Winter Art Project: Snow Drawing

Here's another idea that I stole from The Mailbox:



It's super-easy. Have your kid draw a picture of a snow scene (you can't tell from the photo, but Little Boy drew a snowman with a bunch of snowflakes falling around it). Then go over the lines with a glue stick and dab a cotton ball over the glue-sticked areas. Bits of cotton from the cotton ball will stick to the picture.

Ta-da!

Reading: Long-A Sounds

We played a game from The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading, where I had written some words with the long-A sound (face, chair, grey...) on little cards, and Little Boy had to read the card and then stick the card to whatever that card referred to.

So, for example, he stuck the "bake" card to the oven. And the "brain" card to his head.

But what really got me was what he stuck the "great" card to:



Yup...good ol' Lightning McQueen.

No School Today

I try to make a point of doing school with Little Boy almost every weekday, even when I'm tired or not feeling well.

But today...it just wasn't happening.

And I'm not gonna beat myself up about it. So there.

What You Think of Christ

"What you sincerely in your heart think of Christ will determine what you are, will largely determine what your acts will be. No person can study this divine personality, can accept his teachings without becoming conscious of an uplifting and refining influence within himself."

-David O. McKay

Dominoes!

Isaac's brother had the best idea ever for a Christmas present for Little Boy:



Little Boy loves to count and loves to line things up. And isn't that pretty much what dominoes are all about? Yep, turns out that Little Boy also loves dominoes.

The dominoes box says that it's for age 8+. I guess that's for really playing the game--strategizing and all that. Little Boy's pretty far away from there. But it's a great game for a four-year-old to work on counting, matching, and...

...lining things up. Heh.

Becoming Self-Reliant

“How do we become self-reliant? We become self-reliant through obtaining sufficient knowledge, education, and literacy; by managing money and resources wisely, being spiritually strong, preparing for emergencies and eventualities; and by having physical health and social and emotional well-being.”

-Julie B. Beck

Building Our Home Library

My local library has been fundraising for a long time. They're trying to fund a new building. And as part of their fundraising, they've been selling used books.

I wouldn't buy a used book, even if it costs a few cents, if I didn't think we'd read it. Most of the books there fall under that category.

But once in awhile, when I look really carefully, I'll find something that I MUST HAVE ON MY SHELF.



Like these, for example. I've also picked up Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (yeah, it's the British edition), James and the Giant Peach, and The Indian in the Cupboard. For 25 cents each!

These are books that, of course, Little Boy is too young to read. But Isaac and I will read them now, and when Little Boy's old enough, I want to have some good books around that he can dig into. I think we're off to a good start.