St. Patrick's Day Party Ideas

Good Monday morning!

The Showcase Pic is of our Special Guest for the month of March... ANN GRABER! That's right. Joan guessed it again. It's amazing. She has guessed four out of five of the Special Guests on the first try! (Five if you count the month she was the Special Guest. I imagine you can figure out how difficult the hints will be for our Special Guest in April. One word... IMPOSSIBLE!) Enjoy Part One of Ann's interview below.

The Gallery Pics are from Josh's 16th birthday celebration at Fort Red Rock. I'm sharing half today and half tomorrow. I know his birthday was in October, but with high school football AND college football games to attend, we decided to wait until we could actually enjoy everything the paintballing experience has to offer, and not just squeeze it into an already busy fall. It worked. We had a blast. You'll see more details about Fort Red Rock in the Weekend Review.

Weekend Review

Except for a menu change (Sunday lunch), our weekend went pretty much as planned. Friday, Mikie and I were able to go on our date to The Galleria. As always, a pleasure! Austin and Josh enjoyed a guys' movie night watching Miracle, and Roxie visited a friend.

The paintball party at Fort Red Rock in Bessemer was a huge success Saturday morning. I highly recommend this facility for anyone interested in paintballing. The courses are unbelievable... the refs are great... safety is ENFORCED... and everyone from my 12 year-old nephew to Mikie and Tommy, my brother-in-law, had a great time. It only took 25 minutes to get there from our house, which was another huge plus (and even directionally-challenged people, such as myself, can find it very easily). There were a few bruises here and there, but nothing too, too serious. For more information, you can call Catherine at 424-3223. (And no, I am not getting a discount next time I go because I mentioned it on the blog. As always, I'm just sharing good info with you, the reader!)

Roxie and Mikie went on their date Saturday night and had a lovely time at Bonefish Grill. They topped off their steak dinner with a Krispy Kreme Doughnut, which as everyone knows is the best dessert in the state!

While they were out and about, the rest of us (Austin, Josh, Melia and me) watched Cool Runnings. Do you remember that movie with John Candy? It was about the Jamaican Olympic Bobsled Team. It was based on a true story. It was a very good little movie, and as soon as it was over, the 2010 Olympic Bobsled Competition was held... and the Americans won! It was the perfect movie to watch before Saturday night's Olympics.

RANDOMNESS - Here's a little known fact. I LOVE Jamaican music, so that may or may not be the reason I love Cool Runnings. I LOVE steel drums, and I love the accents of the singers. And I don't love just ANY accent. Another little known fact... I don't care for British singers. (I don't even like the Beatles.) And guess why? I don't like singers with British accents. Just saying.

After lunch Sunday, Roxie and I went on the elusive bathing suit hunt... with no luck. But it was still February when we started the search... and now it is March. The pressure is on! We had fun though, and we ended our little shopping date with our favorite pretzels at The Galleria. (I'm a little sad. I said the other day I only go to The Galleria six or seven times a year, and I've been twice in one weekend. I should have spread it out just a little more.)

We all met back after church classes Sunday night and watched The Amazing Race before finishing homework, packing, etc., etc. for the week coming up. March 1. Wow! This year is flying by, isn't it?

All in all, a very nice weekend.

50 Ways to Tell Your Child "I Love You" (Without Saying the Words) - I mentioned the book Faith Training by Dr. Joe White last week. There is a section entitled 365 Ways to Tell Your Child "I Love You." As promised I will be sharing ten a day this week.

1. Have a family picnic on a Sunday afternoon.

2. When your child is being punished, undergo the punishment with him or her (occasionally).

3. Say, "I'm proud of you." (OFTEN!)

4. Prepare your child's favorite dinner menu TWICE in one week.

5. Tell your child about things you appreciated most about your own parents.

6. The Bible's love chapter says that love "is kind" (1 Corinthians 13:4). Think of a special way you can show kindness to your child today.

7. Make cookies together. Then put them on the neighbors' porches, ring the doorbell and run.

8. Talk about your favorite characters in the Bible. Why do you admire them? In what ways do you identify with them?

9. Plant trees in your yard in honor of your kids (one for each child). (My Dad did this for me and my sister when we were little. He planted plum trees. It took forever for them to bear fruit, but one year they finally did! I still remember the day we planted them.)

10. Shop together for a model plane or ship. Then build it together.

As you can see, the main idea of saying "I love you" without actually saying the words is spending time, time, time with each child. I'll have ten more tomorrow!

Special Guest - ANN GRABER - Part One

Ann is one of the most joyful people I have ever met. She always has a ready smile and laugh. Kids love her and it is evident, she loves them. She is the wife of Bill, and the mother of Andrew (17 years-old), Amy (16 years-old) and Abby (10 years-old). Her children are all excellent, sweet kids and a pleasure to be around... and Bill is not too bad either.

She's more well-traveled than I will ever be, I'm afraid, but as always, I'm willing to live vicariously through other people's experiences... and be content. I've found it's cheaper to travel that way.

Here is just a sampling of what will be coming up tomorrow and Wednesday.

