Advent Activities for the Family

As we look forward to Christmas Day, I knew that we would need to do a special calendar of activities to keep the fun going all month long.  Much like we celebrate Advent by reading scripture each day, I thought I would plan a few family things to do as well.  So, here's our plan.  Nothing written in stone, just a plan.

1.  Make Christmas cookies
2.  Make ornaments
3.  Nativity scavenger hunt

4.  Sing a Christmas carol over the phone to family out of town
5.  Make handprint trees, wreaths, and angels
6.  Decorate each child's bedroom door
7.  Christmas on the Boulevard (a live Nativity scene and outdoor fair at a church)
8.  Make a paper nativity scene
9.  Drink hot chocolate
10.  Act out the Christmas story and video it
11.  Read Christmas books
12.  Make Lego Christmas shapes
13.  Indoor snowball fight (with newspaper balls)
14.  Paint with Christmas cookie cutters
15.  Make snowman pancakes
16.  Sing a Christmas carol over the phone to in-laws
17.  Make salt dough ornaments

18.  Take cookies to the neighbors
19.  Make a Happy Birthday Jesus banner
20.  Watch a Christmas movie
21.  Make Christmas cookies
22.  Go out and look at Christmas lights
23.  Gingerbread houses

24.  Church service
25.  Read the Bible before opening gifts

Best Friends and Cleaning House

My best girl friend when I lived in Mississippi was (and still is), Faith (that's her on the left).  She and I became friends as co-laborers in Christ working on staff at our church, and soon became best buddies.  Faith and I have been through our worst times together and that girl knows me inside and out :)  God gave us a great sisterly bond and allowed us to support one another and pray over one another and learn about His Word through our trials.  So when I learned that she and her family would be able to finally get out to Texas to stay with us over the Thanksgiving holiday, I was THRILLED!

And what do we do when company is coming?  We clean the house.  Insert prideful nature.

"Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall."  Proverbs 16:18

Now, with three kids in school and only a three year old to keep up with during the day, and no job  (that pays), I have plenty of time to keep the house clean.  My ADHD nature will not allow me to sit and do nothing and cleaning usually helps.  Having company over at least once a week helps as well.  BUT, I got a bit prideful and stopped seeing the messes that I had not addressed.  I vacuum, do dishes, keep up with the laundry, and keep the toys upstairs (usually), but with company on the way, I needed to do the full on cleaning.  

Late at night the week before, I clicked over to my favorite cleaning lady's website to get some ideas of areas I needed to focus in on.  (Having asked permission to use her name, logo, and link her site and not having gotten a response, we will refer to her as the lady with a fly and you can Google those nouns and find her.  wink wink)  Get serious about it and her site offers lists that are room by room and detailed.  We are talking cleaning the top of the fridge, moving the furniture to clean under, shine your sink kind of details.  So, as I got to cleaning, I became less and less prideful .  God often chooses to teach us humility by showing us just how small we are.  Our loving Father wants us to look into His character and realize who we really are as compared to HIM.  

 "A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor."  Proverbs 29:23

My worst mistake in this "I am a great housekeeper" trap was my grout.  Oops.  I sweep EVERYDAY.  Not sometimes, not just when it needs it.  We have tile for miles and a spot of hardwood floors.  I sweep everyday.  Often a few times a day.  We (my dear daughter and I) will mop twice a week.  But, . . . .  that nasty ole grout snuck up on me.  ARG!  I thought that it was "stained" grout.  You know, the kind that the contractors that build the house make a lovely black or brown.  Um, no.  It is grayish white.  When clean.  I got down to scrub a stubborn spot and the color of the grout changed.  Did I say prideful?

 "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Take off the turban, remove the crown. It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low."  Ezekiel 21:26

Boy was I brought low.  Down on hands and knees low.  For two straight days, I scrubbed that grout.  Brought it back to it's original color. (and wore out my hands and this scrubber you see on the left)

God chose to teach me that what I thought I had under control was not under His control.

(The Holy Spirit literally wrote that last sentence)

So, yes, the house was cleaned top to bottom for our coming house guests.  And yes, my friend Faith and I had a GREAT visit and even got to coupon together!  God is good.

Dolls, Frogs and Aliens

This article is second in a series of two.  Click below if you missed
"Wise Counsel and Baby Dolls"
http://biblelovingmomtothefourth.blogspot.com/2012/11/wise-counsel-and-baby-dolls.html


Of course we still had a second birthday girl to create for.  So here is her dolly on the left.  I wasn't happy with the neck, so I added a ruffle. 

