Sophia Bug

Joshua had a field trip today so after morning school pickup it was just me and the girls. The weather was warm(er) so we shed our jackets and took a nice stroll through the city. We had so much fun! We pass this patisserie every day on our walk to and from school.. I always peer into the window and stand amazed at the beautiful perfect little confections - baklava and other assorted goodies made from the delicate phyllo dough. I wonder to myself if the owner actually gets up every morning and makes these little pieces of perfection by hand... she must, right? Else they wouldn't be fresh.. nor would that be very french, either. We had time and the girls were in delightfully fun little moods so we entered the tiny shop where the owner fawned over my darlings and I ordered "deux de ça, s'il vous plaît" (two of those, please.. more or less.. but I am sure there is a better way!). Despite the grammatically incorrect french, we successfully ordered our treats and were on our way. We entered Place de la Victoire and there was a travel exhibition going on with exhibits set up from various parts of France. A man dressed up in what appeared to be a pirate costume was creating balloon art and made Sophia and Emily little poodle puppies. Then we passed two ponies and as we were rounding the corner with a huge tee pee set up a nice frenchman asked if Sophia would like to ride one of the horses. Of course she does! So she took a ride around the square on a cute little poney. We made it home and enjoyed some good old fashioned pb&j sandwiches and now the lovely ladies are sleeping soundly in their rooms. We had some great girl time but I am counting down the minutes before I can pick up my little man. It just isn't quite the same without him. :)

Friends that are Girls

Joshua has many "friends that are girls" at school... not girlfriends (or guwrlfriends) as he so affectionately calls them. :) Yes, them, plural. He was reminiscing yesterday about the first time he saw and met one little girl and he said "Hmm... I walked in and I saw her and thought, wow, she is so beautiful!". Um, how old are you Joshua? FOUR!? Earlier this week I was walking the children to school and another little french girl and her mother walked up behind us at a cross walk. She tagged Joshua on the shoulder in a flirtatious manner and a bashful grin spread across my son's face. Then they ran after each other and giggled all the way to school. At one point, they were practically skipping down the sidewalk while holding hands.

Joshua and his "friend that is a girl". :)

Last week Joshua and Sophia had dental appointments. I was able to find a delightful English speaking doctor so it worked out really well! I was so proud of Joshua and Sophia because not only was this not Ashby Park Dentistry with the play area with loft, over sized sunglasses and monkeys hanging from the overhead light but they had to go back to the examination room all by themselves. They did it without any cajoling or tears.. definitely an answer to prayer because I was really worried about the situation especially since Emily wasn't able to hang out at the creche. I had images of chaos - crying kids, potential cavities and crashing metal trays resulting in one sweaty and flushed Mama. It couldn't have been farther from what actually transpired. We had a nice kid friendly waiting room to hang out in and Emily enjoyed climbing up and down on these low chairs. We had some french books to read and look through the pictures. And, each kids examination only lasted about 15 minutes both resulting in a "tres bien!" report and no cavities. Yay!

Somewhere over the Rainbow...

What a spectacular view from our apartment, eh? I was piddling in the kitchen and I hear Sophia scream for me to look out the window at the beautiful rainbow. Sure enough... it was quite beautiful.. this is what I saw...

Just some shots of the city from our walk to meet Freddie after the kids' dental appointment last week...


The snow capped mountain in the background is one of the many volcanoes that surround the city.

Easter Unit Study

I am missing home schooling my children so I am taking advantage of the upcoming two week vacation from school and have pieced together an Easter/Resurrection Sunday unit study from two sources - The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and Enchanted Learning websites. I will reference the websites below in the study outline. I have modified it to make it a little more preschool friendly, and it still may be a little aggressive, but we will modify as needed throughout the week. I thought others may be interested in doing a little fun study with their children to help emphasize the reason we celebrate Easter Sunday so I decided to post it on the blog. We will be doing the study April 6-10. It is amazing how much they are able to grasp the gospel even as 3 and 4 year olds. Have fun and Happy almost Easter! :)

EASTER UNIT STUDY: April 6th - 10th

*All material was derived and/or copied directly from Old Schoolhouse Magazine's free Easter unit study except for the crafts which came from Enchanted Learning. I highly recommend both websites for homeschooling help and ideas. The websites are provided below.*

SCRIPTURE READING:
In evening with Dad.

