Walnut Acre

PreK/K Plant and Flower Unit

2012-06-01T21:25:00.001-04:00

This week we've been learning about plants and flowers. It's been a fun unit.

We read stories . . .
The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds

The Carrot Seed

. . . watched YouTube videos . .
The Tiny Seed

Sid the Seed

Parts of Flower - Video for Kids

The Needs of a Plant

One Seed

Sesame Street: Little Plant Song With Ernie

. . . made crafts and colored pictures . . .

We made the Learn About Flowers Craft. We've done this one before but the kids always enjoy it and it's so educational. It really helps them understand and remember some of the different parts of the plant.

We had fun making this simple flower. I simply printed and cut out the flower template from this page and then let them decorate. I had circles from craft foam in various colors for the centers and then let them color the rest of the flower.

On Thursday we colored these two coloring pages printed from here.

Today we enjoyed helping the raindrops find their way through the maze to the flower.

. . . and we went for a walk and took pictures of the different flowers we found.

~ Linking Here ~

SUNDAY – Hey Mom, Look What I Did, Craft Schooling Sunday, The Sunday Showcase , Link & Learn, MONDAY - Learning Laboratory, Made by Little Hands Monday, TUESDAY - Fun Sparks, Noted Show and Tell Blog Hop, WEDNESDAY – All Things Wonderful, Kids Get Crafty, THURSDAY – It's Playtime, FRIDAY – Preschool Corner, For the Kids Fridays, The Play Academy, Fun For Kids Friday,

The Walnut Acre Daily - Flowers and Rain and More

2012-06-01T20:46:00.003-04:00

Walking With the King
He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. ~ Revelation 21:6
MORE HERE - It Is Done

We Are Learning
Today was the last day of our flower unit. We read a book, watched a video and did a maze worksheet.

We also worked on Hh phonics worksheets.

We Are Reading
Here are some of the books the kids and I read today -

The Carrot Seed

Here Comes Winter

The Story of Jesus

and
The Raven and the Dove from Bible Animal Stories for Bedtime.

In the Kitchen
We ate the leftover cheesy bread from yesterday for breakfast this morning. The kids, from the oldest to the youngest loved it.
For lunch we had hamburger gravy over rice and a vegetable and for dinner we had hotdogs and sweet potato fluff.

In the Garden
I worked on weeding and thinning out the turnips this morning and Amanda worked on weeding carrots a little before she got rained out of the garden.

On Our Nature Walk

Since we've been focusing on plants and flowers this week, when we went for a walk we looked for flowers and took pictures of them.

Other Outdoor Fun
Michael took his bicycle to his Grandma's house yesterday and came home last night without it. So this morning Austin and Michael walked down to get it. I thought they would have time to get back before the rain started but I was wrong. Michael was not to happy about getting soaked!

CJ working on making a shelf.

Out and About
I didn't have to go anywhere again today. Doug picked up a few groceries for me on his way home from work so I wouldn't have to go out.

Other Notes and News
We've had lots of rain and a couple storms this afternoon. There was a tornado watch here for awhile today but thankfully we didn't have any of those.

Doug worked on the truck for awhile this evening, replacing the hydraulic brake lines that busted Monday evening. It's not finished yet but he's making progress.

Daily Deals

New Printable Coupons

Personal Care Coupons

Household Coupons

Today's Quote

Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward. ~ Kurt Vonnegut

Morning Musing Over Coffee - It Is Done

2012-06-01T07:30:00.003-04:00

credit: Michelle Meiklejohn

He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. ~ Revelation 21:6

There is such a wonderful security in knowing that God has it all under control. He is the Beginning and End, He is all we need and all we ever will need. He provides quenches our thirst, provides our sustenance and has already won the victory over all of life's battles. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.

The Walnut Acre Daily - Garden Work, Homemade Cheesy Bread and More

2012-05-31T22:55:00.001-04:00

Walking With the King

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.Therefore encourage one another with these words. ~1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

We Are Learning

We watched two videos about plants and flowers and the kids colored two flower pictures. They also did the Gg phonics page.

We Are Reading
Here are the stories the kids and I read today -

Mickey's Alphabet Soup

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

David and Goliath

and
Then Animals on the Ark from Bible Animal Bedtime Stories for Bedtime

In the Kitchen
I've been experimenting with making these cheesy breads today and they are absolutely delicious. I'm going to try some other toppings over the next week or so and then I'll do a full post with the recipe. This is one experiment that the whole family liked.

In the Garden

I pulled what I think will be one of the last bunches of radishes this morning. As it's getting warmer and the plants are getting older they just aren't doing as well. Also, some are going to seed without really forming a good radish.

I also picked peas from the very few plants that came up. There were just enough to have a few for lunch. The kids had fun helping shell them.

Both Austin and Amanda spent some time working on pulling the weeds out of the carrot rows this morning.

On Our Nature Walk

Lauren found a ladybug this morning while we were on our walk that she carried around with her for much of the time.

We also watched some water striders on the water. It's fun to watch them skate over the surface of the water but they are much too fast too get a good picture.

