All Shapes and Sizes

After our firstborn, we kind of thought we had seen it all.  Super strong will.  Super intense personality.  Pushing the boundaries - discipline-wise and also academically.

As an infant he didn't sleep well at night.  In fact, he was two years old before he ever slept through the night.  The Lord humbled us very quickly with that first experience.

And, because He knows better than we do, God continues to humble us even today.

Until our fifth child, we never had a "runner".  You know, those kids that won't stay with their parent out in public?  In the blink of an eye they are across the playground, in the middle of the street, or lost in the crowd.

Four kids we have had.  Four kids who hold on to the stroller and stick by our side very consistently.  I have never had to chase a child down.  We haven't had any that run off just for the fun of it.  Quite frankly, they have probably been too afraid.  They like to stay within at least some of the boundaries placed around them.  :)

Until now.

Meet Rachel.

She runs.  She runs without regard to how far away she may get from the rest of the Crew.  No fear here.  She will now hold on to the stroller only because she wants to be like her older brothers and sisters.  Praise the Lord for years of training the older ones to stick together!

Not only does Rachel run, but she shrieks.  Yes.  I do mean shrieking.  This is not merely fussing or crying.  At birth she took a few minutes to let out a good cry.  We were a bit concerned until we heard it - the loudest newborn cry that graced our ears up to that point.  She continues to be loud.  I guess it's necessary being the fifth in line.  She won't get overlooked around here, that's for certain!

And, that's not all.  Rachel runs.  Rachel shrieks.  And Rachel hits.  When she gets angry she raises her hand in readiness to smack the nearest offending object.  Sometimes it's Jeremiah's head.  Sometimes it's even Daddy or Mommy's arm or leg.  No bounds does her temper currently know.

Lastly, Rachel throws.  She really does.  Upset that Mom gave you water instead of peanut butter?  Chuck the cup.  Angry that you have to go down for a nap when you would rather build with Duplos?  Chuck the nearest block.

She is fiery.  She is a fighter.  And she is learning that these outbursts are not appropriate ways to express her personality.

We thought we had seen it all.  Now the super strong will, intense personality, pushing the boundaries kind of kid is wrapped up in 23 pounds of cuddly Rachel goodness.  Although we have learned many valuable lessons with our other children, we are out of our reckoning...again.

You can have a handful of kids.  You can think you've seen it all.  But friends, you haven't.  We haven't.  No one has.

Let's be humble.  Before you go and judge that mother whose son runs into the parking lot at every opportunity, remember that you haven't seen it all.  Your kids just may not be runners.  Before you try and explain how easily you potty-trained your daughter, remember that your kid is not your friend's kid.  Your child may just have a knack for keeping her pants dry.  Before you launch into the best and only way for your neighbor's child to sleep through the night, preface it by saying this is just what worked for you.  It may not work for someone else.

Kids come in all shapes and sizes.  Their temperaments vary greatly even within the same family unit.  Their personalities, individual bents, and quirks are not duplicated in any other little person.  If you're like me, maybe it takes having several different children to really get this - not just to say it, but to really know it.  But if you're wiser than I am, which you probably are, learn it now.

All shapes.  All sizes.  One amazing Creator.  And a bunch of perplexed parents.  I guess we're in need of grace because there's no way we're going to find a formula with this kind of mess!

I Want Butter!

Sometimes you just need some fat!

These Days

At tthis point it has been several days since I wrote this post.  I wanted to put a link to kiviak and Inuits who go under the sea ice to collect mussels in the spring.  It's not going to happen any time soon and I want to push publish.  If you are interested in the diet of Inuit people try Google.  And if you don't care to know, then the link wouldn't have served much of a purpose anyway and I won't feel bad about not including it.

Okay...so here's what I wrote a few days ago...

I wrote this yesterday...didn't get around to publishing.  Between writing this in the morning and bed time last night I witnessed my children gathering mussels from  under the sea ice in the Arctic.  They fermented the mussels in order to make mussel kiviak.  I overheard Abby explain to her two-year-old brother how gums are very small when you're young and will get bigger and bigger as you get older until they are all of half an inch long.  Josua and Hannah spent their evening free time playing a homemade game about seeds - it came right out of the science text book.  I think this classifies them as nerds, if watching the imaginary tides until just the right moment to venture under Arctic sea ice in order to ferment mussels isn't already nerdy enough.

