Are You Ready For Some Football?

The girls had Back to Football Friday at school today.  Lexi won the "Most Spirited Fan" award.  They love dressing up, no matter what the occasion.  No face paint was allowed so I used a sharpie on some Band-Aids to make the eye-black.   It worked perfectly, no mess and pretty comfortable.  They have been home from school for an hour and they don't want to take them off. 

Make Your Own Hullabaloo

The most used game we own is Cranuim Hullabaloo.  It's one game that I don't mind playing with the girls and at every age they have enjoyed it.  If you haven't heard of it, there is a control box that shouts out commands like, "Spin to a triangle.", "Slither to a food.", "Put your hand on a circle and touch your nose to a red.".  There are several pads that you lay all over the floor.  You are told how to move and where to go.  It reinforces colors, shapes, and simple categories (foods, animals, and musical instruments) and encourages creativeness as well, "Winner, do a funky dance.".  We play it over and over.   

I decided to make a similar game for my preschool classroom to help with letters, numbers, shapes, and colors.  I laminated several different colors of plain construction paper and cut a circle, triangle, rectangle, and square out of each color, big enough for at least two children to stand on it at the same time.  I purposely didn't draw anything on them before I laminated because I wanted to be able to change the items that were on them to correspond to our current unit or letter.  Did you know that Sharpie stays on a laminated surface when touched but comes off easily with an eraser?  This is perfect for me to change up the playing pieces.   I placed a piece of self stick Velcro (the harder side) on the bottom of each shape so an unsuspecting student doesn't slide across the room while jumping to a green.  It doesn't make the piece completely stick to the floor but it does catch so the piece won't slide.

I was thinking of putting slips of paper with directions on them in a bowl and draw them as we go, but decided to just call out moves as we go.

Possible items to mark on the pads:

Letters (capital and lower case)

Numbers

Site Words

Anything you can draw with simple catagories.

Possible movements:

Slither

Jump

Crawl

Skip

Jump

Move sideways

Fly

Zoom

Dance

Possible commands:

Move sideways to a red.

Slither to a capital letter.

Fly to an animal.

Put your knee on a vowel, touch your nose to a square.

Crawl to a hippopotamus and join hands with as many friends as you can.

Zoom to a letter that is in your name.

You get it :)

Have fun with it!

This made up game works for me!

See more Works for Me Wednesday ideas as We Are THAT Family.

Randomness

I needed to line some baskets for my classroom so I used a pair of old pajama bottoms for the fabric.  I didn't use a patterns but kept putting things together until they were how I wanted them.  I love experimental sewing when it goes right.  It's good for the soul.

Emma found a butterfly that wouldn't let go of her.  It climbed up her arm and into her hair.  There was some squealing involved.   It had some wing damage so we don't think it is going to make it.  She put it into one of our potted herbs where it stayed for a long while.  When we came out several hours later it wasn't there.  Maybe it flew away (or maybe it was a bird's dinner.....circle of life, right?) 

Here's the special treat I gave my students on the first day of school.  I just love the square marshmallows.  They are so s'more friendly, how could you not love them?

Here is Scarlett with a picture she drew of her and her sisters (and their hermit crab, Hazel).  So cute!

The new washable dry erase markers are a mom's best friend. 

Anyone try the dry erase crayons yet?  I'm a bit skeptical.

Have You Ever Had a Fig?

I like to try new things so when Publix had their fresh figs BOGO it was time for me to try one. 

I bought two varieties because I had no idea what I was looking for or what the difference was between them.  Turns out the Kadota were much sweeter than the Brown Turkey.  I ate a few, and knowing we were going to be gone all weekend, decided to make a compote out of the rest.

I didn't use a recipe but know that balsamic vinegar is used in lots of fig recipes.  SOOOO.....I cut them up (left the skins on because they didn't seem to have a taste and they weren't tough), added a splash of balsamic, a little sugar, and a little lemon juice, then cooked them until they were the consistency I like when I add fruit to my slow cooker yogurt.  I like to make my own compotes because I can adjust the sugar.  I'm not big on store bought yogurt because even the stuff that should be good for you is so sweet.

It turned out really good and I had enough to put a jar in the freezer for later.  I love how the little seeds add a tiny bit of a crunch. 

Have you ever tried figs?  If so, how did you have them? 

100 Read & Sing Devotions

My children love music and we find it is one of the best ways for them to learn any subject matter.  We learned the books of the Bible, the state capitals, several full length plays (they also are in theater) and once they learn the song, it is not forgotten.  When I received 100 Devotions, 100 Bible Songs, created by Stephen Elkins and illustrated by Tim O'Connor, I realized it would be a hit with our family.  What better way to learn of God's ways than through song?

Fully expecting 100 short songs containing short verses, I am pleasantly surprised that the songs corresponding to the devotional topic are full length songs, some old, some new.  The book comes with 2 CDs containing them all.  There are many old favorites; "All Creatures of Our God and King", "Jesus Loves Me", "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands", the list goes on and on.  There are even some new songs we picked up right away.

Each two-page devotional has a short story, Bible verse, prayer for the day, and a few lines from the song.  Clear references to find to the corresponding song on the CD are found on each page.  The illustrations are colorful and expressive.  My girls are eager to do a devotion each day and like to listen to the CDs while they play. If you are looking for a devotional for young children or even just a Christian Children’s music CD, this does not disappoint. 
This book was sent to me by the Thomas Nelson Publishing company through their BookSneeze program in exchange for a honest review.