Other Outdoor Fun

Michael was given a bubble shooter yesterday for perfect attendance at KidWorx. After waking up at midnight and again at 5:45 wanting to play with it, he finally got to use it this morning.

Out and About
I have not had to go anywhere today, and I loved it.
Doug and CJ went to ACE this evening to get a tool Doug needed to work on his truck, and Austin, Amanda and Michael went to their grandparents house for the evening.

Other Notes and News

Daily Deals

Today's Quote

;Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak, courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. ~ Winston Churchill

The Walnut Acre Daily -Taking A Deep Breath

2012-05-30T21:25:00.001-04:00

Walking With the King

In God, whose Word I praise - In God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? ~ Psalm 56:4

MORE HERE - What Can Mere Mortals Do To Me?

We Are Learning
We continued learning about plants and flowers today and also did our Ff phonics page.

This afternoon I worked on making some of the games I will be using with CJ and Michael this summer. I will do a full post on these when I finish them. I have a number of ideas that I'm still deciding how to implement.

We Are Reading
Here are the books the kids chose for me to read to them today.

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

Mickey's Alphabet Soup

and

Simba's Pride.

Homemaking Joys
Amanda did quite a bit of laundry and Austin washed the baseboards in the kitchen. I swept both porches and straightened up a little out there.

In the Kitchen
We had leftovers for lunch today and dinner at church.
I had a craving for homemade crackers so I made two batches this morning. And they are all gone already. And no, I didn't eat them all, the kids definitely at their share as well.

In the Garden
We had a lot of rain last night and the garden was too muddy to work in this morning.

On Our Nature Walk
It was also still really wet this morning when we would normally go for our nature walk so we didn't do that either.

Other Outdoor Fun
The kids did play outside a lot but after things dried off. But somehow I never got any pictures. There was lots of swinging, bike riding and digging in the dirt.

Out and About
This evening was the last evening of the Wednesday night children's ministry at our church for this school year. We ended with a fun evening that included awards, prizes and outdoor games. My class of four and five year old kids joined the elementary grade class for the evening. Michael received an award for perfect attendance.

The middle school class and the teens celebrated by going to Common Ground for the evening and enjoying time with other youth groups. Austin and CJ both went and enjoyed it. Amanda chose to stay home.

I'm taking a deep breath tonight and feeling myself relax a little. In the last month Michael's weekly physical therapy appointments have come to an end, preschool drop off and pick ups three days a week are done, being my friends means of transportation to and from work three to five days a week has ended, and teaching Wednesday nights has ended. While I was glad to do each of these things, I am also ready for a change of pace.

Daily Deals

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Today's Quote
Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored. ~ Aldous Huxley

Ten Things We Plan To Do This Summer

2012-05-30T09:58:00.000-04:00

With the last day of school on Friday and a long summer ahead of us, I did what I do best. I sat down and made some plans. I love to make plans and schedules and I thought I would share some of the things we are planning to do this summer.

1. Have fun at the parks. There are so many parks and playgrounds in the area that we can enjoy. So I have each Wednesday scheduled as park day. The plan is to spend the morning at whichever park or playground we choose that week and eat lunch there before we come home to crash for naps. I'm also going to post on facebook when and where we are going and see if I can interest others in meeting up with us and joining the fun.

2. Picnics. Lots of picnics. Monday will be our backyard picnic day and of course, on Wednesdays we will be enjoying our picnics in the park.

3. Water play - We don't have a pool but that doesn't mean we can't have water fun. Friday mornings will be our water play day and I'm planning to set up the sprinkler, put out some tubs with water and water play toys, and provide water guns or squirt bottles for lots of water fun.

4. Backyard Camping - Our family really hasn't gone camping at all in the past so this year I want to start us out with some backyard camping. My plan is to camp out in the backyard every other Friday night. I'm hoping to make this as realistic as possible - cooking out on the grill or fire pit, making S'mores, sleeping in a tent. We have a tent somewhere but we need to dig it out and see if it is still usable. If not we will make some makeshift tents with quilts. This is one of the activities that I'm looking forward to the most. Maybe, if we do well with the backyard camping, we'll get brave enough to take the kids out on a real camping trip or two.

5. Berry Picking. On the land behind us there are SO many berries growing. There are at least two different kinds although I'm waiting for them to ripen so I know which two they are. I can hardly wait to introduce the kids to the joys of berry picking . . . and eating . . . and preserving.

6. Foraging. This weekend I plan to visit the bookstore and find a good book on foraging. Then we're going to have some treasure hunts - with the treasure being wild edible treats. I'm really hoping the kids like this idea as much as I do.

7. Schoolwork. Both CJ and Michael need to continue with a little work this summer to make sure they keep the skills they've learned so far. So most afternoons we will do about an hour of work. I've found one sight word game I can print, and I have ideas for making two more as well as some fun math games. We'll do some reading as well and some fun online work.

8. Play Games. I know there will be some hot days when we do not want to be outside and playing games will be a great way to fill this time. CJ wants to learn to play Skip-Bo and I think Michael is ready to learn to play UNO. Both boys know how to play Go-Fish. Connect Four is another option for us.

