Valentine's Day Fun and Games

Mommy couldn't, so I spent a lot of time celebrating Valentine's Day in school classrooms yesterday. It was fun. When I spend time in classrooms, without fail I come away thankful for teachers, and grateful that I'm not one any more. Both the girls have been blessed with wonderful teachers ever since they've been in school - yes, public school.

Miss Feisty's teacher this year is a young mom with kids in the same school. She is very soft spoken, kind, and loves Feisty. I attended Feisty's conference last night and she's growing by leaps and bounds in her reading and math abilities.



The room mothers did a terrific job on their Valentine party. They had two fun projects, and good healthy snacks (I know, I know, but it's the way of the world in this school - which is good). They got plenty of the other kind of stuff from each other!

One of the mothers brought these cute mail boxes from Oriental Trading Company for the kids to decorate.

Then they made these adorable headbands, or crowns, if you will.



She has a wonderful mentor who comes in every Monday to spend time with her and love on her. This was her normal time to be there, so it worked out really well - Feisty had lots of help and love.




They made their snacks - fruit cabobs. Miss Feisty concentrated so hard on making hers just right. She doesn't like strawberries, but she used quite a few to make it really pretty.

I went home for a few hours, then back in the afternoon, just before school was out for the day, for a quick party in Care Bear's classroom. Unfortunately CB wasn't feeling her best yesterday (and is home today, much worse - probably should have stayed home yesterday, but didn't want to miss the big doin's). I felt bad for her, because she wasn't herself at all.

This teacher is very young, very energetic, creative, and dearly loved by the kids. She's so petite that it's hard to spot her at times among the kids. They were out for recess when I got to the room. I've been there several times, and each time I am overwhelmed by the amount of stuff she has hanging and pinned up and stacked all over this room. Every square inch is taken up with learning opportunities and fun "stuff." It seems a bit overcrowded, but the kids know exactly what everything is and what it is for. She has a knack for classroom control that is awe inspiring. She talks so fast, but has certain words that just bring them to attention immediately. Impressive.

The bright papers on the bulletin board are compliments written by the kids to each other and posted there.

When I taught school, the teacher's desk was large and was centered in the front of the room. Here's her tiny little space. I love the question.

For some reason, she had no mother helpers this time, so she had everything incredibly well organized and pretty much did it all herself. They were divided into 3 groups - CB's first stop was the snack station - juice, granola bars, and many varieties of goldfish crackers.



They then went to a work station where they ate and chose an activity - CB chose to do a Rebus message. They didn't have much time, so she only got about a third done. Do you think you could finish it??

The second station was a craft project. They had fun with the googly eyes - the teacher was amused.





The third station was passing out their cards to each of their classmates' decorated boxes.





CB received this awesome balloon and candy machine from her mentor.




The last few minutes were spent looking at the Valentine cards they received - much different than the ones of our youth!


Thought she wasn't feeling well, she managed a lovely smile with her teacher, Ms. G.

Grandma-ing and Other Things

The story of the irises and the short hailstorm strikes me as a metaphor for life. We can be doing well, "June is busting out all over," we are productive and "blossoming." We feel blessed and like things are just going our way.

Then the clouds gather ominously. Our experience is, though, that often clouds are just that - clouds. The rain or snow may go somewhere else and effect others' lives, but not ours. But this time, a cloudburst hits and it's not just rain. It's hail, and it wreaks havoc on the beauty of our lives. We feel shredded and useless. It is all out of our control.

But God is still there. He is a redeeming God. He creates beauty in the midst of it all, and in spite of it all. The words that come to mind are endurance, courage, fortitude, perseverance, persistence, stamina, tolerance - it is amazing what can come out of trauma. These flowers popped out as soon as the sun came back out. (See my previous post if you missed it).

















But the most interesting thing of all to me is that the new growth, in some cases, grew right THROUGH the destroyed blossoms. Reminds me that God can work THROUGH all the "stuff" of our lives. And He can create something beautiful out of trauma.



It gives me such hope that, no matter how tough things get, no matter how long it takes to see the beauty again, it can and will happen, and beauty can come from the ashes of our "stuff."


On Memorial Day, our family met, as is our tradition, in my folks' back yard for a picnic. This event began when my parents moved here from Oklahoma to retire close to my sister and me. They moved on Memorial Day week-end that year and the tradition began - my brother and his wife and son always run and work at the Bolder Boulder, the 10K race which has become the largest race of its kind in the world.

This year was extra special because of the significance of my nephew David's graduation from West Point the week before. My grandgirls are crazy about David, and the feeling seems to be quite mutual.




David will make a great daddy someday - he is great at making up games - and he's really good at figuring out ways to get a little break from hard playing - this one is called the "Rock Game" - see how long you can keep the rocks from falling off your body!





Care Bear and Feisty had a great time that day - Great Grandpa put up the swing in a tree when they first moved into this house - probably the smartest thing he ever did.




The twins love being here without the big girls, I think. They've spent a couple of nights here by themselves and they think they don't need to go to sleep for some reason. They were playing hard this night with their little tunnel -













One trip to bed didn't do the trick, so Grandpa got them back up. They played and played. I finally put them back to bed and they continued to chatter with their "twin language" until after 10:30. I sure wish I could understand what they're saying!

