Monday, November 30, 2009

30 Days of Thanks: the final day

Conny, over at From the Heart of My "Haus" has been celebrating 30 days of Thanks during the month of November. Be sure to visit her blog for our last day of 30 Days of Thanks and link up with us as we celebrate God's goodness.

Photobucket

I am thankful for
  1. 30 days in which to focus on being thankful
  2. Conny, for being such a gracious hostess
  3. meeting some new bloggers and strengthening existing relationships with other fellow bloggers
  4. seeing Mr. Smiley take 7 steps today, multiply times



  5. kind emails/comments from dear friends (Janine, Christina, Sarah (s), Beth, Kristen and Denise)
  6. glitter and sequins
  7. kombucha -- it just hits the spot
  8. Nemo has lived for 30 days at our house
  9. that you don't die when you feel hungry
  10. the season of Christmas and celebrating Jesus' birthday party
  11. my dishwasher that is still getting our utensils clean



  12. I got all of my laundry folded and hung today.
  13. I took a shower before the Hottie Hubby got home.
  14. Fun crafts during Tot School.
  15. Encouraging phone calls from my mom, Christina, and Lynda.
Happy End of November! Thanks for joining us for 30 Days of Thanks!

Please leave a thankful comment at these lovely ladies who are also blogging about thankfulness.
Technorati Tags:

If You Give a Mom a Book -- Night Tree

Neat, neat, neat book.


Night Tree by Eve Bunting arrived in our mailbox from www.Paperbackswap.com (click on the link to learn more about my favorite and practical recycling website that provides the majority of our homeschooling curriculum for sustainable books).

I think that I put it on my PaperbackSwap wish list last year after scouring the CBD (Christian Book Distributor) catalog. Perfect timing!

I really enjoyed this story because it reminded me of my family. We could relate.


Basically, it is the story of a family who has a yearly traditions (I surmise) of visiting the same pine tree every year to decorate it. They create homemade ornaments comprised of popcorn, apples, tangerines, and cranberries. After Christmas Eve turns dark they venture to this secluded spot and decorate the tree for their forest friends. After pampering their tree, they sit, sip hot chocolate, and sing Christmas carols.


I love it because it is simple. It is a secret. It is their tradition. Their quiet benchmark to honor the season, the birthday of our Savior (though this is not mentioned directly in the book). And it provides a moment of solitude for the family in the midst of an often busy and loud family holiday.

If you see a random tree decorated . . . well, we might just have crept out one night to start our new tradition. I know two little boys who have latched on to this idea. Shh . . . don't tell!

If You Give A Mom A Book

What did you read this week?

If you don't know what a Sustaining Book is check out my first blog post on this topic, If You Give a Mom a Book.

Some things that you could discuss in your blog post would be:

  • What is one book that stood out to you this week?
  • What was the title of the book, and who were the author(s) and illustrator(s)?
  • What conversations did it spark between you and your child?
  • Did the book come up randomly in conversation at some point causing your child to create an application on their own?
  • Set the scene—where did you sit?
  • Did you have anything yummy to eat or drink while reading?
  • Was music playing?
  • How did reading together help your day?
  • What was the story about?
  • Did you like the illustrations?
  • What was your favorite part about snuggling?
  • Why was your book a Sustaining Book?
Guidelines
  • Link up 1x a week. My goal is to post every Friday.
  • Pick one book—your favorite book from that week.
  • Use any one of the suggestions I listed above to include in your post.
  • Grab my button on the sidebar to compliment your blog post.
  • Enter the exact blog post address in Mr. MckLinky!
  • Leave me a comment that you linked up!

I can’t wait to read about your Sustaining Book!




Sunday, November 29, 2009

An Elf Barfed on My Christmas Tree

I find it rather amazing that you can walk into a room of praying people, sit down, and begin talking as if you intimately know the person beside you.

You can be raw, honest, truthful. You don't pray so that your group hears your prayer. So that hey hear your sob story and feel sorry for you. You pray because you are having an honest conversation with your Daddy.

And that is where I reluctantly found myself tonight.

Booted out the door by Hottie Hubby is what I was.

I drove through the leaky night, reliving (once again) the U2 concert in the minute stadium of our Civic.

I wasn't sure that I could pray . . . that I would pray . . . out loud. It requires energy. And I have none, to be honest.

And yet as I sat there, the stomach acid of my soul began to eat away at the hardness of my heart (much like my stomach juices are eating away at the lining of my digestive system currently).

