforting me. Christ is real.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It
didn't resolve my questions but it gave me a solid foundation to
stand on while I considered them. By finding what I knew and standing
on that I could once again consider my doubts without fear.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2f393a;">12.
And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our
Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build
your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty
winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and
his mighty storm</span><span style="color: #2f393a;"> </span><span style="color: #2f393a;">shall
beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to
the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye
are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men
build they cannot fall.</span>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Helaman
5:12
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Faith
is the first principle of the gospel. This is an important point. We
will not understand everything in this life. We walk by faith. In
Alma 32: 17-18 Alma talks about the desire to have all doubt removed.
he asks “Is this faith?” Then answers his own question “<span style="color: #2f393a;">Behold,
I say unto you, Nay; for if a man knoweth a thing he hath no cause to
believe, for he knoweth it.” </span>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2f393a;">That
doesn't mean to push your doubts under the rug. He spends much of the
rest of the chapter discussing how to reach a perfect knowledge. What
it does mean is that the presence of doubt in you mind does not mean
there is something wrong with the gospel or with the church. People
will have doubts and questions. That is why we start with faith. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2f393a;">You
have to find your rock. What do you know? Then stand firm on that
rock while you search for answers and understanding. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2f393a;">In
April 2014 Jeffery R. Holland gave a beautiful talk on this topic. He
said </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #2f393a; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">“When
those moments come and issues surface, the resolution of which is not
immediately forthcoming, <span style="color: #2f393a;"><i>hold
fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional
knowledge comes.</i></span><span style="color: #2f393a;">...
Let me be clear on this point: I am not asking you to pretend to
faith you do not have. I </span><span style="color: #2f393a;"><i>am</i></span><span style="color: #2f393a;">
asking you to be true to the faith you d</span><span style="color: #2f393a;"><i>o</i></span><span style="color: #2f393a;">
have. Sometimes we act as if an honest declaration of doubt is a
higher manifestation of moral courage than is an honest declaration
of faith. It is not!”</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #2f393a; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There
is pain and misunderstanding often in this life. Members of the
church, even leaders, may make mistakes. I'm not here to justify or
make any judgments at all. I can't see into the hearts of any other
person. I just want to share my testimony that people make mistakes
and bad calls. That does not change the gospel. Faith comes first. I
don't have a magic formula to get rid of all doubt. Just stand on
your rock and don't be afraid of the storm.</span></div>
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Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16421133921888870041noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225111136132256407.post-83259473431673484902013-04-05T12:03:00.004-07:002013-04-05T12:03:54.020-07:00Great Article on Marriage<center style="text-align: left;">
I saw this post on Facebook recently and couldn't pin it so I decided to copy it and put it here. THEN I can pin it. Take that Facebook! haha! Anyway it was posted on iFact's Facebook page. Fantastic article on marriage. Also, that book he mentions-- Brain Rules-- I have read it and really enjoyed it. So here is the article. Enjoy!</center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq1pCwmTlDNicVmxxMl_CRaT96mdQ9vF8v75pjAkwYP4LObBQnMVMt1eZImekkJcXqviLWFimxKzaplxyQ2tCluk94qXBB42J5_UWk2IX-Hkayi2ck-2oKsvYF7oHLlFVIG7aa7Bx3MlM/s1600/couple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq1pCwmTlDNicVmxxMl_CRaT96mdQ9vF8v75pjAkwYP4LObBQnMVMt1eZImekkJcXqviLWFimxKzaplxyQ2tCluk94qXBB42J5_UWk2IX-Hkayi2ck-2oKsvYF7oHLlFVIG7aa7Bx3MlM/s320/couple.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><u>3 Things I Wish I Knew Before We Got Married</u></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">I used to think I had my stuff together. Then I got married.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Marriage is great—but it rocked everything I knew. I quickly realized my basic goal in life, prior to getting married, was to simpl</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">y remain undisturbed.<br /><br />This “disruption” came suddenly and was disguised as a 5-foot-nothing Swedish-Filipino woman. When I decided I’d rather not live without her, I proceeded to ask her to marry me—that is, to officially invite someone who wasn’t me to be in my personal space for the rest of my life.<br /><br />This decision introduced my most significant experiences and most challenging experiences—none of which I would trade for the world.<br /><br />However, I wish I’d had a bit more insight on the front end of our marriage to help me navigate it all.<br /><br />According to most research, more than 50 percent of people who say “I do” will not be sleeping in the same bed eight years from now. And though Scripture alludes to the fact that adultery and abuse may be reasons individuals might end a marriage, I’d be willing to bet that most challenges experienced in marriage are the result of unawareness. Most people—myself included—jump into marriage with suitcases full of misconceptions and bad theology, entirely unaware of the unique beauty and paradoxical intentions of marriage.<br /><br /><br />Although happiness is often a very real byproduct of a healthy relationship, marriage has a far more significant purpose in sight.<br />The following are three thoughts on marriage that friends and mentors have shared with me. I remind myself of them often in hopes of keeping this anomaly called marriage both enjoyable and healthy.<br /><br />1. Marriage is not about living happily ever after.<br /><br />Here’s the truth: I get annoyed at my wife. But this is more a reflection of me than her.<br /><br />I’m intensely certain that nothing in life has ever made me more angry, frustrated or annoyed than my wife. Inevitably, just when I think I’ve given all I can possibly give, she somehow finds a way to ask for more.<br /><br />The worst part of it all is that her demands aren’t unreasonable. One day she expects me to stay emotionally engaged. The next, she's looking for me to validate the way that she feels. The list goes on—but never ventures far from things she perfectly well deserves as a wife.<br /><br />Unfortunately for her, deserving or not, her needs often compete with my self-focus. I know it shouldn’t be this way, but I am selfish and stubborn and, overall, human.<br /><br />I once read a book that alluded to the idea that marriage is the fire of life—that somehow it’s designed to refine all our dysfunction and spur us into progressive wholeness. In this light, contrary to popular opinion, the goal of marriage is not happiness. And although happiness is often a very real byproduct of a healthy relationship, marriage has a far more significant purpose in sight. It is designed to pull dysfunction to the surface of our lives, set it on fire and help us grow.