9. Gardening. Both vegetable and flower gardening are in my plans for the summer. CJ has already said he would like a small garden space of his own, and I'm sure when CJ gets a garden space, Michael will want one as well.

10. Sit on the front porch and watch the world go by. What is summer without sitting on the porch on a warm summer evening, relaxing and listening to the summer evening sounds - insects and birds, children at play, a lawn mower somewhere, conversation and laughter. I can feel myself relax just thinking about it.

So, those are my plans for the summer. Do you have some fun summer plans. I'd love to read them in the comments if you do.

Morning Musing Over Coffee - What Can Mere Mortals Do To Me?

2012-05-30T07:54:00.001-04:00

credit: Michelle Meiklejohn

In God, whose Word I praise - in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? ~ Psalm 56:4

When I read this verse this morning I nearly laughed out loud, not because it's funny, but because of the joy and the freedom of knowing that I really do not have to worry about the condemnation of "mere mortals."

Why is it, that when I am serving such a wonderful and awesome God, I let the fear of what others think, or will do, steal my joy? If God is as awesome and wonderful and powerful and loving as I keep saying He is (and He is and more) why am so concerned with what others say and think.

So today, I am going to claim this verse and live in the freedom of God's love and His work in my life.

The Walnut Acre Daily - Learning About Flowers and Other Fun

2012-05-29T20:32:00.002-04:00

Walking With the King

As a father has compassion on his children,

so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him;

for He knows how we are formed,

He remembers that we are dust.

The life of mortals is like grass,

they flourish like a flower of the field;

the wind blows over it and it is gone,

and it's place remembers it no more.

But from everlasting to everlasting

the Lord's love is with those who fear him,

and His righteousness with their children's children -

with those who keep his covenant

and remember to obey his precepts.

~ Psalm 103:13-18

MORE HERE - As a Father Has Compassion On His Children

We Are Learning

Our unit this week is flowers. Here the kids are working on a craft that shows the parts of plant/flower. At the end of the week, probably on Saturday, I will post a full list of the crafts and worksheets we did, videos we watched, and stories we read for this unit.

We also did an Ee phonics page.

We Are Reading

We only read one book today - The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds.

Here is an interesting article I found today that I thought I would pass along - 'Vertical Farm' Blossoms at Meatpacking Plant.

In the Kitchen
It was a casserole kind of day with a pasta, hamburger and cheese casserole for lunch and rice and hamburger casserole for dinner.

In the Garden

Austin, Amanda and I each took a turn pulling weeds today. A lot of the earliest things I planted are almost finished producing and it's time to till them under and plant a new bunch of things - green beans and potatoes are high on my to plant list.

On Our Nature Walk

The kids were pleasantly surprised to find that this field was mowed over the weekend. It's much easier to run out here now.

I was noticing today how much more confident the kids are than when we first began these daily walks. Here they are exploring a spot for the first time. They have learned to look where they are stepping, and to carefully find a way around or over obstacles. They don't give up near as easily as they did at first and we are slowly expanding our comfort zone and exploring new areas.

Other Outdoor Fun

Popsicles are always a welcome treat.

Michael soon found that riding his bike and eating a popsicle at the same time did not work out well.

Out and About

I took my friend to get everything in place so that she can once again drive herself to work. She was so excited to be able to drive herself again. And, while I really didn't mind providing her the transportation she needed, it will be nice now to have a little more time at home again.

Other Notes and News

Doug took off work early this morning and he and one of his friend's were able to get his truck that broke down yesterday back home. So he was working on that this afternoon.

This evening he went to pick up a refrigerator friends gave us to use as an extra. We have an extra now but it's very old and starting to make strange sounds at times so we were glad to take them up on the offer of this one.

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Quote For Today
The golden moments in the stream of life rush past us and we see nothing but sand; the angels come to visit us, and we only know them when they are gone. ~ George Elliot

Morning Musing Over Coffee - As A Father Has Compassion On His Children

2012-05-29T07:16:00.001-04:00

credit: Michelle Meiklejohn

As a father has compassion on his children,

so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him;

for He knows how we are formed,

He remembers that we are dust.

The life of mortals is like grass,

they flourish like a flower of the field;

the wind blows over it and it is gone,

and it's place remembers it no more.

But from everlasting to everlasting

the Lord's love is with those who fear him,

and His righteousness with their children's children -

with those who keep his covenant

and remember to obey his precepts.

~ Psalm 103:13-18

We are so blessed to have a Heavenly Father who understands us through and through. He remembers that we are human, He knows we are going to stumble at times. And yet He loves us anyway. He proved that love by providing a way of salvation for us through Jesus, because he knew we would be completely unable to save ourselves. This is a love we can depend on no matter what is going on around us. All he asks is that we remember to keep His commands and that when we do fail, as we will, we come to Him for forgiveness and then continue to walk in His ways. What a wonderful, loving God we serve!

The Walnut Acre Daily - Unidentifiable Red Berries, Hydraulic Brake Line Failure and More

2012-05-28T21:16:00.000-04:00

Walking With the King

Rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn. ~ Romans 12:15

We Are Learning
This evening Amanda, Austin and I watched the documentary Mermaids: The Body Found. Amanda loved it although I found it a little strange and unbelievable.

