Puzzles.  Puzzles are fun.  Puzzles are educational.  Puzzles are entertaining.  And, there are plenty of them at my house.  Well, to be clear…the ‘plenty of puzzles’ we have at my house are for Levi.    None for me, thank you very much.  I get all twitchy when someone opens up a box of those 400 pieces of cardboard.  Probably the hardest thing on this planet for me to do would be finish one of those puzzles.  Little irregular scraps of cardboard that fit only to another irregular scrap and there are 8 different color combinations on one piece and only 1 color on the matching piece.  Maddening, I tell you!  My OCD kicks in when I even see the box!

Being involved in preschool education since I was in college,  I have seen my share of puzzles.   I loved using them in my teaching all through the years.  In school, in church, with my own children.  I used puzzles that were bought and many I made myself.

*****A QUICK PUZZLE*****

Take 6 wooden craft sicks…(use the large size like a tongue depressor).  Lay them side by side and use 3 strips of masking tape to hold them together on one side.  Turn the taped sticks over and design your puzzle.  Markers seem to work the best for this project, with crayons next.  Sometimes I had large stencils for the children to use.  Sometimes they made up their own designs.  Sometimes we used only the words of a Bible verse.  If it was fall, we may have traced a leaf and colored it in fall colors.  The possibilities are endless.  Be sure to extend the design to cover a bit of every stick.  Then pull the tape off and put  it on the front of a ziplock bag (sandwich size is just right).  Use the tape surface to write child’s name. And, this is a good place to include a Bible verse that relates to the puzzle…such as “Work with your hands…”1 Thessalonians 4:11  Then the puzzle pieces are easily taken home in the baggie and kept together.

That’s just a little freebie for you grandmothers out there! 🙂

I was taught, not in college, but in training to be a Convention Approved Preschool Teacher by the Southern Baptist Convention, the proper way to  work a puzzle.  It’s really very sensible and very logical.  It should be taught in early education classes in college, and maybe it is now…but they didn’t when I was there!  I have tried, in every setting I have ever been apart of, to share this info with teachers, as I taught the children the proper way to do the puzzles.  Always, they said it makes perfect sense…but carrying it out was another story.

If you go into any Sunday School class with little ones and you give them a puzzle to work…how are they going to get the pieces out?  Right…they are going to turn the puzzle over and make a loud noise when all the pieces fall out.  Then some will fall on the floor, so they will have to get them.  Then they still have to turn them over.  And if Timmy is working next to Emily who is working next to Mary…all the pieces are going to get mixed up!  Yuck!  Confusion and chaos!  There IS a better way.

Every child should place his puzzle in front of him.  Then take the pieces out of the frame face up, one by one and place them on the LEFT side of the puzzle,  face up.  (They may be too young to know’left’…but if you put a red dot on the outside of the puzzle, it reminds them where the pieces go.  Now the puzzle is ready to go…no turning pieces over, no looking for lost pieces , and no mixed up pieces.  If all the children follow these rules…several can sit at a table and work and no one will mix up their pieces.  This works in another way also.  It reinforces looking left to right, which is the way they will learn to read.

As hard as I have tried, it has not always worked.  Children do it the wrong way so often at home or other places that it is hard to change this habit.  I tried through all the years I worded with preschoolers to teach them the proper way.  But, unless you get a child when he is working his very first puzzles and teach the right way, it is hard to get them to change.  My 3 boys did them correctly. And, I have shown this way to Levi ever since we got his very first puzzle.

Today, he wanted to get out the puzzles so I laid one on the floor for him.  Imagine my delight when I looked down to see the puzzle ready to be worked…all the pieces were face up on the left side!  He’s got it!

So, nothing big or exciting to anyone but me…but it makes me happy.  It goes to show that in most things, we can make a difference in the way a child does things if we set the example very early.  Much easier than changing behavior and habits later.  What we give our time to when teaching will become what the child will excel at.  To Levi, this is not even a conscious decision anymore, it’s just the way to do puzzles now.  How many other things could become second nature to a child if we took the time to focus on it.  I am reminding myself of my priorities here!

“Train up a child…”

Now for a laugh…

Two good ‘ole boys went into a restaurant for a  celebration.  