<br /><br />When we’re willing to see it this way, then the points of friction in our marriages quickly become gifts that consistently invite us into a more whole and fulfilling experience of life.<br /><br />2. The more you give to marriage, the more it gives back.<br /><br />Over the past year, a few friends and I have had an open conversation about the highs and lows of marriage—specifically how to make the most of the high times and avoid the low ones. Along the way, we happened upon a derailing hypothesis that goes something like this: If one makes their husband or wife priority number one, all other areas of life benefit.<br /><br /><br />When we return marriage to its rightful place in our priorities, it can quickly turn into the greatest asset to every other layer of our lives.<br /><br />It’s a disorienting claim. Disorienting, because it protests my deeper persuasion that success as an entrepreneur, or any professional, requires that career takes the throne of my priorities and remain there for, at the very least, a couple of years.<br /><br /><br />However, seeing that my recent pattern of caring about work over marriage had produced little more than paying bills and a miserable wife, I figured giving the philosophy a test drive couldn’t hurt.<br /><br />For 31 days, I intentionally put my wife first over everything else, and then I tracked how it worked. I created a metric for these purposes, to mark our relationship as priority, and then my effectiveness in all other areas of my life on the same scale, including career productivity and general quality of life.<br /><br />To my surprise, a month later, I had a chart of data and a handful of ironic experiences to prove that the more you give to marriage, the more it gives back.<br /><br />Notably, on the days my wife genuinely felt valued, I observed her advocating for me to invest deeply in to my work. She no longer saw our relationship and my career pursuits as competitors for my attention, and as she partnered with me in my career, I have experienced the benefits of having the closest person in my life champion me.<br /><br />Of course, marriage requires sacrifice. And sometimes it will feel as if it takes and takes. However, when we return marriage to its rightful place in our priorities, it can quickly turn from something we have to maintain and sacrifice for into the greatest asset to every other layer of our lives.<br /><br />3. Marriage can change the world.<br /><br />John Medina, the author of Brain Rules and a Christian biologist, is often approached by men looking for the silver bullet of fathering. In one way or another, they all come around to asking, “What’s the most important thing I can do as a father?”<br /><br />Medina's answer alludes to a surprising truth.<br /><br />In my previously mentioned experiment, I measured the effect that making my marriage priority number one had on different areas of my life. One of those areas was my 16-month-old son’s behavior.<br /><br />What I found in simply charting my observations was that the majority of the time, my child’s behavior was directly affected by the level of intention I invested in my marriage.<br /><br />Re-enter John Medina, the Christian biologist. After years of biological research and several books on parenting conclusions, what is his answer to the question, “What’s the most important thing I can do as a father”?<br /><br />“Go home and love your wife.”<br /><br />Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam, the authors of Babywise, say it this way: “A healthy marriage creates an infused stability within the family and a haven of security for a child in their development process.” They go on to sum up their years of research by saying, “In the end, great marriages produce great parents.”<br /><br />The point is that marriage has a higher goal than to make two people happy or even whole. Yes, the investment we make into our marriage pays dividends for us. But, concluded by Medina and his colleagues, the same investment also has significant implications for our family, our community and eventually our culture.<br /><br />So men, women, the next time you find yourself dreaming about living significantly or succeeding in your career or being a better parent than yours were to you, do the world a favor: Go home and love your wife. Go home and and love your husband.<br /><br /><a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=460690067311078&extragetparams=%7B%22group_id%22%3A0%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Admin-khuy/460690067311078?group_id=0" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Admin khuy</a></span></center>
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Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16421133921888870041noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225111136132256407.post-75729201971398399142011-10-19T12:30:00.000-07:002011-10-20T13:26:29.083-07:00Homemade Gak<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2nNxrQRwARiD6D1umFOU2cQxFtGPCOaLA4Sue2Cqq-MAGGBUyVDRdA1og9eSC1kBfGMDDrbwhYFJV-KItdEYyuYGlj5GO59kJqZRtq_0gISKTUjhAH3A6wAHSGWzcALCM93UWdi0Ous/s1600/GlueSlime-20100805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2nNxrQRwARiD6D1umFOU2cQxFtGPCOaLA4Sue2Cqq-MAGGBUyVDRdA1og9eSC1kBfGMDDrbwhYFJV-KItdEYyuYGlj5GO59kJqZRtq_0gISKTUjhAH3A6wAHSGWzcALCM93UWdi0Ous/s320/GlueSlime-20100805.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/00000039">http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/00000039</a></td></tr>
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<center style="text-align: left;">Okay, here is the gak recipe I promised. Seriously fun to make and the kids play with it forever. I got the recipe and the picture<a href="http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/00000039"> here</a>. So if you are looking for more detailed directions look there. But here is basically how it's made.</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">Take one 8 oz container of Elmer's Glue-All. Dump it into a bowl. Refill the bottle with water and dump that into the bowl as well. Mix them together.</center><center style="text-align: left;">In a separate bowl or cup, mix 1/2 cup warm water with 1 tsp Borax. It doesn't have to mix completely, just kinda mix it around. Then gradually mix the borax solution into the glue solution. Your kids will want to have their hands in the bowl to help mix, and to feel the gak form. It happens immediately and is really fun to play with as it does. Roll the ball of gak around in the bowl and knead it a bit to let all the glue solution interact with the borax. That's it! Really easy and really fun!</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">Some notes:</center><center style="text-align: left;">1. I had never heard of Borax before about a month ago and now I am seeing recipes calling for it all over the place (I even used it to make my own laundry detergent recently). It is pretty easy to find in the laundry section of most stores. Short of that you might try Amazon. It's cheap too. I big box cost me about $2. </center><center style="text-align: left;">2. This stuff generally cleans up pretty easily if you soak it with water, but Last time I made it I decided to dye it bright purple. That made it a bit more messy, so... color at your own risk. </center><center style="text-align: left;">3. Thing1 and thing2 had a friend come over and play with them. She had the fun idea to stick dried beans in the gak. That gave it an interesting texture. Kind of fun.</center><center style="text-align: left;">4. You can store this in a Ziplock bag, but my experience has been that it gets dirty pretty fast so I've never been able to keep it for more than a few days. </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">Now go have some fun with your kids. </center><center> <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/60/9B5EE324B6C6A3D96857E6C0E759877C.png" style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></a>
