Michael’s 3rd Grade Piano Recital & Art Show October 21, 2014

Hello dear ones! This Summer Michael and I threw a recital and art show. My parents got to see what Michael had done for 3rd grade. We had tasty appetizers and a short program.

For the appetizers I made:

• turkey meatballs
• shrimp cocktail
• chips with spinach artichoke dip
• S’mores cookies

We enjoyed the snacks while Michael performed a few piano pieces.

I strung up Michael’s artwork through out the living room. I also used it to decorate the table. I wasn’t able to hang everything but some of it was in a book. After the recital everyone looked at Michael’s work. I explained what we learned this past year.

Michael brought out his Lego creation to show off as well.

It wasn’t very formal but it was just a family recital after all. I announced that Michael had passed to 4th grade and he received a certificate. I hope to make a yearbook one day. So…how about you? How do you show off your kid’s work/ milestones? Do you do anything special?

God bless & remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover

Colton Dixon~ You Are May 2, 2013

This is Michael’s favorite song and definitely one of my top ten. Email sub. if you can’t see the video just come to my blog.

This encourages me. I hope it does you too.

God bless & remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover

Crafty Monday: Passover, The Lord’s Supper, and The Resurrection April 1, 2013

In this Post: A mock stained glass Passover painting, a Jesus in the Garden diorama, Lego club, a the Lord’s supper diorama,Passover lapbooks, Passion week calendar, the 10 plagues on Egypt, empty tomb craft, resurrection rolls, continent crafts, Bunny music, and more!

Hello dear ones! I hope you’re having a lovely day. I’m going to show you snippets of what we did last week. Enjoy the pics! 🙂

First off, I wanted to give you a glimpse of our online Lego club that meets once a month. By the way, if you don’t remember from my last post, http://www.currclick.com/ offers online classes and clubs for homeschoolers. Some of the classes cost but I think all the clubs are free (?).  Michael joined a Lego club and we may take a few classes this year.

I didn’t think I would need to help Michael but we were not prepared. We ran out of Legos and next time I should bag all that he needs for that project. The teacher that we saw on live video, talked Lego talk….like using 2×4 etc. I had never taken the time to count how many dots were across the pieces vertically and horizontally. I should’ve had these labeled and in baggies….next time.

So while Michael chatted with other homeschoolers (ranging from 6 to 12) and watched his teacher, I frantically dug through his box trying to find the next piece. My Mom was there to supervise and cheer us on lol. We had to substitute many pieces, so Michael’s castle looks a bit different from the picture (there were about 80 steps!). It’s nice though and unique. The teacher gave a lesson on medieval times I guess but we had to get off before she did. Just building took an hour! The whole thing is recorded so maybe we will watch the lesson part this week.

My buddy Rachel over at http://www.homeschoolingmom2mags.blogspot.com/  gave me a bag of transportation vehicles pasta (trains, planes, and cars). You can barely tell because of the Alfredo sauce but it was good.

Our brown bird (Brown Thrasher?) came back to sing to us. I don’t know why but I get so excited when he/she shows up.

Passover Crafts

Stained-Glass Passover Picture

First, Michael drew a picture of Moses and the burning bush. Then I copied it onto wax paper with a sharpie. I only did the outlines. Then I took another piece of wax paper and used markers to color in where the lines would be. Afterwards, I taped the outline on top of the colors and then taped that on top of foil and corrugated cardboard.

Voila! I will put the link where I got this idea at the end of this post.

Ten Commandments and Passover/Easter Lapbook

I combined a few lapbooks to make this one.

Plague Puppets for Passover

I believe this idea came from Creative Jewish Mom but you can check on the link at the end. We used these during our Passover/ Lord’s Supper celebration.

I just wanted to show you this Lent tradition we got from here:

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/02/how-to-prepare-a-family-for-lent-printable-create-a-forgivness-fresh-start-place/

It’s a neat way to practice forgiveness…and to play with flour ;).

Cooking

For cooking we made Resurrection rolls, recipe here: http://eatatallies.com/2011/04/resurrection-rolls/

These were SO good! I wanted to eat them all!

The white “pure” marshmallows represented Jesus, who is without sin.

The butter and spices represent how he was prepared  for burial.

Then it is wrapped in a crescent roll to show how Jesus was wrapped in a linen cloth.

Then the oven represents the tomb. We read the verses suggested in the blog that inspired this.

When they come out the marshmallows are melted and it looks like an empty tomb.

I love it when Mom comes to visit. Her and Michael do mailbox club lessons together. I grew up on these Bible lessons through the mail. They are free so check them out!

https://www.mailboxclub.org/index.php/sign-up-for-bible-lessons

Science

Forgiveness Experiment

Our project involves a coffee filter, pencil, and red food coloring. Super simple but it did not work like it did on the inspiration blog. You’re supposed to write “sin” with pencil on the coffee filter that you’ve cut into a heart.

Then you add red food coloring to represent how Jesus’ blood covers our sin.

Well, the food coloring didn’t eat away the pencil like it was supposed to. If you look close you can still see the word. This is Michael’s. Me and Mom’s hearts didn’t look as good.

By the way, here is one of our rock candy sticks. The crystals formed on top but not on the stick. One day we are going to get the hang of this!

Typing on Tuesdays 🙂

Michael’s learning that he needs to type fast if he’s going to chat online during Lego club.

Math

Hand less clock

We drew numbers on the trampoline and both tried being the clock hands. I called out times and Michael tried to point to them.

This is what happens when you roll around on a trampoline! 🙂

Me attempting…

This next concept from: http://pinterest.com/pin/82824080619619543/   did not work at all for Michael. It went over his head. But I have an idea (involving wax paper) that can teach this same concept in a way Michael will get. Lord willing, I’ll show it to you next week.

