Tag: home schooling

I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb…Good Shepherd Sunday on Day 48

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This Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Easter, is known as Good Shepherd Sunday. The name derives from the Gospel reading for the day, taken from the tenth chapter of John. CLICK HERE to view our worship service and make sure you watch the sermon!

I recommend listening to his moving words but here are some notes I took from Pastor Rouland’s sermon. He asks us to remember what it feels like to be lost and challenges us to think of the voices in our lives that drown out the clear voice of our Good Shepherd, Jesus. Pastor Rouland made me question, am I always being spiritually safe? Are there times in my life where I rely on myself to be safe, where I have created paths that are straight and safe and fail to listen to Jesus, the One who calls me by name? By spending time reading His word, singing His word and putting myself in places where I will hear Jesus, I will gain the spiritual safety I so yearn. Pastor Rouland reminds me that Jesus is here to carry me, to bear my burdens, to lead me home. Listen to the voice of our Good Shepherd, Jesus.

The Lord is My Shepherd- After reading Psalm 23 from my daughter’s Beginners Bible, we made a little lamb with cotton ball fleece to remind us that we are Jesus’ little lambs.

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During this time of uncertainty we shouldn’t be afraid because Jesus, our Sheperd, is there to guide us, provide for us and love us, through good days and during dark times. We sang the Lutheran hymn, “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb” while we worked together. CLICK HERE to listen to a recording sung by children.

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I got the lamb template from the blog www.startsateight.com. CLICK HERE to download the lamb template.

Symphony No 3 (fourth movement) by James Barnes– In January 2017, the Saint Louis Wind Symphony closed their performance at the Missouri Music Educators Association’s annual conference by playing the last movement of Barnes’s dynamic Symphony No 3. I play third clarinet in the SLWS and the piece, although challenging to play, is emotionally moving. The Third Symphony was commissioned by the United States Air Force Band in Washington, D.C. Barnes, the composer, was told the piece needed to be a major work for wind band but was given no other parameters. Barnes began writing Symphony No 3 at a very tragic time in his life, shortly after his baby daughter Natalie died. The program notes state… The fourth movement (finale) represents a rebirth of spirit, a reconciliation for us all. The second theme of the last movement is based on the old Lutheran children’s hymn, “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb.” The hymn was sung at Natalie’s funeral and was the closing hymn my congregation sang on Good Shepherd Sunday.

CLICK HERE to hear the United States Air Force Band in Washington, D.C. play the finale from Symphony No 3 by James Barnes.

I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb– While my family of three sang the closing hymn, “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb,”‘my daughter declared, “I wish you were still a child. Then I wouldn’t be born yet and I wouldn’t be here for the virus.” Then she went off and began to play. Deep thoughts for a five year old and a reminder that our children are continuing to process their new normal… a time of virtual church, virtual school and physical time away from extended family and friends. Although it’s OK to be afraid, upset and lost during this time, I want my daughter to find comfort in Jesus. To know that Jesus, her Good Shepherd, is here to carry her through this difficult time.

The painting, “The Good Shepherd,” by artist, Richard Hook. Hook created a lot of art for Concordia Publishing House. This painting, or one similar to it, is what Pastor Rouland refers to in his sermon.

May Day Music, Derby Day and My Old Kentucky Home…Day 47

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As I turn a new page on my calendar, I am greeted with blank spaces glaring back at me. May is supposed to be filled with activity, celebration, endings and new beginnings. But this year anticipated events like the Kentucky Derby, spring concerts, proms and graduations, have been erased, crossed out, rescheduled or cancelled. To stay safe we continue to practice social distancing and our social calendars remain unoccupied and empty. The extra time is providing our family of three some unique ways to celebrate the beginning of May.

May Day Music- For over twenty years my husband and I have been members of the Northwinds Concert Band. And on the first Saturday in May you will find us playing a spring concert at the Florissant Civic Center during the city’s Valley of Flowers celebration. But this year the band won’t “play on” as our season came to an abrupt end due to COVID 19. I miss performing. I miss coming together on a Tuesday night and creating music. And most of all I miss my musical family; a group of extraordinary people who have been there for me throughout my adult life. My family of three enjoyed reliving some of our past concerts by listening to recordings and watching a video of a past Northwinds concert.

The Kentucky Derby- Today, the first Saturday in May, was supposed to be the 146th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville. Also known as the “Run For the Roses” and as “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports,” because of COVID 19, the three year old thoroughbreds will race on September 5 instead.

