Remember

There was no school today.  So, as an afternoon project, this is what Kendra came up with.  (The flowers were based on an art project that Owen had done in Grade One the day before, so I or she can't take credit for those, although she did put her own spin on them!).  She took this quite seriously and wanted to display it where we would all be reminded of what Remembrance Day is all about.  So, front and center on the fridge.  So we don't forget.

Gratitude Journals

 

Last February I took the Summit Course of “Spirituality Through the Lens”.  I wanted to learn about a new way in which I could worship God – something that I could tie into my everyday life.  My life is not glamorous and maybe not even very exciting but it is my life.  I believe that this is the life that God has planned for me.  Right now I am the mom, the wife, the teacher, the baker, the cook, the nurse, the planner, the swing pusher, the board game player, the piano player, the scrap booker, the diaper changer (oh no, that one is finished J) and the list can go on and on.  How do I worship God in all of these facets of my life?  How do I fit that in?  But, I didn’t want to just “fit God in”   - I want him to be part of everything I do.  How can I consciously do that?

 In talking with a friend at this course, she started talking about the book “One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp.  The author of this book looks into the action of gratefulness.  She wonders how she can live a full life, full of joy and grace and beauty, even in the midst of losses and the often seemingly monotonous tasks of daily life.  She begins by looking at the word “eucharisteo” which means “To give thanks”.  But this word “eucharisteo” also has the root words of “charis” in it meaning “grace” and “chara” meaning “joy”.    She wonders if true joy and grace could come from giving thanks.  She soon realizes that as long as thanks is possible, so is joy.   The three words of grace, thanksgiving and joy make up “eucharisteo”.  Could she begin to live out this word, living out thankfulness everyday?

We live in a world that is saturated with ungratefulness.  Everywhere we look, we are bombarded with something else we NEED, all the most beautiful places we NEED to see before we die, the latest gadget that our kids just HAVE to have!  HOW do we overcome our habit of ingratitude, because we do live in that kind of world?  Do we even see the beauty that is around us?  Are we even looking for it?  We need to DO something. 

Ann Voskamp is challenged one day to name one thousand blessings – one thousand gifts.  So she grabs a sheet of paper and starts to write down a few:

1. morning shadows across the old floors
2. jam piled high on the toast
3. the cry of the blue jay from the spruce tree.

Common things that she didn’t even realize were gifts until she wrote them down.  Throughout the next days she continues to write down gifts:

4. warm cookies
5. crackle of the fire in the fireplace
6. clean sheets on the clothesline
7. hot oatmeal bubbling on the stove

She realizes that by naming things, she now calls them gifts, gifts from God.  She begins to do this feverishly. Everywhere she turned, there was something else. 

But then she comes to a point where she thinks “what is the purpose in all this?”  In the midst of laundry and kids and dishes in the sink, isn’t this kind of juvenile and common?  Isn’t it sort of silly to be writing down these things?  She had her whole life read the verse  “And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”.  She would nod and say, “I’m thankful for everything.”  But in slapping a brush of thanksgiving over everything in her life, she was left deeply thankful for very FEW things in her life.  Being specific and writing them down – this is a physical act of acknowledging each and every gift we are blessed with. 

But then, who has time for yet another ‘thing on the to-do” list?  Don’t we already have laundry and work and kids and meals and ministry and life in general that we need to have time for?  But I believe that we need to find that time.  It is God who gives us time but do we have time for God? Giving thanks for the gifts of God is an invitation to slow time down and give God our full attention.  To be in the present – where God is.  We don’t usually have a lack of time – it is usually a problem of using the time that we have.  And, I’m not saying that this is easy.  This practice of ‘eucharisteo’ is a discipline, it comes with practice.

“This practice of giving thanks – this is the way we practice the presence of God, stay present to His presence, and it is always a practice of the eyes.  We don’t have to change what we see.  Only the way we see.”

We need to open our hands to receive the moments that God gives us – trusting that what is received is grace. 

To give thanks is an action – it is not an emotion.  While we may not always feel joy, God asks us to give thanks in all things, because He knows that the feeling of joy begins win the action of thanksgiving.

There is so much more in this book than what I’ve touched on.  It really will teach you things about living a full life, wherever you are in your life.

So then, I felt challenged with “what should I do with this idea of giving thanks?”  I decided that I wanted to do something with my kids over the summer, teaching them just how blessed they are with where they live and what they have.  I wanted them to see things in their lives, not just physical things, that they needed to be thankful for.  I knew that I also needed to learn this as much as I wanted them to learn it.  So, I decided to start a gratitude journal with them for the summer.  Everyday, we each had to come up with 1 thing that they were thankful for and at least 2 reasons why.  Then we would take a picture of that ‘thing’ and that would make up each page.  At first, it was the big things:

-         I’m thankful for my house. 
-         I’m thankful for my family.
-         I’m thankful for food. 
Eventually though, we had to think a little harder.  Rethink your day – what were you thankful for. 
-         ice-cream cones on a hot day.
-         A picnic at the park:  because it is fun to have lunch outside and then get to play on the playground when you are finished. 
-         Trees: because they give us oxygen and we can climb them.
-         A family day together. 
-         Enjoying a drink on the deck with my husband.

