What's the deal?

So lately my Lillie-Kate is obsessed with death!!  I think it's so strange.  No one close to us has died recently and none of her little friends (what few she has) have lost anyone either.  Within the past two years four of our neighborhood dogs have died, including our own Shazzie, and so I assume this is where this is coming from. 
Other then that I have to admit in recent weks the subject of death has come up between my husband and I or on the phone with my mom quite often.  My sister-in-laws(sil) mom has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and it is untreatable.  I have talked to my husband about it and received updates from my mom on the phone and I know many of these conversations have been in front of her. I am so sad for Dawn(sil) and her family.  I know Linda, her mom, from going to my brother's house or from neices and my nephew's bday parties.  So I have cried about it and I know I've cried in front of the girls.
The other thing that has recenly happened is a MOPS friend suddenly lost her brother due to a brain anyurism.  He was only 29 and obviously it was very unexpected.  The subject of Ryan has been brought up several times in front of the girls but not necessarily in direct conversation with the girls.
So anyway she brings up the subject of death often.  She comes up to me and will say Mommy I don't want you to die.  or I don't want to die, or I don't want anyone I love to die.  She'll say I don't want you to go live with Jesus yet I just want you to stay with me!
So my questions are, one: Is this normal? especially given the recent subject matter discussed in my house.  How do I approach this?  I have told her that I also don't want anyone I love to die and that when we do die we get to live with Jesus and that is an incredible gift but the people we live behind miss us.  I don't want to promise her no one will die because you never know what is going to happen.
Second:  Is it inappropriate for me to discuss Linda or Ryan in front of the girls?  I honestly didn't think much of it.  I have tried to explain to the girls what has happend and encouraged them to pray for both families.  Am I out of line?  I just feel like they need to learn empathy and what their cousins are about to go through is going to be so difficult and I want them to pray for their cousins.
Third:  When Linda does pass away what do I say or do with the girls?  My decision would be to not take them to the visitation or funeral.  They don't know her and I feel like they are too young, they are only 4.  But should I explain to them where I am going and why?

I suppose I understand why this is a subject she has brought up a lot lately but I'm not certain how much she understands about death.  She never mentions Linda or Ryan but does talk about all the dogs a lot.  She will tell random people how Snickers and Lucy died and how Shazzi and Buddy died last year and how it makes her so sad.  I guess this is just the first of those deep subjects that will come up in their lives I just wasn't expecting it so early on.

Sisters Sisters, There Were Never Such Devoted Sisters

Kirby is teaching Lillian how to make toast! I love the relationship they are forming!
I hope and pray they can grow close together and be best friends.  Growing up I always wished I had a sister.  I didn't get my sister until I was away in college and while she is not literally my sister by birth I have thought of her and considered her my little sister for years now.  I remember the first time I used the word sister for Sami.  The twins were born and she was visiting us at the hospital with my parents.  A nurse asked who everyone was and I said this is my mom Karen, and dad Al and this is my Sami.  The nurse looked at me and said and Sami is.  I said Sami is well, she's like my, um well Sami is my sister.  and Sami shook her head in agreement and from then on I have never thought of her differently.  I am so proud of the young woman she has become.  She is so resolute and confident, and such a hard worker.  I look forward to watching her grow and change now that she is moving into her adult years.

Heidi speaks to my heart

So if you haven't done so yet you have to check out this blog:  Our Out-of-Sync Life!  I really believe that God put Heidi and her blog in my life.  It all started with my search for a pre-school curriculum.  Heidi is the creator of ABC Jesus Loves Me.  It's a wonderful curriculum that I am very happy with, very easy to follow and thorough.  Not only does it teach the basic preschool concepts but it also inlcudes bible lessons.  and although I went to a private christian school trough eigth grade I too am learning so much about God and the bible.


So anyway to get back to the point.  Our Out-of-Sync Life  is a blog also written by Heidi.  This is how I know God led me to her.  She also has a "sensory sensitive" child.  I have learned so many great tips from this blog that has not only helped me with my sweet girl and her sensory issues but both girls.  and it's not only about sensory disorder.  She covers many topics from crafts, to recipes, to preschool, to living a Godly life, she speaks to my heart.  So her latest post is New Year New You.  It is actually a series of blogs she will be writing.  I love how she explains that "God made us beautiful and that we can feel good about ourselves and how we look and as a Christian it is okay."  So it is okay to try to make yourself look and feel better.  Right now she has a giveaway:  Good Girls Don't Have to Dress Bad: A Style Guide for Every Woman.  She has read the book and gives it a raving review.  Head on over to Our Out-of-Sync Life for a chance to win a copy of this book.  I am entering for a chance to win too!  and actually she gives it such a great review that if I don't win I may just look into buying a copy for myself!

