family – Page 12 – Starlight Writer

100th Day Lesson in Counting

March 24, 2011March 19, 2011 Diana B.Leave a comment

100 Days Tally Cup

Since September, Laurel has used a 100-chart, 100 mini popcicle sticks, rubber bands, and a recycled peanut butter jar to tally up to 100.

Each day she added a popcicle stick, re-counted the sticks in the jar, and found the total number on the 100-chart. As the days passed, she grouped the sticks together in bundles of ten and learned to skip count by tens.

We will continue to use the mini popcicle sticks — also known as tally sticks — as we use the Level A math curriculum from RightStart Math.

One more post on the 100th day is yet to come; check back soon!

100th Day Lesson in Measuring

March 22, 2011March 19, 2011 Diana B.Leave a comment

100 Chain

Way back in September we started using these 1- by 9-inch paper strips to make a 100-link paper chain.

Laurel faithfully stapled, day after day, and thrilled at watching the chain grow longer and longer. After she added the last link on Day 100, we decorated Laurel with the chain.

Linnea, my 2nd grader, helped measure the chain. We used a yard stick, and she came up with the equation 36 X 6 + 15 = 231.

So the chain was 231 inches long, or 19 ft. 3 inches long. Each of the 100 links was approximately 2 and 1/3 inches long.

Afterwards, Linnea remarked that this was the best-ever math lesson!

During some free time in the afternoon, the girls continued to play creatively with the chain. At one point, one of them was playing guitar and singing made-up songs while the other shaped the chain to form pictures on the floor and danced around inside the picture. The pictures and song lyrics all went together and were quite silly. This was not at all what I envisioned them doing in their free time, but it was a hoot!

More 100th day stuff is yet to come this week, so check back again soon!

Counting to 1,000 (168-191)

March 21, 2011March 21, 2011 Diana B.Leave a comment

2 Corinthians 4:15 – “All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.”

168. starting a journey through all 66 books of the Bible

169. big hands showing little hands how to tie shoes

170. the smile that says, “I did it! I did it!”

171. the sweet friend who generously shares her sewing talents

172. the pink and purple reversible bag they made together

173. tulips and daffodils peeking through the soil

174. the bird chirping in the tree top

175. frosty white tree branches

176. hot water

177. finishing book one of 12

178. little girls in black peacoats swinging their Bible bags

179. the patio that emerges from its snowy cocoon

180. foggy mornings

181. rainboots

182. pink bicycles, pink scooters, pink helmets and pink cheeks

183. holding her hand while we sing

184. Sunday naps

185. robin sightings in the neighborhood

186. finishing a good book

187. walking with her to the mailbox

188. her excitement in finding a Lincoln Brewster CD in the mail

189. how she remembers and paints about smashing rotten tomatoes last fall in the neighbor’s garden

190. how she remembers and paints about butterfly meadow

191. the sweet Papa who mails us hope for summer — a life-like butterfly in a jar!

John 1:16 – “From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.”

100th Day Lesson in Thankfulness

March 21, 2011March 22, 2011 Diana B.Leave a comment

In his prayer to God in Psalm 90, Moses says, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Our little homeschool has been numbering days since September, and we recently celebrated my 5-year-old’s 100th day of pre-Kindergarten.

Laurel had been carefully counting and greatly anticipating special math projects and fun activities for the milestone day.

Since I have been counting to 1,000 myself (inspired by the book One Thousand Gifts), I decided to add a Bible lesson to our 100th day lesson plans. Psalm 100, a favorite of mine, is a psalm for giving thanks and a great one to memorize.

Psalm 100

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

Worship the LORD with gladness;

come before Him with joyful songs.

Know that the LORD is God.

It is He who made us, and we are His;

We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving

and His courts with praise;

give thanks to Him and praise His name.

For the LORD is good and His love endures forever;

His faithfulness continues through all generations.

