Rice + socks = sock snowmen

I am excited to share with you my latest classroom endeavor:

Sock Snowmen!!!

Here are some reasons you might want to make sock snowmen:

1. You have a class of 22 fourth-graders and desperately need a winter-but-not-necessarily-Christmas-themed craft for them to take home with them.

2. You just want to make a cute winter craft.

3. You know a young one who could use some practice with fractions! (You'll see that part later).

You can guess what my reason was for making them, but, whoever you are, I'm sure you have a little kid to call yours, be it a child, sibling, cousin, or kid next door. And this is a great adult-guided activity for kids.

And it's just plain fun!

Here's what you will need:

(Left to right)

1. About 3 lbs (or 6 cups) of rice per snowman

2. Yarn for the scarf, about 1 1/2 feet per snowman

3. Measuring cups, to bring in the fraction practice

4. Pom poms for decoration. I found mine at Wal Mart.

5. Wide-mouthed funnels

6. Buttons (3 per snowman)

7. Noses - I broke off the orange tips of candy corn and used those. Other people I know used orange golf tees cut in half.

8. Tube socks, 1 per snowman (also found mine at Wal Mart, in the men's socks)

9. Googly eyes, 2 per snowman (Wal Mart again)

10. Rubber bands (3 per snowman, not pictured)

11. Black permanent marker for the mouth, and a hot glue gun (also not pictured)

And now for the directions:

Step one: Choose a measuring cup to start with. This is where the fraction practice comes in! Since I had a whole class doing it at once, I had four stations set up, each with a different measuring cup: 1/4, 1/2, 1/3, and 1/8. The kids worked in teams, creating a snowman at one station, then rotating to the next station to make another snowman.

Using that measurement and a funnel, fill the tube sock with 3 cups of rice. It was great practice for the kids to have to "count-by" a fractional amount. 

Pat the rice down until it forms a ball inside the sock, then seal it with a rubber band. 

For the next ball, do 2 cups of rice, and seal with a rubber band.

For the top ball, do 1 cup of rice, and seal with a rubber band.

(Sorry for the creepy faces in the photo, but I have to protect my students' safety :)

Step two: Let the kids measure and cut 1 1/2 feet of a yarn of their choice. This is another great way for them to practice using fractions. What is 1/2 of a foot? How can we know for sure? 

The kids will also select 3 buttons and a pom-pom or two.

Step three: Use a hot-glue gun to attach the googly eyes, candy-corn nose, buttons, and pom-poms to the snowman.

The kids can use a permanent marker to draw on the mouth.

And then you have your completed snowmen!

Here are a few variations on the pom-pom usage, from on the scarf, to around the hat, to ear muffs!

Once the kids finished making these, they carried them and cradled them as if they were babies. It was sooo cute! 

And don't forget: they also work well as Christmas decor at home that parents can store and bring out year after year. 

So what are you waiting for?

Get yourself a kid, and make yourselves some snowmen!

Merry Christmas!

Doctor

Um. Wow. Time sure passes quickly. How many days since I last posted?

I'm posting now because...well, here's the run-down:

1. Yesterday was "The Day of the Doctor." It was Doctor Who's 50th anniversary, so they put on an anniversary special. It was simulcast all around the world. (Stick with me. This post is NOT all about Doctor Who.)

2. The show was broadcast on BBC America, which I don't have...so I researched, but there was really no way for me to watch the show until BBC released it to iTunes, Amazon, and all that. So, instead, I watched some background videos and the first episode of the show, "An Unearthly Child." I liked it.

3. This morning, I woke to see that "The Day of the Doctor" was now available for me to watch. So I watched it. I watched the Doctor(s) combine their efforts to live up to their name and save some people. He, the Doctor, is always saving people. It's what he does. It's who he is.

Now that you've got the necessary background information, on the the point of this post.

After watching, I said to myself, "Alright, now on to real life" and opened my Bible app.

Luke 19:10

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

Okay, immediately I thought of the Doctor...quickly followed by, "Wow, too much Doctor Who." He goes to other worlds to seek and save the lost.

