Christmas in the "Not Yet"

Christmas is a time that brings good news of great joy to all people. However, as one of my favorite pastors likes to say, we live between the already and the not yet. (shout out to Pastor Brian at Living Word Community Church) Christ has already come to Earth to offer us salvation and yet the power of that redemption has not yet permeated every ounce of this earthly existence, and won’t until Christ returns. For that reason, many people experience Christmas with a mix of emotions—this is certainly true for me. As a reminder to all of us that we rarely know the full story and need to remember to be sensitive to those around us, I will share a bit of my story that makes the “not yet” feel so evident during this season.

In August 1993 I headed to Boston for my sophomore year of college. Just one month later, I was driving back home for my brother’s funeral. He had died in a car accident. He would have turned 19 years old on December 2 of that year. Strike one against the Christmas season. A few days ago I wrote 12-2-14 on the whiteboard in my classroom. More than thinking about the fact that there were only 15 school days until Christmas vacation (yay!), I was taken aback by that date and found myself wondering what Reggie would have been like at age 40.

That same Christmas season of 1993, I returned home from college for Christmas break to learn that my beloved Pop-pop was in the hospital. He was only 62 years old but the artificial valve he had placed in his heart 10 years before was failing. He chose to go through with the repair operation as he felt that was his best hope of survival. The operation was on December 23 and, though the doctor did all he could, Pop-pop never woke up. I remember so vividly that last night of visitation before the surgery. Well-meaning individuals were caroling through the halls of the hospital and I wanted no parts of their joy. On Christmas Eve, our family huddled in a waiting area and decided to allow Pop-pop to choose where he would spend Christmas that year, instructing the medical staff to turn off the machines that were keeping him alive. Pop-pop stayed with us until January 4, 1994. Strike two against the Christmas season.

I want to be clear that I do not blame God for any of this loss. Our world is broken and our time on this planet is finite. I firmly believe that God grieves with us in our feelings of loss just as He celebrates with us in our feelings of joy. After all, we were created in His image and that includes the fact that we are emotional beings. However, the emotions of the past are often triggered to the forefront of our minds by the circumstances and seasons of life.

So if you encounter someone this holiday season that seems distracted, or melancholy, irritable, or sad, remember that you may not know their whole story. Share a smile or maybe a hug if that is appropriate. Better yet, say a prayer that Jesus will make His presence evidently known in the “not yet.”

A "Thank You" from Helping Hands Press

THANK YOU!!!

We can’t say it any more plainly.

As each day grows closer to those times of the year that makes one pause and reflect on what they are thankful for and what their year was like, we cannot help but come back to the one place any Author or Publisher needs to think of and consider with each and every word-YOU –our readers and supporters.

We count on you each and every “Thirsty Thursday” Party for your feedback, every review you give, every email and direct message you send the Authors in our Community. Without your guidance and support we know that we would cease to exist. “THANK YOU!!!!”

As a small token of our appreciation we are going to try to do a few fun things for you over the next 4 weeks.

We are going to offer all of the paperbacks, audio books and ebooks in the Helping Hands Press Store at 30% off from Nov. 20 to Dec.18^th.All you need to do is use the code word “THANKYOU” when you check out to receive the discount.  

We are also starting a contest that will run the same length of time. There will be a Rafflecopter located on the Helping Hands Press blog that will have all the details. There are a lot of prizes:

-Grand Prize -Kindle Fire HD6

-Second Prize- 12 paperbacks-Full list is below

-Third Prize-6 paperbacks-Full List below

-Fourth prize-6 audio books-Full List below

-Fifth Prize-audio book of choice

We hope that you have fun, enjoy the contest, and most of all know that all of us here at Helping Hands Press are very thankful for your support each and every day!

THANK YOU!!!!!

Second Prize-12 paperbacks: Declaration of Independence Series I, Colony Zero Complete Series I, The San Francisco Wedding Planner Series I, ’Tis The Season in Sweetland Complete, No Revolution Is Too Big Complete Series, Marsha Hubler’s Heart-Warming Christmas Stories Complete Series, No Matter What, Uplifting Devotionals Book I, 12 Days of Christmas Complete Series, The Ambassadors, Preacher Man Volume I, Legacy of Grandpa’s Grapevine

Third Prize-6 paperbacks:Dark Enough To See The Stars, The Blizzard, The Christmas Wish, Mother Can You Hear Me?, Homeschool Co-ops 101, God,Me and a Cup of Tea  

What Worked This Week in Secondary Reading: Introduction

I had a brilliant idea last week! At least I think it’s a brilliant idea.

Now that I’m back in the classroom, teaching my little heart out, I’m going to do my best to blog each week about what is working in my classroom. I don’t claim to know everything about Secondary Reading instruction and I don’t claim that just because it worked in my classroom it will work in your classroom (I can’t even guarantee that it will work in my classroom next week), but I do believe that positive stories about successfully educating students is one small piece to the puzzle of what keep us going back to the classroom each day.

So take these stories for what they are: reflections of the positive, hilarious aspects of my week that make getting out of bed next Monday possible.

Here is some background on me and my classroom. This is my 14^th year in public education. I spent most of my career working with urban students in grades k-12 as a teacher, instructional coach, reading specialist, and administrator. After a two year hiatus from education, (during which I became a published author—check out my books here http://ow.ly/DPI9v ), I am back in the classroom in a suburban school district in Pennsylvania. I begin my day at the high school where I teach two periods before traveling to the middle school for the remainder of the day. I am privileged to teach a group of students who have experienced struggle with acquiring the reading skills we would expect to see in students of this age. After experiencing years of frustration, I believe that 80% of my job is convincing these students that reading is a skill within their grasp while the remainder of my job consists of trying to find methods for teaching that will result in the learning I’m looking for.

Join me on this journey! I look forward to reading about your journey in the comments. You can also find me on Facebook www.facebook.com/trostlestreasures and Twitter @TrostleMichelle.

Writing for Children

I have made the courageous choice to intentionally write for children. I say it that way because writing for children is much more difficult than most people realize. In my many years of working with children and writing for a young audience, I have learned two essential lessons that I would like to share.

1.       1. Writing for children requires concise word choice. Children have a smaller working vocabulary than most adults. There is a fine line that authors must walk between staying within the typical child’s vocabulary, possibly creating a story that feels stilted, and injecting too many advanced words, thus creating a story that is out of reach of the reader. Choosing just the right words to convey the message while honoring the child is a true art form. To illustrate this point, did you realize that Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss uses only 50 unique words to create a full storyline? That is true artistry!

2.       2. Children can sense inauthentic characters from a mile away and will stop reading without a second thought. Adults are more willing to give an author a second or third chance to draw them in to a believable story. Children are not so indulgent. If you try to make your story about teaching a lesson, your audience will lose interest. If, however, you are able to weave a believable tale about a character that learns a lesson, then your reader may learn that lesson as well.

Don’t simply take my word about the difficulties in writing for children. Here are some words of wisdom from authors of children’s stories that have been beloved through the years.

“I don’t write for children. I write — and somebody says, ‘That’s for children!’” Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are)

“The third way [of writing for children], which is the only one I could ever use myself, consists in writing a children’s story because a children’s story is the best art-form for something you have to say: just as a composer might write a Dead March not because there was a public funeral in view but because certain musical ideas that had occurred to him went best into that form.” C.S. Lewis (The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe)

“I know what I liked as a child, and I don’t do any book that I, as a child, wouldn’t have liked.” H.A. Rey (Curious George)

“I’m probably more pleased with my children’s books than with my adult short stories. Children’s books are harder to write. It’s tougher to keep a child interested because a child doesn’t have the concentration of an adult. The child knows the television is in the next room. It’s tough to hold a child, but it’s a lovely thing to try to do.” Roald Dahl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)

"Children are very good about finding mistakes. We get probably thousands of letters, and some of them find mistakes in our books. As some readers know, Sister Bear always wears a pink hairbow. In one book we forgot the hairbow, and we got a letter about it. That proves to us that the children are really paying attention, and that's good." Stan and Jan Berenstain (The Berenstain Bears)

Sources: http://mentalfloss.com/article/51869/16-quotes-about-writing-children

http://www.brainpickings.org/2014/06/18/c-s-lewis-writing-for-children/

New Beginnings

See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.