After the girls and I read Psalm 100 together, we talked about giving thanks to God and counting the ways He loves us. We discussed the Israelites en route to the Promised Land and how they had not given thanks to God and had not trusted Him, even though He had faithfully provided everything they needed. We discussed how grumbling and complaining displeases God and how thankfulness pleases Him.

We also talked about how long counting to 100 days took. We did count 100 days, but we couldn’t count forever. Forever is much, much longer than 100 days, and God’s love and faithfulness endures forever. Forever!

I gave the girls this special sheet to help them start counting and giving thanks for 100 gifts from God. (You can download the PDF to use with your children if you click here.)

In Colossians 3:15-17, Paul encourages us to be thankful and to sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to God with gratitude in our hearts, giving thanks to God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ.

We put this idea into practice by singing praises along with Maranatha Music’s “He Hath Made Me Glad” and Chris Tomlin’s “Forever” — the lyrics of both songs include strong ties to Psalm 100.

Here’s a downloadable version of Psalm 100 to help with memorization. By the way, this week I’ll be posting more photos and downloadable materials from our 100th day, so check back often!

In the meantime, check out these other posts on giving thanks to God.

If It Isn’t Chocolate, Why Bother? #2

March 19, 2011March 19, 2011 Diana B.1 Comment

The series on my mama’s favorite chocolate recipes continues with this delicious chocolate pie.

WARNING: This pie sets the standard and will ruin you! No store-bought pie or restaurant pie has ever even come close to matching this one.

Chocolate Pie Filling:

3 cups milk

1 cup sugar

2 egg yolks

1 tsp. vanilla

2 and a half squares of baking chocolate (or 8 tblsp. cocoa)

5 tblsp. cornstarch

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tblsp. butter

Begin warming milk and chocolate squares in a large pot on the stove top, medium heat. Mix cornstarch and sugar and salt together in a small bowl and then add to the milk. Stir well. Add beaten eggs yolks. (I usually spoon out some of the warm milk mixture to add the beaten eggs before pouring the eggs into the saucepan. This warms them up slowly and prevents lumps.) Whisk mixture constantly and cook until thick. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and butter. Pour into pie shell. Allow to cool completely and then cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving. Serve with whipped cream on top.

I suppose you could buy a pie crust, but I love making my own. Here’s how:

Basic Pie Crust:

2 cups flour

2/3 cup shortening (I use Crisco)

1 tsp. salt

5-6 tblsp. ice water

Combine dry ingredients and use pastry cutter to blend. Add water and use fork to blend. Form a ball of dough with hands; roll out on lightly floured sheets of wax paper. Makes a pie shell and top. (You won’t need a top for the chocolate pie, so there will be some dough leftover.) Use a fork to prick holes in the crust and prevent air bubbles. Bake the pie shell at 450 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes.

Whipped Cream:

1 cup whipping cream

2 tblsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

In a chilled bowl, combine whipping cream, sugar and vanilla. Beat with chilled beaters of an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Serve with pie. Makes 2 cups.

Alternative: Skip the crust altogether and just serve up the chocolate pudding in individual dishes. Top with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles or chocolate shavings for extra flair.

If It Isn’t Chocolate, Why Bother? #1

March 17, 2011March 19, 2011 Diana B.1 Comment

In honor of my dear, late mama, I’ve decided to start posting some of her favorite chocolate recipes. “If It Isn’t Chocolate, Why Bother?” was Mama’s baking motto.

I think these yummy chocolate cookies are a great way to kick off this series. Mama’s recipe card calls them “Choco-Nut Chewies,” but my children have re-named them “Smushy Cookies,” so that’s the title we’ll use. While she never met her granddaughters, Mama was a word nerd who would certainly have approved of their re-naming her baked goods.

Smushy Cookies

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1 cup flour

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2/3 cup oats

1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Melt chocolate chips in microwave or double boiler. Be careful not to overheat them! In separate large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Add egg, vanilla, and melted chips. Add dry ingredients. Stir in oats and nuts (optional). Roll dough in spoonfull-sized balls. Smash each with a small drinking glass. Bake 8 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool 2 minutes on baking stones before removing to cooling racks.

