Friday, April 29, 2011

Chore Time!

Trevor has been doing "official" chores for three weeks now.  If you didn't read my post a few weeks about Chores and Allowance you can check out the why and how of what we are doing.

Trevor is always excited in the morning to do his chores and earn his penny (we don't get to them every morning, though). So far, the chores I picked seem to be good for him.  They are challenging enough, but not so hard that they frustrate him.  He can pretty much do ones like dusting and collecting the garbage all by himself (with maybe a little pointing in the right direction), while I pretty much have to hold his hand while he wipes the cloth across the baseboards.  Sometimes he gets frustrated (saying "You do it, mama") a few minutes in, but I just try to encourage him and tell him that he is doing a good job and that it takes time to get good at anything new that you learn.  And of course, his favorite part is getting his penny sticker at the end and putting it on his chore chart.


Here is our chore chart after one week.  (Click here to download your own chart...scroll to the bottom of the page.)  At the end of the week I had him count how many pennies he had earned and I told him that five pennies is the same as one nickel, so he got to put a nickel in the TOTAL column.  Then I gave him five real pennies and asked him if he wanted to trade for my real nickel.  We traded back and forth a few times (I don't think he get's it yet, but it's a good start!)



Next we talked about what it is good to do with the money that you earn.  I started by telling him that it is good to first give some of your money back to God, so he picked one penny to take to church and put in the offering plate.  Then he got to pick two pennies to put in his penny bank to save.  I told him that he isn't allowed to touch those pennies for a very long time.  Last, he put the remaining two pennies in the empty Play-Doh container.  I told him that those he can look at and touch and count because those are the ones that he can spend on whatever he wants!  Little does he know that it's going to take him a LONG time to earn enough pennies to buy ANYTHING =)

So that is how chores have been working in our house these past few weeks.  I really think that they will help teach responsibility and discipline, and help him to start learning to not only think of himself, but to think of those around him too.  Well, I hope it will anyways =)

Happy Cleaning!

Sunday, April 24, 2011

He Is Risen!

             Luke 24:6a “He is not here, but has risen."


Luke 24:1-43 ESV

1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise." 8And they remembered his words, 9and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

13That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17And he said to them, "What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still, looking sad. 18Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" 19And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 2425And he said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."
    
28So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29but they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them. 30When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?" 33And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" 35Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

36As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, "Peace to you!" 37But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38And he said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." 40And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" 42They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43and he took it and ate before them.

Happy Easter!

Friday, April 22, 2011

Easter Week: Good Friday

Easter week is upon us!  Each day we are going to celebrate Jesus by reading what happened on that day in the Bible, memorizing a key verse, and doing an activity that reinforces the story.  I invite you to join us in our celebration!  Each morning I plan to post what we will be doing that day.  None of the activities take much preparation, just grabbing a few things you most likely have around the house.  Some of the readings are long, and the verses too, so scale it to what you think is appropriate for your child (but I would always encourage you to give them a little more than you think they can handle and let them surprise you at how much they can learn!) So grab your Bible, your preschooler, and let's celebrate Easter!


Friday:

Reading: Mark 15 ESV
1 And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole Council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. 2 And Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" And he answered him, "You have said so." 3And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4And Pilate again asked him, "Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you." 5But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.
     6 Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. 7And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. 8And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. 9And he answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?" 10For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. 12And Pilate again said to them, "Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?" 13And they cried out again, "Crucify him." 14And Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Crucify him." 15So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. 
    16 And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. 17And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18And they began to salute him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" 19And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. 20And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.
    21 And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. 22 And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). 23And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25And it was the third hour when they crucified him. 26And the inscription of the charge against him read, "The King of the Jews." 27And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. 29And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, "Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30save yourself, and come down from the cross!" 31So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, "He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe." Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.
    33And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" 35And some of the bystanders hearing it said, "Behold, he is calling Elijah." 36And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down." 37And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"
    40There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem. 
    42 And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the Council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. 45And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. 46And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.


