Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Works For Me Wednesday:Bible Study

Since I'm in Bible study mode.. or at least I should be and will be in a few minutes.. my Tip O' the Day is a Bible study tip. Some of my best studies have actually been word studies. I will pick a word in the Bible that I'm interested in (eg: grace or cleave), and will track it through a chapter, a book or even through the whole Bible. These studies really stick in my mind for some reason.

Anyway, for this reason, I always read my Bible with pens and dry highlighters in hand. When I am reading through a particular book or chapter where a key word or phrase is repeated I highlight it in some way. It keeps me alert to the subject matter, helps me to remember what I read and where I found it. Plus years later whenever I come across a highlighted page, I can tell what the main ideas are at a glance .

Well, that's what works for me!! Do you have a Bible study tip that works for you? I'd love to hear it! :) To see even more tips, go visit Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer!

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Works For Me Wednesday:The Best Teether Ever

As usual, I should really be doing something else, but once again I'm drawn to the computer. And do I feel bad about it? Not at all!! LOL!

Tomorrow morning the boys and I have a playdate at our friends' house. We have been there once before about 5 months ago. DH drove that evening, so I am almost clueless as to how to get there. I need to get directions!! I need to obsessively write down the schedule for tomorrow so I don't forget anything....

Ah, but I am rebelling against my inner obsessor to bring you this handy little "Works For Me Wednesday" tip...

I don't know if this is a really bad idea, and I just haven't figured out why yet, but when both of my boys have been teething both boys have REALLY LOVED going to town on the rubber bulb of the Tylenol bottle. (Yes, of course it has been tightly closed! And no, they do not like teethers or pacifiers.) Is it the feel? Is it the nifty rubbery squeaky sound it makes in their drooly mouths? Beats me! I keep thinking that I need to make a "teether" that is basically the same in shape, size and material, patent it and put it on the market. Can't believe no one's done that yet! Well that's what works for me!

To see even more tips, go visit Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer!

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Delayed Gratification

I have been searching in vain for a Precept Bible Study group in my area for years. I even went to Precept Ministries website to search it out. Found nothing. So I actually thought I'd start one myself! Not as easy as you might think!! And perhaps rightly so. Precept Bible studies are pretty intense, with hours of homework every week. There's quite a few classes that you have to attend to become an official leader, and none of them are in my area. Harumph!

Well, a year and a half ago, at my local MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) meeting, I heard someone mention attending a local Precept Bible Study at a local church. Hmmm... But I was in the (very nauseating) first trimester of my pregnancy with Lumpadump(9mos) and the study was about to end. So I decided to wait until it started up again in the Fall. But you know how it goes. In the Fall, Lumpadump's entrance into the world was imminent and it just seemed crazy to take on anything new. So I waited.

Now here it is, a year later!! And I am finally starting a Precept study on the book of Hebrews!! I am so excited!! I can't think of a better book to be studying and the teacher is awesome. I don't know how it is that she's flying below the Precept Ministry radar. I'm just glad she's there!

Very likely, the little nuggets that I take away from the study will be showing up, here and there.

Saturday, September 08, 2007

Pachelbel bedtime

This one's for you, Naptime Stamper!! Turn up those speakers.



Not exactly a lullabye, but gosh it made us laugh, and cry and say "AWWWW!" in our household!

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Turning a Corner

Well, Little Man turned a corner a week or so ago. I don't know what happened, but he's suddenly all grown up and Mr. Thoughtful and Independent. I like it, but it's all I can do to conceal my wide-eyed amazement as he dresses himself from head to toe without being asked, feeds himself willingly at all three meals, and clears of the table without EVER having been asked!

Hmmm... doesn't sound so amazing to you, does it? Well, he's been dragging his heels in the independence area for probably over a year. I had chalked it up to the new baby that was coming, and then the new baby that was competing with him for our attention, but boy was it getting old! Making it worse has been that Little Man is actually quite tall for his age, so he appears to be about five, instead of his actual age of three and a half. So he LOOKS like he should be doing a LOT more than he has been doing...

I'll tell ya what I think the catalyst was... One night when he was going to bed, he just kept insisting that he didn't need to go to the bathroom. (For months he's been potty-trained -- mostly -- but each morning he would move his bowels while he was still wearing the nightly diaper. Occasionally at night he would hold out until after he was in bed.) So a few weeks ago after being met with MUCH resistance to the nightly potty ritual, I told him if he went in his diaper after he was in bed I would NOT put him back into another diaper. (Yes, it was a threat and I had hoped that he would have a change of heart!) Sure enough, about five minutes after he was in bed, he appeared on the stairs, wanting to be changed. I had to follow through on my "threat"... right?! So I put him in vinyl training pants for the night. When he woke up dry, he was genuinely gleeming! So we decided right then that we would do away with the diapers. Ever since then he has been TRULY potty-trained.

And NOW he's about to start Preschool! My generally shy, quiet boy is SO excited and not at all apprehensive. Wish I could say the same for his mother. :)