Shades

Do the questions about different races, ethnicities, and backgrounds ever come up in your classrooms/homes? I teach in an inner-city district where we have many different minority groups and ethnicities that make up the framework of our district's children. Every once in a while I have a group of students who are very curious why  we are all a little different. What are your responses to those questions? I know EXACTLY what I would say when I am teaching Sunday School or what I would say to my own children. But in a public school setting...it's well a little different.

Without going into detail, one of my students didn't want to sit next to another due to the difference between their skin. My policy in my classroom has always been that skin color DOESN'T matter. I don't look or judge them according to the color of their skin. I love them all for who they are on the inside.

I always use this opportunity to bring up the book A Bad Case of Stripes  and ask my students if I came into school with stripes all over my skin would that change who I was on the inside?  Would I still be their teacher with crazy curls? Yep. Our skin is our body's LARGEST organ that is integral to keeping out germs and protecting us from harm and keeping our internal organs safe. I explain that it's not the wrapping that we really care about but what the wrapping is hiding (the inside!) that counts.

When I got home, I was still thinking about what had happened in my room while making dinner. Our not so cute chicks (let's face it they are awkward adolescents at this point) are finally laying eggs and we are LOVING having farm fresh organic eggs right in the back yard. I looked down at the carton of eggs my hubby had washed the night before and this is what I saw. (Ignore my ugly counter top, my kitchen is still in the stages of being remodeled!!)

I had pieces of egg shells lying on the counter. All different shades. Some light. Some dark. Some with speckles. Some with spots. Once they were all cracked open and on the griddle, they all looked the same and I couldn't tell which egg came from which shell.

 

 

I showed this to my class to make a point the next day. I don't like one chicken better than the other for the color of the shell because the shell isn't what I care about. I love each of them for who they are as a person and if they walked in with stripes, polka dots, feathers, or fur I wouldn't care.

We were made perfect in His image and if He thinks we are perfect just as we are...who am I to judge?

 

 

Frozen Themed Pom-Pom Garland

I swear Christmas sprung up on me. Does anyone else feel that way too? If you don't, I'm seriously envious, annoyed, jealous I don't know how you do it! I have all my shopping, wrapping, and baking done but it feels like it was just the start of the school year.
My previous garland did not survive the last family move. When I went to pull it out of storage last Christmas, the box had gotten wet and my beautiful ruby beads were moldy. Serious disappointment. I thought it would be fun to have a bunch of different garlands I could use on both my indoor and outdoor trees. So I'm starting to create them. ONE. AT. A. TIME. I mean it's hard when you have a 3 1/2 year old, a 5 month old, and your parents and sibling are currently living in your house to get really creative!
I saw tutorials on making pom-pom garlands and I wanted to make one that looked like Frozen (yep, my boys LOVE Frozen!!) and have a little fun this year.

Here's what you need:

2-3 spools of yarn (Depending on how many strands you want to make, I used 3)
scissors
twine, rope, or extra yarn
plastic bags (for all the little pieces you don't want all over the place!)



This is the brand I purchased from Wal-Mart.

Step 1: First, I read if you use a fork it helps keep things organized. While this is true, the pom-poms are REALLY small so I used all 4 fingers to wrap the yarn around. I looped around about 50 times (give or take) and then gently slid the yarn off my fingers and cut a piece of yarn about 6 inches or so and tied a knot around the middle making the yarn look like a bow. I tied a knot and then looped the pieces around the opposite side and double knotted the yarn again. I wanted them SECURE.

I did this right on my lap and had no problems with the yarn falling apart.





Step 2: Cut the looped ends on EACH side. Be careful not to cut the ends of your string that formed the knot. You'll need those later. Be sure to hold the center where the knot is tying the strings together.

Step 3: While holding the fanned out pieces, trim the edges in a circular pattern. (Great time to use those trash bags!)

Step 4: Repeat the step with as many pom-poms as you wish.

Step 5: Tie the pom-pom onto your string/rope and arrange with as much/little spacing between as you wish.

 

 

Step 6: Add to the tree. Step back. Admire your craftiness!




What does your Christmas garland look like?