Memory Verse: Mark 15:39b

 "Truly this man was the Son of God!"


Activity: Paper Plate Tomb

Create a tomb with your child out of a paper plate and make a stone to roll in front of it.  I took a paper plate and cut it in half. In one half I cut a semi-circle opening in the middle.  Trevor colored on each half with a brown crayon, then I stapled the two halves (brown sides out) together.  Trevor crumpled up a piece of a paper bag for a big stone and we glued it in front of the semi-circle opening that I cut in the one half.  If you want a fancy tutorial, click here =)

Have you child check periodically to see if the stone has been rolled away yet.

This is how ours turned out.


Happy Easter!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Easter Week: Thursday

Easter week is upon us!  Each day we are going to celebrate Jesus by reading what happened on that day in the Bible, memorizing a key verse, and doing an activity that reinforces the story.  I invite you to join us in our celebration!  Each morning I plan to post what we will be doing that day.  None of the activities take much preparation, just grabbing a few things you most likely have around the house.  Some of the readings are long, and the verses too, so scale it to what you think is appropriate for your child (but I would always encourage you to give them a little more than you think they can handle and let them surprise you at how much they can learn!) So grab your Bible, your preschooler, and let's celebrate Easter!

Thursday:

(Beware, this reading is VERY long.  I included it because it is all crucial to the telling of the Easter Story, but your little one isn’t going to understand it all anyways, so just read as much as they can handle and briefly explain the rest.)

Reading: John 13:1-31 ESV

1Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?" 7 Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand." 8 Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no share with me." 9Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" 10Jesus said to him, "The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you." 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, "Not all of you are clean."
    12When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, "Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. 18 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, 'He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.' 19 I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. 20Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me."
     21After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, "Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me." 22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. 23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table close to Jesus, 24so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. 25 So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, "Lord, who is it?" 26Jesus answered, "It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it." So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly." 28Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. 29Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, "Buy what we need for the feast," or that he should give something to the poor. 30So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.
   31When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.


Mark 14:26-72 ESV

26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 27And Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.' 28But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee." 29 Peter said to him, "Even though they all fall away, I will not." 30And Jesus said to him, "Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." 31But he said emphatically, "If I must die with you, I will not deny you." And they all said the same.
    32 And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." 33And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. 34And he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch." 35And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36And he said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." 37And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." 39And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. 40And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. 41And he came the third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand."
  43 And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard." 45And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, "Rabbi!" And he kissed him. 46And they laid hands on him and seized him. 47But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. 48And Jesus said to them, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? 49 Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled." 50 And they all left him and fled.
    51And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, 52but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.
    53 And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. 54 And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire. 55Now the chief priests and the whole Council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. 56 For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. 57And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, 58 "We heard him say, 'I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.'" 59Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. 60And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, "Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?" 61But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" 62And Jesus said, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." 63And the high priest tore his garments and said, "What further witnesses do we need? 64You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?" And they all condemned him as deserving death. 65 And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, "Prophesy!" And the guards received him with blows.
     66 And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, 67and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, "You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus." 68But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you mean." And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. 69And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, "This man is one of them." 70But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, "Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean." 71But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, "I do not know this man of whom you speak." 72And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." And he broke down and wept.


Memory Verse: John 13:14 ESV

“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet,(Y) you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”


Activity: Washing Feet

Have your child run barefoot outside.  Talk about how their feet and dirty and yucky.  As you clean off their feet ask if they think someone really important would wash dirty feet…..Nooooooooo.   They would be too important to do such a yucky job.  Jesus is very important, but he washed his disciple’s feet.  He says that we should serve and help others (even if it seems like a yucky job!) just like he served us.  Explain that they will soon see that he served us in the greatest way by dying on the cross for our sins and then rising from the dead as our Savior!

