Bible Bee

The older 3 children participated in the local Bible Bee yesterday.

2012 is the 4th year for the Bible Bee.

This was Jersey #1's 3rd year participating.  She was part of the 1st and the 3rd annual Bible Bee as well.   (The 2nd annual Bible Bee was in 2010, the year of Jersey #2's heart surgery, so we cut out most activities that year).

It was Jersey #2's 2nd year participating.

It was Jersey #3's 1st year participating.

Bible Bee 2009:

Bible Bee 2011:

Bible Bee 2012:

All 3 were in the Primary Division this year, which is for ages 7-10.  Technically, they were competing against each other.

Only, we did not do enough preparation and study to actually be competitive.  This summer was extremely busy for us.  It did not take long to get behind on the sword study and the verse memorization.  Before I knew it, we were WAY behind.  I tried to find bits of time to get the kids motivated to study for the Bible Bee, but that did not happen.  At one point, when the local director sent an email announcing the final date to withdraw from the bee, before the paperwork was all printed, I was tempted to quit.  I decided to stick it out, and told myself that we could still do well with some strong effort over these last two weeks.

That did not happen.  Our days were packed.  There was not enough time to focus, let alone cram.  All throughout this final week, I debated as to whether I should have the children participate and carry through with our commitment, or should I have them withdraw?

I wanted them to stick it out and give their best effort.

But, I did not want to push them into a situation where they would be so embarrassed by failure, that they had ill thoughts and feelings about studying the Bible.  

After many days of kicking myself for not letting it go earlier, and allowing us to get over-scheduled (again), I decided to just go with what we had.

I sat the kids down and had a talk.  I explained to them that in light of our extremely busy summer, I should not have insisted we also participate in the Bible Bee.  It was too much.  I admitted that I should have let go of that plan months ago, and taken the pressure off.  They were happy to hear that.

I then explained to them that it was too late to quit now, so we were going to go and participate.  We would go with the amount that was already studied, and let that be good enough.  I expected them to do their very best, with a happy heart.  I would not accept drama or grumpiness over their performance, or over getting competitive.  They agreed.

Next, I discussed a little deeper that ANY amount of study of the Bible is good.  ANY number of verses they memorized was a good thing.  We should not feel bad for the amount that was accomplished.  We should feel good for putting the effort into Bible study, because it is so very important.

But, I also explained that when it comes to competition and achievement, the level of effort, diligence, and preparation, are important.  If you want A's, you have to do A-quality work.  If you do C-quality work, you earn a C.  It is just that simple.

In the end, they were content to participate without the expectation of having to perform well.  We talked about how to handle the stress of not knowing the verses in the oral round, or not knowing the answers on the written test.  I anticipated that Jersey #3 would have some trouble with the actual reading and comprehending the written test, so I explained how to guess and select an answer on a multiple choice test anyway, instead of leaving it blank.  

I also told the children that I would not be signing us up for the Bible Bee next summer.  I was not going to require that of them.  

They all approached Bible Bee day with great enthusiasm.  The pressure was off, and they were going to have fun with the other kids.  They had a blast!

   

They had only memorized 20% of the list of verses, but they learned those so well that they received many points during the oral round.  Jersey #1 told me she was thankful I talked her into learning 1 more verse this week, because that verse was on the test, and she recited it well.

Jersey #3 was proud of himself for completing the written test quickly.  He did not really know many of the answers, but he was pleased to take a guess and fill in a bubble anyway.  

Jersey #2 took the whole thing in stride.

At the closing ceremony, the participants were given an opportunity to stand in front of the crowd and recite a verse.  My children declined that offer.  It was one of our agreements--I would not make them recite in front of the crowd at the end of the program.  They each took turns looking at me to see if I was going to make them recite, but I did not.  

Each participant received a medal, a certificate, and a goody bag.  It is fun to get things to take home at the end of a big day.

The participants who scored in the top 5, on the oral and written exams combined, received additional prizes.

Much to my absolute shock, all 3 of my children placed in the top 5!

They did WAY better than I ever expected of them.

At lunch, when Jersey #1 started calculating that she thought she could have earned 3rd place, I cautioned her to not expect to place this year.  She did not prepare well, and lost many points.

She earned 3rd place!

Jersey #3 earned 4th place.  

Jersey #2 earned 5th place.  She was initially upset that her younger brother scored higher than her.  I reminded her that in Bible Bee, points are lost when you repeat parts of the verse that you already said.  Right now, she is in a huge phase of repeating herself mid-sentence.  That carries over into her verse recitation as well.  It just doesn't have an effect during AWANA, like it does for Bible Bee. After she heard my explanation, she was no longer concerned over how her brother performed better.

