Celebrating Easter~ Mexican Tradition

Jaden & Morgan making confetti


Dying the eggs & letting them dry (we dyed them before we took the yolk out)

Getting the insides out of the eggs

Putting confetti in the eggs
The completed egg with the tissue paper glued over the hole.



It looks like someone got Morgan with a confetti egg!

Oops! Someone got Jaden, too!
Jaden & Morgan are hiding the eggs behind their backs so that they can surprise Daddy.
The ambush!


Cascarones are a lot of fun for children AND adults (not for LeCount. He didn't enjoy it, but the rest of us did). This is how we made ours:

Supplies:

• Lots of eggs (we used 10, but depending on how many people will be participating, you may need more.)
• tissue paper cut into Quarter-size circles
• white glue
• confetti

To Make:

• Hold the egg in palm and with a knife make a small crack at the top.
• Make the hole about the size of a dime or nickel and shake the contents out (to be used as food).
• Thoroughly rinse the shell and with the knife gently "pop" the air pocket located inside the shell usually at the opposite end of the hole.
• Turn with hole-side down on a paper towel and allow to thoroughly dry (best to let dry for a day or two).

2. Dye Process:

Dye them in the same way hard boiled eggs are dyed.

• When the shells are completely dry it is time to fill the eggs with confetti.

3. To Assemble:

• Put a generous amount of confetti into each egg.
• Put glue around the opening edge of the egg and then gently apply a tissue circle.
• Allow time for glue to dry.
  

When your glue is dry, your eggs are ready. You can hide them in the yard for the kids to find. When done this way, the child who finds the eggs gets to crack it on the unsuspecting person's head. Or, you can just use them like you would in a water balloon fight (cracking them on everyone's head). Enjoy! Happy Easter!

Hooked on Spanish worked for me!

You know the crazy Hooked on Phonics commercials where the child says. "Hooked on Phonics worked for me!"? I don't know if they even show those commercials any more, but they used to drive me nuts. Anyway, I found that by signing up for Hooked On Phonics updates, I am notified of great sales. I bought a pre-k & 1st grade kit with workbooks, etc for $14.95 each. Then, I was notified of a sale for the Spanish one. The Yellow beginner's edition was on sale for $19.95. I got that one, and the girls have done BEAUTIFULLY!!! I am very impressed. However, for those of you who are interested in the Spanish version, go to Ebay. You can find the 3 level program there for $27. They went through the yellow level quickly, but we can still us it as a review later. Now, I have ordered the one on Ebay so they can start level 2. It is very interactive with the CD-ROM that includes games.
Since HOP (Hooked on Phonics) did so well on the Spanish & the kits, I have decided to check out their reading program. Jaden will start on it as soon as it come in the mail, and I will keep you updated on the success of the program. I decided to just get the Pre-K & K programs for a total cost of $50. However, you can buy Pre-K through 2nd Grade for $120. The reason I didn't go with the big package is because it doesn't come with as many CD-ROM's, and that seems to be what hasthem excited to learn (and not knowing they are learning something).

Get your kids involved in helping others!

