Happy Family Times #16--Our Fourth of July BBQ

What have you been doing with your family this week? Anything fun and different? Kelly from Happy Whimsical Hearts and I are loving reading about everyone's adventures. Please share below!

Food Table Before Party

I saved our Fourth of July Barbeque to share with you. It definitely gave us some quality time as a family and with friends. We had a total of six adults and four children. It was a hot day and there was a chance of thunder storms which the rain held off until after everyone left. 

We put up our decorations. This year Hazel was not afraid of the wind and we were able to stay outside. A huge improvement from last year.

We had a kids' table set up, but Hazel is the only one who sat at it. I'm not sure she realized that it was funny she was the only one. The five-year-old didn't want to sit at the kids' table and the other two kids were too young (one being only two months old and the other needing a high chair). 

The kids had a great time playing together. Hazel and the five-year-old are on the swing together here. Then we ate. We had corn-on-the-cob, grilled chicken and hot dogs, orzo salad and green salad. For dessert Hazel and I made sugar cookies from a mix. Steve and Hazel decorated them that morning while I cut our red, white and blue fruit salad (apples, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries with a bit of lemon juice to keep the apples from turning brown). I saw this idea somewhere on-line. I don't remember where and apparently did not pin it. Sorry!

After eating, the two older kids went on the slip and slide to cool off. Hazel had the best time on it.

Then right before everyone left they played with the water stuff I left out and turned it colors. The one-year-old was also having a blast with the sandbox and sidewalk chalk.

After everyone left, Hazel still wanted to play on the slip and slide and Steve and I decided to join her and cool off.

While out on the slip and slide it started to rain. Steve rushed to finish the cleaning up though most of it was done except the slip and slide and Hazel and I went inside to get dry. That night I was able to watch neighbor's fireworks from our family room couch. I have to say they were a bit too close for my comfort but beautiful and then God provided us with his own which put a bit of a damper on other people's celebrations. From what I understand several of the local ones were stalled by the storm. 

Now it is your turn to share how your family has spent some quality time lately.

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Ok, now for our PARTY!! Please share your FUN Family Times!!

Multicultural Monday: Play! Book Review

Sharing Saturday is still open. Please stop by and share your child-oriented crafts and activities and check out what others have shared!

For Multicultural Monday, I am going to review the book Kids Around the World Play! by Arlette N. Braman. This is a book my friend got out of the library for me. For some reason her local library would not let me take it out through interlibrary loan. Thank you, Jill!!

This book is set up in different sections. It has your word games and brain teasers, chance games, skill games, action games, board games, and how to make toys. Many of the ideas in the book are not necessarily new, but the book gives you some history and how they are played around the world. 

American Jacks Source

For example, in America we play Jacks. In Kenya (remember our post about Kenya?) they are called Jackstones. They use stones, nuts, or peach pits for the jacks and ball. One of the stones is used as the ball and tosses it in the air and has to scoop up as many of the remaining stones and catch the one tossed in the air. The book goes further with names for this game, in Laos it is Jack Sticks (played with chopsticks), in Singapore Five Stones (using a triangular cloth bag filled with rice or seeds as the ball), in Vietnam Truyen-Truyen (picking up chopsticks) and in Iraq Knucklebones (using the anklebones of sheep). Knucklebones was also the name of the game in Ancient Rome and Greece.

Source

Another great example is Hopscotch (here is where I shared our Hopscotch). In Japan it is Ishikeri.The board described in the book is slightly different from the typical American board. It is rectangular with two columns--each column has squares go between two in the column or one and the numbers 1-16.  Again this game goes back to the ancient Romans. And it gives the different names from different countries--in Great Britain it is Hop-Round, in Aruba Pele, in China Gat Fei Gei and in Honduras LaRayuela.

Overall, I am enjoying this book. We have not tried any of the games in it yet, but I definitely want to have Hazel try some. So if you are looking for some fun ways to teach multiculturalism to your kids, this book is a great start.

This week the Readathon theme is imagination. I will be sharing more later this week. Next Monday the Virtual Book Club for Kids link party starts. This month's author is Don and Audrey Wood. I hope you will join us!