</center>Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16421133921888870041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225111136132256407.post-53809326567721788312011-10-17T07:55:00.000-07:002011-10-17T07:55:47.269-07:00Dragon Fruit and other Exotic Foods<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38eKLYcRGII8phFHSd6bTx4ppLxj4P1JyV_MA6nImHJWUQenjsbjJv6fhKSBAN58XfhHNg1jYdOmFO5WNVawuu4yY8wsFy65t2ixoUGYOpwBnEQLsq46OluWgVXoKyG-7zxYQfAh7Ld0/s1600/dragon-fruit-r-w-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38eKLYcRGII8phFHSd6bTx4ppLxj4P1JyV_MA6nImHJWUQenjsbjJv6fhKSBAN58XfhHNg1jYdOmFO5WNVawuu4yY8wsFy65t2ixoUGYOpwBnEQLsq46OluWgVXoKyG-7zxYQfAh7Ld0/s1600/dragon-fruit-r-w-sm.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tropicalfruitnursery.com/fruitproducts_c1.htm#dragon">http://www.tropicalfruitnursery.com/fruitproducts_c1.htm#dragon</a></td></tr>
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<center><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">I like to make my kids try new foods. So when we're at the store and see something strange looking, it's hard to resist. We have tried several strange fruits, but I will say that the dragon fruit we ate this morning was probably the strangest. I didn't know that nature made things that were so bright pink. The picture really doesn't even do it justice. Strange. Thing one tasted it on principle because it was pink but she didn't like it. Thing two loved it. She ate all of hers and then anything that anyone else would share. I liked it pretty well, it was kind of like a combination between a pear and a mango... maybe.</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">Anyway, today's learning idea... Go to the store with your kids, find something strange looking that they want to try and buy it. It's a great way to expand their food horizons.</center><center><br /></center><center> <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/60/9B5EE324B6C6A3D96857E6C0E759877C.png" style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></a>
</center>Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16421133921888870041noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225111136132256407.post-23591190515369423392011-10-11T23:54:00.000-07:002011-10-11T23:56:50.981-07:00The letter B<br />
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<center style="text-align: left;">So... I have gone over many of the letters with thing 1 and she remembers some of them, but some seem to be a little harder for her to recall. Repetition is important, right? Sooooo... I have been trying to do "letter days" with thing 1 and thing 2 to make the learning processes easier and more fun. Basically I just try to think of a whole bunch of things that start with whatever letter I want to teach about that day and we do/ learn about those things. We did the letter B the other day and boy was that fun! </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGS_TUnBvXN4lljpa4LaH0tsmliLHs5hNAly3-GgtQvSM-eRURNFVp80QOd2fNDYJAWO-gRP9QDyQkO-EjNVEW8kP7EcrOJLwTHN039JOZeawFhe0ic5NZHznpg4e63iRxzfWAeHMphcc/s1600/100_1238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGS_TUnBvXN4lljpa4LaH0tsmliLHs5hNAly3-GgtQvSM-eRURNFVp80QOd2fNDYJAWO-gRP9QDyQkO-EjNVEW8kP7EcrOJLwTHN039JOZeawFhe0ic5NZHznpg4e63iRxzfWAeHMphcc/s320/100_1238.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
B word numero uno was bubbles. This project started out with me trying to get them to dip a bunch of straws that had been banded together into the bubble solution and then blow bubbles that way. But "the things" had a much cooler idea. do you ever blow bubbles in your milk with a straw. Yeah. try doing that with bubble solution! Can you say cool?! This kept both thing 1 and thing 2 busy for longer than anything else I have ever seen (except possibly homemade gak-- I'll share that one next time).It also made surprisingly little mess. So yeah, B is for bubble.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1hRqz8WFGensYv8rVK_xoV4LfOh3wo3UkLmFbF4yWXeF5VV_CPOca-ubeg0z6q3wwvy49o7c8rgxEz2Hz3LvgZmcu0ZvQmSZ8zMmRxBymo26ac6hUhLHZcpVPuq0Y2bvsBmuQGNLW8jQ/s1600/100_1242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1hRqz8WFGensYv8rVK_xoV4LfOh3wo3UkLmFbF4yWXeF5VV_CPOca-ubeg0z6q3wwvy49o7c8rgxEz2Hz3LvgZmcu0ZvQmSZ8zMmRxBymo26ac6hUhLHZcpVPuq0Y2bvsBmuQGNLW8jQ/s320/100_1242.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Next we did some coloring. I think I've mentioned before that thing 1 is an avid colorer. So I printed off some letter tracing pages and some worksheets with things beginning with B. Thing 1 loved it. Thing 2 was finished really fast so she moved on to the next B word (or phrase I suppose): "Building with Blocks"<br />
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<center style="text-align: left;">Anyway, you get the idea. It was a fun morning for everyone. The TV stayed off and if it helped a bit with <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">reading readiness</span></b>, well then that's an added bonus.</center><center style="text-align: left;">Now go have some fun with your kids!</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center> <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/60/9B5EE324B6C6A3D96857E6C0E759877C.png" style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></a>
</center>Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16421133921888870041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225111136132256407.post-20719775312668960962011-04-15T15:52:00.000-07:002011-04-16T20:28:44.771-07:00Tie Dye<center style="text-align: left;">We are seriously excited for easter this year. I have been thinking of all sorts of fun things to do with my girls next week and I will hopefully be posting about a few of them. So stay posted this week.</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlz0JvwGG3VgodUDYPTdMByO-M8XHOZaHleyWtDXCz1S6711sCIAEQ89HnQdujs8FmovTXWSsbLuHph7blp36C_aZfI_EHoGpYl-tsNyJjJ5LASe5S-Z5oCJ3t0RtubH6j-vWvvKomM4/s1600/eggs+in+nest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlz0JvwGG3VgodUDYPTdMByO-M8XHOZaHleyWtDXCz1S6711sCIAEQ89HnQdujs8FmovTXWSsbLuHph7blp36C_aZfI_EHoGpYl-tsNyJjJ5LASe5S-Z5oCJ3t0RtubH6j-vWvvKomM4/s320/eggs+in+nest.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</center><center style="text-align: left;">Have you ever seen silk dyed eggs. So cool. And they look so easy to do. I haven't tried it yet, but I'll let you know how it goes for us. This is probably not a super great project if your little ones are going to be grabbing everything, but I am going to try and let thing-one help me during thing-two's naptime. </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;">I stole this idea-- and these pictures-- from <a href="http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/04/silk-dyed-eggs-aka-tie-dyed/">ourbestbites.com</a> so if you want a full tutorial look there. I'll post my oen tips and observations here after I have actually tried it. The concept seems pretty simple though. Just get some silk fabric (like from an old tie-- you can get them from the thrift store), wrap it tightly around the eggs, and boil it to death.</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8sGG97NFZcUoeRA6pvA-wmKgPfUHyNp6w41tP6GHEFQdm5OCiFjZDfa9h1pKBJW-EpUBVCvg_SKf5DuXQGEmAHMIxg8VTOAStyu9BQNIFNXNkvC0nvw0m2RCmAijV4fqD1L_qC6H3w5I/s1600/wrapped+eggs+in+carton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8sGG97NFZcUoeRA6pvA-wmKgPfUHyNp6w41tP6GHEFQdm5OCiFjZDfa9h1pKBJW-EpUBVCvg_SKf5DuXQGEmAHMIxg8VTOAStyu9BQNIFNXNkvC0nvw0m2RCmAijV4fqD1L_qC6H3w5I/s320/wrapped+eggs+in+carton.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The pattern actually comes off of the silk onto the egg!