The waiter asked them,”What’s the reason for the celebration?”  

One of the guys answered ” Well we finished a puzzle we were working on.  It only took us a month to complete it !  

The waiter said, “Wow! That must have been some puzzle!”  

The other boy replied, ”  It sure was!  The box said it would take ‘from 3 to 6 years’!!!”  🙂

Hope there is nothing in your life that is too ‘puzzling’ right now!

Oct 26, 2013…….Part 3 of a story in 3 parts

A photo of all the helpers!  (Tina D, Joy, Tonja, Shirl, Patty…minus Suzanne, who was wrangling Levi)

2:00…..Adam began pictures of the Bride and Groom and Jackson…(All the photos were made on the wooden bridge on the road where I live…just 2 doors down.  The remainder are in my backyard)

4:30  All the troops were back, everyone was taking care of the last minute things they saw.  Time for family pics.  Adam set up camera.  Don didn’t like the background, so Adam moved it.  Someone else didn’t like that. Adam was very patient, but finally he put it where he wanted it and we all got in place.  SMILE!   He had to do them quick before Levi jumped again! We managed to get one or two where everyone was looking in the right direction!.  Then the individuals.  Then a few that I wanted.  And, that’s it!  Adam said we were finished!

5:30…time for food… it should have already been delivered.   All guests were arriving and people were milling around and visiting.  Shirl and Tina D lit all the zillion candles, as dark began to descend.  The minister arrived.  The food still is not here.  Don called the caterer.  No answer.  Must be on their way.  Whew!  Tina and Shirl began to lead everyone to their seats, and the food is not here.  Don was still on the phone.  No answer.  Bro. Billy, our minister, was in the other room with Tina and Ian and Jackson.  Everyone was seated.  They say I have to sit down now!   And, still. no. food. “Lord, what am I going to do?  All the food we have is what Suzanne prepared and some crackers and dip that I prepared.  That and a can of nuts.  You know all about it.  Help!  Fix it for me, Lord.  I want this to be perfect and now it is falling to pieces!  Help me, please!”  I went and sat down with Don.

6:00…Brother Billy and Ian walked out the side door and got in place.  And, then came beautiful Tina in her gorgeous dress with sweet Jackson holding her hand.  She walked to stand by Ian and Jackson sat in my lap.  Here we go!

Patty went to join Billy to sing a song that I felt would start the evening off and set the mood for the service….”Surely the Presence”

“Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.

I can feel His mighty power and His grace.

I can feel the brush of angel wings, I see glory on each face.

Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.”

And friends, even though I intended this to be a duet…everyone there joined in and by the time we sang the words through a second time, there was no doubt the angels were circling round and God, himself, was right in our midst!  I was covered in goose bumps, but not from the cold.  From the fact that with much help from many friends, we had created a little chapel right here on my porch!

“FOR WHERE TWO OR THREE ARE GATHERED TOGETHER IN MY NAME, THERE AM I IN THE MIDST OF THEM.”  Matthew 18:20

Lights twinkling in the trees, with their tall, tall branches silhouetted against a purple sky…candles surrounding the little area and flickering their little wicks…a fire gently burning in the background behind the minister with the coals already beginning to glow a festive orange and red.  And, Ian and Tina standing , surrounded by friends who have loved us and cared for us, and gone through life with us, supporting them with their love.  It was perfect.  It was just the way I wanted everyone to feel…. warm and peaceful and happy…. and they did.  And I did.  And Ian and Tina did.

The “I Do’s” were said.  And the vows were spoken.  The promises were made and the rings were exchanged.  And the kiss.  Then the pronouncement…Mr and Mrs. Ian David Owens.  And, it was done. They made their way back into the den and I stood up to give further instructions.  I had nothing prepared to say, but I had called on God earlier, so He took over.  I reminded them, as they sat there, that they were invited specifically because of who they were and what they meant to us and that they were an extension of our family.  And, then I told them that since they were family, I felt like they would forgive us for not having more food…because the caterer NEVER SHOWED UP!  So, we would put out what we had and share it and please know that we planned on having a much bigger meal. Suzanne and Joy and Otelida took the extra plates off the table and we replaced them with 2 of everything we had and we had plenty!  Everyone ate and ate and ate.  And then there was cake!  So, it turned out OK…and everyone understood….and we saved a ton of money that would have gone to the caterer!  There’s always something to be grateful for! :).  But, I’ll never use them again…for anything…ever.  (Edited to add:  When Don finally did get in touch with the owner, the excuse they gave was flimsy and not at all acceptable.)  Oh! Well!  Live and learn!  And, besides, it makes for a great story!

We cut the cake and the bride and groom tasted it!  Ian had a few words to say of appreciation and thanks to Don and I and the gathered friends.  Then, to the shock of a few…Shirl started singing (to the tune of “Going To The Chapel”)  “Going to the Creekhouse and we’re gonna get ma-a-a-rried”  I joined in “Going to the Creekhouse and we’re gonna get ma-a-a-rried…”  Joy and Patty and Tina come in with harmony…“Going to the Creekhouse and we’re gonna get ma-a-a-ried…Going to the Creekhouse of Love. Whoa-whoa-whoa… Fa-all is here, The-uh-uh sta-ars will shine. Whoa-whoa-whoa… I’ll be his And he’ll be mine! We’ll love until the end of time, And we’ll never be lonely anymore! Because we’re going to the Creekhouse, And we’re   gonna to get ma-a-a-rried. Going to the Creekhouse, And we’re  gonna get ma-a-a-rried. Gee, I really love you and we’re   gonna get ma-a-a-rried. Going to the Creekhouse of Love … Whoa-a-whoa-a-whoa-whoa Going to the Creekhouse of Love …Whoa-a-whoa-a-whoa-whoa Going to the Creekhouse of Love! And, I tell you, everyone in the room was singing and clapping the beats of the song and having a great time, serenading the newlyweds!  It was the best!  And, I am so glad we did it!  Our little flash mob at the wedding!  (Corny, for sure, but memorable!  And, I don’t think we embarrassed the younger folks too much!)

So much fun! So much love in the room.

The cousins…Ian, Lori, Alex, Tara, Adam

Everyone visited with each other and caught up on all the news.  But, slowly, it became time for folks to leave and they began to drift away.  First one and then another and another until the only ones left were Don and I, Ian and Tina and Patty and Mike.  I insisted that Joy and Suzanne leave.  They did a lot before they left, but we finished up the rest.  Don was leaving the next morning for a trip to California for the week and I knew that I was going to be sacked out for a day or two…or three.  Mike offered to take all the rentals back, which saved me from loading and returning them.  That was wonderful!  And Otelida washed the last dish.  And we were done.  She and Yazzmine, her granddaughter, left.  Ian and Tina were getting Jackson settled. He was going to stay with us while they went to a quaint little B&B in a neighboring town for the night.    Jackson was on my daybed, watching cartoons.  I got on the couch.  Don and Adam and Alex were watching a ballgame.  When that was over, Alex came and got in the bed with Jackson, because he had promised he would stay right with him all night.  And he did. Good night!  I’m too tired to even dream. Don left early the next morning, and Jackson and Alex and I had breakfast.  He played and watched TV till Ian and Tina came back around noon.  They opened some gifts and said their goodbyes and headed off to Birmingham to begin their lives together!    And, I climbed into bed! It was wonderful!  It was fun!  It was nerve-wracking!  It was blessed!  I am so thankful Ian and Tina decided  to come here and have their wedding.  It popped up out of the blue, but that’s OK.  Surprises are wonderful!  My hope is that when they look back on this night, in years to come…they will remember it as warm and cozy, glowing with good wishes and happiness…and filled with love for those they love and who love them. We felt that God was in our midst and that He blessed their marriage. I was reminded later, as I  pondered the events…we can plan and work and plan and work…and it still may not go according to our plans.  And, so what?  Isn’t life best when the unexpected pops up to surprise us?  That’s when we are our best, really.  Because it’s then that we lean on family and friends and God, most of all.  That’s when we work together and even out the rough spots and laugh about the rest!   “It was a perfect weekend!

“GOD HAS GIVEN US THESE TIMES OF JOY!”  Nehemiah 12:43  To Him go all the thanks and honor and glory!