Are You "Luckier" Than a First Grader?

NCAA basketball's March Madness is over and Duke is the national champion. At our house, the results have been tallied and the brackets tossed in the trash can. The winner? Our seven-year-old daughter! She chose her teams well and beat her closest competitor (me) by eight points. As the family champion, she selects the restaurant for our lunch on Sunday.

Now that we're a week into April, I'll share a brief update on my progress toward 2010 goals. (If you missed those original posts, you can begin reading here.)

Spiritual: I purchased a separate journal for recording my prayer requests and answers. Since I hadn't read Pilgrim's Progress in years, I chose it as my spiritual book for March. I still have twenty pages left, so need to finish it quickly!

Physical: Due to the beautiful weather, I am doing better at exercising four times a week. Also thanks to the season, I'm eating more fruit - still working on those vegetables!

Financial: I only added $85 to the Disney World fund this month. Part of that was from a small check I received for my article that was published on the MOPS website - so I can claim that I did create a bit of income last month!

Personal: I read a book on crafting magazine articles during March and have re-committed myself to spending more time writing.

I am counting on having enough money to take our Walt Disney World trip in late fall and have just this week started planning our trip. It's been five years since we were there last, so if you have any tips, please let me know!

High-Heeled Shoes

She calls them her first high heels.

I can tell by the way her feet skip across the floor that she feels feminine and pretty when she wears them.

This nine-year-old with brown hair and eyes has never been one to pay much attention to the style of her clothes or the color of her shoes. Comfort alone was the key requirement when it came to adding apparel to her wardrobe.

That seems to be changing lately. Not that I mind; I enjoy seeing her develop her own tastes, enjoying a new skirt or a glittery necklace. I just don't want it to happen too fast. I still want to see her ponytail and flip flops flash by the window as she rides her scooter down the sidewalk or hurries to join her younger sister digging in the dirt.

All too soon, we'll be shopping for banquet dresses and arranging fancy updos. Our swing set will stand empty and all the games of tag will be over.

However, we haven't reached those days just yet. The lovely white shoes didn't slow her down one bit as she raced a boy down the sidewalk after church on Sunday night. Therefore, I guess the height of those heels is just about perfect.

Visit Tuesdays Unwrapped hosted by Chatting at the Sky.

Chocolate Peanut Sweeties

The two pounds of weight I gained while spending spring break with my parents can be directly attributed to the peanut butter balls my mom had stashed in her refrigerator! They have always been one of my favorite treats, but I don't make them often.

This is a slight variation on the traditional peanut butter balls. These are perfect to make ahead for a party - or just to eat yourself! This recipe came from the February/March 2000 edition of Taste of Home magazine.

Chocolate Peanut Sweeties

1 cup (good quality) peanut butter

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 cups confectioners' sugar

5 dozen miniature pretzel twists

1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

1 tablespoon vegetable oil.

In a mixing bowl, beat peanut butter and butter until smooth. Beat in confectioners' sugar until combined. Shape into 1-inch balls; press one on each pretzel. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until peanut butter mixture is firm, about one hour.

In a microwave-safe bowl or heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips and oil. Dip the peanut butter ball into chocolate. Return to baking sheet, pretzel side down. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Store in the refrigerator.

Find more recipes at Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday.

photo courtesy public domain pictures

Good Decisions and Wise Choices

Each morning, before we leave our house and drive to school, I pray aloud with my daughters. One of my frequent prayers is that they will make good decisions and wise choices.

I do not know what lies ahead of them on a given day, but God does. At the ages of nine and seven, the situations they face may seem minor, but each small choice can lead to a larger one. Whether it's selecting a friend to play with, following direction from their teacher, struggling on a test, or displaying a cheerful attitude, they will decide how to respond.

If they learn to choose wisely now, it increases the chance that they will do so in the future. Disciplining themselves to listen for that quiet voice of their conscience and the inward tugging of the Holy Spirit can become a habit that will stand them in good stead in the years to come.

I am not there to offer guidance in each decision, but God is. It is part of my job as a parent to give them the Biblical foundation for discerning right and wrong - and to pray, with them and for them, to have the perception to choose wisely.

