Preschool: Easter Week

The week of Easter was pretty relaxed since I didn’t pick anything overtly “educational.”  Along with Benjamin’s Box and our resurrection eggs, we based many of our activities on 2 Teaching Mommies’ 12 Days of Easter unit.  Since I forgot to actually start twelve days ahead of time, we had to double up on some of the days, which was fine because it gave us more things to do. 

Our Bible story was about Jesus’ death and resurrection – the whole reason we celebrate Easter!  I kept our Palm Sunday verse on the board from the previous week of preschool and added 1 John 3 :16 – This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

We started each day with a page from Benjamin’s Box; there’s a story to go along with each of the twelve resurrection eggs.  We have this little wooden box that Phil made a number of years ago which has since become Benjamin’s treasure box, storing the contents from each of the eggs.  It really adds an element of wonder and excitement, physically holding the pieces that are represented in the resurrection story.   

 

The 12 Days of Easter unit has suggested activities to go along with the lessons, and we took advantage of some of these ideas.  For day one, we talked about Palm Sunday when Jesus rode on the donkey, I told them about the legend of the donkey’s cross and we colored a picture. 

When we talked about the thirty pieces of silver that Judas received for betraying Jesus for day two, I filled an empty muslin bag with 30 pennies and had Gwen count them. 

I tried to explain the concept of betrayal, doing things that aren’t nice to someone who is supposed to be your friend, but I’m not sure how much of it sank in.     

Inside the resurrection egg for day three is a little wooden cup that my parents brought back from Israel.  We talked about the last supper that Jesus had with disciples and how we celebrate communion, which symbolizes Jesus’ blood and body that was shed and broken for us.  We used the boy and girl printables from the unit; I put them in page protectors and had Gwen and Josiah think of naughty (I explained what “sin” is and how nobody is perfect) things they might do and draw them on the page - scowling, hitting, etc. 

 

They got pretty marked up!  Afterwards, I had them wipe them away, just like Jesus’ blood makes us clean when we ask for forgiveness.

We got to break out the bubbles for day four!  The kids enjoyed “blowing bubbles to heaven” to illustrate what happens to our prayers when we talk to God and ask for forgiveness. 

 

The happy part of Easter is talking about Jesus being raised from the dead, but you can’t skip the part where Jesus was whipped and beaten, a crown of thorns put on his head and nailed to a cross.  Day five reveals the whip that was used on Jesus’ back in the resurrection egg, and to illustrate we used white pieces of construction paper and drew lines for all the bad things we might do. 

 

We talked about how Jesus died to forgive all the bad things – called “sin” - so that we might live in heaven with Him one day. 

Gwendolyn agreed that the crown of thorns from day six must have really hurt.  We combined a couple craft ideas – playdough Easter mountain and a playdough crown of thorns, which the kids enjoyed putting together. 

 

 

There’s a small nail in the resurrection egg for day seven, but when Daddy showed Gwen a really long, thick nail that was more realistic to the type used for crucifixion, she got very quiet.  I like the idea from the unit for explaining how love held Jesus on the cross; he could have ended it whenever He wanted but He chose to stay and give His life for us.  I wrote “love” on a wooden heart and we each hammered a nail in. 

 

There’s a game die in the egg for day eight, symbolizing when the soldiers gambled for Jesus’ clothing.  Despite everything, Jesus forgave them.  We got our the white pieces of construction paper that had been marked up and painted over it with white paint to show how Jesus forgives us when we ask.

 

We didn’t have lesson-specific activities for the remaining unit days, but we continued to read the stories, including Bible Story Printable’s resurrection minibook and Happy Home Fairy’s Easter story cards.

We made a colorful mess with bits of tissue paper making stained glass crosses to hang in the window.  Note to self: use real contact paper next time, not removable (it doesn’t stick!).  They’re taped to the window, just underneath our crayon shaving hearts that are still up from Valentine’s Day.  In fact, I’m thinking crayon shaving crosses is a neat idea!  

The kiddos did a little Easter egg hunt coloring page…

…and since we didn’t do an official Easter egg hunt this year I decided to put snacks in the eggs and have the kiddos search for their Easter egg lunch.  It was a huge hit! 