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Parenting, Discpline and God

So I was all set to publish a fun little craft we did today and tie it into some books from the library, but that will have to wait. I am going to get serious and deep here, so if you don't want to go there with me you may want to skip this post.

I've been reading Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp. I am going to apologize now, because I learned about this book on someone's blog, but apparently I did not pin it. So if it was your blog, please let me know so I can source you!! I'm only in the beginning of Chapter 4. Tedd Tripp is a father and a minister (possibly retired). I have been reading a chapter here and there for a few months now. In this book, Tedd Tripp discusses how everything you need to know about parenting and discipline are in the Bible. He also says any age child should know God and show a tendency to love God or to disobey God (and be self-centered). Or at least that is what I have taken from what I have read. 

Now Hazel is three and a half and I have to say I do not totally agree with the knowing God or being self-centered here. One example he used was when two children fight over a toy. Most parents, teachers, etc. say the toy should go to the person who had it first, but he says actually both children are in the wrong since God wants us to treat each other as we would want to be treated so the first child should have given the other child the toy if he/she is following God. Now I don't know too many any three-year-olds willing to give up a toy they are enjoying because another child wants it without some adult intervention. I honestly do not think the child's reasoning is far enough along at that point to understand that. 

However I do agree with many things said in the book. Today I was beginning Chapter 4 and he gave an example of disciplining his own son (a typical conversation between them) with him telling his child he must discipline (ok, he said spank but I will not spank Hazel) because that is what God says must happen when a child does not obey his/her mother/father. 

So this evening at dinner, Hazel and I were discussing spilling her juice. I explained if it was an accident it was all right, but it is not something she should try to do. We have had this discussion many times. About ten minutes later I watch as she takes her closed hand and pushes her filled juice cup over. Needless to say, I was not happy. (I should add that this is a day where we did not see Steven. He went with friends from work on a hike. When we first talked about him going I did not realize it would be an entire day thing. He left at 6 a.m. and now after 8 p.m. he is not home. Hazel amazingly slept until after 7 a.m. which is basically unheard of in our house, so she is missing Daddy since she did not see him at all.) 

While cleaning up the mess and trying to keep it from damaging anything, I explained to her that doing it on purpose was not funny or fun and for that she would need to be disciplined. I went into the whole story of that God wants me to discipline her like the book said. She was not happy with the discipline which was that I would only read one story to her this evening instead of our normal three and only told her one without a book as well which I often only tell her one and then Daddy tells her more. Yes, she was crying and upset about this, but I did not cave. I really try not to cave when she cries since her father and my mother-in-law often do. I do not want her to think she can get whatever she wants by crying. 

Well before she fell asleep we had a long discussion well I guess I had a long discussion about God and my beliefs. I had asked her if she had any questions about the discipline or my reason or about God. She answered yes, but asked me to tell her. She doesn't quite get what a question is all the time. So I told her I could tell her my beliefs, and she said she wanted that. Somehow, I feel awful about the whole experience. I'm not sure why, but I do. I'm hoping it is just because it has been a long, busy day. 

I have been trying to introduce God to her more. We do almost nightly prayers, but I'm not totally sure she gets it all. We go to church, but at church she goes to the nursery and plays with high school students (who are also her babysitters mostly) during the school year. It is only in the summer when the nursery is not open or when she goes to mass with Steve and his mother that she is in church. Oh, and the Christmas pageant when we are angels. I have found this book helpful to start introducing God to her and what being a Christian means. 

How have you introduced God to your child? Do you use God in your discipline? Any thoughts?

Sharing Saturday #27

Have you entered to get an invitation to shop at Hullabalu yet? If not you have a couple days to do so. If you don't know what Hullabalu is yet, make sure to check out my meerkat post.

Have you checked out the amazing line up from last week? I featured many of the patriotic crafts and activities from the last two weeks on the Fourth of July. If you were featured there I pinned your post to my Patriotic Pinterest Board and feel free to grab a featured button below! If you haven't checked all the entries from last week please visit them and show some comment love! You will not be disappointed.

