Monkeys! (and Monkey Bite Recipe)

 To supplement our study on monkeys, we modified this chocolate covered banana recipe and made them into "Monkey Bites".  We cut up 2 bananas into about 2" slices, placed toothpicks in the middle and froze them until they were  hard.

 Melt 1/2 to 1 c. chocolate chips (we used white melting chocolate b/c we had it on hand) and dip bananas in.  (sorry this is a blurry pic!)

 Add sprinkles or whatnot while the chocolate is still soft.  Allow to harden and enjoy your "monkey bites".  

 This habitat idea is totally stolen from my friend Ann, who did a much more artistic job with her son than we did here at home!  

My son also colored a picture, and I wrote down a few simple facts about monkeys so we could review it at some point.  We sang the "No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" for good measure : )  We have 5 other animals we're going to do similar projects for.  

Antsy for Spring

I was trying to be very disciplined and wait a bit longer to introduce some spring decor.  (Why, I don't really know, except I don't want to get my hopes too high too soon here in cold Michigan!).  I just couldn't wait any longer to add some brighter colors!

 A hurricane is my go-to piece for decorating.  The colors in fruit just couldn't be prettier.

  

If you can't read the Scrabble tiles, it says "Hope for Spring".  I thought I'd put up my Caitlin Standing Cross in preparations for Lent and Easter.

Be Mine

Homemade Valentines made by my 4-year-old and me.  

They're not perfect, but they're from the heart.
Happy Valentine's Day to you!  Hope it's a sweet day for you and your family!

Spring Bird's Nest

My son and I had a great time making bird's nests.  We did it as part of his schooling, since we've been learning about birds.  We got the idea from the Horizon's preschool program.  


Ingredients:
1 c. white melting chocolate or chocolate chips
1 1/2 c. Chow Mein Noodles
Jelly Beans or M&Ms
You'll also need squares of aluminum foil to line your muffin tin.


Start by melting the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl.

Add the Chow Mein Noodles

Scoop noodle mixture into about 8 aluminum foil-lined spots in your muffin tin.  Press down the center lightly to make a nest.  Place a few jelly beans or M&Ms inside as your "eggs".  It only takes a few minutes for the chocolate to harden, and then you're ready to lift out your nests and enjoy.

3 Little Men

When my husband and I announced that our 3rd baby was a boy, some people thought that we would be disappointed.  This picture illustrates why I'm so excited to add another brother to our clan.  I hope these bubbas will be best friends (when they're not fighting, of course : )

Setting the Tone

Visit http://womenlivingwell.org/
to see more posts like this : )

 Sometimes we mamas feel like because we're at home a lot, we don't influence many people.  The truth is, we have a huge amount of influence in our homes (and many other places). What attitudes and behaviors can we put on to help create a positive, happy home atmosphere?

•                Proverbs 14:1 - "The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down."  We can seek God's wisdom for molding us into the women he wants us to be each day by studying His Word.  How does the Proverbs 31 woman build her house?  How do the foolish women in mentioned in Proverbs tear theirs down? 

•                James 1:5 - "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."  Ask God for wisdom at the beginning of each day!  When your toddler drops his cup on the floor for the 6th time in 1 hour, ask God for wisdom and a good attitude.  If your preschooler comes down with a bad case of "sassy mouth", ask God for wisdom before you respond to him/her.  If you're feeling bored, tired, or blue today, ask God for wisdom and strength to carry you through the day.

•                God has given you a tremendous responsibility to teach your children.  Deuteronomy 11: 18-20 says "Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates".  We have a limited amount of time with our wee ones.  God tells us to use every opportunity to teach them His precepts. 

•                Life doesn't always go the way we want it to, does it?  A flat tire, a lost job, a broken relationship...all of these things can weigh us down and make it challenging for us to help make home a happy place.  Matthew 11:28-30 says “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  We can bring our burdens to God through Jesus our Savior.  Set your troubles down at His feet and trust that He will guide you daily.  Life may be rough at times, but you are not walking alone.  You are walking with the King of Kings!

•                Speaking of not walking alone, you have sisters in Christ here to help you!  Don't try to "do life" by yourself.  One of the reasons God gave us the body of Christ is so that we could encourage each other and bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2)!  Call your girlfriend, mom, or a wise woman in your church and ask her for encouragement.  Ask for prayer.  Ask for practical advice.  Hopefully at the end of your conversation you'll be laughing at the day's foibles.  

•                Life is short...We've all heard this, haven't we?  How many mature women have told you that your kids will "grow up so fast"?  Let's face it, when babies are screaming, dinner is burning (or not started), and you're running on empty, some of those hours can seem endless.  What if we purposed to use our time - the swift moving, the slow moving, the fabulous and the horrendous - to love God, to love our families and those around us, and to bring glory to the One who saved us?  Proverbs 90:12 "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."  

• What if we, by applying God's wisdom, giving and receiving encouragement, and trusting God to lead us through this life and into the next, could positively affect our home life and the world at large?  Wouldn't it be amazing to hear the words from Proverbs 31:28 "Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her"?  At the end of life, how dearly we want to hear "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:23) when we have been good stewards over what God has blessed us with!