Corn Maze

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November 5, 2018 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

The kids wanted to do some fun fall activities.

It’s getting harder the older they get. Most of the fun things seem to be for little kids.

We went to the homeschool day at Pot-Luck Greenhouse.

We went for the corn maze. It was ok. It was near our house, and we went through a couple times. There were activity books.

We’re already lost!

I have this same shot when Alex was 18 months old in Utah!

I love this shot of the bridge!

Fun games!

We took a hay ride to choose pumpkins. They were already cut, to my kids’ disappointment.

Our Other Fall Field Trips:

Black Island Farms in Utah

Sunshine Pumpkin Farm in Germany

Appel Happel in Germany

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Sunshine Pumpkin Farm

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November 5, 2018 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

We took a homeschool field trip to Sunshine Pumpkin Farm.

We travel a lot in fall, so this was exciting for us to do something a little more normal.

The kids liked visiting the animals.

Katie loves cows.

We took a wagon tractor ride to pick our own pumpkins.

Yummy cider and cake for sale in the farm shop!

You can also visit their English and German website. They’re about 10 minutes away from Landstuhl.

There’s a milk and egg dispensary.

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Favorite Pumpkin Books

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October 2, 2017 By Jennifer 4 Comments

Fall is a magical time of crunchy leaves, crisp breezes with warm sunshine, bonfires, cider, harvest festivals, and all things pumpkin.

We love to snuggle up under blankets in the mornings and evenings with fun story books.

These pumpkin-themed books are perfect for fall!

Favorite Pumpkin Books:

Deep in the woods in an old white cabin, three friends make their pumpkin soup the same way every day. The Cat slices up the pumpkin, the Squirrel stirs in the water, and the Duck tips in just enough salt. But one day the Duck wants to stir instead, and then there is a horrible squabble, and he leaves the cabin in a huff. It isn’t long before the Cat and the Squirrel start to worry about him and begin a search for their friend. Rendered in pictures richly evoking autumn, Helen Cooper’s delightful story will resonate for an child who has known the difficulties that come with friendship. Included at the end is a recipe for delicious pumpkin soup.

Pumpkin Moonshine

It’s almost Halloween, and little Sylvie Ann has found the biggest, fattest pumpkin in the patch! But before she can carve it into pumpkin moonshine (also known as a jack-o’-lantern), she must get the pumpkin home.

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

It’s Halloween night, which means costumes, trick-or-treating, bobbing for apples…and waiting for the Great Pumpkin. Linus is certain that the Great Pumpkin will rise out of the pumpkin patch to bring toys to all the children of the world. Could this be the year that it finally happens?

The Pumpkin Patch Parable

This charming story for children illustrates how a loving farmer can turn a simple pumpkin into a simply glorious sight. In the same way, God’s transforming love can fill each of our hearts with joy and light. Liz Curtis Higgs created this parable as a way to share the Good News with her own precious children each harvest season . . . and now with children everywhere.

Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin, Pie

Pumpkins! Who can resist the sight of big, round, orange pumpkins ripening in a field? Children piling off school buses to pick one out. Carving out funny faces, smiles, or scary frowns to illuminate Halloween doorsteps. Making room for that last piece of pumpkin pie after a delicious Thanksgiving feast. In this book, pumpkins aren’t just a fruit, they’re a symbol, a scent, a flavor of the entire season.

Pumpkin Jack

The first pumpkin Tim ever carved was fierce and funny, and he named it Jack. When Halloween was over and the pumpkin was beginning to rot, Tim set it out in the garden and throughout the weeks he watched it change

The Biggest Pumpkin Ever

Once there were two mice who fell in love with the same pumpkin….
Desmond the field mouse wants to carve the biggest jack-o’-lantern in the neighborhood with his pumpkin. Clayton the house mouse wants to win the Biggest Pumpkin contest with his. But when they discover that their choice pumpkins are actually the same one, Desmond and Clayton decide to work together to grow the biggest pumpkin ever!

The Pumpkin Book

How they grow, their traditional uses and cultural significance.

