The Most Important Gifts to Give Your Children All Year Long

by Lois Breneman

Grandparents, you can team up with your children's parents and help with some of these!

Listen To Them Talk – Just listen!  

Play with Them - "175 Things to Do Together with Your Family" can be found here. 

Slow Down and Stop Being So Busy – How may times do we say,“Just a minute!”

Teach Them How To Cook – Give one-on-one time as you do this.

Teach Them How to Work – Work along side of them.

Read to Them – Read to them early and later read books together as a family.

Stop Bad Habits – Your children will be happier if you do.

Tell Them Often That You Love Them – Even if you think they already know.

Hug Them Often – They say we all need tens hugs a day.

Teach Them About Jesus – Be sure they know the plan of salvation.

Have Family Devotions - Use the time you have to teach truths of the Scriptures.

Live the Christian Life Before Them – Be a model for them to follow.

Take Them to Church – And go with them.

Spend Time at Home - Provide a peaceful life by not involving them in too many activities.

Make Them Available to Their Grandparents – They have a lot to offer your children.

Precious Gems

Thanks so much, ladies, for your contributions and permission!

Cute conversation with a 4-year old who just started attending a Christian pre-school:

My grandson, James, told me that the Holy Spirit talks to him every morning. I didn't want to over-react, but I was thrilled about what a holy and deeply spiritual little boy he was becoming.  I calmly asked him where he is when the Spirit talks to him.  He replied, "In school.  Every morning he gets on the big microphone and tells us stuff."  Of course, he was referring to the morning announcements. ~ Maria in Ohio

Our family has been so excited about having some missionaries in our home this week!  As evidenced by three year old, Julianne's question as soon as she woke up from her afternoon nap: "When will the disciples be here?" ~ Jennifer in Virginia

 

Me: I love u!

Leila (1 1/2): Too!

Me: More!

Leila: uh-uh!!! ~ Vera in Virginia

Funny Moment of the Day and one of my favorite Maverick quotes: While Maverick (2) was sitting at the table finishing his lunch I thought I would work on my grocery list. As I headed into the root cellar, Maverick hollers after me, "Excuse me, doll baby". . I couldn't contain my laughter! What a little charmer! ~ Leigh Ann on Virginia

Joshua (12) is filling in a form that asks: "Do you have any known allergies or sensitivities? His answer for allergies: "Seasonal." For sensitivities: "When I see puppies on the side of the road." LOL- that's his sensitivity.  ~ Penny in Virginia  (tender-hearted)

 

The other week I pulled up at my three grandsons' house and they were playing in leaves (ages 4, 6, 9, & 10)  They excitedly told me, "Mr. Forbes (their elderly next door neighbor) let us HAVE some of HIS leaves!" ~ Janet in Virginia

I told Karlie that the date was 11-12-13, and she adds, "Wow, I am 10 on 11-12-13!" ~ Julie in Washington

 

The way Sophie (2) says caterpillar is so sweet - "Cat-uh-pillapillapilla!" ~Lori in Virginia

We were eating out after church one Sunday night and Sophie (2) was just messing with her hamburger so one of us took it and I think maybe threw it away.   She looked around and asked, "Hey!  Where did my my ham a booga booga go?"  We all burst out laughing.  Of course, you just have to be there in person and see the animation! ~ Janet in Virginia (Grammy)

When I picked up the kids from school, a little boy says, "Amiya, your mommy doesn't look like you."
Amiya (5): "Well, we all look different." ~ Blonde, fair-skinned mama, Danielle, who with her husband, adopted twins from Uganda  (Good answer!)

Note to self: Don't ask a question unless you're prepared to hear the answer.
Me (teaching from Trevor's health book): So what's another good thing to see with your eyes? How about the faces of people you love?
Trevor (6): Yep.
Me: Would you be sad if you couldn't see my face anymore?
Trevor: Yeah, but when I get married I probably won't see your face anymore.
Well, at least I know where I stand! ~ Jennifer in Virginia

Malakai (5): "Know what? I make our teacher laugh so hard because I'm soooo cute!" ~ Danielle in Alabama

Last night Aiden (7) woke up afraid of the wind but this morning when I woke him up for school he said, "Mommy, I wasn't afraid anymore when I went back to bed, because I prayed and God took the wind away." I love this boy and I love that he knows he can go to God for anything. ~ Bethany in Virginia

Christmas Tidbits

Christmas Story
How about reading the Christmas story from Luke 2:1-11 on Christmas morning before opening gifts?  Another idea might be for your children or grandchildren to dress up and act out the Christmas story according to Luke 2!

 

Good News of Christ's Birth

"Often, the Good News of Christ's birth is given only a cursory nod before moving on to what has become the 'real' reason for the Christmas - receiving a windfall of goodies from the jolly fellow in the red suit." - Nancy Twigg – Contributed by Barb Campbell, MS

 

Study Links Christmas, Christianity and Happiness:

There's just something about the "most wonderful time of the year."

http://www.family.org/cforum/fnif/news/a0029374.cfm

A Christmas Candle
by Eva K. Logue – Contributed by Annamarie Kresge of Virginia

A Christmas candle is a lovely thing;
It makes no noise at all,
But softly gives itself away;
While quite unselfish, it grows small.

 

My Snowball
Author Unknown - Contributed by Elsie Wertz of Virginia

I made myself a snowball, as perfect as could be.

I thought I’d keep it as a pet, and let it sleep with me.

I made it some pajamas and a pillow for its head.

Then last night it ran away, but first, it wet my bed!