As we talked about how each child did on their oral and written exams, I learned that although the children did not study all of the verses on the Bible Bee list, the ones they learned were recited accurately.  Even though they did not complete all of the components to the sword study, they all read the book of the Bible multiple times, and were familiar enough with the subject, to answer questions on the written exam.  (And, lucky for them, some of the other contestants were less prepared, or more nervous, or something).  

My fears that I was setting my children up for failure have been relieved.  I think we all learned some pretty good lessons through this experience.  I am most pleased with how joyfully my children participated in the Bee.

Now, they are talking about wanting to participate again next year...

Hanging Up the Washing

My dryer went on the fritz, and left me with a huge mountain of dirty laundry.

I'm talking a very tall mountain.  Sheets, blankets, and towels galore!

We have been swimming for the past 2 weeks, in addition to the fact that I have some bed-wetters.  Add that to the fact that it took me a few days to realize the dryer really wasn't functioning properly.

(Ok, when the mountain of laundry grew taller than the counter, and started blocking the back door, I had to admit there was a problem here.)

So, today I rigged a quick clothesline with some rope, across the window bars in front of our house.  The front of the house gets a tremendous amount of sun and heat.  The backyard has dogs who would love to pull down the laundry and chew on it for sport.  

I started washing load after load of laundry.  I would wash and hang 2 loads of linens for every 1 load of clothing.  The clothing went into the dryer and spun for an absurd length of time before it would dry.  

The response to my situation has had me entertained all day long.

One friend recommended a laundromat.  

Two friends offered to let me come to their house and use their laundry appliances.  I have the sweetest friends.

My Pastor reminded me that there is a washer and dryer at the church that I could use.  That did give me an idea for how I could keep us in jean shorts, if it takes to long to remedy my dryer situation.

One friend offered to take a look at the dryer and see if he can fix it.

My husband offered to research the make and model to see if there are some easy ideas for how to fix it. (Neither of us are very handy at such things.  I had already tried cleaning out the vent hose, and some easy things, that were of no help).

My Mom mentioned that she was surprised that her daughters even had clothespins.  I had to confess that I did not actually own clothespins, so I was just draping the linens over the rope.  (Then again, I did not even have clothes line, so I was using a rope that was used to hang the pinata at the most recent birthday party.)  I have never actually had to live out the life of my poor Southern roots.....before today.  

As we were returning home from swim lessons this morning, I mentioned to the kids that since our dryer was not working properly, I was going to hang a clothesline and do laundry the old fashioned way.

Jersey #1 looked at me very puzzled and asked, "You are going to wash the laundry in a lake?"

Um, no.  The washer works fine, and we do not have a lake.

Jersey #2 asked, "Are you going to make your own butter too?"

I just started laughing.

I suppose when they think of "old fashioned," they are thinking Little House on the Prairie, or colonial American Girl stories.  

Jersey #3 inspired me with his enthusiasm about the situation.  He seems to look at the world with eyes for adventure and fun.  He offered to help me hang towels.  He excitedly announced when things were dry.  He repeatedly said, "This is SO COOL!"  

He even stood between rows of blankets and towels and jumped out at me as I walked past.  He giggled at my response, and then said that hanging laundry outside makes a great place to play hide and go seek.  

Toothless

It is official:  Jersey #3 has lost his first tooth (by natural means).

He was showing me that it was barely hanging on, when it fell out of his mouth and landed on the pool deck while we were out swimming.  Fun stuff.

I have to make the disclaimer that this tooth fell out by natural means, because Jersey #3 has already lost 4 teeth by unnatural means.

At one point, he had a full set of teeth....

He was involved in a bicycle accident when he was 4.  He rode his bike down a climbing mountain at a park, and wiped out.

At first the top teeth were only loose.  The dentist was hoping he could save them.

Unfortunately, loose teeth are too much of a temptation for Jersey #3.  He wiggled the first one out quickly.

Others were not far behind.

One tooth managed to secure itself before he had a chance to get it out too.  So, he was left with 1 dangling tooth for a couple years.

That tooth came out last year.

According to the dentist, it is going to take a couple more years before the permanent top teeth are ready to emerge.

Thankfully, Jersey #3 does not seem to mind his unique smile.  It does not seem to touch his confidence the way that I feared it would.

He still can't pronounce the "th" sound.  I suppose teeth are required for that.

It may be interesting to see if he is able to talk and eat well when he actually had a full set of teeth again!