Sometimes I wonder how spiritual giants can fall into serious sin. But I know. Each day that you fail to check off your Bible reading or rather earnest conversation with God, the colder your heart becomes.

When we lived in India, we experienced Monsoon season.

Literally, we lived with clouds.

Clouds in our bedroom. Clouds in our cupboards. Clouds in the kitchen. We walked through the clouds. Everything was damp. You couldn't hide from the atmosphere that continually peed on your every movement. I remember climbing up to our loft that housed our spider filled foam mattress, and thinking that the covers would shield me from the heavy feeling that literally shrouded my body everywhere I went. But even the covers were affected by the clouds. Non potable water inhabited my existence. There was no escaping this great weather event. No amount of wind or sunshine could move the weighted clouds filled with water droplets.

Unfortunately when we left India, a part of this dampness returned with me.

I find myself experiencing monsoon season every now and then. Currently, the weather in my brain is cloudy with a chance of morning dew, followed by cascading raindrops in the afternoon. A brief intermission from this inclement climate will be experienced around 8pm, if a cuppa' chai is had.

I share this because I am desperately watching the WeatherMan to move in my life. And I am determined to document this shifting tide in the hopes that if anyone else is experiencing a monsoon they know that they are not alone.

So God, I must admit it is a little difficult to be completely honest with You right now, knowing that relatives and friends are probably going to read this. It is easier to ralf up my emotions when it is only my Cyber-Buddies. But You want and deserve more of me. And like a Christmas tree that gets barfed on by an elf, so my blog is about to be barfed on by little 'ol me, Jodi . . . who wants to have sunny weather with a chance of happiness.

God, will you clean up my mess? Please heal my heart, my body. Give me some energy. Restore the joy. Help me delight in my kids. And thanks that I am still giddy for the Hottie Hubby. Get me in shape for the celebration of Your Son's birthday. Give me fresh vision for my writing. Use me. Eat away at the moldy dampness dwelling in the dark places of my soul. Let your Word be like sweet sunshine. Cure my anemia. Fortify my resolve. God, love me. I know that You do. And I thank you for it.

Join me and other across the country this week. Send in your prayer requests to Week of Prayer and Fasting.

I Promise . . . I am Thankful!

Conny, over at From the Heart of My "Haus" is celebrating 30 days of Thanks during the month of November. Be sure to visit her blog and link up with us as we celebrate God's goodness.

Photobucket

I am thankful for the following 40 things (in no particular order) that make up for the 4 days that I haven't blogged . . .
  1. a break from my computer
  2. 4 wonderful days with the Hottie Hubby
  3. good fellowship with family
  4. decorating 2 Christmas trees
  5. taking fun family pictures
  6. watching an old, old movie (To Catch a Thief)
  7. Fun Family Night last night with deplorable delicious food, Starbucks, and Christmas lights
  8. raw foods
  9. sitting in church with Mr. Me-Too
  10. the excitement the boys display when they see Christmas lights
  11. French Silk pie
  12. a full night's sleep
  13. my new version of a humidifier--a small crock pot (thanks Jennifer)
  14. bodies that heal
  15. coconut
  16. the book of Esther
  17. Christmas music
  18. getting the downstairs organized
  19. new wires in the schoolroom to hang the boys artwork
  20. the new website we joined to get postcards from all over the world (thanks Sarah)
  21. grace
  22. we are going to see the Nutcracker this week
  23. my midwife
  24. shopping for groceries from home (thanks co-op)
  25. discovering that our house didn't have a heating problem, the vent just wasn't opened in Mr. Smiley's room
  26. Christmas Spirit essential oil from Young Living Essential Oils
  27. kefir grains
  28. leftover Thanksgiving food (thanks Mom)
  29. raiding my mom's refrigerator
  30. reading in bed (The Code of the Wooster's)
  31. getting packages in the mail
  32. the pirated copy of the U2 concert that a cousin sent us
  33. how precious Mr. Smiley looks when he is signing
  34. quiet
  35. feeling a pregnant sister-in-law's belly
  36. finding out that a pair of pants fits
  37. folding some clothes upstairs so it doesn't look quite so messy
  38. donating items to Goodwill
  39. being in a good mood
  40. the Hottie Hubby

Please leave a thankful comment at these lovely ladies who are also blogging about thankfulness.
Technorati Tags:

Thursday, November 26, 2009

30 Days of Thanks: Happy Thanksgiving!

May you have a blessed Thanksgiving celebrating all the great things God has done for you and yours!