What is something that you pray for your children?

This post is linked to Make Your Home Sing Monday.

Saturday Salutes

Interesting reading this week at the following sites:

Julie at Come Have a Peace talks about fostering spiritual growth in our children this spring.

Find out how to use tote bags to keep things organized at Momma Mindy's Moments.

Jo-Lynne at Musings of a Housewife is sharing the importance of planning ahead in her series on Raising Responsible Kids.

The Stay-at-Home Missionary is also in the midst of a series; hers is entitled Practical Vision for Young Moms. This week she discusses one of the obstacles young mothers face - feeling overwhelmed.

As I take time to reflect on my Saviour's death, burial and resurrection during this Easter season, I am humbled by God's sacrificial love, grateful for His forgiveness of sins and thrilled by Jesus' victory over death. I trust that you will celebrate with a heart full of the mercy, grace and peace that only He can provide.

How I Did (or Didn't) Save Money This Week

Happily, I have more instances of saving money this week than not!

After spending Friday afternoon at the park, our family went to Fatz Cafe for supper. Instead of ordering separate entrees, my husband and I split a meal, reducing our bill by several dollars.

I had enough points to get another $5 Amazon gift card from Swagbucks. The last one went towards our daughter's camera, so I'm now saving the gift cards to buy my maple syrup.

On Sunday, I used the Arby's coupons I receive each month and fed our family of four for $6.54! I know you believe me, but here's my receipt as proof.

Finally, I put coupons to good use at Publix and got all my groceries for the week for $66.04, saving $48.59. I stocked up on some sale items and included chocolate bunnies for our daughters' Easter baskets and some fresh flowers for the table. (At supper that night, I told the family that, since I bought the flowers, we had four dollars less to add to the Disney World fund this month. Our seven-year-old said, "That's okay. I'm glad you did!")

As to how I didn't save money.....

Last week, I needed sausage for breakfast. Jimmy Dean sausage was on sale at Publix, but there was none of the regular flavor which I normally buy. I decided to pick up the Maple flavor instead. I'll just say that it was not a popular choice. Determined to salvage it somehow, I sliced it and put it in the freezer; now I have to see how I can make it reappear in another meal!

Finally, during a quick stop at Walmart, I picked up some grape juice we needed to take to a certain function. Welch's was only two cents more than the store brand, so I added it to my cart. My coupon organizer was in my purse, but, rather than taking the time to search through it, I convinced myself that I didn't have a Welch's coupon. Guess what I found when I was rearranging some coupons later that afternoon? $1 off one Welch's grape juice!!

Yes, I continue to live and learn!

Check back tomorrow for Saturday Salutes. I'll share interesting posts I've found around the blogosphere this past week.

Others share their savings at I Heart Publix, Southern Savers, Frugal Fun and Fortune, and Money Saving Mom.

Can Reviewing Spelling Words Be Fun?

Learning to spell combines a child's ability to memorize with the practical application of phonetic principles. To return to a recurring theme, I believe that children who read a great deal are more natural spellers due to the variety of words they view in their books.

If you spend time helping your child practice a list of spelling words, here are a few ideas that might make the process more enjoyable.

1. Write individual letters on 3x5 cards. Hand your child the letters to one of his spelling words and have him arrange them in the proper order. To make it slightly more difficult, include an extra letter that he has to exclude from the word.


2. List the spelling words on a piece of paper, leaving a blank where the vowels should be. Have your child fill in the blanks to spell the word correctly.


3. Spell the word out loud, alternating with your child in saying the next letter


4. Put each of the words on a 3x5 card. Divide them into two piles, one for you and one for your child. Each of you should hold your cards in your hand, facing them away from the other person. Tell him one of the words on the cards you are holding; if he can spell it correctly, he gets the card. He then calls out one of his cards for you to spell. See who can collect the most cards. (You may have to purposely misspell a few to equal things out. :)


5. Write one of the spelling words on a small white board or chalk board. Have your child look at the word and spell it, then let him erase one letter at a time, correctly spelling the word after each erasure.

How do you review spelling words with your child? Have you found a game or other method that works well? Please share!

photo courtesy morgue file