Even for myself, being more aware through-out the day of the small blessings, things that if they were taken away or I didn’t have them I would miss them.  Blessings and experiences that were gifts.  Recognizing moments and acknowledging  all these things as gifts from above.  Even on days that maybe weren’t so stellar and I would think,  “Today was a crappy day.  I don’t have anything to be thankful for.  My kids were rude, I was cranky, supper was a disaster, I have piles of laundry to fold, etc. etc. etc.  Then I would stop and think:  I am blessed that we have food to make supper with, I have an abundance of clothes to wear, even machines that wash and dry them, I have beds that I can put my kids into after a long day, I have a sunset to watch, I can enjoy a cup of tea or wine.”.  I was often forced to open my eyes and change the way that I was seeing so many things. 

 

I would say that this little project with my kids was a success.  They are quite proud of their journals and loved sharing what they had come up with for the day.  I will say that there were some days when there was some complaining about having to write but overall not too bad!  Here are a few excerpts from our journals!

 



Kendra:  "I'm thankful for my school because I learn new things, because I can play with friends."

Owen:  "Thanks for rock's!  they Are fun too throw in the water!"

Owen:  "thank-you god for roses because they Are Super Duper beautiful!  And the colors are beautiiiiful on tem, excespt green, brown and black."

 We did their journals for pretty much every day of the summer, starting the day after school ended and finishing the day before school started again in September.  On the final night, I told them to each go to a good writing spot and for their last entry to write about what they were most thankful for.  This is what they each came back with:

Owen:  "thank-you God for Jesus because He's Always gonna LOVE me And He's Never ever ever ever ever ever gonna Stop loveing me!"

Kendra:  "I'm thankful for Jesus Because he loves us. Because he died on the cross."
 

First day 2012

Today was finally the day again - the first day of school for these two!  No more sleeping in, no more lazy mornings in pajamas!   They were both quite excited to go and see their friends and just be back in school.  We are blessed that they love going every morning (although we'll see how Owen does with that after a while!) and we are blessed with a wonderful school that they go to.  They were both happy with the classes they were placed in and the teachers that they will have for the year. 

 

They were even quite willing to pose for some pictures this morning - just to keep mom happy of course!

 

Ready for Grade 1! 
 

Reade for Grade 2!

My little buddy, all grown up!

My crazy girl!  Ready to learn, learn, learn!

 And then I returned home with just my little Jocelyn at home.  What will we do with just the two of us everyday?  I'm sure we will be able to fill our days!

Rainy Day dress-up

Playing dress-up on a rainy day - a great way to spend the afternoon!

 And when dressing-up is over, it is always a good time to read an animal information book!  Fairies can read about animals too!!

A day at the zoo!

Being in Grade One means a field trip to the zoo!  I had done this field trip as a Grade One teacher several times so it was fun to just be a 'parent' this time around!  The weather looked a little 'iffy' when we first arrived but once we got inside the park, it turned out to be a beautiful day!  The zoo was not very busy at all, which was nice for us! 

Waving at the other Grade One class going by on the train.

My 'group' of Kendra and Karina.

Our turn to ride the train.

Petting a snake.  I was quite content to take the picture and not participate in that activity!

Teddy Bear Picnic

This week the Grade One classes had their Teddy Bear picnic.  It was a beautiful day so it was great to just sit on the grass and enjoy some 'picnic-type' food.       

 And, of course, freezies for dessert!!

Jocelyn, the little chip monster, was in her element munching on chips and cheezies all afternoon!  Oh, to be the third child! "CHEESE!"

A Fairy Party!

We now have a 7 year old in our house! Kendra celebrated her 7th birthday on March 17.  Her favourite books to read right now are a series called "Rainbow Magic" - stories about all different kinds of fairies.  So, it only made sense to have a "Fairy Party!"

 I googled "Fairy Birthday cake" and of course there were many, many different ideas for fairy cakes, but all of them a little too elaborate for me.  Kendra spotted this one and I agreed that I could do that.  This was my first attempt at an all fondant cake.  I love the smooth look it gives the cake and I was happy with my flowers.  I only wished that I had practiced the white piping  a little before I did the cake as it looks a little wobbly!  However, my 7-year old was thrilled with it, so I was happy too!

