How to make popsicle stick flowers: by Caleb Chapman

What you need

. Popsicle sticks

. Paper 

. SROGRAPH/SIROGRAPH DISKS

. Permanent double-sided tape

. Dark green markers

. Colored pencils

. Scissors

__________________________________________________________

1.     Take the SPIROGRAPH and SIROGRAPH DISKS.

2.     Next take the piece paper and put it underneath the SPIROGRAPH.

3.     Now take the small SPIROGRAPH DISK and put it in the circle.

4.     Next get a colored pencil and put it in one of the holes on the disk.

5.     Now move the colored pencil in circles.

6.     Now get the big disk and repeat steps 3-5.

7.     Find some scissors and cut out the picture.

8.     Get a popsicle stick, double stick tape, and the picture; now tape the picture to the popsicle stick.

9.     Color the popsicle stick green. 

Savanna Zoe asks Jesus to come into her life!

A few weeks ago, Jade was putting the kids down to bed as Emman was at a dinner meeting to wrap up Warm Souls 2010. During Bible time, the kids picked out a children's Bible story about the Roman's Road. The story was written with the perspective of telling a child how to lead their unsaved friends to salvation.

As I was reading the story and explaining what each of the verses meant in terms that they could hopefully both understand, I came to the prayer portion at the end of the story. Without any prompting and without having a said a single word throughout the rest of the story, Savanna Zoe started to repeat after me as I read the prayer! I paused and explained to her what it meant to ask Jesus to come be a part of your life and forgive you and guide you. I then asked if that was something she wanted. She said yes and we prayed a simple prayer together and then Caleb and I congratulated her, praised her decision, and rejoiced with her! I then texted Emman to let him what had just happened!

How exciting to see your children respond unprompted to the knocking of Jesus on their little hearts! Jesus says not to prevent the little children from coming to Him and teaches us that in actuality we must become as children ourselves if we are to enter the kingdom of God!

Matthew 18:1-5 "At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me."" and Matthew 19:14 "Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”"

Don't forget your way home

A few months ago, Caleb was talking about how when he grows up he is going to move to Lexington (where the University of Kentucky is located) and have lots of cats. He said that he would let us come visit sometime, but that we could not stay too long because he wouldn't want us to forget our way home!

Where fuzz belongs

The other night while drying Savanna Zoe off after a bath she noticed a small piece of towel fuzz on her leg. "What is that?" she asked. I replied that it was fuzz. She asked what it was doing there. I said, "I don't know, it is silly, huh, fuzz doesn't belong on your leg!" To which she replied, "Yah, it belongs in your toes!"

Potty Training

Savanna Zoe might not be potty trained yet, but she is training "Baby" to use the potty!

Peek a Boo and Shaking the Sillies Out!

Man is she cute!


This is a great way to get rid of any left over energy just before bed.

She is Crawling and She Likes Fish!

Pride Cometh Before The Fall

(sorry about the blurry photo)

Just the other day, Savanna Zoe pulled herself up to the standing position next to her bead maze. As she was playing with the maze she decided to slowly let go with both hands. She surprised and impressed herself. She was so proud of herself that she started clapping for herself. The motion of her hands and arms was such that she lost her balance and promptly fell on the floor.

Just thought I would share this real life lesson of Pride coming before the Fall ;)
So next time you find yourself impressed and proud of your accomplishments, think of Savanna Zoe, and remember not to clap for yourself...you just might fall flat on your bottom!

emman

Why Daddy Works

Caleb wanted to play with me this morning, but I was typing reports for work.

Caleb asked, "why do you have to work Daddy?"

I said, "What are the reasons I have told you that I have to work?"

He said, "so that we can have a home, and food to eat..."

I added, "and clothes to wear..."

He interrupted with "the people walking down the street, they do not have a home or food." (he has seen people we help at church walking down the street in our neighborhood. they are homeless and we have talked about what it might be like to not have a home, a warm place to sleep, and no food, etc.)

I said, "yes Caleb, they can not find a job and so they are unable to work to have a home and food."

Caleb asked, "can you work for them, so that they can have a home and food?"

I replied (choking back tears of joy that my son would be so compassionate), "that is why Daddy goes to Church two days a week. To help them to be able to have food and clothes and a home. That is what Jesus calls us to do for others, to care and love them, and spend our time helping others as much as we can. And I am so happy that you see that and care about other people."

I just wanted to share my joy and love for the person God is raising my son to be.

Thanks for listening to a humbly proud Dad.

emman

Caleb the realist (wonder where he gets this from?!)

The other day Caleb brings me a card that he has drawn on and tells me it is a gift for me. I excitedly thank him and eagerly look at his artwork. He smiles and blushes back happily.

I then state sweetly, "this is neat, what did you draw for me?"

Caleb looks at me and says in stark honesty with a 'well duh' look on his face, "Mom, it's a scribble. I can only draw scribbles."

A wonderful and "mushy" day!

Today was a great day with the kids! Nothing incredibly cute or funny, just a nice together day. It is the kind of day I wish we had every day and the kind of day that makes my children so precious to me in the little ways.