And how could I forget the hugs from Rachel?  She and Jer are the first of our kids to be so affectionate.  I am (sometimes literally) showered with hugs and kisses from them during the day.  If I wasn't a softy before having kids, I most certainly am now.  Of course, a bunch of pregnancy hormones probably has something to do with that.  Or not.

Maybe I'm just getting old.

Anyway...here's what I wrote yesterday...

There is a storm coming in today.  Right  now the sky is grey and getting darker by the hour.  The wind is starting to blow so that the trees on our property are swaying significantly.  It's the kind of day when I want to curl up under a blanket and read a good book.  But around here, there is no such thing as a "curl up on the couch" kind of day.  The activity levels are as high as ever this morning, which has proven to be both good and bad.

Today I was reluctant to get out of bed.  There are those days when I just don't want to do anything - not like doing nothing is ever an option.  As my feet drag, especially through the afternoons, I have discovered my coping mechanism.

Earl Grey.  Hot.  It smells good, it's decaf, and it is not chocolate.

We are having some friends over on Saturday afternoon.  As I was thinking of necessary preparations for their visit, I realized that we haven't mopped the kitchen floors since the last time we had people over.  That was sometime before February began.  Sweeping is done at least twice a day and usually three times, but no mopping in over a month?  This says a lot about my current housekeeping habits.

If you could see the clean laundry that resides on the floor in the master bedroom, you would also have a picture of how well I've been doing in the household management department.  Of course,  you should also look at the pantry, re-organized kitchen cabinets, and the fridge which is about to burst at the seems with pounds of newly cooked beans.  So, I suppose only some things are left to the wayside.  Mopping and putting away the laundry just don't rate around here.

While I'm on the subject of cleaning, I asked Joshua and Hannah if they would vacuum the upstairs today.  It's been even longer since that happened than the last time we took out the mop bucket.  My instructions were to be thorough.  They moved all of the large toys and containers out of the toy room, cleared out the underbed storage bins, and even attempted to move their clothing drawers.  My concept of thorough wasn't quite so, well, thorough.

The little ones have been rocking out to demo songs on the keyboard.  They're bottom-wriggling dances are quite funny.  And the laughter that ensues from a good dance session is priceless.

To wrap things up, I am feeling extremely pregnant.  Aches and pains I normally feel in the last few months have been with me for a while now.  I'm only 21 weeks.  The second half of this pregnancy may just feel like an eternity.  In addition, the first trimester nauseau persists.  I guess my body has gotten mixed up - the second trimester is supposed to nauseau and pain free - hello sixth pregnancy!  Or perhaps that should be, goodbye abdominal strength and general agility.

Maybe I'm just getting old.

This little guy is very active, though, reminding me of the reason for the discomforts.  While I can try and feel bad for myself, and for the first time think that pregnancy is really hard, the pity party can't last long.  We have had two in-depth ultrasounds in this pregnancy.  No complications, just a question about the due date and a routine mid-pregnancy scan.  To see such a tiny person (he was only 3 inches long the first time) wriggling around and putting his hands to his face was nothing short of amazing.

Aches, pains, nauseau, heartburn - none of it can compare to the awesome privilege of watching these kids grow up.  And if this little one is as active out of the womb as he is inside, we'd better be ready.  The Crew is about to not only get bigger but busier.  Much busier!

State of the Nose

A few weeks ago Jeremiah fell and hit his nose on the frame of our couch.  Instead of rushing him to the doctor we decided to wait it out and see how things went for him and his nose.  Everything healed up well as far as we could tell and he doesn't seem to have any problems breathing through the nostril that took the brunt of the fall.

Here are some photos taken the first few days.  They do not come close to capturing the bruising.  It all looked worse in person.

The day he fell.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 4

Today

See that little bump on his left side of the bridge of his nose?  It's not just a shadow or some funny trick with the lighting.  He actually does have a lump there...for better or worse it's probably there to stay.  We'll ask the doctor about it whenever Jer has a well-patient check up, but for now it doesn't cause him any trouble.  Except that it looks a litlte weird.  Sorry, Jer...

 

Simple Easter Cross Craft for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Here is a simple craft and Bible lesson to do with your toddler or preschooler around Easter time.  The end result is a cute and colorful cross.

Scripture
Matthew 27:32-28:10--Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection from the tomb.