LOTS on Thanksgiving & Christmas from Past Newsletters

 (On the two Heart to Heart Blogs)

Make-Ahead Recipes for the Holidays:

http://heartfilledhome.blogspot.com/search?q=getting+a+jump+on+holidays

Holiday Recipes:

http://heartfilledhomerecipes.blogspot.com/p/dessertsholidays.html

Christmas:

http://www.heartfilledhome.blogspot.com/p/christmas.html

Practical Household Tips

Most of these tips and more can be found at http://www.artfido.com/blog/40-clever-life-hacks-to-simplify-your-world/

Easily Find the End of Masking Tape, Packaging or Duct Tape by placing a paper clip at the end of the roll.

 

Keep Boots Standing Tall by placing pool noodles inside.  Cut the pool noodles to the height of the boots.  Pool noodles cut in shorter pieces also provide good temporary back support and can also be used as a mini-foam roller to work on tight muscles.

 

Baby Bath Time ~ Put a large laundry basket in a tub filled with warm water.  Place toddler in basket (as well a baby who can sit up) and give him a few toys.  The toys will stay within reach!  Never leave a child in the tub unattended though, even if they are in a laundry basket!

Use Your Car Seat Warmer to keep food warm that you are delivering to a friend.  Or keep a pizza warm that you are taking home to the family!

 

Storage for Pots and Pans Lids ~ Mount towel racks inside your kitchen cabinets for storing lids.  Or store them upside-down on top of each pot, and stack pots.  This way you don't need to search for the lids somewhere else.

Short of Counter Space?  Pull out a drawer and place a large cutting board on it for extra space.  Some kitchens have a very handy built-in cutting board above a drawer that can be pulled out.

 

A Lazy Susan in the Refrigerator can help immensely with hard-to-reach spaces.  This is a life-saver!  Put them in cupboards to store cleaning supplies as well, and a multitude of other small items.  They are one of my best organizational helpers!

 

Plump Up a Flattened Pillow by placing it in the sunshine for at least thirty minutes.  The sun absorbs the moisture in the pillow, and plumps it up.

The English Language

Source unknown - Thanks to Linda Klein in California who sent this to me! 

You could have lots of fun with this as your family gathers for Thanksgiving and Christmas!   

Homographs are words of like spelling, but with more than one meaning.  

A homograph that is pronounced differently is a heteronym.  

You thing English is easy?  
I think a retired English teacher was bored.   
This took a lot of work to put together!  
Read all the way o the end..... 
1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France . Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

PS. - Why doesn't 'Buick' rhyme with 'quick' ?

You lovers of the English language might enjoy this:
There is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that is 'UP.'
It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP ?
At a meeting, why does a topic come UP?
Why do we speak UP and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report?
We call UP our friends.
And we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver; we warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen.
We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car.
At other times the little word has real special meaning.
People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses.
To be dressed is one thing, but to be dressed UP is special.
A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP.
We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night.
We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP!
To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look the word UP in the dictionary.
In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4th of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions.
If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used.
It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more.
When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP.
When the sun comes out we say it is clearing Up.
When it rains, it wets the earth and often messes things UP.
When it doesn't rain for awhile, things dry UP.

 

Quote

 “When God puts His burden upon you, He puts His own arm underneath.” ~ Author unknown

Seize the Moments

by Kelly Crawford - Thanks for Jalisa Wenger in Pennsylvania for sharing this beautiful poem!

Seize The Moments

I used to race, I used to hurry,

I used to fret and frown and worry,

My children thought they had new names-

"Hurry up" and "We're Gonna Be Late"!

Even when we were at home-

Laundry, cleaning, answering phone...

I never had the extra time

To sit and cherish these children of mine.

But in His grace the Lord broke through

And I saw everything anew.

We have but only a few days here

To love and share and pull them near.

And while they're things that must be done,

Our lives are like the setting sun.

While it's light is burning bright,

Before we face, alone, the night,

Let's stop the madness of this race-

Let's take back a slower pace!

Look into those grinning faces,

Plan your day with lots of spaces,

Grab a hand and take a walk,

Listen while your children talk,

Let them show you childhood things,

Take turns laughing on the swing,

Snuggle up beside the fire,

Kiss the hurt left by a brier,

Meet them with a morning smile,

Go out and fish a little while.

Choose carefully how you spend your time.

Don't wait until you suddenly find

The wrenching grief of a heart that aches,

Who loved too little and found out too late.

Craft: Sock Snowman

 Attitude 4 Fitness/Paige Sterner's photo

How cute are these to make with the little ones?!!!!!!!!!!! 

For this craft, you'll need a pair of old socks that are crew length, or longer, rice, rubber bands, map pins with heads, buttons, any left over fabric if you want for a scarf.

First, cut off the top of the sock from the foot. 

Turn the sock inside out and attach a rubber band tightly to the top of the sock.

Then turn the sock right-side out again.

Fill the sock with rice. Make sure to pack it down as you go so the sock gets a nice round base.

Rubber band the top of the sock closed and put another rubber band 3/4 of the way to the top for the head of your snowman.

Now, decorate!
Tie a scarf around your snowman's neck and add eyes, nose, and buttons.

Use the toe of your cut socks to fashion a stocking cap. Or you could use colored argyle socks to create hats and sweaters for your snowman.

You can either sew or glue on your buttons, and add embellishments - twine, bows, ribbons, etc - as needed.

This is such a quick and easy craft - 10 minutes tops - that it would be simple to create a whole family of snowmen for your mantle!