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0brfR2zqhEbpByMMIaQ4r093xJADhpfKDmBpRakrq6CchUjNVIz8qjihkYFS8Ho08TOf0oA-SCK8Xi0X-pJ1ASdvTBuPr3VU8318sJr0rI4OBxfjytlyomzma8awqCs7k2GWfNXAJNY/s1600/geometric.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0brfR2zqhEbpByMMIaQ4r093xJADhpfKDmBpRakrq6CchUjNVIz8qjihkYFS8Ho08TOf0oA-SCK8Xi0X-pJ1ASdvTBuPr3VU8318sJr0rI4OBxfjytlyomzma8awqCs7k2GWfNXAJNY/s320/geometric.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">How cool is that?! there is actually more to it. So, like I said, head over to<a href="http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/04/silk-dyed-eggs-aka-tie-dyed/"> best bites</a> and check out their tutorial. It's a great site. So you should probably check it out anyway. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now go have some fun with your kids!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/60/9B5EE324B6C6A3D96857E6C0E759877C.png" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; border-bottom-style: none !important; border-bottom-width: 0pt !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: 0pt !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: 0pt !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: 0pt !important;" /></a></div>Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16421133921888870041noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225111136132256407.post-64538125143690842362011-04-10T21:24:00.000-07:002011-04-10T21:24:00.690-07:00Simple art for Little Peoples<center style="text-align: left;">When you were a kid did you ever use those art books that teach you how to draw stuff based on simple shapes? I remember one that was all about drawing ocean animals that I just loved. Art is one of my favorite hobbies and thing-one absolutely adores. Art keeps her occupied longer than anything else-- except perhaps playing princesses. She always wants me to help her draw things. So I have come up with a few really simple techniques for drawing some or her favorite objects. If they can draw a lines and scribbles they can put those things together to make a recognizable picture.</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;"><b>Balloons</b></center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5yCQ093mg2Shq5lEeYUToq-7w4Npp7v6N3UJqa50kbomwHeVKb0zwzNkgLB54WnXN3rM0RWbjwMbAo9sxRapt35L2SSl7KUu0BZ0g-VnXYREUYJoXKbKZp_7Ah5OOIFMYQjLaOWC6n8/s1600/Balloon.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5yCQ093mg2Shq5lEeYUToq-7w4Npp7v6N3UJqa50kbomwHeVKb0zwzNkgLB54WnXN3rM0RWbjwMbAo9sxRapt35L2SSl7KUu0BZ0g-VnXYREUYJoXKbKZp_7Ah5OOIFMYQjLaOWC6n8/s200/Balloon.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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<center style="text-align: left;">This was the first object that thing-one learned to draw. Just a circle and a line. I had to work with her a bit on how to make a circle. But once she learned how it made her so excited. Seriously. What toddler doesn't love balloons? This is a great basic object too because circles are so important to draw so many things. </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;"><b>Flowers </b></center><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb1NhJbJBmk1JtyiVRfHVByC9B7ZLIvSMaECdKjPez1-L58_BCfaa2IssJvUCt7mukE2XkdLtqkjHLgm1sbbd46RwaYe0rKr1ArOhnacwk98mfSVNVZc7UhWYyNBZj9oKtqPYsd_eCzr4/s1600/Flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb1NhJbJBmk1JtyiVRfHVByC9B7ZLIvSMaECdKjPez1-L58_BCfaa2IssJvUCt7mukE2XkdLtqkjHLgm1sbbd46RwaYe0rKr1ArOhnacwk98mfSVNVZc7UhWYyNBZj9oKtqPYsd_eCzr4/s200/Flowers.jpg" width="200" /></a></div> These could work as trees too if flowers are too girlie for your needs. But thing-one loves flowers so for us this was a must. line with a scribble on top. what could be easier? Today She was also using this design to make the feet of the horse we were drawing together. Just turn it upside-down! My daughter is a genius-- probably almost as smart as yours. Can you believe it?!<br />
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<b>Rainbow:</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05rXuJMuDI5E2Sk7INUgHYGgy8e2M9yq3hK2Ti3IXjnp8vBAo9hlpOAj-1Idh6YFPC2hojUSAwenOaFnDkKCO_kOmaJo_ks0CRIdk-_ZvRJ_gygQgcWG1rdXFeRdIrDu1pZcbAQzSQg8/s1600/Arch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05rXuJMuDI5E2Sk7INUgHYGgy8e2M9yq3hK2Ti3IXjnp8vBAo9hlpOAj-1Idh6YFPC2hojUSAwenOaFnDkKCO_kOmaJo_ks0CRIdk-_ZvRJ_gygQgcWG1rdXFeRdIrDu1pZcbAQzSQg8/s200/Arch.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Qrr03ugjPHfcqkCSuEthZEsOq2qCCL51sYogKf616csT1OgAOkGXF_2KwbqzsE5rZ-vdn_lhrxzvCcB_Oas3FyecZNwj6iF0Utf1V0SOXJ-ygu2Hk9Hf1hhDOGMrCXaYUjllGtJaQCM/s1600/Rainbow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Qrr03ugjPHfcqkCSuEthZEsOq2qCCL51sYogKf616csT1OgAOkGXF_2KwbqzsE5rZ-vdn_lhrxzvCcB_Oas3FyecZNwj6iF0Utf1V0SOXJ-ygu2Hk9Hf1hhDOGMrCXaYUjllGtJaQCM/s200/Rainbow.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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</center><center style="text-align: left;">I'm probably too proud of this one. but Thing one always wants to draw rainbows so this was important. I start it for her right now... I'm sure she'll get there on her own soon. Just draw one rainbow-shaped line. Then she can draw in other colors by following the line you made. I wasn't sure this would work for me honestly. I have tried getting her to do those workbook pages where they trace along dotted lines, but she just didn't like them. She loves this though. I guess she just needed a motive-- Rainbows! </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;">Now go have some fun with your kids.</center><center><br />
</center><center> <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/60/9B5EE324B6C6A3D96857E6C0E759877C.png" style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></a> </center>Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16421133921888870041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225111136132256407.post-65882678227794947232011-04-07T19:28:00.000-07:002011-04-08T20:50:06.442-07:00Bake up some marmalade muffins<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7WdLl4H7SGN0H5nP0nyxzfdpzaYAL5UFJ3A4VakNd11HSWXpGKD30gMbtlb312OPUmY4cdZXTWlwUXdvVxb3T001l7pFa591Nun9I21xef6kgsGpFTJNxMxlNxlLF2PSibNJINHN09Y/s1600/100_0796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7WdLl4H7SGN0H5nP0nyxzfdpzaYAL5UFJ3A4VakNd11HSWXpGKD30gMbtlb312OPUmY4cdZXTWlwUXdvVxb3T001l7pFa591Nun9I21xef6kgsGpFTJNxMxlNxlLF2PSibNJINHN09Y/s320/100_0796.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<center style="text-align: left;">This is delicious!</center><center style="text-align: left;">The kids wanted a snack. It has been a while since we went to the store. So we had to bake something together. What fun! This was a pretty simple recipe. And though it isn't specifically kid friendly, it was short enough that it didn't take much to let them help.</center><center style="text-align: left;">----------------------------------------------------</center><center style="text-align: left;">Recipe :</center><center style="text-align: left;">2 oranges </center><center style="text-align: left;">½ lb butter, softened </center><center style="text-align: left;">2 eggs</center><center style="text-align: left;">2 cups flour </center><center style="text-align: left;">1 cup buttermilk</center><center style="text-align: left;">1 tsp baking soda </center><center style="text-align: left;">1 cup packed brown sugar</center><center style="text-align: left;"> </center><center style="text-align: left;">Zest the oranges. Cream the butter and sugar together. Mix the eggs in until well blended. Add the flour. In a small bowl combine the baking soda and buttermilk. Add the buttermilk mixture to the other batter and mix until just blended. Add the orange zest and mix. Grease any size muffin tin that you want and fill 2/3 full. Bake for 12-17 minutes at 375º until light brown.