                             Isaiah 43:19

A few weeks ago, we were vacationing with my husband’s family at Chesapeake Bay when I saw something that caused me to pause and reflect. We spend a lot of time on the beach and swimming in the bay, and it’s not unusual to witness a bird swooping down and snatching a fish from the waters. This day was no exception. An osprey dove and emerged with a prize, writhing within the grasp of its talons. With just a few pumps of its mighty wings, the osprey was about 40 feet above the surface of the water. That’s when the amazing moment occurred. The wriggling prey became the victor and dropped into the saving waters.

I feel like that fish right now. I have a new lease on life! I give God the glory for my deliverance and blessings. I experienced some incredibly difficult situations in my previous job in public education. God freed me from the grasp of that situation almost two years ago. I have been resting in the healing waters, and, in a corner of my soul, fearing the day that God would call me back to the world of education. A few months ago, I began to feel that call intensifying. After much intense prayer, I decided to take a few steps in that direction and see how God moved.

I am honored, but not surprised, to say that God moved in mighty ways. At every turn, my fears were addressed and questions answered before I even spoke them. I continued to follow in obedience and accepted a position as a middle and high school reading teacher. I have completed my fourth day of teaching in my new classrooms and the depth of this new blessing is beginning to become evident.

As I look around me, I realize that I continue to swim in the healing waters and have now been joined by other fish who believe, as I do, in the power of the God-honoring behaviors of respect, kindness, and love. For the first time in a long time, I am looking forward to going to work.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

Guest Post - Happy 4th of July

This is a guest post by Joseph Max Lewis, a former Green Beret and current lawyer and author.

Happy Fourth of July!

 

            Imagine how the signers of The Declaration of Independence feel while looking down from heaven and listening to their critics. The thought never occurred to me until my publisher asked me to write a fictional short story relating how John Hancock experienced the 4^th of July. Before starting, I read Herbert S. Allan’s even-handed biography of Hancock. Yes, the Founders were all human - Hancock was vain and a clothes horse, for example. But when you study the founding of America from the perspective of a Founder, the greatness of these men staggers you.

 

            “But they didn’t free the slaves and women and blacks couldn’t vote!”

 

            Guess what?  No one could meaningfully vote and everyone, everywhere, was in some form of bondage. The English themselves were “subjects.” Except for royalty and a small number of men in a handful of tiny Greek city states, no one had ever controlled their destiny. 

 

            Writing in the first person forces you to see things through the eyes of the character or historic figure, to imagine what they felt, wanted and thought. The Founders were operating in uncharted waters, laying the foundation to free all mankind and making things up as they went. They were doing it while at war with the most powerful Empire on the face of the planet. On January 1, 1776, George Washington discovered he had only 8,000 enlistments instead of the 20,000 planned. Georgia and South Carolina announced they would not sign if slavery were denounced, let alone outlawed.

 

            As I imagine Hancock saying, “The hard truth is we will not free the Negro slaves . . . not because we don’t want to, but because we can’t. The southerners would revolt . . . freeing the black man will require a war and the forces of liberty are barely able to fight one war, let alone two.”

 

            On July 4, 1776, the Founders were almost to a man well educated, affluent and doing quite well as subjects of Britain. In the 18^th century, traitors were hung from a gibbet with their hands tied behind their back. Rather than breaking their necks, the traitor took about ten minutes to strangle to death. Traitors’ property was forfeit, so their families were left impoverished. While the Founders were signing their own death warrant, Benedict Arnold was trying to keep his army from disintegrating as he retreated from the disastrous Canadian campaign. "I have often thought how much happier I would have been," said Washington, "if, instead of accepting a command under such circumstances, I had taken up musket on my shoulder and entered the ranks.”  

 

            They were great men, yet consider the petulance with which they are treated. While reviewing “The Price they Paid” email about the Founders, the left wing site “Snopes” called it part true, part false. Why? Here’s an example: “Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.” Snopes - “yeah, well . . . she was already sick.” Seriously. I paraphrase, so check it out for yourselves. Part of the disdain appears to be petty racism, sexism and anti-Christianity - the Founders were white male Christians - but there may be something deeper. Writing about an attack on the Framers, Professor Walter Williams wrote, “If I believed in conspiracies, I'd say (Time’s) article is part of a leftist agenda to undermine respect for the founding values of our nation.” 

