Raising Multiples
Teaching Our Children: About Solar and Lunar Eclipses
Jake teaching the girls about eclipses!
Recently the girls were learning about eclipses for their science unit in school. Even though we had studied that section for a couple days they were not consistently getting the concept. Jake came up with a great visual tool to demonstrate the solar and lunar eclipses so that the girls to remember it more easily. Thankful for a husband who is creative and invests time in teaching our kids! Thanks Babe!
The orange is the moon and the balloon is the Earth. We used a flashlight for the sun!
For kids who are visual learners this is an easy way to help them grasp the differences between a solar and lunar eclipse!
We shut off the room lights so they could see how the sun (flashlight), moon (orange), and Earth (balloon) aligned to make a solar and lunar eclipse.
Solar Eclipse:
During a solar eclipse the Moon will cast a shadow on the Earth. When a solar eclipse happens the moon is in between the sun and the Earth. You can demonstrate this by placing the moon (orange) between the sun (flashlight) and the Earth (balloon). When the Moon is between the Earth and Sun it will block some of the sun from hitting the Earth and cast a shadow. Only the people directly in the shadow can see the entire eclipse of the Sun.
Lunar Eclipse:
During a lunar eclipse the Earth will cast a shadow on the Moon, therefore no light will be hitting the Moon. The Earth will cast a shadow on the Moon because it is between the Sun and the Moon. You can demonstrate this by placing the Earth (balloon) between the Sun (flashlight) and the Moon (orange). Since the Earth is bigger than the Moon the entire Moon will be in its shadow. Anyone on Earth that is on the night side can see the lunar eclipse.
If you really want to “show” the kids more about the Solar and Lunar Eclipse you may be able to catch the next one depending on where you are located and if the weather cooperates for you!
Next Lunar Eclipse: Saturday, April 4, 2015 – It will be a Total Lunar Eclipse and will be visible before dawn from the Pacific Ocean, Americas, Asia, and Australia.
Next Solar Eclipse: Friday, March 20, 2015 – It will be Total Solar Eclipse and will be visible from Iceland, Europe, North Africa, and Northern Asia (unfortunately, we will not be able to see it in North America). It looks like the next one we’ll see from the United States will be on August 21, 2017 which will be visible from North America and South America.
Gift Giving: Amazon Baby Registry
We have several family and friends who are expecting little ones in the near future! YAY!!! So happy for these dear people and the newest additions to their families. Some of them are having their very first babies while others they are expanding their families even more.
There is a lot of excitement and planning that goes into having a baby. One of the fun events is picking out the various items for the new baby and creating a baby registry. When I was pregnant with the twins I was unable to do the traditional Baby Registry due to 12 weeks of permanent bedrest. I had to rely on family and friends to be my eyes and ears at the store and the rest of the items I had to pick out online. Thankfully there are so many great options for expectant Moms now such as Amazon’s Baby Registry.
If you are looking for an easy and convenient way to set up your Baby Registry try out Amazon’s Baby Registry. It doesn’t matter where your family and friends are located they can easily purchase an item specific for your little one and have it sent directly to you (which can save on the shipping cost).
Here are some great benefits to having an Amazon Baby Registry:
- 10% Discount on Select Items Remaining on you Baby Registry
- 15% Discount if you are an Amazon Mom member
- Universal – anyone that is anywhere with internet connection to access the Baby Registry (convenient when you have family and friends spread out all over the world)!
- Returns are FREE for 90 days
- Add anything from any Online Store to the Baby Registry
- Easily Find & Track Items You Need for Your New Baby
- Browse the most popular baby registry gifts
- Find lists of top-rated baby products
- Gifts can be shipped to your designated Amazon Baby Registry Address
- Automatically generated Thank You list provides everything you need to send your gift-giver a thank-you note
- FREE Super Saver Shipping
- Created and Updated from the convenience of your own home (which is great perk for those who experience bedrest during pregnancy)!
It only takes a few minutes to set up an Amazon’s Baby Registry and you can add items as you need to throughout your pregnancy. Congratulations!!! Wishing you many wonderful blessings as you prepare for your sweet precious one!
My Sweet Cleaning Crew
Mopping the kitchen floor!
Every day I am reminded of how blessed I am. The other day one of the kids made a mess on the floor and I asked them to vacuum it up. The next thing I knew both girls were vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, and cleaning the house. They started with cleaning up their little mess, but continued on into the kitchen sweeping and mopping the floor. Next they went on to clean the bathrooms.