But it's fiction.

How many stories, though?

How many stories are based on this same idea: a rescuer?

However many there are, they are all patterned after the greatest story ever told, the non-fiction Doctor Jesus who really and truly, in physical form, came to search and rescue. Seek and save.

That's the BEST sci-if story ever!

I mean, really? The son of God coming to His created planet, in the form of one of His created creatures.

(And God is the ultimate Time Lord, so who knows why He even chose the time He did to live upon the earth?)

It's not just sci-fi. It's romance, adventure, fantasy, mystery, all at once and yet not at all. Because it wasn't fiction.

It was real.

That's why it's the greatest story ever told.

Because our Doctor, Lord, Master, God, Jesus really and truly came, in physical form, to search and rescue. Seek and save.

Restless

If you find yourself feeling restless...

Stop reading this blog.

Turn off the music.

Walk away from youtube.

And go...

Who knows what God has waiting for us?

For it's only in Him we find our rest.

The Pulley

BY GEORGE HERBERT

   When God at first made man,

Having a glass of blessings standing by,

“Let us,” said he, “pour on him all we can.

Let the world’s riches, which dispersèd lie,

   Contract into a span.”

   So strength first made a way;

Then beauty flowed, then wisdom, honour, pleasure.

When almost all was out, God made a stay,

Perceiving that, alone of all his treasure,

Source

   Rest in the bottom lay.

   “For if I should,” said he,

“Bestow this jewel also on my creature,

He would adore my gifts instead of me,

And rest in Nature, not the God of Nature;

   So both should losers be.

   “Yet let him keep the rest,

But keep them with repining restlessness;

Let him be rich and weary, that at least,

If goodness lead him not, yet weariness

   May toss him to my breast.”

Eats and Sweets

I have two things to share with you tonight!

I hope you're hungry, because they're both about food.

Item #1: I tried the recipe I said I would try!

You know when you're eating dinner, and nobody says a word?

It can mean one of three things:

1. They love the food so much that they can't bear the thought of wasting time talking when they could keep eating.

2. They think the food is disgusting, but they don't want to be rude, so all their energy is consumed by the internal struggle of eating something they don't like.

3. They aren't thinking about the food at all. They're running through a mental to-do list, thinking about how tired they are, or having silent, imaginary conversations with someone in their head.

When I served my family this, I think it was a case of #3.

Which...isn't a bad thing, necessarily...

 ...but I don't think it's a good thing, either.

So, go ahead and try the recipe if you like.

It sure smelled yummy.

And, with a little bit more salt, it tasted yummy, too.

So go ahead and try it! What have you got to lose? (Besides an hour of your time, 2 pounds of ground beef, an onion...hehe, sorry)

It was especially yummy when combined with some SUPER easy lemon-pepper rice.
All I did was shake some lemon-pepper seasoning on the rice before setting it to cook in the rice cooker and - voila! Lemon-pepper rice!

[If you can't tell, I just really wanted to photograph myself cooking something and post it up here for you guys. The fact that this meal was not THE best has no weight on the matter.]

Item #2: This is a tried-and-true recipe you're going to LOVE!

It's called....

[racks brain]

...

I'm not sure what it's called.

But it's a dessert. [A pie, in fact.]

And it's yummy.

I don't want to get into copyrighting trouble, so I'll show you where you can find the recipe.

It's in this book:

Oh, and wait! I just found it on line for you: Click here.
And click here for an easy graham cracker crumb crust recipe.

And I found out what it's called:

Summer Berry Pie.

The photo isn't glorious, but - I assure you - the pie IS!

Yumm! I would have another piece right now if I hadn't already had two.

So go pick you some berries [it doesn't matter what kind], buy you some Jell-O, and make you this pie!

Your family will thank you for it.

Have a glorious weekend and savory meals!

Vegetables in Disguise.

If you're like me, you don't care all that much for the all-important food group: vegetables.

Carrots are okay...if you can dip them in creamy ranch dip!

Broccoli...not really.

