January 10, 2010

CARING FOR KIDS AND OTHERS-by Suzanne

Hi-it’s me again. If you read the Home Matters blog, you know improving the quality of home and family living is my thing. I like kids—I mean, I really like kids. I feel energized being around them which means I should be like the Energizer Bunny because working with kids has been my ministry for a very long time! After teaching high school Home Economics (FACS now), I got my certification to teach Learning Disabilities—I’m a Learning Specialist!! I taught K-12 students in a resource room setting for 5 years. I enjoyed the challenge of problem solving to help kids learn better. Next, I was a preschool teacher/director and Mom’s Morning Out program director. Continuing stints as Sunday school teacher, VBS Crafts director(for 20 years—is that crazy, or what?) and AWANA Sparks director give me my “kid fix”. This year I am working with elementary students as a Speech/Language para and am coaching our high school Scholars’ Bowl team. In this space, we’ll explore ideas to have fun family times, make memories, teach our children, honor others, and pass on a spiritual heritage.

THERE’S “SNOW” TIME LIKE THE PRESENT FOR FAMILY FUN

January is a great month for soups, hot coca mix and snow ice cream. You can make snow ice cream by getting bowls of snow and adding sugar, milk and vanilla-stir and eat. Slushies can be made with snow and frozen fruit juice of your choice.

Serve both after snow angels, snowball fights and fort building.

Devotions-have 2 bowls of snow and add drops of red food coloring to one, start with just 1drop and mix—compare to the “pure”, all white bowl. The drops of food color represent our sins—even one sin makes us less pure, and we all sin much more than that!

“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” Isaiah 1;18

These are also great nights for family movies (homemade pop corn) and reading aloud.