Holy Week - Easter Story in "Stained Glass" with Window Markers

I found a few printable, Easter themed, "stained glass" coloring sheets online, and thought they'd be perfect to cut out, and tape to the outside of our entryway window panes (I'll need to be cleaning them next week anyway)...

...so I could trace them onto the glass with a washable marker...

...for the children to color in with window markers, recreating the Easter story from the Triumphal Entry (click the links to go to the coloring sheets)...

...to the Last Supper...

...the Crucifixion...

...the Resurrection...

...and the Ascension.

It was hard to get good shots of the windows, but they're really striking with the sun shining through, and a fun reminder of what we're celebrating this week.

The only drawback is that now I have to convince the Man of the House to use the backdoor for the rest of the week, in the mornings, so he won't let in any cold morning air to condense on the warms windows and run through the pictures.  The children are standing by with their markers, ready to play touch-up crew - just in case.

***NOTE*** The Man of the House not wanting to use the back door, I decided to try taping plastic wrap over the opening of the window sill, before he opened the door.  It wasn't well sealed, but proved enough of an insulator to keep condensation from forming.  Art and science - how great is that!

Easter Donkey - Mix and Match Free Crochet Pattern Links

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.  Zechariah 9:9 ESV

I burned the midnight oil last night (and this morning) putting the finishing touches on these little guys, trying to have them ready to set out as a Palm Sunday surprise for the younger children.

I was pretty proud of myself for having three donkeys done, and in place, waiting to be discovered on the table, before we headed out to church.  That was until we got home, and I realized I'd forgotten to sew the nostrils on the last one.

Happily it was an easily rectified oversight.

I wouldn't have been quite so rushed if I hadn't had a terribly difficult time choosing a pattern.  Google images offered up plenty of adorable amigurumi donkeys, but most of the patterns turned out to be for sale - and I prefer not to pay for patterns whenever possible (which is why I try to offer up free patterns in return whenever I can).  Finally, I followed a suggestion from Sweet Crocheting Time to modify the baby unicorn pattern from Little Yarn Friends by leaving off the horn, replacing the mane with a tied on fringe, and a braided tail - and in my case, trading out the small unicorn ears, with some nice long bunny ears from Amigurumibb's Blog.  They were a perfect fit.

It took a little bit searching and combining, but in the end I had a pattern for the perfectly huggable, floppy kind of fellows I was hoping for - as well as three very happy children, and a couple of slightly miffed teenage girls, who are not buying the argument, that they are too old for stuffed animals (or that they are old enough to crochet their own).

Thanks so much to the bloggers listed above for offering up your hard work, time, and tips for free for the rest of us to enjoy.

Oh, and just in case you're wondering the candy rocks in the bowl, pictured with the donkeys, were what the teens had waiting for them on the table.

You know...from Luke 19:39-49.

And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Happy Palm Sunday!

Easter Story Tangram Activity Book

I gave my teens an assignment (a fairly rare event in our almost unschooled house) of summarizing the Easter story from the Gospels, and illustrating it with tangram shapes from Google images, to create an Easter activity book for their younger siblings.  They've been working on it all week, trying to decide what to include, and what to leave out.  When it comes to the life of Christ there aren't really any insignificant events.

It was interesting for me to see what details stand out from the story for them, at this moment in their lives.

Roosters and Coins - Family Easter Challenge

Each day as we approach Easter, I've been trying to focus the children in on different parts and pieces of the Resurrection story, with a variety of toys, crafts, activities and desserts (of course).  This morning, along with our usual morning muffins, and an Arch book from our Easter collection, I set the table with three beanbag roosters (thanks to fast, and easy to follow sewing instructions from Red Ted Arts) for the younger children.

I also added a plate of 30, silver foil wrapped, chocolate coins to generate discussion amongst my teens.

When they got up, I asked them to identify the events symbolized by the roosters and the coins.  The book on the table was a pretty big clue (most of the details can be found in Matthew 26, if you aren't familiar with the story).

Then, after breakfast, I asked the older children to locate and read the Bible passages about Peter's denial, and Judas' betrayal, as well as the events and prophesies leading up to, or following them.

Finally, I pulled out our old, dilapidated, dry-erase board, so they could brainstorm together a list of similarities, and differences between the two disciples, and their actions. Meanwhile, the younger children read the picture book, and headed off, roosters in hand, to learn how to juggle (the roosters were a huge hit).

The older children, motivated by the promise of chocolate coins after lunch, spent the morning flipping through the Gospels, and the old testament prophesies, Googling commentaries, and weighing the difference between genuine and counterfeit faith, compassion and judgement, and Godly versus worldly sorrow.

Godly sorrow (like what Peter felt) brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow (as we sadly witness in Judas) brings death.  2 Cor. 7:10 NIV

Doubting Thomas Tube - Super Simple Easter Craft

While reading the story of Jesus confirming to his disciples, and specifically Thomas, that he was alive again, found in John 20:19-29...

...I had my youngest two copy, color...

...and glue the last part of verse 29 around empty cardboard tubes.

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

Thomas had seen Jesus die with his own eyes.  He wasn't going to believe the reports that He was alive again, unless he saw, and touched Jesus, himself.

We talked for a while about Thomas.  It's hard to blame him for doubting.  You can't always believe everything you hear, or even see (after all, we've even seen penguins fly!).

"In fact," I told the children.  "I can even show you a hole right through your own hands.  Have I ever shown you that before?"

Apparently, I hadn't.

Which is surprising, because the old hole in the hand illusion has always been one of my favorites. (Note to homeschooling parents of largish families:  Just because you've shown something to your older children, doesn't mean the younger children won't need to see it, too).

Anyway, once we'd finished looking at the holes in our own, and each other's hands, I brought it back to the story.  The holes Jesus showed to Thomas weren't illusions, Thomas had seen the nails driven in.  But, seeing wasn't the point, believing was what mattered then, and what still matters today.  God gave Thomas what He needed, and while different, He gives us today, what we need, too.

For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.  Luke 11:10 NIV

Backyard Classroom - Winter/Spring Feeder Watch

A lot of our science work takes place right in our backyard, and usually in the summer months.  However, winter provides plenty of opportunities for outdoor scientific discoveries as well, even when dropping temperatures drive us back indoors.  This last week, for instance, has been dedicated to observations (made from the comforts of our warm, and cozy couch) of a feathered feeding frenzy taking place outside our living room windows.

With the latest blast of wintry weather, we filled our feeder (a small platform variety) with seeds, and added a couple of hanging suet cages to our fence.

Binoculars were placed at ready in the windowsills, with a couple of our favorite birding books in easy reach.

We had visitors almost instantly.  At first, the normal winter crowd of European Starlings, Eurasian Collared-Doves, House Sparrows and Finches...

...Northern Flickers, Dark-Eyed Juncos (soooo cute)...

...and Black-Capped Chickadees.

Then, we were pleasantly surprised by a swarm (they looked just like bees in the air) of Cedar Waxwings. They are year-round birds in our area too, but were new visitors to our neighborhood.

Despite the snow and cold, we also spotted our first Robin of spring.  He's early, but not nearly as early...

...as the Western Meadowlark...

...or Spotted Towhee, which generally don't arrive here until the summer.  The Meadowlark was a special triumph for me, as we often hear them in the summer (mocking me, I'm sure), but until this week, have never spotted one, and the Spotted Towhee was a new bird for our life lists.

The biggest shocker came when a Red-Tailed Hawk swooped in, and snatched a Starling off of one of the feeders, right in front of the children's eyes.  It's not unusual for us to see hawks, but we've never had one in our yard.  They're not small birds.  The whole ordeal was over in seconds.  The hawk flew away with it's dinner, leaving behind a gruesome crime scene...

...and few, slightly more world wise, birding enthusiasts.

It's great to be a homeschooler.

Snow Day Unschool-Style

Freezing rain on top of snow canceled schools in our area today.

Map from Wikipedia

It's great to be a homeschooler.