</center></center><center style="text-align: left;">------------------------------------------------------</center><center style="text-align: left;">Just a few notes:</center><center style="text-align: left;">1. I creamed the butter and sugar, and zested the oranges before I called my kids to help me... a couple of days before actually... I think that was good since there wasn't much for them to do during that part.</center><center style="text-align: left;">2. I didn't have any buttermilk I just mixed 1Tbs vinegar per cup of milk. It works great!</center><center style="text-align: left;">3. I used half wheat flour half all purpose. It tasted great.</center><center style="text-align: left;">4. I got this recipe from <a href="http://www.abundantharvestorganics.com/">abundant harvest</a> which is a super great produce service that we get most of our fruit and vegetables from now.</center><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mr8RwBUXijr-DaKFfJnUWNoEgJhe9wAvqe5IrLVUGQ_f9Vio5249Kyt83FW_9PeYKRI4RijcIStamrSaiWrMhShLvDXcAefobaRAT8M2yTCad9HcPCibjoAGiYwRFQ5DIT4OG0v2x8s/s1600/100_0799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mr8RwBUXijr-DaKFfJnUWNoEgJhe9wAvqe5IrLVUGQ_f9Vio5249Kyt83FW_9PeYKRI4RijcIStamrSaiWrMhShLvDXcAefobaRAT8M2yTCad9HcPCibjoAGiYwRFQ5DIT4OG0v2x8s/s200/100_0799.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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</center><center style="text-align: left;">Now go have some fun with your kids.</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
</center><center> <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/60/9B5EE324B6C6A3D96857E6C0E759877C.png" style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></a> </center>Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16421133921888870041noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225111136132256407.post-57728390483720092042011-04-01T22:42:00.000-07:002011-04-08T20:50:29.828-07:00Snails? Snails!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Okay so you may think I am crazy, but we recently got some little, baby snails and they are so cute! </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And so easy to keep too! A lady at my husband's work has a little snail habitat on her desk at the office. They recently hatched out some little baby snails and she shared with us.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6bSTFgBAtP6VMJoEc0GPtO5LRKsr7Nm2733eWnr-TE5nOfT3tv-oWg_g8BYR1B2_vTlD_uUQ-rYaUUQlYGwQFWDDTvX4zZIc2k7RxjUAaCkYs0poIkAcN5iwm-u2B1DD9YKzSCARNog/s1600/baby_snail.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6bSTFgBAtP6VMJoEc0GPtO5LRKsr7Nm2733eWnr-TE5nOfT3tv-oWg_g8BYR1B2_vTlD_uUQ-rYaUUQlYGwQFWDDTvX4zZIc2k7RxjUAaCkYs0poIkAcN5iwm-u2B1DD9YKzSCARNog/s400/baby_snail.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Talk about a fun and easy<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;"> <b>science project</b></span>! These are just simple garden variety snails. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpw_qwGQ1evMNGEU31T9IZ8ivMZTKgoTYfs7nX283PvRPO6aV3JP66-Ca1yt630tt1zU05kHw5XslTAN6qQk0AGXIDrHZMzUJrbZ29jTe2mu9p7gd2wjkuRkY4LupPikE-UCUVdGCJugY/s1600/habitat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpw_qwGQ1evMNGEU31T9IZ8ivMZTKgoTYfs7nX283PvRPO6aV3JP66-Ca1yt630tt1zU05kHw5XslTAN6qQk0AGXIDrHZMzUJrbZ29jTe2mu9p7gd2wjkuRkY4LupPikE-UCUVdGCJugY/s200/habitat.jpg" width="200" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnZQEzPItupei0FSIqTV8oXgeO_9Uj9bryg3_xK84b_cbRHQE5v97Tb84aZ9qwJaLQRxhYUgJgHJRr7lOVHofPio12Fz8AoVfEgND6djqrebkiR5ND1US1sibOsxsw5jC9bj0JSVvpcXg/s1600/mulch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnZQEzPItupei0FSIqTV8oXgeO_9Uj9bryg3_xK84b_cbRHQE5v97Tb84aZ9qwJaLQRxhYUgJgHJRr7lOVHofPio12Fz8AoVfEgND6djqrebkiR5ND1US1sibOsxsw5jC9bj0JSVvpcXg/s200/mulch.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">You need a small container with a lid to keep them in (We got a little plexiglass container from petco).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">You will also need some soil or mulch-- also easy to find at the pet store. </div><br />
<center style="text-align: left;">Then add whatever decorations you want. We picked up some cheap aquarium decorations, but a big rock would work just as well.</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;">For upkeep you just need to drop in some lettuce or other leafy green every day. The lady we got these snails from also keeps the cage slightly moist and puts little calcium blocks in there to help them build strong shells (you could break up a cuddlebone for this I would think). We've gotten mixed answers about whether that is really necessary. Another friend says that his mom (a kindergarten teacher) did this a lot and just dropped in lettuce and left them alone. So do whatever you think. We are giving them calcium, but I have't been spraying them. They seem happy enough.</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;">Thing-one and thing-two are also happy. We have had a fun time checking up on our little pets every day. We talk about what they are doing (usually hiding under the lettuce) and why they would be doing that ("Maybe it's comfy?" says thing-one. "Maybe they are trying to hide from birds?" says Mommy. "I see it!" says thing-two. </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;">I am excited to watch them grow too. their shells were totally transparent when we got them, but now they have darkened up a lot and are getting bigger. Is it nerdy that I am excited about this? Probably.</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;">Go have some fun with your kids.</center><center style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/60/9B5EE324B6C6A3D96857E6C0E759877C.png" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; border-bottom-style: none !important; border-bottom-width: 0pt !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: 0pt !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: 0pt !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: 0pt !important;" /></a></center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</center>Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16421133921888870041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225111136132256407.post-59803763805665818762011-03-29T20:07:00.000-07:002011-03-31T09:05:32.253-07:00Cookie Decorating<center style="text-align: left;">I like decorating cookies with thing-one and thing-two. We have done it a few times now and it has always been a good experience-- albeit a messy one. But <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">making messes</span></b> is good for kids. It means they are able to be carefree and <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">creative</span></b> without having to worry about getting a little dirty. Making sugar cookies is a fun and easily cleaned way to let them express themselves.</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAIT7NgKkVGtZO3Mmp2LT2fFc-yBKnfScbfuLAcsW15kEWRqQgicVnAlOPhkEFUq3MRh0zDuOnhjWzdsJ_iBinMQkMju5HYwFsReAykeWS57wfJXsnNXSxiu7ErsRvfDPnos0sccavBw8/s1600/messy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAIT7NgKkVGtZO3Mmp2LT2fFc-yBKnfScbfuLAcsW15kEWRqQgicVnAlOPhkEFUq3MRh0zDuOnhjWzdsJ_iBinMQkMju5HYwFsReAykeWS57wfJXsnNXSxiu7ErsRvfDPnos0sccavBw8/s400/messy.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Here is my sugar cookie recipe-- I don't remember where we got it from, but it works fine so if you don't have one... Here you go.<br />
