Activity days The Good Samaritan / Compassion Rolls activity

This week for activity days I planned an activity centered around the parable of the good Samaritan.  I found this craft here: http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/bible_themes_-_g.html#goodsamaritan  We started the activity by watching the Good Samaritan.  Then we discussed it, and came up with ways of how to show compassion to other people.  I bought the girls a little journal for a buck, put a sticker of Jesus on it.  I wanted them to go home and practice showing compassion to those around them, and write down their experiences in the journal.
After we discussed we went into the kitchen and put together our compassion rolls.  I did my own version of the compassion roll.  I used a paper cup to hold everything in, instead of a toilet paper roll.  I used a prayer rock instead of a clip art picture of praying hands.  I used a I know the scriptures are true book mark instead of clip art picture of a bible.  I explained while we were putting together our compassion rolls that they were to share it with someone, it didn't matter who it was.  I wanted them to write down that experience as well in their journals.

The activity went well, it went fast.  That was nice because then I was able to sit and talk with the girls and get to know them better.  I have a really good group of girls, that are a lot of fun!  I really hope that they are learning and having fun at the same time.  I'm nervous because my partner was released, and they called a new person to take her place.  I know this person is reliable, but we both don't know what we are doing.  I hope we will get it figured out quick!

Madisynn lost a tooth!

A couple of weeks ago Madisynn came up to me and said "Look Mom I have a loose tooth!"  I replied back saying "No you don't, you're too little to have a loose tooth already." She insisted that she did, so I checked.  Madisynn was right, she had a loose tooth, a really loose tooth.  I thought maybe it would come out next month. Nope, she lost her first tooth yesterday during lunch.
I was trying to get her to hurry and finish her lunch because her friend Kimmy  was coming over to play. When Kimmy was here Maddie was still eating.  I had forgotten that her tooth was really loose. If I had remembered I would have cut her apple into bite size pieces.  I had cut them into wedges.  When she bit into her apple her tooth pretty much came out.  She came up to me and said I want Daddy to pull my tooth out.  I was shocked!  I told her to go ask him, so she did.  I didn't even look in her mouth cause loose teeth ready to be pulled make me queasy.
Matt told her to go get some toilet paper, and she did.  Kenzie, and Kimmy wanted to see.  Not me, I waited in the kitchen.  Kenzie and Kimmy soon joined me.  Silly girls!  There was no crying or screaming from Maddie.  Turns out her tooth was just sitting in her gums, no blood or anything.  She came running into the kitchen saying look Mom look at my loose tooth!  She was so excited.  I was excited for her!  We put her tooth in a plastic bag to put under her pillow.
Maddie says to me now the tooth fairy will leave a barbie, and a sucker under my pillow.  I have no idea where she got that from.  That wasn't going to happen.  I laughed and told her I think our tooth fairy leaves money so you can buy what you want.  I thought she understood, but she said it again later that night, and this morning.  I told her the same thing, and so did Kenzie.
Madisynn was so excited to go to bed knowing that the tooth fairy was coming.  I sent the girls to bed, and got busy cleaning my bathrooms, and kitchen.  Got lost on the computer while waiting for my sheets to dry.  I was so tired, that I forgot to put money under Maddie's pillow.  I felt horrible when Maddie came running into our room this morning holding her tooth and saying the tooth fairy forgot.  Whoops!  I gave her a hug, and said the tooth fairy must have had a busy night last night.  I'm sure she'll make up for it.  Maddie accepted that answer and went to put her tooth back under her pillow.  Phew!  I will make it up to her tonight.  She will be surprised!

Planking, it's actually a workout

I love this picture, planks are a very good workout.  Planks I hate them, but I love them.  I dread doing them in every Jillian workout.  You do a lot of plank work in her DVD's.  I came across this challenge on Pinterest not too long ago, and had to try it:

I knew that I could at least do 1 minute already because of the workouts that I have been doing.  I started out at 2 min for the first 4 days.  The 5th and 6th day I did 3 min. Day 7: 3 min 15 seconds.  Day 8: 3 min 30 seconds. Day 9: 3 min 45 seconds.  Day 10: 4 min 5 seconds.  It is hard, I wanted to get 5 min, but my arms wouldn't hold.  They were shaking so bad, and my core felt like it wanted to split in half.  I still feel very accomplished, and will work towards that 5 min!

Conversation heart craft

Matt and I did another valentine craft.  I saw it on pinterest and knew I had to make it.  When we were getting all of our supplies we didn't realize that we got bigger hearts than the ones from the post that we saw.  We were just excited to be doing something together, and to have more decorations.  After we were done and putting the ribbon on, we realized we couldn't use as much in-between each heart to connect them.  It would be way too long!  Matt wanted to do something different at the top with it, so I went along with his idea.
This is the picture where we got the idea:

 This is the one we made:

Next time I would make sure to have the smaller hearts so you could use more ribbon.  I think that I like the bow on the other as well, but I really like them both.  What do you think?

