Bible Verses: Brooks

We started bible verse memorization with Landon about two years ago.  I bet he has about 15-20 in his repertoire and he does such a great job reminding me every once in a while to learn a new one.

I decided it was time to get Brooks in the loop.  Last week he learned his first two and I was shocked how quickly he picked them up.

Granted, they aren’t the longest verses in the bible, but it also wasn’t “Jesus wept.”

By the third night of practicing them during tuck in, he was reciting them to me with no help.  It is true what they say about little kids being sponges!

Here are his first two verses:

1 – “Never tire of doing what’s right.” 2 Thess 3:13  (This was also Landon’s first verse)

2 – “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”  Phil 4:13

He told me he needs a new one now… so it’s time to hit the Bible and find some new ones for them.

Landon is working on Jerem 29:11 right now. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to fail you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

Pen pals

I mentioned that a few months ago, our great nanny moved to Hawaii to be closer to her family.  Our kids really loved playing together and more than once Landon has asked when Aidenn would be coming back to play with us.  “How many more days until Aidenn is back from Hawaii?”

He doesn’t quite understand the concept of moving away.

In the meantime though, Kristine and I decided it would be cute for the kids to be penpals and send each other cards, stickers, etc.  I love the idea of the kids getting mail every so often.

A couple weeks ago the boys got a package in the mail from Hawaii – Aidenn wanted to send the boys ukuleles for their birthdays and the boys have loved them.  They are so much fun to play and they run around calling them their “little guitars” (ha).

We’ve been working on a thank you note to send back to Aidenn thanking him and letting him know how much we miss him.

I am excited for my kids to have a penpal. I remember, when friends would move away in elementary school, keeping up for a few months or even a year or two by mail.  It was always so much fun to get something addressed to you in the mail.

Do your kids have a pen pal?  Have they loved keeping up with their buddy?

P.S.  Landon did the best job he’s ever done writing his name! It looks like I wrote it! (Good thing he had so much practice on the 20 valentines for his class!)

Learning to Read

For Christmas, Landon got some Bob books from Grandpop and Debbie.  He’s been really excited to start them and over the past few weeks, we’ve picked some out and read them together. The cool things about Bob books are they start with a focus of just 1-2 letters at a time, so there is a whole book on A and B and one on C and D and another on E and F, etc.

As we go, we do a lot of practice sounds of the key words.
“A” “Sounds like ah” “ahh-lligator” “alligator”
“B” “Sounds like buh” “buh-ear” bear”

Landon wanted to do the A/B book again this weekend, so we pulled it out.  After we finished reading it, I asked him “Landon, can you think of any other words that start with A/uh sound?”

“Uhhh-table,” he replied.  Hmmm… so we have a ways to go, I thought to myself.

We talked through some other “A” words and he seemed to catch on for a few of them.

“How about other words that start with the B/buh sound?”
“Like this,” he asks, pointing to the headboard of his bed.

Wow – maybe he is getting this after all, I thought. He is getting one on his first try!

“Yes, what is that, Bubba? What is that B object?”
Still pointing to his bed, he responds, “Buh-Buh-Wood.”

And like that, my hopes and dreams of an early appearance on Jeopardy for my whiz kid are dashed.

My little teacher

Lately, Landon has been on a kick where he likes to teach his little brother.  In the shower, Landon will point to their Cars body wash and start the lesson.
“Brooks, say Toe”
“Toe,” repeats little brother.
“Mater”
“Mater,” says Brooks.
“See Brooksie, you’re sounding the words. Toe-Mater, TowMater!”

Then he moves to the next character, “Light”
“Light”
“Nin”
“Nin”
“Ma”
“Ma”
“Queen”
“Queen”
“See Brooksie, Lightnin’ McQueen” he directs.

The funniest part is Brooks is already a very good speaker.  He carries on fully conversations with us all the time, so this isn’t quite an area that he needs help and often it’s harder to understand what Brooks is saying when Landon is giving the lesson.  But it sure is adorable to see Landon teach Brooks and Brooks to listen to what his big bro has to say.

I. love. these. boys.

Scripture Memorization – Part 3

Landon added a few more bible verses this summer. (These are the ones we started with:  here and here.)  And we’ve recently started to talk more about what the verses mean instead of just memorizing them.  I love watching him hear and learn things and then use them properly later on.

“Don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says.” James 1:22

“I will praise you Lord with all my heart. I will tell of the marvelous things you have done.”  Psalm 9:1

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30  (this was one that he learned at eKids at church for July.  They learn a new one each month and if they know them then they get to pick a prize when they leave.

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Last Sunday we were on the way to church and we did a couple practice runs of his old July verse (Mark 12:30).  Then I asked if he knew what his new verse was (for August) because they always let them to recite the current months verse during class. He replied “Mom I’m just going to say – (his old July verse) ‘love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength – Mark 12:30’ – and then I’m going to get a prize out of the basket!”

Sidenote:  He learned his August scripture this week – just in the nick of time!
“Follow God’s example, as dearly loved children, and walk in the way of love.” Ephesians 5:1-2a

He’s a writer!

I am a proud momma. I love watching my boys learn new things and get so excited about their accomplishments.

One of the latest accomplishments is Landon working on writing his name by himself.  Ms Kristine has been helping him a lot as he practices his letters – they’ve practiced with chalk, pencils and crayons.

Here he is tracing her letters:

And then he tried one solo (in yellow):

I hope my kids ALWAYS have a love for learning new things!

Scripture Memorization

We’ve been continuing our bible scripture practice because Landon loves learning the verses.  He’ll often throw them in his prayers. For a while, we couldn’t get through a prayer without Landon starting with, “Thank you for I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength… and thank you for Brooksie, and…” Too cute.

The past month or so, I’d forgotten to add any new ones and one day Landon said, “Where’s my new one?” so I had to get on the ball and find some others to work on.

These are his latest additions:  (And while they look short as I type them, they feel long when we are trying to memorize them.)

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are safe.” Proverbs 18:10 (Landon version “…run to it and keep safe.”)
“For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11:36
“The Lord detests evil plans but He delights in pure things.” Proverbs 15:26

Hopefully, we’ll master these soon and find his “new ones.”

Scripture Memorization

Since Landon is a little sponge right now, we are working on committing some bible verses to memory.  I know I used to have a bunch memorized when I was little, but as the years passed, I forgot many of them and only in recent years started trying to memorize scripture that I can keep tucked away and pulled out, as needed – i.e. often!

Here are the verses we’re working on:

“I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.”  Philippians 4:13
“For God so loved the world, he sent His only son.”  John 3:16
“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
“Never tire of doing what’s right.” 2 Thessalonians 3:13 (Hilarious to hear him say Thessalonians!)

I figure if we start learning the words now, we can start to understand what they mean in a few years when he understands and can put them into practice.