Our Home on the Range

January 2012 Book Report

2012-02-03T07:00:00.000-06:00

Summer's Crossing by Julie Kagawa is a short story in a world she created based on A Midsummer Night's Dream. Parts of it were wonderfully written and it seems like the series (The Iron Fey) may be appropriate for late middle school or early high school age children. (Kindle version, available for free for a limited time)

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams Bianco is a delightful story of a stuffed rabbit who is loved enough by his Boy to become real (courtesy of a nursery fairy). It's embarrassing, really, that I hadn't read it sooner. (free Kindle version without illustrations, other Kindle versions are available that do include illustrations)

Making Sense Out of Suffering by Peter Kreeft attempts to address the problem of evil - explaining the existence of an all-knowing, all-loving God when bad things happen to good people. I was going to write a long review of it, but a certain someone of a small stature removed all my bookmarks and crumbled them to bits, so here's the condensed version. I wasn't overly impressed or satisfied with this book. I intend to read The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis...eventually. (library copy)

The Fighting Ground by Avi was a book I considered for our Revolutionary War studies this year. Jonathan, disobeying his mother and father, follows the Corporal into battle and is captured by Hessian soldiers. The events take place in less than two days. It's fascinating, exciting and scary. Jonathan learns much about himself, war, and his father. First Son would probably be fine reading this book (at age 8), but I'm not ready for the girls to hear it. I think I'll set it aside and ask First Son to read it to himself the next time we study the Revolutionary War or he can read it as independent reading in third grade next year. (purchased copy)

Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen is a lovely story of Marly and her family's year living on Maple Hill in Pennsylvania after her father returns from WWII. Full of descriptions of nature, sugaring, and the seasons, it's a wonderful book to help develop a sense of place and home for children (by encouraging them to engage with their home as Marly and her brother, Joe, engage with theirs). Because the descriptions and storyline make it difficult to tell when the story takes place, I do think it will be important to discuss the 1940s and 1950s depictions of differences in expectations for boys and girls, but the sweet story is worth that little investment. I think we'll read it together next year, when First Son is in third grade and First Daughter is in kindergarten. (purchased copy)

The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynn Reid Banks is the fascinating story of a young boy who learns his cabinet can turn toys to life with a twist of one of his mother's keys. I read it when I was young but didn't really remember it. There's no doubt it's an exciting book, full of friendship and danger....but, the depictions of the cowboy and Indian are rather awful. I could see using this book in lessons by asking a student to detail the errors in a report after reading the book, but I'm not going to use it as a read-aloud. If my children find this book on their own and want to read it, I'll let them after a little talk about stereotypes and racism. I haven't read any of the sequels, but from summaries I found online they seem to become even more unrealistic than the first one. (library copy)

How to Be a Sister: A Love Story with a Twist of Autism by Eileen Garvin is a memoir by a woman describing her relationship with her older sister who has autism. I don't have a sister with autism, but I do have a sister who is completely different from me, in nearly every way, and who will probably always need someone to watch over her. I enjoyed this book and especially loved how the author describes her mother's relationship with her sister. I thought it was honest in the difficulties of having a sibling with autism without being harsh. I did think some of the chapters didn't flow well with the rest of the book, as if they had been written as essays and then tacked on instead of integrated. (inter-library loan)

The Lathe Of Heaven: A Novel by Ursula Le Guin was the first book I read for my class (ha!). In this novel, George Orr has effective dreams, dreams which don't just come true. They change reality itself. The book is full of opportunities for thinking about reality, society, culture, love, relationships and a host of other issues. Highly recommended, especially if you can sneak into a college seminar to discuss it. (desk copy)

Gooney Bird Greene by Lois Lowry is a lesson in story telling and writing from Gooney Bird Greene, a second grader. She tells a number of stories with explanations of character development, language and plot. I expected it to be contrived, but it flowed well and was quite amusing. As an additional advantage, Gooney Bird's fashion sense is exactly like Second Daughter's. I think we'll read this aloud. (library copy)

I expect next month's reading list to be full of books for the science fiction class and books I'm previewing for third grade. (It's that time of the year, when I'm more excited about planning next year's booklist than finishing the current grade.)

My Favorite Picture Books: Over in the Meadow

2012-02-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

Over in the Meadow, illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats

Olive Wadsworth originally wrote this counting rhyme (or perhaps she just wrote it down) and there are many different illustrated versions, but this one is my favorite.

Ezra Jack Keats is a marvelous artist. The colors in the collages are muted, paired perfectly with the gentle song. I love to choose this book as our bedtime story.

If you do not know the song, you can learn it from the delightful video, The Wheels on the Bus... and More Sing-Along Favorites. Not only does it contain Over in the Meadow (though with illustrations by another artist), but a fabulous rendition of The Wheels on the Bus by the Bacon Brothers. My children also particularly enjoy I Want a Dog, which is one of those few instances where the video is better than the book. (I could live without There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, but the kids like that one, too.)

What I Loved About Last Week (18 Ed.)

2012-01-30T07:00:00.000-06:00

1. I went to a college class! Kansas Dad is team teaching a class on Science Fiction and Theology at his university and, through the generosity and goodness of my mother-in-law, I am attending as well. I'm not actually enrolled in the class, so I don't have to write any papers (I'm a little afraid I won't even be able to keep up with the reading), but I can go and participate in the class discussions. I had a great time last week. I'm sure the real college students thought I talked too much, though Kansas Dad thinks they probably didn't think about me one way or the other. In case you hadn't noticed, I read a lot, but I rarely get to sit in a room with a bunch of other people who read the same thing and want to discuss it.

2. First Son and First Daughter developed an elaborate plot involving some Ninjago warriors, the Hero Factory Witch Doctor, Buzz Lightyear and Cindarella. I couldn't follow it myself, but there was definitely a plot.

3. Second Son is 18 months old! He deserves a post of his own, but I find chasing him around (and feeding, teaching and cleaning up after his siblings) is keeping a bit too busy to write a proper one. He's saying new words every day, absolutely adores the dog and has a terrible cough.

4. With the help of Netflix, we managed to get the majority of the stuff out of the "office" and into our bedroom. Only two of the three bookshelves would fit, so a few things are on the floor or piled on the desk. We're still working on a solution. In the meantime, we settled the girls into their new bedroom, complete with painted trim (thanks to the handy Kansas Dad). The girls moved their own clothes, which means they stuffed them into whatever nook and cranny they could find in the cabinet and set of mini-drawers we put in there. The neat organizer in me wants to cry every time I open a door or drawer, so I just won't.

The majority of the week was consumed by the illness that began with First Daughter and progressed through myself, Second Daughter and Second Son. The two little ones are still coughing like crazy and sounding terrible but every day I hope they'll be better.

Range Recordkeeping for our Homeschool

2012-01-27T16:13:00.000-06:00

A few days ago, a question popped up on the Mater Amabilis Yahoo group about record-keeping. I'm not sure how I'd qualify my teaching, but I love record-keeping. I shared with her what I was doing this year (which is new for me this year and working out wonderfully). At least two people asked to see the actual spreadsheets, so I thought I'd make a post about them. Perhaps others are interested as well.

There are probably as many ways to keep track of lessons planned and accomplished as there are families that homeschool. The most important thing to remember is to adapt any method to your own family and adjust as your family changes!

I have two spreadsheets around which our homeschooling life revolves. (Oh, how I love Excel!) The first is a basic weekly schedule:
Schedule to Share

This schedule is our ideal week and where I begin my "quick planning" each weekend. I print out these two pages and compare it to our lesson plans, the second spreadsheet.

This second document is huge! It has a column for every week of our school year (35 this year) and everything I hope to accomplish each week for each subject typed in, along with any notes on items I need to have on hand or resources I need to request from the library.

