"Do not worry..."

My oldest brother used to have a poster of Einstein with this quotation: "Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater." What Einstein said about math, I say to moms everywhere, "Do not worry about your difficulties in messes. I can assure you mine are still greater." I said to Jon earlier today, "It's weird. Things around here always happen all at once." That was after Molly peed on the floor while I was trying to make soup and had grilled cheese burning in the oven. This afternoon, I was trying to make muffins and finally getting them into the oven, while the kids spread snack (popcorn and juice packs) from one end of the dining room to the other... I got distracted as I was putting them into the oven, and the whole pan landed face down on to the bottom of the oven, muffin mix everywhere!... all over the bottom of the oven, dripping to the drawer below! And as I was trying to deal with that mess, Katie runs into the kitchen, "Jordan's into the flour bag... he's eating it and it's all over the hallway!" So, I assure you, my messes are still greater. Feel free to comment if you can beat this story... the sad thing is, Jon always asks me why I don't blog about every incident that happens in our house, and it's because, at this point, it's become normative. ;)

Dixon Family Summer Challenges

So, we've created daily challenges for our family so that we are intentional about doing things together- mostly fun (we hope)- there's a variety of educational, creative, skill or character developing, active ideas... we're into creating memories and we hope that these things lead to some good ones for our kids.... anyone can feel free to browse them and steal as you wish- we would encourage families to think and do whatever it is that helps you to bring your families closer together and closer to God.

Find 10 different bugs and identify them.

Go to the park, try to find 10 different leaves and then research to find out what types of plants they are from.

Measure the windows in the house.

Make a grocery list; make an educated guess as to how much each item costs, and then find out the actual cost. Compare your guess with reality.

Do a nature scavenger hunt (check out abcteach).

Make a family newspaper. Have each person contribute by writing an article, taking pictures, or creating a comic strip.

Read a combination of 100 pages, together as a family, in one day.

Make a rock collection; discover the differences between rocks.

Find Kenya on the map. Research this country to find out about the land, the people, and traditions.

Tell a story; have one person start, then stop at a certain point, where the next person will continue… and so on.

Have a family soccer blitz.

Play a game of catch, or a full fledged game of baseball.

Walk every street in the subdivision.

Have a water fight.

Create your own game/sport and play it.

Make an obstacle course and have each person try to get through it.

Play a family game of hide and seek.

Walk around the neighbourhood, armed with gloves and garbage bag. Pick up any litter that you see.

Walk/run the stairs 10 times.

Boys vs. girls: Each team hide a treasure; make a map or clues that the other team must follow to find the treasure.

Clean the car, inside and out, in 1 hour.

Make a fort, big enough to fit the whole family.

Make a chalk drawing that takes up the whole driveway.

Have a skipping competition.

Choose, and play, either Burning Bridges or Capture the Flag.

Have a potato sack race.

Have a Turn the Turtle competition.

Go on a family hike.

Make a meal together…. You can work in teams to make the main dish, a side dish, and dessert.

Try a new recipe.

Make a picnic and go to a park to eat it.

Make a meal plan for a week and follow it.

Create a menu for Restaurant Chez Dixon.

Make cookies to give away to a recipient of your choice.

Think of a way to thank some people in your community that may not receive a thank you for the jobs they do (ex. Garbage collectors); each person may pick a different person to thank.

Write a song together.

Tell a story by drawing it as it progresses.

Make puppets and perform a puppet show.

Create a picture together; have one person start it (keeping it secret), then make a fold to hide it, leaving only the very edge for the next person to add on to it, and continue in the same way, from person to person.

Pick an origami craft to learn and create it.

Get out the paints and paper; make a finger painting.

Make a miniature town, using recyclables.

Go on a prayer walk around the neighbourhood.,

Put the names of all family members in a hat. Have each person pick a name (different than their own)… each member will pray for, and write/draw encouraging notes for that person whose name they have drawn, for a week.

Have each family member do another family member’s chore for the day.

Turn on some music and have a dance party.

Have each person scavenge bits of nature to make a collage, all together.

Write a letter to Matayo, our sponsor child.

Have each person matched up with a name(s) of a cousin(s) or aunt(s) or uncle(s); write an e-mail to that/those person(s).

Build a Lego tower… how high can it go?

Have a paper airplane contest… the farthest flying plane wins.

Celebrate Christmas in the summer! Find a tree to decorate, sing carols, make gifts for each other, and read the true Christmas story!

Create a photo scavenger hunt. Boys vs. Girls Each group creates a list of 10 items.

Create a video of an Old Testament Story.

Watch a black and white comedy show.

Each person writes a letter to their best friend.

Make homemade playdoh.

Create a space ship from large cardboard boxes.

Go to the beach.

Stay up late and look for stars.

Flashlight tag.

Everyone gets their faces painted. The family decides together what to paint on each person that represents who they are,