Wow! I have a ton of stuff to cover today. Read what interests you and feel free to move on to the next section!
RANDOMNESS - Roxie left on a bus at 3:30 a.m. Thursday morning for Guatemala.
And when I say, "bus," I mean she rode a bus to the airport and got on a plane for the first time EVER, flew to Atlanta, got on another plane, flew to Guatemala, got on another bus and drove five hours (more or less) to her final destination.
ALL BY HERSELF.
And when I say, "ALL BY HERSELF," I mean she is in a foreign country without her Mom.
I have received and sent text messages.
I have seen group pictures of her on Instagram.
I am now in a family Group-Me.
These are the ways we will communicate over the next seven days.
I know the following about her "condition" over the last two days:
She loves flying, but it is "weird."
She loves the compound in Guatemala.
She loves this trip.
I may or may not survive.
Right now, I'm leaning toward the "may not"
I took this picture of Roxie and Ragan at 3:22 Thursday morning.
I am currently in withdrawals having gone over 24 hours without taking a picture of The Chick or some of her friends.
This is the bus that took my baby to the airport where somehow she ended up on a plane that took her to a foreign country.
I hate this bus.
As you can see, I have a "missions-minded" heart...
And a lot of praying to do Sunday morning at the altar...
So stay out of my way!
Quotable Quotes
"Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't." Bill Nye
Blog Linkage - No surprise here. Go to www.missionalmotherhood.com and check out all the posts you may have missed the past few days.
Pinterest Stuff
Photo Challenges for Parents
Portrait
Extreme Close-Up
Profile
Hair
Baby Teeth
Bald
Toes
Feet
Hands
Bed Head
Belly Buttons
Eyelashes
Ears
Blankie
Lovie (What is a lovie?)
Cookie Jar
Shoes
Play-Dough
Crafts
Toys
These are only a few of the ideas you can find at www.jamiemoorephotography.blogspot.com. Click on "Website" and scroll to the bottom of the page to a post entitled, "Photo Challenge for Parents." It is an excellent go-by for capturing your "favorite little people."
Way Back When...
I re-post things from time to time, so that isn't anything new.
However, A Simple Life is over five years-old now. Since I'm in a different season of life as a mother of young adults, I still want to share ideas that worked for me and mine "Way Back When," as well as let you know how things are going on this end of motherhood.
"Way Back When..." will be a regular section now. It will simply be a place to re-post OLD (but perhaps relevant) ideas from days past.
This idea was first posted in June of 2009.
Farmer Party
The theme for this party is found in Genesis 8:22. God promises there will always be a seed time and harvest.
Suggested Size - 5 to 10 kids
Type - Boy or girl
Age - 2 to 5 years-old
This party is best held outdoors. Your backyard or a local park would be great locations. If it rains, never fear.... this party will work just as well indoors.
Do you have any overalls? Wear them and ask all guests to wear them (or bluejeans) if possible.
SCHEDULE - 90 minutes
15 Minutes - Arrive, Play Horseshoes, Yardstick Horses
20 Minutes - Hayrides, Milk the Cow
10 Minutes - Chow Down
20 Minutes - Devotion, Harvest Game
10 Minutes - Open Presents
10 Minutes - Free Play
HORSESHOES
Make horseshoes out of colored poster boards, taping pennies to the two ends and middle of each horsehoe to give it weight. You can let the kids try to throw the horseshoes into a laundry basket from a marked line. The poster board horseshoes work great with the 2 and 3 year-old crowd. (You can also use a child's plastic horseshoe set.)
YARDSTICK HORSES
Make the horses using poster board and yarn for the head and mane. Let the kids play on these until you are ready for the organized games. It may be hard to get the kids off the horses because they are such fun. Tell them the horses must go back in the barn for a while, and put the horses out of sight until you are ready to use them again at the end of the party.
HAYRIDES
Put some hay in a small red wagon or wheelbarrow and let some of the other adults give the children hayrides around the yard. FUN! This will be their favorite.
MILK THE COW
Use a rubber glove and make a pin prick in each finger tip. Pour a small amount of milk into the glove. Twist the top of the glove and hold it tight while you let the children take turns squirting the milk out of the fingers of the glove into a pail. (I used this activity, but I used an old sawhorse as the "cow." Just tie the glove under the sawhorse and have a milking stool and a pail so the kids feel like they are really milking a cow.)
CHOW DOWN
You will serve farm snacks and a pig cake. Lay some quilts or red checkered tablecloths on the ground to have a picnic. You can also serve farm snacks in a produce basket lined with red napkins or bandannas.
SUGGESTIONS FOR SNACKS
Apples, peaches or berries
Carrot sticks
Homemade biscuits
Cheese and/or ham slices
Bacon
Pig Cake
PIG CAKE
This is a super easy cake. Make a yellow cake using only one 8" round. (You don't want this to be a tall cake.) Use light pink icing.
