Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Easter Ideas
Easter is fast approaching and I'm trying to keep ahead on all the holidays this year. Life is great when you make celebrations simple, fun, and frequent!
I had heard of Easter Story Cookies before but kept forgetting to find the instructions. Today I found them at ideadoor.com. We are really trying to refocus Christmas and Easter for our families and teach our children the importance of the Savior in our lives. I thought this would be a fun and memorable way to teach them about Christ's death and resurrection. I wanted to post it in case anyone else wanted to try it. Let me know how it goes!
Easter Story Cookies
To be made the evening before Easter
1c. whole pecans
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1c. sugar
zipper baggie
wooden spoon
tape
Bible
Preheat oven to 300 F.
Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested the Roman soldiers beat him.
Read John 19:1-3.
Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink.
Read John 19:28-30.
Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.
Read John 10:10-11.
Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.
Read Luke 23:27.
So far the ingredients are not very appetizing.
Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him.
Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16.
Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed.
Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isa. 1:18 and John 3:1-3.
Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.
Read Matt. 27:57-60.
Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed.
Read Matt. 7:65-66
GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.
Read John 16:20 and 22.
On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.
Read Matt. 28:1-9
I had heard of Easter Story Cookies before but kept forgetting to find the instructions. Today I found them at ideadoor.com. We are really trying to refocus Christmas and Easter for our families and teach our children the importance of the Savior in our lives. I thought this would be a fun and memorable way to teach them about Christ's death and resurrection. I wanted to post it in case anyone else wanted to try it. Let me know how it goes!
Easter Story Cookies
To be made the evening before Easter
1c. whole pecans
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1c. sugar
zipper baggie
wooden spoon
tape
Bible
Preheat oven to 300 F.
Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested the Roman soldiers beat him.
Read John 19:1-3.
Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink.
Read John 19:28-30.
Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.
Read John 10:10-11.
Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.
Read Luke 23:27.
So far the ingredients are not very appetizing.
Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him.
Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16.
Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed.
Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isa. 1:18 and John 3:1-3.
Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.
Read Matt. 27:57-60.
Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed.
Read Matt. 7:65-66
GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.
Read John 16:20 and 22.
On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.
Read Matt. 28:1-9
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Easter Hat!
Maybe it's a little early, but I was in the mood to decorate for spring. So I pulled out the spring/Easter stuff yesterday. Esther immediately attached herself to her Easter basket (care of Aunt Alissa a couple years ago). This morning it became a hat. I just love Esther's wild morning hair and Nathan's "I have a funny feeling you're laughing at me" look.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Something to think about...
As Nathan has nearly outgrown his carseat, we have been contemplating switching him to Esther's seat and getting her a booster seat. It seems that is the thing to do. But as I was researching, I came upon this website - a foundation created by the parents of a three year old boy who was killed while riding in his booster. Their research later told them that if he had continued to be riding in a five point harness seat, his life would have been spared.
Now, I'm not trying to be a voice of doom and gloom, and you may not agree with their research, but I wanted to give you a chance to think about it. I think we'll probably get a bigger five point harness seat for Esther.
Check out their site and see what you think! http://www.kyledavidmiller.org/pages/home/index.htm
Now, I'm not trying to be a voice of doom and gloom, and you may not agree with their research, but I wanted to give you a chance to think about it. I think we'll probably get a bigger five point harness seat for Esther.
Check out their site and see what you think! http://www.kyledavidmiller.org/pages/home/index.htm
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Cute Videos
Esther's favorite way of introducing herself is "Hi, my name is Esther. I'm the princess." Fortunately for us, she's a sweet, twirling, whirling, singing her heart out sort of princess, not the world revolves around me, diva type of princess. She gets off in her own little world and I just had to capture a moment of it. Can you guess what song she's singing? It's a little out of season, to give you a hint.
And here's our little boy being very much a little boy, grunting and going about his business of learning to walk. He loves being up on his feet and moving around. This is definitely the toy of choice right now - for both kids. Esther thinks it's a stroller and takes her Yellow Bear for walks.
