Here are some pictures from our week. The first photo is the amazing WinShape staff: 23 young men and women who gave up their summer to travel to nine different communities to conduct these camps and share God's love with kids! AWESOME!
Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
Friday, June 28, 2013
Best. Week. Ever. 2013
WinShape Camps for 2013 is in the books. It is almost impossible to describe a week of WinShape without experiencing it. It is an incredible camp hosted by Chick-Fil-A and offers the highest quality of events for kids in grades 1st through 6th.
Here are some pictures from our week. The first photo is the amazing WinShape staff: 23 young men and women who gave up their summer to travel to nine different communities to conduct these camps and share God's love with kids! AWESOME!
Here are some pictures from our week. The first photo is the amazing WinShape staff: 23 young men and women who gave up their summer to travel to nine different communities to conduct these camps and share God's love with kids! AWESOME!
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Summer Reading
I love summer reading. Nothing takes the fun out of summer more than "required" summer reading. I hate seeing those stacks and stacks of lists that schools require kids to read over the summer. I love to read and I have no desire to read some of those.
There is so much that the boys are required to read during the school year that I just want to encourage them to read for pure love during the summer. If I can create a lifetime love of reading in them then I will feel like I have accomplished something.
Here are a few summer reading programs which will reward the kids for their reading efforts....
Madison County Library System - Our local library system theme is "Dream Big... Read!" I am not a fan of their reading program because it doesn't reward everyone who reads. It only gives you a chance at a reward. The reward is great -- a NOOK, but I prefer rewarding every child who reads instead of just one.
Barnes & Noble - Read any 8 books and record them in the Reading Journal (PDF).Bring the completed Reading Journal to your local B&N store. Choose a FREE BOOK from the selection on the Reading Journal list at the store... Enjoy reading!
Scholastic Summer Reading - Log in your reading minutes to the Scholastic site and your child will be able to participate in a World Record challenge as well as earn digital prizes!
Half Price Books - Read for at least 15 minutes each day for a month. (Grown-ups may read aloud to kids who are still learning.) Add up your minutes and have your parent or guardian initial each week.Once you've read 300 minutes, turn in your completed reading log
to earn your $5 HPB Back-to-School Bucks reading reward for the month. They will award one top reader per age group each month with a TOP READER prize - a $20 HPB Gift Card!*
Happy Reading!!
There is so much that the boys are required to read during the school year that I just want to encourage them to read for pure love during the summer. If I can create a lifetime love of reading in them then I will feel like I have accomplished something.
Here are a few summer reading programs which will reward the kids for their reading efforts....
Madison County Library System - Our local library system theme is "Dream Big... Read!" I am not a fan of their reading program because it doesn't reward everyone who reads. It only gives you a chance at a reward. The reward is great -- a NOOK, but I prefer rewarding every child who reads instead of just one.
Barnes & Noble - Read any 8 books and record them in the Reading Journal (PDF).Bring the completed Reading Journal to your local B&N store. Choose a FREE BOOK from the selection on the Reading Journal list at the store... Enjoy reading!
Scholastic Summer Reading - Log in your reading minutes to the Scholastic site and your child will be able to participate in a World Record challenge as well as earn digital prizes!
Half Price Books - Read for at least 15 minutes each day for a month. (Grown-ups may read aloud to kids who are still learning.) Add up your minutes and have your parent or guardian initial each week.Once you've read 300 minutes, turn in your completed reading log
to earn your $5 HPB Back-to-School Bucks reading reward for the month. They will award one top reader per age group each month with a TOP READER prize - a $20 HPB Gift Card!*Happy Reading!!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Summer Reading Programs
I love summer for a lot of things, but I LOVE the summer reading programs. Kids can actually go backwards in their academic performance during the summer. So much of that backwards slide could be prevented by READING!
Here are a few summer reading programs...
Most important... Check out your local library! Our local library is doing a reading program called "One World, Many Stories".
Tyndale is doing a summer reading program for adults AND teens/kids. If you read 5 books, you get to select a free book. Click the link and read their requirements for participating!
Borders is again doing their Double Dog Dare Challenge. Read ten books, get one free. That is pretty simple! Plus you have until September 5th to read!
Barnes and Noble is sponsoring Imagination's Destination this summer, where kids read 8 books to earn a free one. This goes through September 6, and is good for kids in grades 1-6.
Chuck E Cheese offers a Reading Rewards Calendar (along with several other rewards calendars). Once a child has completed two weeks of reading, he or she can submit the completed Chuck E Cheese calendar for 10 free tokens.
Scholastic and WordGirl is challenging kids to read at least four books this summer. But more importantly they are trying to set a new Guiness World Record! In summer of 2011, students around the world logged 52,710,368 reading minutes with Scholastic. This year they are hoping to break that record!
Here are a few summer reading programs...