Happy Easter!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Easter Week: Wednesday

Easter week is upon us!  Each day we are going to celebrate Jesus by reading what happened on that day in the Bible, memorizing a key verse, and doing an activity that reinforces the story.  I invite you to join us in our celebration!  Each morning I plan to post what we will be doing that day.  None of the activities take much preparation, just grabbing a few things you most likely have around the house.  Some of the readings are long, and the verses too, so scale it to what you think is appropriate for your child (but I would always encourage you to give them a little more than you think they can handle and let them surprise you at how much they can learn!) So grab your Bible, your preschooler, and let's celebrate Easter!

Wednesday: 

Reading: Matthew 26:1-16 EVS

1When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, 2 "You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified."
    3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4 and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. 5But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people."
     6 Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, 7a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. 8And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste? 9For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor." 10But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. 11For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. 12In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. 13Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her."   
    14 Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15and said, "What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?" And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.


Memory Verse: Matthew 26:16 ESV
          
  “And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.”


Activity: Judas’ Coins

Have 30 silver coins.  Count the coins.  Talk about things you could buy with these coins.  Ask if the child would give up a piece of bread for these coins. His shirt?  His toy?  Ask if the child would give up his daddy if he could get these 30 coins.  Explain that the child could buy back food, clothes, or toys with money, but you couldn’t buy back your daddy.  Judas betrayed Jesus in this way. Judas was supposed to be Jesus’ friend, but Judas sold him for a little money.  This was betrayal.

Happy Easter!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Easter Week: Tuesday



Easter week is upon us!  Each day we are going to celebrate Jesus by reading what happened on that day in the Bible, memorizing a key verse, and doing an activity that reinforces the story.  I invite you to join us in our celebration!  Each morning I plan to post what we will be doing that day.  None of the activities take much preparation, just grabbing a few things you most likely have around the house.  Some of the readings are long, and the verses too, so scale it to what you think is appropriate for your child (but I would always encourage you to give them a little more than you think they can handle and let them surprise you at how much they can learn!) So grab your Bible, your preschooler, and let's celebrate Easter!

Tuesday

Reading: Mark 12:41-44 ESV

41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43And he called his disciples to him and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."


Memory Verse: Mark 12:44 ESV

“For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."


Activity: The Widow’s Mite
              
         Materials:  Handful of change, “Offering” plate

Give your child a handful of money.  Have them look through it to see that it is “a lot” of money.  Have them put a few coins in the offering plate.  Have them look through their coins again to see if they miss the few they put in the plate.  They will not (hopefully!)  Tell them that this is like the rich people in Mark 12:41-44.  Next, take the money away and this time just give them two or three pennies. This time have them put one (or all) of the coins in the plate.  Now ask them if they notice that anything is missing.  They will see that most (or all!) of their money is gone.  Tell them that this is like the widow in the story and that we all need to be as giving as she was and have enough faith to give so much that we notice the difference!


Happy Easter!

Monday, April 18, 2011

Easter Week: Monday

Easter week is upon us!  Each day we are going to celebrate Jesus by reading what happened on that day in the Bible, memorizing a key verse, and doing an activity that reinforces the story.  I invite you to join us in our celebration!  Each morning I plan to post what we will be doing that day.  None of the activities take much preparation, just grabbing a few things you most likely have around the house.  Some of the readings are long, and the verses too, so scale it to what you think is appropriate for your child (but I would always encourage you to give them a little more than you think they can handle and let them surprise you at how much they can learn!) So grab your Bible, your preschooler, and let's celebrate Easter!


Monday

Reading: Matthew 21:12-17 ESV

12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers."
14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant, 16and they said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read,

    "'Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies
   you have prepared praise'?"
                17And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.


Memory Verse: Matthew 21:13 ESV

"It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers."


Activity: Things to do in Church Chart

  •  Print out (or create your own!) “Things to do in Church” chart.  On the first page you will see a simple       chart with a “Yes” and a “No” on the top.  On the second page are a few pictures.  Cut the pictures out and put tape on the back so your child can stick them on the chart.  After reading the Bible passage for the day, give your child one of the pictures and ask them if that is something that is good to do in church.  Have them stick it in either the “Yes” or “No” column.  When you get to the last picture (the one that goes in the “No” column) explain to them the best you can how church isn’t a place to take advantage of others and make money at their expense.  Maybe in a preschooler’s mind it could be as simple as that church is a place to focus on God, not on ourselves and others.  If you have a better way to explain this story to a little one, I’d love to hear it =)


Happy Easter!

