Be Happy!

These are my two cute cousins Rehum and Zane. Even though Rehum's arm was injured he is still able to have fun and enjoy playing with his cousin Zane. This photo reminded me to always be happy even when times are a bit painful and hard. Let's take every life's difficulty as a piece of cake with a yummy icing on it.

Crib Recall

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has announced the recall of more than 2.1 million drop-side cribs by Stork Craft Manufacturing. The cribs are voluntarily withdrawn because hardware failures have trapped 15 children and suffocated four.

The crib sides slide up and down to make it easier to lift infants. Hardware can break, deform or get lost over the years. Some cribs failed because parents did not assemble them properly.

You can read the Consumer Product Safety Commission's news release to get the full detail of the story.

Going on a Field Trip

Yesterday was our school's field trip. We brought our students to the "Aviary" where they get to see a lot of different kinds of birds. We also went to the Ostrich and Crocodile Farms where kids enjoyed their experience. Crocodiles were a bit scary but the place is safe for children. Of course, their parents were there taking care of them.

One of the highlights in our visit to the "Aviary" is not only the birds, but this snake (shown on the photo above). I was so surprised because my students were not scared touching and holding it. Some of the parents convinced me to hold this animal but I just can't. I just touched it and it feels so slippery and cold. The care taker told us that this snake is safe, they have tiny teeth but you just have to keep away from the head. Never squeeze it, never blow an air to the head because they will be provoked.All the kids enjoyed their encounter with the Ostrich. As they enter the place they were exclaiming, "Oh, it's so big!". LOL! Even though it was raining, they still enjoyed roaming around the place.The kids enjoyed watching the crocodiles. They were shouting at them because they want the crocodiles to move but these creatures were just too lazy and sleepy. Lol!

After the activity, I saw that the kids look very tired. They all went sleeping on their parent's lap. But I'm sure they will have a lot of story to tell to their family and friends.

Give Love on Christmas Day

This coming December 25 is Christmas Day and it would be good if we teach our kids the proper way of celebrating it. Christmas is one good opportunity for all of us to show love for one another. May it be a simple word of encouragement or giving your time, or just a simple hug, all these things matters to the person whom we love. That is why, for the next week, we will be teaching our kids the lesson on showing love to other people especially to the people who really needs it. First, we will have a Bible story on “The Good Samaritan” found in the Bible (Luke 10:30-36). After the story we will have a short question and answer game. Whoever gets the correct answer wins a prize. I got this activity from Craig on kidssundayschool.com.

Here is the flow of the activity:

Preparation:
Have all the children stand up in the middle of the room.
What you do during class:
You will say the statements below one by one. If the children believe what you say is “showing love”, they will sit down on the floor. If they believe it is “not showing love”, they will stand up. Another option is to have the kids go to a specific spot in the room for “showing love” and another spot for “not showing love.”
Statements:
1. Daddy is sick and you bring him a cup of chicken soup.
2. Your little sister is hitting you, so you hit her back.
3. You give your mommy a big hug when she comes home.
4. You give grandma a kiss on the cheek because she misses you.
5. You throw a rock at someone you don’t like.
6. You throw a fight because you don’t get what you want.
7. You make a special birthday gift all by yourself for dad.
8. You don’t let anyone play with your new toy.
9. You help take care of your little brother or sister.
10. You give your mom and dad a big smile when you see them.
11. Baby is sleeping and you make a lot of noise.
12. You tell you mommy how much you like what she made for supper.

Once the children finish the activity, describe how people can show love in many different ways. We can share our toys, help out in the kitchen, be kind to our brothers or sisters, obey our parents, give kisses and hugs to those we are close to, and many other ways. Jesus wants us to love one another. In John 13: 34, Jesus says, “I give you a new command. Love one another. You must love one another, just as I have loved you. Think about how much Jesus loves you.

Above All by Kaitlyn Maher

I was so touched as I watched this little girl Kaithlyn singing the song "Above All". Kaithlyn was the youngest top 10 finalist in "America's Got Talent" show. I appreciate her parents for teaching her this wonderful song. It's good to teach our kids songs that will inspire and most of all songs that will truly glorify God.

The Pink Uniform

As I was walking down the road going to our school, there is this little girl. She's probably 3 years old and she keeps on peeping at the gate of our school. I asked her about what she's doing. She answered with a question. "Ate (big sister), is this a school?" and I said "Yes! Do you want to study here?" She nodded. I said, "Why?" and she said "I like to wear something like that (referring to the school uniform for girls. Girls in our school wore a cute pink uniform. I told her to go and tell her mom about it. I was waiting for her to come back but she never came back.

After 3 or 4 days, I saw her playing outside near our school. She saw me and gave me a smile. I asked her how she was doing and she answered me... "Ate,I'm sorry, I can't study at your school. "Why?" I asked. She gave me a very serious answer... because I don't have a pink uniform." LOL! She really had a very serious problem. (ha!ha!)

I'm Sorry, I'm Absent!

We have a five day break in school because of holidays. Here in the Philippines we usually don't have class on November 1 and 2 because it's All Saints Day and All Souls Day respectively. The two day holiday plus Saturdays and Sundays makes the break more longer. That is why kids did have enough time to play and bond with their family.

Yesterday, it was time to go back to school. As I entered the classroom, all of my students were so happy to see me. They all hugged me and they told me they missed me. Awwww... so sweet. But there is this one student who approached me with a sad face and told me... "Teacher, I'm sorry I was absent yesterday..." I was laughing. Because of the long break, he thought he was absent from class for a very long time. I told him, not to be sorry and explained the matter to him. His face changed and he was then smiling. Cute Kiddo!

All Souls Day

We don't have class today because it's a holiday. It's "All Souls Day". It's a rest day for me. But later after church, we will be going to Oro Gradens Memorial Park to visit my father in law's grave. We usually do this every year. We put up tents, bring chairs and etc. We stay there together with the family and some relatives and friends. It's also an opportunity for us to bond as a family, enjoying each others presence.

I'm excited to go to Oro Gardens now, because my sister in law promised to bring a giant pizza. Oh, I wonder how big it would be. Anyway, I will have to go for now as I still have to prepare some stuff for our visit.