 

            Hancock might have said, “No doubt, those who hate liberty and embrace hate amongst the races will use this against us not only now, but far into the future. We can only trust this and future generations will be wise enough to detect the charlatan, understand his aim and reject his deception. That battle is for another time, and will be fought by other men. We must fight the one in front of us now.”

 

This is a column of opinion and satire. The author knows of no undisclosed facts.  Contact Lewis, the author of John Hancock, in Remington Colt's Revolutionary War Series, visit him at josephmaxlewis.com and click on Rimersburg Rules.  © Joseph M.  Lewis

 

The Amazon Kindle link to “John Hancock” is: http://www.amazon.com/Remington-Colts-Revolutionary-War-Independence-ebook/dp/B00KND49O2/ref=la_B008ZHHUBW_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404224548&sr=1-5

 

To link to listen in on the blogtalk radio show with Joseph Max Lewis discussing “The Declaration of Independence”: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gelatisscoop/2014/07/03/joseph-max-lewis-discusses-the-declaration-of-independence

 

To stop by Mr. Lewis’ website and connect with him: www.josephmaxlewis.com    

 

 

The Misunderstood Goodbye

I am preparing to say the final goodbye to someone who has held a treasured spot in my heart for the past 16-1/2 years.  This individual has been a trusted companion, a friend, and a confidant.  She has been by my side through changes in jobs and homes, through broken dreams and dreams realized. She has been a true example of the nature of unconditional love. She is Olivia Sue. She is my dog.

I decided to look for a dog when I first moved out on my own after college. The house I was living in seemed too empty and needed an injection of joy and life. Our family dog was a mid-sized black dog and I wanted to get a small white dog. I began doing research on small white dogs and narrowed my options to a bichon or west highland white terrier. The spunk and look of the Westie won me over and I was on a mission to find one. I had already chosen the name Olivia when I went to the breeder to meet four female puppies. I sat on the floor a few feet from the puppies and called out “Olivia!” One puppy turned and pranced straight to me. I scooped up all three pounds of her and took her home that day. 

The last 16-1/2 years have been filled with great memories with Olivia. She has the Westie spunk in spades. In the recent months, her health has begun to fade and she spends the majority of her time sleeping.  She can no longer go up the stairs on her own. She takes regular medicine for arthritis and belly troubles and can only eat special food. I feel like the veterinarian’s office is becoming my second home. She is certainly fighting to stay here and I am doing everything I can to fight for and with her.

When I think of the inevitable day that is coming, I already cry. (Who am I kidding, I have been crying about that day since she was 3 months old.)   I hear society say, “Get over it, she’s just a dog.” But there is no ‘just’ about a dog. A dog is about unconditional love and acceptance. I will never get over Olivia, nor do I want to. I used to joke that she may not be my daughter but she is my dog-ter. She has been God’s messenger, showing me daily that I am a creation worthy of love and teaching me how to love those around me.

Update: Olivia entered into her eternal rest on June 16, 2014. Her final hours were filled with beauty and love. I pray that God provides me with the strength to be able to share that story one day.

Let's Start At The Very Beginning: Picture Book Edition

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”

Nearly everyone is familiar with this opening line from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. The opening of a book sets the tone for the story and has the potential to instantly hook the reader. Here are the openings to some of my favorite picture books. Which ones hook you?

“Before light—while the stars still twinkle—Papa, my brother John, and I leave our cabin and take the main road out of town, headed to work.” More Than Anything Else by Marie Bradby

“Mike Mulligan had a steam shovel, a beautiful red steam shovel. Her name was Mary Anne.” Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton

“One day, a young bear was nosing through bushes when he saw something lying on the ground. He looked at it with curiosity. He sniffed at its tiny marks. Then the bear took it in his teeth and brought it back to his cave.” A Story for Bear by Dennis Haseley

“A happy school of little fish lived in a corner of the sea somewhere. They were all red. Only one of them was as black as a mussel shell. He swam faster than his brothers and sisters. His name was Swimmy.” Swimmy by Leo Lionni

“Mr. and Mrs. Mallard were looking for a place to live. But every time Mr. Mallard saw what looked like a nice place, Mrs. Mallard said it was no good.” Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

