I just LOVE the Sunday School curriculum that our church uses. It's very engaging and really speaks to the children on their level. My boys usually talk about their Sunday School lesson all week! 

Did you know that Grow, Proclaim, Serve has a website with tons of useful information for parents? For example, a recent article - The Running of the Boys - really spoke to me... on my level!
It's a great article, and I think you'll find some good ideas in there. I'd like to offer up a few of my thoughts after reading it... 
The spare set of clothes... I wouldn't stop at just packing them for each "young" child. Children spill, get sweaty, and fall down. We could also say that some older children do not handle dental impressions very well, and extra clothes would be super helpful. A spare set for each child is just a good idea. 
Baby wipes are your best friend... even when they aren't babies anymore.
We do have a small stash of "special toys," and I didn't go out to purchase them. You know all those delightful toys that come with the kid-meals when you have to hit the drive-thru? After my boys have their three seconds of fun with the chunk of plastic they "needed," I throw them into an old, spare diaper bag. The bag stays in the van until it is needed for a long car ride, T-Ball game, etc. If something gets left behind... oh, well.
If I loaded everything on the Be Prepared list into the minivan, I might not have room for the kids! An old towel can not only perform it's usual job, but can also stand in for a blanket, pillow, and picnic blanket if needed. And if I stopped to pack a cooler each time we headed out, we would never make it anywhere. For longer trips, a small water bottle is sufficient... most places have drinking fountains if you are just running errands. For my traveling snacks, I've found that the squeezie-fruit-pouch-thingies (next to the fruit cups in the grocery store) are awesome. They aren't messy (unless your kids "get creative") and they don't make the kiddos thirsty. Plus, they don't turn into a crumbly mess at the bottom of your purse.
Something I keep in my minivan at all times: a giant Cooler Bag. It folds flat and stays out of the way, and keeps groceries cold for a long time. I've used it so many times (in fact, it needs to be replaced right now)! Why? Stopping for a few more errands I forgot about, or pulling over and watching some neat construction equipment, or the kiddos have been super fabulous all day and I wanted to stop at the park we were driving past.

One last comment... Grow, Proclaim, Serve also has a free App. It's very handy to have the videos, music, and scripture from the recent Sunday School lessons while we're "on the go."
If you have any super "on the go" tips for parents, please feel free to leave a comment. God be with you!  :}

a prayer for snack time

I'll admit it... there are times (more than I'd like to count) when our family does not pray before meals. I don't think I'm alone on this one (feel free to leave some love and encouragement in the comment section!), because the day kinda goes like this...
Breakfast: "What do you want for breakfast? No, you can't have cake. Pick something! Eat. Please eat. Eat your breakfast! What spilled over here?!"  And on school days... "Hurry up - the bus is coming in 5 minutes!! Well, where were you when you took your shoes off yesterday?"
Lunch: "Yes, we're having bologna sandwiches again. Stop complaining. Eat your lunch. I'll give you the cake if you eat your sandwich. Where's your brother? Eat!" 
Dinner: "It will be ready soon. I'm cooking it now! Yes, I'm making vegetables for you, too. Stop complaining. Wash your hands, please. Don't touch that!... get some paper towel and clean it up. Wash your hands again. Who left the door open?! It's ok... we'll just scrape off the burned part. Stop complaining - there are hungry people all over the world who would be happy to eat this food!" 

Whew... I'm exhausted just from typing that! Does any of that sound familiar? And while a prayer before each meal is the intention, it just doesn't always happen. But Snack Time is oddly different. There's usually no stress when one of my kiddos asks for an afternoon snack. There's nothing to prepare... usually it's just rinsing some fruit and finding a little bowl. The kids aren't in a rush, and neither am I. Occasionally, the kids want their afternoon snack at slightly different times, which means some quiet one-on-one time for a few moments. 
I found this simple prayer that little ones can sing, and I thought that right before snack time would be a good time of day for it. 

Have children fold their hands and sing this prayer to the tune of Farmer in the Dell. Now you have a simple prayer for snack time that's easy enough for children of all ages.

God's wonderful creations

Last week I was on vacation in Salt Lake City. FYI, it's a loooooong drive there and back. The neat thing about driving across the country though, is seeing how the landscape changes along the way. As I traveled the gently rolling hills in Iowa, past the flat and open farms of Nebraska, through the rocky hills and sage-brush in Wyoming, then into the Wasatch Mountain Range in Utah, I enjoyed the beauty of the land and the variety of plants and animals that God created.

It made me think about a fun activity for pre-schoolers to help reinforce the teachings in Genesis, chapter 1. Grab some old magazines, and help your young child(ren) search for pictures of God's creations. Depending on the age and ability of your child(ren), you might have to assist with the cutting. Find a variety of plants, animals, people, and landforms. Then glue these pictures onto paper or lunch sacks to create a scrapbook (bound together with ribbon or rings along an edge) or a paper-bag scrapbook. Older children can help sort the pictures into groups (land animals, water animals, plants, etc.). 
This is a fun activity that can be worked on for several days. It might be easier to keep all of your supplies for this project in a tub, and then grab the tub on rainy days or when a quiet activity is needed. 
After all of the pages are finished, create a Title Page for your book (perhaps Thank You God For... ) and bind it together. As you "read" through the scrapbook, lead your child(ren) in thanking God for his creations. Have fun!! After your scrapbook is finished, I'd love to hear how it went!  :} 

Luke 10:25-37

We are learning so much this week at Vacation Bible School! One of the stories we read and discussed was about the Good Samaritan. Here are some ideas for reviewing this bible story at home...
While reading the bible together, pause to ask your child questions. Young children can sympathize with how the hurt man is feeling. Pause after reading about each character who saw the hurt man and ask, "Does Jesus want us to be like that person?" Let your child(ren) practice the positive behavior of the good Samaritan by bandaging a teddy bear or doll. Then, help your child(ren) draw pictures of ways to be a good Samaritan at home by doing kind, helpful things. 

the "family" song

Since our Toddlers & Twos who stay for Sunday School will be learning about families this month, I thought it would be nice to share an activity for some family fun at home. 
Singing is already fun for toddlers, and it gets even better when you add clapping or dancing. The next time you need a wiggle-break, try this song (sung to the tune of Skip to My Lou):

I love my Mommy,

Yes, I do!

I love my Mommy,

Yes, I do!

I love my Mommy,

Yes, I do!

Thank You, dear God, for my Mommy.

**repeat verses, substituting Daddy, Abuela, Opa, Sissy, etc.

When you're finished singing, you can snuggle together for a simple prayer:

Dear God, thank you for the wonderful, loving family you created for me. Amen.

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welcome July!

It's hard to believe that July is here already! Are you wondering what the remARKable friends are up to this month???

Our Toddlers & Twos who stay for Sunday School will be learning about loving their families.

We will be reading the book of Ruth and talking about all of the wonderful families God made for us.


Kiddos between the ages of 3 and 10 will be learning about how God gives us courage. During Sunday School on July 7th, the children will be exploring the book of Esther.

And don't forget... play-time at the park!!