Superheros for God--The Wise Man

I'm so behind in my blogging! It's not that I don't have events to post, I just haven't had time to upload pictures and write it all down. One blog post takes a lot longer than you think... Anyway, we have been working hard on our Superheros for God bible study. This was a few weeks ago, we continued with Super Conduct. Our verse was Matthew 7 24-27, the wise man and foolish man.  We watched the recommended video on youtube and the kids loved it!! Wise and Foolish Builders.  (I'm not sure how to embed it into my blog, any suggestions would be appreciated).  I read the scriptures first then we watched the video...three times! By the last time, I was asking them questions to make sure they understood and they really seemed to get the foolish man didn't follow instructions, the wise man did. And that's how we become wise, by DOING and FOLLOWING God's words.

We then painted rocks...rocks to build our foundations on.  I had high hopes that they would be spiritual rocks and even tried to paint a few examples for them...but their 4year old creativity got the best of them and it was anything goes.  Then I realized it's not what's on the rocks that matters, it's the intention and lesson behind the rocks that counts.  We want to be wise men and have super conduct by doing what God's word says!

Clancy Pumpkin Patch

Another pumpkin patch...one of our personal favs, Clancy's. It's a great little patch right in the middle of the city. We hung out with Jasper while we got lost in the hay tunnels and rode the hay ride.  Timo and Cameron wanted to wear their costumes but I really didn't want them messed up before Halloween.  So I talked them into being a football player and cheerleader, wearing our Tarheel fan gear.  In NC they would blend right in and no be in "costume",just the norm, but out here...they got some great compliments on their choice of costumes!

Cameron Sings

You can tell Cameron is about to sing a serious song if she gets her microphone. She talked about this song all the way home from swimming, ran and got her mic and Timo planted himself in front, all ready to hear this much talked about "new song" she wanted to preform. She loves to just make up songs about Jesus. Sometimes they are a little hard to follow, as you can hear, but I don't think Jesus minds....
MVI 8618 from Sara ko on Vimeo.

Future Karate Kids

The children have discovered karate. There is a karate studio a few blocks from our house that we often pass on our way to get hair cuts, eat sushi, get doughnuts, etc and we always have to stop and watch them through the big windows. They come home, put on their bathrobes and practice what they saw. Young took karate as a kid and he has been showing them a few moves too.  So I thought it would be fun to watch Kung Fu Panda and they LOVED it! Now they both want to take karate class.  Well, we're still in swimming and won't start another activity until that is over, but looks like there will be a lot of  "hu!" "ha!" "ya!" in our future.  (I haven't even told them about the breaking boards yet...I'm afraid they will quite swimming on the spot and want to sign up!)

Reading Motivation

Nothing like a little motivation...Timo really wants to learn how to read but finds the simply word books boring. So I got him a few early reader books on a subject he loves...Star Wars! He loves this little pack I found at Costco. He asks if he can stay up 5 minuets after bedtime to read the books in his bed. I often find him asleep with the books under him, as if he was so tired but he just couldn't put them down. He isn't reading yet, but at least the words are really simple to understand and easy to test out that whole "sound out the word." One thing I've learned, you never realized how bad the English language is until you teach someone to ready...try explaining why "c" and "k" sound the same...sometimes...

Pumpkin Patches--Half Moon Bay

We kicked off our pumpkin patch season in Half Moon Bay at 4 C's Pumpkin Patch with our buddies Caleb and Evan. We went on Columbus Day since the kids were out of school...along with every child in the Bay Area. HMB was packed! It's the pumpkin patch mecca of the West Coast and host about 15 patches....all just as busy as the next. We decided to eat lunch first in hopes that most would be cleared out by 1pm, nap time for most little ones. It worked and we had ample space to run off our energy.

Timo and Cameron could choose one activity to do and Cameron immediately picked the horse ride.  Timo ran off with Caleb and Evan to the bouncy house while we rode through the wild west!

We hit the pumpkin patch and started the task of picking out our pumpkin.  I used to not get pumpkins at the patches, waiting to get them at the local grocery store much cheaper, but this year I decided we would get one at the patch.  I figure these families put on these huge entertaining events for the kids and the pumpkins are really the only way they make money.  So I agrees to let the kids pick out one pumpkin per patch.  Timo was strong enough to carry this year's pick.

Trying to get a group picture with five kids proved to be an exercise in patients...no smiles on que, just silly, silly smiles.

Group hug!

One our way home, traffic was really backed up so we decided to kill a little more time in town at Farmer John's Pumpkin Patch.  The kids had seen the teepee from the road and wanted to check it out.  It was small but had lots of fun, free stuff to do.  Hay mountain, tractors, teepee, corn maze, huge sunflowers and plenty of wagons to pull around.

Two patches down, many, many more to go!

School Art

The school has amazing teaching assistants this year that are taking lots of pictures of the children. These are a few of various art projects they have done over the past two months.  I'm impressed with all the work they do with paint...something we do very little at home.  This was a making stamps out of various recycled items...pretty cleaver.

I think this was using different color mediums on black paper.  They have done a few of these black paper art work.  Cameron did a really great one of outer space.  It's hanging on the all in her class but I'll try to snap a pic sometime.

Love this one!  I love the idea of just painting on the tables, blocking out their canvas with masking tape.  You can never go wrong with fun in finger painting...You can tell Timo was having a blast.

The Chinese Moon Festival was a few weeks ago and they painted paper lanterns.  These are the Chinese Class teachers painting too and then one of all the lanterns lining the walkway...so pretty.  I'm so thankful for their teachers, taking the time to work with them creatively in ways I don't understand or have the patients for!

SuperHeros for God--Super Conduct pt.1

The second week of our home bible study of 1 Timothy 4:12 was studying Super Conduct. This is a tricky area for kids because it's about controlling your actions...and 4year olds have very little self control.  And one area we are struggling with the Timo and Cameron is obeying us even when they don't want to...the whole  "...because I said so."  So this was an opportunity for them to realize it's not always "because Mommy/Daddy says so" but more importantly, because God says so.  Learning our actions/obeying are very real scriptures in the Bible. The kids had a blast seeing how alive God's word is...and how we need to be mindful of our actions everyday!

Our verse this day was James 1:22, “Don’t just listen to the word. You fool yourselves if you do that. You must do what it says.”  We acted out verses to show them that you actually DO what the bible says.  This is Cameron acting our our verse of the day...I love the finger pointing.

Then we did several other verses...Clap your hands all ye nations, shout to God with cries of joy.  Paslm 47:1

Let them praise His name with dancing, and make music to him with timbrel and harp.  Paslm 147:3

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Ephesians 6:10

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  Ephesians 6:1 I asked them to think of something Mommy asks them to do even thought they don't want to do it.  Cameron jumped in her bed and acted out going to sleep...something she never wants to do!

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.  Joshua 1:8