Just wanted to point out a link on the sidebar for a new free unit study from The Old Schoolhouse Store and Amanda Bennett:

Just click on the link, add this to your cart, and you will be able to download it for free.

We love lapbooks -- fun!

I just wanted to point out a link to a free e-book on the sidebar. It's from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and it looks like this:

Just click on the above (or on the sidebar) and you'll be redirected to a free e-book - no strings attached! It's called The New School Year: Planning Your Course and Letting the Lord Determine Your Steps.

Check it out!

Four years ago, our then-church was constructing its first building. Our pastor asked the ladies of the church for input concerning a church nursery. None of our temporary meeting places had allowed for such a room, and the Building Committee needed to know the best way to meet the needs of mothers in the church.

I recently re-read my response to his question. At the time, we had four children: a 4-yr. old, a 2-yr. old, and two 8-mos. olds. I sat with my husband every Sunday, my entire family attended the same church, and there were many other like-minded young families.

Today, almost four years later, much has changed. We now have a 7-yr. old, a 5-yr. old, two 4-yr. olds, a 2-yr. old, a 14-mos. old, and two newborns on the way. We worship 2000+ miles from any family members, the only other child in our church is 11, and I never sit with my husband during the service (he is usually occupied elsewhere – namely, the pulpit).

But my views on children in worship have not changed.

I think an important first step when trying to do anything is to determine WHAT you’re trying to do and WHY you’re trying to do it. For instance, I think it would be near impossible to stay committed to breastfeeding twins (TRUST ME!!) if you didn't know what you were doing (and trust me, there is a big WHAT with twins) and weren’t first convinced that it was the best and cheapest source of nourishment for them.

I’m not saying being armed with conviction makes it easy, just possible.

I feel the same way about worshiping with children. If we don’t really know WHAT we’re trying to do with the worship or WHY we’re trying to do it, we might as well just give up.

These were my comments four years ago. I still feel the same way. There are differences now in HOW we practice worship with children, but these things are still the same:

   

In response to your question about nursery, here are my thoughts:            I personally don't like the idea of a "nursery worker" (even if it is on a rotating schedule) as I have seen too often how this morphs into a full-fledged nursery. As a covenant family, we rejoice in having our children participate in worship; and we rejoice to see other children participating as well. Sometimes the "participation" is inappropriate and distracting and calls for removal and/or discipline, but I don't think it calls for removing them totally from one of the means of grace (the preaching of the Word) for an extended amount of time, multiple Sundays on end.             Sundays are not my day for a "break" from my children, welcome though that may be. They are a day for me to worship God with the covenant community. My children are part of that community. I want them to learn how blessed is this time. I want them to learn to look forward to it. I want them to see that we want them in there worshiping, that we are doing something too important to be missed. Even my 8-mos. olds can pick up on this excitement; and who knows how the Holy Spirit will apply God's Word to their small lives?            I am not denying that it is hard WORK to listen to the sermon while listening to one child ask to go to the bathroom, pulling the dress down on another, retrieving my watch which has been flung by a third, and catching the wrinkled nose of my husband at the suspicious smell of a fourth. But this is part of my part of teaching my children about glorifying and enjoying God. I want them to view the preaching of God's Word as a necessary and enjoyable part of Christian life. I want their first songs to be songs of the faith. I want them to recognize the people in our congregation, so that when we say we are praying for so-and-so, that will mean something to them.               An even stronger argument for us in our family has been that this seems to be the biblical precedent. In both the Old and New Testaments, children are part of the worship service.                  For me, I think it is much more helpful to have someone who is willing to help me keep my children IN the service -- sitting with those who are staying while I take others out for correction or a diaper change, or walking a restless baby in the back or foyer area.            The question: "But what about visitors?" is always brought up in these discussions, and I don't think it's a huge question. Most of the visitors we have had seem to want their children with them, anyway. And with the very few who have asked about a nursery -- I can remember three instances that I was aware of -- their needs were taken care of either by mothers who were already in the “nursery” or by someone in the service who noticed them struggling. It's not like we don't know when we have visitors! But personally, the most offensive thing for me to hear when I am visiting a church is, "We have a nursery down the hall if you'd like to drop your children off there" as if they were a piece of outerwear and NOT a valid part of the covenant community. As a Reformed congregation, I think the most consistent attitude with our doctrine (and the Bible)  is one of embracing children in the worship, even if this takes some discipline on the part of OTHER members of the congregation as well ("I will NOT be distracted by baby noise; I will work HARD at listening and worshiping").          My (turning out to be very lengthy, I guess) opinion is that it is good to have a place to nurse, change diapers, and play during Sunday School; but for the worship service, I prefer to have the children in the service.              Thanks! Rachel

(our six waiting for the start of worship a few months back --

this picture is much quieter than the real thing!)