This week, Jaden, Morgan & I will be gathering up books to send to the orphans in Uganda. It is never TOO early to show your kids that they can make a difference in the world. Anyone who would like to do the same (sending books), but who does not have books to send, let me know. I will gladly share the books we have with whomever needs them. Stay tuned for pictures of the project, and let me know if you need some books to send.
FamilyCares is partnering with LEAD Uganda to educate orphans in Uganda. LEAD Uganda finds forgotten children with innate talents and molds them into leaders. They provide bright, motivated AIDS orphans, former child soldiers and child laborers, with the 21st-century skills needed to lead Africa into the future. Uganda, located in eastern Africa, has 1.9 million orphans. Some of them have been child soldiers, abducted from their villages and forced to fight; some are street kids and some are struggling to raise their brothers and sisters after their parents have died. Education is the route to transforming their lives, and your family can help. These children are desperate to attend school, but schools are not free in Uganda. Children need uniforms and supplies. These items are beyond the reach of poor families and orphans. LEAD Uganda pays for school fees for AIDS orphans and former child soldiers, with the goal of getting students into elite Ugandan schools. Their program is work; students are now attending top schools.
Your family can help in the following ways:
Collecting T-shirts or dresses (ages 8-18)
Contributing laptops (PC & Apple), consumer DV video cameras or digital cameras – they can be used but should be in good condition
Collecting paperback books (ages 8-18)
Making a contribution or sponsoring a child's education
Steps Involved:
Talk to your children about what it is like to go to school in Uganda (See facts, map and resources below). Discuss why it is important to go to school, the fact that schools in Uganda are not free, that these children are desperately poor and lack basic necessities.
Decide how your family will help. It could be as simple as looking through your own closets to asking other families to contribute the following items:
T-shirts – i.e. team shirts and camp shirts that are often only worn for one season. Dresses and skirts - African girls do not wear pants. Please send children's sizes for ages 8-18 only . Do not send stained or ripped shirts or dresses.
Laptops, video DV cameras and digital cameras - perhaps your company or your family has used (but in good working order) items that they no longer need. Outside the Dream will be conducting a workshop this fall to give university bound students marketable skills. Laptops are especially needed. Place all adaptors, cables and instruction books in a zip lock bag and send with the equipment.
Paperback books - English is the official language in Uganda. Books for ages 8 yrs to 18 years are requested. Books should be in good condition. At media rate, you can mail 10 lbs of books for $4.84, 25lbs of books for $9.84 and 50lbs at $16.84. Bookmarks - If you send books, your family can include homemade bookmarks made of cardboard or paper. Bookmarks with stickers, drawings or phrases encouraging kids to read are fun and easy to make and fun for the Ugandan children to receive. Enclose letters and/or drawings from your family members in your package.
Consider making a contribution or a commitment to support a child's education. Your children can help raise funds by doing chores, holding a tag sale of household items, setting up a lemonade stand or collecting cans and bottles to redeem.
$5 feeds a child at school for a month.
$10 buys books and supplies; helps keep a child in school.
$25 boards a primary school student.
$50 boards a high school student at a good school.
$100 boards a high school student at a top school.
For more details, visit http://www.leaduganda.org/.
Mail items to:
LEAD Uganda 202 Saint Marks Ave. #4 Brooklyn, NY 11238
For more information, photos of children in the LEAD Uganda program and a recent newsletter go to http://www.leaduganda.org/.
Education in Developing CountriesEducation in developing countries is not free. Poor families are not able to pay for fees, uniforms and supplies. Orphans and children living on the street rarely attend school consistently. Consider the following facts gathered from UNESCO, UNICEF and CARE:
125-140 million children worldwide do not receive even an elementary education.
60 percent of them are girls.
1 billion people live in absolute poverty living on less than $1 per day
15 million children worldwide are AIDS orphans 2 million children have died in the last decade from war and violent conflict
300,000 plus child soldiers are exploited in over 30 countries
250 million children – that is one out of six work as child laborers
Education benefits not only the child and her local community, but our global community as well. Your family can help make an education for a Ugandan orphan not just a dream but also a reality.

Uganda
ResourcesThe World Fact Book at www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ug.htmlUnicef- Africa's Orphaned Generations at www.unicef.org/publications/africas_orphans.pdf

More Easter Egg Hunting

For some reason I couldn't upload the pictures yesterday... So here are the pictures of the Easter Egg Hunt. Some time this week, I will sit down with the girls to color eggs. I will be at home a lot more, so we will have lots of time to enjoy the holiday. Now, if I can just get rid of their colds!

Hunting for Easter Eggs

Since we weren't going to be around Grandma Frances (the girls' 83 year old great grandmother) for Easter, I decided to bring some of Easter to her. I brought 30 plastic Easter eggs & some candy to fill them with. Then, I hid the eggs in the yard. Grandma Frances and I enjoyed watching the girls find the eggs. In fact, Grandma Frances is still on the hunt for one Easter Egg... Somehow, we never did find the last egg. The lawn mower may find it before we do!!!
Enjoy the video... Photos to follow!

On the Road Again

Do they have such a thing as frequent driving miles? As much as we drive back and forth to different places, we would have already racked up several free vacations. When I am in the car by myself, I have been passing the time by listening to books on CD. I finished the unabridged audio of Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. Now, I need to find another good book on audio to keep me sane through traffic & all of the miles. We are now headed out to visit Grandma Frances. Unfortunately, LeCount doesn't like to hear the books on audio... So, the time in the car will pass slowly. Hopefully, the girls will sleep, & we can at least arrive rested.