Friday, April 15, 2011

Easter Week: Palm Sunday

Easter week is upon us!  Each day we are going to celebrate Jesus by reading what happened on that day in the Bible, memorizing a key verse, and doing an activity that reinforces the story.  I invite you to join us in our celebration!  Each morning I plan to post what we will be doing that day.  None of the activities take much preparation, just grabbing a few things you most likely have around the house.  Some of the readings are long, and the verses too, so scale it to what you think is appropriate for your child (but I would always encourage you to give them a little more than you think they can handle and let them surprise you at how much they can learn!) So grab your Bible, your preschooler, and let's celebrate Easter!


Friday (Or Saturday or Sunday, I just wanted to keep it in the school week) in preparation for Palm Sunday

Reading: Matthew 21:1-11 (ESV)

1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, "Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once." 4This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,
    5 "Say to the daughter of Zion,'Behold, your king is coming to you,
    humble, and mounted on a donkey,
   and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'"
    6The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" 10And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, "Who is this?" 11And the crowds said, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee."



Memory Verse: Matthew 21:9 (ESV)


"Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"



Activity: Making Palm Branches
           
Take a green piece of construction paper or cardstock (or many pieces!) and fold in half, long wise.  Cut out sections to make it look like a palm branch (here is a template if you’d like).  Read verses 6-11 again, this time reenacting the story.  Have your child lay down some palm branches and maybe a couple pieces of clothing.  If you have multiple children, have one “ride” over the branches/clothing and have the other children recite their memory verse.


Happy Easter!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Preschool: Week 14



This week was sort of ho-hum.  Maybe it's because it's getting nicer outside and we would rather be playing, or maybe because this week's theme wasn't too exciting for me, or who knows, but school was just something to get done for me this week.  Trevor is always excited about doing our calendar, though, and now about doing his chores and getting to put his penny sticker on his chart.  So anyways, this is what we did...

Day 1 - Theme: Horses
  • Color the horse coloring page
  • Talk about vocabulary word "mane"
  • Read Here We Go 'Round the Year
    • I didn't have a horse book on hand, so we read this book which is about the months of the year, which we are learning about by using our calendar.
  • Gallop around like a horse

Day 2 - Letter: "N"
  • Color letter "N" coloring page
  • Talk about the sound the letter "N" makes
  • Talk about words that start with the letter "N" (Trevor only came up with Nut)
  • "N" Trace and Build Sheet (template)
  • Scrabble spelling: "an" "in" and "on" 
    • These were the trickiest words for him yet sense he was used to the long vowel sounds in the other words we've learned. 

Day 3 - Number "14"
  • Count to the number "14"
  • Put fourteen stickers on the number "14" handout, counting as you put them on
    • I lacked motivation on this day, so that's all we did =)
       
Day 4 - Color: Brown
  • Color Brown on last week's Rectangle handout
  • Practice tracing lines and circles on our tracing pages (scroll down)

Day 5 - Review and Activity
  • Review concepts from this week while putting the pages into the school binder
  • Activity - Ride the Penny Horse at Meijer!

Happy Learning!

    Monday, April 11, 2011

    Chores and Allowance

    Today was the big day.  We have officially started chores with Trevor in our home.  The topic has been bouncing around in my brain for some time now and I think I have finally settled on how we're going to do it (for now at least!) 

    There is much debate amongst parents on whether doing chores should be linked with an allowance or if a child should do chores just because they are a member of the family.  I like what I have heard both Dave Ramsey and Suze Orman say...a child should have to contribute to the running of the household just because they are a part of it, but they should also be given opportunities to do extra work to make money (since they are not old enough to have an outside job).  Having to work for money teaches them to be responsible, to be a hard worker, and to begin to understand that money is limited (we can't just go out an buy any toy they want!) 