Some articles that have been helpful to us:

Karl Hubenthal's "Children and Worship"

Paul and Judi English's "Teaching Children to Worship"

The other night, we were driving around town while the older four were at AWANAs (this is not a promotion for that organization, believe me -- it's a desperate attempt to have our kids meet other kids). All my misgivings about our efforts to help them socialize aside, I guiltily enjoy this hour-and-a-half (a little less given the time it takes to sign kids in/out) with just Ethan and the younger two. The youngest typically act . . . older . . . without the others, and it's fun to have the mental and physical capability to focus just on them and interact wholeheartedly.

Sometimes.

Let me just get on with the story . . .

Eden (2) and Jonathan (9 mos.) were in the van with us, and Edee burped. Loudly.

"EXCUSE YOU!" she yelled.

"No, you mean, 'Excuse ME,'" I corrected.

"EXCUSE YOU!"

Well. You know what happened. We went back and forth, Ethan and I trying to get her to say "Excuse me." "Say Me me me me me excuse me!"

"Me me me me me excuse YOU!"

And on and on.

Until she burped again.

"Jon-Jon burped!!"

"No, that was you."

"Oh. You're welcome!"

***sigh***

As far as I'm concerned, Zicam is the new wonder drug of the ages. Ages 1, 2, 4, 6, and 30 (oh, all right, and 31), to be exact.

I picked up my first box in a desperate attempt to find something that would stop my husband from sneezing and sniffling and coughing and keeping me himself up all night. Again. The only box of meds I could find that didn't have something that would bother his salicylic intolerance was this orange box of medicated spoons from Zicam.

So I brought it home, showed it to my ever-skeptical-of-medicines husband, and urged him to try one.

Within twenty minutes, even he was impressed. His nose was no longer running, evidenced by the lack of tissues literally shoved up his nose (a trick from his high school teacher in Brazil, and one I am not fond of, which adds to his delight). He could laugh freely, unfettered by coughing, at my disdain for his pile of tissues.

So I looked Zicam up on the Internet. Intrigued (the tales of loss of smell notwithstanding...everyone has to have his gripe), I picked up a box of their homeopathic nasal swabs. These you are supposed to use at the first sign of a cold (runny nose, dry throat, that achy feeling, whatever makes you think, "I think I might be coming down with something"). Clinical studies have shown these swabs stop a cold in its tracks (scientifically speaking). Oh, all right, they show that those who used the swabs had a cold for an average of 3 days, while those who didn't had a cold for an average of 10. I swabbed each of the children (except Edee, as it's labeled for ages 3 and up) at their first sniffle.

AND WAS AMAZED. By the end of the next day, no one (except Edee) was still sniffling. Three weeks later, Edee was still sniffling. So, at the unbelievable urging of my husband and with my typical disregard for labeling, I gave Edee some. And two days later? She was done sniffling.

I am sold. Except for Edee and my husband (pre-Zicam), we have all avoided colds this winter -- which makes a HUGE difference when there are so many little bodies to keep sharing the germs. And I've read that some people use it BEFORE they go into a germ-infested area, like an airplane or, well, church.

Works for me.

Due to a generous donation, Covenant Media Foundation is offering the Greg Bahnsen/Gordon Stein debate for free ... well, almost free. Each copy costs 1 cent. And shipping is free.

Go! Get one! Go to www.cmfnow.com  and follow the very well-marked links for the free debate.

From their website:

"This is the famous formal debate between Dr. Bahnsen and atheist promoter Dr. Gordon Stein held at the university of California (Irvine) in 1985. Hear how hard it is to deny God's existence and how intellectually rigorous the Christian position actually is."

Dr. Bahnsen was an incredible theologian who excelled in Van Tilian apologetics. And you don't have to understand that last sentence in order to enjoy and benefit from this debate. CMF is offering it in MP3 downloadable format and CD format.

I am especially excited about this because I actually bought this at full price a little over a year ago.

So when I found out about this, I went and purchased two.

But that's just my 2 cents.

You know when you go to the park and you see a mother laughing hysterically as she swings on the swing next to her toddler? Or when you go to McD’s and see a perfectly content mother playing with the Mini My Little Pony Happy Meal toy? Or when you drive by an ice cream parlor and spot a mother and her children enjoying multicolor ice cream cones, ice cream dripping from everyone’s chins and even some fingers?

I am not these women. I am the woman standing in the ice cream line insisting to my children that today is Root Beer Float Day; and in honor of that, we will be getting root beer floats with lids but they may choose their straws. I am the woman sitting at the table in the fast food play area, begging my children not to linger over their dollar menu nuggets but to go slide down the slide. I am the woman sitting with my eyes closed on the park bench next to a stroller, trying to catch a few seconds of sleep before the next catastrophe.

I am not a fun mom. Ethan is the fun parent. I am the one with the diapers, the hairbrush, and the sippy cups. You come to me if you need something wiped or buttoned. If you need a good laugh, you go to Papa. My idea of fun is getting to nap in a freshly vacuumed room.