It's a huge file. I cut it down to just four or five weeks and it's still rather large, but here is an excerpt of our weekly lesson plans:
Lesson Plans to Share
I have planned nearly a whole year's worth of activities and lessons for each subject. Planning ahead so extensively works for me because I'd rather adjust as I go along than scramble to figure out what we're doing next.

Here's how it works:

Each weekend, I print out the first spreadsheet, my two page ideal week. I write in the week number (we just finished week 20) and the dates for each day.
I promptly go through and cross off any subject we're not doing that week. For example, we didn't start reading from Pagoo until second term, so that was crossed off every week until then.
I check our upcoming lesson plans, particularly the appointments box, and consider any adjustments I need to make if we're going to miss half a day of school (or a whole day). I can either eliminate a subject entirely for a day (just cross it off), combine lesson plans for two days into a single day, or move subjects around (just write it in the next column). This is also the time when I make adjustments for field trip opportunities I may not have known about at the beginning of the year. These pop up wonderfully in our active homeschool group.
Then I take a few minutes to read through our upcoming week's plan. I make sure we have everything we need for the week. If I'm very productive, I print out all our maps and make any photocopies for the whole week.
I print out the lesson plans for the week, just the five pages or so that list the actual plans. Steps one through five generally take me an hour or less, depending on how much adjusting I have to do and whether I've already planned our copywork selections.
I put everything on my clipboard (HT to Brandy for the clipboard idea; perfect!). First, the weekly schedule, then the lesson plans, finally any worksheets or notes. Now I'm ready for our week.
Each night before school, I make a pile of all our books and pages for our upcoming school day. It's not sophisticated, but it works perfectly. I never have to search for anything while the kids wait and, if my hands or lap are full of Second Son, I can ask First Son or First Daughter to bring me something from the pile. First Son watches this pile closely; he knows when it's gone, our school day is done (usually). Making this pile each night takes about ten minutes. Remember, everything is on the lesson plans. I just need to go through the list and pull out what we need from the shelves.
Ready for the record keeping? Each day, when we start, I write down the time on my printed weekly schedule.
As we finish subjects (or just before I go to bed), I check off any subject we did.
At the end of the day, I write down the time we finished.

And that's it! Here's a look at my clipboard this morning. It's a small picture, but I think you can probably see how some subjects are crossed off and some have check marks.

I do spend a few minutes at the end of the week making any notes in my lesson plans of things we didn't finish, things we need to push to the following week, resources I didn't like, etc. Those are mostly for future reference. I also file the actual paper copies of the schedule and the lesson plans into a binder for now, though I haven't decided if I'm actually going to save them at the end of the year.

I also have another tab where I enter the actual hours. Here in Kansas, we have a theoretical requirement to school for a comparable number of hours the children would receive in public school. As far as I know, no one has ever been asked how many hours of school their children did during the course of a year, but I like to have it just in case I'm the first.

Now let me tell you what I love most about this method.

Friday's lessons, ready to go

For us, keeping to a timed schedule did not work. This way, I don't have any times. We progress through the subjects in roughly the order they're scheduled, though I often dig out something from "later in the day" for First Son to do on his own or that will be much easier if Second Son is napping.
As we're going through our day, the only writing I have to do is start time, end time and check marks. I can do everything else (not that it takes long) after the children are in bed.
With my weekly lesson plans, it's really easy to look across a row and see the whole year at a glance. I can easily see where I can make adjustments and I can insert a cell to move everything back or delete a cell to move everything up a week.
Also with my weekly lesson plans, it's very easy to see the whole week at a glance. I can tell if we're heavy in science and go light in history to make up for it.
Though I didn't mention it above, I usually go through our upcoming week on Monday or Tuesday (so, look through week 22 during week 21), to request any books I need from the library. I've noted them in the lesson plans as "(library)" so they're easy to pick out. Then Kansas Dad picks them all up for me on Friday. It's so easy to just read down a single column in one Excel spreadsheet and have everything I need.
Though it doesn't apply this year, in the future I will put some of our lesson plans on a separate clipboard for First Son to complete independently. They can all be in the same spreadsheet, just like this year.

Maybe this helps someone. I certainly didn't invent this system; it's a conglomeration of ideas I gleaned from a host of other moms (in real life and online) with a whole lot of Excel thrown in. Because I love Excel.

My Favorite Picture Books: Miss Rumphius

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-06:00

Miss Rumphius, written and illustrated by Barbara Cooney

I'm having a hard time motivating to post regularly to the blog and decided I needed to motivate myself with something near and dear to my heart. Welcome to what I hope to make a weekly post: my favorite picture books. It'll probably take a while for me to get to anything that's never been mentioned before, but this way there will be a nice little tag for anyone interested in such a list. Like me. I love lists like this.

Miss Rumphius may very well be my favorite book of all time.

Miss Alice Rumphius is adventurous, elegant, and intelligent. She fulfills all her dreams but knows she must do something more. She must make the world more beautiful. She does so by planting lupines, which are beautiful in an obvious way. The message, though, is more subtle, as we can make the world more beautiful in so many different ways.

The illustrations are simply lovely. Barbara Cooney is probably my favorite illustrator and this book is a perfect example of her style.

If you haven't read this book, race to your library or bookstore and find a copy.

What I Loved About Last Week (17th Ed.)

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

1. Second Son has always loved the dog. He's recently started trying to lead the dog around. For those who don't know Moses is real life, he weighs over 60 pounds and is nearly taller than Second Son. It's hilarious to watch the baby grab a hold of the collar and pull with all his might while the dog ignores him. Then the dog sees something interesting and wanders off, dragging Second Son behind, laughing hysterically.

2. Second Son is saying a new word or two each day. He is obviously saying "Jesus" and "Amen." He doesn't say "mama" very often, but he can. I've also heard him say "mo-om" like all those other kids.

3. Second Son yelling "Hooray!" or an approximation thereof along to When You're Happy and You Know It (his current favorite song).

4. Second Son has learned that taking off his pants is funny. I'll give you three guesses for the three people who initially taught him this was funny and then encourage him to do so on a regular basis. (Not that you need a hint, but they're the same three people who taught him it is funny to run away from any grown-up who indicates it's time for a diaper change.)

5. My new closet! The coat closet suffered disaster last week when a whole set of hooks came tumbling down. At one point, we had coats, hats and mittens for four kids piled waist high (my waist) in the closet. Kansas Dad and I went to a store and bought some shelves, rods and baskets. Then, he spent Monday night installing it. Now the coats hang, the baskets contain the hats and mittens and I'm breathing a little easier. Along the same lines, the knob fell off in our shower. Kansas Dad and I spent a few days turning the hot water on and off with pliers, but he bought all the stuff to fix it when we bought the shelves and then fixed it right away.

6. Being able to help a friend. It's nice to be able to set aside some lessons and run over to a friend's house when she needs a little help.

7. "The British Are Coming!" This cry has been ringing out in our house at random times as we begin our study of the Revolutionary War. First Daughter keeps asking what team we want to win. (Seriously, she asks almost every day. I'm not entirely sure how to answer.)

8. Our own room! Second Son moved into the kids' room this weekend. Kansas Dad spent an afternoon taking the crib apart and reassembling it. Now we just need to finish moving all the shelves, filing cabinet and, well, everything but the bed, out of the office so the girls can move in there. They are excited. Maybe that will be the news for next week! (Though I think Kansas Dad is going to have to address the washing machine, which is making a mysteries clanking noise as the drum rotates.)

First Son's Birthday Post: 8 Years Old

2012-01-18T07:00:00.000-06:00

Sadly, I am more than a month late on First Son's birthday post. He turned 8 years old back in December.

We took a nature walk in December to check on our little creek (for our Rivers and Oceans study this year). He does not enjoy our nature walks, but he did like making snowballs while he waited for me to get everyone else out of the van and ready for our walk. First Son is a lot like me; while the idea of a nature walk is appealing, he'd much rather be inside reading about a nature walk.