Then of course my youngest had endured mommy making dolls all day long and the next day he wanted one of his own.  So I did a little more research and made him a froggy.














Then the laundry provided a shirt of his that had been stained up for too long. And I decided to make him a baby.  By now my dear husband thought I had found a new hobby.  I think I agree!

















Third child came home from school mortified that he did not yet have a creation of his own.  So, he designed and mommy sewed and we ended up with an adorable alien.  Suits our little crazy boy perfectly.













After the birthday party yesterday, my second born asked for a teddy bear.  I again was not happy with the neck and decided that we would use the collar from the shirt I had made the bear from .  I was pleased with the result.

Why do you ask have I not made one for our oldest child?  The only girl doesn't want a dolly?  Um, no.  Rolled eyes from the almost 11 year old.  Maybe she will come around in a couple of days though, because I only have enough fiberfill left to make one more.  Which is probably a good thing since I would love to make dozens of them.

Wise Counsel and Baby Dolls

" Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed."  Proverbs 15:22

We were faced with two birthday parties coming up for two dear little three year olds we know and with the tight budget, I thought perhaps a nice handmade gift would be the ticket.  So, where to start?  Pinterest of course.  A quick search for handmade and girl gift came up with pin after pin of adorable handmade dollies.  Oh dear.  I do love to sew, but I am used to mending or cross-stitch, not dolls.  But the Bible teaches us to seek wise counsel.  So, I read about 300 different blog posts and watched a couple of how-to videos.  Then I dove in.

These are the materials I had to work with:  

A like new nightgown by Carters that our oldest outgrew and a pair of pink socks. 

I cut the socks into a head (the foot/toe section) 

and then used the other pieces to make the arms and legs. 

I figured the ruffle would make a great dolly skirt.

Here I sewed the ankle part of the socks into the feet.  One of the blogs showed how to sew off the  triangles to make the foot tapered instead of square.

 I used the sleeve of another pj set to make the torso of our doll.  Here you can see how I used safety pins to hold the pieces together while I sewed.  With a little one running around, these are much easier to keep up with than straight pins.

Then I got all excited with my progress, and forgot all about wise counsel.  

"The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low."  Ezekiel 21:26

As you can see in the picture, I tried just marking where I would put the arms.  Ignoring wise counsel I ran ahead of instructions and drew two very OFF marks onto our beautiful doll.  Oops. A little washing and return to wise counsel (in the form of a reviewed internet article) and I was back on track.

 Here she is with her head on.  I used my handy dandy tablet to wind the yarn around for her hair. I am a firm believer in using what you have on hand.  

 Then came my favorite part.  I found the most amazing and logical method of adding yarn hair to the doll.  You start by marking a line down the middle of the head where you will add hair.

 Then you take three strands of yarn at a time and use two strands (pull apart the yarn you have into two strings instead of the four you start with) to tack it in place.  

I sewed around two or three times for each batch.   

Just try to ignore the green sweat pants that my dear husband lovingly refers to as my "kermit-the-frog" pants. :)

 Next, you add another three strands across the head and tack those in place.  

I tried to overlap my sewing a bit to blend it in better.  

 Here she is with no eyes.  A little creepy.

And here she is all done.  I will tell you now, that as I finished her I did a squeal with joy at how sweet she came out.  NOT perfect by any means.  But a great little dolly.  Here's hoping the sweet-pea of a birthday girl likes it too.


More doll creations are listed in the second article in this two part series. 
Click the link below to read on.
http://biblelovingmomtothefourth.blogspot.com/2012/11/dolls-frogs-and-aliens.html

Babies Need the Bible Too

Let your babies touch the Bible.  The actual book.  Little babies touch and even taste everything they come in contact with.  They explore and learn about what God's world is all about.  But we as parents are too quick to snatch up our "good" Bible and say no no to little fingers that want to touch it.  Yes, we need to teach our babies to be gentle, to be careful with books.  But the Bible is for all of us.  We don't want to send the message to our little ones that the Bible is just not for them.  

So, just for a minute, pull your baby up into your lap and let him/her touch the Bible.  Wrinkled pages can be smoothed and drool can be wiped away.  As you let little one touch the Bible, teach them that the Bible is a special book, that God gave us the Bible, and everything the Bible says is from God.  And if she takes a little taste, that's okay too.  Didn't Ezekiel?

"God said, '[Ezekiel], eat this scroll I am giving to you.' So [he] ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in [his] mouth."  Ezekiel 3:3

Special thanks to my friend J. Hoskins for the pic of her peanut's hand.