 

 

Since it was such a beautiful day outside, we took advantage and went on a spring scavenger hunt using a printable from Nature Detectives.  Gwendolyn is demonstrating that soft pine needles are, indeed, “tickly.”

  

Since the weather has gotten nicer we’ve been spending a lot more time outdoors – including adding to and planting the gardens!  The kiddos are a huge help and I can only imagine what they’re learning from all of it.

 

Both Gwen and Josiah helped me in the kitchen making goodies.  It brings back memories of my mother teaching me to cook and bake at a young age, teaching me things like “clean up as you go” so there’s less work at the end, and get out all of your ingredients ahead of time.  They love to pour, so I let them use the measuring spoons and cups, telling them how much we’re adding of a particular ingredient.  

Lucky for me, Josiah loves to help with the cleanup (although he usually ends up making more of a mess in the process). 

 

Gwen helped me make birds nest cookies.

  

We’re not big on dyeing eggs, but we love deviled eggs so this year we tried Easter deviled eggs and colored the whites.  I let the kiddos pick the colors and help me dye the water.

You gotta have some jelly beans for Easter!  I had originally intended on having the kiddos help me make colors-of-faith jelly bean bracelets, but it was really hard to string them.  Instead they helped me separate them into colors and we put them into little baggies, attaching the cross printable that says the meaning of each color.

 

We handed these out to the cousins on Easter after a scavenger hunt the kiddos’ Meme planned for them.

 

We didn’t get any family pictures for Easter, but I did manage to get a few acceptable ones of Josiah sporting the skinny tie that I made for him with some of the tractor fabric leftover from his crayon roll.

In the kiddos’ Easter baskets:

  

How-to links: homemade bubbles & wands |  fabric eggs | crayon rolls | bunny bags    
Not pictured, in the treat bags: licorice nests | cross necklaces

For more ideas see my Easter Pinterest board.

Book Basket
Easter Mice!
A Year Full of Holidays
Happy Easter Little Critter
The Berenstain Bears and the Real Easter Eggs
The Colt and the King
FancyNancy’s Elegant Easter
DVD Winnie the Pooh – Springtime with Roo

FINE, I’ll Exercise

Growing up, I’d say I always had a tendency towards pessimism – though I call it being realistic.  Some may have called me “depressed,” but I was never officially diagnosed.  In junior high, when my mom brought me to our doctor for an eating disorder, I remember the term depression being thrown around, and I also remember my mom saying she wanted me to “beat it naturally.”  Whatever that means. 

A couple months ago I seriously started thinking I might have some form of depression – more specifically, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD).  I noticed a pattern to my moods, and out of curiosity (and desperation) I decided to record these feelings.  It reminded me of when I first got married, trying to track my fertility – the readings were all over the place because I have irregular cycles. 

I was so upset.  I just wanted an answer as to why I was feeling this way, wanted to fix it.  Phil lost his job and we had no insurance, so I figured I would wait until my next OB-GYN appointment and hope we had coverage by then so I could talk it over with my doctor.

In the meantime, I decided to look into taking supplements.  I already eat pretty healthily, though I know there are gaps – we rarely eat fish or red meat, for instance.  I’ve always been skeptical about the idea of taking vitamins, and still wonder if I’m not just creating expensive pee.  My grocery store had some buy one/get one free promotions, and I decided to get a vitamin B-complex and some cod liver oil.  I’ve been taking them pretty consistently, although I do forget every now and then.  Even sitting right in front of me at the kitchen table, I forget.

I often wonder how much of the depressive moods I feel is more a result of situational depression – I feel lonely because of Phil’s work schedule, the kids can be draining, keeping up with the housework can be tiring, yadda yadda.  Even being stuck inside on a rainy day can get to me.  Since the weather has been nicer, we’ve been getting outside, going to the playground, going to the zoo, having picnics in the yard, and I seriously think the sunshine and fresh air has its own medicinal qualities.  Then I start ramping up towards my period, and my personality shifts…

Well, today was my annual appointment with my midwife.  She was happy with my weight loss, told me how beautiful my children are and what a job I must be doing with them.  The kiddos were very curious about the stirrups, and Gwen laughed when I told her what they were for – until she saw them in action.  Hehe.  I told her about my concerns involving PMDD, and while I didn’t get into as much detail as I would have liked, she assured me that I’m normal and don’t need a label for my symptoms - I just happen to have two kids who can be very aggravating at times, and things seems worse when I’m dealing with hormones on top of that.  I have a very small window where I feel “normal,” positive – about one and a half to two weeks, until I ovulate – that’s when the hormones kick in, I start spotting, and my Other Self takes over.