    You may be thinking "Trevor is only two! What in the world does he need with money!?!"  I agree, but see I also have an ulterior motive =)  I think I would be starting unpaid chores now anyways just to teach responsibility and work ethic, but I'm also starting paid chores because I want to tangibly start teaching him about coin values. 

    So this is what we are going to do (for now!)...each morning after breakfast I am going to have a chore for Trevor to do.  I will set the timer for five minutes and he will work (with me at his side for the time being until he gets the hang of it).  Chore done!  Then at any time throughout the day he will have an opportunity to do an extra chore.  If he wants to do this, he will work for five minutes again and earn a penny.  Well, actually he will earn a penny sticker which he will put on his allowance chart (I'll post what that looks like after we've got it filled out for a few weeks). 

    At the end of the week we will count how many pennies he earned and talk I will show him how five pennies make a nickle.  I will give him five (or how many he earns) pennies and have him put two in a savings piggy bank, two in a spending piggy bank, and we will save one to put in the offering at church.  I think this is how Dave Ramsey recommends to split it up.  As soon as he gets the concept of pennies down we will move to higher denominations of coins. 

    On a side note, another plus to doing this is that it will motivate me to get some cleaning done first thing in the morning =)  Cleaning is my worst home skill and a little extra motivation always helps!


    Here is the list of chores I have picked for Trevor to do:



    Daily Chores


    Monday Dust
    Tuesday Kitchen Floor
    Wednesday Shower
    Thursday Collect  Garbage
    Friday Kitchen Table








    Extra Chores



    Bedroom Baseboards

    Nursery Baseboards

    Kitchen Baseboards

    Hallway Baseboards & Vacuum Edges

    Living room Baseboards

    Bedroom Vacuum Edges

    Nursery Vacuum Edges

    Living room Vacuum Edges

    Vacuum Couch Cushions

    Collect Bedsheets

    Bathroom #1 Floor

    Bathroom #2 Floor

    Kitchen Cabinets

    Bathroom Cabinets

    Kitchen Appliances

    Window Sills


    I'm fully aware that he won't be able to do many of these things well, but he can give it a good shot!

    What kind of chores do you have your preschooler do? 

    Happy Cleaning!

    Monday, April 4, 2011

    Living in March



    My baby girl is nearing a year old.  I know everyone says this, but seriously, where did the time go?  With Trevor, the first year, for a variety of reasons, was LONG.  I guess with the second child, there is more going on, so there is less time to pay attention to the details.  Also, Mackenzie is generally a very good baby.  She has two major "faults," though.  First, she is unpredictable at night.  She can easily sleep 11 hours, but often chooses not to.  If anything is slightly bothering her, she wakes up.  Sometimes this bothers me, but honestly I usually don't mind waking up with her for a few minutes and then putting her back to bed.  Her second fault is that she is super attached to me.  Most of the time I don't mind this either, but sometimes it gets on my nerves.  Usually I am just thankful that she loves me so much =)

    This has been a big month for Mackenzie:
    • A few days ago her first tooth broke through!  We had been waiting for this for a long time.  (Of course this meant a few middle of the night wake-ups.)  I am going to miss her gummy smile =)  
    • Her personality is turning from baby to little girl.  She loves to play peek-a-boo, either with a blanket or using her hands.  I don't remember Trevor ever doing this himself, so it has been really cute to watch.  
    • She is also becoming very vocal.  I don't remember Trevor really saying much before he was one, but maybe I'm just forgetting.  Mackenzie says "Mama" "Dada" "Uh-Oh" "Ni-Ni" (Night Night) "Hi" and some semblance of "Thank You." 
    • She is getting more steady on her feet and walking more holding on with just one hand.  I have a feeling that she will take off soon!
    We are looking forward to her birthday in a couple weeks.  I am sad to realize that I no longer have a baby, but I am really excited that she will be able to toddle around the playground with us this summer!  So here's to you, baby girl.  You light up my life.

    Happy Living!
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