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Homeschooled Kids Newsletter
May 2004

May, fifth month of the year, containing 31 days. It was the third month of the old Roman calendar. Since ancient times May 1 has been the occasion for various celebrations. In the United States, May Day, Memorial Day, and Mother's Day are celebrated in May. In the northern hemisphere, May is the last month of the season of spring.

May Day, name popularly given to the first day of May, which for centuries has been celebrated among European peoples. May Day festivals probably stem from the rites practiced in honor of Flora, the Roman goddess of spring. May Day is currently celebrated as a festival for children marking the reappearance of flowers during the spring. It is traditionally greeted with joyous dancing around a garlanded pole, called a maypole, from which hang streamers held by the dancers. May Day is also celebrated in many European countries as a labor holiday, comparable to Labor Day in the United States. It was especially significant in the Soviet Union and other Communist countries. Observance of the holiday by some workers in Europe and the U.S. probably dates from the celebration of May Day by the first congress (1889) of the Second International, an assembly of socialist and labor parties. "May Day," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2004 http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved. © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Have you ever seen a maypole dance?

Ecclesiastes 3:1
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven

May is for MOMS!

Exodus 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

 

Mother's Dayis set apart every year in honor of motherhood. On the second Sunday in May, many families and churches make a special point of honoring mothers. Many people follow the custom of wearing a carnation on Mother's Day. A colored carnation means that a person's mother is living. A white carnation indicates that a person's mother is dead.

A day for honoring mothers was observed many years ago in England. It was called Mothering Sunday, and came in mid-Lent. People in other European nations have observed similar days.

Julia Ward Howe made the first known suggestion for a Mother's Day in the United States in 1872. She suggested that people observe a Mother's Day on June 2 as a day dedicated to peace. For several years, she held an annual Mother's Day meeting in Boston. Mary Towles Sasseen, a Kentucky schoolteacher, started conducting Mother's Day celebrations in 1887. Frank E. Hering of South Bend, Indiana, launched a campaign for the observance of Mother's Day in 1904.

Three years later, Anna Jarvis of Grafton, West Virginia, and Philadelphia, began a campaign for a nationwide observance of Mother's Day. She chose the second Sunday in May, and began the custom of wearing a carnation. On May 10, 1908, churches in Grafton and Philadelphia held Mother's Day celebrations. The service at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton honored the memory of Anna Jarvis's own mother, Anna Reeves Jarvis.

At the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1912, a delegate from Andrews Church introduced a resolution recognizing Anna Jarvis as the founder of Mother's Day. It suggested that the second Sunday in May be observed as Mother's Day.

Mother's Day received national recognition on May 9, 1914. On that day, President Woodrow Wilson signed a joint resolution of Congress recommending that Congress and the executive departments of the federal government observe Mother's Day. The next year, President Wilson was authorized to proclaim Mother's Day an annual national observance. World Book Online Reference Center. 2004.

Moms are the greatest!

Mother's Day is a day for honoring your mom. There are so many ways to show your mom you love and appreciate her.

The most important way to show your mom you love her is to honor her with your obedience. Be cheerful when she ask you to something and respond quickly.

Be thoughtful and offer to help out around the house EVEN when you are not asked to do so.

Surprise your mom with little thoughtful gestures. Always tell her you love her and give her big hugs and kisses everyday.

Tell your mom you appreciate her and all the little things she does for you.

Gift Ideas for Mom

Send Mom an online Mother's Day Certificate(from Billybear)

A Handprint Poem for Mom

Name that Mom - Online Game

"I love my Mom" calendar - to color & print

Breakfast in Bed for Mom
Recipe Ideas

Cinnamon Toast

2 slices white bread
2 teaspoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Use a toaster to toast the bread to desired darkness. Spread butter or margarine onto one side of each slice. In a cup or small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle generously over hot buttered toast.

Baked French Toast

1 (1 pound) loaf French bread, cut diagonally in 1 inch slices
8 eggs
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup butter
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup

Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange the slices of bread in the bottom. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over bread slices, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a small saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar and corn syrup; heat until bubbling. Pour over bread and egg mixture.

Bake in preheated oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes.

Breakfast Rounds

1/2 cup peanut butter
4 English muffins, split and toasted
1 red apple, cored and sliced
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons margarine
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Spread 1 tablespoon of peanut butter onto each English  muffin half. Top each one with a few apple slices. In the microwave, melt together the brown sugar, margarine and cinnamon, stirring frequently until smooth. Drizzle the cinnamon mixture over apple slices. Mmmmmm...

Get an adult to help you prepare mom a great breakfast. Serve to Mom in bed on a pretty tray with a fresh flower. Serve with orange juice, milk or coffee.

Send Mom a Card for Mother's Day!