In honor of the Kentucky Derby my family of three dressed in our University of Kentucky gear (I’ve grown accustomed to the dress up days during virtual learning) and listened to Kentucky’s state song, My Old Kentucky Home performed by college musicians from thirteen colleges and universities across the state. CLICK HERE to listen.

We didn’t have the ingredients to make some Kentucky Derby staples like mint juleps or derby pie, but we did prepare Kentucky Hot Browns for dinner. The Hot Brown Sandwich is an open faced sandwich made with chicken or turkey, bacon, tomato and covered in a rich creamy Mornay sauce. Created at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, KY in the 1920’s, the sandwich has become synonymous with the state of Kentucky and southern cuisine. CLICK HERE for the recipe from the Brown Hotel. The recipe below is from my mother-in-law and is the one I used. We made accommodations based on what we had on hand and used a hamburger bun for the bread and grilled chicken breast for the meat. I paired my Hot Brown with a Kentucky Vanilla Barrel Cream Ale. Aged in bourbon barrels and brewed in Lexington, it is my favorite Kentucky brew!

After dinner my daughter held her own Kentucky Derby, racing around the house on Peaches the Pony. And even though we were unable to view real ponies on TV, we ended our day watching ponies, “My Little Pony” on Netflix!

My Old Kentucky Home– My daughter and husband gathered around the computer and participated in another weekly family meeting with three generations of his family in attendance. This week ten states were represented and the second generation shared memories about the family’s “Old Kentucky Home,” located on a farm in rural Kentucky. “Oh, the sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home.”

Family Friday (Week of the Young Child)…Day 46

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Today is the last day of WOYC, and this fabulous Friday is devoted to family fun! My family of three enjoyed the day together, with our little one taking the lead and requesting lots of play time outside!

Family Keepsake– The weekly lessons from my daughter’s teacher suggested that we make a family keepsake to commemorate this time together. This is what my family of three created. Although our time in isolation has been filled with frustration and some ugly moments, it has also brought tenderness and joy. When I look at our hands, represented here on colorful paper, I will be reminded of the moments that changed us for good.

The Live Generously Twins– My daughter and I decided to dress like twins by wearing our matching Thrivent, Live Generously, t-shirts. Live Generously t-shirts have become my quarantine uniform of choice as the message makes my heart happy and the soft cotton is comfortable. Living Generously has been our family slogan throughout this time of isolation. By leaving surprise gifts on doorsteps, delivering food to high risk individuals, participating in drive-by parades and reaching out to family and friends virtually; our hearts are overflowing with joy! The reward we receive when we give unto others is far greater than the gift that was given! Seeing how happy we are making others during this time of uncertainty is a lesson I want my daughter to remember forever!

A huge thank you goes out to my childhood friend, Stacy, for making these quarantine themed wine glasses at cost. She brought joy to others during a time of uncertainty.

Family Game Night– Tonight’s Family Game Night was a real “game changer.” For tonight is the night our little one was first introduced to a gaming system. We dusted off our old Wii and my little one enjoyed an evening of Super Mario Brothers and virtual bowling!Whether we are teaching our daughter to live generously, to love music and science and Jesus, or how to play Super Mario Brother’s, my husband and I are and will continue to be our daughter’s first and most important teacher.

My daughter creates a self portrait of me complete with sunglasses on top of my head!

Artsy Thursday (Week of the Young Child)…Day 45

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Today is Artsy Thursday and my daughter dressed in purple and blue (her two current favorite colors.) The weather was beautiful so we spent a majority of our day outside enjoying the beautiful landscape God has created.

Natural Art– We walked around the backyard gathering natural materials to use for an art project. Upon returning inside we sorted the items; counting how many we found in each group. Then we created a graph to show our results. I asked the following questions… What do you have more of? The least of? Are there any that are equal? How many do we have altogether? Then we used our outdoor treasure and created a beautiful naturalist collage.

Cat’s Colors– My daughter checked the book Cat‘s Colors, by Airlie Anderson, out of the library the day before we went into isolation. When cat finds herself in the midst of a grey. dull day, she seeks to collect splotches of color among the dreariness. This charming, deceptively simple story about making the most of the world around us and giving something back in return, is an anthem for the challenges we are facing as a result of being quarantined. Living generously and finding splashes of color in a world otherwise filled with darkness, has been our family of three’s motto during this time of uncertainty.