She asked if I exercise.  While I don’t specifically aim to exercise, I feel I get quite a bit – playing with the kids, cleaning the house, going up and down stairs, etc.  She shakes her head, no – I need forty-five minutes a day, alone, to exercise (and cleaning the house doesn’t count).  Arrrrgh.  I do not want to add an exercise regime to my day!  While I was somewhat encouraged by her feeling that I’m not a horrible monster, I still thought there would be a better explanation for what I’m going through.  And exercise… that’s not something I wanted to hear. 

On the way home, it occurred to me – even if I did have PMDD or depression or whatever, I don’t want to go on medication, so why not try exercise?  If my mood improves and I lose some more weight, what’s to complain about?  After I put the kids down for their naps, I got out one of my good ol’ Leslie Sansone DVDs – Walk Away the Pounds Express: Advanced Walk 3 Miles - and managed to finish despite interruptions from the non-napping Gwendolyn.  I got a little out-of-breath, but it wasn’t very challenging, so I may stick with the 4 mile routine or her walk and jog.

We’ll see how this goes.

another week gone by

well, not much to report, really. i’m still plugging along. i did meet a wonderful woman on spark, and she and i have been corresponding, encouraging each other and so forth (rm, you should get a xanga journal!). i probably wouldn’t be the best in a big group, but i find i like the one-on-one; although i think i find it hard to call on help when i need it (in any type of friendship situation, i mean). i don’t mind offering all the wisdom i can possibly give, but sometimes i’m ashamed to show weakness. like, if i’m lonely and want to get together with someone, i talk myself out of it because i might be melancholy, and don’t want him/her to have to “put up” with me. why do we feel we always need to be strong, level-headed? so what if we’re not? that doesn’t make us bad people – just human.

i’ve managed to stick pretty well and healthily to a low-cal diet. i’ve never been big on counting calories or measuring portion sizes, but i’ve just been sticking to some things that are working for me. besides, the way spark is set up, it’s fun and easy to record your meals. i’ve also been trying some different workout dvds. i check them outta the library, and then when they’re due or i’m sick of them, i exchange them for something else! so i get a variety and don’t have to spend money on them. nikki, how are you doing on spark?

yesterday the weather was simply gorgeous! i went for two walks, go me! first, after cleaning for my boss’s wife, i took their dog holly for a walk around the block (or, rather, she took me for a walk); then i got together with my mom and we took a stroll around her neighborhood.

after burning off, maybe, five calories between the two of us (hehe… our bodies are stubborn), we went to panera for coffee and a snack. tip: the chai tea latte is really good… but a little too big for my taste. because of my inescapable position, i’ve been thinking a lot about kids and marriage these days, how to reconcile your ideas with the opinion of others, and what to do with your conclusions. mom had a lot of good, if somewhat sobering things to say – and i concluded that, as far as some things are concerned, i’ll have to just rely on god’s grace and forgiveness because i cannot seem to do the “right” thing. =sigh=

i oftentimes find it hard to express my ideas and opinions and certain matters, because i feel i’m not as educated as the majority of people. of course, i could change that… but i just don’t have the time (or don’t feel like making the time) to persue all those things. because i feel limited in my knowledge, i feel i have to cow to the other person; they know more, are significantly more eloquent – they must be right! well, i don’t think this is always the case, and if i feel strongly about something i shouldn’t deny that.

one situation in particular is about couples having children. i am probably wrong about this, but the only place in the bible i can think of that puts this subject in terms of a command is when god says “be fruitful and multiply.” and he doesn’t give a time-frame. yes, he says children are a blessing (in those words and other ways)… but i feel it’s one of those things where we have a choice in the matter (unless he has already specifically laid it on your heart).