Spatial Relations

This week in preschool for math the twins are learning about Spatial Relations.

Above, Below. Near, Far. Up, Down. High, Low

For fun we decided to play Simon Says.  Lol that was a joke....they don't get it.  So that's okay we just played Do what I do.

This was on day one: 

The girls chose a marker or pencil to play the game with.  I told them silly places to put their marker or pencil using the spatial relation words.

They didn't exactly know all the concepts but they picked up on them very fast, and I learned something valuable.

Put it below your chin!

Near my ear!

Far from me

(love the princess clothes?)

 

When you tell the kids point the marker down, they put it on the floor; point the marker up, they put it high in the air.

Soooo I made it a point to teach them that up doesn't mean high and down doesn't mean low.  I will have to watch what I say because it is so tempting to say "Put it up high"  However, this does confuse them.  We are working on this concept and I model it by making sure I add the work "point" and showing them.  When I say, "Point the marker up," I just hold it in front of me and point the writing end up.  At first they hold it high in the air but as long as I don't say anything or move onto the next concept they will see me and adjust.

So on day two I will let the girls be the leader and come up with silly places and on day three I have a print off called Little Mouse Little Mouse that is actually intended to teach color concepts.  He came from Ms. Kim our PAT coordinator and he came with different color houses.  You are suppose to hide Little Mouse behind on of the houses and the children get to guess which color house he is hiding behind.  Instead I will direct the twins to put the mouse above to pink house, or below the blue house, or to point the green house up and the yellow house down, or to put the mouse near the yellow house or far from the purple house.

MOPS craft turned Christmas presents

For our December MOPS craft I decided to have the ladies make painted plates.
I liked this activity so much that I actually bought more paint and plates just for myself and made Christmas presents with it!!!

I got the original idea from WhiMSy love: Tutorial...or Not Tutorial

So I made a couple of examples, drew out some sketches for ideas, and let the ladies choose what they wanted. 
My ideas were to make a Cookies for Santa plate since it was December but I also shared the idea of a Happy Birthday plate, or Happy Birthday Jesus plate.

I wish I would have taken pictures of all the steps but I didn't and you can head on over to WhiMSy love for a bettter picture tutorial.

You will need:  a clear glass plate, you paint on the back and your design shows through

                       enamel paint

                       alchohol

                       paint brushes and a dry erase marker

This is the paint I used

Step one:  Soak your plates in warm water to remove the stickers.

Step two:  Clean the surface you are going to paint with alchohol.  I bought alchohol wipes for my MOPS group which made it much easier and one wipe was more then enough for two or even three plates.

Step three:  Choose a design.  I sketched my designs in my sketch book and chose one I was happy with.  I also sketched several on printer paper for ladies at the meeting.

Step four:  Thank goodness for WhiMSy love for this idea.  On the front of your plate draw your design with dry erase marker.  When you turn it over to paint the design will show through plus it make is sooo much easier to do your lettering.

Step five:  Now it's time to paint.  You need to decide what features you want in front, like faces, or sprinkles on a cupcake.  Paint those features first, let them dry then you can add the next layer.  Paint in thin layers.  They may look streaky at first but paint a layer, let it dry, then add another layer.  The thinner the layers you paint the fast they will dry!!

Finally:  Let it cure.  You can either just let it sit for 21 days or cure it in your oven.  Put the plate in your oven paint side up.  Turn the oven to 325, time 20 minutes then turn the oven off.  Leave the plates in the oven with the door shut until they cool. 

I think I've found a new hobby I love coming up with new designs, I love my stick figure designs.

This one is for Grandpa.  It is all the Great-Grandchildren and I had so much fun trying to make each figure resemble all the kids. 

This one is for my mom's book club!

and this one was for my mother-in-law.  I tried to make a fancy hat that swoops down in front of the face covering one of the eyes (didn't come out exactly how I visualized it)

Advent Activities

I love the advent season.  This is a really fun year as the twins understand more and more.  I love watching their imaginations blossom and seeing the magic of Christmas sparkle in their eyes. 