Let‘s Go Fly a Kite– My daughter got a kite for her birthday and she has been begging to fly it. Since daddy is home this week he helped her assemble it and the dynamic duo made attempts to fly it in our backyard. They celebrated the fact that they got the kite into the air but it simply wasn’t windy enough to stay in the air for long. They talked about what makes the kite fly and how the string needs to be taunt to get the kite going. The scene reminded me of the time my dad and I took a bicycle ride to my elementary school where we attempted to fly a kite. I don’t recall if we had any success but I sure enjoyed the mini chocolate covered donuts we packed as a snack and spending quality time with my dad. Keep reading to find out what yummy snack my family of three enjoyed.

S’mores– After the sun set daddy (a proud Eagle Scout) built a fire for his girls so we could roast marshmallows and make yummy s’mores for a nighttime snack. While we munched on the sweet gooey goodness, we counted the stars in the sky, located Jupiter and enjoyed hearing stories about the giant campfire daddy built at Boy Scout Camp. I can’t think of a better way to end the day!

Workout Wednesday (Week of the Young Child)…Day 44

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Today was Workout Wednesday. The children were asked to wear their favorite sports gear and my daughter dressed in a St. Louis Cardinals shirt. The absence of sports is simply bizarre, like a scene from the Twilight Zone. Although I’m not a huge sports fan, if the Cardinals are playing, the game would surely be on in our home. The non-existence of the announcers and cheering fans is unsettling. My husband is a loyal University of Kentucky Wildcat basketball fan and he rarely misses a game. The abrupt ending to their season, along with the cancelling of March Madness, leaves me heartbroken for college and high school athletes across our country.

Today was about something more than sports, it was about moving, building and playing. When children build and play together they experience teamwork and develop their social and early literacy skills.

Get Moving– My daughter and I enjoyed moving to the sounds of Koo Koo Kanga Roo. I wrote about this dynamic duo last month. CLICK HERE to learn more. We also enjoyed dancing to The Freeze. CLICK HERE to move along with Greg & Steve and CLICK HERE for another popular freeze game.

Constructing a Cat Condo– Although I had plans for us to play a movement game with dice and another game with bean bags, my daughter had other plans. She asked if she could use some of the recyclables laying around the house for a project. She wanted to construct a cat condo, or exercising station, for her cat stuffed animals. This construction occupied her attention all afternoon. Without any direction from me she proceeded to get a tape measure and used it to determine how long she needed to cut the piece of string for the feather toy. She used two lemonade containers as the foundation and taped a paper towel around one bottle to create a scratching post. The structure included a cat walk across the top along with an automatic feeder in the middle. I was a bit unsettled because we didn’t complete the suggested plans sent by her teacher. But her teacher reminded me that my daughter had done tremendous work!! She was using math, science and problem solving skills and gained a sense of accomplishment as a result!Today was another reminder that things don’t always go as planned and that is…OK! As our family of three navigates this time of uncertainty we need to continue to be open and flexible. For wondrous things can happen from the unexpected!

Tasty Tuesday With Pizza and a “Soup Opera,” (Week of the Young Child).. Day 43

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Today is Tasty Tuesday! This fun, food themed day is about more than cheese and crust! When we cook with our children we incorporate math, literacy skills and science, while teaching them about good nutrition.

Pizza– My daughter and I made pizza for lunch. She topped her pizza to look like a funny face complete with pepperoni eyes, ears, and mouth, and dressed with cheese hair. My little one doesn’t like cooked cheese so that’s why her pizza face only had a wee bit of cheese hair. In keeping with the pizza theme we read one of our favorite books, The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza written by Philemon Sturges. A modern twist the classic tale, this retelling has our mouth watering every time! CLICK HERE to read The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza.

Jesus Feeds 5,000– We read the Bible story about Jesus feeding 5,000 men with just five loaves of bread and two fish. The story validates that God provides miracles when we trust in Him. CLICK HERE to watch an animated version of the story. After watching and discussing the story we traced my daughter’s hand and made a collage with Goldfish to remind us of God’s miracle.

I Can’t Eat the SOUP!– We really enjoyed watching the “soup opera,” I Can‘t Eat the Soup! by the extremely talented children’s performer, Jim Gill. A few summers ago we were lucky to see Jim Gill in concert at our local library. After watching several different versions on line, we enjoyed acting the “soup opera” out ourselves! CLICK HERE to watch the most recent version of I Can’t Eat the Soup! and CLICK HERE to watch one complete with a symphony orchestra!