Lesson Objective
Jesus died on the cross for my sin.
Memory Verse
"All who believe in Jesus have their sins forgiven through his name." (Acts 10:43, simplified from the NIrV)
-or-
A different verse of your choosing.
Here are is a list of suggestions for verses about salvation.  Each link is to a song that you can use to learn this verse with your child:
Romans 10:9
John 3:16
John 14:6
Romans 6:23

Memory Verse Song
To the tune of "The More We Get Together"

"All who believe in Jesus
In Jesus
In Jesus
Will have their sins forgiven
Through his name."

Easter Cross Craft
Materials
-White card stock or construction paper
-Black construction paper
-Scraps of construction paper or tissue paper
-Scissors
-Glue

 Directions
1. Cover the white paper with glue (I prefer washable glue sticks to reduce mess).

2. Stick paper scraps all over paper so that no white is showing.  Cut the scraps yourself from any type of colored paper, or have your toddler tear the pieces.  For a preschooler, allow them to cut the scraps of paper.  It's great scissor practice!

3. Fold the black paper in half and cut out half of a cross.  When you unfold the paper it should have a full cross cut out from the center.

4. Glue the black cross cut out on top of the scrap-covered cardstock.
 

Broken or Not?

Right now I'm thinking not.

But maybe?

I guess we will see how it looks tomorrow when the swelling is (hopefully) down.

Heart Attack Moment

This little girl nearly gave me a heart attack a few moments ago.

Cautious is not really a word that I would use to describe Rachel.  The likes to keep up with her older siblings, doesn't mind falling flat on her face, and when she does she gets back up and keeps on trucking.

She has been trying to access the stairs for quite some time.  We usually have a safety gate at the top and the bottom of the staircase.  Both are meant to be locked whenever Rachel is awake.  When relying mostly on a 4-year-old, a 6-year-old, and a 7-year-old to close the gates it goes without saying that they are not always locked.

Anyhoo...I saw Rachel climb about five steps last month.  Then, in a horrifying split-second, I watched as she fell down the same steps.  I was too far away to catch her.  Scary.

This afternoon, while the older kids were playing outside, I was enjoying some toddler time.  Then I noticed Rachel was no longer in the living room.  Not hearing her in the dining room or kitchen, I headed to the stairway.

The gate was open.

And there she was.  Standing at the top of the stairs.

My heart nearly stopped.

Rachel, on the other hand, was as cool as a cucumber.

 

Wasabi Peas

Photo from https://www.lehivalley.com

Mmmm...wasabi peas.

Great for adults.

Not so good for 2-year-olds.

And how would I know?  Well, today in the midst of the older kids and I working on some projects Abigail, Jeremiah, and Rachel were keeping themselves busy.  When a 4-year-old is in charge, it's never a good thing.

First, they got into the locked bedroom and dumped out the entire, neatly organized container of hair ties.  We use those teeny tiny clear ones.  There were about 500 on the floor.  Ugh...  Oh, yeah...and they also opened Joshua's container of teeth that he has lost.  It's a little weird to be asking your young children where their older brother's teeth are as you desperately search a giant pile of hair accessories.

After the hair tie incident the Three Stooges managed to find my envelopes of neatly organized printed photos.  We have thousands of photos on our computer, but only a few printed out.  Today every hard copy we own was spread out over the floor...no longer organized.

And sometime in the middle of these endeavors, someone opened the bag of wasabi peas.  Joshua and Hannah were introduced to them last night and Jer decided he wanted to try them this morning.  I have no idea how many he ate.  What I do know is that he walked into the bedroom chomping on a mouth full.

"Aren't they spicy?" I asked him.

"No.  They just sting my tongue," he replied.

And now I know something else about wasabi peas that I wish I didn't.  I won't go into any detail, but I will say that I changed a lot of diapers this afternoon.

This parenthood thing will either give me a stronger stomach or mold me into an incredibly picky eater.

Life with the Little Crew

The Little Crew is enjoying dinner right now.  In an effort to not have children awake at 10pm, we are attempting earlier dinners for the youngest three with some staggered bed times until all of the kids (Lord willing!) are in bed by 8pm.  It doesn't always work out, but at least we're trying.

So, while scarfing down some spaghetti and salad, Jer and Abby are discussing the finer things in life - funny-to-them Bible names.

"Shem and Ham and Potatoes," Jer said.  "I like Shem and Ham and Potatoes!"

"Jer, those are not food names," I replied.  "Those are people."