Most important... Check out your local library! Our local library is doing a reading program called "One World, Many Stories".
Tyndale is doing a summer reading program for adults AND teens/kids. If you read 5 books, you get to select a free book. Click the link and read their requirements for participating!
Borders is again doing their Double Dog Dare Challenge. Read ten books, get one free. That is pretty simple! Plus you have until September 5th to read!
Barnes and Noble is sponsoring Imagination's Destination this summer, where kids read 8 books to earn a free one. This goes through September 6, and is good for kids in grades 1-6.
Chuck E Cheese offers a Reading Rewards Calendar (along with several other rewards calendars). Once a child has completed two weeks of reading, he or she can submit the completed Chuck E Cheese calendar for 10 free tokens.
Scholastic and WordGirl is challenging kids to read at least four books this summer. But more importantly they are trying to set a new Guiness World Record! In summer of 2011, students around the world logged 52,710,368 reading minutes with Scholastic. This year they are hoping to break that record!
Monday, June 30, 2008
A Cool Welcome
I like having things in the freezer in case company drops by unexpectedly. This is a good pie for the summer months. You never know when you will have new neighbors or new babies arriving that you will want to deliver it to.
Frozen Lemonade Pie
Recipe courtesy The Neelys
Graham Cracker Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
7 tablespoons butter, melted
Lemonade filling:
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk, chilled
1 (12 ounce) container whip topping, thawed
1 (6 fluid ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, keep frozen
1 teaspoon candied lemon peel
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In medium bowl, combine cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup of sugar, and the melted butter. Press firmly on bottom and up sides of pie plate. Bake for 7 minutes and let cool completely.
In a medium bowl, add chilled sweetened condensed milk and cool whip and fold gently. Add frozen lemonade and continue to gently fold. Do not let the mixture become soupy. Pour mixture into the pie crust and freeze overnight. Garnish with candied lemon peel.
Frozen Lemonade Pie
Recipe courtesy The Neelys
Graham Cracker Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
7 tablespoons butter, melted
Lemonade filling:
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk, chilled
1 (12 ounce) container whip topping, thawed
1 (6 fluid ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, keep frozen
1 teaspoon candied lemon peel
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In medium bowl, combine cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup of sugar, and the melted butter. Press firmly on bottom and up sides of pie plate. Bake for 7 minutes and let cool completely.
In a medium bowl, add chilled sweetened condensed milk and cool whip and fold gently. Add frozen lemonade and continue to gently fold. Do not let the mixture become soupy. Pour mixture into the pie crust and freeze overnight. Garnish with candied lemon peel.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Celebrating Summer
After 5th grade awards on Tuesday morning, we loaded our van up our big guy and a bunch his friends and headed out to celebrate the end of school and big guy's 11th birthday. The boys were all so hyped up and I wasn't sure if we were going to be able to fit both them and their energy inside our van.
Big Guy said he wanted to get some lunch to start so we headed to Applebee's. After the guys wolfed down enough food to feed an army, we headed to Swell-O-Phonic so they could show off their mad skateboarding skills. Swell-O-Phonic has a great mini skateboard park area with ramps and grind rails so the boys were able to enjoy a couple of hours of skating. I was glad that I had planned ahead and brought a couple of packs of Gatorade because the Mississippi heat was unbelievable.
We headed home thinking they were exhausted but they busted out of the van only to set up the ramp in the street for more skateboarding until dark. Where do these guys get their energy?
The next morning they were up with the sun, scarfed down a couple of boxes of cereal and gallons of milk and were back out having more fun. I had to interrupt their fun to go pick up little guy from his last day of school. While in the van they decided they would like to extend the party for one day. Why not? These guys were all great and well behaved so we called the parents and received permission. We made a quick run for more groceries and then called hubby to see if he wanted to go see "Prince Caspian" at the movies with us that afternoon.
What does it take to feed a group of 5th grade boys? spaghetti, makings for nachos, hot dogs, pizzas, cinnamon rolls, 4 boxes of cereal, white powdered donuts, Oreos, 2 gallons of ice cream and toppings, 3 gallons of milk, 3 bags of chips (including the required flaming hot Cheetos), lemonade, Gatorade, soft drinks
I can't imagine a better way for big guy to end his 5th grade year and start his summer. These were a great group of guys and it was fun having the house full of boys having fun.
The cost of the perfect start to summer: PRICELESS!!
Big Guy said he wanted to get some lunch to start so we headed to Applebee's. After the guys wolfed down enough food to feed an army, we headed to Swell-O-Phonic so they could show off their mad skateboarding skills. Swell-O-Phonic has a great mini skateboard park area with ramps and grind rails so the boys were able to enjoy a couple of hours of skating. I was glad that I had planned ahead and brought a couple of packs of Gatorade because the Mississippi heat was unbelievable.