We Are Reading

I read an intreresting blog post today that I thought I would pass along.

Stevia - How to Grow it and Make Your Own Sweetener

Homemaking Joys

It's been one of those days when simply picking up, a little laundry, and dishes was the extent of our housework.

In the Kitchen

I cooked two pans of sweet potatoes today and mashed them and put them in freezer.

For breakfast we had cereal and for lunch we had sandwiches. With no daycare kids here today and Doug at work and CJ gone fishing, I just let everyone get there own cereal and sandwiches when they got hungry.

For dinner we had hotdogs, baked beans and Sweet Potato Fluff.

On Our Nature Walk
Michael and I went for two short walks today. The first time I saw a small bush with berries on it so I took some pictures and came back to see if I could find out what kind it was.

I couldn't make a positive identification from the photos so I went back and picked some to compare to the pictures online. I still haven't been able to make a positive identification so I guess we won't be eating these. Unless someone reading this can tell me what they are. I think I'm going to have to buy a book on foraging that will help me identify edible plants.

Out and About
Michael and I made two trips to Food Lion today. After the first trip I realized we also need sugar so I had to go back and get some. Other than that I've just been taking Jen back and forth for work.

Today Doug went to work on a friends vehicle and as he was getting ready to leave the brake hydraulic line burst and he had no brakes. Thankfully he wasn't on the road when it happened, that could have been really bad.

CJ came home this evening from his two day fishing trip happy and excited. It was a good two days for him.

Other Notes and News
Yesterday was our family's turn to be in the church nursery during the main service. We had fun and the kids were really good.

Daily Deals

Quote For Today
A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. ~ Joseph Campbell

Morning Musing Over Coffee - Accept One Another

2012-05-27T06:55:00.000-04:00

credit: Michelle Meiklejohn

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. ~ Romans 15:7

Why is it so hard to simply accept each other for who we are? It seems like this is a universal struggle among Christians, and people in general. Far too often, we feel the need to make others look and act more like ourselves. Why? I'm not sure I really know, maybe it's insecurity on our part, maybe it's simply because we do not understand the other person and we tend to fear what we do not understand. Whatever the reason, it can become a big problem.

But God asks us to accept each other the way Christ accepts us. How does Christ accept us? With love and open arms. He accepts us where we are, in whatever circumstances we may find ourselves.

This does not mean He accepts sin, His whole purpose is to bring people out of sin and into fellowship with Him. However, he does accept the person, and then, with love, gives victory over sin. He works from a point of love, not condemnation. And sometimes the process is slow, and when we jump in and get in the way with our judgement and unloving actions and words we can hinder this process.

And when our differences are not a matter of sin, but simply of differences in people, there is simply no reason for judgement and a lack of acceptance. God made us each different for a reason and to judge these differences is like saying God didn't know what He was doing when He made that person.

When we do accept each other as Christ accepts us, we give a powerful testimony to those around us. And this is what this verse is speaking of - bringing glory to God through our love those around us.

The Walnut Acre Daily - Freezing Radishes, Yard Work and Other Fun

2012-05-26T20:20:00.000-04:00

Walking With the King
He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. ~ 1 Corinthians 1:8-9
MORE HERE - Only Through Jesus

We Are Learning

Doug spent some time with CJ today helping him practice running the riding lawn mower. CJ was thrilled and worked on it for quite a while. Driving in a straight line was a bit of a challenge but he had so much fun!

We Are Reading
The only things we read today were Michael and CJ's bedtime stories this evening.

Homemaking Joys
The only real housework that got done today was dishes and laundry. This only about half of what I washed and the rest probably will not get folded tonight.

In the Kitchen

We had leftover sausage gravy and biscuits for breakfast, pizza bread and vegetables for lunch and chicken and noodles, and vegetables for dinner.

I read somewhere that radishes can be blanched and frozen so I'm trying it to see if we like them. I don't what we'll think of them after they've been frozen but I do know I really enjoyed just eating the blanched radishes after they cooled. They were milder and so tender, but not mushy. I ate a lot of them before they made it into the bag to freeze.

I also cooked and mashed more sweet potatoes to put in the freezer. I'm haven't reached the bottom of that 40lb box of sweet potatoes yet but I'm making steady progress in that direction.

Outdoor Fun
CJ has lots of wood that he would like to build a shed out of. Today he was making his plans and trying out different ways of doing this.

Part of the time Mykalin was his helper. Actually I think she did a lot of watching but CJ loved showing her his plans.

Doug had a mowing job for someone else today and Michael helped him load the trailor and then went with him. They took along his bike so he could ride while Doug mowed.

Our farmer neighbor and his son had some trouble with his tractor this evening so Doug helped work on it for awhile. I think they eventually got if fixed.

CJ's friend Kevin came over to play for about an hour this evening. This picture isn't very good because I took it through the kitchen window. Kevin has been here twice recently and he and CJ seem to get along really well.

Out and About
I'm still my friend's ride to and from work so I took her to work at noon today and am picking her up and taking her home when she get's off work this evening.