Too Many Pumpkins

With countless unwelcome pumpkins to deal with, Rebecca Estelle turns disaster into a celebration. One day, years and years later, white-haired Rebecca was busy not eating pumpkins when–SPLAT–a giant pumpkin fell off an overloaded truck and smashed into her yard. She buried the mess so she wouldn’t have to look at it, and, as you might imagine, she witnessed a bumper crop the following fall.

Pumpkin Circle

Bouncy verse and glowing photographs show a backyard pumpkin patch move through its natural cycle — a bug’¬?s eye and a bird’s high view of seeds sprouting, flowers blooming, bees buzzing, pumpkins growing . . .and then going back to earth. An author’s note explains how to grow your own pumpkin.

Pumpkin Pumpkin

Jamie plants a pumpkin seed in the spring and, after watching it grow all summer, carves a face in it for Halloween! But best of all, he saves some seeds that he will plant again next spring.

How Big Could Your Pumpkin Grow?

Every year, giant pumpkin contests take place at fairs across the country—the 2012 record-holder weighed over a ton! The latest craze is to carve the most enormous pumpkins into racing boats. But what’s next? Why not think really big? Award-winning artist Wendell Minor does just that as he imagines larger-than-life pumpkins decorating some of America’s favorite places—as immense as the Capitol dome, Mount Rushmore, the Brooklyn Bridge, even the Grand Canyon! This celebration of famous landmarks and landscapes plays with concepts of size and scale and is full of fun facts.

The Roll-Away Pumpkin

On a windy autumn day, Marla Little comes running down the hill, yelling, “Help! My giant pumpkin is rolling away! Onward it goes, rolling and turning, with no sign of stopping! Diddle-dee-doo! Oh, what shall I do?”
A little girl chases her giant pumpkin all over town with some help along the way. It’s the perfect autumn bedtime story to read with your little pumpkin.

The Very Best Pumpkin

Growing up on Mimi and Papa’s farm, Peter knows a lot about caring for pumpkins. One summer Peter finds a lonely pumpkin all by itself in the field, and with his tender care, the pumpkin flourishes. By autumn, it’s the very best pumpkin of all, and Peter wants to keep it for himself. But when a young girl shows up at the farm in quest of a perfect pumpkin, will Peter pass on his prized pumpkin and gain a friend?

Pumpkin Town

What happens when a town has an accidental abundance of pumpkins? What do José and his well-intentioned brothers do with a mountain of pumpkins? An EXPLOSION of pumpkins? Step into Pumpkin Town and see!

As a teacher, Katie McKy saw many children make mistakes. She also saw many children want to make their wrongs right.

As a gardener, Katie once planted too many pumpkin seeds. She was that a good thing can be a bad thing when the vines start to grow every which way

A Pumpkin Prayer

Colorful pumpkins, crunching leaves, crisp breezes―celebrate the abundance of the harvest season through charming illustrations and sweet rhymes that are perfect for young hearts.

The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin

What’s going on in the pumpkin patch? Well, a very unusual pumpkin has hatched. While all others are round, Spookley is square. He’s not like his friends-they have curves, he has ends. And so everyone teases him, night and day.
But just before Halloween, the weather turns stormy. Winds toss the round pumpkins to and fro, and off they go, crashing and bashing and smashing–except Spookley. Can he, with his square little body, save the day?

The Ugly Pumpkin

The Ugly Pumpkin has waited all through October for someone to take him home, but no one wants him. He doesn’t look like other pumpkins. So the lonely Ugly Pumpkin leaves the patch in search of a place where he’ll fit in. By the time Thanksgiving arrives, he discovers the truth about who he is–but it’s not what he expected!

Pumpkin Patch Blessings

The sweet rhyming text by Kim Washburn and whimsical illustrations by Jacqueline East bring autumn alive for readers young and old as they take in the fun of the fall season and remember how much they have to be grateful for.

