Fun with snow

We've had a snowy winter this year. As I write this, another storm is rolling in. On Friday, I took the girls out while big flakes were falling, and we enjoyed some fun in the snow.

I don't remember where I heard this idea, but I think it was from a one of our Busy Books.  I filled up spray bottles with water and a little food coloring.  We tried to "paint" the snow by spraying.  It'll probably work better when they are older and can squeeze better.

 

I brought a bowl of snow in with us, and we made snow slushies for a snack.  We mixed about 1/4 cup of grape juice into 1 cup of snow.  Yummy.  I think Eliana (below in blue) got her first "brain freeze".

  

 

Lucia giggling in her jumper

Lucia in her jumper

I have lots of pictures and videos to post, but haven't gotten around to it. There are a few in the new February Album. More to come...hopefully soon
Here's a video of peek-a-boo around the corner with Lucia in her jumper while the big girls watch Baby Signing Time.

Hermie: Antonio Meets His Match

Hermie: Antonio Meets His Match
     This DVD is ok, but not great. We’ve seen a handful of DVD’s from the Hermie series, and I generally find them to be entertaining to our girls and carry a good message that I can applaud. One thing I love about the Hermie series is that prayer is always a central key to the plot. I especially appreciate that prayer is shown to be not only submitting requests to God, but listening and receiving guidance and encouragement from Him as well. However, as is the case with most children’s DVD’s, I think at times the take-away message is not as biblically robust as I would like to see.


     Antonio Meets His Match was no exception to this assessment. It kept my girls entertained, encouraged treating others with kindness regardless of their actions toward us, and included prayer as an essential element. My only disappointment was the somewhat weak presentation of the requirements of the biblical mandate of Luke 10:27, the scripture the story sets forth as its foundation. The command to “Love your neighbor as you love yourself” is set in the context of the parable of the Good Samaritan. Reducing the message of this scripture to “be nice, even to the annoying guy” seems to be falling short. The way the story plays out, Antonio’s “love” for his neighbor is scarcely evident until his final act of “heroism”. But even that act (saving his annoying neighbor Angus from an unruly frog) comes at no great sacrifice to Antonio. He states clearly that the frog posed no real threat, and at the beginning of the movie we see him subdue the same frog, seemingly for sport. Although Angus was frightened, and is subsequently so grateful that the relationship with Antonio is repaired, this depiction is a long way from demonstrating the humility and self-sacrifice implored in the quoted scripture. Yes, this is “just” a children’s DVD...but theology matters, even for kids.

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Eliana & Joelle loving on Lucia

Eliana & Joelle LOOOOOVE their baby sister Lucia. Here they are spending a couple minutes just loving, laughing, smiling, and sharing.

Joelle singing Jesus Loves Me

Joelle loves to sing. Here she is singing Jesus Loves Me:

Eliana practices folding

Eliana and Joelle like to help with laundry by folding burp cloths, rags, and towels. Here Eliana demonstrates her folding technique, with some toddler silliness thrown in for fun :)