Thursday, January 21, 2010

What Do You Do?

I am participating in something a friend of mine started. A series called "What Do You Do?" She is posting on her blog and will choose a topic and post her thoughts on it and then those who want participate and share what they do on that subject.

This is the first one!

What Do You Do: Children's Bibles, Family Devotions, and Such 
From N's blog :

Does anyone have any thoughts on these titles? What Bible storybooks do/did you use with your kids? What is your routine for reading them to your kids? Do you have a “family devotions” time in your house? If so, what does that look like? WHAT DO YOU DO?

We do not use any of the titles that N mentioned in her blog: The Beginner's Bible, The Big Picture Story Bible, or The Jesus Storybook Bible.
Quite simply we use the Bibles that we have gotten as gifts because I'm too cheap to go spend money on a new one!

We started with this Bible:

It was a little too "advanced" for my liking at the time. Emma was only 2 and George was only 1 and it took things quite a bit over their heads. Although, I do think we're getting close to being ready to use it again.

So, the Bible we currently us is this one:


I like it because the stories are short and pretty simple so that George is able to pay attention. It also has questions at the end that are good for Emma (she's almost 4) and help her to be able to go over things again and therefore take in more from the reading. The only thing that I don't like as much is that sometimes it's VERY simple. Too simple. So, I add in details that I feel my children are ready for or that I feel they can comprehend and don't need omitted.

To be honest, which I hate to be at the moment, our routine is totally off right now. Especially with Bible Time. Ugh. I had JUST started a new, what I felt was an awesome, routine when I got put on modified bedrest because I had dilated.
So, to answer the question of what is our routine for Bible reading here's what I was doing and what I hope to get back to very, very soon:
At 10:30 Emma and George start Blanket Time and play on their blankets for 30-40 minutes.
At 11:00 or 11:10 (depending on how my morning is going) we start Bible Time. Bible Time takes place during Blanket Time. This is very helpful because it keeps them contained to one place and allows them to focus better.
We start by reading a story from our Bible - the second one mentioned above. We go in order - meaning we started at the beginning and each day we read the next story. I go through the story twice usually because they're short and then I go through the questions with Emma to make sure she gets the details. :o)
Then we go through our Character Quality of the week. We have a quality with a definition and verse to go with it. Then we talk about how we apply that quality and what it means and then we usually sing a couple songs that correlate.

Our new routine also included reading from Psalms in the evening before the kids went to bed, though we haven't implemented it yet.
 

Saturday, January 09, 2010

Clara Through the Camera

Today, or tomorrow, depending how calculate it, I have made it 34 weeks! This was our second of three goals. The first was 32 weeks and the third, and final, is 36 weeks. January 24.
Part of why this was such an important benchmark to hit is because of the development that is acheived by this point. She's fairly filled out by now and will continue to fill out every day. Her lungs are developed and so is her central nervous system!
It may be hard or comical to picture but I am currently doing a very happy dance with my very pregnant belly.

According to my babycenter e-mails Clara should be about 5lbs, which I believe considering the major belly I'm sporting. They compare her size to a cantaloupe which I also believe because that's about what my belly looks like! Don't worry, you'll see photographic proof in just mere moments.

So, from here we strive for 36 weeks. I cannot even believe that she could be here in 15 days. 2 weeks. Wow.





33 Weeks