Music Monday (Week of the Young Child)…Day 42

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Today begins “Week of the Young Child,” (WOYC) an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). WOYC was established in 1971 and through fun-filled activities it’s a way to focus attention on young children (birth-age 8), their teachers, families, and communities. The official WOYC was April 13-17, during Zion Lutheran School’s spring break, so my daughter’s school is celebrating this week with daily themes and dress up days.Today was Music Monday. When children sing, dance, and listen to music, they develop their language and early literacy skills while being active and encouraging movement. My family of three enjoyed making music together!

Dance- My daughter takes dance class so she chose to dress up in her leotard. During the quarantine, her dance studio has been providing virtual dance class where the young dancers are taken on a trip around the world. Tonight they visited France.

Musical Books- We read a variety of musical books throughout our day. I have so many favorites it was difficult to pick which ones to read! We love Zin! Zin! Zin! a Violin by Lloyd Moss. This award winning musical counting book introduces young readers to different types of instruments and musical groups from solo, trio to octet! CLICK HERE to read Zin! Zin! Zin! a Violin. The Music in Me was new to me but it was relatable as a little boy navigates his place in a family full of musicians. CLICK HERE to read The Music in Me. by Jane Pinczuk. Hey Diddle Diddle by Eve Bunting is a playful rhyming book with animals playing various instruments. CLICK HERE to read Hey Diddle Diddle. Olivia books are a staple in picture book libraries all over the world. Join Olivia as she forms a one person (pig) band in Olivia Forms a Band by Ian Falconer. CLICK HERE to read Olivia Forms a Band. Tubby the Tuba by Paul Tripp is about a tuba who grows tired of playing accompaniment and wants to have a solo part in the orchestra! CLICK HERE to read Tubby the Tuba.

Making Music- My husband and I are both active musicians so our daughter has grown up attending our concerts and sitting in the balcony at church while mommy and daddy play their instruments. Today we let her play. With our help she played a few notes on the trumpet and on the clarinet. Our daughter has a basket full of percussion instruments that she pulls out and plays on a regular basis. The jury is still out on what band instrument she will play but for now percussion is her favorite!Make Your Own Instrument– Look around your house and make your own instruments out of recyclables. Make a shaker by filling something with rice, beans or rocks. Make a drum by decorating a plastic container or tub. Full glass bottles with various amounts of water, blow across the top and hear a note. How much water do you need in the bottle to make a low note or a high note? Have a parade and march around the house playing your new instruments!

Musical Vocabulary– We listened to various pieces of music and moved our bodies to match what we heard. We danced quickly when the tempo was presto and moved slowly when the tempo was largo. We danced on tip toes when the dynamic was piano and stomped our feet when the dynamic was forte!

A Hero’s Parade, Family Zoom and a New Hymn…Day 41

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Our day began like a typical Sunday in isolation with our family of three gathering by the big screen to worship together. Little did we know the excitement that awaited! The day was filled with adventure… a new hymn, a multi-generational family reunion on Zoom and a surprise from our favorite baseball mascot, Fred Bird!

 An Anthem During Isolation– We sang a new hymn in church today. “Christ Our Hope in Life and Death,” is a modern hymn that expresses the comfort and assurance that flow from trusting Christ, who has conquered death and guaranteed our future by his resurrection. Written by the modern hymn writers, Keith and Kristyn Getty, the words we sang reminded me to trust in God during this time of isolation and uncertainty; through the troubled storms, trials and fear, God is good and the blood of Christ is our hope in life and in death. CLICK HERE to listen to the song on YouTube and CLICK HERE to view Zion Lutheran’s worship service.

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Family Zoom Reunion- My husband participated in a Talley family Zoom with his father, most of his aunts and uncles and some of his cousins. There were 20 family members in attendance and they represented 8 different states! My daughter, the third generation, enjoyed waving to her extended family. The conversation for this week centered around the old house on the family’s homestead in rural KY. It had recently been torn down and the first generation had a lot of memories to share. Filled with family history and updates from the present, these virtual family reunions are becoming a weekly tradition!