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<center style="text-align: left;">---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</center><center style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup butter</center><center style="text-align: left;">1cup sugar</center><center style="text-align: left;">1 egg</center><center style="text-align: left;">1/2 tsp salt</center><center style="text-align: left;">2 tsp baking powder</center><center style="text-align: left;">2 cups all purpose flour</center><center style="text-align: left;">1/2 tsp vanilla</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;">Blend together cream and sugar until creamy. Blend in egg. Add dry ingredients and vanilla.</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;">Roll out on lightly floured surface and cut to desired shapes</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;">Bake at 400F for 8-10 minutes on un-greased cookie sheet. (I generally cook it slightly less time than this. Watch them)</center><center style="text-align: left;">------------------------------------------------------------------------------</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;">You can let your little cookie monsters help pour in the ingredients, stir, and help you cut out the shapes and then help decorate them. What they can do depends on their age and coordination, as well as how much mess you are willing to deal with. Just remember this is not about making something beautiful, or even appetizing. It's all about letting them help you and be creative.</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;">I usually just buy my frosting from the store and then use a couple of drops of food coloring to make it fun for whatever holiday we're coming up on. If your kids can spread the frosting on that's great. If they can't you can always let them stick little candies on afterwards. Try green frosting and red candies on a Christmas tree shape, or orange on a circle and then a variety of candies to make jack-o-lantern faces. </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0SeQfcRReM7QR889z-1ZnbGpNebRxwcwnWO-oObEmtsVB5r5pv-RR1SXPPA_M2Vc3SQhKlpD9OdLZ3RVjWz6Hx4yHXl1vx75QSVycQCzzJFtHGdGsYhrc1D0sthCPM8kHKxtWjCSauc/s1600/sloppy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0SeQfcRReM7QR889z-1ZnbGpNebRxwcwnWO-oObEmtsVB5r5pv-RR1SXPPA_M2Vc3SQhKlpD9OdLZ3RVjWz6Hx4yHXl1vx75QSVycQCzzJFtHGdGsYhrc1D0sthCPM8kHKxtWjCSauc/s400/sloppy.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
For St. Patrick's day we did green cookies with sprinkles. Thing-one piled the frosting about 2 inches high and had almost the same amount of sprinkles before she declared her cookie ready to be eaten. Thing-two was in a hurry to take bites out of all the cookies she could. I showed her how to spread the frosting and helped her to try it out along with shaking on some sprinkles. It was fun for all of us.<br />
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<center style="text-align: left;">Also, I have never done this, but it would be a fun way to teach <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><b>colors</b></span> and <b style="color: #e69138;">shapes.</b> just a thought. I'll have to try it out sometime.</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
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Now go have some fun with your kids.<br />
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<center> <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/60/9B5EE324B6C6A3D96857E6C0E759877C.png" style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></a> </center>Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16421133921888870041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225111136132256407.post-50817863972918210272011-03-24T14:58:00.000-07:002011-03-25T08:36:17.143-07:00Good Books for Little Ones<center><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=forthelovofle-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0756634385&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe></center><center>It's good to <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">read</span> </b>with your kids. It helps build <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;">reading readiness</span><span class="Apple-style-span">,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-weight: bold;">vocabulary</span><span class="Apple-style-span">, and a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;"><b>lifelong love of reading</b></span></span> (at least that's the plan). I have always tried instill a love of books in my little ones, but when thing-one was smaller I really struggled to find books that she would sit through. With that in mind I thought I would stick up some of the books that my kids have liked best. The "All About Me" flap book has been their favorite. We read it so many times that we had to buy another one because the flaps wore out. We might have to buy another one again soon because thing-two loves it just as much as thing-one did. It is a simple sturdy book. The kids love it and it is not annoying to read (big plus). It is also not very expensive. I'll put a few of my other favorites in here too.</center><center><br />
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</center><center> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=forthelovofle-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0756620074&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe></center><center><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=forthelovofle-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B002VKGX6C&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=forthelovofle-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0756609860&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=forthelovofle-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0448401231&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe></center><center><br />
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</center><center> Now go have some fun with your kids!</center><center><br />
</center><center><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/60/9B5EE324B6C6A3D96857E6C0E759877C.png" style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></a> </center>Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16421133921888870041noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225111136132256407.post-69051668402877395902011-03-21T13:21:00.000-07:002011-03-21T13:21:47.901-07:00Dissecting Seeds<center>It's time for another <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">botany</span></b> lesson! Have you ever opened up a bean to see what is inside?</center><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfKw3ZVZiUdFIhfYSV-AAkZbfmkCemXgDdcRgHEtP10QMXMSgHF7FMPgHn6m8fYrpucqCBFj_b4lqCgAiZLsHa9US_R710OFlx3RVDab1sEv4d0r50rmjgjpsitUcpY7LAnBNDDxocVVc/s1600/broadbean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfKw3ZVZiUdFIhfYSV-AAkZbfmkCemXgDdcRgHEtP10QMXMSgHF7FMPgHn6m8fYrpucqCBFj_b4lqCgAiZLsHa9US_R710OFlx3RVDab1sEv4d0r50rmjgjpsitUcpY7LAnBNDDxocVVc/s1600/broadbean.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://fromdirttodinner.wordpress.com/2009/09/17/inside-a-seed/</td></tr>
</tbody></table><center>There really is a tiny plant in there just waiting to grow. I think that is pretty cool. You can see the plant in any large seed: beans, almonds, sunflower seeds. Just pop them open and take a look (if a particular seed you are interested in won't open up try soaking it in water for a little while first). This is fascinating to little kids. And a good, quick way to fit in a science lesson anytime. Thing-one was so fascinated that she is always bringing me seeds to open up now! I have been surprised at how easy it is to find little plant embryos all around us.</center><center><br />
</center><center>Note: if you want to make it easier to see the plant, try putting a couple drops of food coloring onto it for added contrast. I got that tip from <a href="http://fromdirttodinner.wordpress.com/2009/09/17/inside-a-seed/">this</a> site, which I haven't checked out too much yet, but seems to have some good ideas.</center><center><br />
