A Mary... or a Martha

Martha was busy... 

serving

cleaning

taking care of business

while her sister Mary sat

listening

learning

resting

at the feet of Jesus

It appeared that Mary was

leaving Martha to do all of the work

(but Jesus saw it differently)

And I did too...

looking through recent vacation photographs

My inner Mary/Martha showing up

right there in Palm Beach, Florida

as I paused to collect photographs of the ocean

and as sights of

the sand and the sea

were captured...

I missed being in that moment with

the child in the shadows watching me

(who I didn't even notice until today)

and now...

I realize that being

"a Mary or a Martha" 

is not just 

an attitude

a position

a state of mind,

it's a daily choice

So each day I have to remind myself

that someone is watching me become...

a Mary or a Martha

Nine Candles

It's Birthday Season in our home

and we like to celebrate!

The festivities begin with my daughter's birthday

-------------------------------------

First up... 

a spa party sleepover with facials,

mani/pedis, giggles and girls galore!

Homemade "Cookie Cake" by Auntie Sunshine

with a 1985 flashback
(proof that second generation friendships rock!) 

The next morning the girls woke to a lovely continental
breakfast and then made and decorated rainbow cupcakes

(plain white cake mix with food coloring
so the girls could make their own color variations)

 

Then we opened the doors to our

Children's Art Studio

for more fun with...

 

Microwave Puff Painting

   Cloud Dough

Rainbow Rice

and homemade

Chocolate Play Dough 

that looked and smelled

good enough to eat!!

Thanking God for All of That... and a Bag of Chips

Eleven years ago today,
our son was born

healthy

happy

whole

We marveled that he didn't cry at birth.
My mother worried, but the doctor told her...

"He doesn't need to cry,
he needs to breathe...

and he's breathing"

my husband

his father

God's man

took our tightly swaddled bundle of joy
to the side of the room and whispered into his ear

Later I asked him
"what did you say to the baby?"

It was...

"Hear the conclusion of the whole matter.
Fear God, and keep His commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man"

That was eleven years ago today...

This morning I overslept and woke
to that same child's lips pressing against my cheek. 

My eyes opened and a broad smile spread across his face
as he said "congratulations, you have a son."

Later in the car I listened as he and his sister
took a trip down memory lane

"I remember when..."

"And then we..."

"Oh yeah, and what about the time when..."

(and as I listened) 

I smiled as I noted the things
they were referencing

were not things

they were

experiences

moments

times

we have shared together as a family

They were sharing memories!

"Remember when we went to the snow for Christmas?" 

"My favorite part was in the cabin

with hot cocoa, marshmallows...

and a bag of chips"

I smiled at the details they remembered

(from a trip we took over 4 years ago)

I smiled, grateful for the memories
(the lessons in life and love)

and I thanked God that

my life

my experience

my gratitude

really is for

"all that and a bag of chips!"

"APFLH" Children's Art Studio- Celebrate With Me

"Week of the Young Child"  

April 14-20, 2013

is the time of year

set aside to celebrate

so...

take the time to slow down, pull up a seat,

and read to yourself and also with a child!

-------------------------------------------------

Here are some books we paired with activities

during our Children's Art Studio time...

"The Little Red Hen"

"I Can Do It"
Sensory Table

-Bird Seed

-Scoopers

-Recycled Egg Cartons

"Look at Me"
Frame Decorating Activity

-Small Wooden Frames

-Glitter Glue

-White Glue

-Colored Tissue Paper Squares

"I Can"
Magnetic Letter Board

"I Can! Yo Puedo!"

by Gladys Rosa Mendoza

 

and one of our absolute favorites...

"Me and My Senses"

by Jane Sweeny

Puffy Painting Activity

-Foam Squares
-Homemade Puffy Paint

so AMAZING children will want to try again and again!!!

Want to see what it looks like when it dries?

(puffy paint recipe and instructional video linked below)

---------------------------------------------

First Fridays-

A Story. A Song. An Activity.

click here

"APFLH Children's Art Studio- March Madness"

It is officially Spring...

weather warming

birds singing

 and children's play and laughter
reminding of younger days

It is my absolute favorite season!