Here's a picture from his birthday party. I made a blue Lego cake. A very blue Lego cake. The cake was not a masterpiece but First Son liked it well enough, which is really all that matters. We played lots of Lego games, including one First Son planned and prepared. He drew a dragon from the Ninjago Legos on a piece of paper and lots of little heads for the birthday party guests to pin onto the paper. It turned out surprisingly well for a last minute addition to our games. Grammy and I went through a whole box of Kansas Dad's old Legos and made bags for each of the guests to use in building a thingamabob. I set a timer as if it were a race, but the girls insisted they weren't done. We didn't have a competition; I just took a picture of each of them with their creation. For my favorite game, I took apart as many minifigures as I could find. The kids built their own minifigure from the options available and then tossed them into a bucket (the safe boat) surrounded by a shark and a crocodile. Second Daughter surprised us all by slamming her first minifigure right into the boat!

Of course, we had the traditional and required pancake-bigger-than-your-head for breakfast, prepared by the fabulous pancake chef, Kansas Dad. (He really does make tremendous buttermilk pancakes.) Also, as usual, the birthday boy could not finish the whole pancake in one setting. Part of the fun is pulling it out for ensuing meals.

On First Son's birthday, he and his PSR class made their First Confessions. Here is a picture of First Son right after his confession and absolution. That's as clean as his soul has been since baptism.

We are loving second grade. First Son's work ethic is far better than it was last year. Not that he doesn't fight any battles, but he is actively struggling with his desires and tries very hard (most of the time) not to be too grumpy. At least after a reminder.

I was worried at first when I saw our subject list for second grade, some of which require quite a bit of writing (physically putting pencil to paper). He has risen wonderfully to the tasks, though. His handwriting has improved tremendously and he will often write without complaint for multiple subjects. His handwriting is legible, too. Just after the New Year, he started learning cursive and is doing well.

He often makes smart remarks on his math papers or writes silly things for the answers. I'm not sure why he keeps that up since I always make him erase them and do the page over again, but I do think it's funny, too. His math story problems are nearly always about Angry Birds now. Recently he wrote, "Ten pigs stole the birds eggs. The red bird knocked over five pigs. How many pigs are left?" (Those possessive apostrophes are tricky.)

He is getting much better at narration, too. A few days ago he told the whole story of Io to Kansas Dad after dinner. (Well, not the whole story; the version I read aloud to him was adapted for children.)

He's a wonderful reader, when we can get him to read aloud. Recently, we've been enjoying a few of the books from the Encounter the Saints series. They are just challenging enough (especially with all the names and places) for his reading practice.

His current favorite saint is St. Martin de Porres.

Here is my favorite picture from his baptism anniversary.

First Son, may the coming year be one of blessings and growth, love and joy!

Wishes

2012-01-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

A few days ago, First Son asked me what I would request if I could have anything in the world. Then he said, "I'd want a space shuttle and all the Hero Factory Legos I want. Not all the Hero Factor Legos, just the ones I want."

Yeah, you wouldn't want to fill up too much of the space shuttle with Hero Factory Legos.

I Think So, Too

2012-01-16T21:52:00.000-06:00

It's nice to find someone who can more eloquently express what I've often thought. Read Cindy Rollins on Charlotte Mason and Classical Education.

HT: Brandy at Afterthoughts

What I Loved About Last Week (16th Ed.)

2012-01-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

1. On Monday, I had a dentist appointment (no cavities, yay!) and Kansas Dad took the kids to the zoo while I was there. (I don't even want to think about what Second Daughter and Second Son would do at the dentist's office while I was having my teeth cleaned.) Then I met them there and we had a picnic lunch together!

2. I started a new nightly prayer routine. The children were getting a little too wild at prayer time. Now, we sit in front of our crucifix, quietly, for a few minutes - just like they do at Atrium. Then we start with a Litany of Saints, followed by a prayer by each of us and then a prayer together like the Hail Mary or the Our Father. Much smoother.

3. Second Son clearly announced "no" and "ball."

4. On Saturday, we took the kids into town to spend a gift card and some of their saved money. After wandering through all the toy aisles, they made their selections and were reasonably patient while hitting a few other aisles for things Kansas Dad and I wanted. First Son found a particularly good deal on some Legos that were on clearance.

7. We finished week 18 of school, which means we're more than half way through our year. (I recently rearranged our schedule to be done in 35 weeks.) I also "found" a week I skipped when planning our year (why wasn't the last week of February on my schedule?) so we're going to finish two weeks earlier than I originally thought. Hooray!

8. First Daughter wanted to sing Father, I Adore You tonight as her evening prayer. As we were singing, I noticed Second Son who was attempting the signs the other children learned for the song in choir last semester even though no one else was signing. I thought that was pretty cool.

9. Second Son loves to say, "Bye bye!" He'll yell it out if he's leaving or if other people are leaving (but I think he likes it best if he's leaving). On Sunday, he said, "Bye bye, Grammy."

Quiet Because It's Chilly

2012-01-13T22:04:00.003-06:00

I really wanted to finish a post for Friday morning, but we hit some complications on Wednesday when our furnace stopped working. The thing chugged along all right until we had an actually wintry cold day and then it died when it was supposed to get down into the teens overnight. Kansas Dad loaded the kids and headed to his parents' house around 9:30 pm when the furnace people left and I gathered the last of our things for an overnight, opened the faucets a little and we all prayed the pipes wouldn't freeze.

They didn't. Thank God!

But the furnace people still couldn't get it working on Thursday. Luckily, Kansas Dad had managed to wrestle the shed door lock open and bring in our (very safe) space heaters. So we managed for one night and they fixed it today.

Now I have a bit of typing to do on meeting minutes and parish websites and other such important things so the blog must wait. (I couldn't type in the cold, you know!)

December 2011 Book Report

2012-01-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

December's list is a bit longer than the others recently. I finally finished a few big books I'd been reading for months!

An Unreasonable Woman by Diane Wilson (free Kindle version, offered as a Limited-Time Offer)

Sinner: The Catholic Guy's Funny, Feeble Attempts to be a Faithful Catholic by Lino Rulli (a review for The Catholic Company)

Mary on Horseback: Three Mountain Stories by Rosemary Wells tells the story of Mary Breckinridge and her Frontier Nursing Service in 1920s Appalachia. Each story has its sorrows, but is overflowing with hope and courage. I very much hope First Son is ready to read this himself next year and enjoy it when we reach the 1920s in our American history course. (library copy)

Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens by J. M. Barrie started out very slowly. As Peter Pan was introduced, it got a little better, but there's not much of a plot in this book. It's really more of an introduction to Peter. I have to admit, I wasn't all that impressed, but that may have much to do with my heart breaking at the thought of a boy leaving his mother and then being locked out when he tried to return. (available for free on the Kindle)

The Storm by Cynthia Rylant was a preview. I'm on the lookout for early reader books for First Daughter. This book is the first in a series (The Lighthouse Family) and I think it will be a fine one. Kansas Dad peeked a bit over my shoulder and was wryly commenting on how ridiculous it is, but five year old girls relish the ridiculous. (library copy)

The Book of Dragons by E. Nesbit is a collection of short stories involving English children and dragons. The dragons are generally bad (for those concerned about such things), though there is one that becomes tame and turns into a cat. I found the stories reasonably enjoyable and would be willing for my children to read them on their own, but I decided against reading them aloud. (available for free on the Kindle without illustrations)

