Rainy Days

Remember recess as a kid?  It's what you lived for.  It is the reason you liked school.  When asked your favorite subject, your response was always, "RECESS!"

There are some serious crazies out there that try to minimize or do away with recess.  I won't bore you with the research about the benefits of outdoor play, self-directed activity, and free time.  To sum up, it is important.  Especially for preschoolers and early grades. 

Sunrise School's children must agree with the research.  The have a deep passion for recess.  We talk about it all day.  All day.  The past weeks have been rainy.  Great for the earth.  Utter sadness for kids.  So what do we do?

Well, lots of things.  Our current favorite activity is working out on the Nintendo Wii with Mr. Patrick.

 Our kids have become excellent fake mountain bikers.  We know when to pedal and when to squat down.

There are many other things that make the mourning of recess seem not quite so acute.  Here are some ideas of things to do on rainy days.

1. Nintendo Wii
2. Dump out the paper recycling trash.  Give them glue, scissors, and markers.  Let them make a creation.
3. Hide and Go Seek - YOU play, too.
4. Make a "train" out of dining room chairs.
5. Sidewalk chalk on the porch
6. Make stuffed animal towers/pyramids.  See who can make the tallest.
7. Build a living room fort with chairs and blankets
8. Sardines (Backwards hide and go seek.  One person hides.  Everyone counts.  When you find the person, you hide with them.)
9. Dress up.  If you want to be really fun, let them put on some of your clothes, or daddy's clothes.
10. Fill up the bathtub.  Let them experiment with what things sink/float.
11. Cook something together.  Let them measure, pour, and help clean up.
12. Follow the leader.  As long as the leader changes frequently, they love it.
13. Fill the bathtub with pillows and books.  Let them have a "book bath."  Just make sure you talk with them about not turning on the water.
14. Rain boots, old clothes, and umbrellas.  As long as it's not lightening, they'll be fine, and so will you.

Comment with some more rainy day ideas, if you got them.

More exciting news from the lives of preschoolers:

What Does Jesus Look Like?

Artists from around the world have made renditions of Jesus throughout the ages.  I have researched the appearance of Jesus.  (By research, I of course mean watching the History Channel.)  From this wide <sarcastic voice> pool of research, I have found that no one really knows.

There are conjectures.  There are digital images based off of old skeletons (seriously).  But there are, thankfully, no pictures or even eyewitness drawings of Jesus.  Instead we have the refreshing joy of not knowing what He looked like.  And that, to me, is so wonderful.

Because of the mystery of Jesus' appearance, cultures tend to draw Him as they themselves are.  Some do not like this.  They view it as people molding God to be who they want Him to be.

Not me.  I love that we see Jesus as we are.  It speaks to me of our God being a God to all races.  All cultures.  All people.  He is my God in a personal way.  He lives in me.

So, without further ado, I present to you two Hannah Awards for Best Jesus Pictures.

I will now give out the Hannah Award for Best Jesus Hat.  Hands down, it goes to Mexican sombrero-wearing Jesus.  I love everything about this picture.  It makes me happy all the way to my toes.  Hola Jesus.

On to the Hannah Award for Best Disciples.  This one goes to Chinese Jesus.  Notice his disciples' robes and hair.  Fabulous.  How great is it that a country so bent on censoring the gospel of Christ cannot stop its citizens from loving Him?  This picture makes me want to hug a Chinese Christian.

What about the picture of Jesus that speaks most to my heart?  I had a hard time deciding.  Many pictures show Him sorrowful and slightly anorexic.  Hardly how I picture my Lord and Savior.  I also don't really see Him as having that odd halo/hat thingy.  Seems suspect.

I searched high and low on the Internet for this picture I carry in my heart of Jesus.  I could never quite find the right one.  Probably because the heart picture of Jesus is different for everyone.

While not exactly what I see, this Rembrandt portrait comes pretty close.  He just looks like a normal guy (Isaiah 53:2).  One kids would like.  Real.  Kind.  Thoughtful.  The more I look at this picture, the more I like it.  I want to know this guy.  That is how I think Christ was.  Is.

No matter what image we have of Jesus' physical appearance, His message never waivers.  He is the Christ.  The way.  The truth.  The life.  To know Him is to be changed because of love.

Further reading for the nerd (like myself):  This article (http://christiancentury.org/article/2011-11/faces-jesus) talks about how Rembrandt painted portraits of Jesus.  He used real models that were Jewish.  Both of those things were unheard of and considered almost heretical.  Two of his portraits of Jesus hung in his own bedroom.

Watch Out 2012

Here at Sunrise School we have been discussing the new year.  We've steered clear of Mayan predictions, but we have discussed making resolutions.  I'm sure you will note that our first three seem to share a similar habit in different forms.  Enjoy.



  

One may question if I have made a resolution.  It is possible that I am a resolution junkie.  My resolutions cannot be contained to just one once a year.  I'm always resolving within myself to do or not do something or the other.  Here is my current list of resolutions.  This is in no way final or binding.

1. Act in love first, not anger.
2. Speak to my children with a kind tone of voice when I am frustrated.
3. Read my Bible more.
4. Call my grandmother more.
5. Pray more.
6. Get home earlier on Tuesday nights.
7. Use lotion on my poor dry hands.
8. Shave my legs more.  (Not more of my leg, but more times.)
9. Do the projects I pin on Pinterest.
10. Cook different meals.
11. Cut back on my chocolate intake.  (I eat a truly alarming amount of it in any given day.)
12. Pluck my eyebrows more frequently.
13. Clean my house more.
14. Not let the bushes take over the sidewalk.
15. Plant some herbs.
16. Try eating the veggies I make my kids eat.
17. Work out.  (Last on my list for many reasons.)

January 2013 will hold a review of the list and scoring.  My goal is 50%.  Much more satisfying than those people who make one resolution and fail.  What kind of test is that?  A zero or a hundred?  No thanks.  I prefer to play the odds.

In other news:  alligators (of course), sleeping disorders, animal cruelty, and reading.

And in even more recent news:  neglected yard work, Hugsie (of course), programs, presents from dear friends, and visits to grandmas.

And you thought your life was busy.