Spring Has Sprung!

Spring is the season between winter and summer. The Northern Hemisphere, which consists of the northern half of the earth, has spring weather during late March, April, May, and early June. In the Southern Hemisphere, spring weather begins about September and ends by early December.

Spring weather begins throughout much of North America with the melting of winter snow. In the polar regions, spring weather begins later and does not last as long as it does in the middle parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Tropical regions do not have great seasonal changes.

The number of daylight hours increases during spring, and most spring days have higher temperatures than winter days. Nature awakens in spring, when flowers bloom and hibernating animals leave their winter sleeping places. In many countries, the people have festivals celebrating spring. World Book Online Reference Center. 2004.

Spring Cleaning

Are there areas of your life that need a little spring cleaning? Our lives can become as cluttered and dusty as our rooms sometimes. This May take a little time to clear out the cobwebs and straighten up your personal life and relationship with God and others.

Start by praying and asking God to show you the areas in your life that need "cleaning." Maybe it is your relationship with God that needs refocusing. Ask Him to draw you closer to Him and help you to keep your eyes on Him.

A great way to keep focused on Jesus is by starting every day with a devotion and prayer time. Put on a christian CD as you get ready for your day. You will be armed and ready for any challenges that the day ahead may throw you.

Be sure and clear the dust and grime away from your relationships with the members of your family. Sit down and think about how things are with your parents and brothers and sisters. Are you pleased with the way you get along with your family?. Are there areas which need work? Make a promise to yourself and to God to strive for peace and harmony with your family. It really is as simple as obeying the Golden Rule. If you treat your family the way you want to be treated you will be surprised to see that you will be rewarded with a much happier home.

Don't forget to spring clean your relationships with your friends. Friends are so important to us and we need to make sure they know how much we care about them and how important they are to us. Do something thoughtful for your friends such as baking cookies for them or treating them to a movie.

Spring cleaning is a time for a thorough cleaning. Clean everywhere! Take a good look at yourself and be honest with yourself. Where could you improve as a person? How could you serve Jesus better? Always ask God for guidance and listen as he leads you in the right direction.

 

S P R I N G

S IS FOR SPRING FLOWERS (CRAFT)

P IS FOR PEANUTS

R IS FOR RAINBOWS

I IS FOR ICE CREAM

N IS FOR BIRD NEST CUPCAKES

G IS FOR A SEED GARDEN

Memorial Day 2004

Memorial Day, also called Decoration Day, is a patriotic holiday in the United States. It is a day to honor Americans who gave their lives for their country. Originally, Memorial Day honored military personnel who died in the Civil War (1861-1865). The holiday now also honors those who died in any war while serving the United States.

Memorial Day is a legal holiday in most states. Most Northern States and some Southern States observe Memorial Day the last Monday in May. This date was made a federal holiday by a law that became effective in 1971. Most of the Southern States also have their own days for honoring the Confederate dead. Mississippi celebrates the last Monday in April as Confederate Memorial Day. Alabama celebrates on the fourth Monday in April. Georgia observes this holiday on April 26. North Carolina and South Carolina celebrate it on May 10. Virginia observes the holiday on the last Monday in May. Louisiana observes it on June 3, and Tennessee has a holiday called Confederate Decoration Day on that date. Texas celebrates Confederate Heroes Day on January 19.

Observance. On Memorial Day, people place flowers and flags on the graves of military personnel. Many organizations, including Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and fraternal groups, march in military parades and take part in special programs. These programs often include the reading of Abraham Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address." Memorials are often dedicated on this day. Military exercises and special programs are held at Gettysburg National Military Park and at the National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. In addition, to honor those who died at sea, some United States ports organize ceremonies in which miniature ships filled with flowers are set afloat on the water.

Since the end of World War I, Memorial Day has also been Poppy Day. Volunteers distribute small, red artificial poppies, and the donations received help disabled veterans. In recent years, the custom has grown in most families to decorate the graves of loved ones on Memorial Day.

History. Several communities claim to have originated Memorial Day. But in 1966, the U.S. government proclaimed Waterloo, New York, the birthplace of the holiday. The people of Waterloo first observed Memorial Day on May 5, 1866, to honor soldiers killed in the American Civil War. Businesses closed, and people decorated soldiers' graves and flew flags at half-mast.

Major General John A. Logan in 1868 named May 30 as a special day for honoring the graves of Union soldiers. Logan served as commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union veterans of the Civil War. They had charge of Memorial Day celebrations in the Northern States for many years. The American Legion took over this duty after World War I. World Book Online Reference Center. 2004.

Memorial Day Wordsearch
USA Coloring Pictures
American Flag Cake
The National Memorial Day Concert
Red White & Blue Windsock
Word Search Puzzle
Memorial Day Wallpaper

Online Spring Fun