Train Up Tuesday: What We're Up To

Hey gals, have any of you noticed our absence on Tuesdays lately? "Life" has been happening to me. I didn't just have ONE "month of Mondays", we were hit with craziness in February AND March! And from the sounds of it, it's been hitting a lot of my friends, family, andacquaintances. But more about that in a future post :)

For now, I'd just like to share a few things brewing in our home to help

us focus on "joy" and good stuff (I'm fond of Pollyanna's "glad game" concept...we'v

e certainly needed something like that around here lately). I found this cute idea on....wait for it....Pinterest and thought I'd introduce it to my family. It's a "warm fuzzies" jar. (Here is the original site that was pinned, which also has several REALLY great Resurrection week ideas!) I placed 100 pompoms (since we recently hit our 100th day of classwork) in the heart and when one family member notices someone else's kind deed or thoughtfulness within the family, the "doer" gets to put a "warm fuzzy" in the vase. Right now, that's all the motivation my little guys need to play the game....just getting to transfer the bright fuzzies. I guess you could have a "reward" for filling the other jar if you felt it necessary, but it is a bit nice to just find satisfaction in noting someone else's kindness, don'tcha think?

Also, I've really wanted to incorporate more celebration and awareness of Holy Week and Resurrection Sunday. It can be a new concept particularly to a Protestant who wasn't brought up much in the way of liturgy. Again, Pinterest was somewhat helpful, but some of my FAVORITE ideas have (once again) come

from Impress Your Kids. One of the posts has a collection of other readers' ideas. I really liked the Resurrection Garden. We made one together and it is quite lovely (even though I don't have a green thumb, I was thankful for being able to dig up grass and moss patches in our own yard....RESOURCEFUL!) ;-)

We are also mixing up our homeschool curriculum and focusing on the lessons that lead us through Holy Week (another reason I love "My Father's World). I'm adding some of the ideas from Impress Your Kids to make it a sensory experience with my boys.

Yesterday, we talked about "The Last Supper" and broke bread with my husband over Skype during his lunch break at work. My oldest (6 y.o.) read from his Bible Reader about the bread. It was lovely.

I hope to have a family foot washing on Maundy Thursday and then prepare our first Seder meal for Good Friday as we talk about Passover to really draw my boys into the story of that final week leading to the Resurrection. I find that recreating the scene really gets lodged into their little brains and hearts. (I saw it in action as we acted out the feeding of the 5000 recently...what fun they had trying to carry 12 "baskets"!) To find out more about a Seder Meal, check out Thriving Family.

Be sure to look back through posts from previous years to see what other Resurrection fun we've had here on the Roof! I know my oldest (AND my husband) looks forward to the Resurrection Rolls again this year!

He IS Risen!...we don't even have to wait until Sunday to celebrate!!!

Ashlie