Sandbox
I dug out the area for the sandbox and put some wood boards over top to keep the dog out until I filled it. Well, they are still sitting there and I have not filled it yet. Bryan decided he doesn't want me to put pea rock in it because he says the boys will get it all over the grass and he will have to mow over it. Valid argument, but I think it would be fine. I also figured that it will cost over 100.00 dollars to fill it with sand or rock, and right now, well, car repairs and rascal flatts tickets take precedent. Sorry kids! But it has turned out alright. Some frogs and toads have decided to make the sandbox their home and every day for the past couple weeks the boys have been going out there and catching them, and then returning them to their home in the evening. It has really kept them busy and entertained! Well, minus that one little toad that the dog ate! Poor thing! So for now we will keep it as a frog/toad habitat and then in the spring make it into some sort of sandbox for the kids. Oh, and did I mention I found a whole bin of sand toys for 3.00 at a garage sale?! The bin was even included! There must be 20 or more digging and scooping toys in there as well as multiple buckets and trucks! The kids have hauled alot of them up the hill in the backyard and have been digging in the dirt in our "woods" Yes they have gotten dirty, but the benefits of them pretending to be archaeologists and actually getting along for a good amount of time outweigh that. They have found lots of cool rocks and things.
Example Prayer
Well, things don't always go as I would prefer them to. The plan was to go over each part of the verse, but we made it through the first couple and then I ended up just doing the rest of it all at once and talking to them about it. I think they had a hard time taking the concepts of the prayer and making it their own. Domenic did try to incorporate it when he prayed, but he just said the words of the Lord's prayer. I believe he understood what he was praying and it was easier for him to just do that. However, the last thing I want for them is to just repeat mindlessly something that they memorized in prayer. I told him that he did not need to say those exact words, but what was in his heart. The first part of the prayer "....hallowed be thy name..." speaks of giving glory and praise to God, and both the boys did good at this. I helped them by talking about all the words we could use to describe God. Awsome, cool, powerful, loving, forgiving and kind are some of the words we came up with. Then, in prayer they worshipped Him by telling Him one of these things. It was so cute to hear them speak to God from their hearts. Here is an outline of the Lord's prayer that can help us and our children to know how God wants us to pray. Christ, in Matthew 6:9 says, "pray then this way" it says "this way" not "these words" It is meant to be a guide. God wants us to talk to him from our hearts, he cares about the details of our lives!
The example prayer
Matthew 6:9-13
"Pray then in this way....."
"our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name" (Give Glory and Praise to God)
"your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Pray for God's will, not our own)
" give us this day our daily bread" ( Pray for our immediate needs, and for God's provision)
" and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" ( Pray for forgiveness)
" and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" ( pray to not be tempted with sin and for protection)
"For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever" (acknowledge his Godhead and submit to his control over our lives and over everything)
Well, thanks for reading. Now that I am all caught up, I have some other thoughts and Mom friendly ideas I would like to share! I plan on posting again soon! Love you all,
Shannon
Posts