Ok, on to this week's features (which are pinned to the Sharing Saturday Board). 

There was a three-way tie for most clicked:

From Science Sparks: How to make a lemon sink

From Wesens Art: Quilled Butterfly

 From Learning Ideas--Grades: K - 8: Fun Fish Crafts for Kids

A Few of My Favorites

From Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational: Post-It Page Marker Math

From True Aim Parenting & Education: Pass the Manners, Please

From Having Fun at Chelle's House: Wall Decor from Kiddo's Art

From 2 Big, 2 Little: Black Changes Colors

Thank you to everyone who shared last week!! I always am blown away by your creativity and ideas! If you were featured here, please feel free to grab a Featured Button to display proudly on your blog!


 

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From Your Host:

Learning about Meerkats (and a giveaway sort of)

  Now for This Week's Party  
A Few Simple Guidelines:
1)  Please follow both hosts via GFC (or one of the other ways that work for you).  

Hosts are Crafty Moms Share and Mama Mia's Heart2Heart. 

2)  Link any kid-friendly, child-centered post. Please no etsy shops or giveaways, etc.  Remember to link to your actual post.

3) Post the button on your sidebar or somewhere on your blog to help spread the word.

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Disclaimer: By sharing here, you are giving Crafty Moms Share and Mama Mia's Heart2Heart permission to use your photos for features and to pin your craft at Pinterest. 

All right everyone...This is a PARTY!! Have Fun!!

Chair Cushions

Happy Family Times is still open. Feel free to come share how your family spent some together time this week or get inspired by others' stories!

I guest posted over at Happy Whimsical Hearts today. Please stop by and visit!! It is her Happy Lil Hearts Are Baking Link Party so you can share how you and your child baked (or cooked) this week!

There are a few more days left to get an invitation to shop at Hullabalu from me. If you are interested go register here!!!

Today I got some Mommy time. I caught up on those things that needed to be done but I never get to. You know the list--schedule my mammogram, deal with healthcare receipts, etc. Now I have some down time and am going to relax and then visit all the great entries shared this past week in Sharing Saturday and at Happy Family Times. So I am going to share with you a Mommy Craft today.

Our cheap table w/ 2 of its 6 chairs

We have a cheap white patio set. I bought it when I was single just to have a table outside for one of the apartments I lived in and had access to a yard. It was cheap and is not the prettiest thing. The chairs are fairly comfortable, but not perfect. Every summer I talk to Steve about buying a new one. We look at the prices and decide not to spend the money even at the clearance sales. So I decided to jazz up ours. Awhile ago outdoor canvas went on sale at Joann's. It was the cheapest I had seen it so I bought some. (It is on sale again this week 50% off--I got it cheaper, but don't remember how much now.)  Anyway, my goal was to make some cushions for the ugly white chairs. Since we were having our friends over for the Fourth of July, I figured it was incentive to get them done. On Sunday I went to Joann's to buy some foam (also 50% off this week). I bought 1/2 inch thick foam. It won't provide much cushion but a bit. Then I started on making a pattern.

Bottom View

I took a piece of paper (well actually a couple taped together) to get the basic shape of the seat. I taped it to the chair and cut around the seat part. Then I took this paper and put it on freezer paper and added a half inch to each side. This was my top pattern. For the bottom I wanted two pieces so I could remove the foam and wash them if they get dirty. So I traced the pattern of the top on both ends and added more so I could hem it. In my first one I also added an inch strip to be the sides. I discovered this was not a necessary step and skipped it after the first one. I cut out the pieces and finished the edges that needed to be hemmed and hemmed them. Then I pinned the top to the two bottom pieces making sure they overlapped and I serged (you could zig zag your edges and sew the seams on a regular machine) all the way around. I turned it back out and used the first paper to cut the foam and inserted it. Now it is completely removable and washable. I think it jazzed the chairs up a bit and I have some more fabric so I may work on covering the backs of the chairs a bit too.

I was able to sew all six of them very quickly and it was very easy!!

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