And then Abby asked the question that must have been on each of their minds, "But why do people have food names?"


Last week Jeremiah looked into my eyes, and in a very serious tone, asked me, "Mommy, why are your eyes black?  Is it so you can see in the dark?"


Often Jeremiah comes to tell me what's on his mind.  His conversations usually go something like this:

"Mommy, I was sitting.  But I wasn't."

"I ate some apple.  But I didn't."

"I'm tired.  But I'm not."

Needless to say, there is usually some detective work to be done in order to figure out with part of his statements reflect the truth.


In other news, Rachel is learning to communicate more and more clearly.  She nods her head to say "yes", she grabs my hand and leads me all over the house to help her find things, and she sometimes says, "Yeah!"


Joshua just came downstairs.  Jer and Abby told him that they are having Dutch Babies (aka-Oven Pancakes or German Pancakes) for dinner.  This is a favorite of all the kids and to miss out would be a trajedy of epic proportions.  A bit distressed and perhaps feeling left out, Joshua came to complain to me about it.

"Mommy, Jer and Abby said they're having Dutch Babies for dinner.  Is that true?"

"Ummm...have you checked their plates, Joshua?"

"Oh."

You better believe the little ones got a good laugh out of that!


And before I go...

Abby: "Rachel has a little tummy."

Jer: "I have a big tummy."

Abby: "But not as big as mine.  Mine is BIG!"

They speak the truth...their tummies have now consumed, between the three of them, 5 helpings of spaghetti and meat sauce and half a plate of salad.  If they were truly eating Dutch Babies for dinner, they probably would have polished off half the tray by now.  Then Joshua would really have something to be upset about.

Leaves, Naps, and the Big Red Bus

 Our rental house is situated on four wooded acres.  As far as I can tell the property contains approximately zero evergreen trees.  Since it is November, the end of the fall season, most of the leaves from the trees now cover the ground.  Four acres covered in a 4-inch blanket of leaves.  Saying that we have a lot of leaves is an understatement.

So, when Jeremiah brought me a leaf this afternoon and said, "Look at my leaf, Mommy.  It's my money."  I panned the front yard and thought, "If every leaf were a dollar, how wealthy with this little guy be?"  My guess is that he would be a billionaire.  And by next year at this time...maybe he could get the United States out of debt.

Speaking of Jeremiah, he has proven to be a champion sleeper.  His move to a big boy bed has been a smooth transition with only a few nights of him getting up to play.  Even nap time has been a breeze.  I give him a stack of board books and instructions to go to sleep when he is finished reading.  And you know what?  He actually follows orders.  Amazing!

Here he is after putting himself down for a nap this afternoon.

 

I noticed something inside the driver's door of our big red van today.  On the little label that has our VIN, make, year, etc. the vehicle type says this, "Bus (Not a school bus)".  We often call it the Big Red Bus just because Jeremiah calls it that and sometimes will refuse to get in if we call it a van or a car.  I guess he was right afterall.

This morning we went into Charlottesville for an appointment.  While there we had to park in a parking garage.  I think this is the first time we have parked in one since getting the Big Red Bus last month.  Boy was it stressful...and I wasn't even the one driving!

We were instructed to move up to the third level but I don't think the attendant was paying much attention to the great height of our vehicle.  As we passed a row of "Oversized Vehicle" parking spaces, I thought how great it was that they offered these spots and I assumed they were on each level.

I was wrong.

You know those big metal beams that hang from the ceiling of parking garages?  You know how they have a height limit written on them?  And do you know how many times you drive right underneath and never give it a second thought?

Well, apparently our red van is nearly seven feet tall because we couldn't quite make it under the metal beam.  Instead we had to wait for clearance to turn around (have you tried to make a tight U-Turn in a giant vehicle?) and head back to the oversized vehicle spots.  Praise the Lord for those!

Obviously we made it in and out without real incident.  However, even in the oversized space our bumber was hanging past the end of the line.  Ugh...

Next up: Parallel parking.

Big Boy Bed

Here's a good way to get your exercise in for the day.  Put your 2-year-old into a big boy bed for the first time.  Make sure his bedroom is on the second floor and that you are writing a blog post about the experience busy on the first.  Run up the stairs each time you hear his feet pitter pattering, lift his 25 pound body into your arms, walk briskly to his bed, and administer discipline of your choice.

Repeat.

And repeat.