And here's our little boy being very much a little boy, grunting and going about his business of learning to walk. He loves being up on his feet and moving around. This is definitely the toy of choice right now - for both kids. Esther thinks it's a stroller and takes her Yellow Bear for walks.
Monday, February 9, 2009
25 Random Things
Inspired by Niki's fun post, I decided to make my own 25 random things list. Enjoy!
1. I love to play dress up and pretend. Costume parties, fancy balls, period clothes, acting, drama - I love it. My opportunities seem fewer and far between nowadays, but I take the chance whenever I can. I can't wait for Esther to get more into this!
2. I have a dent in my left cheek. It was from falling into an orchestra pit. Enough said.
3. I am not a morning person - at all. This is greatly exacerbated by being up all night with a baby. While dating Daron, my mom knew that I really liked him because I actually went running with him early in the morning a couple days a week! I also don't like running.
4. Though I am not perfect punctuationist (is that a word?), I try hard to obey the rules of punctuation and get annoyed when other people don't.
5. I have a temper and I am working on changing that.
6. I love writing in my journal. It helps me to sort out my feelings and emotions, it's a place to record my experiences, and it keeps me from feeling too guilty about not practicing my writing.
7. I didn't get my driver's license until I was 19.
8. I am a book snob. Classical literature is my addiction. I have read all of Charles Dickens' major novels and have enjoyed all of them. I distrust and dislike modern fiction and therefore read very little of it, with the exception of young adult literature. Some of my favorites there are The Series of Unfortunate Events and the Artemis Fowl series.
9. Coloring with Esther is one of my favorite things to do. There is something quiet and peaceful about coloring.
10. I would love to attend culinary arts school. Not that I want a job as a professional cook - no way! But I love to cook and would love to know more technique. I love good food from all over the globe. But mostly, I love that my husband enjoys almost everything I cook.
11. I love my children's personalities. Nathan is in that excited, squirmy, squealy, crawling, have places to go, things to do, slobbering, have to touch and put everything into his mouth stage that is absolutely adorable. Esther is incredibly smart and memorizes songs and quotes shows. She's not even three yet and already acts out scenes from her shows that she likes and quotes them! She has such an outgoing personality and makes new friends so easily. I wish I could be more like that.
12. I have nice handwriting. I get it from my mother. And I don't mind being complimented on it. Is that prideful?
13. I love to travel. Some of my favorite memories growing up were made while traveling cross country with my family, which we did at least half a dozen times. Why travel? To see historical sites and get a glimpse into the past, sample food from other countries, enjoy the different kinds of beauty that the world offers, and understand something of the people that live there or the person(s) we are visiting.
14. I served a mission for my church in Taiwan. I spoke Mandarin Chinese and rode a bike in a skirt. It was one of the hardest, but most rewarding things I've ever done. It was amazing to see people change when they gained an understanding of and a belief in Christ and his teachings. I love Chinese and am so sad that with so few opportunities to speak it, it's beginning to fade from my mind.
15. I was born in the wrong time period. How often I long to have lived in another era when things were quieter, more dignified, and simpler. But I can never choose which era I'd live in. So I guess it's a good thing I was born in this one where, through books, costumes, and period dramas, I can enjoy something from each of them!
16. I can't stand eating something out of a styrofoam cup with a plastic spoon. It's like fingernails on a chalkboard to me.
17. Guilty pleasures: staying up all night reading, sharing a far too expensive but very tasty Odwalla drink with Esther after grocery shopping, Italian sausage, cheese, ice cream (especially anything thick with peanut butter, chocolate, and the gooey goodness of brownies or caramel), and fabulous fine dining (alas, only once in a great while), and indulging in 3-4 hour period dramas while snuggling with hubby.
18. I must have trees where I live. When I don't, I feel out of place and vulnerable. Hence, my favorite places to have lived thus far are MA and VA.
19. If I could afford it, I'd hire a maid to come in and deep clean my house once a week. I keep a fairly clean and organized house, but cannot stand the deep cleaning part of housecleaning. You know, mopping the floor, cleaning the floorboards, washing the windows, dusting the nooks and crannies... Yuck.