</center><center>Now go have fun with your kids!</center><center><br />
</center><center> <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/60/9B5EE324B6C6A3D96857E6C0E759877C.png" style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></a> </center>Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16421133921888870041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225111136132256407.post-25318604887822782992011-03-15T09:06:00.000-07:002011-03-15T09:07:04.880-07:00Potted Gardens!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uR-pzF2OJEzolx-E2VG34_lsbOhi1rxOf1_knscZwyFbr4VyG6Pf25_xx3quCZclGI5s4MXhWZRq62HffwsBbVEI6qWY5Ht0kn5fixGLWQYlZlNHszF0wk0n_7dkvIYauQvZ9MCoU8g/s1600/100_0648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uR-pzF2OJEzolx-E2VG34_lsbOhi1rxOf1_knscZwyFbr4VyG6Pf25_xx3quCZclGI5s4MXhWZRq62HffwsBbVEI6qWY5Ht0kn5fixGLWQYlZlNHszF0wk0n_7dkvIYauQvZ9MCoU8g/s320/100_0648.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<center style="text-align: left;"><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;">We love plants at our house. Thing-one seems to have a natural green thumb and thing-two loves to eat our fresh vegetables. I love watching my kids grabbing lettuce and spinach from out garden and cramming it into their mouths. Victory! Talk about a great way to teach and reinforce good <b style="color: red;">nutrition</b>. We have conversations about how healthy those vegetables are <i>and so yummy too</i>. </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;">A vegetable garden is also a great <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">science</span></b> lesson. In fact we have been focusing a lot on <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">Botany</span> </b>lately because thing 1 and thing 2 have become so fascinated by it all. A garden is a great way to teach that! They learn all about the different parts of the plant-- planting seeds, harvesting (<i>which part of the plant are we eating?</i>), watching it grow (<i>the pea plant grows differently and looks differently from the broccoli plant</i>), and even when they accidentally uproot a plant while trying to pick off something yummy. They also learn about the things a plant needs to grow. You can slip in a very simple lesson on photosynthesis here- <i>the plant uses the sunshine to make energy so that it can grow. Just like food helps you to grow.</i> </center><center style="text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></center><center style="text-align: left;">The best part is, you don't even have to have a yard. or even know that much about gardening to make this a project with your kids. Our "garden" consists of a few pots on the back patio of our apartment. So far we have successfully grown spinach, lettuce, and broccoli. Our pea plant is growing well, but we'll see if it ever produces anything. </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;">The one thing I have found from personal experience is that vegetables don't grow well without sun. So if you don't have a sunny spot you might want to try a different type of plant. Maybe a pot of flowers. There are several types of flowers that are edible so you could look into that too.</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;">Go have some fun with your kids!</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;"> </center><center> <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/60/9B5EE324B6C6A3D96857E6C0E759877C.png" style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></a> </center>Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16421133921888870041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225111136132256407.post-471309290805950122011-03-09T08:00:00.000-08:002011-03-09T08:00:19.803-08:00Chalk! I love it!<center><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Art </span></b>is great for kids, and I love letting my little monsters get all artistic, but I hate cleaning up after them. I wish I had realized earlier how great chalk is! Do you know how much easier it is to clean up chalk than crayons or paint? Why didn't anybody tell me these things earlier?! Plus chalk is <i>so versatile!</i> Take your sidewalk chalk outside on a sunny day and color on the ground, or start up a game of hopscotch (Great for <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">physical ed</span></b>.), or tic-tac-toe. On cloudy days stay in and color on your chalk board. So much fun and you go through alot less paper. And cleanup is a breeze. Just a little bit of H2O and it all goes away. Seriously. This is my latest and greatest discovery.</center><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=forthelovofle-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B0002AUWKG&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; text-align: left; width: 131px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=forthelovofle-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B001KW063S&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; text-align: left; width: 131px;"></iframe><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=forthelovofle-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0002AUWKG" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=forthelovofle-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001KW063S" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=forthelovofle-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B000KIJCYC&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><center><br />
</center><center> <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/60/9B5EE324B6C6A3D96857E6C0E759877C.png" style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></a> </center>Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16421133921888870041noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225111136132256407.post-82249805363492845472011-03-07T15:50:00.000-08:002011-03-07T15:51:43.122-08:00Animal Homes<center>I have been thinking alot about what to do with this blog, and I have decided to turn it into a place to write down my ideas and lesson plans for teaching my kids. I plan to put in successful projects, not so successful projects (along with notes for improvement), product reviews, and ideas. That way I have a place to store ideas, and you have a place to find them. Comments and suggestions are always welcome.</center><center>................................................................................</center><center><br />
</center><center>Today's project is all about animal homes and I must admit that it was mostly thing 1's idea. I was watching her play on the playground and noticed that she kept bringing little sticks and leaves to her spot under the slide. So I went over to see what she was working on:</center><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5NRdcxJkl9LuWSRoRoPvpvOmpUaRf8Yf-LzeT1etWuv5vRSS_RzBDUN1eRCaNXE9LJ_GmaddSKdI1pZ0hkPrgo3TBuCwbWMdzzHv-beNZq1-vGNX0YjdTSImEFGloX9uIruMUI_DUvCQ/s1600/100_0098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5NRdcxJkl9LuWSRoRoPvpvOmpUaRf8Yf-LzeT1etWuv5vRSS_RzBDUN1eRCaNXE9LJ_GmaddSKdI1pZ0hkPrgo3TBuCwbWMdzzHv-beNZq1-vGNX0YjdTSImEFGloX9uIruMUI_DUvCQ/s400/100_0098.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">she was building a nest</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<center>This project really has almost endless possibilities.</center><center><br />
</center><center>First we talked about soft vs. hard and worked a little bit on <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">vocabulary</span></b>. <i>The sticks were hard, and poky. Rough. What can we find that is soft, smooth etc.? Those things will make it more comfortable for the baby birds. </i></center><center><br />
