Stonemaker’s blog

Fo a while I’v have been trying to find some way for my four year old to be able to understand and remember the various bible and holiday stories that I tell him. Usually I need to repeat the story quite a few times but I found a method through which he was able to grasp the story usually on the first try.

I call it an interactive story device. For example. For the story of creation I made a window wheel which turning the window displays the different days of creation (and what was created on them. He was so eager to do it himself and tell me the story that I only had to show him once and then the pictures were enough to remind him.

For the story of Adam, Eve and the snake I made a small picture of a woman and a man  attached to the board with  strings so that they could be moved around through out the story without getting lost. The fruit of knowlege is velcroed on to the tree and tied to the board so that it too can be taken down and manipulated without being lost. The sword on the door of thgarden of Eden can be turned like it describes in the story.

For Noach I made a six section page showing the different parts of the story begining with god  speaking to noach in his house to god bringing the offering after going off the arc. The animals can be moved in and out of the boat. The dove can be sent out of the boat to search for dry land. the boat can rock in the storm.

This together with the use of lapbooks have really made these stories come alive for my son. I highly reccomend it.

Anyone who read yesterdays post knows how down I was yesterday, well today was a much better day.  I did not lose my temper even once although I had ample opportunity and cause to.

I’ve d3ecioded I am trying a new tactic with my dear daughter number 3 who is a very reluctant writer. I will not push in the least bit. I’ll give her no reinforcement whatsoever for her negativism. But when her sibsd do the work I will give them prizes on occasion and lots of positive rinforcement. I’ve managed to wean my second son (fifth child) out of quite a few bad habits in such a way and I hope to be able to the same with her with out having to get frustrated.

I chose to depict hakel. I made a cake for the base and then sugar cookies in the shape of men and women (using cookie cutters) and one sefer torah (also with a cookie cutter). stuck many of the “People” into the cake all facing in one direction and one man with the sefer torah facing the other direction.

The children guessed it in record time.

OK for Mishpatim I chose to use the section which says if a man has built a house but not yet lived in it he should not go to war rather he should stay and live in his house. I made a rectagular cake and then cut the pieces into cubes so as to build part of a house. (didn’t do the whole house though. The kids got it but My son did mention that the house was supposed to be finished.

For Ki Teizei I made a cake (in a teletubby pan) but cut off the antenaes. I then decorated the 2 teletubbies as a bride and groom.  for the section of a man and a woman who get married, the man shoulkd not go off to war for a year rather he should stay and make his wife happy. I decorated the cake with white frosting for the bride and brown frosting for the grooms suit.

This week my 4 yr old son wanted a teddy bear cake for dessert and my 6 yr old daughter wanted it to be half choclate and half vanilla so I  satisfied both of them and for the Parsha part I made 2 little cupcakes, one for the head and one for the arm to be the Tefillin that is mentioned towards thend of the Parsha.

They did not have too much difficulty guessing it.

TRhe other day my eldest son who is 12 atounded me. He came up to me and said. “I figured out how to talk and act to children so that they will listen to you and not turn off when you turn on.”

I said “How” He gave me the simple answer that you talk to them as if they were on the same level as you, not as if you were above them.

It amazed me that my 12 yr old son was able to pick up on something so easily where so many adults fail dismally.  I know that he will be a fantastic father. The type that his children will be able to come to him with all their problems.  If only more adults would understand that secret I think we would solve at least half if not more of the problems of the youth of today.

For this Parsha I letting myself take it easy.

I chose to do the 10 commandments by cutting a cake in the shape of the 2 tablets. Maybe adding the lhebrew letters of Aleph through yud.

I found this parsha to be difficult interms of finding a dessert. I finalkly decided on the repition of the story of the 12 spies. Where it recounts what god said about that only 2 of the spies will enter Israel while the others will die. With my choclate moids I made 12 figures (bob the builder, Wendy and Spud) . I shortened the lollipop stick so that it would stand nicely inside the chocolate cake I made. I cut the cake in half and once asgain put a Yarden made of Jello in between. I then Placed 2 of the Bobs on one side and the other 10 on the other side of the river.

The children did guess it although only on the fourth guess.

This weeks Parsha dealt with the idea of safe cities or Arei Miklat for someone who accidentally killed someone else and the deceased relatives want to avenge the death. Since the killer did not kill on purpose god ordained that there should be special cities for these people to escape to where they will be safe. He said to make 3 on this side of the Yarden and 3 on the other side of the Yarden.  So my dessert is to make 6 cupcakes and a elongated dish of Jello where 3 cupcakes go on one side and 3 cup cakes go on the other side of the jello. Representing the 3 cities on each side of the Yarden.