The House of Sixty Fathers by Meindert DeJong tells of Tien Pao's journey and search for his parents when he is separated from them shortly after they flee their village and the attacking Japanese early in the Second Sino-Japanese war (I think) in the 1930s. At first I was horrified reading this book. As a mother, the thought of my young son experiencing war then being separated from us and (as far as we knew) worse...well, my heart was breaking. As I continued to read, however, I was amazed at the boy's courage and the descriptions of China and Chinese countrymen. The book includes descriptions of events that terrorize the young boy like planes strafing his village, men and horses being killed, blood turning the river red...This is not a book for young children, but it is a book for children. Next year, First Son will be in third grade. I'm considering reading this book aloud to him, either as part of our American studies (during which we'll study that time period and the book does include American soldiers in China) or for our geography study of China. I think, though, it will only work for us if I can read it when First Daughter is not listening. She has a sensitive heart and I would worry about her listening. (She'd be six early next school year. First Son at six might have been fine with this book, but I doubt First Daughter would be.) (library copy)

Next Spring an Oriole by Gloria Whelan is the story of Libby and her family as they settle into their new home on the Michigan frontier. It's an easy chapter book and I intend for First Son to read it during our American history studies. It's the first of a series that looks promising. The author also appears to have many other historical fiction books that might fit with our studies. (library copy)

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp (received as a gift from a dear friend)

A Doctor Like Papa by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock is an easy chapter book that touches on a variety of wonderful concepts - a girl who wants to be a doctor in 1918, WWI, the influenza epidemic, and the effects of all of these on families in Vermont. It's a story of fear, courage, and how people keep living when life is hard. First Son will be reading this as part of our American history next year. (library copy)

The Paint Brush Kid by Clyde Robert Bulla was better than the first book (The Chalk Box Kid). Gregory and his friends decide to paint the house of a neighbor with the stories of his life. When the house is scheduled for demolition to make room for a freeway, Gregory finds the courage to speak out to try to save the house. The ending is surprising, but sweet. First Son's reading level is above this book and I don't think I'll ask First Daughter to read it during her reading lessons, but it would be acceptable for silent reading. (library copy)

My Storytime Bible by Renita Boyle (a review for The Catholic Company)

The Life You Save May Be Your Own by Paul Elie (library copy)

The Canada Geese Quilt by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock tells of Ariel and her family in the 1940s as they struggle with the recovery of her devoted grandmother after a stroke while preparing for a new baby. I think it could be a nice complement to a young person's study of World War II and think I'll ask First Son to read it next year (third grade). Like A Doctor Like Papa, the book is set in Vermont. (library copy)

O Little Town: A Novel by Don Reid is a little novel centered on the interactions of the people in a small town in the days before Christmas. It's a nice little story and kept me occupied during our drive to my parent's house when I wanted something light. The sermon at the end seemed to elicit a more miraculous response than it warranted, but I can live with that. (Kindle edition, available for free for as a limited time offer)

The Help by Kathryn Stockett was a great vacation book. It was engaging and entertaining without requiring a lot of thought on my part. Set in the 1960s, it focuses on racial interactions and inequities in a way that can help us think about them today as well. It's worth a few hours of your time to read it, though I do wish our library had a copy of the DVD so I could see the movie now. (borrowed copy)

The Cabin Faced West by Jean Fritz is the story of a ten year old girl on the frontier in Pennsylvania. She's ambivalent about her family's new home at the beginning of the novel, but grows to love it and to recognize her love for it. I had never read this as a child, but I intend to read it aloud to the kids when we're learning about the era just after the Revolutionary War. (library copy)

Because there were quite a few pre-reads this month, I thought I'd point out that I do not intend to read every book before the children do. It works out that way now because First Son doesn't read many chapter books unless I sit him down next to me and demand he read aloud. I do, however, like to pre-read all the books we may use for lessons because First Daughter is nearly three years younger than First Son and yet listens in on nearly all our lessons. She's a sensitive soul, as I've mentioned before, so I tend to be careful about what she may hear. I also like to pre-read any book I'm introducing within our lessons as I feel they may be given greater respect by the children. I'd like that respect to be well-deserved.

What I Loved About Christmas

2012-01-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

The holidays are officially over! We're starting school again this week after a long break and two weeks visiting my family in Illinois. I've got mountains of pictures to go through and we've started to tackle the "storage" in our office in the hopes of moving the girls in there soon, so things are busy around here.

1. We had a lovely Christmas and New Year's celebration this year. No one went to the hospital!

2. Second Son has started talking a little. He says "night night" quite clearly and will slyly repeat both "mama" and "dada" but refuses to actually call us by them. (I think he knows exactly what they mean.)

3. I received what I wanted most for Christmas, a lovely icon of St. Athanasius. I think he now must be the patron saint of our family.

4. Kansas Dad received Agricola from my parents and we've been enjoying it. We can only play when the little ones are sleeping, but it promises to be a worthy game for two people (which sadly, The Settlers of Catan is not).

5. I had a lovely dinner with one of my dearest friends. She even built a fire in her new fireplace for us!

6. We found a faster route to my parents house, making the drive in only 10 hours (including stops!) on the way there.

7. Kansas Dad and I feasted at June with my brother and his wife (whose brother is the owner and chef). We can only afford to go once every two years, but it's worth every penny. Highly recommended. (The company was good, too.)

8. Did I mention we had a lovely Christmas? We celebrated with Kansas Dad's parents a little early and then drove to Illinois to spend Christmas Day with my parents, my brother and his family, my sister and her family and my youngest sister. Everyone stayed for days and we still had a bit of time with just us and my parents. First Daughter and I also went along to watch my youngest sister's basketball game. My kids adore their cousins! I could write more and more about our trip, but I really need to start thinking about our school this week.

This Blog is on Vacation

2011-12-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year again. I was really hoping to get First Son's birthday post written and posted before I took a break, but now it's nearly Christmas and it will just have to wait. I will be back to blogging in two or three weeks.

I wish you all a blessed and wonderful Christmas and New Year's Eve. May God grant you peace and joy in the coming year!

Adding It Up

2011-12-22T07:00:00.000-06:00

With my most recent Amazon earnings (Thank you! Thank you to all who have purchased through one of my links!), I bought Double Shutter, a game a friend gave her daughter last year. The plan was to play with First Son so he would have a reason to use his addition facts.

He played a little but wasn't overly impressed (probably something about all those new Legos).

First Daughter, though, turns out to be a bit of a shark at the game. She beat me soundly and only needed a little help when she rolled a nine or higher.

The game is surprisingly addictive. I also think it might be a good travel game. It's not particularly small, but you play right in the tin or box so everything is contained.

Book Review: The Life You Save May Be Your Own

2011-12-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

The Life You Save May Be Your Own: An American Pilgrimage by Paul Elie

In this ambitious and long book, Mr. Elie attempts to integrate the lives of four important American Catholics: Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, Walker Percy and Flannery O'Connor.

This book, though, will take a slightly different approach, setting out to tell their four stories as one, albeit one with four points of origin and points of view. It is, or is meant to be, the narrative of a pilgrimage, a journey in which art, life, and religious faith converge; it is a story of readers and writers--of four individuals who glimpsed a way of life in their reading and evoked it in their writing, so as to make their readers yearn to go and do likewise.

When I began this book, these four people were little more than names to me. I'd only read one thing written by any of them (Love in the Ruins by Walker Percy, which I didn't remember reading until halfway through this book and which I didn't understand when I did read it). Now I have the beginning of an understanding of these four Catholics who lived and wrote and changed lives in the recent past. Mr. Elie is a book editor and his knowledge of these writers and the meaning and importance of what they wrote is an important part of the value of this book.

Unfortunately, because it follows four individuals in four places with four very different lives, the flow of the book is disjointed. Every few pages (or paragraphs), the author moves from one person to another. In some ways that made it easy to read in short spaces between the calls and needs of children, but it also made it difficult to keep in mind which person was the current focus. Mr. Elie seemed to do a reasonably job of showing how each of the lives could be seen as a pilgrimage, but I'm not entirely convinced he couldn't have done a similar job with four different books, perhaps as a series. Then again, there are a few exchanges by letter (for example, between Thomas Merton and Dorothy Day) that are easier to put into context when telling the stories together.