But I have recently reinstituted something that does up my fun factor. This book is a terrific resource for those of us scrambling to come up with something to do that 1) doesn’t cost much of anything, 2) doesn’t require much work on our part, and 3) the kids actually enjoy. Slow and Steady, Get Me Ready: The How-To Book That Grows with Your Child by June R. Oberlander is a terrific book. From birth to age 5, it gives a weekly activity to do with your child. I have found the activities to be age-appropriate and cheap cheap cheap (I have never had to buy anything to do any of the activities, and the book estimates that the activities cost a penny a day). I first borrowed mine from the library, and then a good friend (Thanks, Mary!) gave me her copy. My friend Jamie recommends it to adoptive parents who want a guide for helping to develop age-appropriate skills.

But I love it for the way the kids love it. Preparation is at a minimum and enjoyment is at a maximum. For example, one of the activities was to demonstrate how to put a rubber band on and off a door handle. When they were 18 months old, my twins spent 45 MINUTES doing that. 45 MINUTES!!! And no broom, Formula 401, and paper towels were needed when they finished!

To give you a better picture, here’s what we’re working on this week (I am paraphrasing the activities):

Eden (Week 30):

Paper Noise: Take a bunch of pieces of paper. Holding one near the baby, crumple it and make as much noise with it as you can. Crumple another one close to her ear. Give her a piece and let her try (you can crumple another one at the same time so she gets the idea). Do until bored.

If the baby’s still happy, take a clean trashcan and show the baby how to put the crumpled pieces into the trashcan. Make it a game by you doing one and baby doing one. Praise any time she actually tries to get it in.

Another time, take a large toy, show to baby, and put it in a box with the crumpled pieces of paper. Close the box and have the baby open it and find the toy.

This activity develops small hand muscles, enhances listening, encourages the baby to copy or attempt a task independently, and develops an awareness of the concept “inside.”

As a side note, she had already mastered this crumpling technique on, ahem, church bulletins, but I figure it’s good practice anyway. Should she run out of bulletins or something.

Abraham and Miriam (Age 2-Week 15):

Put It in a Line: Take a yard of tape or string, etc. Lay it in a line on the floor. Have a few small items (block, key, clothespin, spoon, cup, etc.) in a can or jar or paper bag.

Start on the left. Place one item on line. Sweeping your hand from left to right, show that you are going to put the next item to the right of the first. Continue, always placing next item to the right of last. Have child do it. Repeat often, varying the items.

This activity develops an awareness of “left” and “right” progression, enhancement of the sense of touch in handling the objects in the bag, eye-hand coordination, skill in following directions and completing a task, further awareness of the concept “empty” and “on,” and awareness of “one” object to place at a time.

Lily (Age 3-Week 44)

Yes or No: The book gives 24 statements, to which the child is to answer “yes” or “no.” You can add your own. Some examples are, “Pages are in a book,” “Sugar is sour,” “Mother washes clothes in the dishwasher,” “A camera takes medicine,” and “Clouds are white.” While I would assume this would be boring, Lily thinks it’s a blast and cracks up hysterically at the ones like, “I can pour juice in a fork.” But then, having heard her jokes, she probably thinks each “no” statement is a great one-liner.

This activity develops listening skills, thinking skills, skill in making a decision, language enrichment, association skills, and confidence.

Ben (Age 5 and I don’t know how many weeks ‘cuz he’s too old for the book):

While he has “outgrown” the book, sometimes I go back and do some of the older activities that we missed (like clothespin toss, jumping distances, pattern repetition). But this week his “activity” is learning how to load and run the washing machine. I usually use the 4-stage teaching approach (You watch me do it, you do it with me, I watch you do it, you do it alone), and he’s on the third stage of this one. We’re almost all the way to washing machine independence – WOO-HOO!

This activity develops an incredible sense of accomplishment and freedom…in the mother!

OK. So it’s not going to win me the “Entertainer of the Year” Award. But it is a step up from “Let’s Play Tidy Up the Nursery.”

And the last time I tried to swing next to my toddlers, I about threw up.

Have you seen this? For no charge, Menus 4 Moms will send you a weekly email with 5-days' worth of dinner menus and recipes, complete with side dishes ("MOM! Who's coming for dinner?") and a shopping list with estimated prices. (You can also look at the menus/shopping list at the site.) The meals feed 6 people (generously), but you can always double or halve (or freeze or gift the extra). Check this site out -- there are lots of goodies here!

The meals have been delicious, nutritious, and reasonably priced. My days just got a LOT easier!

Kendra at Preschoolers and Peace gave her Master List for Costco, and she posted Margaret's as well. We no longer use Costco (for various reasons, one of them being that ours is located in the mall and it's a booger to find parking and get everyone inside and then back out once the cart is full of unbagged groceries). But we have enjoyed our local BJ's. We view our BJ's trips as a family "outing"! However, we try to limit ourselves to what we know we can't purchase cheaper somewhere else (read: Walmart). Here, so far, is what we have found to be cheapest at BJ's:

BJ'S

whipped cream in a can (for the iced coffees!)
butter

honey
maple syrup
chocolate chips (Nestle semi-sweet)
nuts
Nutella
nonfat dry milk
oil
yeast

diapers -- Luvs size 4, Berkley & Jensen size 1/2
toddler wipes (Berkley & Jensen)
infant wipes (Luvs)

Please share your lists, too!