Cup Circles

Six people make A LOT of dirty dishes.  We run the dishwasher everyday.  So to save on the amount of dishes we have, I started the above system.  We have a mat (a piece of laminated construction paper actually) that I drew circles on with a sharpie marker.  Then each child (and mom) have their own name next to each circle.  Simple concept.  We use the same cup all day.  After breakfast, cups go on the circle.  Milk cups go in the sink.  We don't end our day with a million cups that way.  Think about it, three meals, one or two snacks and six people equals up to 30 cups a day.  Cup circles:  it works for us :)

"Take life easy; drink and be merry" (paraphrased) Luke 19:19

Bears in a Boat

We send a snack with our kindergartner every day since his lunch time isn't until 1pm.  So, to get creative, I sent bears on a boat today.  Slice of granny smith apple with peanut butter on it and bears stuck into the peanut butter.  You could make it with cream cheese if your little one has a nut allergy.

Muffin Tins for Lunch

My little ones love little nibbles.  A little of this, a bit of that.  So when I somehow stumbled across the concept of muffin tins as plates, we all fell in love.  Basically, you start with a 6 hole muffin tin (or twelve if you only have that size) and put a different kid-friendly food in each hole.  I tend to aim for a protein, carb., fruit, veggie, and sweet in each hole.  Sometimes we use leftovers for one space, sometimes dip in one hole, and a juice cup if I am out of ideas for that last space to fill.  Typically for preschoolers, my school-aged kiddos will jump on the bandwagon if we break them out on the weekend.  Another trend this whole idea has started is adding cinnamon to applesauce and sprinkles to yogurt.  And my youngest insists on gummy snacks (glorified candy) so I put half a pouch as dessert.

ham, cheese sticks, crackers, applesauce, strawberries and kiwi, and gummy snacks

tuna salad, goldfish crackers, applesauce, broccoli, strawberries, and spagettios

leftover chicken, bbq sauce, gummy snacks, broccoli, yogurt (w/sprinkles), 

and penguin shaped cheese crackers

There are whole websites devoted to the concept of bento-box style eating and my favorite is Muffin Tin Moms.  Click the link I added below their logo and it should take you to the site.  Loads of inspiration here.

http://michellesjournalcorner.blogspot.com/

You can also use just a plate with six or so muffin liners as cups for each item.  For instance when you own three muffin tins and have four children :)  Some moms use themes and color schemes and go nuts about it, but I just keep it simple and let the kids help me choose what they want in their tins.  Bonus idea:  I ask periodically "How many circles did you finish?"  That helps my little people get back to eating and finish up their lunch.

"She provides food for her family."  Proverbs 31:15

Fingers Under the Bathroom Door

With four children in the house, I very rarely go to the bathroom by myself.  When there is not company in the house, I tend to leave the bathroom door standing open just to listen for the chaos that is inevitable.  But the rare times when I sneak off to the bathroom and close the door, here come little knocks, cries for justice (he hit me, she took my seat), or the fingers that creep under the bathroom door as if to join me.

As a mother I am on duty 24 hours a day 7 days a week.  They are always with me and always watching.  So it should come to no surprise that my FAVORITE verse is Deuteronomy 6:6-9

"These commandments I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on you children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

God never said to study the Bible only when at church.  He actually never commanded that we have a formal family meeting and read the Bible, say a prayer and sing a song.  These verses are encouraging us to make the Bible a part of EVERYTHING we do.  If it were a modern version, the verse might read, "as you drive in the car, as you post to Facebook, as you go to the bathroom in the Walmart"  As you GO.  God knows that the life in this world can get filled up with the to do lists and the ballet practices and the trips to the grocery store.  What is important is that you invite Him into all of your goings and comings.  (Psalm 121:8)

Before I even met my husband, I learned all about how the development of a baby starts in the mommy's womb.  I learned about brain development and how songs heard in the womb were often remembered by the baby after birth and would calm the baby.  So, like most new moms, I sang to our babies when they were still in my tummy.  And I determined from the very first child, that I would sing hymns and Christian tunes over and over.  What better start to their little lives?

It was in those very early days of our firstborn that I was trying to figure out what to do with this new person.  What could we play that would help her learn?  Visual stimulation with brightly colored toys, walks outdoors to experience creation, and books (loads of books).  And we would sing those familiar songs to her and we would talk about what the Bible said and it just became natural that whatever we were doing, we would bring the Bible into it.  Even when little fingers come poking under the bathroom door.