Doug has squad duty tonight (he's a volunteer EMT) and it's an all night shift which means he has to stay at the building tonight. He always has a hard time sleeping when he's down there all night so he'll be tired tomorrow.

In the News
I think it's really neat that SpaceX successfully launched it's mini space-shuttle and that it safely reached the orbiting space station. I dream of traveling into space one day, and I love to see these new developments. I've always been fascinated by space and space travel.

Daily Deals

Quote for the Day

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. ~ Winston Churchill

Morning Musing Over Coffee - Only Through Jesus

2012-05-26T06:39:00.000-04:00

credit: Michelle Meiklejohn

He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. ~ ! Corinthians 1:8-9

I am so thankful that I do not have to depend on my own strength and goodness to have confidence in my standing with Jesus. If it depended on me I would fall flat on my face and be unable to stand again. But not only does Jesus provide the way of salvation through the blood He shed for me, He also provides the strength, and the ability to continue to follow Him. And when I do fall, He holds out His hand to help me stand again. Because He does this, not only for me, but for everyone who has come to Him and accepted His gift of salvation, we can be assured of our right standing with Him.

The Walnut Acre Daily - Friday, May 25, 2012

2012-05-25T21:56:00.000-04:00

Walking With the King
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure: then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ~ James 3:17
MORE HERE - Wisdom From Heaven

We Are Learning
We did not do our usual circle/preschool time because of the party at Lauren's preschool.

We Are Reading
The kids had me read them four books today -
Curious George: The Perfect Carrot

Poems and Prayers for the Very Young

Little Blue Big Blue

and
Button's Birthday

I have been reading and enjoying some posts from Michael Hyatt's blog - 3 Reasons Why Faithful is the New Radical, The 140-Character Mission Statement, Success Brings it Own Set of Problems.

In the Kitchen

CJ made some delicious sausage gravy and biscuits for dinner this evening!

On Our Nature Walk
We didn't take our usual nature walk today because by the time we got back from Lauren's preschool party and had lunch it was later than usual.

Out and About
Today was Lauren's last day of preschool and they had an ice cream party out at the playground. Her teacher very kindly invited my group of preschoolers to join them. So we had a fun morning eating ice cream and playing on the playground.

Other Outdoor Fun

Here Doug is putting the weedeater back together that he's been working on repairing for our Pastor.

Other Notes and News
Khristian and Cayson in concert this evening in a playroom that looks like there was a toy and blanket explosion of some kind.

Here they are a little later cleaning up the explosion.

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Today's Quote

Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy. ~ Howard W. Newton

Morning Musing Over Coffee - Wisdom From Heaven

2012-05-25T06:44:00.000-04:00

credit: Michelle Meiklejohn

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure: then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ~ James 3:17

The wisdom written about here is a gift from God, not something that we can attain on our own. Only this wisdom will have the characteristics described in this verse. This is a test we can use both on the "wisdom" we hear from others and the "wisdom" we sometimes think we have.

The Walnut Acre Daily - Thursday, May 24, 2012

2012-05-24T20:52:00.002-04:00

Walking With the King

Then I will purify the lips of the peoples,
that all of them may call on the name of the Lord
and serve Him shoulder to shoulder.
~ Zephaniah 3:9
MORE HERE - Shoulder to Shoulder

We Are Learning
Our bug unit fun this morning included our usual memory verse, song, and stories as well as our memory game

on online video

and a Dd is for dragonfly coloring page.

We also did a Dd phonics page.

We Are Reading
The kids chose three books for me to read to them . . .

Disney's The Prince and the Pauper

Precious Moments: Loving

and
The Littlest Bunny.

We also read The Animals on the Ark from Bible Animal Stories for Bedtime.

Homemaking Joys
We got a little cleaning done - Austin cleaned out the refrigerator drawers and Amanda washed the cabinet fronts in the kitchen and the upstairs bathroom cabinet fronts and baseboards. Also the basic picking up, sweeping, vacuuming, dishes and a little laundry.

In the Kitchen
I've been needing to bake bread for a few days but couldn't seem to be able to stay home long enough to do it. Today I finally got two loaves of bread baked.

Friday I got 40 pounds of sweet potatoes from a friend. My intention was to cook and mash them and put them in the freezer. But today was the first day I was able to get to them. I only got a few done but it's a start.

Yard and Garden

Austin, Amanda and I all worked on pulling some weeds out of the garden today while we were out with the little ones. While I was out there our cat, Scout, joined me.

Once again, I got lots and lots of radishes from the garden.

On Our Nature Walk

We took a short walk today and stopped at the closest good play area for awhile.

Other Outdoor Fun

Out and About
I didn't have to go anywhere today. It's been a busy week with two meetings at school, church, taking my friend to and from work, and taking Lauren to and from preschool. And tomorrow there is an end of year party at Lauren's preschool that her teacher invited me to bring my preschoolers to as well. All the going and going has had good results and the party tomorrow will be fun, but for today - I'm grateful to stay at home.

Austin, Amanda and Michael are spending the evening at my parents house, which is a Thursday evening activity they all enjoy.