Pumpkins

Did you know pumpkins have been around for 11,000 years? Or that the biggest pumpkin on record weighed over 1,300 pounds? Learn all about pumpkins—where they come from, how to grow them, and more—in this informative book that’s guaranteed to squash the competition. Recipes, fun facts, and resources round out the text.

The Fierce Yellow Pumpkin

A fat little, round little, yellow little pumpkin dreams of growing up to be fierce and frightening, just like the scarecrow in the field. Then one day in autumn, when he has grown big and fat, the fierce yellow pumpkin gets the chance to become terrific and terrible.

The Vanishing Pumpkin

When a 700-year-old woman and an 800-year-old man want to make pumpkin pie on Halloween, they can’t find their pumpkin. “Our pumpkin’s been snitched,” cries the woman. And off they go to find it.

The Itsy Bitsy Pumpkin

A little pumpkin is trying to find his way back home! And with a little help from a friendly witch, he is soon safe and sound, back on his porch—where there are no spiders to be seen!

The Pumpkin Runner

“Nearly all the sheep ranchers in Blue Gum Valley rode horses or drove jeeps to check on their sheep. But Joshua Summerhayes liked to run…with Yellow Dog trailing behind him.” So it’s no surprise when Joshua decides to enter a race from Melbourne to Sydney. People laugh when old Joshua shows up in his overalls and gumboots, calmly nibbling a slice of pumpkin for energy. But then he pulls into the lead, and folks are forced to sit up and take notice. Inspired by a true event (and just in time for fall’s pumpkin harvest!) a talented team introduces a humble and generous hero who knows that winning isn’t always the reason to run a race.

This is NOT a Pumpkin

It
may
be round like
a pumpkin and even orange
like a pumpkin, but this is NOT
a pumpkin! If it’s not a pumpkin,
then what is it?

Have fun with this pumpkin unit study!

Check out my fall posts and other pumpkin posts.

What are your favorite pumpkin books?

Linking up: Our Holiday Journey, Mrs. AOK, Barbie Swihart, Donna Reidland, Lori Schumaker, Holley Gerth, Create with Joy, MaryAndering Creatively, Marilyn’s Treats, A Fresh Start, Inspiration for Moms, Crafty Moms Share, Curly Crafty Mom, Mummascribbles, Simple Life of a Fire Wife,

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Favorite Fall Books

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September 1, 2017 By Jennifer 24 Comments

Fall is a magical time of year.

We feel a nip in the air in the mornings and after the sun drops behind the trees. Leaves start to shed their green hue and show off their real selves.

It’s back to school time. It’s apple picking season.

Pumpkin everything is suddenly everywhere. We do a pumpkin theme in October.

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. ~Albert Camus

Our list of favorite fall books.

We read these selections every September. Leaves, apples, scarecrows.

Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert

Fall has come, the wind is gusting, and Leaf Man is on the move. Is he drifting east, over the marsh and ducks and geese? Or is he heading west, above the orchards, prairie meadows, and spotted cows? No one’s quite sure, but this much is certain: A Leaf Man’s got to go where the wind blows.

With illustrations made from actual fall leaves and die-cut pages on every spread that reveal gorgeous landscape vistas, here is a playful, whimsical, and evocative book that celebrates the natural world and the rich imaginative life of children.

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert

Watercolor collage and pieces of actual seeds, fabric, wire, and roots in this innovative and rich introduction to the life of a tree. A special glossary explains how roots absorb nutrients, what photosynthesis is, how sap circulates, and other facts about trees.

The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall

We have a special tree in our yard–an apple pie tree!
Colorful collage illustrations follow each season as an apple tree grows leaves, fragrant blossoms, and tiny green apples. Soon the fruit is big, red, and ready to be picked. It’s time to make an apple pie! Here is a celebration of apples and how things grow–sure to delight young readers all year long.

Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson

As the leaves fall from his favorite tree, Fletcher worries that something is terribly wrong. But then winter comes, and with it a wonderful surprise.

The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree by Gail Gibbons

Arnold collects apple blossoms in spring, builds a tree house in summer, makes apple pie and cider in the fall, and hangs strings of popcorn and berries for the birds in winter, among other seasonal activities. Includes a recipe for apple pie and a description of how an apple cider press works.

The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger

As all the other leaves float off and fly past, Little Yellow Leaf thinks, I’m not ready yet.

As the seasons change all around, Little Yellow Leaf holds on to the tree. Still not ready.

Will Little Yellow Leaf ever be ready?

Leaves by David Ezra Stein

Bear is surprised when the leaves start falling off the trees, but when he tries to reattach them, it doesn’t work. Eventually, he gets sleepy, and burrows into the fallen leaves for a long nap. When he wakes up, it’s spring-and there are suddenly brand-new leaves all around, seeming to welcome him.

The Apple Pie that Papa Baked by Lauren Thompson

These are the apples, juicy and red,
that went in the pie,
warm and sweet,
that Papa baked…
for guess who!

Fall Mixed Up by Bob Raczka

Fall is all mixed up in this silly book! Can you find his mistakes in the words and pictures?

Autumnblings: Poems and Paintings by Douglas Florian

This collection of poems and paintings welcomes fall with all the crisp energy of a joyful tumbling run.

Johnny Appleseed by Reeve Lindbergh

Rhymed text and illustrations relate the life of John Chapman, whose distribution of apple seeds and trees across the Midwest made him a legend and left a legacy still enjoyed today.

Johnny Appleseed: The Legend and the Truth by Jane Yolen

Everyone knows the legend of Johnny Appleseed, the man from Massachusetts who planted apple trees all the way to California. But the true story of Johnny Appleseed, or John Chapman, is even greater than the legend.

The Scarecrow’s Dance by Jane Yolen

We’re introduced to the fickle scarecrow, who decides to leave his station and dance away the fall night. He leaps through the fields until he reaches the farmhouse, where he sees a small light in the window. Inside, a boy is saying his prayers, and he offers up a special prayer for the corn that will be harvested in the morning. Humbled, the scarecrow knows what he has to do: He returns to the field and watches over the corn as only he can.

Fall Walk by Virginia Brimhall Snow

Learn about autumn leaves through a lyrical tale with illustrations and activities
With beautiful illustrations and a lyrical narrative, Virginia Snow takes children on a fun and educational adventure. Take a stroll through the woods and learn to identify 24 different kinds of leaves by their shapes and autumn colors. At the end of the day, learn how to press the gathered leaves and how to make a leaf rubbing.

Scarecrow by Cynthia Rylant

They perch high above gardens and fields, with borrowed coats and button eyes and pie-pan hands that glint in the sun. What else is there to know about them? Perhaps more than we realize

The Scarecrow’s Hat by Ken Brown

A resourceful chicken seeks the help of her farm animal friends to solve a problem, while giving something of herself along the way. Chicken really admires Scarecrow’s hat. Scarecrow would gladly trade his hat for a walking stick to rest his tired arms. Chicken doesn’t have a walking stick to trade—but she knows someone who does. Thus begins her quest to find items to trade among her farm friends, all to obtain a walking stick to swap for Scarecrow’s hat. But why does Chicken want an old straw hat?

The Apple Cake by Nienke van Hichtum

An old lady wants to bake a cake. She has everything she needs except apples. So she sets off to market to buy some apples, taking a basket of plums to trade along the way, just in case…

Woody, Hazel, and Little Pip by Elsa Beskow

This delightful autumn story describes woodland scenes when two acorn children get carried away to adventures by the blustery autumn wind.

South by Patrick McDonnell

When a little bird awakens to find that all of his friends and family have gone south for the winter, it takes a surprising friendship with Mooch the cat to help him find his way. This is a wordless and profoundly moving story–by the creator of the beloved comic strip Mutts–that explores being lost and found, crossing boundaries, saying goodbye, and broadening horizons.

Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall

Thus begins a lyrical journey through the days and weeks, the months, and the changing seasons in the life of one New Englander and his family. The oxcart man packs his goods – the wool from his sheep, the shawl his wife made, the mittens his daughter knitted, and the linen they wove. He packs the birch brooms his son carved, and even a bag of goose feathers from the barnyard geese.

He travels over hills, through valleys, by streams, past farms and villages. At Portsmouth Market he sells his goods, one by one – even his beloved ox. Then, with his pockets full of coins, he wanders through the market, buying provisions for his family, and returns to his home. And the cycle begins again.

The Sunflower Parable by Liz Curtis Higgs

The story of Logan, a young gardener who hopes to grow sunflowers that reach all the way to heaven by summer’s end. Side by side with his father, the wise farmer, Logan discovers the value of planting seeds, not only in the ground, but also in the hearts of his friends and neighbors.

See our FALL crafts, activities, and more! See our apple activities.

Do you have any favorite fall books not on my list?

Linking up: Life of Faith, Ducks N a Row, Modest Mom, Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth, Barbie Swihart, Our Holiday Journey, MaryAndering Creatively, Curly Crafty Mom, Squishable Baby, Create with Joy, Blessed But Stressed, Marilyns Treats, Simple Life of a Fire Wife, Donna Reidland, A Fresh Start, Inspiration for Moms, Lori Schumaker, Holly Gerth, JEmbellish, Mumma Scribbles, Southern Beauty Guide, Home Stories A to Z, Timeless Mama, Meghan Weyerbacher, Purposeful Faith, Trekking Thru, Teaching What is Good, LouLou Girls, April J Harris, Happily Ever After Etc., My Husband Has Too Many Hobbies, Wife Mommy Me, Wise Woman, Raggedy Bits, Ducks N a Row, Five Kids a Dog and Blog, Jennifer Dukes Lee, Becoming Press, Gingersnap Crafts, Our Three Peas, Raven Would, Pat and Candy, Soaring with Him, Mississippi Mom, Messy Marriage, A Bountiful Love, Sincerely Paula, My Learning Table, Penny’s Passion, Brenda Bradford Dottinger, Debbie Kitterman, Organized 31, Suzanne Eller, Joyful Homemaking, Life Beyond the Kitchen, Creative K Kids, Happy and Blessed Home, Marilyns Treats Thursday, Coffee with Us3, Missional Women, Create with Joy, Nancy on the Homefront, The Charm of Home, Lyli Dunbar, Crystal T Waddell, Life with Lorelai, Being a Wordsmith, Our Mini Family,

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Appel Happel Tour

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September 22, 2015 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

We took a field trip to Appel Happel to pick apples!

We learned about apples.

There was a short presentation about apples and how they grow on the trees and the parts inside.

We got to compare the different varieties.

We got watch and try an old-fashioned apple press and taste the juice.

It was really crowded. We’re patiently waiting our turn.

We got to see all the apples inside the coolers.

A funny sign inside the warehouse.

We were anxious to pick apples!

The rows had handwritten signs to show the different apple varieties.

Pretty ripe apples

It was fun exploring the different apples.

Tori checks the apples for bruises or holes.

Alex looks for the best apple.

Wheelbarrows are fun and quicker to get to the end of the rows.

Here’s a crate of apples we collected.

Time for treats after all that hard work! Cakes, muffins, and unfiltered apple juice.

There are 15 different kinds of apples to pick from August to October!

Apple varieties: Delba, Santana, Elstar, Gala, Cox Orangen, Rubinette, Berlepsch, Boskoop, Pinova, Topas, Jonagold, Wellant, Fuji, Braeburn, Birnen, Zwetschen

You get wheelbarrows to pick apples. The apples are then weighed and you pay. It’s best to bring your own bags or crate to carry them home.

The shop sells other great produce and products like fresh baked goods and apple drinks.

Check which apple and pear varieties are ripe during which months.

There’s an apple fest one weekend in September.

Open Door Day offers kids’ activities in October.

Appel Happel is about an hour from Ramstein and 1.5 hours from Spangdahlem.

Linking up: Chestnut Grove Academy, Sunny Day Family,

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Fall Leaf Crafts

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November 19, 2014 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

You know you’re a homeschooler when you save interesting packing material with plans for crafting later.

We’ve loved the changing leaves on our nature walks.

We decided to do some fall leaf crafts.

We got these sheets of semi-shredded paper and I thought it would be a fun textured paint craft.

I helped Alex cut out pieces for a tree.

We used little sponges to create splotches for leaves.

Kate used clips on her sponges for more delicate stamping.

The trees turned out well, kinda like Impressionist paintings. And the kids had fun!

We also painted leaves against paper for neat silouettes.

And used pencil shavings and glue on a printed tree outline.

I’ve really been making an effort to do arts and crafts with the kids and they’re enjoying the creative time!

More Fall Activities:

Follow Jennifer {Royal Little Lambs}’s board Autumn on Pinterest.

Linking up: Crystal and Co, The Natural Homeschool, Glimpse of Our Life, Happy Blessed Home, Crafty Moms Share, Sunny Day Family

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Volkspark in Autumn

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November 10, 2014 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

We’re taking advantage of the pretty fall days by getting outside to admire the changing leaves and fresh air.

We spend Sunday afternoons walking and exploring while stores and shops and restaurants are all mostly closed.

This Sunday, we explored the Volkspark in Kaiserslautern.

There were seven lovely swans on the lake. Four young ones we had seen in the spring as ugly ducklings who still had some straggly grey feathers and three gorgeous adults.

This beauty was showing off.

The ducks expected food but we followed the rules and didn’t feed them. There are signs everywhere that people disobey and the kids were mad.

We loved the golden leaves of this birch.

We love the green moss on everything.

The kids were ecstatic to ride this! I’d never seen anything like this anywhere.

I only panicked once or twice when someone put their little toddler on it and swung it round really fast.

Check out the cool video here on Instagram.

The girls really liked this merry go round.

Also a fun hamster wheel thing the girls loved. See the video. They found out it’s quite difficult to stay upright.

Also, on the hillside, there are built-in slides and a little creek and swings.

A stage hosts fun concerts in summer. And the ice cream man parks on the corner! There’s a public swimming pool in one corner. They had a huge medieval fair at the end of summer.

Lots of green space (about 17 acres!) and a lovely paved walking trail.

Parking is at a premium and I have a panic attack every.single.time we have to parallel park the minivan on a side street.

You might also like:

Halloween Crafts

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October 17, 2014 By Jennifer 10 Comments

Y’all, I really stepped out on a limb and did crafts with my kids. They beg me and I put them off because I really don’t like the mess or glitter or glue or any of that.

I am selfish and their disappointed faces haunt me.

So I said YES!

The kids loved our fall craft time!

Alex made a cute paper jack o’lantern.

I used a ruler to draw orange lines for Alex to cut out and then we stapled the strips at the top and bottom. He cut out the black shapes on his own to make the face.

They all made little pipe cleaner spiders.

We used up lots of empty cardboard tubes making monsters and robots.

And I remembered doing something ages ago in school and gave them white chalk and black paper and they had loads of fun!

I had happy kids.

We were together, making crafts, and enjoying ourselves.

And there wasn’t much mess.

It was about relationships.

Linking up: 123Homeschool4Me, Homeschool Creations, Crafty Moms Share, No Time for Flashcards, The Resourceful Mama, Life of Faith, Written Reality, Kiddy Charts, The Educators Spin On It, ABC Creative Learning, Living Montessori Now, Simple Life of a Fire Wife, Los Gringos Locos, Growing Hands on Kids, Hip Homeschool Moms, Wondermom Wannabe, The Natural Homeschool, Adventures of Mel, Teaching Mama, Home Stories A to Z, Your Homebased Mom, Snapcreativity, Homemade for Elle, Life with Lorelai, Happy and Blessed Home, Expedition Homeschool, Sunny Day Family

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Fall Unit Study

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October 29, 2013 By Jennifer 4 Comments

We celebrated a windy fall day with leaf art.