Quote: The Life You Save Might Be Your Own

2011-12-20T07:00:00.000-06:00

Thomas Merton, quoted in The Life You Save May Be Your Own by Paul Elie:

I am coming to think that God (may He be praised in His great mystery) loves and helps best those who are so beat and have so much nothing when they come to die that it is almost as if they had persevered in nothing but had gradually lost everything, piece by piece, until there was nothing left but God.

The Catholic Company Review: My Storytime Bible

2011-12-19T23:36:00.003-06:00

My Storytime Bible by Renita Boyle, illustrated by Melanie Florian

I was so excited to receive this book. I wanted to love it. I have loved many of the books published by Pauline Kids and have come to expect excellence from them. (Adventures of Saint Paul, Saints and their Stories, and the Saints for Young Readers for Every Day volumes one and two come to mind.)

But I did not.

The illustrations are delightful; colorful and sweet.

The text, however, leaves much to be desired.

Each story is preceded by a sentence or two attempting to place the story in context for a young child living today. Sometimes the sentences seem mistaken. For example, before the story of Samuel they say, "If you have ever wondered what God wants to say to you, then you know how Samuel felt when God woke him up." When Samuel first heard his name, he had no idea God was calling him. When he did realize it was God, he did not have to wonder what God wanted to say to him because he clearly heard his voice, something that is much less common for children today.

Though written as prose, some of the stories have some phrases that rhyme (not all, mind you, just some). Here's a quote from the story of David's anointing (which lacks an actual anointing):

God chose David, the very youngest instead. He took care of sheep, played the harp, and loved God with all his heart.

"One day David will be king. He loves me more than anything," God said.

Good looks aren't everything.

As you can see, the stories often end with a sentence that appears to sum everything up neatly for the child to accept.

It's not that all the stories are terrible, they just aren't as good as the real thing, or even a less-silly version of the real thing. Here's a quote from The Good Shepherd:

"Heaven has a happy day," said Jesus, "when anyone chooses to live God's way.

"I am the Good Shepherd," Jesus said. "I know all my sheep by name.

"No matter where they wander, I love them just the same. I will give my life to save them, no matter what the cost. If you want to follow me, you must love the people who are lost."

God loves everyone--no matter what they're like.

Reading the story of the Good Shepherd and contemplating it, I'm not sure that last line sums it up very well. Not that it's not true, but isn't it a greater truth for a child that God loves you? That no matter what wrong you have done, or think you have done, God is always seeking you? That God will follow you wherever you have sinned and carry you back to his goodness, if only you will let him?

Most of the stories are acceptable. Some are just too sing-song for my taste. I don't think I will be reading this much with my children, though I might a little just because I like the illustrations so much.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on My Storytime Bible. They are also a great source for a Catechism of the Catholic Church or a Catholic Bible.

What I Loved About Last Week (14 Ed.)

2011-12-19T13:46:00.000-06:00

1. Early this week, Grammy treated us to the movies: The Muppet Movie. It was surprisingly good. The 8 year old, 5 year old and 3 year old loved it. The one year old loved running up the aisle and diving into rows near the front, hiding from me. Luckily there were only a few other people there and they seemed very forgiving. (He was quiet, but it had to be distracting.) I've never gotten that much exercise watching a movie before.

After the movie, we did some charity shopping. The girls went with Grammy and picked some gifts for a little girl whose name I picked. The boys went with me and Kansas Dad. The girls did a great job focusing on their goal, but First Son was terribly distracted by the Lego aisle. He only makes it to a store two or three times a year, so I'm not sure he realized there was such a thing as the Lego aisle. It was cute and I didn't chastise him too much; he did help pick a few things and he didn't ask us to buy anything for him. (He has a substantial amount of money now that his birthday has passed, but he's not allowed to spend it until after Christmas since he'd just buy many of the things he's going to receive as a gift.)

2. Second Son has two new teeth! They're just peeking through, his second two on the top. Everyone say a quick prayer that means he'll be a nicer toddler over the holidays than he has been this week. (Now he has eight teeth, which seems a bit low for 17 months, but we'll hope that just gives him less time to get cavities, right?)

3. We finally set up our Christmas tree. I had intended to have it up before the third Sunday of Advent. The older two were so excited to get out the ornaments. They each remembered some of them, asking for them before I even found them in the box. We hung all our homemade ornaments as well. I love those!

4. I received my first teacher gift. One of our families brought something for each of the Catechesis teachers. It's funny because I don't even think of myself as one of the "teachers" since the other two ladies present nearly all of the lessons. What's the policy on thank you notes for thank you gifts: required, acceptable or too much? One girl in Catechesis wrote me a thank you note and another colored a picture for me, too. How cool is that?

5. Story hour Christmas party - watching a Christmas bear version of Duck Duck Goose. Second Son running around the gym.

6. We started handing out our annual Christmas ornaments, though I can't tell you what we made this year - yet. Some of the recipients read the blog. We made a lot this year so there are plenty to go around for all the family members, teachers and pastors. The more years we do this, the more I love them. I'm already considering some ideas for next year. For the first time this year, we had enough for each child to pick one to keep for our tree. I think we'll try to do that every year. I wrote their names on them and they can take them when they grow up and have their own trees (though then mine will be very sad, won't it?); at the very least, it relieved some of the unhappiness we had last year when First Son wanted to keep all of his ornaments.

7. Kansas Dad and I went to a party on Friday night without kids! Thanks to Grammy for giving up her Friday night for us. The kids, of course, would rather have her than us any night, especially when frozen pizza is involved, so they were thrilled.

8. We made a peanut butter cookie man for Kansas Dad's birthday. He he! I received this Gingerbread Boy Kit a few years ago. No one here on the Range cares that much for gingerbread, but we love this pan. I made our favorite peanut butter cookie dough and pressed about two-thirds of it into the pan then baked it up. Delicious! The kids love decorating it. (They often ask when we're going to make a cookie-man, but since it involves eating a lot of cookie, it's a special treat.)

9. The Nutcracker - I loved it. The kids had differing reactions. Though it took a whole afternoon during a busy month, I hope very much we can make this performance an annual tradition.

10. While I was doing the dishes this week, the girls stripped the Christmas tree of all its ornaments. When I asked, dejectedly, what they thought they were doing, they replied they were playing "earthquake." It was really funny. But also a bit distressing. We've already broken two ornaments this year and all the more fragile ornaments I'd put near the top are now scattered about, many low enough for Second Son to reach. (I made the girls put them all back, so now the tree is decidedly bottom-heavy.)

11. Ok, this is such a little thing, but I bought the third wise man for my Nativity set. I've been watching for it for years and it's always been outrageously expensive, but I found one on ebay and just bought it. I felt weird about it all day, which just goes to show how infrequently I buy something for myself. Now I can consider my set complete and I'm foolishly happy about it.

12. Kansas Dad's birthday was last weekend and I think he had a good one. I'm not one to get all gushy on the blog, but there's no doubt in my mind that Kansas Dad is the best thing to ever happen to me (outside of Jesus-was-born-died-and-rose-again-for-me, of course). I thank God for him every day and wish him much love and many blessings in the coming year.

We're celebrating Christmas with Kansas Dad's parents tonight to accommodate holiday travels. There are lessons to do, cookies to bake, presents to wrap and all sorts of other things like an eye doctor appointment and First Son's baptism anniversary.

(Sorry for the lack of pictures this week; I don't want to take the time to get any off the camera.)

