It is about 5 am so I think I will go to bed now=)

Just a few thoughts first…

Internet Safety / Cyber Safety for Families Presentation

It has been a long full week preparing for a presentation that is this weekend on Internet Safety / Cyber Safety for families. I am NOT an internet guru by any stretch of the imagination. But my life was changed a few years ago when I had several kids and youth came to me to ask:

.

“…Can you Please Pray for Me? I’m addicted to Pornography & I want to Stop.”

I believe God wants to help our children. He wants to give us Parents, teachers, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends… the tools to help our families either stay clear of internet addictions, cyber bullying and predators.

From what I have seen over the years as a parent, Children’s Pastor and friend to many wonderful, loved children and youth….this is a formidable but doable task.

With God’s help we can keep them safer. Our focus at this time is to help families connect with the inspiration, wisdom, discernment, information and resources they need to make the necessary adjustments in their homes for improved internet safety.

ENOCH NJ Homeschool Convention

This is the venue where I will be conducting a workshop on Internet Safety / Cyber Safety for Families:

ENOCH of New Jersey presents the 23rd Annual Homeschool Convention
Friday & Saturday, May 17-18, 2013 at the New Jersey Convention & Expo Center, Edison, NJ

http://www.enochnj.org/index.php/2013convention/2013workshops

*The slides with all the resources linked will be available if you SIGN UP HERE 

Internet Safety Help for Families

from Parent and Family Support:

Action Groups and Step-by-Step Mentoring

1. Parent and Family Support will be offering:

We will have an internet safety support group that will meet for 4 weeks starting in June.

We will go thru our homes, analyze what needs to be done for now and the future.

Take action steps to train our children and install safety measures. We will especially pray together and ask God for His guidance.

The highlight of this group will be discussing ways God can help us not only train our children but also help them if they stumble on the internet.

2. Seminar for your Church, Group or Organization.

Internet Safety Pitfalls Parents Make and Potential Solutions for Missing Gaps – to help the moms and pads in your group gain greater awareness on this issue.

We will share common tricks kids use as well as traps that they could fall into accidentally.

We will share potential solutions you can use at home.

We will discuss how we can go to God for training our children for safety with the Word as well as commonly known information. We will uncover how God helps us protect our children.

3. Internet Safety Book Group on the newly released “Raising Digital Families”  by Amy Lupold Bair

In this group we use the book as a tool to tighten up our safety protocol for our families. This book has detailed information to help your family close the safety gaps. We will chat about this book over several weeks as determined by the participants.

PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN OPTION

#1, #2, #3:  

http://facebook.com/ParentingTwinsAndMore.com  - Message LOIS

or email @  SuperNKids@LIVE.com

I am sooo thankful for our two new babies from China. Welcome to America!

Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.

Like arrows in the hands of a warrior

are children born in one’s youth.

Blessed is the man

whose quiver is full of them.

They will not be put to shame

when they contend with their opponents in court.

Psalm 127:3-5

Welcome to Twittering Thursdays Twitter Hop!

RULES:

This post is sponsored by:

Hello,

I am working on Pinterest. I am amazed how helpful it is for finding ideas and resources for teaching my little ones. Enjoy….

PREPARING FOR HOMESCHOOL CO-OP

As I prepare for co-ops this fall….I have the privilege of teaching the younger crew….it should be fun….I love storybooks and I enjoying using Five in A Row years ago with my first BATCH of kiddos….

BURN OUT WITH FIVE IN A ROW??? VERY HARD!!!

I burned out that time years ago when I used 5 in a Row WITH MY OLDEST 3 KIDS…which is almost impossible with Five in A Row since it is stress free….I OVERDID IT…I think I checked out 20 books each week to RESEARCH my topics thoroughly…it seems silly and funny now….BUT NOT THEN…The kids didn’t notice but OH BOY that was a doosey school year.

We had to put Five In A Row away for an extended Break!!

My friend Joanne Rende still laughs at me…she remembers asking me…

”HOW IN THE WORLD did you burnout using FIVE IN A ROW…..its almost impossible!”

FIVE IN A ROW - THE STORY ABOUT PING:

RESOURCES FROM 3 EXCELLENT BLOGGERS

A portion of this  BLOG POST is from HOPE IS THE WORD. She has awesome pics that inspired me to repost her info….thanks!! Please see the pics at her blog which is linked above.

  The Story about Ping (Reading Railroad Books)

The Story About Ping probably doesn’t need much of an introduction, but I wanted to share a few of the books we read and an activity we did in relation to this story.  For those who are unfamiliar with this classic tale, it’s Marjorie Flack’s story of a little duck named Ping who lives with his large family on “a boat with two wise eyes on the Yangtze River” in China. 