I cannot tell you how it makes my heart happy to see the kids willingly cleaning up not only their mess, but cleaning up other areas of the house. While this happens more often now that they are getting older it is not always the case. Sometimes when I ask them to pick up an item that they got out or clean up a mess they made you would think I asked them to move Mt. Everest with all the grumbling…..
When they do get into the cleaning zone it is amazing how much they can accomplish in just an hour or two. Thankful for my sweet cleaning crew and their willingness to pitch in to keep the house in a more livable condition. My husband is wonderful about pitching in to cook, clean, or fix items around the house too. I am blessed!
Scrubbing the floor!
First Lego League: Robotics STEM Competition – Solar SySTEM!
Very excited! Their team won a 1st place Trophy and a Gold Ticket to the SC State Robotics Competition!
The girls Solar SySTEM Lego Robotics STEM Club team went to the regional competitions this past weekend! It was a long and busy Saturday day. We left the house before sun up so we could be in Seneca by 7:20 am and didn’t get home until after 6 pm that night. The girls team had several rounds at the competition. They were scored in multiple areas and did well!
Three rounds of their robot completing tasks on the map which they scored pretty high on. Another part of the competition was their core values which is their team spirit and how they interact with the other teams. They have to give a presentation on this piece as well in front of the judges. Another piece of the competition was their research, project, and presentation which the kids presented in front of the judges on their own. They won the first place trophy in this category (on their research, project, and presentation).
The work is done by the students from the logo design, research, development, presentations, and so much more! The team worked so well together and put in a lot of hours working on their research, development, robotics, and project. They do the majority of their work in front of the judges with no coaches or parents in the room (we can’t even watch, but thankfully they had it video taped). The only piece the parents and coaches can watch is the one when they do their robotic map missions otherwise they are on their own once in the room and in front of the judges.
The team pick a solar system theme. They named their team the Solar SySTEM and the catch phrase is “Stay in Orbit”! The research project they decided to do was to build a computer game that would help kids learn more about the solar system. They named their robot, SpaceBot!
It was a super busy and long day for the kids, but they were awesome. There were 21 teams competing that day so it was a real honor to win a trophy and get the opportunity to move forward. Their hard work really paid off with the trophy and qualifying for the SC Competition! WooHoo! Very proud of the girls and their team!
Playing a hangman game before competition starts!
Karlie all smiles after the first robotic map round when they scored all 100 points!
Their robot going through the tasks on the map!
Brina hanging up their spirit posters.
Their team going through the tasks on the robot map!
Watching carefully to make sure the robot goes through all its tasks!
Gathering some of the props for their presentation!
Karlie ready to go speak!
Coming back after their presentation! They rocked it and got the 1st place trophy!!!
Getting their trophy!
Karlie with Mrs. Johnson one of their coaches who also teaches STEM Lab and her GT class!
Solar SySTEM team and coaches! They did AWESOME!!!
“Thinking of You” Star Balloon!
One of my daughters had a minor surgery (she got a set of tubes put in her ears) a couple weeks ago. Her sister wanted to pick up a get well balloon for her for after the surgery. We went to the Dollar Store and she picked out a balloon that she thought would “make her smile”.
Instead of the traditional get well balloon she got a star balloon because her sister loves anything related to space. The balloon was a big hit and is still floating above her bed even now. It amazes me how long the Dollar Tree balloons can stay up!
This little gesture of kindness, from sister to sister, reminds me of how thankful I am for kids who are thoughtful and loving (most days) towards their family members. Sometimes it’s the little things you do or acts of kindness that make the biggest impact on the lives of others. We need to do more acts of kindness to show we care for our family, friends, and those around us. It only takes a little effort from us, but it may go a long way in lifting someone’s spirits, much like this balloon lifted my daughter’s spirits.
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
It was a great week. The girls had a crazy schedule with Lego STEM Robotics competition (FLL – First Lego League) and extra practice this week on top of all the regular activities. They did a FANTASTIC job at their regional competition! Their team won the 1st place trophy for their project, research, and presentation. They also won the GOLD TICKET which means they are going on to State Competition! WooHoo! Very proud of the kids and all the hard work they have done this year. Go Solar SySTEM!!!