The Range Kids Meet Ballet

2011-12-18T20:51:00.001-06:00

Today, Grammy treated me, First Daughter and First Son to The Nutcracker. I think I was in fourth grade the last time I saw a ballet (and it was The Nutcracker). The kids had seen it on video (an actual recording of the ballet) and read a book or two about it but seeing it live is very different.

First Daughter was remarkably engaged during the performance. She's only five but her attention rarely wandered. First Son, on the other hand, was ready to leave at intermission. (Really, and was upset when we said we had to stay.)

To top it off, just as the professional New York ballerina was performing brilliantly as the Sugar Plum Fairy, First Son turned joyously to me and whispered loudly in my ear, "This is the music from the Ford commercial!"

I kid you not.

I will say this; he was quiet, he was attentive and he did not complain (much). But I think First Son would be content if he didn't see another ballet for a decade.

After the performance, we were lucky enough to go backstage with the mother of two of the principles (is that right?) who graciously and beautifully posed with First Daughter for a picture. (Grammy has connections.)

On the way home First Daughter said she wanted to be in the ballet someday. Sigh. At least somebody appreciated a bit of culture today.

Our 2011 Advent Books, Week 4

2011-12-17T10:32:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas Mom and Dad by Mercer Mayer is my favorite Little Critter book. It's silly but we read it every year and the children love it.

The Huron Carol by Frances Tyrrell is an English translation of the Huron carol Father Jean de Brebeuf wrote as a missionary in the 1600s. I love the authentic illustrations and the opportunity to discuss missionaries and love for those who do not know Christ during the Advent season, though I understand some people are distressed of the retelling of the Nativity story in another culture's traditions. Reading this book also gives us an opportunity to talk about how Mary, Joseph and Jesus were not white like we are white and that God created all people, Christ is present in all people, no matter the color or culture. We supplement with a couple of CDs (Christmas with Chanticleer and The Huron Carol sung by Alan Mills - I'm sure there are others, but these are the ones I liked from our library.)

The Story of Christmas by Vivian French is a board book with wonderful vibrant illustrations for the little ones.

The Twelve Days of Christmas by Gennady Spirin. I'm not sure why, but the kids love this song. I love Spirin's illustrations.

The Friendly Beasts illustrated by Tomie dePaola is a sweet carol wonderfully illustrated.

All for the Newborn Baby by Phyllis Root is one of my favorite Christmas books. It's so beautifully illustrated. The children still need to grow into this one a bit, but we read it every year anyway. It's a shame it's out of print, but I received a perfect copy from PaperBackSwap.)

The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry, illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger. We read this every year and every year I have problems with it. Seriously, if Kansas Dad sold a family heirloom to buy me some hair combs I'd be pretty upset. Her hair will grow back, but his heirloom is gone forever. But it's a classic and it does model a loving and giving attitude. The illustrations in this version are particularly good.

Christmas in the Barn by Margaret Wise Brown. We have the version illustrated by Diane Goode, which is fine (the kids actually love it), but I'm partial to the illustrations of Barbara Cooney. Maybe your library has a copy because it's sadly out of print.

The First Christmas by Sophy Williams is a "changing picture book" where you open up the pages and the illustrations change. I found this on sale after Christmas last year and think the children will love it.

Lucy's Christmas by Donald Hall is another of my favorites. I love reading about Lucy's preparations for Christmas and her delightful family. Donald Hall is a wonderful storyteller (one who brought us the delight that is Ox-Cart Man). The illustrations are fine in the Lucy book, though not quite as good as Cooney's.

The Night Before Christmas illustrated by Anita Lobel. We read this because it's a classic poem I want my children to know and we're reading it on Christmas Eve even though Santa doesn't come to our house. (St. Nicholas comes on his feast day.)

Christmas Story by Brian Wildsmith is another of my favorites. His illustrations are brilliant and intriguing. There's always something new to notice. I waited for a long time, but I have a lovely copy courtesy of a kind member of PaperBackSwap.

Bethlehem illustrated by Fiona French shows her wonderful stained glass window illustrations set against the King James Version words of the Nativity story. It's a joy to read every year.

I've noticed, as I write up our Advent lists to share, that I've received quite a few wonderful out-of-print books from PaperBackSwap. I've been a member since March 2008 and am just beginning to reach the front of the line for some much-wished-for books (by myself and others). I've heard from some people that none of the books they want are available and I always encourage them to use the Wish List and be patient. There may be books I never receive (and many I purchase myself because I just can't wait) but there's no doubt in my mind that PaperBackSwap has been an asset to our family and our homeschool. (I do receive an extra book credit if you click my link and sign up for the club, but this is an honest recommendation. Pinky promise. Commercial over.)

I also wanted to share a wonderful list of (mostly) new Christmas books! I found quite a few to check out for next year. I sense our tradition evolving into a two-picture-books-a-day Advent activity.

Advent 2011
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3

Make Your Own Lego Army (of Crayons)

2011-12-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

Behold, the oncoming army of Lego minifigure crayons!

I made these fun crayons using a Lego minifigure ice cube mold I originally found on Amazon, but actually ordered directly from Lego. I found it strangely addictive to mix the wax in different colors.

They were very easy, if a little time consuming.

1. Separate your old broken crayons by color. They shouldn't be identical, but you want general schemes. Otherwise, everything will be brown.

2. Peel the crayons. My kids were only slightly helpful here. Mostly I did it and broke my poor useless nails doing so.

3. Use your awesome kitchen scale to add 45 grams of crayon to a microwave safe measuring cup. This is about 1 5/8 ounces.

4. Melt the wax in the microwave. I found it took between 5 and 7 minutes, depending on how often I stirred it. My need to estimate here probably also has something to do with the fact that the only button that works reliably on my microwave is the 3.

5. Pour carefully into the mold.

6. Let it sit for a few minutes to harden a bit, then transfer to the freezer for about ten minutes.

7. Pop out to the astonished and excited eyes of your children.

We handed these out in the goody bags for First Son's birthday party. If you're near me in real life and want to host your own Lego party, I'll gladly lend you the mold. Then you, too, can make Lego minifigure crayons for the cost of running your microwave and peeling some crayons.

What I Loved About Last Week (13 Ed.)

2011-12-12T07:00:00.000-06:00

1. St. Nicholas's Feast Day cookies - I made the Speculatius (German Spice Cookies) from the recipe at the St. Nicholas Center. The dough smelled wonderful. I was worried about kneading that last cup of flour in by hand, but it was soft and pleasant. I could have kneaded it much longer than was necessary. We had fun cutting out cookies. I still haven't purchased a St. Nicholas cookie cutter, but we had a star, a snowflake, a Christmas tree, a dove, a camel, a horse (donkey), a cow, a sheep and a stocking. The children never choose just one or two, but must use all of the available options. It made at least five dozen cookies and we gave as many away as I could. They tasted delicious!

2. St. Nicholas's Feast Day - the stockings! I love how excited the children were. This year, they each received egg shakers, a few chocolate coins, Reese's Christmas trees, their age in real dollar coins and a small gift. First Son received a Laurie Berkner Band CD and the girls each received a small necklace I found at a local salon. I love giving them small fun gifts on the feast of St. Nicholas. We always give faith-related gifts at baptism anniversaries and Epiphany. St. Nicholas is a little less serious. Second Son loved the egg shakers and they complemented the Laurie Berkner CD well for a silly dance before breakfast (after which everyone had some chocolate or a cookie).

3. Our first snow! On the morning of St. Nicholas's Feast Day, we let the kids run around outside a bit. Second Son was fascinated and loved being outside, but he hated being cold. For a while, he cried if Kansas Dad brought him in and cried if he took him out. Ah well. He was happy for a while and will hopefully enjoy the next snowfall even more.

4. Our visit to a local park as part of our "rivers and oceans" study, though we just keep visiting a creek. The older three kids don't care much of the walking through the woods, but they had a good time playing in a bit of snow. Second Son had a fantastic time. He would have wandered those woods for hours. Second Daughter made it exactly nine minutes (I was counting) before claiming she was too tired to go on and collapsing on the path.