A Parade For Heroes– During our Zoom call imagine our surprise when we heard a commotion coming from behind our house! From across the pond we heard horns honking, music playing and saw a parade for our medical heroes being led by our favorite baseball mascot, Fred Bird! Louie, the St. Louis Blues mascot, also joined in. They were heading to our local hospital to surprise the staff and thank our medical community for the hard work and great effort they are putting forth during the pandemic. They happened to take a detour behind our house along the way! My daughter has been blessed to meet Fred Bird, the mascot of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team, multiple times in her short life. (5 times if I’m counting correctly) I’ll never forget how excited I was to have an up close and personal chat with him in the Cardinal Club. I told my daughter how lucky she was to meet Fred Bird and how I only dreamed of such a meeting when I was a child. My daughter, three years old at the time, replied, “Well, you’re getting to see him now!” A year ago Fred Bird was a special guest at a birthday party we attended and more recently he made an appearance at her school. My daughter had won a contest where Fred Bird came to her school to surprise her! He visited with all of the children but extra special attention was given to my daughter. The photos show that special day in December 2019, when all of the preschool students and their teachers happily gathered in the commons area. Fred Bird has been part of my daughter’s life so it should come as no surprise when she said, “Fred Bird drove past our house because he knows me!” Thank you Fred Bird for putting a smile on our faces during this time of isolation!

 

What’s Behind the Picture? Documenting Our Time in Isolation…Day 40

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A photo captures a single moment in time, a framed slice of reality shot by the photographer. A good photograph can conjure emotion, take the viewer to places he or she has never seen or create a memory for the future. Photographs are wordless ways to share and document life but they never tell the whole story. As you view my blog and the photos embedded within, note that the photos I choose to share simply capture fleeting seconds during hours of isolation. Our days during this pandemic are far from picture perfect, filled with a storm of emotions represented by the good, the bad and the ugly. Along with the struggle, fear, disappointment, frustration and anger, God has blessed us with beautiful moments of tenderness, love, joy and laughter. When all of this is over the carefree moments that brought us closer together as a family, a community, and a nation are the memories I want to remember.

The Many Faces of Lillian Clare– I took Easter pictures of my little one in our backyard and got a variety of facial expressions!

Showing Love for Curious George?- Although this photo shows a smiling little girl sitting next to my beloved childhood friend, Curious George, the introduction was anything but cordial. When she saw my vintage Curious George she refused to hold him, let alone hug him! To get this adorable photo I had to bribe her with candy!

In Isolation– Taken moments before virtual circle time (with her preschool class), this picture shows the frustration, uncertainty and disappointment we have all experienced during the pandemic. My little one finds comfort cuddling with her favorite blanket, affectionately named Nae Nae.

Childhood Moments with Gary the Puppet and the Great Outdoors…Day 39

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Today was a good day and at first glance it looked like a typical spring day with a preschool child and her stay at home mom. The weather was perfect, lending itself to lazy walks and carefree exploration. My daughter had early childhood chapel and this Noteworthy Mommy went to happy hour where I laughed until I cried with some of my best girlfriends! When you take a closer look you’ll see that although some things are indeed the same, they have been altered; filled with unexpected adaptation due to COVID 19.

Outdoor Fun– Observational walks around the pond in our backyard have become a staple on peak weather days. Today we heard the chirps and splashes of spring frogs as they quickly jumped into the pond, protecting themselves from our anticipated arrival. We were lucky to discover a big frog, camouflaged among the murky waters, hoping to go undetected. The picture of my daughter blowing seeds off of the season’s first dandelion is accompanied with talk of the abrupt shift to virtual learning. I am brought back to our new reality when she says, “I wish I could go back to school, I really wanted to plant lettuce. I could plant lettuce with you but it won’t be as special.”

Gary the Puppet– The early childhood classes at my daughter’s school have chapel every week and Gary the Puppet often makes a special appearance. My daughter participated in chapel today where she learned that as Christians we continue to celebrate Easter and sing our Alleluias! CLICK HERE to learn how to make an Alleluia Shaker. Even though COVID 19 has shuttered the doors of her physical school, she continues to hear the message of Jesus’s love through weekly virtual chats with Pastor Rouland and Gary the Puppet. She finds joy and comfort in them and seeing familiar faces is a highlight of her week. This will become a cherished childhood memory. CLICK HERE to view this week’s message.

Noteworthy Mommy’s Happy Hour– Occasional happy hours with my girlfriends are cherished but during our busy lives they unfortunately are few and far between. In the midst of the pandemic I am reminded how important it is to spend time with my girlfriends, enjoying a glass of wine and sharing a few laughs! Our happy hours are now more frequent (weekly) and have become virtual with iconic Brady Bunch squares, funny stories and glasses (some weeks, bottles) of wine. Taking the time to relax with friends, even virtually, is helping me navigate the weeks upon weeks spent in isolation.