I had a few extra external activities this week, but was able to make some good progress on other projects at home. Starting to feel a little better so hoping to resume the majority of my normal activities and get a lot accomplished. Although, I over did it one day last week and I paid for it for 2 days afterward so hopefully I can make a lot of progress forward without over doing it with my neck. Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
- Finish reading Where the Red Fern Grows to the kids – continuing to read it to the kids (didn’t get to read every night with all the extra activities and homework)
Plan one special activity with the familyPlay a Game with the KidsPrepare for Upcoming Winter EventsSpend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night beforeSTEM Competition
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each day- Continue my YouVersion plan(s) – narrowing down plan options
Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – it took me a little over a day with all the activities
Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the weekUse up food items in our pantry and freezer- Clean House (Focus – Basement) – made some progress
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Pantry) – working on it
Yard Cleanup (Focus – Clean Up Old Storage Shed)Pet Care (Focus – Find a New Location for Skipper’s Doghouse)
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsRespond to Inquiry – Business Relation EmailsKeep up with the day to day items that need my attentionWork completed for clients
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – working on it
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt)- working on it
Pay Bills & File PaperworkGo grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Finish reading Where the Red Fern Grows to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Prepare for Upcoming Winter Events
- Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
- Use up food items in our pantry and freezer
- Clean House (Focus – Master Bedroom & Master Bathroom)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Kitchen)
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Leaves)
- Pet Care (Focus – Fix the Goat Fence)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work completed for clients
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car
- Sale Some Items No Longer Using on Facebook / Craigslist
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true. When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals. Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick). Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.
Why Share My Goals?
- To keep me accountable
- To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
- To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
- Create healthy habits in my life
- To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn
How did you do this week on your goals? Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.
The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.
Dirty Rocks + Rock Tumbler = Shiny Gems
It’s amazing how having kids can open your eyes to so many things, including learning more about yourself, life, and God. A couple years ago my cousin got the girls a rock tumbler. They LOVE it and are always on the look out for neat rocks (yes, my girls love rocks). On numerous trips, hikes, or walking through the yard they can be found collecting various rocks to run through the tumbler. It is a great activity for kids and can be a neat teaching tool as well.
The rock tumbling process goes something like this……
- Find a variety of dirty average looking small rocks
- Put them through the tumbler to remove all the grit and smooth out the rough edges
- Polish them
The whole process takes days and seems forever for the kids, but the end result is something beautiful and well worth the wait.
Recently, I came across a bag of rocks while I was cleaning. I had to smile knowing exactly why one of my ziploc bags had been used to stash a handful of ordinary, dull, and plain rocks. The girls know that even though they look like any old dirty rock once they are tumbled and polished their true colors will shine beautifully.
As I was standing there looking at those old, dusty rocks it struck me that my heart is much like those sharp and dirty rocks. There is a lot of junk that needs to be knocked off my heart and life before the beauty of God’s love can shine through. Thankfully with His help and a tremendous amount of patience on His part He slowly and faithfully cleans the dirt away, smooths out the roughness, and round the sharp edges. When His love, goodness, mercy, and kindness radiates from my brokenness it opens the doors for opportunities to make a positive eternal impact on the hearts and lives those around us.
An example of a rock tumbler you can get from Amazon if you are looking for a fun activity to do with your kids!Spontaneous Tornadoes
It is amazing how quickly a mess can be made at home. There are days when I work hard to clean up the house only to have it explode into a mess of toys, crafts, and random stuff within minutes. Our children truly are a blessing in our lives and we love them dearly, however, they are known to make a mess.
How do we teach our children to be considerate of others by picking up their toys, papers, clothes, crafts, and whatever else they have gotten out? We want our kids to have fun, play hard, and be creative, but does it need to end in a big mess?
- Simplify Life – over the last few months it has occurred to me that we just have too much stuff. I am thankful for the many blessings we have been given but the more we have the greater responsibility. This is an area I am continuing to work on in our home.
- Organization – by creating an organized system the kids will have a better idea of what is it be expected and where to put away their items. For example, having a shoe basket inside the front door for them to put their shoes into when they walk in the door is a visual reminder for them to take off their shoes. When they have a place or specific bins for the variety of toys it helps them know where to go both to play with an item and to put it away. The expectation is clear and organization helps tremendously, although the Spontaneous Tornadoes will continue to happen from time to time putting these into place will cut down on the frequency of the tornadoes.
- Communication – talking with the kids about why we need to pick up our toys, clothes and home. Most of the time they will gladly pitch in and help pick up if you just ask nicely. Setting a timer or making it into a game (see how much we can pick up in 10 minutes) will help get them motivated to do it too.
- Actions Speak Louder – be an example to your kids…..this one can be a hard one. Somehow my stuff gets spread out too! If you have all your items all over the place then why should they be expected to pick up their toys, clothes, and miscellaneous items. I realize that it’s impossible to keep everything perfect especially during a busy week and in a well loved home, but by setting aside a few minutes everyday and trying your best to maintain the home (and the items you are responsible for) shows the children what is expected of them.