I am thankful for you readers who consider my words and the blogging that God has called me to.


These cute pictures are of Mr. Smackdown when he was two and wanted to help prepare the Thanksgiving meal.

Instant Challenge: Cup Holder

Photobucket


I went out Monday night to my book club to feel sophisticated. (And I returned home feeling ever so enlightened and enriched with literary conversation and fine fellowship.)

Unconsciously I must have known that the Granola Boys would need Willow because I had intended on taking her, you know--the camera, with me. But alas I forgot.

It appears that Hottie Hubby had some fun taking pictures while I was gone, though.




Much to my delight, I returned home to find out that they boys had indeed completed their challenge of constructing a cup holder for this past week's Instant Challenge (over at Delightful Learning).


Now, the details on this challenge are a little shady, because the pictures left on the camera incline me to believe that they had a crazy photo shoot instead of an Instant Challenge. Therefore, I am only sharing you the edited photos so that it looks like the challenge was done under a form of adult structure.


The task was to hold two cups up as high as possible using the prescribed materials. As ususal, though the norm for us, we did things a little bit differently. OK . . .the whole entire event was altered. But they used the materials, minus the time frame being imposed, and had a little help.

I understand that the structure did hold. However, it would blow over should a wolf come along and huff and puff.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

30 Days of Thanks: Days 24 & 25

Conny, over at From the Heart of My "Haus" is celebrating 30 days of Thanks during the month of November. Be sure to visit her blog and link up with us as we celebrate God's goodness.

Photobucket

I am thankful for . . .

  1. Little boys who like to make up games. For example, I have mentioned the game "Runaway Hot dog" that is often played in our household after dinner of an evening. Some cute little boy pretends he is a hot dog (beef and all-natural, of course) that runs away from its bun. Said bun (Hottie Hubby) chases after the runaway hot dog so that he can put some (fermented) ketchup on cute living hot dog. However, on our way home from co-op last night, we decided to come up with all sorts of different "runaway" games. Runaway grass. Runaway carrot. Runaway baby. Runaway steering wheel. Runaway butter. Runaway Christmas tree. Even runaway turkey. I felt especially creative when Mr. Smackdown complimented me by saying, "Oh, that was a good one, Mommy."
  2. Co-op and our yummy food we pick up at J and J's house.
  3. Christmas lights.
  4. Christmas music.
  5. the Hottie Hubby who bikes to work and still manages to get home at normal time.
  6. the amazing beef stew that I made for dinner last night and had for lunch this afternoon. For some reason, the recipe had me include tapicoa. I have no idea why, but it sure was good.
  7. I worked out. Jullian and I are going to become good buddies.
  8. Biggest Loser was on last night.
  9. We changed Nemo's water.
  10. Craft time with the boys was super duper fun.
And now for another 10 for today . . .

  1. Curious George was an hour long Christmas special.
  2. My friend Tina came over EARLY this morning. We had chai, fellowship, good conversation, and she helped me run my daycare . . . I mean take care of my kids.
  3. A new diaper arrived in the mail from Earth Angel Diaper Company. Click on the link to see what it is! Tell me what you want to know about it. Better yet, buy something from it so I can get some more free stuff! (Hint, hint!)
  4. The Hottie Hubby is mine, mine, mine for 4 days!
  5. My MIL and FIL delivered a Starbucks to my front door and took all 3 boys out on a lunch date.
  6. I don't have to make dinner tonight. We have enough leftovers.
  7. It is Thanksgiving tomorrow.
  8. Biggest Loser is on again tonight.
  9. Mr. Smackdown and I snuggled this morning reading Clubhouse Jr. from Focus on the Family.
  10. God loves me.
  11. I decided to not be legalistic. Yes, I commited to writing 30 posts for 30 days of being thankful. I am thankful. But my blog is not eternal. It may deliver and eternal message at times . . . but it is OK to not write.
  12. People made me feel good on Facebook.


Please leave a thankful comment at these lovely ladies who are also blogging about thankfulness.
Technorati Tags:

Virginia Soaps and Scents -- A Review

Well, I ummm . . . should have written this review a wee bit ago. Yikes. But it doesn’t reflect a negative opinion of Virginia Soaps and Scents, quite the opposite.

Picture64

In fact, I am very sad because the soaps are on their last suds.

October 2 003

Sadness.