Counting to 1,000 (139-167)

March 14, 2011 Diana B.1 Comment

Psalm 66:16 – “Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what He has done for me.”

139. the glorious sky all pink and purple at sunset

140. “smushy” chocolate oatmeal cookies in Mama’s old tupperware dish

141. a tearful afternoon spent sharing testimonies

142. meaningful walks with dear friends

143. my Grandma’s 91 years

144. health insurance

145. the 5-year-old who is a very cooperative patient

146. the 8-year-old who loves babies

147. gentle new moms with tiny babies

148. early morning snuggles

149. spring-like songs sung by birds

150. the encourager who inspires young artists

151. moments to ponder citizenship in heaven

152. peace that overcomes worry and anxious thoughts

153. the new Children’s Ministry director

154. muffins in the morning

155. the very literate 5-year-old reader of billboards and signs

156. little legs exhausted by gym class

157. a break from school work

158. Psalm 91:1, 4

159. bumping into homeschool friends at the library

160. books that tell of the Almighty

161. healing of those mysterious hives

162. the little ears that love to hear stories

163. the liveliness of sisters re-telling silly stories about “Ponies!”

164. the hope of spring

165. the 11-year-old preacher

166. smiling new faces in familiar old places

167. a gentle push outside my comfort zone

John 1:16 – “From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.”

Counting to 1,000 (116-138)

March 7, 2011 Diana B.Leave a comment

Note: I recently read the book One Thousand Gifts, and now I’m making my own list of one thousand gifts. As they accumulate, I post them on Mondays and keep the running list on this tab, titled All is Grace.

116. the bread man who appeared right along with my new breadmachine

117. storybook characters that help shape our character

118. soft tissues with lotion to keep runny little noses dry

119. rest found in unexpected places

120. hands that can fold and cut and create

121. overlapping circles of friends who encourage and inspire

122. little hands that help with ministry work

123. a steamy cup of ginger-peach tea on a cold afternoon

124. butter smoothed onto freshly baked honey-wheat bread

125. sisters’ made-up silly songs and dances

126. the trio playing “Your Love, O Lord”

127. her little hands strumming an electric guitar

128. her little hands dancing across the piano keys

129. their own little lists of 100 gifts

130. Psalm 100

131. the 100th Day celebration for pre-K

132. strawberry crepes

133. m&ms

134. special friends visiting church

135. young hands eager to serve

136. four Lincoln Brewster tickets!

137. a restful night that helps restore my health

138. the little lips so eager to tell others about Jesus

5 Star Links for Friday

March 4, 2011 Diana B.Leave a comment

It’s 5-star Friday! Yay! Time for me to share some links to great online reading and/or listening.

1. Heart Condition (by Kasey Van Norman at Mentoring Moments) explains why the condition of our hearts is of greatest concern to the Lord.

2. Understanding the Unfathomable: God’s Unconditional Love (by Pastor Andreas Custer at Oakwood Community Church) reminds us how deeply God loves and encourages us to love one another.

3. The Most Needed Peer Pressure (by Wendy Alsup at Desiring God) urges us to love unconditionally when bearing with a loved one’s struggles.

4. 8 Tips for Talking to Your Kids about the Sermon (by Pastor Joe Holland) tells how little folks sitting in the pews retain more and understand more than you think they do and how we, as parents, can follow up with them after the sermon. Great tips!

5. Gaining Clarity on Women’s Roles Part 1 and Part 2 (by Leanne Popeko at CBMW) explains some key aspects of God’s lovely design for women in the church.

I pray that these words encourage and inspire you as much as they did me.

Also, may I ask a favor? I recently re-wrote my personal testimony as part of an assignment in the Bible study group I attend. The new version is much shorter and employs a very different format than the earlier version, which I posted years ago. If you would read it and perhaps leave a comment, I’d be ever so grateful to you. Just click here. Thank you!

“March on, my soul; be strong!” -Judges 5:21b