4. First Son's birthday party. He enjoyed it and that's really all that matters. We had a Lego party with a few fun games and my first attempt at a cake decorating. First Son thought it looked like Lego pieces and, luckily, his opinion is the only one that mattered. My favorite moment of the party: when Second Daughter (yes, the three year old) threw her minifigure right into the "boat" from two huge 8-year-old-big-brother steps away.

5. First Son's First Reconciliation - it was a sweet little ceremony with a few good comments from our parish priest. First Son came right back to his pew afterward and prayed. He sat quietly while the other children and all the parents said their confessions. I was very impressed as I watched him gaze at the statue of Jesus. I refrained from asking him what he was thinking about, more than a little afraid he would say "Legos."

6. Frozen yogurt to celebrate! It's freezing outside, but frozen yogurt sprinkled with candy is a fun treat. The high schoolers working were sweet to Second Son who ran around like a funny guy. They also had an actual creche in the corner, which is a bit unusual.

Next week is another big one for us: a special movie date with Grammy, a cookie decorating party, the story hour Christmas party, our monthly faith formation class, our first performance of the Nutcracker (in the audience, of course!) and Kansas Dad's birthday. Before this time next week, we'll be starting the O Antiphons. Are you ready?

More than Money

2011-12-11T22:00:00.000-06:00

Last year, I wrote about our experiences with CFCA's Hope for a Family. I wanted to write again about it as we near the end of 2011, encouraging each of my readers to prayerfully consider reaching out to a family in need through CFCA or a similar organization.

For a year, we have been exchanging letters with our sponsored friend and her family in Nicaragua. First Daughter in particular has developed a great love for our friend. She speaks of her often and nearly always insists on including a hand-drawn picture when we send our monthly letter. It is as much a blessing for me to see my daughter caring deeply for someone so far away, someone she has never met, as it is for our friend to be sponsored.

I am deeply impressed with the CFCA staff and volunteers in the Nicaragua project in which our friend participates. We have received letters once a month which include not only a translation, but the original letter in Spanish with illustrations. The sketches are beautiful. Some people may fear being sponsored will cause a person to become jaded, to feel entitled to the money alone, but those drawings remind me each month how the CFCA program is different because it's about more than money. It's about developing a relationship with our sponsored friend who helps to teach us about the life of giving and loving to which Jesus calls us.

There is much pain and poverty in the world. I often feel there's nothing I can do but to pray, but CFCA offers a way to reach one person, one family, to really connect with someone. I cannot encourage others enough to find an organization to support that allows a similar connection. Learn more about sponsoring a child here.

*********** The text below is copied from the CFCA website. ************

We sponsor a child through Christian Foundation for Children and Aging, an organization that creates relationships between sponsors in the United States and children, youth and aging persons in 22 developing countries. Through its Hope for a Family program, our contributions provide life-changing benefits such as education, nutrition, clothing and medical care for our sponsored friend. Through letter writing we are able to learn about our sponsored friend's life and offer our encouragement and prayers.

Grounded in the Gospel call to serve the poor, CFCA works with people of all faith traditions. CFCA is highly rated by Charity Navigator and the American Institute of Philanthropy.

Book Review: One Thousand Gifts

2011-12-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

In this book, Ms. Voskamp wonders at the beginning of this book if there could be something, some way, to greater joy in life? She finds eucharisteo, "he gave thanks" in the original Greek and meditates on it, sharing her thoughts and impressions with the reader in a style that is almost stream of consciousness.

First, you must be prepared, the first chapter is extremely difficult to read. In fact, I had to set it aside twice, taking months to get through that first chapter. Ms. Voskamp shares tragedy from her own life and that of her brother-in-law's to prepare us for this story. She is trying to experience the joy she believes is at the heart of a Christian life but struggles against the sorrows of life.

That has always been the goal of the fullest life--joy. And my life knew exactly how elusive that slippery three-letter work, joy, can be....I could tell how my whole being responded to that one word. I longed for more life, for more holy joy.

First we are thankful, then we receive, perceive, realize the miracle.

The book is the tale of a journey. She invites us to share in the journey, showing how a bold decision to name one thousand gifts carries her far from the simple idea of being thankful for the good and beautiful in every moment of our lives. Living a life with room for holy joy involves being thankful for the miracles that God may perform, and thankful when He does not. It means thanking and praising God for his own sake, because he is worthy of our praise and worship, without regard for our own hardships or even because of our own hardships.

She gives some wonderful writing in the book:

I don't really want more time; I just want enough time. Time to breathe deep and time to see real and time to laugh long, time to give You glory and rest deep and sing joy and just enough time in a day not to feel hounded, pressed, driven, or wild to get it all done--yesterday. In a world with cows to buy and fields to see and work to do, in the beep and blink of the twenty-first century, with its "live in the moment" buzz phrase that none of the whirl-weary seem to know how to do, who actually knows how to take time and live with soul and body and God all in sync? To have the time to grab the jacket off the hook and time to go out to all air and sky and green and time to wonder at all of them in all this light, this time refracting in prism.

I just want time to do my one life well.

Eventually, she writes:

What in the world, in all this world, is grace?

I can say it certain now: All is grace.

I see through the woods of the world: God is always good and I am always loved.

God is always good and I am always loved.

Everything is eucharisteo.

I already posted on my favorite chapter (empty to fill) and really feel it was the highlight of a wonderful, thought-provoking book. (It was chapter ten, by the way, despite the 8 in the post title.) Taking time to see the gifts God has bestowed should be a part of our daily life. Ms. Voskamp encourages us to find the gifts throughout the day, as we should. Our world is imperfect, thanks to Adam and Eve's sins, but it is still a good world. Concentrating on the gifts, at the very least, distracts us from the annoyances. On the best days, it brings us joy and helps us to feel close to God. My own reasons to be thankful are less poetic than the author's, but they are no less valid.

However...the writing can be as distracting as it is beautiful. Sometimes I found my thoughts drifting as I read because the language wandered. Kansas Dad tried to read a little of it and immediately tossed it aside, though the book was not in any way written for men.

Also, I found the last chapter a little disturbing. The author seems to use the language of physical intimacy to describe her relationship with Jesus. I don't think that's what Scripture intends. As a Catholic, I have the benefit of physically receiving Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament at each and every Mass. I think this final chapter would have been very different if Ms. Voskamp had experienced Holy Communion in the way Catholics do. She quotes and reads a great variety of authors, including Catholics, but she certainly doesn't understand the sacrament as we do.

Overall, I found this book enlightening and uplifting. I recommend it, though you may want to borrow a copy or read an excerpt first to see if you enjoy her style (or you could check out her blog). Feel free to skip the last chapter.

Our 2011 Advent Books, Week 3

2011-12-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

The Last Straw by Frederick H. Thury is a wonderful story that delights us every year.

Father and Son: A Nativity Story by Geraldine McCaughrean considers Joseph's thoughts and feelings on the night Jesus was born. It's a new one for us. I'm not sure the children will find it engaging enough, but I thought it lovely.

Mary, Did You Know? by Mark Lowry. Apparently, this is a song, but I don't think I've heard it. The book is beautiful. I found a copy on sale sometime during the year so the children haven't seen it yet.

A Christmas Like Helen's by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock is another book I just love - a simple look at Christmas generations ago.

The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston, illustrated by Barbara Cooney (one of my absolute favorite illustrators) is one of my favorite books of all time. It makes me cry every time I read it, this beautiful story of love and sacrifice and a family's joy. Please find a copy! Mine is a perfect hardcover copy from PaperBackSwap. (God bless the crazy person who passed this on to me.)

Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson, because we must have some silly books.

