School Halloween Party

Sarah got to participate in a school wide Halloween parade with her classmates on Halloween.

I volunteered to be the head room parent for Sarah's class this year and so I am in charge of planning the classroom parties throughout this school year.  I had a few other parents who volunteered to help me out with the party, which I appreciated a lot.

When they all got back to their classroom after the parade we played two games and ate some Halloween snacks and treats.  The first game was a Mummy Wrap game.  The students were divided into teams of 3 or 4 kids per team, then one kid was chosen to be the Mummy.  The others are the wrappers and are each given a roll of toilet paper to wrap the Mummy with.  Then they get to wrapping until they are each out of paper!  Sarah was the Mummy for her team.  She and her teammates thought it was very funny to wrap Sarah up on her arms, legs, face and head!

Below is Sarah, the Mummy, peeking out!

My parents came to town to help me out that day.  Mom got to help me at the school with the party.

The Mummy Wrap teams...

Below is Sarah and her Mummy Wrap team...

And, a bean bag toss game...

Then snacks and treats... We had Halloween cupcakes, candy corn, juice bags, and Witch's Fingers (pretzel sticks), Dragon Eyeballs (grapes), Ghost Poop (mini marshmallows), Rat's Toes (peanuts), Monster Brains (popcorn balls).

Phoebe got to stay and eat snacks with Sarah and her class at the party.  

Me:  What did you like the most about your class Halloween party?
Sarah: "Playing the Mummy Wrap game and eating the snacks"
Phoebe: "Eating the snacks"

Me: What were some of your favorite costumes that you saw kids wearing at your school or in your class?
Sarah: "I liked mine, and Hannah, she was wearing a Lego block.  Savannah, she was a Vampire Cat."
Phoebe: "I liked Sarah's and anything (nothing) else."

October Schoolwork

We had the first nine weeks parent/teacher conference for Sarah in October.  We were very pleased to hear that Sarah is doing excellent at school.  "She is polite and kind, a hard worker, and likes to do her best in all she does at school."  I wouldn't have expected to hear anything different about my oldest daughter.  Great job Sarah!  You are a very smart, kind, and and caring girl.  It makes Daddy and I very happy to hear all of these good things about you from other people!

The reading class seems to be Sarah's biggest challenge.  During reading time Sarah goes to a different teacher and classroom with the high level reading students.  There she is challenged with many (new to her) concepts and tasks.  She gets frustrated in this class and even has been pushed to tears a couple of times, because things were "too hard", as she tells us.  We have had several conversations with her about trying and practicing things over and over, then they will become easy.  If she wasn't ever challenged she would not learn new things... kind of like tying her shoes, riding her bike,and  hula-hooping, school and the things she is taught there also have to be practiced and she will become better and better at them.  She is realizing this and is growing not only in her school and learning, but in her maturity and self-esteem.

Me: What are these silly prizes and how did you earn them?

Sarah: "A mustache and a tongue balloon.  The tongue balloon blows up.  It looks like a tongue and you blow air into it.  I selled 30 items and people bought them and that's how I got the prizes.  I also won a limo ride."

Me: Did you study and learn about spiders this month?  Tell me about spiders.
Sarah: "Yes.  Arachnids. They make spider webs out of silk.  They have 8 legs."

 

Me: You learned about fire safety this month.  What can you tell me about fires that will help keep you and our family safe?
Sarah: "Stop drop and roll when your clothes are on fire. Firemen help keep you safe.  If you see a fire truck get out of its way."

In social studies they talked about and learned about mountains, plains, hills, oceans, rivers, lakes and the Earth.

In science they talked about and learned about the planets, moon, stars and Earth.

This month, Eric started asking Sarah and Phoebe each day at dinner time what they did to "live for Jesus that day?"
Me:  Tell me one thing you did at school that was "living for Jesus" in October.
Sarah: "Singing in music class."

Singing For God

One beautiful Saturday evening in October our family was invited to come to a small get together out in the country.  It was a beautiful fall evening.  The friend that invited us is an amazing man, who serves God and loves people.  He became one of Eric's close friends about six years ago, when they met in Norton, KS at NCF.  Over the next couple of years Eric and Carl spent lots of time together...  They both applied and were accepted into the InterChange Freedom Initiative Program together at LCF.  They studied together, learned together, supported each other, worshiped together, and grew in Christ together. They became life friends and are a blessing to one another.  Carl recently came to Wichita and has accepted a job as a Youth Minister at a church here.  God is working hard and fast through him to reach children and teens.  His youth group is growing by leaps and bounds.  

On this particular Saturday evening we enjoyed a beautiful sunset, hot dogs and smores cooked on the campfire, a large bonfire, and music.  Carl is an amazing guitarist and can play just about anything that is requested.  Adults, teens, children, Carl, and our family sat around the campfire together singing and worshiping God through our songs and music. My heart was filled that night with love and thankfulness.  God shined his light down on each of us there.  God is using Carl in a tremendous way to reach out to people of all ages.

Phoebe and Silas eating some graham crackers and marshmallows by the campfire...

The lady who owns the land and home where we all were gathered is a pilot and owns this 1964 plane.  The girls and I took a closer look and the girls were invited to climb on in!  They loved pretending to fly this little 4-seater.

"As long as I live, I will sing and praise The Lord God."  Psalm 104:33

"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth:  Make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise."  Psalm 98:4

"Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things."  Psalms 98:1

Carl came to our house for dinner a few weeks ago.  He played the guitar for us then too and we all sang together.  Eric was talking with Sarah later after Carl left about singing... I heard him tell her "that it wouldn't have mattered if any of us were singing with Carl, Carl would have still played the guitar and sung because he sings for God."  What a wonderful example and living proof that God uses all kinds of people to reach others.  He loves each one of us.  God's love, kindness, and mercies pour forth from this man whom he has sent out to minister to the lost, broken and fearful.  Thank you Carl for your friendship, and for what you are doing for others, and the light you are shining for God into so many people's lives.