The ducks all leave their home during the day to hunt for food, but once the sun begins to set, the Master of the boat calls them back.  It is unfortunate, though, to be the last duck to return; this duck always receives a spank on the back.  One day, Ping is running late, and rather than be the one to get the spank, he decides to not return at all that night.  What follows is a short little series of adventures which end up with Ping almost becoming a duck dinner.  He learns his lesson, though, and decides that home’s best, spank or no spank.  Marjorie Flack (who also wrote and illustrated the Angus stories) first published this book in 1933, so it’s a real classic.  Kurt Wiese‘s illustrations are colorful and depict the action in the story very convincingly for the preschool set.  (As a side note, Kurt Wiese spent some time in China and later in Australia as a prisoner of war of the Japanese.  This is where he discovered and honed his talent for illustrations.  Interesting, huh?)  The Story About Ping is really too good to miss, which is why it’s included in the first volume of Five in a Row.

We didn’t “row” this book fully, and I decided to dispense with the lapbooking this time.  As much as I want to, I just can’t always make myself love lapbooking.  It’s a love-hate relationship, I guess.

One other blog that was very helpful is THE HOMESCHOOL MOM. On her blog she has an extensive list of online resources for THE STORY ABOUT PING….To see the complete list…click on her link above…

Online Units and Resources for The Story About Ping

Example of a Five in a Row unit (uses The Story of Ping)
Using The Story of Ping, Jane Lambert illustrates how to use a Five in a Row unit. (Y)

Life on the Rivers of Asia
National Geographic unit using The Story of Ping (y)

Photos of the Yangtze River
A collection of varied photos of life on the Yangtze River (Y, M, O, T)

Ping games and resources
Hurry Ping game, sequence cards, float/sink chart, China resource and more. (y)

Lapbook of Ping Example

Kids Konnect.com - China - A safe Internet gateway for kids of all ages! (Y, M, O, T)

Let's Learn about China! - Welcome! Kids, have fun exploring the culture of China through our puzzles, coloring pages, games and crafts. This area keeps growing every month, so check back often!

Finally there was one other that has a picture tour of their week with the Five In a Row (FAIR) book The Story About Ping. It has even more pictures detailing Michelle’s lessons with her homeschool family. Visit Michelle at her blog DELIGHTFUL LEARNING

Day 1: Geography: Physical

• Where does Ping live?
• Find China on a map, noting that it is located in Asia.
• The Yangtze River is the longest river in China (4,000 miles long).
• Malachi colored the flag of China and pasted the map of China.

Day 2: Art

Michelle has a host of pictures showing the step by step for this craft on her site…please see the link above for the link. Here is the finished product:

Day 4: Science

There we many pictures of several science projects on this blog Delightful Learning…This float or sink project seemed simplest for co-op. We will see how motivated we are=)

There is much more but I am sure we will have to keep it simple. Thanks to all theses ladies for sharing with the teaching community.

Preschool and Early Childhood Education Activity Ideas

My daughter Nikki does wonderful babysitting for our family and some families in the Bucks County area. She uses her bag of tricks to keep minis entertained for hours.

These are some of the science projects, arts and craft activities and butter creation events that they did. Perhaps I will find the picture for their baking projects as well and add to this post….later….

It is homeschool portfolio time now so she had to create this collage for her evaluation.

I thought it was too good to pass up for Wordless Wednesday!

Have a great day!

-Lois

As I reflect on the images and grief from the Boston Marathon Bombing I began to think….

No problem or issue is too big for the Lord!

So I created the image below:

At first…

it brought back memories of 9/11 and the recent Sandy Hook Elementary School Shootings in Connecticut…

Then…

I had one of my kids remind me that there are many countries where living with these major bombings and shootings and such are part of everyday life. So I had to thank God that He does still bless our nation that has subtly and often rejected Him and His leadership. Purposefully trying to edge Him out of the Schools, Courtrooms, Holidays and so on….

Then…

I was  chatting with my mom and searching my mind to see if we personally knew any victims in Boston. As a former New Yorker….when 9/11 hit I had family members there who worked in Manhattan. But for now, we are praying for a friend who said her relative’s child’s limb is gone.

But then…

There is a verse that has been ringing in my head since I head of the tragedy at the Boston Marathon yesterday that give me hope.

God does have a plan, we don’t have to life in fear or dread or worry. God wants to partner with us to Bless this country and ANY country that will follow Him…if we Pray:

If my people, who are called by MY name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14

For More information on the Boston Marathon Bombing go to:

AP Photo/Elise Amendola

http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news

There is also video footage on the Boston Marathon Bombing:

http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/boston-marathon-bombing-kills-3-injures-over-130-1.1473345

Homeschool Class Visit to The Pennsylvania State Capitol

We had an awesome trip to Harrisburg this week to visit The Pennsylvania State Capitol with State Representative Mario Scavello as our homeschool class host.

The visit to the Capitol was an amazing experience. Much better than many years ago when I visited with small children and a huge pregnant belly=)

First of all we parked the cars and rode on a bus! That was possibly the best part of the trip after the fantastic artwork that decorated the walls.

Phenomenal…

When the trip was over, we could digest it all and chat on the way back.

The day ran like clockwork.

I was quite impressed with the staff’s ability to maneuver our homeschool class through the tour of the House, Senate and Court, our class picture, lunch, chats with the House Representative Mario Scavello, Q&A time, picture time and a chance to watch the House of Representatives in session.

We were so grateful to the Rep. Scavello and the team of Homeschoolers who put the hard work into organizing the trip! What a blessing.

It was such an exciting and full homeschool journey….

my preschool twin Biddles fizzled out at the end.

His twin Bellie made it to the bus but she conked out too!

Have you ever been to the Capitol of your state?

Our 3 year old twins have loads of fun for pre-school….

As homeschoolers we join with other families for co-ops. I think our twins have a lot of adventures. Some fun and some a little challenging as you can see from their faces with Mr. Policeman. “Bellie and me were hiding from him”, they told me.

They were a little leery of Mr. Policeman and wouldn’t go near his Police Car….no matter how much he smiled=)

The twins also enjoyed playing store to learn about grocery clerks who are community helpers…I think Biddles was having a tough time deciding what to buy.

They needed a lot of help making a preschool craft about respect “Do to others as you would have them do to you."Luke 6:31, it was best for the 4/5 year olds. They liked the little people with the smiley faces best!

The fruity snack I enjoyed most. The twins and their class learned about kindness using the FREE  Kids of Integrity curriculum we found online. Great idea….especially the cantaloupe and grapes!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Wir4fH6hUxw

This Bible TV Miniseries will be great to watch with the family.

It will need parental guidance as you will see from this clip. I may need to record it and watch with a ready remote for my 3 year old twins in case a scene gets to be too much for them. Overall, it will help them and should be a lot of fun......

This is an exciting opportunity to bring the bible to life!

The Bible Miniseries

The Bible Miniseries starts this Sunday evening, March 3rd for the first episode on the History Channel. The story line will include selections from "Genesis to Revelation" within five two-hour shows.

History Channel – Sunday (March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31) 8 pm ET

For those who are super busy on Sundays…The History Channel has a schedule of the airings on their site:

http://www.history.com/shows/the-bible/episodes

Producers Mark Burnett of The Voice, Survivor, The Apprentice

and Roma Downey of Touched by An Angel

commented on The Bible Miniseries….

“We feel this is the most important project we have ever undertaken”

“Regardless of one’s belief system, no book has impacted humankind more than the Bible. Its influence on politics, culture, literature, art, music, philanthropy and education is unequalled.”

For more information on The Bible Miniseries – go to the show website:

The Bible Series

Connect with The Bible Series on Social Media for details – see their private community:

http://facebook.com/BibleSeries

https://twitter.com/bibleseries

http://www.bibleseries.tv/the-bible-mini-series-on-the-history-channel/

Backplane Community: http://community.bibleseries.tv/

Enjoy!

Shhh… it is Wordless Wednesday so I will just say this was a lovely wedding on my mom’s Stokes side of the family.

We had a blast….

Especially with Grandma on the dance floor!!!

Do you enjoy Family weddings???? If so, why?

Have you liked Parenting, Twins and More on Facebook yet? Click here to join me!

Hi there,

We had fun at the kitchen table one morning. Not everyone was feeling well, but it still went well=)

It was intended to be a short lesson and….lets just say this stretch when you hang out with kids!

I hope you follow along with us or enjoy the antics and the “meat”.

Intentional Parenting

I believe intentional parenting starts with the word. I shared the same principles on this podcast the day before without the verses and it was not enough.

I had a dream and a “session” with God and He made it clear!

So I am thankful that He is a responsive God.

He not only set me straight but He gave me more scriptures to beef up the meal.

I hope you enjoy….if so, please “share” this page to you social media to help us get the word out.

Some of the Members of “The Closet” Youth Group

plus a “MINI”…

So what do you think?

Any suggestions before we move to iTunes?

Many Blessings…

Love,

Heloise

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

NIV

My godchild Angel made this….

What an honor….

I am blessed….

It is worth all the days I fussed at her, hugged her (much to her dismay) and annoyed her…… and visa versa=)

She is a priceless treasure…

http://on.fb.me/WkQuED

God LOVES you and is here to help, guide and encourage you!

Click on the link above if you need help raising the children in your life for Christ…

We love you!

Blessings,

Lois

http://facebook.com/ParentingTwinsandMore