</center><center>You could take this farther into a lesson on <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">shapes</span></b>: <i>What shape are eggs? can you find anything that is round like an egg so that we can put them in our nest?</i> (we used some acorn seeds)</center><center><br />
</center><center>Building a nest led naturally into curiosity about other kinds of animal homes, and <i>could we find a real birds nest?</i> So we went exploring and it turned into a great <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">biology</span></b> lesson. You don't have to go anyplace fancy for this lesson. You wouldn't believe all of the animal homes we found in just our little apartment complex. </center><center><br />
</center><center>The first home we found was some type of little burrow:</center><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEnZulwxKsWcdHlmmLLoFm-9lTL_WddUz_nOpJ6q6GvPBnmGjFYGV2WWUOIEeygL2NAChabcKaUn_IOL8nK9WmRbLutR8Ur0jPuVLMYD8l8RrQSkTDTJb5cX1iqHfEOMAwjQenvEdD5g/s1600/100_0099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEnZulwxKsWcdHlmmLLoFm-9lTL_WddUz_nOpJ6q6GvPBnmGjFYGV2WWUOIEeygL2NAChabcKaUn_IOL8nK9WmRbLutR8Ur0jPuVLMYD8l8RrQSkTDTJb5cX1iqHfEOMAwjQenvEdD5g/s400/100_0099.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<center><br />
</center><center>Ask questions about whatever animal homes you find. This is a great way to practice <b style="color: #674ea7;">critical thinking.</b> <i>What kind of animal might live here? Is it a big animal or a little animal? Can we see any tracks? Why would an animal build this kind of home? What would it be like to live in this home? </i>And if you're up for it you can always try to build the homes you see. My kids wanted to dig their own burrow. So I let them try. It was great because even little toddling thing 2 could participate!</center><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaS5na-x-1Ca9Ngm_E7OWTA84Ti1SZsS20tTYuvoRrlQyDi-vSnU18uA9y8EDh22FWizGoP4zWx_F1_lPeijBpuinvJz0Mfvr1Xj2HLkIgbX6Slrzbq3X4Apj2F8g6z10MOur54J-VS38/s1600/100_0102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaS5na-x-1Ca9Ngm_E7OWTA84Ti1SZsS20tTYuvoRrlQyDi-vSnU18uA9y8EDh22FWizGoP4zWx_F1_lPeijBpuinvJz0Mfvr1Xj2HLkIgbX6Slrzbq3X4Apj2F8g6z10MOur54J-VS38/s400/100_0102.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<center>They learned that it is quite a bit harder than it looks. Hands really hard to dig with. So they tried sticks. A little better, but still hard. We didn't spend very long on out burrow making attempt. This led to a short lesson on <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-weight: bold;">animal anatomy</span><span class="Apple-style-span">. <i>How does that animal dig holes? It must have strong paws! Animals are different than people. Do you think a bird could dig a hole like this? How about a fish? Why?</i> <i>How?</i></span></center><center><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></center><center>Just continue your walk. Follow your child's lead. They'll pay much better attention if you're talking about what interests them. Thing 1 was excited when we saw the swimming pool. <i>Fish live in the water, mom!</i> Well there aren't really fish in the swimming pool, but whatever. :)</center><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7opgZ0lsN_O1MJF8Oei28jk34X38Q71TgUtdUdf6X6N8VFeMuiJ-HiIzB_Q2fL_zVEh4QPfKTQcunu9hW1jnFUrXD22Z-sg_Gf0AXaA1PZCfdFFez3paXa0Usl_csaS9HSkUIugvA824/s1600/100_0105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7opgZ0lsN_O1MJF8Oei28jk34X38Q71TgUtdUdf6X6N8VFeMuiJ-HiIzB_Q2fL_zVEh4QPfKTQcunu9hW1jnFUrXD22Z-sg_Gf0AXaA1PZCfdFFez3paXa0Usl_csaS9HSkUIugvA824/s320/100_0105.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<center>The point is, just be creative and let them get excited about things. We turned over rocks to find bugs, looked at spiderwebs in dark corners, we even found some snails and talked about how they carry their homes on their backs. Like I said, this one has endless possibilities, we even ended up talking about how in some countries they eat snails. <i>Eww! Mommy that's so yucky!</i> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><b>Cultural diversity??</b></span> Maybe not.</center><center><br />
</center><center>Now go have some fun!</center><center><br />
</center><center> <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/60/9B5EE324B6C6A3D96857E6C0E759877C.png" style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></a> </center>Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16421133921888870041noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225111136132256407.post-5680376692666487242010-02-01T17:43:00.000-08:002011-03-30T07:54:27.881-07:00play doughI've been a bit lazy with the art lately, but I have done a few fun projects with my girls. One of the most fun has been homemade playdough. Once I convinced my two year old that it wasn't a snack... and that it wasn't gross to put your fingers in it... and that it isn't a fun idea to break it into bits and throw it on the floor... it was super fun. The best part is that it lasts for a long time once you make it. So you get lots of fun for a very small time investment. Here is the recipe that I used. I've been really happy with it. Be warned in advance that it takes a ton of salt.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><b>You'll need:</b><br />
Flour 3cups<br />
Salt 1 1/2 cups<br />
Water 3 cups<br />
Vegetable Oil 2TB.<br />
Cream of tartar 1TB.<br />
Food coloring few drops or unsweetened "Kool-Aid" 1pkg.<br />
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Mix ALL of the ingredients in a large saucepan.<br />
Cook over medium low heat, until the dough comes away<br />
from the edges of the pan and it becomes difficult to move the spoon. Remove from heat. Cool until it can be handled.<br />
Place on counter or wax paper knead 3-4 times.<br />
Store in an air tight container. (I use a zip-lock bag and it works great)<br />
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I got this recipe at <a href="http://amazingmoms.com/">amazingmoms.com</a>. I haven't explored their site too much but it looks like they have a lot of other fun stuff too. I must explore it eventually.</span><br />
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<center> <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/60/9B5EE324B6C6A3D96857E6C0E759877C.png" style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></a><br />
</center>Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16421133921888870041noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225111136132256407.post-65519703762288879942010-01-28T09:09:00.000-08:002010-01-28T09:10:23.681-08:00Green monster growls!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimo7VjyhU8t_eWhB9tPoIZqY-6W5HIYuNSopjcPhkNSxh-9ZA9jXr4JFnvc04gpLdeyqDF-V4xYvRLxIZkH8HHLOsZLhuyGCc8HoqIN3wOgw3_rsWIyBf3KdofLImBMM8EuH_XFyKM1TQ/s1600-h/greenMonster.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimo7VjyhU8t_eWhB9tPoIZqY-6W5HIYuNSopjcPhkNSxh-9ZA9jXr4JFnvc04gpLdeyqDF-V4xYvRLxIZkH8HHLOsZLhuyGCc8HoqIN3wOgw3_rsWIyBf3KdofLImBMM8EuH_XFyKM1TQ/s400/greenMonster.png" width="400" /></a><br />
</div> This morning I've been learning how to make pop-up books. This type is super easy and fun! It took me less than 10 minutes from start to finish, and the results are delightful. You feel like you have made something so fancy! It looses something here because you can't see it in 3-D, but trust me. <a href="http://www.makersgallery.com/joanirvine/howto.html">Here</a> is a really good set of instructions. Have some fun with your kids today.<br />
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<center> <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/60/9B5EE324B6C6A3D96857E6C0E759877C.png" style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></a><br />
</center>Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16421133921888870041noreply@blogger.com2