Read Matthew 26-28 (split up verses for each day)

Sunday: Matthew 26:1-35
Monday: Matthew 26:36-56
Tuesday: Matthew 26:57-75
Wednesday: Matthew 27
Thursday: Matthew 28

ACTIVITIES:

1. Look at Israel on a map. - MONDAY

2. How did people live and dress back in the time of Jesus in Israel? How do people live and dress now in Israel? Compare and contrast. - MONDAY

3. Who is Jesus? (The son of God) Why did he have to die on the cross? (so we can live in heaven forever) Is he alive now? (yes! He lives because God raised Him from the dead) Will we see Him again? (Yes! When we go to heaven.) - TUESDAY

4. What do we do at Easter time? Is it just for fun? If you were talking to a friend at school about Easter what would you tell them is the reason you celebrate Easter? Why? - TUESDAY

5. Jesus told His disciples before he ascended into heaven "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teachig them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:19-20) What are some ways you can obey His words and "teach all nations"? - WEDNESDAY

6. What do you feel about what Jesus did for you on the cross? - THURSDAY

7. Write and decorate a thank you note to Jesus expressing your gratitude or thankfulness for granting you eternal life in heaven with God. - FRIDAY

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
For use throughout the week during scripture reading, activities, cookie preparation and with resurrection eggs.

1. At the Last Supper, what did Jesus say that the bread represented?
2. In Matthew 26:36, where did Jesus and His disciples go?
3. What did Jesus say in His prayer in Matthew 26:39?
4. What did the disciples do while Jesus prayed?
5. Jesus said. “The spirit is willing but the flesh is_____________.”
6. Who betrayed Jesus?
7. How did he betray Jesus?
8. Who was the governor that Jesus was delivered to?
9. Jesus was said to have been the “King of _____________.”
10. What did the soldiers place on Jesus’ head?
11. What color clothing did the soldiers place on Jesus? Why?
12. While on the cross, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they___________________.”
13. In Luke 23:41-43, what did Jesus say to the thief hanging next to him? Why would he say that?
14. Why was it so important that Jesus’ body be taken off of the cross and buried by sundown?
15. What was blocking the door of the tomb?
16. Why did Pilate send someone to guard the tomb?
17. After the Sabbath, who came to the tomb and found it empty?
18. What did the angel say to them?
19. What were the soldiers paid to say about Jesus’ body? Why?
20. After his resurrection, what did Jesus tell his disciples to do?

RESURRECTION COOKIES:
Prepare Saturday night - Easter Eve

Ingredients:

1 cup whole pecans
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
Plastic baggie
Wooden spoon
Tape
Bible

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. It is very important to do this before doing anything else.

1. Place nuts in baggie, seal tightly, and allow the child to beat them with a wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.

2. Open the vinegar and let everyone smell it. Pour 1 teaspoon into the mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, all He was given t0 drink was vinegar. Read John 19:28-30.

3. Add egg whites to vinegar. Tell everyone that eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

4. Sprinkle a little salt into each person’s hand. Let each taste it, then brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’ followers and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.

5. So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Sprinkle a little sugar into each person’s hand. Let each taste it, then pour 1 cup of sugar into the bowl. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.

6. Beat with a mixer on high speed for 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents our purity in God’s eyes because our sins are cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18.

7. Fold in nuts gently. Drop by teaspoons onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.

8. Put the cookie sheet in the oven; close the door and TURN THE OVEN OFF.Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door shut. Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.

9. You’re done! Explain that you cannot eat the cookies tonight, but that you have to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. This might make your children sad but you can use this to explain that Jesus’ followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

10. The next morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the third day, Jesus followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.

RESURRECTION EGGS:
Assemble the weekend before Easter. Hide two eggs each day (Monday - Saturday) and have the children find. Read and discuss scripture.

Directions on how to create resurrection eggs are found on The Old Schoolhouse link I have provided below. Click on "Unit Study".

CRAFTS:
Found on Enchanted Learning website link below.

1. Hatchable Dinosaur Egg (balloons, newspaper, flour, water, tempera paint) – MONDAY and paint on FRIDAY

2. Handprint Paper Flowers (construction, pipe cleaners or straws) - TUESDAY

3. Worksheet – Speckled Eggs Matching (Two columns of eggs each with a certain # of dots.. have kids draw a line between the matches) – WEDNESDAY

4. Worksheet – Color and Count the Eggs (draw plain, speckled, striped and star eggs).. color plain yellow, speckled blue, striped green and star red then count each. - WEDNESDAY

5. Pretend Stained Glass (wax paper, glitter, crayon shavings, flowers, cut outs) - THURSDAY

Websites Referenced:

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Easter Unit Study

Enchanted Learning Easter Crafts

Emily Claire Bear, Batman and Cinderella

Emily Claire all ready for the creche (nursery) on Monday morning.

