7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 138)

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Grace is… having food, clean water, shelter, and skills you can use to help others who don't have those basic necessities, something I’m much better about remembering to pray before meals when I'm not juggling, running, and attempting to prepare food and serve it to young children who at every meal and snack act as if they haven’t eaten in a week…

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A Man for All Seasons Kevin and I finally got around to watching this award-winning film this evening.  I hope and pray that at the end of my life I will be able to say that I have remained true to God, above all.  I highly recommend A Man for All Seasons and any others that help us learn more about those who said yes to God and Truth, no matter how difficult the circumstances.

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Under Construction I have been grateful for snow this week, not for the reasons many others might find it exciting, pretty, comforting, but because it helped preserve my sanity.  For several days in a row, yes including both early Saturday and Sunday mornings, there have been men walking, hammering, drilling, pounding, and otherwise creating as much noise as possible on the roof of our building.  Since we live on top floor, it has sounded and at times felt that we have been the unfortunate victims of an attack of elephants, apparently ones with wings or at the very least ladders.  Once it snowed enough and then froze, the gentlemen saw fit to let our roof be for a few days. 
     I do feel that I've missed offering Sunshine an interesting learning opportunity to witness such work.  She is very fascinated by Handy Manny and his friends.  Our place is one of the farthest things from childproof, but if both of her parents came with her and her twin sisters, then there would be four adults and three children under four, so the odds would mostly be in our favor.   

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Stuff my husband says: “Not for nothing, but…” followed by all sorts of helpful and just as often, if not more, not-so-very-helpful words of wisdom.  My response to this beginning of a sentence is usually to roll my eyes and groan.  Regardless of the time of day, I’ll suggest that it’s too early in the day for one of his “not for nothing” proclamations.   

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Quality Child Care This week among other things I have caught up on is my required training hours for working at school.  One of the ways we can fulfill these hours is by reading certain training books and passing the tests on them.  Again, I really enjoyed the book I read about Early Childhood Education called The Practical Guide to Quality Child Care by Pam Schiller and Patricia Carter Dyke.  It includes information on everything to management, hiring and screening employees, to setting up the best programs for students to learn, and for parents and families to be involved in that process.  Anyone who wants to learn more about what quality child care looks like, how it is achieved, and maintained will find this book quite helpful.

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March for Life 2014 

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A Lifelong Learning Blog This is a link to a fantastic idea for kids that parents and grandparents will be excited about.  Would you like to encourage your child’s writing interests and abilities while supporting their academic pursuits?  I don’t know many parents or teachers that don’t.  Check out this video and consider the possibility of setting up such a thing for the young ones in your life. 

Check out Jen Fulwiler’s tradition of  7 Quick Takes Friday at her tremendously popular blog Conversion Diary.