We headed home thinking they were exhausted but they busted out of the van only to set up the ramp in the street for more skateboarding until dark. Where do these guys get their energy?
The next morning they were up with the sun, scarfed down a couple of boxes of cereal and gallons of milk and were back out having more fun. I had to interrupt their fun to go pick up little guy from his last day of school. While in the van they decided they would like to extend the party for one day. Why not? These guys were all great and well behaved so we called the parents and received permission. We made a quick run for more groceries and then called hubby to see if he wanted to go see "Prince Caspian" at the movies with us that afternoon.
What does it take to feed a group of 5th grade boys? spaghetti, makings for nachos, hot dogs, pizzas, cinnamon rolls, 4 boxes of cereal, white powdered donuts, Oreos, 2 gallons of ice cream and toppings, 3 gallons of milk, 3 bags of chips (including the required flaming hot Cheetos), lemonade, Gatorade, soft drinks
I can't imagine a better way for big guy to end his 5th grade year and start his summer. These were a great group of guys and it was fun having the house full of boys having fun.
The cost of the perfect start to summer: PRICELESS!!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Kids in the Kitchen
My boys love to get in the kitchen -- with or without me. I am always looking for new recipes for them to try. I found this one that I think they will enjoy and will be fun for them to try during our summer break.
Crunchy French Toast
Ingredients
2 or 3 slices of bread, cut into quarters
1 cup cornflake cereal (we are going to try a Corn Flake like cereal with blueberries in it)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
2 drops of vanilla
Butter and pancake syrup
Method
1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.
2 Put the bread pieces on a lined baking sheet into the warming oven (it does not need to be at full temperature) to toast lightly for 5 minutes. Cool the bread completely.
3 Seal the cornflakes in a heavy plastic bag. Crush them with a rolling pin to the size of rolled oats. Pour into a pie pan or a shallow dish. Set aside.
4 In a large bowl, whisk to mix the eggs, milk, flour and vanilla until blended. Be sure there are no lumps of unmixed flour. Pour into a pie pan or shallow dish. In batches, lay the bread pieces in the egg mix. Soak about 1 minute on each side in the egg mixture. Be careful not to rip the bread. 5 Place the bread pieces in the cornflake crumbs. Coat both sides with the crumbs. Place on the lined baking sheet.
6 Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes on one side. Then flip over with tongs or a spatula and bake another 5 to 10 minutes, until the crumbs begin to turn brown. Eat warm with butter and pancake syrup.
Makes 2 or 3 servings.
Recipe from: Kitchen for Kids
Crunchy French Toast
Ingredients
2 or 3 slices of bread, cut into quarters
1 cup cornflake cereal (we are going to try a Corn Flake like cereal with blueberries in it)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
2 drops of vanilla
Butter and pancake syrup
Method
1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.
2 Put the bread pieces on a lined baking sheet into the warming oven (it does not need to be at full temperature) to toast lightly for 5 minutes. Cool the bread completely.
3 Seal the cornflakes in a heavy plastic bag. Crush them with a rolling pin to the size of rolled oats. Pour into a pie pan or a shallow dish. Set aside.
4 In a large bowl, whisk to mix the eggs, milk, flour and vanilla until blended. Be sure there are no lumps of unmixed flour. Pour into a pie pan or shallow dish. In batches, lay the bread pieces in the egg mix. Soak about 1 minute on each side in the egg mixture. Be careful not to rip the bread. 5 Place the bread pieces in the cornflake crumbs. Coat both sides with the crumbs. Place on the lined baking sheet.
6 Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes on one side. Then flip over with tongs or a spatula and bake another 5 to 10 minutes, until the crumbs begin to turn brown. Eat warm with butter and pancake syrup.
Makes 2 or 3 servings.
Recipe from: Kitchen for Kids
Sunday, May 18, 2008
A Taste of Summer
I love the weekend. This weekend we helped our friends move some of their stuff into their new house. Saturday morning we were up bright and early watching our little slugger play his baseball game. Donald worked in the yard trimming the bushes which had gotten a little out of control. The boys pulled out the slip and slide and had a ball.
I even saw the king snake in the asiatic jasmine. Who knows how long he has lived there, but I have seen him every summer since we moved into this house eight years ago. Seeing him means summer has arrived.
Tonight we were all relaxing and one of the boys suggested we watch a movie that we had recorded. I said sure until I remembered... we have school tomorrow. BUMMER! I had already jumped off into summer land.
I even saw the king snake in the asiatic jasmine. Who knows how long he has lived there, but I have seen him every summer since we moved into this house eight years ago. Seeing him means summer has arrived.
Tonight we were all relaxing and one of the boys suggested we watch a movie that we had recorded. I said sure until I remembered... we have school tomorrow. BUMMER! I had already jumped off into summer land.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)