Easter is approaching fast!

A package arrived at our house yesterday. Aunt Janet & Aunt Reita had sent a package for the girls. Inside were 2 pretty dresses, these cute shoes, flower hair clips, and 2 winter outfits. The girls wanted to put everything on right away. They love dresses and pretty things. They even wore their outfits to their dance class. Too cute!

We made it to China!

We live in the middle of no where. A town of very few people. Every time we do something (shop or visit relatives and friends) we have to drive quite a distance. The girls are pretty used to it now, but Morgan gets car sick some times (still looking for a safe remedy for that). Yesterday, I had n sudit to do that was 150 miles away. First, I had to get the girls to Andrea's house, so that she could watch them while I worked. The ride to her house takes a little over an hour in rush hour. By the time we got there, the girls were ready to get out of the car. As soon as I parked in front of the house, Morgan screamed, "We made it to China!"

Pure Chaos!

Sorry everyone! I know I have been completely out of touch lately. I have taken on so much work (way more than a full time job). I think I need to slow down a little now before I run myself into the ground. If you have e-mailed me, and I haven't responded yet, please be patient. I will get to you soon. I promise!

A Lesson in Love

I have two wonderful kids that I love very much. Sometimes they do things that they shouldn't (ex. color on themselves, hit each other, etc). I have spent time telling them that just because they do those things (and that makes me angry), I stop loving them. So, when they are in time out, they can understand that they are there not because I hate them, but because they did something that they shouldn't (and I love them the same). It is a hard concept to teach. They are still so young and automatically think that my disappointment in what they chose to do is linked to how much I love them.

So, we were leaving Grandma Leslie's house. It was late, I had just had a really long day at the hospital (and a long week in general). I told Jaden to get in the car, in her seat, and buckled in. After I got to the 10th time telling her the same thing without her moving (or what seemed like the 10th time), I said, "Jaden, get buckled right now!" She started to cry and began buckling herself. When she was done, she said, "Mommy?" I replied, "Yes, what is it?" To which she replied, "I still love you!" OK. Maybe they are getting it.

Yes, It's spring, and Yes, that is snow (the Texas kind)

What's wrong with this picture?

I have this conversation with Morgan for what seems like every day, but this continues to happen. Marker is for PAPER, not skin, walls, carpet, etc!!! And, inevitably, she marks on herself AFTER her bath!!!

Baby Photography

I wish I could show off the photos of the cute babies that I take. Unfortunately, they are under lock and key. There are some really precious ones. I feel very blessed to have my mom (and sometimes the girls' cousins) available to help watch the girls while I work. I have picked up some extra days, and have been working hard. Now, I am training a new photographer, and that may be my new position. The company has gone through a transition that caused some people to be let go and others to quit. That has led to massive hiring streaks, and a need for trainers. Oh, yeah, so if you need a job...

Little hands planting squash

I dug up the ground in the garden patch we have on the side of the back yard. Jaden & Morgan took turns putting the seeds in the ground & covering them up with dirt. Then, Jaden poured the water on top. It rained right after that, so I guess they got plenty of water. We'll see how the squash do in a few months.

Pouring exercise~ Montessori

Morgan has become independent lately. She woke up this morning saying she wanted a drink, but she wanted to pour it. I put the juice into a cup for her to pour into her own cup (instead of her pouring from a full bottle)... Well, she filled her cup with juice without spilling... Except, she didn't stop pouring once the cup was full!!!!! Juice went every where, and Morgan was upset because she thought she was doing a good job. I decided that she needed to get some practice with other things that won't be so hard to clean up. I made a tray of baby lima beans for Jaden & Morgan. Then, I gave them a couple of things to use: cups, liquid measuring cup (the one that has a spout), and funnels. They loved it!! This is actually a Montessori exercise (yes, I took classes to become a Montessori preschool teacher). When they get good at the beans, you can move to rice, sand, and water.

Andrea, the hairdresser

The girls got to spend about 3 1/2 hours with Andrea today. They had so much fun. When I met up with them after work, they had both gotten their hair done :0) Colorful barrettes and pony tails! I just love Morgan's hair like that!