Starfall.com

Starfall.com is an amazing educational website full of games that teach preschool to the "reading on your own" stage. Most games teach phonics which has been great with teaching my own kids to read. (Side note, I also recommend the book, Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons by Siegfried Engelmann--$14.96 on Amazon). Starfall also has loads of fun lessons on poetry, art, the body and music. I LOVE that my then 2 year old daughter knew who wrote the classical "Can Can". In the priorities of child training and life, it's not too important but it is a fun little extra! (BTW, it's Jacques Offenbach). You could even teach your child to recognize Beethoven's 9 symphonies! (I didn't). I could go on and on about starfall.com! With the younger kids, parents can sit with them and maneuver the mouse. When your child learns to maneuver the mouse, he can do the games on his own because the directions are said aloud on the site! My three kids, ages 7, 5, and 4 love this site and between the 3 of them, they could spend hours on this site exploring and learning! Most times, I have them each take a 20 minute turn being the "mouser" (a term my 4 yr old made up for the person controlling the mouse), as they all interact with the lesson. Check it out and have fun learning!

Sweet Girls

Noelle and cousin Abbey.
Isn't this a sweet picture?!

Psalm 118:1
Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!

Thank you Lord for the gift of family and friendship. I pray that these girls will know you as their Savior, love you and live for you all of their days! Amen.

New Dress A Day

I just came across this really fun blog. A woman was inspired by the movie Julie & Julia to get her creative juices flowing. She created a fashion blog where she makes a dress a day for $1 for 365 days. It's great-she shops at flea markets and yard sales to buy old dresses and re-creates them to fit her in a chic and fun new way! I'm inspired!!! I have many ideas for kiddo clothes and have sketched them out, now I need to get to sewing!!! Maybe when my life is less busy..ROFL! Not sure it'll ever come to fruition! That's ok! ;)

Anyhow, check out the before and after pics at:
newdressaday.wordpress.com
(Disclaimer: I do not know this woman nor do I know her heart before the Lord. I may not agree with everything this woman says about life.) ;)
.Be inspired.

Let us not neglect to discipline our precious kiddos

I wanted to share this great, convicting & encouraging quote with you...
"Far better that children should cry under healthful correction, than that
parents should afterwards cry under the bitter fruit to themselves and
children, of neglected discipline." -Charles Bridges
Reminds me of Proverbs 13:24
Blessings!

What's in Your Purse?

Ok, so...My hubby is forever asking me, "WHAT'S IN YOUR PURSE?" Not because it's heavy but because there's generally a ton of stuff in it!!! I had a dream that made me laugh when I woke up...Here is my simple and strange dream: I was talking with Becky from the Organizing Made Fun blog and she asked me if I had a rubberband, and presto! I had one in my purse. End dream! lol...
A seemingly pointless dream, i know...But it made me think about what IS in my purse? So, I looked and here's what I found:
A safety pin, 2 paperclips, a broken earring, a toy car, a strawberry shortcake doll (mini), 4 hair bands, 3 pens, some candy/gum wrappers, ATM receipts, my wallet, a church bulletin, my Don't Make Me Count to Three book by Ginger Plowman, a gluestick (?!), my pocket ESV Bible and some loose jelly beans!
I got to thinking; I can be a blessing to others even by what I carry in my purse! I can add some tissue in there, I know that would be a blessing to my own family! And I think I'll exchange the wrappers for a band aid!!
If I am purposeful with what I have in my purse, I am thinking of others potential needs and may be able to help them.. i.e., give the sneezing girl in church a tissue, or have a band-aid for my kiddos when they fall and scrape themselves while we're away from the house...
Col 3:17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Hugs!