Bible Bee

Our box has arrived!

We have 3 kids signed up to participate in the 4th annual Bible Bee!

All 3 are in the Primary age division.  Siblings will be competing against each other.

That isn't really much of an issue, because competition is not the reason we participate in the Bible Bee.  It is a great way for me to teach my children about daily Bible study, and delving deeper into God's Word.  

The Bible Bee organizes a 10-week Bible study for families to go through together.  In addition to the study, there are Bible verses to memorize.  When the local bee takes place in August, the children take a written test about the Bible study, in addition to oral rounds of reciting the Bible verses.  

This is our family's 3rd year of participating in the Bible Bee.  Jersey #1 participated in the 1st Bible Bee. She was only 7 years old, the youngest age allowed to participate.  The whole thing was very overwhelming for her.  We had no clue how to prepare, or what to expect.  We did not spend much time studying, and she hardly knew any answers.  

We skipped the 2nd Bible Bee, because Jersey #2 was having heart surgery, and we just did not participate in many activities at that time.  

Last year, for the 3rd annual Bible Bee, both Jersey #1 and Jersey #2 participated.  The local bee was held at our own church, so I signed the girls up.  Jersey #1 did not want to do it.  She was still traumatized by the first experience.  That year, there was an option to do a non-competitive track, so we went that route.  On the non-competitive track, there was no pressure to try to score high enough to be invited to the National Bee.  Jersey #1 preferred the lack of pressure, and did very well.  Jersey #2 had a blast.

This year, Jersey #1 started out by telling me she did not want to participate.  I made an agreement with her that she had to join in this year while she was still in the "primary" division, but would not have to sign up next year when she would go into the "Juniors" category.  The workload increases significantly then.  Jersey #1 is highly competitive and does not enjoy activities where she is not naturally going to win.  Knowing this, I am requiring her to participate in some activities that are more humbling.  Everyone has room to grow.  Jersey #2 was excited to participate again.  Jersey #3 is now 7 and old enough to participate.  He is thrilled to join in with his sisters.

Much to my surprise, Jersey #1 has changed her tune by the time the box of goodies arrived in the mail.  She is now looking forward to the Bible Bee.  She even asked if she had to wait on her siblings to begin the Sword Study, or could she start on her own.  I am pleased with her enthusiasm.   

The box of goodies was really neat.  Each participant received a T-shirt and button, a new Bible, the study, and a stack of memory verse cards.  Let the studious fun begin...

Birthday Party Adventures

When we were discussing how Jersey #3 wanted to celebrate his birthday this year, he told me that he wanted a party at our house with 3 specific things:

1)  His cousin

2)  His friend from AWANA

3)  A Mario pinata

I totally feel like Mom of the Year right now, because I accomplished these requirements with gusto this year!  Jersey #3 is easy to please.

1)  I managed to borrow my nephew for the weekend, so he could attend the party.

2)  His friend from AWANA (his very first friend he ever made on his own), was able to attend the party and stay the night afterward.

3)  Even though I ordered a little Mario pinata online, we happened to find this massive Mario pinata at Walmart the day before the party.  I had to buy it, because it was SO cool.  (It turns out that was the best pinata I have ever experienced, so I will be getting more like it in the future).

We also invited other people to the birthday party, so it was a full house.  Our Pastor came over with his grill to cook hamburgers and hotdogs for me.  The Referee hung the big Mario pinata from a tree limb in the backyard.  There was plenty of food, friends, family, candy, and cake.

There was also a bit more excitement than I had planned.

One dog-loving child got too-close-for-comfort with my dog, and she snapped at him.  She managed to leave a couple scrapes on his nose, which bled a lot and sent him into hysterics.  His grandparents had brought him to the party, and this was their first visit to our home, so we did not make a good impression.  Thankfully, the grandparents (and also the child's parents) are all dog-loving folks who knew the dog was being defensive, and not aggressive.  The wounds were not deep, so the reaction was calm.  I was thankful for that.  When we saw the child later the next week, he spoke well of the party and my dog, so that was nice.

After the dog bite incident, we moved on to the pinata.  It seemed like a good idea at the time, but part way through the process I started to wonder if the hanging a pinata that was shaped like a man, from a tree in the backyard, and hitting it with a bat, was a bit violent.  The candy was tucked in the chest, belly, and butt region.  When an arm was knocked off, the crowd of children cheered.  That seemed odd.  They cheers grew wilder as each leg was knocked off, and yet no candy fell.  It really was a cool pinata, and held up well.  The kids were not blindfolded, and were hitting it with Jersey #3's new Louisville Slugger baseball bat his grandparents gave him for his birthday.  I had it stuffed so full of candy and toys that it rained tootsie rolls for 2 full minutes after the body cavity was actually busted open! 

