1000 Gifts: #441-473 Fairytale Castles in the Classroom

       I love reading and telling fairytales.

A modern American Castle on my drive home from school.

       It is nearing the end ofthe school year and the children have been feeling restless, but everytime I bring out a fairytale, they become quiet and I can see and feel them entering into the magic of the story.

A knight in pink and shining armour.

         So we read fairytales and dress up as knights. We decorate crowns with jewels and become princesses and princes. The door of our classroom becomes the entrance into an ancient castle.
        Baskets and baskets of fairytale books line the wall and the children and the teacher never tire of looking at the pictures and reading and hearing the stories.


A Princess Knight



        We make castles out of ceareal boxes. We color and cut out fairytale character.

We retell stories and make up our own.

We write fairytales and publish them as books.

We display our work in the castle where Rapunzel's hair dangles out the side of the tower.

We write fairytale Math stories.

We compare interesting versions of our favorite tales and graph their

similarities and differences on a Venn Diagram.

And we thank God that he inspired the Grimm Brothers to record many of these tales.



My Gifts:

441. The shady, green, wooded road.

442. The castle in the forest.

443. Having seen the house where the Grimm Brothers grew up in Steinau, Germany.

444. Memories of exploring the castle in Steinau.

445. Having followed a small portion of the Deutsche Märchen Straße.

446. My collection of fairytale books.

447. Being able to share my fairytales with children.

448. Listening to the children tell an act out their own stories with their castles and fairytale characters.

449. Pam, the friendly clerk when I check out at Kroger’s.

450. Mezzetta stuffed olives on sale.

451. Scent of Purple Irises.

452. A lawn mower that starts on the first pull.

453. Watching the body rejuvenate itself as a wound heals and skin grows back.

454. Discovering a nice new Doggy Wash place closer to home.

455. Washing the dog with my husband.

456. A partial day of resting and reading.

457. The strawberry smoothie my husband made to rescue the strawberries I had forgotten about in the fridge.

458. One of my favorite drinking waters on sale.

459. Students staying on green!

460. Students’ parents being supportive.

461. The grace (power beyond my own ability) of God at work within me.

462. Wisdom that can only come from God.

463. The Home (SOS).

464. Apostle Mario Villela.

465. Pastor Regina Villela.

466. Josh walking in his father’s/Father’s footsteps.

467. Fresh cilantro in guacamole.

468. A Sunday afternoon nap.

469. Operating the computer for church services.

470. The book: Relentless by John Bevere and the growth that is happening inside of me as I read it.

471. Hearing testimonies of faith.

472. Immediate email response in the middle of the night about which airport to book.

473. Inexpensive airplane tickets at the closest airports.

474.   . . .