20. People watching is one of my favorite pasttimes. It's such fun to see what people do when they think no one is looking.
21. I am a hopeless romantic. That's why I married a lawyer... I guess... :-)
22. Speaking of my sweet husband, he wouldn't propose until I'd burped in front of him!
23. I am very blessed to be able to have many of dreams come true. I attended the college of my choice, I served a mission like I'd wanted to do since I was five, I got married to a wonderful man, I have two beautiful children, and I am fortunate to be able to stay home with them.
24. I love being Italian. And I love that Daron is Jewish. Between our heritages, we have come up with some darn cute kids, eat great food, and celebrate some amazing holidays. What a winning combination!
25. Finally, a cute random picture of me when I was probably about Esther's age. We really don't look much alike. She is all Daddy's girl!
1. I love to play dress up and pretend. Costume parties, fancy balls, period clothes, acting, drama - I love it. My opportunities seem fewer and far between nowadays, but I take the chance whenever I can. I can't wait for Esther to get more into this!
2. I have a dent in my left cheek. It was from falling into an orchestra pit. Enough said.
3. I am not a morning person - at all. This is greatly exacerbated by being up all night with a baby. While dating Daron, my mom knew that I really liked him because I actually went running with him early in the morning a couple days a week! I also don't like running.
4. Though I am not perfect punctuationist (is that a word?), I try hard to obey the rules of punctuation and get annoyed when other people don't.
5. I have a temper and I am working on changing that.
6. I love writing in my journal. It helps me to sort out my feelings and emotions, it's a place to record my experiences, and it keeps me from feeling too guilty about not practicing my writing.
7. I didn't get my driver's license until I was 19.
8. I am a book snob. Classical literature is my addiction. I have read all of Charles Dickens' major novels and have enjoyed all of them. I distrust and dislike modern fiction and therefore read very little of it, with the exception of young adult literature. Some of my favorites there are The Series of Unfortunate Events and the Artemis Fowl series.
9. Coloring with Esther is one of my favorite things to do. There is something quiet and peaceful about coloring.
10. I would love to attend culinary arts school. Not that I want a job as a professional cook - no way! But I love to cook and would love to know more technique. I love good food from all over the globe. But mostly, I love that my husband enjoys almost everything I cook.
11. I love my children's personalities. Nathan is in that excited, squirmy, squealy, crawling, have places to go, things to do, slobbering, have to touch and put everything into his mouth stage that is absolutely adorable. Esther is incredibly smart and memorizes songs and quotes shows. She's not even three yet and already acts out scenes from her shows that she likes and quotes them! She has such an outgoing personality and makes new friends so easily. I wish I could be more like that.
12. I have nice handwriting. I get it from my mother. And I don't mind being complimented on it. Is that prideful?
13. I love to travel. Some of my favorite memories growing up were made while traveling cross country with my family, which we did at least half a dozen times. Why travel? To see historical sites and get a glimpse into the past, sample food from other countries, enjoy the different kinds of beauty that the world offers, and understand something of the people that live there or the person(s) we are visiting.
14. I served a mission for my church in Taiwan. I spoke Mandarin Chinese and rode a bike in a skirt. It was one of the hardest, but most rewarding things I've ever done. It was amazing to see people change when they gained an understanding of and a belief in Christ and his teachings. I love Chinese and am so sad that with so few opportunities to speak it, it's beginning to fade from my mind.
15. I was born in the wrong time period. How often I long to have lived in another era when things were quieter, more dignified, and simpler. But I can never choose which era I'd live in. So I guess it's a good thing I was born in this one where, through books, costumes, and period dramas, I can enjoy something from each of them!
16. I can't stand eating something out of a styrofoam cup with a plastic spoon. It's like fingernails on a chalkboard to me.
17. Guilty pleasures: staying up all night reading, sharing a far too expensive but very tasty Odwalla drink with Esther after grocery shopping, Italian sausage, cheese, ice cream (especially anything thick with peanut butter, chocolate, and the gooey goodness of brownies or caramel), and fabulous fine dining (alas, only once in a great while), and indulging in 3-4 hour period dramas while snuggling with hubby.