for instance – i’ve been in a number of unsavory job situations, and after a while i’m torn between what to do – just ride it out and hope things get better, start looking for another job, quit and see what comes up? there are times when, even though we ask for god’s guidance, there isn’t necessarily a “right” and “wrong.” sometimes you may try something, and it doesn’t work out… and other times you find it’s perfect for you, and feel that’s “where i’m supposed to be.” the bad jobs – even though they were bad, i feel there was something to be learned from them, and the good job i’m in right now… well, it’s just better all-around. does that make any sense? we can choose to marry or not to marry (no right or wrong), choose to have kids or not. sure, if we don’t have kids, we may be missing out on one of god’s blessings, but that doesn’t mean we’re disobeying him. note: it appears that 1 timothy chapter 5 deals with widows, not married women in general.

eh… i’m sick again, and not really feeling like leaving the house… but i need to run some errands. i really want to go to wholefoods and find some health food i’ve been looking for, and maybe get some new sneakers (can anyone reccomend a good brand?). toodle-oo.

low-cal tips

i’m determined to stay motivated in this my hundredth+ attempt to lose weight, get fit, and generally get on track in certain areas of my life. thus continues the ongoing journey that i’ve started with sparkpeople.

anyhoo… i just wanted to share some of the things that have helped me stay within my low-calorie diet… er, way of eating. i hate the word “diet.” here are some of the items on my food list that have been working:

breakfast
southwestern eggbeaters (i might try some recipes with it)
apple with peanut butter and ground cinnamon

lunch or dinner
can of chicken broth with spices and veggies
large salad with veggies, dried fruit, maybe some cheese and nuts, with balsamic vinaigrette
stir-fry with olive oil, worcestershire sauce, soy mayo, veggies, and imitation crabmeat
imitation crab meat with soy mayo and celery (like a seafood salad)
mix of different canned veggies (peas and corn is a good combo), with olive oil and spices

snacks
laughing cow light creamy swiss triangles
international coffee flavors hard candies, sugar free
veggies and dip

drinks
instant decaf with ground cinnamon, splenda, and cappuccino or vanilla soymilk
sugar free drink mix (such as crystal light or wyler’s)

out to eat
soup and salad, with dressing on the side

sparks aflyin’

so i jumped on the bandwagon and signed up at sparkpeople. a couple days passed before i realized i could build my own food diary, rather than go by their planned menu. it’s a little frustrating trying to find the exact foods that i’ve consumed… but at least it gives me an idea of my nutritional consumption.

my goals aren’t the most realistic. part of me wanted to cut out food altogether, like the days of yore (=sigh=)… but that’s extremely frustrating and unhealthy. so… i’m aiming for below 1,000 calories. while i hate counting, i’m trying to pick foods that are already low-cal… fruits and veggies, etc. i’ve been having an apple with ground cinnamon and vanilla soymilk or an apple with peanut butter for breakfast, soup and salad or canned/stir-fried veggies for lunch and dinner. i finally allowed myself some cheese – the creamy swiss triangles from laughing cow are really good (it comes in a round, white and green box) – you can eat them plain, like i do, or spread them like you would cream cheese.

i read in a magazine recently of this new product called tofu shirataki noodles. apparently, they’re just like pasta… but only 40 calories for an entire bag! sounds like heaven to me. i can only find them on amazon, and am hoping they’ll pop up in the grocery stores (maybe whole foods?). apparently they’re found in the fridge section… so if you see ‘em, let me know!

in other news… philip and i are considering attending the family life conference in newport this february. i’ve been wanting to do something like this for a while – i think we could really use the boost. even though it’s close by, it’s my opinion that staying at the hotel would make it a better experience… but philip doesn’t seem to like the idea. should i just give it to him for considering the conference at all… or push the idea of staying at the hotel? i feel that if we come home inbetween, it will ruin the atmosphere. at home, i’ll think of all the things i need to do, probably get impatient with him, yadda yadda yadda… and if we stay in newport, it will just be about us the whole time. (pause) which is, of course, the problem. i’ve forgotten what it feels like to focus on the important things, to be focused on.