For the party, I did a few 'centers' that had to do with fairy stuff.  I knew my mom was going to be here so I had an extra pair of hands to help me out.  (Kevin took the younger two 'out' during party time so I didn't have those extra hands to worry about!)  The girls all decorated headbands with ribbons and flowers. 

Each girl also got a small clay pot.  They each got to paint and decorate their pot and put their name on the top with stickers.  We then filled them up with soil and planted a few Nasturtium seeds. (The package said they were easy to grow.   Now, a few weeks later, the plants are quite tall already and ready to be put outside.)

 Finally, they each made an origami tulip to put in their flower pots.  I added a few easter eggs in their pots before they went home and these were their 'goodie-bags', along with their headbands. 

Throw in some 'make-you-own mini-pizzas', a few treats, a game or two, some girl stuff and call it a party!! It was a fun morning!  Till next year!!

School stuff

Abbotsford Christian School - I love the school that my kids go to.  Maybe I'm a little biased as this was also the school that I was employed at for a few years.  However, now that I am  on the parent side of things, I realize just how important  a good school is.  I so appreciate the teachers that my kids have been blessed with.  I appreciate the friendships they are forming.  I appreciate the overall feel and vision of the school.  Each of my kids are encouraged to be the best they can be, they are challenged to be better learners, better friends, better followers of God.  Aside from the everyday things that my kids come home with, there are also so many great events that go on during the school year as well. 

Grandparents Day -  Kendra was SO excited for this day to finally come.  There was an added surprise when Grandma decided to surprise her by coming for a visit.  She had already sent her invitation  to Smithers, thinking that Grandma wouldn't be there.  So fun to have Oma & Opa and Grandma in her classroom!

Grandparent's Day was on a Thursday this year, and this was not a Kindergarten Day for Owen so he felt a little bummed out that he didn't get to have any visitors.  So, Grandma made sure that she spent some time in his classroom the next day!

African Festival Day - For the month of February, Kendra's Grade One class studied all things African.  For their wrap-up they had an African Festival.  They all had to dress in traditional African clothes, they did African games and crafts and had an  African feast at lunch time.  What a great way to celebrate their learning!

Jungle Day - For Owen, his theme study for the month of Februay was the Rainforest and Jungle.  They wrapped up their unit with a animal dress-up day.  Owen doesn't really get quite as excited about these sort of days as his older sister does but we did manage to convince him to dress up a little - he went as a black panther.  I think he looked pretty cute!!

Wise men and sailors

This past week was full of Christmas activities and programs for the kids.  These were two of the favourites from the week.  First, Kindergarten was not part of the whole school musical that ACS put on last week, (which was amazing!)  So, the Kindergaren class put on their own little Christmas program in their classroom.  Each child had a part in the story and a little 'verse' that they recited.  They did a wonderful job telling the Christmas story and singing their songs for us!

Owen was one of the 3 wise men.  Doesn't he look wise!! :)

Kendra also had several different Christmas activities in the last little while but her dance recital was a highlight for her.   She attends Everybody Dance Now studios and is in a Ballet/Jazz class.  This is a little quicker than the straight ballet class from last year, which suits her just fine!  The theme of the recital was 'Tropical Christmas'.  Her class of dancers were all dressed up like little sailors.  They looked pretty cute!

Our 'sailor' did a fantastic job dancing!  We were very proud of her!

Paper Mache Pumpkins

My kids love to go to school and I am so thankful for this.  So, when last week came around and there were a few day without school due to the Teacher's Convention, I decided to find something to do with the kids to get them excited and give them something to do instead of asking me how many more days until they get to go back to school!  So, paper mache pumpkins was the chosen craft.  Kendra was beyond thrilled as she has been asking for probably the last year to paper mache a balloon and I have just always been able to come up with some sort of excuse why it "just wouldn't work today"!  Here is a quick rundown of what we did:

Start with a balloon and position it on a bowl.  Hide behind them while your mom is trying to take your picture!

Rip up lots of strips of newspaper and mix together the paper mache mix.  there are lots of different 'recipes' for this but I just used equal amounts of flour and water with a few squirts of Elmer's glue added.  Seemed to work pretty good!

Use half a toilet paper roll and tape it to the top of your balloon to make the pumpkin stem.

Dip your strips into the mix and apply them to your balloon.  Or, as Owen decided, have you mom do it for you because you don't like getting your hands dirty!

After sitting for a day and drying, apply a second coat of newspaper strips. 

For the final layer, use paper towels.  This gives it a rough texture and makes it easier to paint over later.

Paint.  "Pumpkin Orange" paint from the dollar store worked very well.

Decide on a face for your pumpkin.  Draw on with pencil and then paint black.

And voila, pumpkins that won't rot to display on your mantel, happy and proud children and a mom who doesn't have to hear "When can we paper mache a balloon?" again for a while!!