“Forevergreen Forest was a quiet peaceful place until Bruce, a great shaggy brute of a bear came wandering up out of a canyon one day.” Big Bad Bruce by Bill Peet

“Elizabeti had a new baby brother Obedi. Elizabeti watched Mama take care of him and she wanted to care for her own baby.” Elizabeti’s Doll by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen

“Elijah McCoy was born in Colchester, Ontrio, Canada, on May 2, 1844, to George and Emillia McCoy, former slaves who had escaped from Kentucky via the Underground Railroad.” The Real McCoy: The Life of an African-American Inventor by Wendy Towle

“For as long as any letter could remember, Vowels and Consonants had been enemies.” The War Between the Vowels and the Consonants by Priscilla Turner

“I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there’s gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.” Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

“The place is Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey. The year is 1999. On May 11, after months of careful research and planning, Holly Evans launches vegetable seedlings into the sky.” June 29, 1999 by David Wiesner

“There is a house, a napping house, where everyone is sleeping.” The Napping House by Audrey Wood

“It was late one winter night, long past my bedtime, when Pa and I went owling.” Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

 

And my favorite story beginning of all time comes from Shrek by William Steig. (Yes, Shrek was a book before it was a movie!)

“His mother was ugly and his father was ugly, but Shrek was uglier than the two of them put together.”

Pulling the Mint Tea from the Garden of My Life

In the months leading up to my Grandma’s move to an apartment at a retirement community, she took my mom, my sister, and me on a walk around her flower gardens. We had been on this walk many times before. Grandma spent hours tending to her flowers; she loved to show them off, and we loved to look.

This walk was different. We weren’t just looking but choosing which of the flowers we wanted to dig up and transplant into our own gardens. This was our official goodbye to the gardens she had lovingly tended for more than 40 years.

One of my selections on that day was a clump of irises that bloomed with a purple so dark I called them my midnight iris. I planted them on the side of my house where they would get plenty of sun. For five years, they came up each spring and reminded me of my Grandma’s love. This has become increasingly special in the years following Grandma’s passing.

Our across the street neighbors are also avid gardeners and shared some plants with us, too. I planted some of these plants next to Grandma’s irises. What I did not realize was that these plants shared their dirt with a hitchhiker…mint tea. I love the smell of it and, depending on my mood, enjoy the tea made from it. Tea is a good thing. What I didn’t realize was the invasive nature of it.

For the first two years, I tried to trim it and pluck it to keep it within some sort of a boundary. It defied my wishes and quickly invaded the iris area. I didn’t think too much about the situation. This year it all changed. The irises at the front of my house came up. The irises on the other side of the house came up. The only thing that came up in the bed of Grandma’s irises was mint tea. The root system of the tea had become so vast that it crowded out and withered the iris bulbs. 

I set to work last week to recover that bed and decimate the invading mint. As I pulled handfuls of the stuff, I discovered two tiny iris growths. I carefully moved them from harm’s way and continued my attack. After about an hour of pulling and digging, I was covered in dirt and sweat and in need of a break. I sat in the grass, looking at the newly cleared dirt and chugging some water, while God began to speak to my heart.

The mint tea seemed like a good thing when it first came to my flower bed. The negative repercussions of its presence snuck up on me over a period of time. The fundamental truth is that something good (mint tea) became a killer of something great (Grandma’s irises). I felt God challenging me to ask the next logical question: What are the good activities and choices in my life that are killing or crowding out the great things that God has planned for me?

In all honesty, I don’t have an answer for that question. I do believe that it is a question worthy of an answer and so I am dedicated to embarking on the journey of finding that answer and making the necessary changes. 

I extend this question to you as well: Have you left space in your life for God’s greatness or are you choking in the goodness?

Dear God, Thank you for challenging me today. Grant me the courage to follow this journey of discovering your greatness and removing the obstacles, even those that present themselves as good. Amen

A Deer Thought

As the deer pants for streams of water,
    so my soul pants for you, my God.

Psalm 42:1

My husband and I volunteer at a rabbit shelter that is located in a wooded area. Part of the fun of going to the shelter is watching for wildlife.  The woman who lives on the property makes it even easier to find the elusive creatures by setting out feed for the local deer.  Last fall it wasn’t unusual to look out the shelter windows to see five to seven deer wandering across the property. On one occasion, my husband had to wait to pull into the driveway because the deer were just hanging out. Mike leaned out of his car window and talked to them while I quietly snuck out of the shelter to join the party.