And Doug is at a class at the Rescue Squad. A lot of classes that he needs to maintain his EMT certification can be taken online but sometimes there are classes he has to go to as well. This one is a skills drill. I'm not exactly sure what that involves though.

Other Notes and News
CJ's hamster has been escaping regularly from her cage and I'm afraid she's going to get away completely or get eaten by a cat. So this afternoon Doug reinforced the cage in the corners where we think she's escaping.

Hopefully this will keep her safely in her own home.

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Quote of the Day

If you have the time to whine and complain about something then you have the time to do something about it. ~ Anthony J D'Angelo

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Superpoints Review and Invitation

2012-05-24T13:56:00.000-04:00

When I use online sites to earn a little extra cash I favor the simple ones that allow me easily earn during my down time. Superpoints is one of those sites. Superpoints is a legitimate site where you can earn points for simple tasks that can be exchanged for rewards like electronics, toys and games and Amazon gift cards or cash through paypal. My favorite reward is the cash through paypal and I recently received a $25 payout. My main methods of earning these points is through the daily emails that are sent and that I earn anywhere from 1 - 25 points on for simply opening and through the SuperLucky button that allows me to earn points for simply clicking. You can also earn points for completing surveys and watching videos. I've done a little of that but not much.

This is not an extremely fast earner although I would definitely earn faster if I had others sign up under me. I haven't pursued that option very hard though and am still happy with my rate of earning. When I consider that I earned this while sitting with the kids while they fell asleep or other down time I feel really good it makes me happy to know that I am making the most of my time and earning a little extra for our family.

Superpoints does require a referral to sign up so I've included my referral link here. The link will take you to a very simple sign up form and then you will be on your way to earning too.

Referral Link: http://superpoints.com/refer/burkholderrose

Zucchini Egg Bake

2012-05-24T09:07:00.000-04:00

5 medium zucchini, peeled and chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1/4 cup butter or margarine

24 eggs

1 cup grated Romano cheese

2 tablespoons parsley

2 teaspoons basil

2 teaspoons marjoram

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups mozzarella cheese

In a large skillet saute the zucchini and onion in butter.until tender. In a large bowl whisk the eggs, Romano cheese, parsley, basil, marjoram, garlic powder and salt. Stir in vegetable mixture and mozzarella cheese.

Pour into greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 40 - 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Note: The cheeses in this recipe can be changed to suit your taste. I used what I had on hand but Parmesan cheese instead of Romano or cheddar or pepper jack cheese instead of the mozzarella would also be good.

Morning Musing Over Coffee - Shoulder to Shoulder

2012-05-24T06:55:00.000-04:00

credit: Michelle Meiklejohn

"Then I will purify the lips of the peoples,

that all of them may call on the name of the Lord

and serve Him shoulder to shoulder."

Zephaniah 3:9

What a beautiful verse!

If only we would stand shoulder to shoulder, supporting each other as we step forward together in the calling God has given His children - to show His love to a hurting world and to bring the Good News of salvation to all.

What would it take for us to do this? The first part of this verse may be a clue. "Then I will purify the lips of the peoples" He says. What do we need to purify our lips of? What do we say that stands in the way of successfully serving shoulder to shoulder?

Anytime we speak evil of our brother or sister, anytime we engage in gossip, we are contaminate our lips and damage the unity needed to work together. We put up a barrier between us and God that keeps us from calling on His Name for the help we need to serve shoulder to shoulder.

But when we speak blessing and refuse to participate in gossip, asking forgiveness for any harm we have caused, those walls are torn down and our lips are purified. And then we are free to walk together in peace, serving Him shoulder to shoulder.

Morning Musing Over Coffee - For I Know Not The Path of the Wind

2012-05-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

credit: Michelle Meiklejohn

As you do not know the path of the wind,

or how the body is formed in a mother's womb,

so you cannot understand the work of God,

the Maker of all things.

~Ecclesiastes 11:5

Sometimes I really need a simple reminder that it is God, not I, who is in control. I certainly am not in control of the path of the wind, nor is the most expert meteorologist who more often than not seems to be playing catch up finding which way the wind has decided to go rather than accurately predicting where it will go next. And I most certainly do not understand how a baby is formed in a mother's womb. The intricacies of of exactly how all these genes and strands of DNA work to form a living, breathing human being is beyond even the most learned and intelligent people in science.

And this reminder of how little I know brings me face to face with the reality that I need, for my own good, to stop trying to run my own life and let the One who has the Divine plan for my future take the lead in my life.

And that should not be a scary prospect because He has already told me how good those plans are.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~ Jeremiah 29:11

The Walnut Acre Daily - Tuesday, May 22, 2012

2012-05-22T20:02:00.000-04:00

Walking With the King
How precious to me are Your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count to them
they would outnumber the grains of sand-
When I am awake, I am still with You.
~ Psalm 139:17- 18
MORE HERE

We Are Learning
I'm still doing the bug and insect unit with the kids. We practiced our memory verse, sang our song, watched this insect video and played bug memory.

We Are Reading
The kids picked out a variety of books for me to read to them. We read Dinosaur Days by Joyce Milton

Disney's The Prince and the Pauper

David and Goliath by Philippa Moyle

and Baby's Favorite Walk.

