Preparing for higher education in the school above.
Even my three year-old likes to do PE, especially push-ups. In fact, she’s better at it than her mom, but that’s beside the point. PE is for kids, right?
(If you are subscribed to my blog, the videos don’t go through to email, so you’ll have to click on the link, so you can see her doing her push-ups.)
Everybody loves a day at the park. Even I do, even though my kids don’t think I go nearly often enough. Recently we spent a day at a new park, just because my husband wanted to take pictures there. He got some great shots too, so that means that I definitely have to blog about it. Sorry I can’t blog about every trip to a park, but then again, that would get a little too boring, even though my kids don’t think we go to one nearly enough.
Here is a view of Seattle from the park. Now you know why my husband wanted to go there.
Then, of course, he couldn’t resist taking pictures of the kids enjoying themselves. So here you go—a day at the park in pictures.
And a couple more views from the park.
So JD Boy (fourth grade) does not like spelling. After spending too many days demanding that it has to be done the way I say, I decided to try to figure out ways to make it more appealing to a nine-year-old boy.
I finally came up with one way for him to practice his words that he thinks is fun. Plus, it leaves him too worn out to complain. He’s doing jumping jacks while practicing his words. He also has some creative jumping jacks, I have no idea what they are called in real life, but he likes to do those too. Those were his idea, so they’re even better.
Another thing that I found is that it is the writing that he doesn’t like. You would think, by fourth grade that wouldn’t be an issue. What I can say–he’s a boy! So we have now switched to doing all spelling verbally. He does have to work on penmanship every day though and is doing a writing class too, so I am making sure that he gets some practice with that pencil. For spelling, he writes the words that he needs to practice, on the white board. So I guess, it’s not completely verbal, but the tests are all verbal. So far, this has improved the outlook on spelling dramatically. Yeah!
In case you’re wondering, we are using Spelling Power for our spelling program, but with a slight adjustment for him.
I am rereading the book Adventist Home and found this quote to be great counsel: “While we restrain our children from worldly pleasures that have a tendency to corrupt and mislead, we ought to provide them innocent recreation, to lead them in pleasant paths where there is no danger. No child of God need have a sad or mournful experience. Divine commands, divine promises, show that this is so. Wisdom’s ways ‘are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.’” Adventist Home, 498
I was very happy when my husband announced the other day that we were all going to take the kayak out. I could see the sparkle in my children’s eyes and I knew that we were going to have a nice day that would provide “innocent recreation” for my children and hopefully be another nail in the coffin for worldly pleasures.
It was definitely an enjoyable day!
My husband is still a kid. I wish I was more like him in that respect. He recently decided that he would really have fun if we would put a zip line in for the kids. You notice, who I said would have fun? Well, he has. The rest of us have too. In less than two weeks, we have spent so much fun time on the zip line. Even G’tums, our three-year old rides it with thrill.
Here is a short video of the kids ziplining (And just so you know, even though that isn’t in the dictionary, I did find other people who knew that it was the verb form of zip line.)
I tried to figure out which subject to post about first of all the things we learned about while in Mexico. I decided to start with this one: P.E. Exercise should be a regular part of our lives, but often when we’re on vacation, it’s just easier to find time to do it.
The first major exercise we had was to carry our suitcases down the 100+ stairs to the house where we were staying. We had to climb up and down those stairs every day. And I promise, it was good exercise. If I could do that a couple times a day and that was the only exercise I ever got, I think I’d be pretty fit.
Then we spent lots of time playing in the ocean. Such as running in the waves…
We climbed on rocks…
…crawled on rocks…
All three of my kids started sneezing and snuffling yesterday. That seems to happen to us after vacations are over too often. I’m very much interested in natural remedies, so I thought you might be interested in some of the things that I’ve found effective for colds.
Contrast showers: Some kids fight on this, but it will often bring about immediate signs of improvement. What I do is stand in a very warm shower for 3 minutes and then switch the water to cold for 30 seconds and repeat this process a few times. I do it three times on the kids and seven times on myself. Always end with the cold. Try it! Even if you’re not sick, you’ll feel so invigorated!
The wool sock: For sore throats, I often wrap a wool sock over a cold wet piece of cotton (torn up old pillowcases are my favorite) and wrap the neck with this “neck warmer”. I put this on right before bedtime. By morning the sock will be hot. The cold draws extra blood to the throat area and improves the circulation there so that sore throat can get more attention from that wonderful blood.
Herb Tea: At Fred Meyers (our local grocer) we can purchase a tea called “Throat Coat”. It is really good. Works especially well when a sore throat is looming. I love it. I drink it even when I’m not sick sometimes. I add a little sweetener to it though. Honey is my preference for it.
Steam: For plugged noses, I have found that vaporizers are really good. I live in a fairly humid area, but it still helps. I add Eucalyptus to the water and it will clear you out even if you weren’t stuffed up. And when the kids are really, really stuffed up I boil water and Eucalyptus in the tea kettle and have them put their nose by the spout (not too close though). They get it concentrated that way.
Garlic & Elderberry: I also give my kids garlic and elderberry supplements as soon as one gets sick. I know from experimentation that the garlic works. I haven’t verified the elderberry, but have friends that believe in it, so I do it too. I often can keep the sickness limited to one or two by treating the others as soon as the one gets sick. But this time they all got it at once.
No sugar: I don’t allow my children any refined sugar when they are sick. Sugar weakens the immune system, so that is the last thing they need when they are sick.
Sleep & water: Of all the remedies, I’ve tried, sleep and plenty of water seem to have wonderful results. (And sleeping kids, gives mommy a break too!)
Pray: I know this may be obvious for some, but I’ve found that sometimes, I’ll get so busy trying to fight off a cold that I’ll forget to ask the Master Physician to heal us.
Anyway, off to make some tea for my daughter.