Once the winter winds and snow hit, the deer became scarce. We still had stories to share with our friends, but instead of the majesty of wild white tailed deer, the stories were about pushing Mike’s car out of the ice and snow. For those months, the wilderness held the aura of barrenness and desolation, not life and energy.

Last week, as Spring was trying to force its way into the area, we made our bi-weekly trek to the shelter. For the first time in many months, we spotted deer through the window.  I immediately noticed how different they looked. The long months of cold were reflected in their vastly more slender frames. The winter had taken quite a toll on these creatures. The good news is that the great thaw has begun and food will soon be plentiful; a return to their full glory is just around the corner.

I returned to cleaning out bunny cages as God directed my thoughts about the deer. I realized how much I am like those deer. In many areas of my life, I am experiencing a sort of winter.  I am weary and the expanse of bleakness seems to extend forever. BUT, God is there with me. He is faithful to bring hope and renewal, just as sure as Spring will come again. This return is due to His goodness, not my efforts. That fact brings a peace that passes all understanding.

There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens.

                                                Ecclesiastes 3:1

Spring: A Season for Growing and Learning

Spring is pushing its way into my neighborhood. The snow piles are almost completely melted and the hyacinths are peeking through the soil. Spring is a season for growth and renewal. It is a time for cleaning the cobwebs and dust bunnies from the remote corners of our homes, and for injecting renewed vitality into the learning plans for our children.

Spring is the perfect time for studying plants in a science-math cross-content unit.  The four variables that most lend themselves to study in a plant unit are: type of seed, type of soil, amount of water, and amount of light.   Let’s look at a few ideas for each.

Type of Seed:  There are two considerations when choosing seeds to use for this project.  First is the speed of germination.  Patience can begin to run thin when staring at a pot of dirt for sixteen days with no sign of life.  Bean or pea seeds are often a good choice for quick sprouting.  The second consideration is the purpose of the newly sprouted plants.  Do you plan to discard the plants at the conclusion of the project or do you have outdoor space where you can transfer the seedlings?  If transferring the seedlings is a possibility, you may want to choose a variety of vegetable or flower that appeals to your child.  Harvest day will have infinitely more meaning when children harvest veggies or cut flowers that were grown under their supervision.  Another idea is to plant multiple types of seeds, tracking the germination race to see which type of seed makes the first appearance.

Type of Soil:  One fascinating way to watch seeds grow is with no soil at all. Place seeds inside a clear glass jar, using damp paper towels to keep the seeds pinned against the glass.  In a few short days, your child will see the seed begin to sprout and have an up close look at what usually happens under the dirt and beyond their view.  You can also plant seeds in multiple soils such as dirt from your yard (if available), potting soil, sand, etc.  Be careful to plant seeds in each medium at the same depth to limit the variables.  Then watch to see when the different seeds germinate.  For this experiment, it is also valuable to observe the continued growth of each plant.  Seeds are tiny food storehouses, so the growing medium will not have as much of an impact on germination as on continued growth, once the plant is dependent on nutrients from the soil for growth.  If possible, purchase or make growing containers with one clear side so that root growth can also be observed.

Amount of Water: This is a classic experiment.  Begin by planting several seeds, each in its own container.  Then water each seed on the same schedule but with varying amounts of water.  Depending on the size of the container, the water could be measured in tablespoons, cups or metric units.  Perhaps there are four seeds which are given ¼ cup, ½ cup, ¾ cup, and 1 cup of water respectively. Observe and record the rate of germination and growth.

Amount of Light:  This is another classic experiment seen at science fairs across the country.  Place some seeds in direct sunlight, others in indirect sunlight, and still others in relative dark.  Observe and record not only the rate of germination but the rate of growth for a few weeks past germination.