At circle time we started reading Bible Animal Stories for Bedtime by Jane Landreth. This is a book I've already read to Michael and CJ and I thought the other kids would enjoy it too.

Homemaking Joys
Homemaking work today consisted of laundry and some cleaning. Once again it was a day of all working together. One thing that made me really smile was seeing the upstairs hallway dusted and cobwebs in the corners taken care of. That had been bugging me for awhile and I finally got it done today.

In the Kitchen
Austin made his lasagna for dinner this evening. This is a recipe that he has adapted to make the lasagna taste the way he likes it.

I baked a cake (mix from the box) for the kids for snack. I think Michael likes licking the bowl more than he likes eating the cake.

On Our Nature Walk

Out and About
The only thing I've really had to go out to do today was pick up my friend and take her to work. A little later this evening I'll be picking her up from work and taking her home.

Today's Quote

Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. ~ James M. Barrie

Therapy Through Household Tasks

2012-05-22T09:35:00.000-04:00

Life with a child with special needs brings with it an array of special joys, special moments and special challenges. The trick is to make the most of the joy and accomplishments and not allow the challenges take over and run our lives.

I know each situation is different, and to know a child with special needs is to know a child with special needs, but this does not carry over to all children with special needs. Each disability is unique and each child with any given disability is also unique.

One of the challenges I face within my family is finding ways to provide each child with the appropriate therapeutic activities to address the needs without having therapy take over our lives. This can easily happen with one child and when there are three children in a family with therapeutic needs it can become triple the challenge. No one wants to feel to like their life is taken up with therapeutic tasks that have no real value (in the eyes of a child) beyond completing the task. And no one wants to feel as if the main goal of their life is simply to get to the next level of therapy. But I also cannot ignore the fact these needs are real and must be addressed. But there had to be ways of accomplishing these tasks that not only brought about the desired result but also give the child an extra boost in quality of life, and the satisfaction of accomplishing something that has real life value.

One of the ways I've chosen to work on this is through a daily routine in which everyone has household responsibilities geared both toward their abilities and areas that needed to be worked on. This has multiple benefits for all of us. Time the child spends on these tasks is also time spent accomplishing something productive that benefits not only the child but the whole family. And the time I spend helping and supervising the child is also time spent getting a job done that needed to be done anyway, leaving more time for other fun activities.

Here some examples of ways household chores can also provide therapeutic benefits.

Making the Bed
This simple task has several important components. There is the stretching and pulling and straightening that goes into putting on the sheets and blankets correctly. It takes concentration and attention to detail. There is lots of opportunity for practicing eye/hand coordination. And when the job is finished their is the sense of satisfaction that comes from having completed a worthwhile task.

Cleaning Up the Kitchen
How much of this can be done by the child depends on the age and abilities of the child. For a younger child it can be enough to carry the dishes from the table to sink, taking care not to dump any contents that may still be on the plate. This takes focused attention, which is much needed skill for many kids.

An older or more advanced child may go on to perform other kitchen tasks such as unloading/reloading the dishwasher, wiping down the counters and washing out the sink, putting away leftover food and sweeping the kitchen floor. There are so many skills being learned while doing these tasks. Once again, this is great practice for attention to detail. Unloading and reloading a dishwasher are great ways to work on eye/hand coordination, and cognitive and sensory processing and integration. Gross and fine motor skills come in to play here as well. And there is often the opportunity in the kitchen to work on sensory sensitivities. For one child I have a written list of instructions that need to be followed in order to attain the desired result of a clean kitchen. This helps him to stay focused and on track. When the job is finished there is the sense of having completed a task that benefits the whole family.

Vacuuming
Many kids love to vacuum. There's just something about being in control of this big noisy machine that fascinates them. So take advantage of this desire to run the vacuum and enjoy clean floors as well as a child who is building strength while pushing the vacuum around.

Cooking
Cooking can be a very stretching activity for many kids with disabilities. But it is also a fun one that has great reward - yummy food to eat and share with others.

There are so many ways to tailor this activity to individual needs. There are many simple recipes with few ingredients for those just starting out. Following directions, whether read aloud to the child, or the child reads them with help or independently, is such an important skill. Once again this is an activity that requires attention to detail, eye/hand coordination, and cognitive and sensory processing and integration.

Laundry
Learning to do laundry presents a variety of skills to master. Carrying the baskets or piles of laundry to the laundry area is a great strengthening activity. Sorting darks from lights and towels from clothing is good for sensory and cognitive processing and integration. Staying focused and on task is important if the job is to be finished. Gross and fine motor skills come into play here as well as baskets are carried, detergent is measured and buttons are pushed.

As the child learns new skills and masters new tasks be sure to praise the effort and acknowledge the value of these accomplishments. Make sure to tell others when the child can hear about all the helpful things the child is learning to do. We all need to be needed and our kids who struggle with so many challenges have an even greater need to know their contributions to the family are valued.