And repeat.

Listen to the funny things that your adorable and defiant little son has to say about his first night in a big boy bed.

"I'm just going to sleep now, Mommy."
 
"Mommy, I was walking and then running."

"I need a derrink!"

"Mommy, I'm not in my bed.  I'm on my bed."

"Daddy, I'm going to get up!"

And then have a good laugh at Big Brother's speech regarding the importance of obeying Dad and Mom and staying on your bed.

Big Brother:  "Jer, if you don't want to have spankings you should just stay in your bed.  Then you can go to sleep and forget about all of the spankings you just got."

Little Brother:  "Okay."

Remember to snap a photo once he finally dozes off to sleep.

Oh, yeah...have some ice cream or chocolate ready to celebrate your success.  And to replenish your energy reserves.  ;)

Snapshots: Sunday S'Mores

I know, I really owe you an actual post with more than two paragraphs of text excuses.  Sorry...this post will not be it.  But rest assured, I have been blogging in my head for about three weeks.  Eventually some of that will translate into some real writing.

For now, please enjoy some pictures from our backyard "camp out".  I'm not sure why we called it that because we weren't camping out at all.  But we did have a nice fire going and we enjoyed plenty of hot dogs and s'mores.  Yum!
 

Houston, We Have a Walker!

Rachel has been working on this for 5-6 weeks now.  She spent the first couple of weeks fussy and frustrated because she couldn't take more than a few steps before toppling over.  Now she has found her walking legs and there is no turning back!

This video is from last week and her progress since then has been astounding.  She now prefers walking over crawling and can traverse the entire house without a fall.  Time to start running soon!

Walking by the Numbers

Joshua - 13 months.  Just in time for little sister's arrival.
Hannah - 12 months.  On her birthday she walked across a grassy hill and also said her first word that day - "pop".
Abigail - 10 months - I think???  She could easily walk up and down the street by the time her first birthday rolled around.
Jeremiah - 11-12 months.  Like much of what he does, this skill came without much fuss.
Rachel - 10-11 months.  Perhaps the most determined of all.  She has places to go and people to see!
 

Birthday Boys, Part 2

Just over a week after we celebrated Joshua's 7th birthday, Jeremiah turned 2 years old!

I don't know if it's the age or the personality, but this kid is seriously loveable.  He talks up a storm, gets frustrated easily, and smiles and laughs most of the time.

We originally had his favorite meal on the menu for his birthday dinner - bean and rice "taco burritos".  But since Mom overlooked the need for refried beans, we changed up our plans.  Oh, well...at least he was able to enjoy one of his favorite treats - ice cream.  After the older kids showed him how to blow out the candles, he exclaimed, "Mommy, candles blow out on my ice cream!"

And then he proceeded to have a massive tantrum because we would not allow him a second scoop.  Poor guy.  :(  Two killer teeth coming through, a shorter than usual nap, and only one scoop of ice cream was more than he could handle.

Being two can be rough sometimes!

Tears and tantrums aside, we are so grateful to have this little guy in our midst.  He is such a delight!

We love you Jeremiah!

Potty Training

This guy has been Abby's potty training shadow for a few weeks now.  We've had little success with the girls' potty training.  Okay...so it is successful but it's painful.  And slow.  And I feel like a complete mothering failure as a result.  Kind of...

Anyway, our main success with potty training was with Joshua and that happened through something called infant potty training.  You can look it up, find a million websites and forums about it, and then feel like you're behind on the potty business when you're 5 month old still needs a diaper change.

This, however, did work for Joshua as an older baby and by the time he was 1 year old we almost never changed a poopy diaper.  Once he was 2 years old he was already completely dry during the days.  Of course, this was due in large part to two parents who sat him on the potty at regular times during the day.  But he was dry and we haven't had day time issues since.

The girls...not so much success.

They are humbling me.  And God is helping me to learn patience and self-control as I work with them.

So, back to Jeremiah.  He has been enjoying sitting on the little red potty once a day while Abby uses the big toilet.  She goes many times, but he has this one potty practice time.  When he hears the timer and I make the announcement that we're going to the potty he does a little dance and then runs to the bathroom, sits down, and enjoys a little video.  Sometimes this or this or another "school" one like this.  But the first one was this, which is a classic.  It does have a lot of inappropriate English subtitles out there, so be careful if you're checking out the related videos.  It is a bit strange but has sparked a lot of interest from the Abster and that is exactly what I was going for!

