i just had to say...

HALLELUJAH!

just for Beth...

And if you're totally lost, this morning we watched Session4 of the Believing in God series by Beth Moore. And in her charasmatic, praise Jesus way, she commented to those of us not live in the studio audience, that you can say Hallelujah on the internet too. Just type it BIG. That's what those large fonts are for!

I hope you're believing:
God is who He says He is.
God can do what He says He can do.
I am who God says I am.
I can do all things through Christ.
God's word is alive and active in me.

Rainy Day Activities

You know you're thinking about them right about now, here's a quick list I whipped up! What do you do on rainy days??

Make a fort or tent with sheets (read books with a flashlight or play games inside)

Make a train with a cardboard box

Finger paint with shaving cream and food coloring on a cookie sheet

Turn on some music and have a dance party; play freeze dance

Blow up balloons and play hockey or volleyball

Bake: anything!

Pour/Scoop/Measure: use a shoe box or similar container and dump some Rice/Beans or popcorn kernals in it, add spoons, measuring cups, strainers, etc (this requires supervision)

Collages: make paper plate collages with whatever you have on hand, cut up paper, tissue paper, cotton balls, and glue on a paper plate

Handprint/Footprint art: if you have butcher paper they can make feet trails or just use whatever paper you have!

Make Greeting Cards for the next holiday

Jewelry: Cheerios/FruitLoops necklaces/bracelets on string or pipe cleaner

Count the house: count all the windows/doors/beds/chairs/sinks/etc.

Bath/Bubbles: let him blow bubbles in the bathtub or take a bath

Doggy scavenger hunt: if you have a dog, hide some treats and then let him loose to find them

disney.go.com/preschool has games and videos

The Parenting Box

My parenting box refers to the resources (ideas, activities, tools, etc.) I've gathered to help me parent better. One of my favorite resources is a list of tried and true activities used when the kids are fussy or cranky or just need to be pointed in another playful direction.

Now I'm sure you never run out of things to do in your house. You likely have endless ideas and enthusiasm for playing and teaching your children - and if that's really the case....well, can I come live with you? But around here and at certain times of the year (like tax season!), my days seem really long. And I find myself wondering what am I supposed to do with these children?

Enter parenting box. It took some deliberate thought and lots of inquiries to build up my parenting box. And I'm so very grateful to every parent out there that helped me fill this box as its been a HUGE help to me as a parent.

Below you'll find 5 of my favorite, tried and true activities:

1. Bubbles - seems to be a great activity at any stage and works year round.

2. Rice/Beans/Pasta/Oatmeal Box - Take a fairly good size plastic storage box (mine is about the size of a shoe box) and fill it with your choice (or whatever is handy in your kitchen cupboards) of rice, beans, pasta or oatmeal. You can use a little food dye on all but the beans if you'd like which can make it even more fun. Include something to scoop, pour and fill. Dixie cups, old laundry detergent scoops, measuring spoons, etc. The younger the child the more hands-on supervision you'll need to provide - but these items are edible, so a taste here or there won't hurt. I started this when my first was about 18months, and she still pulls it out to play with.

3. Build a fort - now this comes with a warning. Once you do it once, be prepared you'll be asked to do it again, and again and again. Forts are big in my house, and you can make 'em out of all sorts of things, a couple of chairs with a sheet thrown over for one. When I was a kid, I used use the couch cushions as walls and make a couch fort - hours of fun! I think Emma was about 3 before I discovered this fun activity, but Audrey loves it too at just over 1.

4. Bathtime - sometimes we take more than one bath a day. Because bathtime, makes everyone happier. Our current favorite bath toys are rubber ducky's so of course we've got about a dozen different shapes and sizes we've collected here and there. But we've also had lots of fun with a couple of tupperware containers and a washcloth or two. Bubbles, bath confetti and bath dyes are also favorite special treats.

5. Cleaning with baby wipes - not only is this a great activity, but it teaches them hardwork, works on coordination, and saves you time. Both my kids love to take a babywipe to the kitchen cabinets or the floor. They'll "help" me clean almost anything I put in front of them. Just be sure to limit the number of wipes they can use or invest in the baby wipes industry.

So what's your favorite tried-and-true-never-fails-to-kick-the-fuss-right-out-the-door activity? Would you post it in the comments section so we can all grow our parenting box a little bit more?

Pick Your Own Oranges: Sat January 9 - 9am to 10am @ Heritage Park, La Verne
Saturdays starting January 9 until March 13
5001 Via De Mansion, La Verne

Tortilla Time: Family Fun Class @ the Arboretum - Sat. January 30, 10am - noon
$10 per member family/$12 non-member family, pre-registration required

Snow Day - Fri. February 19th, 5:30 - 8pm, Finkbiner Park, $6

Butterfly Brigade: Family Fun Class @ the Arboretum - Sat. March 20, 10am - noon
$10 per member family/$12 non-member family, pre-registration required

Spring Egg Hunt - Sat. April 3rd
Activities begin at 9am @ Finkbiner and Dawson Parks, Egg Hunt @ 10am

Grateful Monday

The gifts have been given, the decorations are put away, the 2010 goals have been made, the girls and I are reluctantly going back to our regular schedule and Jon headed back into the office this morning. I am always sad to see the holidays go, because I love the awe and joy and gratefulness that surrounds them, and the time spent with family and friends rejoicing. But mostly I'm sad to see them go because it means transition is around the corner.

Every January is a month of transitions in our house. Not only do we transition back into the regular daily routine following a vacation, but we begin to transition into tax season. We send Daddy back to work after having him home all the time, and as the weeks progress his hours will become longer and his work week will go from 5 to 6 days. It's hard on each of us in its own way, each year being different too.

And then it hit me. Like a billboard. Gratitude. The things in life that are hard to deal with are often things I could turn into gratitude. So this morning I am grateful, today I choose gratitude. I'll be taking time this year to record something I'm grateful for each day, and I know it will do me good to start off this season of transition with a little bit of gratitude.

I am grateful for today. I am grateful for another day to spend with my kids teaching them, playing with them and loving on them. I am grateful my husband has a job he loves and excels at, and I am grateful it provides enough for me to stay home. Thank you Lord for these things and all your blessings day to day, help me to recognize and remember them over the next few weeks, when the days are long and we all miss Daddy.

What are you grateful for on this Monday?

Psalm 136: 3-4
³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.
⁴ to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever.