Catch Up: Junior Soldiers

In February I told you all about the activities we were doing at Junior Soldiers.  I promised pictures of our Amour of God activities and I can finally deliver.

March and April was reserved for our Self-Denial Appeal.  We worked through the children's curriculum designed for the Appeal.  The kids watched short videos about the work of The Salvation Army in several overseas locations.  Each child received a booklet with activities relevant to each video and a world map.  We coloured the countries that we 'visited' each week and completed the activities.  Each week also had included a Bible reference that we read together and the children were encouraged to memorise it.

The children combined for Easter.  I personally believe that the whole family should participate in Good Friday and Easter Sunday services, rather than sending the children out to 'Sunday School' groups.  However, the Sunday School teacher at our church disagrees with me, so I gave the Junior Soldiers the option of staying in church with me or joining in with Sunday School (we call it JAM which stands for "Jesus and Me").  They chose JAM.  I guess Peanut Butter just can't compete.

That was March and most of April.  Last week we began our series on Prayer which will take us to Mothers' Day and then we will start with our next series... which I haven't decided on yet.  The kids and I have really been enjoying our time together lately.  I will tell you more about our activities and the Prayer Theme soon.  For now, take a look at this touching video of kids telling you what they pray about.

Stay Tuned!

ANZAC Day Thanks

THANK YOU FOR THE ANZACs

(ANZAC DAY 2013)

By MH

Thank you for the ANZACs

Thank you for the boys

Who bravely disembarked the ships-

Ambushed on Turkey's shores.

Thank you for the soldiers 

Thank you for the kids

They volunteered and defended

Our freedom-never stripped.

Thank you for their courage

Thank you for the men

Fighting for freedom and for peace

Their stories ended then.

Thank you for Survivors

Thank you for their safe return

They tell us of the hell that was

The war they lived to end. 

We are very lucky

We never will forget

The sacrifice of millions who

Died, so we'd know peace.  

Ticking the To-Do List

Considering today is the last official day of my holidays, I thought I might review the 'to do' list and see what has been achieved.  I think you will be impressed... I certainly am.  

To Do this Easter Break

• ü  Pyjama Day (I had two half pyjama days but they don’t count).
• ü  Specialist Visit
• ü  Physio visit
• ü  Hair Cut
• £ Beauty Day (manicure, pedicure and a massage)
• ü  School Work: Unit Planning, visit to school, marking (ick), classroom stuff
• ü  Trip to Edsco (SHOPPING! YAY)
• ü  Sleep in
• ü  Read: “Around the World in 80 Days”
• ü  Read something else… anything else.
• £ Catch up with a bunch of people… lunch, dinner, movies,
• £ Take Kid #1 out for his 13^th birthday... a story worthy of its own post!
• £ Get Organised (that’s a bit vague, I know)
• ü  Work on the blogs… set up future posts and brainstorm future ideas. 
• £ “Spring” clean the house and clear out EVERYTHING!

Now, before you go getting all confused or judgemental I think a few of these need some explanation:  

1. "Beauty Day" was crossed out because I planned on it but my beauty therapist went on her own Easter Break and when she came back I could only manage to get in for a brow wax.  I am heading over there next week and I will get a manicure and pedicure, so while it hasn't happened yet, it will. 
2. Catching up with a bunch of people is sort of half done.  I caught up with two of my teacher friends whom I haven't seen for a long time because they have both moved on to teach at other schools.  Hang on a minute, there wasn't anyone else I needed to catch up with, was there...? UUUMMM!!! I don't know, let's say I did do that, imagine there is a big tick next to that one. 
3. Take Kid #1 out... I am doing that tonight and you will read all about it in the next week or so. 
4. I crossed out "Get Organised" because while we had already acknowledged that it is vague I think we should recognise that vague tasks like "Get Organised" have no place on a proper to-do list. In other words, I haven't gotten organised. 
5. I sort of Spring cleaned the house a bit.  I cleaned out my wardrobe and drawers and with my mother's help I rearranged the furniture in my bedroom.  I am gradually working my way through the bookshelf and placing books where they belong and throwing out things I no longer need (no books being thrown out, calm down, I haven't completely lost my mind).  

CLAPS AND SNAPS FOR ME!! 

That's that then.  

Wonders of Weather

Cold... the kind of cold that makes you tingle and you look around and wonder how the air became so frosty.  My toes are tingling and my feet are icy.  I woke up this morning with cold feet.  I am actually wearing a cardigan.  Can you believe it?

Hot... the kind of hot that makes you sweat in every place imaginable.  You wonder if, like the wicked witch of the west, you are really melting into a puddle on the floor.  I was walking to the shops yesterday and the ends of my hair were wet with sweat.  Incredible!

After what seemed like a very long summer the weather is beginning to cool down and I am overjoyed. I'm not one who enjoys the heat.  When Hank Green sang It's Too Hot I found a kindred spirit.  

Click to watch the video and listen to the song. You can buy this song on www.itunes.com as well.  

It's Too Hot

By Hank Green

My eyes snap open, it's two o'clock

I rip off my shirt, my pants, my socks

Something's wrong but I don't know what

But then, I start to realize

There's sweat trickling down my thighs

And a fire between the mattress and my butt

It's too hot

It's too hot in here

I'm gonna fall out of my chair

If I have another ice cold beer

I forgot

How much it sucks to sweat in bed

I don't wanna drink your iced tea

I think I'll take a bath in it instead

It's too hot

Laying on the floor with my clothes off

Silk boxer shorts and a wash cloth

Are the only things I'll let touch my skin today

Spraying myself with an upside down air can

Makin' out with the window fan

Hoping the mailman doesn't look in today

It's too hot

It's too hot in this town

My will to live is melting

And that's what's got me down

It's too hot

And my state is on fire

I'm an endothermic organism

And that's why I perspire

When it's too hot

The United Nations

Says eleven thousand

People die of hotness each year

But the burning sun

It wants eleven thousand and one

But it's not gonna get me, you hear

Sweating in my basement all alone

Watching Hotness Prevails by thewinekone

Sympathizing with my favorite YouTube star

How could anyone be so deranged

And not believe in climate change

When it's 102 in Montana in the dark?

It's too hot

And I'm doing a funny dance

'Cause I went and got some ice cubes

And I put them in my pants

It's too hot

It's too hot in here

I'm probably gonna pass out

But please pass me my beer

It's too hot

That's that then! 

Book Review: Pizza Cake

I wouldn't be much of a literacy teacher if I hadn't heard of Morris Gleitzman.  I have heard of him, but I have to admit I had not read any of his books until today.  I haven't finished it yet, but I started reading Pizza Cake today and it is excellent.  The stories start with a sizzle right in the action.  The settings and situations are unusual and enough to spark the most limited of imaginations.  It seems the hype about this author is actually true! 

Pizza Cake (click to view on Booktopia) is a collection of 10 short stories, each with a different Aussie kid in the spotlight. Perhaps my occupation makes me biased, but the first story (about Ms Fosdyke and the teachers who are paid millions of dollars) is excellent.  The very concept of teachers belonging to the most respected and highly paid profession is intriguing, if not a little out there; but the ending (which I won't ruin) is quite sweet.  

If rich teachers don't get you excited you might prefer a story that will remind you of MacGyver (saving lives with a paper clip).  Perhaps jumping on Vampire beds or pizzas that make you fearless or big bananas or spiders and dogs will tickle your literary fancy.  This book has got the lot and more.    

If you like stories that are funny and give you something to think about, Pizza Cake is for you.  If you have a young friend who enjoys wacky stories, you are guaranteed to win points for sharing this good read.  If you have a reluctant reader in the house, you might just win them over with a slice of Pizza Cake. 

Happy Reading

Quoting Quotes from Quotes

So I'm watching The West Wing; Season 6 episode 19 Ninety Miles Away.  In the first few minutes there is a quote from Ernest Hemingway .

“The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills.”

~ Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

Click to view on
Amazon

Isn't that a cheerful thought?! 

It seems brilliance can only come from troubled minds.