Joshua and Sophia dressed up for their school's Carnival celebration.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Monsters

The kiddies and I hiked up a hill today to the post office to pick up a package from Nana and Papa. They were so excited to get back home and open the box. It was like Christmas when we stripped off the tape and tore open the box to find three soft and snuggly teddy bears, yummy Quaker instant oatmeal packages, packets of Kool-Aid (Sophia thought they were Pixie Stix), Spiderman KRAFT Macaroni and Cheese (Josh was super stoked) and Nana's homemade scrumptious chocolate chip cookies (Mom was super stoked). I had good intentions of making something semi-healthy for dinner like chicken enchiladas or lentils and rice but... I convinced myself since I forced my children to eat pasta, soup and salad for lunch we were free to eat a very American meal of mac and cheese, hot dogs and chocolate chip cookies (In my case, JUST chocolate chip cookies). I said the blessing and thanked Jesus for the food and Josh was like "No Mom, Nana provided this food.". :) Oh my... the cookies are divine. Pain au chocolat is delish but there really is nothing like homemade chocolate chip melt-in-your-mouth cookies. Thank you so much for thinking of us! It was so appreciated!

In retrospect, a bib may have been a good idea.

Chateau d'Aulteribe

The family went on a field trip through the French countryside this morning to visit the Chateau d'Aulteribe in Sermentinzon, France. Sophia was so excited with the idea of possibly seeing a real princess and prince. She put on a special outfit and talked all morning about princes, princesses, stepmothers and huntsmen. I think she thought we were visiting Snow White. We packed a sack lunch and were on our way. The ride was just beautiful and would have been worth the trip had we been unable to find the castle but we were successful and here are some pictures from our day.

Deep Thoughts from Emily Claire and an Afternoon at the Playground

*For some reason this video is only viewable using Internet Explorer not Mozilla Firefox. I have not tried any other browsers.*

Emily is becoming so much fun! She always was but I think she is on the cusp of the really entertaining stage where their personalities bloom. I *think* she may be saying some words but that is debatable.. she is definitely trying as you can see on the video! I think she says "mama" and "dog" and she definitely says "uh oh".. it has been the first word for all of my children! This morning, while the older kids were at school, she and I had some great bonding time. I was building a structure with some of Joshua's blocks and she thought it was hilarious when they fell down. So, of course, I would do it over and over again just to see the glee in her face and hear her cackle. It saddened me to realize that I don't think I have ever heard her laugh like that. I don't think it is because she hasn't.. I just haven't had, or maybe just haven't taken, the time to sit back and listen. As we are getting more settled here, I actually feel like we are moving out of "survival" mode. It was such a joy to just relax and hang out with my Emily this morning and really get to know her better.

Yesterday, Wednesday, the kids were out of school as they are all Wednesdays so after nap time we hiked down the street to Amadeo Square and actually found grass!! Praise God for grass! It was such a welcomed site. There were oodles and oodles of the green stuff which made me daydream about picnics in the Spring and reminisce about those we used to have in Cleveland Park with friends. Yesterday wasn't quite warm enough for that so we settled on munching on a baguette while the kids played on a pirate ship structure and played hide and go seek.

La bonne vie.

Rue Blaise Pascal - part of our route home from Massillon. I enjoy peering into the quaint bookstores (les librairies) and antique shops along with smelling the aroma of freshly baked bread (le pain).

On our way home from Domino's Pizza one Friday evening. We met Freddie in Place Delille and took a nice stroll home through the old downtown area. Dusk is my favorite time of day and this is my favorite part of Clermont so it made for a wonderful start to the weekend.

Place de la Victoire - located adjacent to the Cathédral and another point on our route home from school.

Cathédral Notre-Dame de l'Assomption - aka "The Gargoyle Church" to Joshua and Sophia. Whenever the bells ring Sophia thinks the gargoyles - also known as goblins - are being released.

Cathédral Notre-Dame de l'Assomption

Picture of a Thursday afternoon demonstration near our apartment and Place de Jaude. Protesting and demonstrating are very common here.. it is fascinating to Joshua and Sophia and made quite an impression. Every time we pass this location on the way home from school they make a comment how all of those people aren't here today.

