Extreme Makeover

This is such a must watch. A young girl in our community lost her life to texting and driving. This video is just so moving. My prayers are with the family and other families who have lost loved ones in such a tragic way. The Brown family will be featured on Extreme Makeover this Sunday.

Til You Got Home by Mark McGuinn for Extreme Makeover Brown Family

Dance Dance Revolution

Over the Christmas Holiday my cousin brought her Wii Dance Revolution game and pad.  I was hooked and I bought myself one!!!!  I hate to dance, unless it's country or goofing off with my kids, but this thing is sooo cool.  It's a great way to exercise too.  My cousin has lost so much weight and she uses it as part of her daily exercise!!!  It's an aerobic workout, but dang it's fun.  The twins get the biggest kick out of it and we can do it as a family.  Even though Tim just walks by and rolls his eyes!!  One day I'll get him on it dancing to Train!

Learning to Read

Read with Me

I was one of those moms that constantly was teaching my kids something new every chance I had. I guess that was the teacher mom in me doing my job. Both kids were non stop chatter boxes by the time they were 18 months old. They could recite their abc’s and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with no problems. I read to them every single night before they went to bed. (even as tiny babies, just so they could hear new words) It kills me to see my students coming in not having that background. Not that I expect them to know how to read when I get them, but that they didn’t get that mom or dad time. My kids are in 2nd grade and are reading really well and it makes me so proud of them when we can go into a restaurant and they can read the menu themselves (or the Sonic menu HAHA). People will ask me if they had any problems learning to read and no they didn’t, but I exposed them to reading so early on that it was very natural for them.  I know that there are some obstacles that kids go through to become readers. Those are the kids I LOVE to teach. I love to see the look on their face when they get it and it makes sense. I want to do flips and yells because they got it. I was asked what I thought was the best way to teach kids. Well, here goes……. (it’s short I promise)

1. The foundation starts at home. Kids need to be read to by someone. Parents, Grandparents, Babysitters, anyone. That doesn’t mean you have to have a ton of books laying around. There are pictures and signs all around that can help get the job done. I loved the Noggin channel when the kids were little. (I think it’s Nick Jr. now). It was covered with letters for kids to learn in fun ways.

ABC and Picture books are great things to start with.

2. SAXON Phonics. I love the Saxon phonics program. Both the public and home school edition. It gives such a good foundation that kids can grow with. I know you will either love the program or hate it, but if you will really give it a try you child, your students will succeed!!!   (I've seen it on ebay a lot cheaper)

3. Read, Read, Read…..every chance your kids can get. Make it fun. My kids are good readers, but if they think they HAVE to read they protest. If I tell them to check the mail, caller ID, the recipe, or read the Wii game instructions to me they will do it and don’t even know they are reading.  :)

Hope this is helpful. Just on a side note. If you feel like your kiddo might be showing dyslexia traits and is struggling with reading Saxon can really help.

Eyes of a Child

I love listening to my kids every morning on our way to school.  It's a 25 minute drive from our house to their school and where I teach.  Their awes and wonders is what  I wish I saw more often.  I get so busy in all the craziness that I forget to look around and rejoice in what God has right in front of me.  It really doesn't matter if the toys are picked up and that there might be dishes that need to be put away.  The world never stopped turning because of that.  (Even in the middle of the night when I have stepped on a Lego trap!!!!)  My kids love to talk about the sunrises on the way of school.  They always talk about the way God painted the sky and that the sun rays have to be the Angels singing.  Just like the other day when they saw a cloud that Kurt had to take a picture of because it looked like a huge car and he knew God was traveling with my Grandmother somewhere.  Awe...to have the eyes of a child.

Easy Roast

My good friend ( i mean good and more on that later) Rhonda shared this super easy roast recipes with me and so I thought I would pass it on.  Tim had a cow butchered and I had more types of roast than I knew what to do with.  Rhonda saved the day by this good and easy dish!!!

                    Hey Soul Sister!!!

These are some of the gifts she's given me!!

This is what you'll need:

roast

1 can of coke or about 10 oz.

1 can of mushroom soup

1 package of onion soup mix

crock pot

Add all of your ingredients together and add your roast.

Cook for 8 hours on high.

Add potatoes and carrots halfway through or boil them right at the end and throw them in the crock pot to get the same taste. AND this is what you'll end up with.  Promise it is wonderful!!!!

Now a little more on Rhonda.  We have know each other since 3rd grade.  We were on the same softball teams, basketball teams, and lots of classes together.  We lived together our first year in college and were in each others weddings.  We have been through so many ups and downs together that we usually know what each other is thinking by our looks.  We have been there for each other through some of the toughest times imaginable and Tim will swear we talk to each other at least 10 times a day of the phone.  Now our girls are in the same class and are going through the same ups and downs as we did.  I am so glad to know that they will have each other to laugh with until their sides hurt, come up with really dumb pranks and have brothers to pester.  So, I think Rhonda would get the Best Soul Sister Award if there was one!!!