- Set Some Ground Rules – they want to do a craft? Okay, that it fine with me, however, prior to moving onto the next craft or another avenue of play they must first pick up their current mess. This helps them tidy up along the way so at the end of the day there are only a few items to put away instead of an massive explosion of toys, crafts, and other goodies (plus the glue gets put away instead spending hours drying out). I try to always let them do crafts and creative play whenever possible, although I do occasionally need to remind them to go back and pick up something if they switch to another activity without cleaning up the previous one. Thankfully, the kids are getting better at doing this and are needing less reminders, plus they know where items go so they can put everything away on their own without the help of the whole family (although we pitch in many times because that’s what families do for each other)!
I know Spontaneous Tornadoes will continue to invade our home via our children (and their parents) but with a little preparation and daily maintenance we should be able to keep them to a minimum. There are days when we all take 15 minutes and pick up the house together. When we are work together as a team it can go by quickly and shows the importance of everyone participating in the activity to get the work done.
Do you have Spontaneous Tornadoes in your home? How do you help prevent from having too many?
Happy New Year! Welcome 2015!!!
Happy New Year Fireworks!
Bringing in the New Year 2015 with fireworks, confetti, and family! Thankful for a great ending to the 2014 year. The year was packed full of a lot of memories. I am very excited to see what the new year brings. Fresh start and new memories for the entire family. I pray that it is a year of fun, growth, and good times with family and friends!
Fireworks display was compliments of my sweet husband and two daughters! They had a blast setting off the fireworks!
Celebrating the New Year with a lot of confetti which is always a favorite with the kids. I think we probably just got rid of all the confetti spray from last years party (I kept finding it in random places long after cleaning it up).
It’s not every night the kids get to stay up until midnight! Fun times!
Remains of the party fun spread out all over the floor! Once the party settled down and the kids were tucked into their beds it was time for the “clean up” crew to pick up all the confetti.
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
I have thoroughly enjoyed having the kids home on Christmas break this past week. It is great to spend some extra time together playing, reading, cooking, celebrating, and relaxing. I haven’t missed running around for school, extra activities, and doing loads of homework. Our family had a wonderful time celebrating Christmas, spending time together, and creating memories. Even with the kids home and in between fun activities I was able to get some extra items accomplished which was nice too. I am looking forward toward another week with the kids home! Several of the activities will be the same because my main goal is to spend more time with the family.
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
Read a variety of Christmas and Library Books my Kids Picked Out from Home and the local LibraryPlan one special activity with the familyPrepare for Upcoming Holiday EventsPlay a Game with the KidsSpend Extra Time with the KidsComplete Our Christmas ShoppingFinish Wrapping GiftsCelebrate our Family ChristmasMake Cookies and Goodies with the KidsDo a craft with the kids
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day – a couple days I was having too much fun I didn’t pay attention to how much I was drinking
Continue my YouVersion plan(s)– almost done with my yearly plan!!!Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – it took more time
Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week– although I had to alter it at least once last weekClean House (Focus – At least 15 minute daily “pick up” to keep the house clean as we prepped for the Holidays)Organize Chaos (Focus – Get Gifts Wrapped, Mailed, or Ready to put under Christmas Tree)- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Finish Leaves) – it rained almost everyday last week so it was too wet
Pet Care (Focus – Skipper Dog Food Bought & Bin Refilled / Snowball’s Collar Battery Changed)
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsRespond to Inquiry – Business Relation EmailsKeep up with the day to day items that need my attentionWork completed for clients
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – working on it
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt) – working on it
Pay Bills & File PaperworkGo grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Read a variety of Christmas and Library Books my Kids Picked Out from Home and the local Library, including Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Prepare for Upcoming New Year Holiday Events
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Spend Extra Time with the Kids
- Celebrate our New Years
- Make Cookies and Goodies with the Kids
- Do a craft with the kids
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
- Clean House (Focus – At least 15 minute daily “pick up” to keep the house clean as we prepped for the Holidays)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Gifts Wrap & Boxes Put Away, Gifts Put Aways)
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Finish Leaves)
- Pet Care (Focus – New Dog House for Skipper)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work completed for clients
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true. When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals. Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick). Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.
Why Share My Goals?
- To keep me accountable
- To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
- To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
- Create healthy habits in my life
- To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn
How did you do this week on your goals? Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.
The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.