Santa debate:
Yes I let my girls believe in Santa.  I know some think this may bring confusion about the true meaning of Christmas but my girls also know the real meaning of Christmas and on Christmas day we plan on having a birthday party for Jesus.  I can proudly say this was one of their ideas.
The reason I teach them to believe in Santa is because I think it's such a small period in their life where fantasy is really "real" to them.  It's fun to fantasize!  and it fosters imagination and creativity.  As a teacher I was so suprised and saddened by how many kids had no imagination.  How can they develop an imagination when their toys do EVERYTHING for them.  The baby doll eat, talk, pee and poop, dogs bark, and cars honk and vroom.  Now I know that simply allowing my children to believe in Santa Clause isn't going to be the magic key that teaches them to imagine but allowing them to have some kind of fantasy and believe in something so magical is bound to foster some imaginative growth.

Toys for that matter:
So I know it's the big joke that Angela doesn't like toys that make noise and most assume it's because they annoy me, which they do but that isn't it.  Besides is it really less annoying to have a child running around the house making the same sound over and over and over again....um not really.  So anyway my goal is for a high percentage of their toys to not make noise.  Watching my girls they get more enjoyment out of their simple stuffed animals and soundless dolls then anything else.  I love watching them create stories, give their babies voices, and explore all kinds of pretend play.  It cracked me up so much the first time one of their babies made it to time out watching one of the twins "discipline" their naughty baby.  I love watching them pretend.

Onto our Advent Activities:
So pictured above is our Advent House.  Inside each door of the house I put a picture of a different activity.  The starting on day 12 this year I followed this Family Advent Calendar.  I'll admit we were altogether behind this year and didn't manage to even start until the 9th.

So here is what we've done so far.


9'th    Ice Cream with Daddy
10'th  Christmas Parade
11'th  Pancakes for dinner
12'th  Hot cocoa night
13'th  Puppy Chow
14'th  was supposed to be gingerbread Rudolph cookies
15'th was supposed to be Christmas Caroling  The twins were sick the last two days, so on the 14'th we
        didn't do anything and today we will make the Rudolph cookies and we are watching Christmas shows
         instead, they need to be very low key today, lol
16'th  Grandma and Grandpa
17'th  Adventure in St. Louis day (visit the fish market, see snow show at the mall, visit Santa, top it off with
          our annual Christmas party with the Dolatas)
18'th  Cousin Paul and Jeep rides!
19th   Little People Village(poor Lillie-Kate got sick again)

20'th  Gingerbread Rudolph Cookies
21'rst Angel Gabriel activity
22'nd  PAT visit with Kim
23'rd  Twin's baptism bday party
24'th  Christmas Eve service
25'th  Happy Birthday Jesus, celebrate Christmas at home
       

Such a let down

I feel so bad for all the I have let down.  I feel like I haven't lived up to the expectations I set out for myself.  I think perhaps I bit off a bit more then I could chew and so now that I've had a chance to re-group I hope I can do what I want with this blog.  That and multiple computer issues and internet problems have kept me away.
Originally the point in this blog was to write about what the girls and I were doing with pre-school.  But we got so behind in pre-school that I stopped writing about it altogether.  We are finally getting caught up and just in time in my opinion.  I wanted to be back on track for Advent so we would be up to date with our bible stories. 
I love this time of year.  I hope to keep up with things a bit better but if nothing else at least keep up with pre-school.  As a teacher and a stay at home mom I owe that to my girls.  My goal with my blog is to use it as a sort of diary.  I want to document what we are doing in preschool as much as I can but also have a place to share our adventures.
and what a time we've had lately.  So much to catch up on and so little time to do it.
I think compared to last year I am so behind on everything right now.  This time last year the decorations were up, the cookies baked, and all presents started on.  This year I haven't even decided what I am going to make for presents this year.  The house is scarcely decorated...how sad. and we are just starting on the cookies.
But I must say I have an excuse, har har har.  We have a minor construction project going on.  We are building a wall in our kitchen.  Our kitchen opens to the basement and therefor our energy bills suck us dry.  So we are putting up the wall to close off the basement and save on heating this winter.  Our furnace went out last year and, no, we have not replaced it.  Just seriously cannot afford a furnace.  So we sold a truck and can afford to build a wall.  We will install our baseboard heater on the new wall, and between that and our fireplace try to stay warm even if it means sleeping in the living room, lol, I doubt we'll have to actually resort to that but I'd be lying if I said we hadn't thought about it.
So for now I will leave you at this and just hope and pray there is a way I can keep up with all my goals.