To commemorate, we've decided to

unlock the back room

dust off the furniture

pull out the art materials

to open...

"A Place For Little Hands"
Children's Art Studio

----------------------------------

"Go Away Big Green Monster"

by Ed Emberley

Play Dough Monsters

-Homemade Play Dough

-Toothpicks

-Feathers

-Beads

-Pipe Cleaners

-Google Eyes

-------------------------------------

Gelatin Moon Molds

-Unflavored Gelatin

-Medicine Droppers

-Food Coloring

 

 inspired by the children's book

"Goodnight Moon"

by Margaret Wise Brown

                           

We also enjoyed...

Bubble Wrap Print Painting

(inspired by the children's story)

"little blue and little yellow"

by Leo Lioni

and...

An "Everything Green" Collage

-Green Sand

-Green Foam Letters

-Green Tissue Paper

-Green Split Peas

inspired by the month itself...

The piece de resistance was our
dramatic play area that the children called...

"THE RESTAURANT"

reminding us...

"A Little Bit of Soul Food"

by Amy Wilson Sanger

makes everything alright!

Pair this activity w/ our Virtual Storytime

First Fridays-

A Story. A Song. An Activity.

click here

------------------------------

Other sessions include:

Homemade Puffy Paint 

Girl's Spa Birthday Party

Flavors of Fall (Bean Mosaics)

Flavors of Fall (Gratitude Collage)

Flavors of Fall (Leaf Print Painting)

Vision Boards

Marble Painting

Bubbles

Mud

I Wanna Know... about the Revolution

Revolution: 

a sudden, radical, or complete change: a fundamental change

in the way of thinking about or visualizing something

-Merriam Webster

---------------------------

When they said the revolution would not be televised,

it is obvious that they were not talking about
my younger cousins Jamilla and Cherrell!

Jamilla and Cherrell

(aka "The Harris Sisters")

have not only been an inspiration to one another, 

they have also been inspiring men and women across 

the country since their personal revolutions were, in fact,

televised on last year's television network show

"The Revolution"
aired on ABC

 

Over the course of a year, "The Harris Sisters"

lost a combined total of 170 pounds! 

They are such an inspiration to everyone 

who hears their story and I have asked them to be

the first special guests for my new video segment

"I Wanna Know..." 

"I Wanna Know..." 

is about finding the source of 

success and inspiration in people's lives, 

and asking them answers to the questions that 

"I Wanna Know..."

Check out the video

here

When Life Hurts

I don't usually read the morning paper,

but today's front page headlines caught my attention

 

It read:

"Burials begin in Connecticut"

I looked down at a picture of a hearse

carrying the body of a 6-year old child

and my heart sank 

I blinked hard to stop the tears

I felt tears forming in the corners of my eyes

I couldn't cry there.

I turned the paper over

(as if not seeing it would make it less real)

and

was

shocked

by what was printed directly on the back side of the tragedy

Bold, brightly colored advertisements for

toys on sale

gift suggestions

pictures of more stuff to buy

(as if what we really need right now is more stuff)

The message rang out loud and clear...

that sometimes life is...

contradictory

confusing

cruel

Sometimes life hurts

In fact, just yesterday I was thinking about the 5 year-old girl in this picture

remembering the... 

fear

uncertainty

unspoken pain

she felt as her mother lay sick in the hospital... on this picture day

It's like a tragic headline with colorful ads on the back

"Smile for the camera, sweetie"

But who wants to smile when life hurts?

She eventually managed this forced little smile to disguise the fact

that she had already learned that even children are sometimes left feeling...

helpless

sad

alone

I understand it better now and wish that I could

sit down with her

pull her up onto my lap

hold her close

and

just let her cry...

I would apologize for not giving her the opportunity to grieve that experience;

for minimizing her pain and lying to her that she was alright. 

I would apologize for teaching her to wear a mask,

and making her pretend to be strong when she was only a child.

If I had it to do all over again...

I would let her cry

and after her tears subsided

I would pull her in really tight 

and quietly whisper

Now let me tell you who to call...

the next time when life hurts