1. Name three places in the United States you've never been before, but have always wanted to visit... and why?

This was a hard one because I have been to or driven through almost all of the 48 states. However, I have always wanted to go to Hawaii and Alaska. Most of my friends have been to Hawaii and say it's so beautiful, and Alaska looks so majestic!! I'm not a place-oriented person... I go where my friends are and while we are there, we enjoy the place!!!! For my third place, I have wanted to see Crater Lake in Oregon ever since I took Earth Science and saw it on a topographic map!!! (Ann used all these exclamation points herself. I think it proves my theory that happy, glass half-full type people like to express themselves as such... and in interviews on a blog they do so by using a lot of exclamation points to get their point across. I like it!!!!)

2. If your life was made into a movie, would it be considered (mainly) a comedy, drama, action/adventure or a romantic chick flick?

My life would most definitely be a comedy (of errors)!!!

3. Not counting the days you were saved, married, or the birth of your children, what are two of the most significant, life-altering days you can remember, and why?

My most significant life-altering day, besides all the usuals, would be the day I met a lady named Patricia Burk. She is a music and movement specialist who showed me how God intended me to use all the stuff He had given me. I don't think she realized she was sent to me by God, but we just clicked and within a few months I was on track teaching in several schools AND getting my Masters. And to think, I was determined to be a Physical Therapist. God had other plans!!!

4. What was your worst dating experience?

Worst dating experience???? Without a doubt it was a blind date my mother and her tennis partner set up between their two children (me and him). We saw the movie Brubaker (yuck), and all he could talk about was how much money he was going to make (ugh).

5. How many siblings do you have, and where do you fall in the mix?

I have two. I am the middle child. I have an older brother who lives in California, and a younger sister who lives in Virginia.

6. In as few words as possible, what is the most important lesson you want your children to know before leaving your home?

Everything in life is a choice, and all choices have consequences. (This is a good one, don't you think? I'm collecting all these "lessons" and making sure my kids know them before they leave home. I'm having to e-mail some of them to Austin since he has already left!)

7. What is one surprising thing people do NOT know about you?

I grew up milking cows on my uncle's Dairy Farm. (I think I want to learn to milk a cow before I'm 90. I think I'm going to put it on my list... which will then change the title of my list from "100 Things To Do Before I'm 90" to "101 Things To Do Before I'm 90," but that's okay. I think I need to have this life experience, and I'm pretty sure I could find a local cow and knock it off the list this year. If you have a cow and you know me, call me.)

8. If you could have one physical attribute changed, what would it be?

MY BODY SIZE. I would LOVE to donate about 80 to 100 pounds to anyone in need. (I've tried that one, Ann. No one ever calls.)

9. Are you a dog lover or a cat lover?

Dog lover.

10. What is your favorite meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner)?

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I will eat it ANYTIME!!! (I love breakfast, too. I see a dinner at IHOP in our near future, Miss Ann.)

Come back tomorrow to learn more about one of my favorite people, Ann Graber!!!!

St. Patrick's Day Party Ideas

Need a fun excuse to have a party for your young children? Why not celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Send out great party invitations and dress the house with decorations and homemade crafts. Festive colors of green and gold coupled with the mischievous antics of the Leprechaun conjure up plenty of creativity. If you’re looking for a fun way to celebrate the “luck of the Irish” here are a few party idea suggestions.

Four Leaf Invitations

Fold white card stock or construction paper in half to form a card. Create a shamrock from green construction paper by cutting out 4 small hearts and a stem. Glue the shamrock to the front of the card and outline with gold glitter or gold glitter glue.

Decorations

Inflate several balloons in white and different shades of green. Yellow balloons will add some color and represent gold. Hang streamers in rainbow colors from the ceiling and walls, and use green cups, plates and napkins for serving your goodies.

Games

Pin The Shamrock on the Leprechaun

Supplies:

Big picture of a Leprechaun
A green shamrock for each child with adhesive on back and their name on front
Blindfold

Blindfold the player, spin them around and let them try to stick the shamrock on the Leprechaun's hat. Give a prize to the player that gets the closest.

Irish Hot Potato

Supplies:

Potato
Celtic or Irish Jig Music

Sit the children in a circle. Hand one child the potato. Explain to the children that when the music begins, they will pass the potato to the person on their right. When the music stops, whoever is holding the potato scoots out of the circle and playing resumes.

This game also provides a great opportunity to discuss agriculture in Ireland. Perhaps they could pass while you talk, and when you stop (every once in awhile) the person holding the potato has to recap what you said.

Gold, Gold, Who's Got the Gold?

Supplies:

A large gold coin

A child is chosen to be the Leprechaun and hides her eyes as a gold coin is given to a child to hide in his lap or behind his back. The Leprechaun then has three chances to guess which child has the gold coin. (All children hide their hands in their laps/behind their backs as if they have it.)

These ideas were taken from www.holidays.kaboose.com. If you want to add some easy St. Patrick's Day crafts for kids of all ages, check out www.crafts.kaboose.com for several more ideas.

Have a lovely Monday. Tomorrow, I have THREE recipes to share with you. Two of the recipes can go with your St. Patrick's Day Party. We'll talk to our Special Guest a little more, and I'll have ten more ways to tell your child "I love you." March is going to be busy, busy, busy... but also a lot of fun.

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda