The Cellar
We live in an old farmhouse. It has a couple unusual features, for example: Our basement is not your typical basement In fact, it is a proper cellar, not a refined, ‘let’s go play a game of ping-pong downstairs’ type of room. I’ll give you a fraction of the tour here. Wow, and now I feel like I am standing here in my underwear. Yes, It is rather messy. In fact it gets that way very fast. Just forget all that, I’d like to introduce you to my favorite basement resident Most times when I come down the steps, he is there somewhere waiting to hop away from my intrusion of his cavernous home. He is right there in the middle of this photo. (And yes, there is water running through our basement in varying degrees at all times.) I have...
Story Time, June 5 2011
Retro post #3 I decided (at Al’s encouragement) to have a morning where we act out a bible story while I am reading it. Usually here at home when we do this kind of thing, we laugh a lot, have false starts and many promptings. But in a church service I felt it should be slightly more organized, so the night before, I contacted some parents about having their sons participate with a heads up about who their character is going to be and the knowledge that they simply need to do (act out) what I am reading with whatever vigor they want to put into it. Of course there was a little room for some on stage volunteer parts (townspeople, extra lepers) but for anyone who had a ‘major’ role, they knew a little what to expect. For introduction, I brought the...
Children’s Church, June 19 2011
Retro post #4 Some time ago, I led a story time using the Pineapple Story book. So much time has elapsed since this Sunday, Summer intruded I think! that my memory has gotten hazy of that morning. But here was the gist. Prep beforehand included, buying two pineapples. Keeping one whole and cutting the other up into small chunks. In a large basket (to conceal the goods) place: 1. the book. Most important unless you plan to recite the story from memory 2. the whole pineapple 3. the chunks (in a container of course) 4. napkins 5. toothpicks To introduce the story I pulled out the whole pineapple and we talked a bit what it was and how it grows. If you have lots of time, kids love to hold/pass around something like that and get them to describe the feel,...
Meet Louis
Or: How to carve a swan from a watermelon. This past winter we read a story called “The Trumpet of the Swan” by E.B.White. I had actually forgotten about it. One day last week as I was working on turning a watermelon into a swan, Landon asked me “Is this Louis?” Whaaaat….? And then I remembered….. Come with me and meet Louis! For watermelon carving, choose a watermelon based solely on size and shape. Forget about thumping your head or chest or belly and to match the appropriate sound. Just get the look, seeds are of no consequence. You can always buy a seedless one to make chunks to fill the sculpture. That is what I did anyway. For this swan, choose an oblong one that is bigger at one end than the other. Allow to come to...
Pinchot State Park
Monday evening we made a quick decision to spend about 24 hours at a local state park. We chose Pinchot. Tuesday morning was a scurry of activity to get ourselves out the door by noon since there had been no prior planning. One of the first things we did when we got there was get in the water. We all were a bit hesitant at first. But the water was warm and the breeze was cool, so pretty soon we were in. It is a great place for small kids as it starts out about ankle deep and gradually progresses to 5 feet, perfect for young children. Betsy spent quite a bit of time practicing this move. And ones like this. I spent a good deal of time doing what Landon is doing here. The little fishes would come and hide under my legs and nibble, it felt funny. Jack and Bria...