They have become huge fans of "Dowa" and Boots - if you haven't watched Dora lately, I'll fill you in a bit. There is a character on the show called "Swiper the Fox." He is always trying to swipe something from Dora and her friends. The kids watching are supposed to yell, "Swiper, no swiping!" When he is snafued, he says, "Oh, Man!" That's one of their favorite things to say now, "Oh, Man!" So cute.

These girls are just like their big sisters - whatever you do one time soon becomes a "habit" - something they think has to happen every time. So I started this one - turning on Dora right after their bath while they are getting dressed. The second they get out of the tub now, they run into the t.v. room where they get dressed and "demand" Dora to be turned on.












The most recent new "habit" just happened this week. We came home from the library with a few videos to watch. Care Bear was tired and feeling kind of puny that day, so she was lying down to watch it. Before you know it, all four of them were dragging out quilts, sleeping bags, and pillows to join in the fun. Now they immediately head for the closet when I put a video in for them.




The other day I went to find some little strollers for them - they love to play with the ones in the nursery and the gym and at church. Turns out the only ones I could find were Fisher Price and required a lot more assembly than I felt like tackling. So Good Old Dad (great grandpa) was willing to do the job for me.

Let me tell you, they have had more fun with these two little strollers than anything else they've had in a long time. We've been on so many walks since they got them. I read a book by Chuck Swindoll that's called Three Steps Forward, Two Steps Back, which reminds me of our walks. Only I'd have to call it Two Steps Forward, Ten Steps Back, as I am constantly running back to bring one up with us as the other one is too far ahead. Herding cats, I say!


We made the mistake of taking the strollers and their babies to library story time - will never do that again. Every kid there wanted to take them for a spin - caused quite a ruckus!







On these walks, we often have a good time with the "wildlife" we find - Care Bear has loved roley-poleys since she was the twins' age. Emma says "EWWWW" when she sees a tiny ant.

They love to "help" Grandpa with whatever he is working on.

Emma is a budding fashionista - she insisted on wearing this ensemble --







Katie seems to be pondering the meaning of life - or how to learn to jump rope.



Well, I hope you're all having a good week -

Reading is FUNdamental

A library is a hospital for the mind.
~ Anonymous ~

Of all the diversions of life, there is none so proper to fill up its empty spaces as the reading of useful and entertaining authors.
~ Joseph Addison ~

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.
~ Joseph Addison ~

He that loves a book will never want a faithful friend, a wholesome counselor, a cheerful companion, an effectual comforter.
By study, by reading, by thinking, one may innocently divert and pleasantly entertain himself, as in all weathers, as in all fortunes.
~ Barrow ~


Do you remember learning to read? I wish I had a memory of the joy of discovery. I remember first grade as a wonderful time. They didn't have kindergarten in our little towns in Arkansas in those days, and I was one of the youngest in my class every year, beginning first grade when I was still 5.

I don't remember when reading became such a huge part of my life. I don't remember going to the library when I was really young. I remember my first library card in junior high and the discovery of my first series - Beany Malone books by Lenora Mattingly Weber.

I remember 7th grade when I kept a list of every book I read, rating each one with stars. Then there was 8th grade in a new school when I aleved my loneliness by picking up a "romance for young moderns" from the library every day after school on the way to the bus. I tried to convince my mom that they were educational, because they each highlighted a different career! That was also the year I joined Library Club and spent a lot of time in there.

Then there was the summer vacation that we went on a pontoon boot for the day - me with my swimsuit on, sunglasses, and my book. I even remember it was "To Kill a Mockingbird."





As an elementary ed. major in college, I stood in long lunch lines, reading as I waited. The assignment was to read up to 50 (for an A) children's books. I read 85, most of them novels. That was the most enjoyable semester ever. That summer I took "Adolescent Lit" and read about 25 in a 4 week session, whenever I wasn't working or in other classes - such as Ernest Hemingway and Shakespeare courses. Those weren't as much fun.

My love affair with books has only increased. I have been known to read as I walk. I always have a book with me if I may have a few minutes to wait for an appointment or for school to be out. I've revealed before that I read as I exercise at the gym.

Kristen was reading by the time she was 4 - I don't even know how it happened. So it has been fun watching Care Bear become a reader. This year she is in second grade and reading at least at 4th grade level. She has an amazing teacher this year who did this fabulous project with the kids.

They did a unit on penguins because she has a friend who is in Antarctica - the kids loved this unit. The culminating project was a very professionally done book. Care Bear was SO excited when it arrived this week - excited especially to show me the front cover because ---

---she did the cover drawing.

Each student in the class chose one of the penguin types to write about and illustrate. Care Bear has read the book to each one of us separately - here are her pages. Her penmanship is as good as her writing and drawing!

Now Feisty, who is in kindergarten, is making good progress with figuring out the wonderful world of words. I love watching her and listening to her sound out her nightly book from school.

The twins haven't had as much book interaction with me as I would like. They have a very hard time sitting still long enough to go through a book. But yesterday we had a great time pointing to words and pictures. The process has begun!

I am so thankful I have such an enjoyable "habit!"