When the party was over, and all the guests had left, Jersey #3 was able to enjoy a sleep-over with his cousin and his friend.  For the rest of the night, they pretty much played video games on the Wii.  They woke up early the next morning and immediately resumed playing video games.

When it was time to put on PJs and prepare for bed, 3 boys turned into super heroes and asked to sleep in the tent that Jersey #3 had just received for a birthday gift.  I tried to tell them that the wood floor would be pretty hard to sleep on.  They didn't seem to mind.

Much to Jersey #2's delight, she also got to enjoy a sleep-over with an AWANA friend, who happened to be the sister of Jersey #3's friend.  (Did I mention Mom of the Year?)  The girls had lots of fun together, without playing a single video game....which was good, because I doubt the boys would have shared the game system anyway.

 

Borrowing a Nephew

I asked my sister if I could borrow my nephew for the weekend.  It was a special occasion, since we are hosting Jersey #3's birthday party this weekend.

It is a strange request, but she obliged.

My nephew is only 3 months younger than Jersey #3, and they have always been crazy about each other. They even like to dress like twins.

When they are together, I am often asked if they are twins.  You should see the looks on people's faces when I answer, "No, they are cousins."  I can tell that folks are trying to figure out how we managed to get twin cousins....must be one of those inbred families!  Their facial expressions amuse me.

Since we don't live in the same town, we both drive to meet each other part-way to swap out kids.  My leg of the trip is shorter, but there is no good location to make it equally half way for us.  We meet at McDonalds, let the kids snack and play, then return home.  It is nice to have this opportunity.  Making that trip on a Friday evening and then again on Sunday afternoon is tiring.  Seeing how happy Jersey #3 is to have his cousin to wrestle with, makes it all worth it.  I hope they continue this friendship as they grow older. 

Seven!

Jersey #3 is SEVEN years old today!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

It is hard to believe that the infant who was so insecure, and so high-maintenance, has grown into this sweet, confident, happy boy.  Jersey #3 lights up the world with his enthusiasm and joy.

The birthday tradition at our house is for me to set up the dining room table with decorations and presents after the kids are asleep the night before.  The birthday child wakes up to a birthday wonderland.  

We also eat cake for breakfast.  The birthday child opens presents, and then we sing the "Happy Birthday" song, and eat cake.  It is great fun, and the kids really look forward to these few times a year that we eat cake for breakfast.  This year, Jersey #3 chose a cheesecake.  (He got to choose a smaller cake for his actual birthday, because we are hosting his party next weekend).

We also bought whipped cream to go on top of the cheesecake.  It was the spray kind of whipped cream.  It tempted some children to tilt the can and spray whipped cream right into their mouths...

Jersey #3 had a blast today.  I gave him the day off from schoolwork, and he was permitted to enjoy his new sports equipment and video games all day long.  Granny & PawPaw got him a bat, glove, and baseballs.  I got him a couple games for the Wii and for his DSi.  His "big" present that he requested this year was an MP3 player.  I even let him pick out the color (he chose green).  

Even though he won't admit that he likes new clothes too, Jersey #3 was more than willing to try on his new jeans, shirts and shoes, that he received from extended family.  Granny knows that Jersey #3 prefers to wear denim.  He chooses jean pants or jean shorts every day, so she got him a new pair of jeans to go with his new t-shirts.  He looked quite handsome...

The Referee has this great tradition of taking the birthday child out for lunch on their birthday.  It has been really sweet in years past when he would take a long lunch break from work, and show up to take the birthday child out to lunch.  The kids all love this one-on-one time with Dad.

Now that he is no longer living with us, The Referee works out visits with the kids.  Sometimes it is individual visits and sometimes it is a visit with the whole herd at once.  The one-on-one time and lunches out are not as unique as they were before, but the children still look forward to getting a visit with their Dad on their birthday.  The tradition has grown to include an opportunity to pick out a gift from Dad too.  This year, Jersey #3 asked if they could go to a movie instead of out to lunch.  It worked out that they were able to go see Star Wars: The Phantom Menace in 3D.  I thought that was totally adorable, considering how much The Referee loved Star Wars when he was a kid.  

I was delighted when The Referee sent me this picture from his phone, of Jersey #3 at the theater, wearing the 3D glasses...

  

How fun it is to celebrate turning 7-years old!