Here I go again...here is a site that has free printable to-do lists, shopping lists and recipe cards! I'm not sure if all of you get as excited as I do when I find free printables, but I think it's like finding treasure. So maybe I'm a little strange, but Sue C's Stationery has cute graphics on her printables. There are other things on her site that cost money, but there is a substantial amount of free goodies. Happy printing!
-- Sheri
Ok, so you're on a late-night shopping trip to your local grocery store. This is about the only time you can shop in peace, so you plan to make the most of it. However, you're kinda getting hungry... you know, late night munchies and all.
Here's a quick moneysaving tip: drive through Taco Bell first.
Better $2.00 for a burrito and a drink from TB than an extra $37.26 at the store in chips, cheesecake, waffles, pretzels, pickles, and vienna sausages just because they sounded good at the time.
Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything...
--Paul
Since the very early days of our family, we've sung to our kids to get them to sleep. And while some of the four kids have liked the lullabies more than others, all of them have on countless occasions fallen to sleep with mom or dad singing softly to them. We are, in short, lullaby experts.
We've sung the favorites, the popular ones, and even some slightly odd ones that have proven tremendously effective. "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" is one of the best lullabies you'll ever find, and we've used it hundreds of times. This might explain why my kids all fall asleep in the seventh inning of every baseball game they attend, but this is a small price to pay.
We have noticed however that the more a lullaby is used, the less effective it becomes. We've worn out "Hush Little Baby, Don't Say a Word." As soon as we get to "Hush little...," the little kids know we're trying to get them to sleep, and everything falls apart. The last thing you want is for your 10 month old to realize you are trying to get her to sleep. Once she's caught on, forget it, you're sunk. Enjoy your lack of sleep.
So we're trying new lullabies. The big favorite now is "Here I Am to Worship," which seems an odd choice, but it works, so I'm not going to quibble. I'll be watching the kids carefully next time we sing it at church, however.
But there's one lullaby that we only use in extreme situations - "Stay Awake" from the movie Mary Poppins. Best. Lullaby. Ever. It is by far the most powerful, most effective song ever crafted to induce slumber. Do NOT sing this song while your children are standing; it's been known to cause instant sleep and can result in a nasty fall. Lie the children down in their beds, and then and only then is it safe to begin the song. We reserve it for special needs ONLY so as not to reduce its potency.
The other day, I ended up with both my 10 month old AND my 2 year old in my lap - both wound up and excited, but both desperately needing a nap. "Stay awake, don't rest your head ..." - one head begins to bob. "Don't lie down upon your bed ... " - the other sags. "While the moon drifts in the skies ... " - eye closure in 5, 4, 3, ... "Stay awake, don't close your eyes ... " - we have eye closure! One more time through just to make sure. And it is done.
I may make a lot of mistakes as a dad, and I may not have all the answers, but I can take a little pleasure in the art of the perfect lullaby.
--Paul
Heartlight is a wonderful Christian site that is a great place to find inspirational articles, art, online cards, power point presentations, Bible study tools, daily devotionals and lots more. I highly recommend it!
If you are teaching your child about capitalization, you need to check out this site called Capitalization! I know the name of the site isn't very creative, but it has a neat power point presentation that you can use on your computer. Just click on the Power Point icon, get your kids and learn capitalizatization rules. Fourth grade and up.