Cauliflower - bleck.

Asparagus -- eww! Don't even go there.

But potatoes - potatoes! - now those are good! And they're vegetables!...right? French fries, mashed potatoes, hash browns, tater tots, baked potato, twice-baked potato --- yummmm!

BUT, I've heard it claimed that potatoes are the #1 culprit for obesity in America. [Really? Blame the people, not the potatoes!]

But, who knows? Maybe you're not like me. Maybe you L.O.V.E. looooooovvvvveeeee luvluvluvluvluv vegetables.

It doesn't matter.

Either way, I have come upon something as astonishing as black-bean brownies [but way more appealing - sorry, Bek], something that might trick you into thinking that you're eating potatoes, when really you are eating VEGETABLES:

Mashed Cauliflower

Source

It's creamy. It's salty. It's yummy. It's healthy (er). Best of all, it's easy.

Believe it.

I first heard about mashed cauliflower from a coworker, in the staff lounge. Here I am, slurping up a Cup-O-Noodles, and she's telling me about how she makes mashed cauliflower and fakes her kids out every time. They never know it's not potatoes.

So, I decided to try it the other day. I looked up some recipes, and used mostly this one for ideas.

But, really, a recipe is not necessary. Know how to make mashed potatoes? Boom. You know how to make mashed cauliflower.

But, if you like, I'll break it down into steps for you.

1. Cook the cauliflower in water until it's really tender (just like potatoes.)

2. Drain the water. Then, mash or blend the cauliflower (just like potatoes.)

3. Add stuff to give it texture and flavor (just like potatoes), like:

Cream cheese

Parmesan cheese

Minced garlic

Chicken base

Black pepper

Butter

Chives/green onion

(I got these ideas from the recipe I already linked to

The recipe said to blend most of these ingredients with the cauliflower.

My blender is not good enough for that,

so I just cooked the cauliflower until it was suuuper tender,

and just mashed it with one of those cool mashing spoon things:)

Source

4. Serve!

So, if you've never tried mashed cauliflower before, I challenge you to do so. Today. You'll love it. And you would never know you were actually eating healthy vegetables.

Today, I will try to cook this.

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Trying out Bloglovin

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Funny Friday

FINALLY, I have something funny to share!

You know, I could never commit to a Funny Friday post every Friday, like my friend Bek over there. Either my life is not that funny, or I just don't remember the funny moments.

However, the other day, Oliver gave us all a chuckle, so I hereby present you with my first Funny Friday post.

The fam was all packed together in my parents' car. We were on our way to my cousin's wedding last weekend, just chatting it up.

Oliver's at the age where he doesn't really understand all our conversations, but he likes to be a part of the conversation, anyway.

Somehow, the topic of conversation turned to my budget.

"What do you even budget your money on, Dahlia?"

"Well, $125 for gas, $100 for groceries, around $20 for toiletries --"

"Toiletries!" burst in Oliver. 

"There's no such thing! 

You can't just plant a toilet and watch it grow and --"

And here is where we all burst into laughter.

Yes, Oliver. Toilet trees indeed.

And that's my Funny Friday for ya.

Summer and My Twenties

One of my favorite things to do on a free day is cook lunch for my parents. I like to think that it blesses them as much as it's beneficial practice for me.

[This was actually breakfast one day - French Toast w/ strawberries]

However, I have had what seems like much too many of these free days since school got out June 13th.

While it was fun cooking up mac and cheese, tomato-and-green-bean soup, crispy baked chicken, sweet cornbread, and all that, I started going stir-crazy! So I created a summer schedule for myself:

• Monday - Work at school
• Tuesday - Thursday - Domestic duties in the AM, appointments and errands in the PM
• Friday - Work at school
• Saturday & Sunday - Weekend!

I thought it looked like a great schedule, and I was very proud of myself for thinking of it.

Unfortunately, I haven't done a good job this week of following the schedule. We'll keep working on that.

In other news (I noticed I say that a lot), I feel, along with my friend Samara, (specifically in this post) that a time for change, for action, for happening, is here.