10 Little Actions to Help You Get Through A Stressful Day

2012-05-22T08:45:00.000-04:00

Life, no matter how good you have it, is sometimes stressful. I wake up everyday knowing I am blessed beyond measure, and grateful for this beautiful life God has given me. But that doesn't mean that I don't sometimes feel stressed. That's just part of life and there's no point pretending it's not. However, there are a few things I've learned that help me to deal with those stressful times.

1. Pray. When I ask God to help me see the blessings around me my eyes are opened to so much I have been missing. And when I ask for strength or wisdom He always comes through.

2. Recite an encouraging Bible verse. Here are a few of my favorites - Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 139:14, John 3:16, and John 10:10

3. Smile. When I have a smile on my face, whether I feel like it or not, somehow things around me automatically seem a little better.

4. Get outside - even if for just a few minutes. Breathe in fresh air, notice the color of the sky and the trees and grass around you. Even if you are in the city there is always the sky above and usually a few plants somewhere. See if you can find a blooming flower. There is something about taking a few minutes just to take in God's creation that always revives my spirit.

5. Read an inspirational quote. Quote Garden is one of my favorite places to go to find quotes on almost any subject. I can always find something inspirational as well as something to make me laugh here.

6. Take a short rest. I've found that just 15 minutes of sitting quietly with my eyes closed will often "reset" my brain and allow me to approach my day with a much better attitude.

7. Hug someone. Often kids give the best hugs, but a good friend or your spouse and other family members are also great people to hug. And you both get the benefits.

8. Turn on some music, whatever music you enjoy. Worship music and classical music are two of my personal favorites.

9. Drink a glass of water and eat a banana. Your body functions better and handles stress better when it is well hydrated. And bananas are a natural source of serotonin which helps to regulate mood. Plus if you eat a banana you are one serving closer to your five a day of fruits and vegetables.

10. Breath. Take ten deep breaths and thank God for loving you.

There, now don't you feel better already!

Morning Musing Over Coffee - He Thinks Of Me!

2012-05-22T06:06:00.000-04:00

credit: Michelle Meiklejohn

How precious to me are Your thoughts, God!

How vast is the sum of them!

Were I to count them,

they would outnumber the grains of sand -

when I am awake, I am still with you.

~ Psalm 139:17 - 18

It is hard for me to comprehend why a God who holds the universe in the palm of His hand, who transcends time and space, who is the beginning and end of time, who is in all of an eternity that has no end, would think of me. Me, a mere human, who will be here for a brief span, He thinks of me! And not not a passing thought as he glances past me, but He thinks of me often. So often that if we were to count the grains of sound, if it were possible, His thoughts of me would outnumber even them.

Truly, I am loved and blessed!

The Walnut Acre Daily - Monday May 21, 2012

2012-05-21T22:52:00.002-04:00

Walking With the King
Every word of God is flawless;
He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
~ Proverbs 30:5
MORE HERE

We are Learning
We really didn't do much schoolwork today. Michael did do one sheet from his workbook on beginning sounds.

Austin and I listened to parts of a program on the economic crisis in Greece.

We Are Reading
I've started reading two new books with Michael and CJ at night before they go to sleep.

One is The Mouse and the Motorcyle by Beverly Cleary.

The other is a Bible Story/Devotional book called Goodnight Warrior by Sheila Walsh.

Homemaking Joys
On our first work day after vacation we've gotten a lot done.

Austin cleaned out the lower left kitchen cabinet section, including the drawers. He also cleaned off some of the craft and food shelves and washed windows in the kitchen, playroom and living room. He picked up toys and vacuumed in the living room and playroom, and also ran two loads of dishes in the dishwasher.

Amanda cleaned both bathrooms and the mudroom and cleaned out the guinea pig cage. She also folded a lot of clean laundry and put it away.

Before dinner this evening CJ, Mykalin and Michael picked up toys again in the playroom and living room and vacuumed.

I ran one load of dishes in the dishwasher, did several loads of laundry and folded a little of it, and did other quick spot cleaning jobs here and there.

It's amazing when we all work together how much we get done.

In the Kitchen
I cleaned a big bunch of radishes this morning as well as the radish greens. The radishes went in the refrigerator for us to eat. I blanched the greens and put them in the freezer. We'll eat those later with sausage, onions and potatoes.

For lunch we had a macaroni, ham and cheese casserole from the freezer. I made a triple recipe of this casserole last week and we had one meal then and the other two I froze for later. Then Amanda chose to make macaroni and cheese for dinner so we ended up with macaroni twice in the same day.

On Our Nature Walk
Since we were on vacation last week it had been awhile since we had gone for one of our nature walks. We discovered the grasses and other plants have grown a lot taller in the last week. Lauren was almost lost in the grass in some places.

We found several patches of daisies that have bloomed since we were last back here.

And we found a ladybug. Michael held for a few seconds before it flew away.

Out and About
I've been out and about a good bit today. This morning I took Lauren to preschool and then picked her up again and then took Amanda to the store for dog food for her dog.

This afternoon I had an eligibility meeting to go to at the school for one of the kids. When that was over I picked up a friend and took her to work. Later this evening I picked her up from work and took her home again.

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Today's Quote
When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile. ~ Author Unknown