As a result of this fun practice, Jer is becoming very aware of his bodily functions.  He tells me when he needs a diaper change, brings me the necessary supplies, and even likes to apply aquaphor (our diaper cream of choice) on his pajamas.

Last night after his bath, Jeremiah was wandering around naked.  He came to get my attention and started pointing to himself.  He was obviously concerned and/or perplexed about something which I became aware of when he grunted and showed me the floor.

Where he had just peed.  It is not the first time this has happened, and certainly not the last. This part is not what made me laugh.

The thing that cracked me up was how Jeremiah handled the situation.

What does a toddler do when he finds he has peed on the carpet?

He grabs his brothers shirt to clean it up.  And clean it up he did!

Toddler Bible Lesson, Christmas, Part 4

Welcome to the Christmas Toddler Bible Lesson Series at Bible Basics!  I'm glad you stopped by.  If you're wondering what we're up to in this ongoing series, check out this introductory post.  For a growing list of toddler and preschool Bible lessons you can take a look at the Bible Basics page.

Since Christmas is right around the corner I wanted to share with you the ways in which we have taught our toddlers and preschoolers about the birth of Jesus.  This is a perfect time to focus on the reason for all of the Christmas holiday hype and to help your young child understand what it’s all about.  Plus, Christmas lessons are fun for everyone!

Today we are finishing up a four-part lesson series focusing on Jesus’ birth.  You can find the first three lessons here, here, and here.  This is another fun activity that I always enjoy doing with toddlers and preschoolers.  They get a kick out of the different items to feel and smell and I enjoy explaining the significance of the gifts Jesus received.

WISE MEN GIVE GIFTS TO JESUS
Matthew 2:1-12

Memory Verse: Choose one that fits your child’s age and ability.

“The angel said to Mary, ‘You will have a son.  You will name him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God.”  -Luke 1:31-32

“Today…a Savior has been born.  He is Christ the Lord.” -Luke 2:10-11 (simplified)

Lesson Focus
Wise men gave special gifts to Jesus.

Project
Sensory Gift Bags

Materials
- Small gift bags (I usually use paper lunch bags but have sometimes found gift bags in dollar bins at various stores.)
- Pennies or other coins (Although I have never had a child at home or in the classroom put these in their mouths, you can replace this with aluminum foil or construction paper cut into circles if you are concerned about choking.)
- Tea bag
- Perfume or cologne
- Fabric scrap

Directions
1. Give your child a small gift bag.

2. Give your child a few pennies or other coins.  Explain that this is the “gold” that was brought for Jesus.  Talk to your child about how gold is a valuable gift that was given to kings.  Tell him that Jesus is the King of kings.  Place the pennies in the gift bag.

3. Give your child a tea bag.  Let her smell it and tell her that this represents “frankincense” that was given to Jesus by the wise men.  You can explain how frankincense was the sap taken from a certain tree.  It was used for healing and the Israelites burned it in the Tabernacle at the place where God promised to meet with them.  It is a special incense that reminds us that Jesus became our Emmanuel: God with us.  Place the tea bag in the gift bag.

4. Finally, give your child a piece of fabric.  Place a small drop of perfume or cologne onto the fabric.  Ask him to smell it.  Explain that this perfume represents “myrrh” which was given to Jesus by the wise men.  Myrrh was more costly than gold.  It was used when people died to prepare their bodies for burial.  The myrrh reminds us that Jesus came to die on the cross for our sins.  Place the fabric scrap in the gift bag.

5. Use the gift bag to talk more about Jesus’ birth and the ways that the gifts the wise men gave point to the purpose God gave Him in coming to earth.


How We Go Through the Lesson
1. Recite or sing memory verse.

2. Read Bible story.  We use the Beginner's Bible, but you can choose a children's story Bible or "grown-up" translation that suits you and your family.

3. Recite or sing memory verse.

4. Craft or project.  Depending on the day of the week this may be a project like the one above or it could be a coloring page or something completely different.

*Repeat the lesson almost every day.  This could mean doing it on weekdays or taking one day to work on the project, saying the memory verse together throughout the day, and reading the Bible story before bed each night.  It doesn't matter when or how, but the repetition is key for toddlers to retain the lessons presented to them.


When you give your children gifts at Christmas, what significance do they have?  Do they direct your child’s attention to Jesus?  How?