They collected fallen leaves and the last of the flowers and we brought out some black paper. They formed buildings and animals and people with leaves. They loved it. At least it didn’t involve glitter.

I love fall.

I love the smell of the leaves and an autumn drizzle dampening the browning grass.

I love all things pumpkin.

He who controls the {pumpkin} spice rules the universe.

Here are some random pics of my kids doing printable fall activities:

We’ve lived in some places where it was mild year-round, so the leaves are special. And the crisp air and boots and hot cocoa or PSL. I love the cycle of dying so there can be rebirth. Not so much looking forward to the winter and snow and shoveling and slushy muddy mess, but there’s a season for everything.

We’re praying for tribes to get the Word of God translated into their heart language with The Seed Company. {#EndBiblePoverty} We discussed how many of them live in tropical climates (perpetual summer), but they’re spiritually in perpetual winter without Jesus and The Word. What an analogy for my babes!

There’s a season for everything.

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

For us mamas in the trenches of motherhood, we often long for a different season.

We think: when this morning sickness passes, when the baby sleeps through the night, when the toddler potty trains, when the preschooler learns to read, when the grade schooler masters long division, when we pay off this debt, when we get a better minivan, when the tween finally gets through algebra, when we move to a nicer house, when the teen learns to drive, when the house is empty…then what? You pray for weddings? grandkids? freedom? travel?

Don’t wait on a someday. Somedays are death to faith. Somedays may never come. Somedays are the lies we tell ourselves because we are slaves to fear. Live now. Experience life. Do life with your families. You’ll never get those seasons back.

What season are you in? Relish it. Sure, you’ve probably heard that before and it’s hard, Mama, when you’re down in it. But we’ve all been there. We’re all mamas together.

Reach out to another mama in a season you’ve already conquered. Help her. Pray with her. Pray for her and her babies. Don’t wait to be asked for something. Be proactive and offer help: a meal, take her kids to the park for an hour, pick up a few necessities at the grocery store, have your son or husband cut her grass or shovel the snow off her driveway and sidewalk.

Be the nudge.

Shine your light into her dark places. Nudge her to realize that she’s loved.

Don’t listen to the devil’s lies that you’re all alone and no other mama feels like you do, has those scary thoughts you do, wonders if you’re good enough. You are enough, Mama. You are more than enough. Look into the glistening eyes of your babes and realize they see Jesus shine out, even when you just don’t feel it.

And if you wanted crafty fall activities like this post “should” be:

Links to some Fall Tot Packs.
Here’s our fall sensory bin.
Here’s my autumn Pinterest board with lots of activities pinned.
Learn about Johnny Appleseed
Visit an apple orchard and pick apples!
Apple Tasting with graphs
Leaf crafts
Leaf nature study and art
Favorite Fall Book List
Leaf Unit Study from The Homeschool Scientist
Toddler Fall Unit Study from Untrained Housewife
Fall Unit Study from 123Homeschool4Me
Fall Unit from Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Check out the rest of the Nook! Enchanted Homeschooling Mom – 3 Dinosaurs – Monsters Ed – Chestnut Grove Academy –Growing in God’s Grace – Royal Little Lambs – Life with Moore Babies – Teach Beside Me –The Usual Mayhem – Mum Central – Fantastic Fun and Learning – Kathys Cluttered Mind –Toddler Approved – Growing Book by Book – Adventures in Mommydom – B-Inspired Mama – Edventures with Kids – Learning & Growing the Piwi way – A Gluten Free Journey –Preschool Powol Packets – To The Moon and Back – Our Craft ~N~ Things – Fresh Farm Adventures – Are We There Yet? – Afterschool for Smarty Pants

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Fall Tot Packs

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December 9, 2012 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

Yes, I know this is old news, but I just want to share it with you. I forgot to post it! Perhaps you can use it next year or something…better late than never.

Alex loved this Mash the Monster ABC game. The sisters or I would call out a letter and Alex whacked it with the fly swatter. He was a whole lot gentler than I expected!