I mentioned that this is a great unit for science-math cross-content studies so let’s get to the math part.  It is crucial in a study like this to keep records of observations, and to take measurements of growth.  These are the areas of math inclusion.  Studies like this help children to see the real-world applications of math concepts.  The first step is to specify the variable being studied and to design the record keeping system.  Each of the four variables described above can be studied through an observation of the passage of time and growth.  Therefore, a calendar and ruler will be important tools.  The water study will also require an appropriate water measuring device.  The recording of the passage of time and growth points is only the first step in the math.  More advanced students should be encouraged to calculate comparisons among different plants within each variable.  Rate of growth over time can be calculated as well as the generation of hypotheses about future growth with observations of actual growth and calculations of those differences.

While it is not necessary to link every learning opportunity to the season, Spring is a great time for learning choices to reflect the environment through a study of plants.  Please share your learning experiences with plants by commenting here, or you can find me on Twitter @TrostleMichelle.  Happy growing!

Impossible, Part 2: I fell down the stairs, again.

Hold on to that handrail! According to the National Safety Council, more than 7.9 million people are injured in falls each year. At least five times during my years, I have been part of that statistic by falling down an entire flight of stairs. 

The first fall was just before my fifth birthday. I fell down the stairs to the basement.  My very pregnant mother ran down the stairs after me; that’s when labor started.  I’m not sure what was more traumatic at that point in my life, the fall and resulting wrist injury or the arrival of my little sister.  With maturity and perspective, I can say with certainty that my sister is a blessing and only the fall was traumatic.

The most recent fall, and by far the worst of all, was February 15.  The fall happened around 7:00 in the evening but I have no memory from lunchtime that day through waking up the next morning in a hospital room.  I told my husband that I twisted my ankle at the top of the stairs but I don’t remember that conversation.  He heard the thud, thud, thud of the fall and found me unconscious in a heap at the bottom of the stairs, blocking the front door.  My head had hit the metal front door with enough force to leave a sizable dent in the door and crack the wood molding.  If my life was a cartoon, I would have had little birdies circling my head.

The most important thing that happened during that fall was that I had some sense knocked into my head and learned some important lessons.

1.  My husband is great at handling a crisis.  He called an ambulance and made sure that I got appropriate medical attention.  He was my advocate when I couldn’t advocate for myself. (Isn’t that funny…advocate and advocate are spelled the same. Gotta love English!)

2. Old habits really do die hard.  This conversation I had with my husband in the emergency room during my missing memory period is evidence of that fact:  Me: “Where are my glasses? Why can I see?” Mike: “You had LASIK almost a year ago.” Me: “Oh, that doesn’t sound like me.”  I haven’t worn glasses for almost a year and yet one of my first thoughts on waking up with a concussion is to reach for glasses.  Maybe some habits never die.

3. Missing memories can result in feelings of helplessness and inadequacy.  I doubt that I will ever get back that missing 20 or so hours of memory and I’m not sure that I want to remember the fall.  However, I still struggle with that black hole in my memory bank. This gives me a new level of appreciation and love for my Grandma and Mike’s Grammy who both struggled with memory issues in their last days on Earth.  I pray that I was able to give them the gift of dignity in the moment and not orbit them around the black hole of memory loss.

Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  It seems impossible that God could use something like falling down the stairs to teach me important lessons about life and the ones I love.  And yet, He did just that.

Impossible (part 1)

“Impossible. Impossible things are happening every day!” This earworm has been rolling around in my head all week. It began while babysitting our two year old niece, Ashlyn. “’Rella, Aunt Chelle, ‘Rella,” she exclaimed while bouncing across the room to grab the Cinderella dvd. I happily obliged and together we watched Rogers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella starring Whitney Houston as the Fairy Godmother. So, not only has this song been stuck in my head but it is in Houston’s voice. Ok, I admit it, not all earworms are completely terrible.

In the Bible, Jesus tells us “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) The beauty of God’s love for us is that He does not stop with telling us the truth. He provides example after example of situations that seem impossible, yet are possible through God:  Abraham and Sarah become first-time parents at an advanced age,  Daniel is thrown into a den of hungry lions and walks away without so much as a scratch,  Gideon and God’s army of 300 men defeat the Midianite army of thousands, a young virgin named Mary gives birth to the Son of God.

The impossible being possible continues today. Over my next few posts, I will explore some of today’s impossible happenings both in my life and the lives of others. I would love to hear your impossible being possible with God stories. You can find me at https://www.facebook.com/trostlestreasures or on Twitter @TrostleMichelle.