I’ve been contemplating making a little purchase from Virginia Soaps to put in my own Christmas stocking. Does that reflect how much I like these soaps?

October 2 007

Because I am part of the Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Review Crew, we received these handcrafted soaps in the mail (a few months back).

October 2 013

The Granola boys were so excited to have something delivered to our house that didn’t require Mommy reading the instructions. They were allowed to have instant gratification.

October 2 008

Literally, they were given a hands-on experience that immediately produced glorious results through the medium of suds, delicious aromas, and personally choosing what soap went in what bathroom.

October 2 018

This was a very unique product review because normally through the Crew we look at curriculum to be used in the “classroom.” However, Virginia Hand Soaps is an example of the “classroom” being applied in real life.

The story behind Virginia Soaps is quite unique and inspiring. The Spargurs are:

a homeschooling family with nine children living in rural Virginia. Our interest in soap making began with a history lesson and developed into an artistic passion. Our soaps are made with all natural oils – no added chemicals. Each bar is hand cut, so no two are exactly the same.

In the sample pack we received there were mini bars of Oatmeal & Milk & Honey Soap, Fresh Orange Soap, Coconut Lemongrass Soap, a Ginger Lime Shampoo Bar, and a Laundry Soap Kit.

October 2 015

We typically have foamy soap in our bathrooms, so it was novel for the boys to actually use a bar to wash their hands. I will admit that it has been difficult to keep the sink “deck” free of soap scum. However, after perusing the Virginia Soap website, I noticed that they sell a “handmade white poplar tray that will keep your soap high and dry for only $2.50!”

I have been impressed with how long our hand soap has lasted in the bathroom—at least double the length of time that our soap pump produces suds. So, if I purchased a Christmas scented hand soap from Virginia Soap, I could be reminded of Jesus well into March for $4.50 (a dollar less than the soap pump we go through each month)! That is a savings indeed!

October 2 014

I would strongly encourage you to visit the Virginia Soaps and Scents website to learn about the history of soap, the production process behind Virginia Soap, and learn about their VERY UNIQUE shampoo bar!

I loved this review and the products we received from Virginia Soaps and Scents. You better believe that I am going to try and find any excuse to purchase from this neat homeschooling family!

Click on the Homeschool Crew banner to read other reviews on this product

As a member of the Homeschool Crew, I was given this product to review, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are delightfully mine.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Tropical Traditions -- Arnica Massage Oil Winner

Tina Allen, from Liddle Kidz, contacted me last week and offered to share some helpful infant massage techniques. She read what I had to say about my experience with infant massage and wanted to share further information . . . better information . . . . because what I am about to relay to you (before I announce the winner of the Tropical Traditions Arnica Massage Oil) are step by step instructions for a thorough baby massage. And the exciting thing for me is that this is how I learned!

Massage your Baby | Step by Step

Babies and children simply love to be touched. In fact, they thrive on it and it is a crucial part of their development.

Here are some easy steps so you can start using massage with your baby right now:

Getting Ready:

Before starting any massage:
  • Make sure the room is warm enough (especially if removing the baby’s clothing)
  • Relax yourself
  • Warm your hands by rubbing them together
  • Ask permission to start massage by making eye contact and verbally asking out loud “Is it okay if I give you a massage?”
Massage Time:

The Legs
If your little one is laying down facing you,
  • Start by placing your warmed hands around the top of baby’s leg at the hip
  • Cupping one leg, gently stroke downward towards the foot
  • Do not put any pressure on baby’s knee or ankle
  • Then stroke the bottom of the foot and gently hug each little toe
  • Next kiss the feet, babies love this!
  • Repeat on the opposite leg.
The Tummy
The tummy should not be massaged right after eating. If baby has not recently eaten (within 30 minutes), introduce your touch to the belly.

  • Place your hands at the belly button and move them in a clockwise motion
  • This movement can help ease the pains associated with gas, constipation and has been known to ease colic
  • The Arms
  • Repeat the same soothing strokes that we used on the legs
  • Continue massage only as long as you and baby are enjoying it. Babies are really good at letting us know when they’ve had enough.
The Back
  • Stroke the back, starting at the shoulders, over bum and down the legs, showing extra care not to put any pressure on her spine
  • Continue stroking the back a few times

End with a hug and kiss!

About Tina Allen, LMT, CPMMT, CPMT, CIMT
With over a decade of service to children and families, Tina Allen, founder of leading children’s health and nurturing touch organization Liddle Kidz™ Foundation, has become an internationally respected educator, author and expert in the field of infant and children’s massage therapy. She has appeared on TLC’s “Bringing Home Baby, NBC, PBS’ “ A Place of Our Own”, KCET and specialized training in providing massage therapy for children with special health care needs. Tina’s innovative approach to children’s health has allowed her the unique opportunity to educate families and professionals throughout the world in the many benefits of nurturing and compassionate touch.
Wasn't that great?!!

OK . . . and the winner of the Tropical Traditions Arnica Massage Oil is . . .


Dor who wrote: The essential oils used in the Arnica massage oil are the wintergreen, peppermint, clove, helichrysum, and spruce. Ummm...would be so nice on my now sore muscles.

I have emailed you! You have 48 hours to reply back to me! Congratulations!

Monday, November 23, 2009

30 Days of Thanks: Day 23

Conny, over at From the Heart of My "Haus" is celebrating 30 days of Thanks during the month of November. Be sure to visit her blog and link up with us as we celebrate God's goodness.

Photobucket

I am thankful for . . .

  1. A fun morning with my little boys making partridges, listening to the 12 Days of Christmas at least 20 times, and watching them gobble their edible pear trees (future blog post for MamaBzz!)
  2. Excited boys who jumped at the idea of going grocery shopping for Aunt Nickel. They made a care package for Nickel's kiddos and were extremely helpful at Costco.
  3. Christmas music and lots of it.
  4. A fun shopping trip with noisy boys speaking yelling the only 4 words of Spanish that they know throughout the store.
  5. Having lunch with our friends, making fake Chai for Nickel, and holding Baby Nathaniel.
  6. Managing to stay relatively calm though I was feeling slightly suffocated this afternoon.
  7. Having the ingredients necessary to make a wholesome dinner tonight at the last minute.
  8. A husband who likes my cooking, even when my children turn up their noses.
  9. A night out with some cool ladies discussing Pride and Prejudice. I feel quite sophisticated tonight. Hopefully, I will be able to share pictures with you tomorrow on Sarah's blog!
  10. Using my brain.
  11. A husband who lets me go be a literary junkie, stays at home, and completes our next Instant Challenge!

Please leave a thankful comment at these lovely ladies who are also blogging about thankfulness.
Technorati Tags:

Timberdoodle Puzzle Globe -- A Review

You may remember that Mr. Smackdown LOVES puzzles. During his rest time each day, he works on whatever 300-500 piece puzzle happens to be under construction in our bedroom on his work table. Sometimes when I resist the pull to be an adult, I join him as we hunt down the missing puzzle pieces. Our conversations are always unique and special.

So, when MamaBuzz announced the opportunity to use and review Timberdoodle's Puzzleball Globe with 96 pieces, you better bet I was all over it. We had had so much fun constructing this 3-D sphere!

PuzzleBall Globe


And to be honest, while Mr. Smackdown was super excited about the Timberdoodle Puzzleball Globe by Ravensburg, I think that I was more excited about the Timberdoodle catalog was was included in the packaging materials! I discovered that Timberdoodle is an excellent resource for homeschooling curriculum and materials.



Let me give you some further insight into the theory behind this Puzzle Globe that was passed along to me. It is interesting and worth reading.
Why Give Your Child A Puzzle To Teach Geography? Puzzles can be educational in so many ways because they stretch your child's brain and improve the way his mind solves problems. While he's solving a puzzle, he's really teaching his brain to work in new ways. As your child solves a geography puzzle he is mentally drilling himself with physical facts, such as what country goes next to the one he has just completed. Unconsciously he is making a number of associations as he searches for the next piece.


More Realistic Than A Flat Puzzle: Flat puzzles of spherical items are easier to assemble, but what if you could hone your geographical skills on something more appropriate, more true to life? Now you can with Puzzleball Globes. These sturdy plastic 3-D puzzles come in different levels suitable to be used with beginners or for a refresher for both your pre-teens and older children.

No Glue Required! Each Puzzleball Globe comes with beautiful, vibrantly-colored, and perfectly-crafted curved puzzle pieces that allow for an exact fit and are easily assembled with no glue required!! A stand is included to display your work of art, but you will have so much fun putting it together that you shouldn't be surprised if the stand gets little use!
I like this puzzle because it will "grow" with our learning. There are 2 different ways to complete this puzzle: build it in numerical order according to the numbers located on the back of the puzzle or by matching the colored pieces up. Since Mr. Smackdown had never attempted such a unique puzzle before (and I wanted to take a multi-discipline approach to this) I got out our 100's chart. We placed the numbered puzzle pieces in numerical order.