Four kids and almost 11 years into parenthood and we still try to have the Bible as a part of everything we do.  Consider this part one in a series.  I will try to share what works for us for each age group we have experienced.  Babies, toddlers, preschoolers, school-age, and preteen.

It's the Little Things

My hubby brought me a rose and a milkshake.  Now that man speaks my language :)

Proverbs 11:25 - 

The generous person will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered.

The Most Important Lesson on Marriage That I Still Struggle to Live

Titus 2:3-5 (paraphrased) "Teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live and to teach what is good.  They should train the younger women to love their husbands and children, be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands."

Much like the long list in Proverbs 31, these verses in Titus encourage us to live a life that will honor God.  Today, we will focus on the concept of . . . . I know it's sounds scary,but . . . . submission.  Arg.  Don't throw anything at me.  This is a lesson that I learned the hard way.  The lesson I am still working on daily.  Every day.

First and foremost, me must choose daily to submit our will and our plans to Jesus.  (Matthew 16: 24-26)  Allow God to take control of our agendas and our selfish desires and allow His Holy Spirit to fill us up to overflowing.  Get your heart in line with what God is doing, and the whole submit to your husband thing will come easier.

We have to make a choice to submit to our husbands.  In the beginning of our marriage, I did not.  I chose to lead when he was quiet, I chose to fight for my opinion to be heard, and I missed the mark completely.  It wasn't until I got deep into trouble that I finally decided to get deep into the Word of God.  Just one verse about submitting to my husband was not getting into my brain.  My pride and my stubbornness was standing in the way.  Don't fall into the same trap I did.  Already there?  Let's climb out of this one together.

Dear Lord, I have failed.  I pray that you help me to see in Your Word what Your Plan is and help me to be clear as I share with others what I have learned.

My template comes from an inductive study I did.  No, I don't work for the publisher, nor am I getting any proceeds from them.  But my dear friend Kay Arthur (okay I only met her once a a conference I did on her ranch) wrote a great book titled "Building a Marriage that Really Works."  She offers a 6 week study about the subject and you can get deep into the Word and study with her.  But here's the quick version:

• God created man first and then the woman (Genesis 2:7-8; 18-20)
• God's intention was for the woman to be a "helper" for the man.  (Genesis 2:18)  The Hebrew word here translates to one who "comes alongside to support another in a situation" or in other words "a partner every bit his equal whose strengths would compensate for his weaknesses"  (page 6 in Kay's book)
• God took a rib from Adam to create the woman from (Genesis 2:21-24)  I heard it once said that God didn't use a foot bone so that Eve was seen as lesser or a piece of skull bone to imply that she was greater, but rather a rib bone to be by Adam's side.  I love that picture of being by his side.  
• God has an order to everything.  He outlines the order of leadership in 1 Corinthians 11:3.  Hold on to your hats, here is the kicker.  The order that God intends for us to live by is for the husband to be over the wife.  (ducks head)  I told you not to throw anything at me.  Read 1 Corinthians 11:3 with me "But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ." 

God

Christ

Man 

Woman

• Just as Christ, although fully God, chose to submit to the will of the Father, we as wives must choose to submit to our husbands.  

To me, that means that my husband makes the family decisions.  The kids and I have to look to dad to make the final say.  If we are moving to another state, shopping for our family car, or just deciding on a restaurant, my husband has the final say.  That doesn't mean that I won't ask for my ideas to be considered.  It also doesn't mean that I will always agree.  But the days that I choose to submit to my husband's choices are the days that go much smoother.  And God did something amazing when I started obeying Him.  God gave me a husband that loves Him and loves us.  God moved in my husband in ways I didn't know how to pray for.  God did it, not me.  Wow.  Putting things in Biblical order is hard. HARD.  But He knows what He is doing and it works. 

Submit graciously and thankfully.  Submit and watch God WORK in your marriage.

Why Not Host a Blog

I love to read blog posts from women that have gone before me and can shed some light on the path before me.  We read the Facebook posts, we look through Pinterest for hours, and we women love to read whether that craft, recipe, parenting technique, or cleaning idea actually works.  So, I have been thinking lately that I would share with you what I have learned.  

No, I am by no means an expert.  I make big mistakes and drop the ball.  But since I love to hear what works for others, I thought I would put what I have learned here.  Like all bloggers, I just wanted a place to share it all.  My hope is to put a smile on your face and help you as a wife, mother, and woman of God to live a life that is full.  To share your love of Jesus with those around you and honor Him in all you do.