For the snout, cut the top off a cupcake (do not discard) and put the cupcake upside down in the middle of the top of the cake. Ice it pink, also. Use brown M & Ms for the nostrils and eyes.
For the ears, cut the top of the cupcake in half. Ice both pieces pink and put them on the cake plate touching the edge of the cake for ears.
With the remaining batter, you can make cupcakes or a plain iced 8" round. Easy and very pig-like.
DEVOTION
Ask the kids if they know some of the jobs farmers perform. They may mention milking cows, planting seeds, picking apples and corn or baling hay. Ask them if they know who really makes all the wonderful crops grow. Make a poster with pictures cut from magazines of different fruits and vegetables. Print the words from Genesis 8:22 on the poster.
The Bible says God has made a wonderful cycle. The farmer plants the seeds in the spring, and by fall, the crops have grown. We call the crops that grow the "harvest." God is the one we depend on for the crops to grow. Do you suppose the farmers thank God when they have a good harvest. Shouldn't we thank Him, too?
Pray with the children to thank God for the harvest and the crops.
HARVEST TIME
Around the yard, you should place enough construction paper apples for each child to gather (at least five per child). Attach a small candy to each apple to make the game more exciting (or use real apples).
When you give the signal, the kids will hunt for apples in the yard. Their limit is five. Tell them after they have found five, they have to come sit down. Let them eat at least one of their candies while they wait on the others.
OPENING PRESENTS
Have the birthday boy or girl sit in a chair beside a wheelbarrow holding the presents. Have the other children sitting on a bandanna with their name on it (taped to the floor) arranged in a semi-circle.
Call out each child's name to give their gift by saying, "Farmer Kristen. Get your gift out of the wheelbarrow to give to the birthday boy!"
FREE PLAY
1. Riding yardstick horse
2. More hayrides
PICTURE SUGGESTION
Have a bale of hay sitting next to a tree somewhere in the yard. Take each child's picture sitting on the bale of hay (wearing a straw hat, holding a piece of straw in their teeth, etc.)
SUGGESTIONS ON FAVORS
1. Favor containers - Produce baskets
2. Yardstick horses
3. Straw hats and bandannas
4. Plastic farm animals
5. Packet of vegetable seeds
6. White plastic cup with cow spots painted on it
7. Red Apple
8. Candy from Harvest Game
Taken from Parties With a Purpose. (I've tried to find it, but I think this book is out of print.) I used this party for Josh's 2 year-old birthday. It was a big hit with him, Austin and his cousins. Easy, fun and inexpensive... PERFECT COMBO!
For those of you who might think I have it all together, gaze upon Josh's Pig Cake.
I'll give you a minute.
That's a good cake for me, Folks.
This was the Cow Milking Station.
Brad has his arm around my neck closely watching Cousin Austin milk the cow...
And patiently waiting for his turn.
Farmer Mike was in charge of the Wheelbarrow Rides.
Everyone LOVED the Wheelbarrow Rides.
Josh thought the Pig Cake was absolutely divine. (I adore two year-olds.)
Most of the guests wore overalls. Katie, Granddaddy and Josh.
And this is the Hay Bale Photo Op.
Wasn't Katie precious?
DISCLAIMER - These pictures look much, much better in the scrapbook. I'm not great at taking pictures of already taken pictures... if you know what I mean.
Weekend Happenings
1. Mike and I are going out to eat with our Sunday School class tonight. I'm having to keep extra busy, and I have to admit Mike and The Brothers are not enjoying my company very much lately.
I told Austin I acted the same way when he went to London a few years ago.
That didn't seem to make him feel any better.
2. Austin and Melia are in wedding mode this weekend. Austin is in a wedding in Jacksonville, so he will be there tonight and tomorrow. He'll come back just in time to take Melia to another friend's wedding Saturday night.
They are in "that season" of life!
3. Josh is watching the new Tom Cruise movie tonight with some friends.
4. Mike and I are going to try Alabama Biscuit Saturday morning if everything goes as planned. I'll let you know all about it Tuesday.
5. I hope Mike and Josh can go fishing Saturday afternoon.
6. Sunday we will go to church, and if all goes well, I may have a new outfit. (I'm presently looking for the perfect shoes.)
7. I don't know if you have heard or not, but Roxie is in a foreign country (Guatemala), and she'll be doing the Lord's work Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
This is going to be the longest weekend EVER.
Especially for Mikie and The Brothers.
Have a lovely weekend. I'll be back Tuesday with Weekend Wrap-Up, pics, a Restaurant Review and more.
Take care, and I'll talk to you next week.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
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