Life seems to be coming together and becoming more of, well, a new life - a good life. This is contrasted to where I was two months ago when I felt my world was tumbling down before my very eyes. I was talking to Freddie yesterday on our way to Vichy about how I finally felt ok... somewhat settled.. and like this is now "home" (albeit temporarily). I can now find a substitution for cheddar at the grocery store (cantal jeune for those who ever find themselves needing to know) along with cream of chicken soup and cream for my coffee. I can successfully back out of our claustrophobic-like garage and drive without hitting another car's bumper, another car's side mirror, running a red light (yellow lights don't count) and/or hitting a pedestrian (although I have come a little too close). I can have two year old like conversations in french with the person at the check out counter in Carrefour and the little old lady on the corner of Rue Blatin and Rue Bonnabaud although I am not sure if she is telling me that my children are beautiful or they are going to choke on Cheerios. From the "belle" and choking like hand gesture and pointing I gather it is a little bit of both or she is telling me Emily has beautiful Cheerios - which I doubt. Yes, with these small victories I feel like I can survive (cue Gloria Gaynor except my "love" was Starbucks, lots of personal space, the English language and the occasional 70 degree winter day... and they didn't abandon me... I willingly left them - ok, it totally changes the meaning of the song but you get the point :-).

Through this trial, I have learned a lot about myself - my character.. my likes, dislikes, perceived "needs" and my depraved heart condition has been revealed so I now have beaucoup de issues to work on... which, aren't so much fun but I know that on the tail end of this I will be one teeny tiny step closer to the woman God wants me to be... well, that is the hope, at least. At times, I find myself being very resistant to God's calling for me to change. If you know me even a little bit, you know that I tend to be a slight perfectionist and I don't like to be wrong, do anything wrong (although, if you know anything about my past or even present, for that matter.. you will find yourself saying "hmmm?") or have fault of any kind. Which is so ironic because on the flip side of that character trait, instead of pride (although, I am sure it is there, too), you have someone who can almost be self-loathing, at times, with regards to my faults and mistakes. I have found myself thinking "Who is this person?" and then the stark realization that it is me... always has been me but this particular issue just had not been revealed. On one hand I find myself thinking "Geez, God, you really let me go on my entire life acting like THAT and not realizing it?" and then I start feeling shameful about my sinful self and THEN I usually come around to being thankful that he has revealed the sin to me and for his sacrifice and forgiveness and then I am able to start working on it... sometimes I ignore - not conscious defiance but more out of not knowing how to change or what it even looks like to be different - and sometimes I take heed.. usually life is better when I start making steps to change. It is one of the many examples of the necessity of being dependent on the Lord and not on ourselves. That is one of the biggest life lessons I have learned so far. I am still trying to grasp onto that truth and not let go.

Yesterday our family took a little road trip forty-five minutes through the rolling hills of the french country side to Vichy, France. It is, as far as we know, the only place in a 60 mile radius (maybe all of France?) where there are shops and restaurants open on Sunday. It was Freddie's first time being on the open road in our new little très chic and hip (if I do say so myself) station wagon. He is zipping down the road at 110kph only to find a little Peugeot on our hiney. It is a winding two way road so we aren't sure what to do as it is quite nerve wracking, not to mention dangerous... we have yet to really figure out road signs or what the closely spaced dots mean versus the widely spaced dots so we aren't sure when he can pass. It is a little disconcerting because if we even tap on the breaks a little he will probably crash right into us. We head into a little town and the car behind us slows down considerably so Freddie takes it as a hint that maybe we should slow down, too... just in time to see the little flash of the automatic camera that will result in a ticket in our mailbox. Nice. Oh well... we will know better next time. So, we get out of this little french speed trap and the car speeds up again right behind us. Freddie decides to slow down just a little to let them know they are welcome to pass us. They take the hint along with the liberty to flip us off as they speed by. Sweet... nothing like getting flipped off with three young children in the back seat. Then, as we exit the next round-a-bout and they continue on... we get the hand gesture yet again! I wonder what is the heart issue HE needs to work on?

A few shots from the past two weeks and our wonderful family outing yesterday.

My handsome almost FIVE year old.

Three of my favorite people in the entire world!

Sweet Sophia and some lady with too blond hair.

Joshua and Daddy enjoying un chocolat chaud (a hot chocolate) et un cappachino.