Getting Ready for Junior High

I have really enjoyed the elementary stage of life - the fun crafts, the play days, the games, and most of all, the faith in Mom as the All-Knowing One. It is a quite an ego booster!

Recently though, my husband and I have noticed that our beautiful daughter has begun to question many of our decisions. She has begun to want to explore her own thoughts on the subjects we discuss. She is growing up and changing from a little girl to a big girl - a preteen!

This past summer I was hit with the fact that I have a soon-to-be junior higher---no longer elementary. I must be ready to change my approach and encourage her thoughts, her decisions, her "wings". My role is to now watch the development of the "wings" as they are exposed, make sure that nothing is bent or misshaped which would cause her to be unable to fly independently in the future.

I must hope and pray that the "roots" are there, are strong, are deeply seeded in God's Word.

I cannot be shocked by the questioning, but I should be excited that she is not just taking things for granted. I need to be ready to feed her interests and help her find her God-given gifts.

Wow! What a journey being a parent is! I am rounding the next bend and loving the ride!

A Summer Fun Night

Upon special request, my husband agreed to take us to a minor league baseball game! He and my daughter were able to see an Atlanta Braves game a few weeks ago, and they had a wonderful time. I think that was one reason why he was OK with taking a weeknight out for fun.

It was a special night as the baseball season was ending soon. It was Zoo Night, which allowed us to get in FREE, and the girls were able to pet a skink and see a kookaburra up close. Also, during the 3rd inning, Dora the Explorer made an appearance for autographs and pics, and the girls enjoyed the giveaways during the change of innings.

The biggest part was in the last inning (that we were there). A foul ball came flying through the air and landed right where the children had been sitting! It was a slow motion experience, and we are thankful that no one was hurt!

What a great night of sharing with friends and enjoying an all-American pasttime!

Our First Lapbook

The first week of school was a little crazy. We really tried to complete our TO DO lists each day, but something did always seem to have to be put off for the next day. This was difficult for me, a person who likes to see the list completely checked off!

Our biggest TO DO was quite a feat. We started our science study off with a look at cells. I had decided to have our science work be more crafty and fun this year, and I was really interested in those nifty things called lapbooks. Unfortunately, I could not find any Cell Lapbooks out there (that were free at least), so I had to make up my first one from scratch. Brave, aren't I?

As you can see, our "lapbook" was more like a decorated folder. My ideas didn't quite fit the layout of a lapbook, so we just kept the folder in its traditional format. I think the girls enjoyed the craft part, except my youngest daughter kept begging to use a stapler! Oh, well, we survived, and I am looking forward to doing another one on Egyptian mummies soon!

I'm Back!

It has been several weeks since I have posted, and it has mainly been a combination of school beginning and school beginning, ha ha!

I have so much that I want to share, but I feel like I don't have the time to get it all organized. So, I just don't do it. I will keep it on my list of things to do though.

Here is a nugget from my Bible reading this morning: "God's plans will last forever". I want to make sure that my plans are God's plans, because then I know that I am making an eternal difference!