The Little Drummer Boy -- Canadian Style

Check out this music video by Sean Quigley, 

(a highschool student from Winnipeg, Canada)

who wanted to honour Jesus through this classic Christmas carol.

Here's the full story:  Winnipeg teen drums up viral hit 

  ~ Chelsey ~

On Falling Down the Stairs and Other Things

I fell down the stairs a week or so ago.  In the dark, around midnight, with my hands full.  This is the recipe for falling down the stairs.  

I only fell down the last stair or two (thinking that I'd already reached the bottom).  My knee was twisted at a horrible angle and I've spent a lot of my time lately on my back with my leg propped up in the air.

I purchased a Gal Pal Ice Pack years ago because it was cute and practical, but I hadn't had a reason to use it for myself until now (My kids use yogurt tubes as ice packs and then eat the yogurt tube afterwards -- it's a great system!)

I haven't been on the computer as much as normal since I'm "old fashioned" and have a desk computer, but I have found random things to mention (aside from my cute ice pack).



Have you heard of Kids Bowl Free?  From June 10 -- September 10 kids who are signed up for the program can bowl 2 free games per day at participating bowling alleys.  You just have to pay for shoe rentals.  You can also sign up 4 teens/adults for the summer for an additional 25ish dollars.  Of course you don't have to go every day, but you could if you wanted to...


I have to tell you about Pinterest.  Back in the day I had very well organized bookmarks on my computer with things I wanted to make in the future, things that inspired me etc...  This is like having well organized bookmarks, but with PICTURES!  You can also see things that other people have "pinned" to their "bulletin boards" and re-pin them to your own boards.  I now have all sorts of ideas organized on Pinterest for upcoming birthday parties and crafts that I hope to make in the future.

If you want an invitation you can e-mail me or leave your e-mail address in the comments.  You have to see it to fully appreciate it!

~❀~ Chelsey ~❀~

Overcoming Cabin Fever (Sesame Street Style)

I always get a kick out of the Sesame Street versions of hit songs.  My kids think "C drives me crazy" is great and they've never even heard the original song...

Here's "Outdoors" with Jason Mraz.  I've heard the song before, but have to admit I don't know the artist -- I just love the catchy tune.  

This choice of words is great: 

"All day I've been inside -- I've got the feeling 

I'm trapped between the walls and underneath the ceiling".

I can't wait to go outdoors either, but here it's cold and dark and rainy.  I won't enjoy going outdoors fully till the weather warms up!  

If you can't bear to go outdoors yet, check out other great Sesame Street clips and songs at Sesame Street Videos.  

They have a bunch of my favourite characters: Ernie, the Tweedlebugs, Super Grover, Slimey the Worm and the Martians ("Yup yup yup"). 

Don't forget to share your favourite Sesame Street characters and sketches here! 

~❀~ Chelsey ~❀~

Funducational Websites for Pre/Early Schoolers

Here are a couple of my favourite funducational websites for pre-schoolers and early schoolers:

Curious George

This website has games that are fun with an emphasis primarily on Math.  There are games that promote skills such as counting, adding, map use, shapes, measurement and double digit number sequencing.

One of my favourite games is Banana 411 where the child memorizes a 3 digit 'phone' number to see a small videoclip.  Elijah (4), who insisted it was his turn to play while I was writing this post, likes Present Time. 

The underlying messages promoted on the Curious George website are: it's nice to give homemade things as gifts and it's good to help those less fortunate than yourself.  Math with a message -- how great is that?


PBS Island

Here you'll Find Fun games Featuring a variety of Familiar characters from shows such as Sesame Street, Super Why and Between the Lions.  These games promote Language Arts skills such as letter identification, rhyming, phonics and alliteration (see above for a lot of words that begin with "f" used together -- a total fluke, I promise).

This site allows you to create an account that will monitor the progress of your child (or of multiple children).  The child advances to the next level by successfully completing all the games in the first level.  Tickets are earned for playing each game and then the child can use those tickets to buy prizes for their very own virtual tree house.  Elijah was very excited when he had enough tickets to buy a robot!

Check out these amazing websites with your young ones and let me know what you think of them.  Feel free to add links to your own favourite educational websites too.

~❀~ Chelsey ~❀~

A Lie's Still a Lie -- Even When it's White.

My husband and I have been watching the tv show "Lie to Me" with Tim Roth (not Gary Oldman -- I mix those guys up ever since being introduced to them in "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead"). Anyways -- this isn't your typical detective type show. This show solves the mystery by using the science of lie detection (with no lie detector machine required). Check this show out if you haven't already.

In the meantime check out this snippet from the show. It's a funny, honest song about white lies that will have you humming all day:

My kids (3 and 6) have experimented with lying. You know -- the age old: "No, I didn't eat any chocolate." when they have it smeared all over their mouths. If only all lies were so easy to detect...

Types of Less Conventional Lies:

*White Lies -- I love honesty, but I'll admit to being a little embarrassed when my kids are brutally honest about things like disliking supper at someone else's house. I've made a point not to teach them how to tell white lies, but it is hard to teach them to be honest all the time and to still use manners. I tell them not to say they liked the meal if they didn't, but that they can still say "thank you" because the host worked hard to make the meal.

*Half Truths. A half truth is withholding information, but people figure it's okay because it's not like telling a bold faced lie. This is why in court people are asked to tell "the whole truth" -- after all a half truth is technically also a half lie. My kids are too young to dabble with half truths as of yet and I'd love for them to avoid them all together. I'll let you know how that goes...

*Lying with Your Actions. To me, the definition of sneaking is lying with your actions. If a person is doing something on the sly that someone else is unaware of then the intention is to deceive them. My son (3) is a notorious sneaker, but he's such an open book about it. You can see when he has a plan to sneak, when he's mid-sneak and when he's snuck (and I mean even without the help of chocolate on the face).


Right now the biggest lie we're dealing with is "I'm full". My kiddos have discovered that full people don't have to eat more while picky people do. Strange how moments later they'll be hungry if desert is hinted at!

Share your feelings on lying. And please -- be honest.


~❀~ Chelsey ~❀~

The Remedy for Anger

Proverbs 15:1 "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."

This is very true (with a rare exception for perpetually angry people I suppose...) But it was only after reading a devotional on tangle that I saw it from another point of view.

The devotional said a gentle answer "is sure to waylay the anger within us." How profound that this verse can refer to the 'other person', but it can also refer to ourselves. I know that I can get worked up about something if I start ranting about it, yet if my thoughts and words were gentle and calm I'd be less intense about it. It seems so obvious, huh?

I've heard the verse my whole life and never thought it was talking about anger in the speaker. Next time I feel the urge to give someone a piece of my mind or, as is more my style, rant about an injustice after the fact -- I'll hopefully remember that a soft answer will keep me from anger.

A Glimpse into the Lives Of All Sorts of Strangers

Here's a website that reunites people with their lost cameras:
Found Cameras and Orphan Pictures

It's so neat to see all these happiest moments and great to hear about people getting their camera/photos back!