Eye appointment

Yesterday Maddie had a follow up eye appointment.  She did very well on covering her eyes one at a time and reading the letters.  Probably the best she has done.  Maddisynn went from 20/50 to 20/40.  She is improving, and it is totally awesome!  Hopefully she can continue to improve, we don't want the eye surgery if we can help it.  Dr. Brad Richards is an awesome doctor, I wish he wasn't so far.  He is almost an hr. away.  Anyways he told us to come back in 10 weeks, yea!  Every 6 - 8 weeks is murder. 10 weeks is doable!  I'm a happy momma. =) 

French dip sandwiches & Peanut butter fingers

Do you remember those days when you were in school, and school lunches were super good?  I do, my favorite lunch was the French dip sandwiches and peanut butter fingers.  They were so good!  I have always wanted to make french dip sandwiches, and have a peanut butter finger like in the school lunch.  Well I finally did it.  I found both recipes on pinterest.
Here is the link for the French dip: http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/05/easy-french-dip-sandwiches.html

It was so easy, I can't believe I had never tried to do it before.  I added chopped onion, and fresh minced garlic to it.  So good!
Now for the peanut butter fingers.  Be  prepared the recipe makes a whole sheet pan full.  I had to freeze a bunch so I wouldn't eat them in 1 day. I could totally do it too!  Here is the link for the peanut butter fingers: http://triedandtriedagain.blogspot.com/?expref=next-blog  Try making them sometime, they really are yummy.

Here is a picture of the ones I made.  Don't they look yummy?:

What was your favorite school lunch growing up?

Love day

I love Valentine's day!  I love the colors, I love the love, I love to see people smile, It's a fun day.  I told myself that I was going to be prepared for it this year.  I wanted to have the valentines all made and set to go early, I wanted my menu to be planned.  I wanted to have a fun day for our family to remember.  Then life happened.  Sickness, work, family stuff, it all came up.  We managed to pull it off and have a good love day!  We finished the valentine's the night before, along with Kenzie's valentine box.  I got Matt's gift, and the girls' put together.  It was a long night

I woke up early to make the pink valentine's breakfast: pink heart pancakes, pink scrambled eggs, and pink milk.  I made the girls' lunches: heart shaped ham sandwiches that had pink miracle whip, pink cottage cheese, an apple, and a hug and kiss candy.  The girls were so excited when they came in for breakfast, they loved the heart pancakes, and pink eggs.  I told them that they had a surprise for lunch, and that I couldn't wait to hear if they liked it or not.

Maddie liked the heart shaped sandwich, but wasn't really interested in eating it.  Kenzie said she got a little scared when she opened hers up because she thought it was blood.  I asked her "do you really think I would feed you blood?"  Come on now!  I thought it was a cute idea.  Kenzie did say that she liked it, and it tasted good.  

Matt and I really didn't get to do much because I helped out with Madisynn's class party.  He also had to work that night, so we celebrated the day before.  We just went to lunch, went and got a gift certificate for I tunes because we both really wanted more music.  Then rented Real Steel, and The Help to watch later.  Didn't do much more because Matt wasn't feeling very good.

Back to Tuesday after my morning crossing I came back home and gave Matt his gift.  A box of donuts from Rogers bakery.  I decorated the box, and put a message on it that said: donut you know I love you a hole bunch.  He really liked it!  It's been awhile since we have had some tasty donuts.  Red velvet, chocolate cake, white chocolate cake, old fashioned, and glazed with pink sprinkles.  Yummy! 

After my afternoon crossing I took Kenzie to run some errands with me, came back and fixed our pink dinner. Kenzie did her homework, and then we surprised the girls with a valentine's gift from us, which they loved.  They had been looking at the stuffed animals in the mugs and so we got them for them along with a precious jewel, and some hugs and kisses.  Our Pink dinner was pink chicken fettuccine alfredo, salad, and the rest of the heart pancakes with raspberry jam.  I know it doesn't really go with alfredo, I ran out of time.  I was going to make heart shaped garlic bread sticks.  I was also going to make the salad dressing pink, but forgot.  Oh well we had fun, and it was yummy!  We had donuts for dessert.  After dinner and the girls got ready for bed we let them play the DS while we watched The Help until Matt had to leave for work.  A great way to end the day.  Happy Valentine's day!

Valentines:  You make my heart glow!  Hugs and kisses.  

Kenzie's valentine box:

The handle was braided boondoggle 

Teacher valentine gift:  rolo's wrapped up like dynamite:

Matt's present:

Kenzie & Maddie present:

Pink breakfast:

I forgot to take a picture of the pink lunch. =(

Pink dinner: