All Manner of Pressing Issues

I am a first grade teacher and it did not take me long to realize that six-year-olds are indeed complex. I certainly do not yet understand all of those complexities, but the realization that age 6 is a special and even difficult year for children helps me be more patient when my students are displaying that Six behavior that some have claimed to be more challenging than the 2’s and 3’s! As a matter of fact, Dr.Louise Bates Ames has written an entire book on the subject of six- year-olds:

Synopsis: The six-year-old is a complex child, entirely different from the five-year-old. Though many of the changes are for the good — Six is growing more mature, more independent, more daring and adventurous — this is not necessarily an easy time for the little girl or boy. Relationships with mothers are troubled — most of the time Six adores mother, but whenever things go wrong, it’s her fault. It used to be, at Five, that she was the center of the child’s universe; now, the child is the center of his own universe.

Parents need the expert advice of Drs. Ames and Ilg during this difficult year, to explain parent-child relations, friendships with peers, what six-year-olds excel at, how they see the world, what it feels like to be entering the first grade. Children need patience and understanding to help make this transition easier.

This is a great resource for parents and teachers to help us understand and appreciate the phase our children are going through so that we can appropriately support and nurture them. Before you go to the public library, swing by Starbucks, and get lost in this book, click over to Rocks In My Dryer for more WFMW tips!

Questron

I should spend the time I waste trying to put together an outfit that doesn’t need to be ironed on ironing because in the end, I always wind up ironing!

Another idea is to iron my clothes at night for the next day. Well, that’s a good idea for those people who think that far ahead.

Happy Monday!

Hi. My name is Laura. I am a former tanning bed addict. At one point in my life I loved basically seeing how dark I could get. Going to the tanning bed wasn’t just about the tanning though. It was a 20 minute break from my demanding schedule. Furthermore, I felt better about myself when I was tan. Well, those days for me have passed. I am now not naive about the dangers of the tanning bed. Being stark white is not an option, so I opt for the daily moisturizing sunless tanning lotion (STL)!

Here are some tips for application (if the font is too small try the Ctrl+ trick):

:: I am a fan of the daily moisturizing type of STL because it gets the job done and it is more forgiving than the “get a tan from the tropics in an hour” version.

:: STLs purchased at a department store or other such location do no more than the drugstore variety, so go ahead and save yourself some money.

::Exfoliate and cleanse your skin before application: the mesh shower scubbie thingies work great for exfoliating.

:: If you have sensitive skin, wait several hours after shaving before applying the STL. I personally apply right after shaving and have no trouble.

:: Before applying the STL, put a little bit of regular lotion on your knees and elbows to lessen the effects of the STL on these areas.

:: When applying, blend the STL down from your legs onto your feet (this allows your feet to get some “sun” without becoming splotchy).

:: In the same way, blend the tanner from the top of your arm around to the underside.

:: Immediately after applying the STL, scrub palms, fingers, and nails with a soapy nail brush. If you want your hands to be a little bit tan also, after your hands are drying from the washing you might try dabbing a little bit of STL on the tops of your hands and fingers. I’d go very light on this though.

:: Wait a few minutes for STL to dry before dressing.

:: Apply STL every other day. I realize the bottle says “daily”.

:: One topic of concern in regard to STL that I haven’t completely found a solution for is the awful smell of STLs. To lessen the stinch of the lotion, I have started applying the lotion only to my legs, arms, chest, and shoulders. Less lotion means less smell, right?

Go forth and tan yourself!

P.S. If you have any STL helpful hints, please share them!

Once you try this popcorn, you’ll never go back to microwave popcorn!

The Office (or movie/show of your choice) + homemade popcorn = a fun, relaxing evening!

Here is what you’ll need (4 servings):

1/4 c. vegetable oil

1/4 c. unpopped popcorn (yellow or white—doesn’t matter)

3 T butter

In a 2 qt. pot combine all ingredients over high heat. Shake pan back and forth continuously. When the first kernel pops, cover and continue shaking. When the popcorn begins to lift the lid, remove pot from heat and remove lid. Pour popcorn into a bowl and salt. Add a little salt and then taste it before adding more.

Happy popping!

Click here for more WFMW tips!

Do you struggle to know what to do during your quiet time? Do you have trouble finding time to have your quiet time? I have a friend who frequently forwards me devotionals she gets in her email. Her reasoning for having devotionals emailed to her is so she can surround herself with God’s word. I don’t think there could be a better reason than that.

I have done some research and have found the following sites that offer online devotionals. Some of the sites email the devotional to you and some simply have the daily devotional on their website (can be bookmarked for daily access).

Crosswalk offers devotionals on a variety of topics by a variety of authors. I think you’ll find this page helpful.

http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/

Living Proof Ministries (Beth Moore) offers devotionals to be viewed online or printed. I like to have a paper copy of something I am reading for my actual quiet time, so this is a nice option in my opinion.

http://www.lproof.org/weekly_devotional.asp

Purpose Drive Life offers devotionals that can be emailed to you. My friend has forwarded me several from this site and they are always good!

http://www.saddlebackresources.com/en-US/MyAccount/Login.htm

For those who have an iPod, The Church at Pinnacle Hills in Rogers, AR (Dr.Ronnie W. Floyd) offers a podcast of the Sunday morning service. Listening to a 45 minute (or so) sermon would sure make that cardio time go by quickly!

http://www.churchph.com/podcast/

My father-in-law introduced me to Marriage Today. When you click on ‘log in for more info’ you can sign up for a weekly newsletter. This ministry always has good information to share and they even have a free magazine that I really enjoy!

I hope these ideas help you simplify your devotional time and provide you with a new way to keep yourself surrounded by God’s word!

P.S. I am sorry I had to type the actual web addresses instead of linking—some websites don’t cooperate when I try to link! Hope you enjoy them just the same!

I stumbled across this correlation chart today when I did a Google search for “Fountas & Pinnell/DRA correlation”. I was looking for Guided Reading books on Reading A-Z and I couldn’t remember the corresponding Fountas & Pinnell score for the DRA score. I am thrilled to now have this chart on hand! Hope you teachers and parents find it helpful as well!