David Crowder's words come to mind:

I think I'm on the brink of something large

Maybe like the breaking of the dawn

I've thought before - what other time in your life is like your twenties?

Source

All I need to do is revisit my old journals and diaries (I've journaled religiously since the fourth grade) to see that, while life until 18 was pretty predictable, the 20's have brought some major life events for me, like:

• Career choice
• College graduation
• Beginning a career

...and, eventually,

• Moving out
• Getting married
• Having my first child

Granted, this might not all happen while I'm still in my 20's, but, even if most of it does, those are some HUGE firsts in one decade. A lot of growing up, growing into, and becoming, you could say. 

Source

For today, that's a wrap.

Saturday wedding and Sunday social

I had a marvelous weekend! 

My cousin Brandon got married on Saturday.

It was the cutest, simplest country wedding.

Sunday, I drove about 2 hours to my sister's church to see these guys:

[I stole this pic from the MC facebook page]

The Master's Commission presented their production of The Gospel. 

It was an inspiring production that I won't soon forget and that I wouldn't mind seeing again. 

And maybe again.

It's one of those things you can see many times, but get something fresh from it every time.

That's how any presentation of the Word is.

But I mostly went to see this girl, my youngest host-sister from when I was in the Master's Commission:

[Also from MC fb]

After church, Ivory and I attended a barbecue hosted by the church, for the MC, swung by a friend's graduation party, and got my hair cut. [I love that my sister is my hairdresser. She does a great job, and it often gives me an excuse to visit her.]

All in all, an active, inspirational weekend full of familiar faces and many new ones.

Thank you, Lord, for friendly faces, and friendly hearts.

Crispy Baked Chicken

I found this recipe for chicken the other day, while perusing my mom's cookbooks. It looked simple, so I decided to try it.

It was an immediate success with my father, who appreciated the crunch (we're both crunchers), and the fact that this chicken is healthier than other crispy varieties, since it is skinless and baked (instead of fried).

So, without further ado, I present to you:

Crispy Baked Chicken

Source

   

What you'll need:

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup crushed cornflakes
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons seasoned salt (this is the only seasoning this chicken's gonna get, so adjust to your preferences)
• 4 chicken drumsticks, skin removed
• 4 chicken thighs, skin removed
• 3/4 cup egg substitute (or 2-3 large eggs)

Easy directions:

1. Drizzle melted butter in a baking dish (13x9x2).

2. Combine cornflakes, flour, and seasoned salt in a shallow bowl.

3. Dip chicken in egg, then roll in cornflake mixture. Dip in egg again, then roll in cornflakes again.

4. Arrange chicken in prepared dish, meatier side down.

5. Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Turn chicken over; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until juices run clear and a meat thermometer reads 180 degrees.

Yields: 4 servings

I served it with sweet cornbread and melon balls. I also served it, at another time, with lemon-pepper rice and melon balls.

Provecho!

Thoughts on a rainy Wednesday

Some thoughts to share with you on this rainy Wednesday:

- I love how, now that school's out, I can post more than once a month! 

- I love how, now that school's out, I get to use my iPad! (As opposed to leaving it in my classroom every night, functioning as an  MP3 player... Thankfully, I now have a school-owned iPod to use for that.)

- I dreamt last night of my students, and the last day of school all over again....they say you never forget your first class. I sure hope I don't. They were a special group of kids.

- I was impacted by the following words this morning, from A.W. Tozer:

“It is because of the hasty and superficial conversation with God 

that the sense of sin is so weak 

and that no motives have power to help you

to hate and flee from sin as you should.”

Isn't that so true? I had to ask myself -- do I HATE sin? Do I flee from it? The answer was...no. I don't.

That led to a prayer from the heart, a Psalm 51 prayer.

And I was reminded what it is to have a conversation with God that is not hasty or superficial.

And I was reminded of what a good, good Father we have.

These are some thoughts from me, for you, on a rainy Wednesday.

Picnicking and packing up

Well, folks, it is finished.

First year of teaching = over (as of Thursday).