Music

We finished off the Easter music sheets from Susan Paradis. I hope you check out this awesome site.

http://www.susanparadis.com/catalog.php?site=piano-teacher-resources&type=Worksheets&section=3&level=x&subtype=x&subtype2=x

Thursday we prepped for Passover. Michael watched “!Hero: the Rock Opera” while we crafted. We didn’t do as many workbooks Thursday and Friday.

Jesus’ Passion diorama

I found this picture of Jesus in the garden, online. We only have black and white so I painted some of it.

Then we pasted it into a box.

This is one of the dangers of crafting…

Then Michael added moss and a rock to give it a 3D effect.

He is Risen paper plate tomb

Geography ~ We brushed up on the Continents & oceans song then did…

Continent Rubbings

I cut  the shapes out of foam.

Paper plate globe

Lord’s Supper Diorama

Michael and I cut out the 12 disciples from brown paper and put them in white robes. We made Jesus yellow so he’d stand out.

I formed bread, a plate, a goblet, an oil lamp, and a wine pitcher from salt dough. After it baked I painted them.

Chris painted the inside of a box grey. We used cardboard to make a table and put plastic cloth over it. We sat every one down and voila! The Lord’s Supper :).

We got this neat Good Friday idea from Mustard Seeds. I put a red dot on Michael’s wrist to represent the blood of Jesus and then I wrote his name on top to show that Jesus was thinking of him when he gave his life. We know Jesus died for our sins because God loves us.

Crown of Thorns Craft

Michael fashioned this crown of thorns out of playdough and tooth pics.

An army man tried it on. It looks painful. We’re thankful that we don’t have to go through what Jesus did.

We started this “Passion Calendar” last week but sadly didn’t finish. I guess we will finish it next year. Every day represents something Jesus did on the days leading up to His crucifixion & resurrection(Passion Week).  The inspiration blog is on the link at the end. I’ll show you our family celebrations next Sunday, Lord willing.

Remember email subscribers to come to my blog to see the links.

Easter Crafts~

Well, time to get to NaNoWriMo camp!

God bless & remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover

PS: check out our neat Passover play:

https://amberdover.wordpress.com/2012/04/05/maundy-thursday-passover-the-lords-supper/

Media Saturday: Hugo, Leeland, and Francine Rivers January 21, 2012

Welcome friends! Today is Media Saturday. I bring you three reviews (movie, music, and books).  So pull up a chair and join me! Just so you know, all of my opinions will be filtered through my Biblical world view.  Moving on….

Review #1: Hugo (the movie)

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IMDb gives this synopsis: “Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton. ”

Hugo was breath-taking! I felt like I had seen my first REAL movie. It didn’t have gun fire and silly bodily humor. This movie showed intelligence. My f ive year old actually sat through the whole thing and enjoyed it!  We have a saying around our house that too much tv & video games will melt our brains. Well folks, THIS  movie gave us an education. We learned some cinematic history and now my son, Michael,  knows what an automaton is.  Plus, he thinks it’d be really kewl to live in a train station. I’m just glad he still wants Mommy and Daddy to come along too. So if you get a chance I really hope you can see Hugo on the big screen. The colors just pop in this movie. It really is a work of art.

PS: I’ve yet to read the book but I’m definitely interested.

Review #2 Leeland (the band)

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Leeland is a Christian rock band from Baytown, TX. Their lead singer is Leeland Mooring, hence the name. The have four great albums out. I fell in love with this band’s music from the get go. Their first album Sound of Melodies just had a Celtic feel you rarely find in this genre (atleast in my experience).  When it comes to their faith this band is honest and I like that.  They are a Christian band that’s not afraid to actually say “Jesus” in their music….imagine that.

I was recently blessed by Leeland’s song “Follow You” with Brandon Heath (another awesome artist). The music video shows them on a missions trip. You can just feel the compassion. This band is the real deal. There’s no doubt their love for Christ is genuine.

Here’s a line from “Follow You”

You lived among the least of these
The weary and the weak
And it would be a tragedy for me to turn away.

Their new album “The Great Awakening” has some awesome tunes that’ll make you ponder what’s important in life and will also draw you to worship. My favorites from the album are “I Wonder” and “While We Sing”.

So if you want to hear real talent that glorifies Jesus, give Leeland a try 🙂

Review #3 Francine Rivers (The Author)

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Francine Rivers has been an author since the 80’s.  She is most known for her book “Redeeming Love”, a western retelling of the Biblical story of Hosea. My favorite series “The Mark of the Lion”, has sold over half a million copies. Francine’s novel “The Last Sin Eater” is now a movie. Mrs. Rivers has so many amazing books. I could recommend them all. She is by far my favorite author (besides God) and her fiction really teaches lessons we all need to know.

I love how her books are so real. She doesn’t hide from the big issues. Her books deal with things like abortion, prostitution, and homosexuality. Mrs. Rivers takes you to the very heart of her characters. You’d think they really existed. I especially love the rich history The Mark of the Lion series is based upon. This series takes you to Rome, Jerusalem, and Germania. It tells of Jerusalem’s fall, gladiators, and the beginnings of Christianity. It also touches on subjects like slavery and how small sins grow into a big problem.

Mrs. Rivers also has some lovely series on women in the lineage of Jesus. These books make you think of what it would really be like to be Mary or Ruth. Anywho, if you get a chance hop on over to your library and pick up a Francine River’s book. Then leave me a comment with your opinions and also your opinions of Leeland and Hugo if you will 🙂

Well have an inspiring weekend! God bless and remember The High King Lives!

~Amber Dover