This morning we went to a wooded park to play on a playground, but when we arrived Caleb said he wanted to hike the trail instead. So we spent about 30 mintues walking through the woods, Caleb holding my hand and Savanna Zoe snuggled against my chest in the wrap. We talked about the fallen trees and big rocks, we shook little trees and watched leaves fall, and we watched a couple granddaddy long-legs walk across a big rock. Then we looked at berries and came back home as it was starting to sprinkle.

When we came home Savanna Zoe nursed and went down for her noon nap while Caleb and I ate the picnic lunch we had made for the park that we didn't get to eat there due to the rain. When Zoe woke up we all had a soft and fuzzy half hour laying on the floor surrounded by stuffed animals. Zoe rolled and picked them up and rolled back and talked to them and cuddled them. Her favorites are Zebra and panda bear which are both bold black and white and her little pooh bear from Aunt Christy.

After Zoe ate her cereal, Caleb took a bath. A very long bath! Caleb wanted to read books during his bath so he brought several into the bathroom with him and I put Savanna Zoe in the bouncy and read several books to them both. When Zoe became tired and wanted to nurse and take her afternoon nap I washed Caleb and he said he still wanted to play; so I took Savanna Zoe and distracted her for a few more minutes with watching our dog Abram in the office while Daddy typed for work and then nursed her and put her to bed. I then talked Caleb out of the tub after an hour long bubble bath (I'm envious! Ha)! When we were drying off I looked at his extremely pruned hands and feet and asked him what happened. He said with a giggle, "they're mushy!"

We then ate a snack while holding hands at the table. Daddy finished with work and we all played in the living room with the best free toy ever: empty cottage cheese containers. We stacked them and knocked them down, built towers, built castles, played games, etc. After Savanna Zoe had been sleeping for 2 hours without a peep I went in to check on her and found her awake, quiet, smiley, and taking off her socks to play with her toes! I picked her up and she played with Daddy and Caleb while I warmed up dinner.

A beautiful day! I am so blessed with such a great family!

Humbled by my child

The other day I was having a horrible day. Nothing seemed to go right. The kids both have colds (which makes everybody more whinny and easily frustrated). I was short fused and trying to take things one moment at a time. Then I go to put up a new weekly schedule which I have posted on the end of a kitchen cabinet; as I am removing the old one a large piece of paint peels off of the cabinet. Out of complete frustration with nothing seeming to go right and a momentary lapse in parental judgment I angrily said "Freaking A". Caleb, who was in the living room playing at the time comes in and says, "Mom, it is not a freaking day it is a wonderful day!" I stop dead in my tracks turn to him and smile as I say, "you are right, Caleb, it is a wonderful day. It is a wonderful day because I woke up this morning with the two most wonderful kids in the world!"

I wish I could say that my attitude towards the day stayed on that note, but it didn't. Later that day as I was unloading the washing machine something else happened that was so insignificant I can't even remember what it was now, but I started to cry out of pure frustration. Caleb who was helping with the laundry as usual looks at me as says, "I wish we could have a no cry day." I say, "you want a no cry day?" He responds, "I want a mommy no cry day!" I now am crying harder, not because I am upset anymore, but because I have the sweetest almost three year old in the world! Sometimes he can be a terror when he is forcefully trying to exert his independence or detract attention away from his sister and toward himself, but underneath his terrible twos and new sibling regression he is the same amazingly sweet, helpful, sensitive, caring, and wonderful little boy he always has been! How can I be so blessed!

Christian Vampire?

At lunch the other day Caleb and I had the following conversation:

Caleb (as he holds his hand on his chest): "Do you hear that?"

Jade: "No, what?"

Caleb: "That is my heart making noise."

Jade: "Oh."

Caleb: "That is Jesus in my heart making noise! He is getting blood for me to drink!"

Jade (thinking where on Earth did this kid hear about vampires?): "What?! We don't drink blood."

Caleb: "But on Daddy's back the cup has blood in it, Jesus' blood, that's what Daddy said?!" (Emman has a tattoo of a cross with the communion elements at the base on the middle of his back)

Jade (relief and embarrassment) : "Oh! Yes, you are right. The cup on Daddy's back symbolizes Jesus' blood."

Early Signs of Narcissism

I was holding Savanna Zoe in my lap the other day. Caleb decided he would love on her by putting his head in her lap. Savanna Zoe had a toy in her hand that she drug across the top of his head. Caleb immediately jumps back and says,

"Ow, do not scratch my head...my head is beautiful!"

Shake it off! and No Finger Furnace

The other day Caleb hurt his finger...

Caleb - "OOOOOWWWW! I HURT MY FINGER!"

Emman - "Shake it off, you'll be alright."

Caleb gives Emman a slightly confused look.

Emman - "Shake it off."

Caleb begins to frantically shake his hand and says, "IT'S NOT COMING OFF!"

On a different day, Emman was putting Caleb in the van and telling him that he and Daddy did not have to worry about the cold weather as much as Mommy and Savanna Zoe because Daddy has a furnace inside of him that keeps him warm and Caleb has the same type of furnace inside to keep him warm.

Caleb looks at Emman and as he rubs his hands together to warm them says, "Yeah, but my furnace does not fit inside my fingers!"