Crazy!

I spent a few hours yesterday packing up my classroom for the summer...reflecting on memories from the year and making plans for next year.

Like the pen pal picnic.

The kids loved meeting their pen pals. We face-timed between classrooms the day before, to build anticipation. It worked! But then it's funny how, when the kids finally meet, they are so bashful. Mario and I have come upon a keeper. You can see from the photo that Oliver (and my mom) got to accompany us. Some of my girls loved doting on "Ms. Avila's little brother."

I was not able to find a picnic basket locally, and even online they were mostly out of stock. But that was okay. My aunt lent me her wonderful traditional picnic basket, and I have my eye on one that I want to buy for next year.

So ends the first episode of Ms. Avila: Fourth grade teacher.

Tune in next September for episode two. :)

In the meantime, summer holds some promising memories of its own...

Pen Pal Picnic and other news

My brother Mario and I have had this plan forming in our minds and conversations.

It's gone something like this:

Our pen pals need to meet.

Yeah. Not much of a plan.

You may or may not recall that Mario and I are both fourth grade teachers within the same school district, but at different schools. Also, since Christmas, his kiddos and my kiddos have been communicating via snail mail, a.k.a. pen pals.

And we have been trying to think of a way to get our kids together, in the same spot, at the same time, to MEET!

But it's been a little tricky to figure out -- no field trips together, lack of money for transportation, yada yada yada.

Earlier this week, however, as Mario and I were hiking together after school --- [side note: NO, we are NOT granolas] --- we hiked up to the top of a rock, from where we could see the entire river valley beneath us. We located his school...then my school...and then our brains started churning.

A couple of hours later, with the help of google maps, our plan was formed: Pen Pal Picnic!

Both classes will walk about a mile to a central park to meet, exchange our final pen pal letters, and picnic and play together!

Best idea ever, or what?

So, anyway, permission forms have been sent out and [mostly] returned, sack lunches have been ordered for those who aren't bringing a lunch from home, and I am in the process of locating a large picnic basket.

If I remember correctly, my friend Ellie had one....let me see here...ah, yes. Here it is:

But, this dear friend [and her picnic basket] is much too far away, so Target it is...or Walmart?

---------------------------------------

In other news:

1. The state test is finished!

Each testing day, my students walked in to four items on their desks: a note from me, a small gift [pencil, correcting pen, pencil grip, pencil eraser], a small candy, and a stick of gum.

2. I am so enjoying knowing I will be here again next year!

We have sticky-note conversations in our staff bathrooms. I was blessed by this one.

Also, I am already thinking ahead to next year -- I've got some great ideas up my sleeve that I feel are God-inspired! But more on this later --- like once THIS school year is finished!

3. I am loving being a tia to this little girlie.

We got to have her for a couple of hours last night while Armando & Lisa went out to dinner. She is so precious!

4. I'm getting more and more excited for my next adventure with this lady:

North Dakota: Completed.

Michigan: Completed.

Prince Edward Island: In progress.

And, for today, that's a wrap.

Or a sandwich. PB&J. For the picnic. :)

Road of teaching

My poor students have been subjected to The State Test this week - two days (so far) of sitting. At their desks. Testing.

Can I go to the bathroom?
No.

Can I get a drink of water?
No.

Can I pick up my pencil? It dropped.
No. I'll pick it up for you.

Seriously. That's how it's been. We [teachers] feel bad for being so militaristic during The State Test, but [first of all] we have to, and [second of all] I would argue that we make up for it by buying the kids treats and letting them chew gum, and going outside to line dance during our breaks.

In the midst of the testing, our community is celebrating our annual Apple Blossom Festival.
Carnival + Food fair = crazy kids! Throw The State Test into the mix, and things get even more interesting.

So, one morning (Wednesday to be exact), I walk into the school office to retrieve my testing box. My boss is in there, checking the boxes out to us.

I pick up the cardboard box and am about to head out of the office when my boss says, "Oh, while you're in here, Dahlia, I'd like to offer you a continuing contract at fourth grade."