18. I must have trees where I live. When I don't, I feel out of place and vulnerable. Hence, my favorite places to have lived thus far are MA and VA.
19. If I could afford it, I'd hire a maid to come in and deep clean my house once a week. I keep a fairly clean and organized house, but cannot stand the deep cleaning part of housecleaning. You know, mopping the floor, cleaning the floorboards, washing the windows, dusting the nooks and crannies... Yuck.
20. People watching is one of my favorite pasttimes. It's such fun to see what people do when they think no one is looking.
21. I am a hopeless romantic. That's why I married a lawyer... I guess... :-)
22. Speaking of my sweet husband, he wouldn't propose until I'd burped in front of him!
23. I am very blessed to be able to have many of dreams come true. I attended the college of my choice, I served a mission like I'd wanted to do since I was five, I got married to a wonderful man, I have two beautiful children, and I am fortunate to be able to stay home with them.
24. I love being Italian. And I love that Daron is Jewish. Between our heritages, we have come up with some darn cute kids, eat great food, and celebrate some amazing holidays. What a winning combination!
25. Finally, a cute random picture of me when I was probably about Esther's age. We really don't look much alike. She is all Daddy's girl!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Frustrated Yet Grateful
The kids and I left the house just after 10am this morning, looking forward to a trip to the orange store, as Esther calls it. You may be thinking Home Depot, but it's actually Garden Ridge (Think JoAnn, Michaels, and The Christmas Tree Shop rolled into one - fabulous!).
We had just merged onto the freeway when I noticed the temperature gauge climbing. Our radiator hose had burst a few weeks ago and we'd had it repaired so this new development surprised me. After several stops to let the engine cool, I realized it very well may take us five years to get to the mechanic, so I called our trusty USAA roadside assistance for a pick up. Between Esther's antics and Nathan's crying in the backseat, and my frustration in the car, I gave the wrong location for the pick up! Fortunately, I was able to pull myself together, call them back, and rearrange things.
It took almost an hour for the tow truck to get us. And a friend came to take the kids and myself home. So, nearly two hours after we'd left the house, we were back, having spent the entire time just sitting. There went my plans for the day and I was so frustrated by the whole situation, I wanted to join Nathan in crying.
Later as I pondered, I realized that I really didn't have much to complain about and started realizing it could have been a whole lot worse and I should be grateful. Grateful that it wasn't too hot or cold outside, grateful that we hadn't been in an accident, grateful that I had a fully charged cell phone and all the numbers and information I needed with me, grateful that my friend was available to pick us up, grateful for USAA (seriously, they have great customer service), and now I'm grateful that my kids are both down for naps and I have some quiet time to get a few things done!
Why is it so hard to see the good in a situation when you're in it? But much easier after it's over? I guess it's better late than never, right?
We had just merged onto the freeway when I noticed the temperature gauge climbing. Our radiator hose had burst a few weeks ago and we'd had it repaired so this new development surprised me. After several stops to let the engine cool, I realized it very well may take us five years to get to the mechanic, so I called our trusty USAA roadside assistance for a pick up. Between Esther's antics and Nathan's crying in the backseat, and my frustration in the car, I gave the wrong location for the pick up! Fortunately, I was able to pull myself together, call them back, and rearrange things.
It took almost an hour for the tow truck to get us. And a friend came to take the kids and myself home. So, nearly two hours after we'd left the house, we were back, having spent the entire time just sitting. There went my plans for the day and I was so frustrated by the whole situation, I wanted to join Nathan in crying.
Later as I pondered, I realized that I really didn't have much to complain about and started realizing it could have been a whole lot worse and I should be grateful. Grateful that it wasn't too hot or cold outside, grateful that we hadn't been in an accident, grateful that I had a fully charged cell phone and all the numbers and information I needed with me, grateful that my friend was available to pick us up, grateful for USAA (seriously, they have great customer service), and now I'm grateful that my kids are both down for naps and I have some quiet time to get a few things done!
Why is it so hard to see the good in a situation when you're in it? But much easier after it's over? I guess it's better late than never, right?
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