By doing so, all he had to do was grab the pieces in order to construct his globe.


He was delighted when he began to see the Puzzle Globe take shape.


Look how happy he is! (And no, this wasn't posed. My kiddos are so used to the camera they pretty much ignore Willow.)



I love the look of concentration and seeing his fingers accomplish the task that is being sorted out in his brain.


Only a few pieces left!


Done! Let's do it again!

Mr. Smackdown actually commented on how strong the globe was after it was constructed. In fact, much to my dismay he began to play ball with it and roll it around on the floor!

For children in the early grades, consider the 96-piece Puzzleball Globe. Large pieces and child-friendly graphics make this a perfect puzzle for a six-year old. Bright, colorful, and adorned with animals, your young students will get a kick out of assembling and reassembling this puzzle. The cost of this GREAT Christmas gift is $12.75 and can be purchased at Timberdoodle. (Yes, that was a plug that I didn't write . . . but I wholeheartedly agree with the statments!)

This is a Mama Buzz review. The product was provided by: Timberdoodle for this review. I do not have to purchase or return the Puzzle Globe. No way! I'm keeping it!


Sunday, November 22, 2009

30 Days of Thanks: Day 22

Connie, over at From the Heart of My "Haus" is celebrating 30 days of Thanks during the month of November. Be sure to visit her blog and link up with us as we celebrate God's goodness.

Photobucket

I am thankful for . . .

  1. I was able to sit through church and Mr. Smiley was happy in the nursery.
  2. Surprise! Got the wrong Sunday for the church lunch. It was today! Yea, didn't have to make lunch.
  3. I got to hold Baby Nathaniel, FINALLY.
  4. I also got to shush Baby Lydia for close to 1/2 hour while she slept on me during Home Fellowship.
  5. And yes . . . I finally got to attend Home Fellowship and Mr. Smiley didn't miss me until the end when he had a rather dirty diaper.
  6. The Hottie Hubby and I had an amazingly quiet Sunday afternoon while three little boys slept peacefully.
  7. The Bible College at our church produced a Christmas CD to raise funds for their mission trip. We needed to support them, of course . . . and purchased said CD. It is good and refreshing!
  8. Another beautiful day.
  9. Mr. Smackdown made me laugh today. He was upset at Mr. Me-Too for running on up ahead to ring the doorbell of a friend's house, and said, "Mr. Me-Too's not waiting for us like a familyyyyyyyyyyy!" (The extra y's denote a whinny voice.) It was too funny.
  10. My friend, Sarah, I think made yummy cookies that tasted like they had peppermint in them. They were delicious.
  11. I stared at a very cute little Baby Elias during Home Fellowship. He reminds me of Charlie Brown, except he is way cuter!
  12. I think that Hottie Hubby is an amazing Bible teacher and I was able to listen in on him tonight while he discussed Esther.


Have you entered the Tropical Traditions Arnica Massage Oil giveaway? Even my friends can enter!


Please leave a thankful comment at these lovely ladies who are also blogging about thankfulness.
Technorati Tags:

Tot School

Tot School
Mr. Me-Too is 39 Months old.

The week was rather short, as we finished up our battle with the unwanted visitor. But the little that we did do was fun . . . and it was nice to fall back in some normalcy.

The new Tot Trays were unveiled Thursday.


They spied the rescue and police men that I found at the Dollar Store. I created a bunker by painting a used dishwasher cardboard box. The goal was to get the rescue heroes to safety.


Instead of working together like normal heroes, there was a red team and a blue team.


Once everyone made it safely to shelter, we dumped them all out.


The new assignment was to line up in army formation, or a straight line.


Mr. Me-Too got very frustrated with this task because it required control over his fine motor skills (which he didn't know that) and his men kept falling.


J came and saved the day. With help, Mr. Me-Too was able to line his men up.




We colored a few different Thanksgiving printables from www.abcteach.com.


And painted using this Thanksgiving printable from Little Blots, which I had from when I taught Kindergarten.



Due to an unfortunate accident between a mug of coffee and myself, the Hottie had used some brown rice to dry out a few electronic items. Not wanting to throw the precious organic rice away, it provided a great material for a tot tray. I gave Mr. Me-Too several scoops to try his hand at and decide which was was the easiest to use.