As my friend Bek would say, "SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!"

But what I really said was "Oh my goodness - thank you," or something like that.

"I assume you accept?"

Of course!

As a witness would later comment, I had the biggest smile that morning as I carried my testing box to my classroom.

So, Hallelujah! Thank you, Jesus! I get to continue on this road of teaching.

And now I get to go walk in the Apple Blossom parade with my students. Ciao!

Fantastic Friday

I greet my students every day with what we call "The Morning Message." It usually begins with

Good Morning, Class,

and usually ends with,

Love,
Ms. Avila

and in between I inform the kids what we'll be doing today, complete with transition words and usually at least one instance of alliteration.

Have a merry Monday...terrific Tuesday...wonderful Wednesday...thankful Thursday...fantastic Friday...

You get the idea.

All that to explain the title of this post.

And now perhaps a little more illumination on today's events will help further explain why today was fantastic.

1. It was my first day as an auntie.

PC: My mom, ntbka (now to be known as) "Grandma"

Little Brynn Loree Avila was born last night, weighing in at 8 pounds, 0 ounces. She got to be my first experience holding a newborn. My brother Armando got to show me how.

The only down-side to her birth is that my sister-in-law Lisa is still recovering from her C-section delivery. :( Not fun.

----------

2. This is funny.

Earlier today, my mom was searching for my little brother, Oliver. She searches in the house, in the yard, in the driveway...where could he be?

You know where she found him? Curled up, asleep, with Pepsi (our dog)... in the doghouse!

I wish I had a picture of this. It gives a whole new meaning to the saying "in the doghouse."

For another funny anecdote, be sure to read Bek's latest Funny Friday.

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3. You know how, when someone's gone, people all of a sudden start saying nice things about them?

Like, "She was always so nice."
Or, "He always found a way to make me laugh."

Well, now that my one-year teaching contract is almost up, I kind of feel like that person who is gone...or leaving.

People I've known and related with all year are beginning to say,
"Oh, you've done such a great job."
"We hope we can keep you."

And it's really encouraging! But - who am I kidding? I really have had a wealth of support and encouragement this entire school year, from friends, family, and colleagues -- even parents of my students, and the students themselves...

This lovely daffodil graced my desk a couple of weeks ago. I asked around to identify the gifter, but I found out zilch. So I just enjoyed it. [I've discovered I love receiving flowers.]

...which is one of the reasons I love the school I am at...and one of the reasons I am so grateful to God for His goodness...and one of the reasons I have, as of today, applied for a continuing position at this school!

What next year will bring, only God knows. He clearly opened the doors for me to be where I am right now, and I know He'll be faithful to continue guiding me according to His will.

Lead on, Lord.

And that was my fantastic Friday.

Around the corner

God is good.

Life is good.

It is so easy to be convinced of this when Spring is right around the corner.

Even if Spring isn't here yet, it is so encouraging to know that it's coming.

And, along with Spring, there are lots of other things I am looking forward to.

First, I'm going to begin a book group! Now, I've never been in a book group before, so I'm not sure how to go about it -- like, how often will we meet? When we do meet...do we just talk about the book? [If you have any insight on this, I'd appreciate it.]

I've invited some girls from my church to join it with me, ranging from ages 15 to 21. So far, I have selected 2 books for us to read:

Joshua Harris' I Kissed Dating Goodbye

and Kay Arthur's With an Everlasting Love

I hope I don't scare the girls away with that first title. I read it as a 7th grader, though, and it revolutionized how I thought about relationships. If nothing else, it should arouse topics for conversation among us and [hopefully] prayer.

Is there a good book you would recommend for us?

The second thing I'm looking forward to is Spring Break! Several important events await me during Spring Break. Allow me to list them for you:


1. Shopping with my sister (I miss my shopping buddy!)

2. Time with my second family, including Bek.

3. The arrival of my very first niece!

In the meantime, there is much work to be done (as I'm sure most of you can relate). For college students, it's finals. For elementary teachers, it's report cards.

But - hey, what's a break without the hard work to take a break from?