The Night of Las Posadas by Tomie dePaola

The Little Drummer Boy, illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats, is one of the stories I remember from my youth. I inherited my grandmother's paperback copy which I trembled to read to the children. A friend told me last year that there was a board book release of the same book and I found it on sale during the year! Hooray! I love it. I love the illustrations.

The Christmas Story, illustrated by Gennady Spirin, a delight for the eyes.

I've noticed the children have far less interest in the Christmas books I've set out in our library pile than in the ones we are unwrapping, a bit of encouragement to wrap more next year. They certainly don't mind the days we unwrap and read two books this year.

Our 2011 Advent Books
Week 1
Week 2

What I Loved About Last Week (12 Ed.)

2011-12-05T07:00:00.000-06:00

1. This week I pulled out an old exercise tape. This is one I originally used back in 2001 and have used off and on in all the years since. I never remember it being easy. Well, this week it was easy! Despite knowing the entire tape by heart, I was shocked when it ended. I guess all that time with the Wii Fit has been doing some good after all. (Not having lost significant weight or inches, I must take my successes where I find them.)

2. We met some good friends for a playdate at the zoo this week. It's been a while since we were there and it was very fun to see Second Son enjoying himself.

He doesn't have mittens! Maybe he'll get some for Christmas.

A very pretty picture of First Daughter

First Son pausing for a picture

Second Daughter in her furry coat

3. Peppermint marshmallows. Enough said.

4. A Small Miracle by Peter Collington. We read it this week and Oh! How I love it!

5. I love how much children love Advent. They are excited each day for our picture book, for the new magnet for our fridge Nativity, to light the candle on the Advent wreath at dinner, to prepare for the feast days. Second Daughter doesn't remember last Advent (being only two at the time) and the older two love to tell her exactly what to expect.

6. Etsy - I ordered something for the first time ever from Etsy. It was easy, the site was beautiful and I found the perfect gift.

7. Video of Second Son. I think this video is from May 2011, so he's about ten months old. I found it while going through my pictures.

8. Video of Second Son last week. We're not entirely sure what he's doing here, but we think he's shooting "guns." First Son has been playing "Hero Factory" which involves saving the world from bad guys who shoot some sort of weapon. Second Son wants to play along.

9. Dishwashers that work. Kansas Dad washed all the filters on our water softener. It took a while, but the cleansing finally worked its way to the dishwasher.

Take a deep breath. Next week we have St. Nicholas's Feast Day, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, First Son's birthday party, First Son's First Reconciliation, and First Son's actual birthday. Somewhere in all that we're going to have some lessons, too. I make no promises to post What I Love About Last Week on time next week, but I do promise there will be much to love!

Book Review: Sinner

2011-12-04T22:28:00.001-06:00

Sinner: The Catholic Guy's Funny, Feeble Attempts to be a Faithful Catholic by Lino Rulli

Apparently, Mr. Rulli has a TV show and has worked in radio, but I'd never heard of him before selecting this book from The Catholic Company. I thought of my brother when I saw what a few others were saying about the book.

Mr. Rulli is not offering a deep theological treatise in this book. It's a series of vignettes, in no particular order, that contemplate contemporary life as a single Catholic man. He takes his Catholicism seriously but he doesn't take himself seriously. We hear stories of his youth, his college years and of his work in Catholic media. It's easy to imagine listening to him regale us as if we were sitting around a big table after eating a hearty meal, laughing and talking with friends.

I found the book funny without being offensive, though some of the stories touch on subjects of a mature nature. He doesn't go into any details, but it would be best to save this book for college age or older. (I think...I'm not really sure, perhaps mature high school students would be alright with it.)

I selected the book with my brother in mind and I think it would be perfect for him. If you have trouble finding gifts for your brother or brother-in-law, consider this one. (You know, since Christmas is coming up...)

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an objective review. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Sinner. They are also a great source for a Catechism of the Catholic Church or a Catholic Bible.

As long as I'm linking to The Catholic Company, one of my favorite books, Easter illustrated by Fiona French, is less than $7 for a hardcover right now. The Easter Story by Brian Wildsmith is available in hardcover for only $8. These are very good prices for some wonderful beautiful books! (I'm not an affiliate with this site; I receive nothing if you follow these links or purchase these books. I just love them and want them in home where they will be read and treasured.)

Love Is...In the Marshmallows

2011-12-02T21:03:00.001-06:00

Love is driving back to the store after dinner to buy unflavored gelatin so Mama can make peppermint marshmallows (a recipe that has been beckoning her elusively for over a year) to enjoy with our Advent activity tomorrow morning -- homemade hot chocolate.

Book Review: An Unreasonable Woman

2011-12-02T07:00:00.000-06:00

An Unreasonable Woman: A True Story of Shrimpers, Politicos, Polluters, And the Fight for Seadrift, Texas by Diane Wilson

Ms. Wilson's book chronicles her transformation from shrimper-turned-fish-house-manager to environmental activist, all prompted by a single newspaper article in which she learned her home county in Texas was the most polluted in the country: "The article ranked Calhoun County first nationally for toxics to the land, and said we accounted for 54 percent of the state's total of a billion pounds..."

I think this book tells an important message, one that's hidden in nearly all "reliable" mainstream media and one we find hard to believe when reported in places less restrained: Most companies in this country, and the world, have little or no interest in being good citizens whether we're discussing employees, customers or the environment. We may think we believe that, but repeatedly companies and industries are given free rein or expected to police themselves. Again and again in the book, Ms. Wilson implies she has documentation (not referenced in end notes, of course, just stated as coming from various reports) of blatant disregard for the environmental and worker safety laws in the United States with the full or partial knowledge of those working in the EPA. It's horrifying, if it's true.

For what it's worth, I'm more inclined to believe her than the companies. Now you know my bias.

However...Ms. Wilson's writing style is difficult to wade through. I think it could have benefited from an editor willing and able to cut the excess and give the reader a book that retained her style without detracting from the story. In fact, I think this book had the potential to be amazing; instead, it's merely almost good.

Sometimes the phrasing was merely painful:

I was a cedar pole stuck in the mud alongside a riverbank, measuring the rise and fall of the bizarre happenings in the county, and the security man was a high-water mark. He was like a bad B movie where you have twenty-four hours to save the planet and nobody believes a word you say.

More often, the awkward sentences and rambling thoughts were confusing. I had trouble figuring out what was going on at all. Everything was smoother when the forward progress of the story suppressed the desire to be poetic.

For those that are interested, Ms. Wilson's legal battles and picketing escalated to activities like hunger strikes, attempting to sink her boat over toxic drainage and being carried bodily out of stockholder meetings. I did a little searching online and quickly realized she and I would not quite get along. In an interview in 2006 (KW is the interviewer):

KW: I want to note that many times in your book you talk about the embryos and eggs of the shrimp and other sea life and how effluents from Formosa and Alcoa are killing them. Do you have any thoughts on the term "pro-life" that is so heavily used by Republicans and how that idea might apply to the situation where you are?

Diane Wilson: I believe if the male of the species had babies there would be universal pro-choice. I think this idea of pro-life has more to do with control over the bodies and minds of women and is so hotly defended by the religious right because they consider the bodies of women and the body of the earth inherently evil. I don't think it is a coincidence that the killings at abortion clinics have sometimes been by Assembly of God (Pentecostal) members. I was raised Pentecostal so I've been a fly on that wall.

Not quite something you'd read here on the Range.

Despite the writing style of the book and views with which I disagree, I think Ms. Wilson's book could reveal to people (if they can manage to actually read it) the inequity of the battle in America to balance the risks of industry with the need to provide economic opportunities and meet consumer needs. All of life is about finding such a balance beginning within a family and progressing up through levels of society to a nation and the world. Currently the ability to have frank discussions to reach that balance is nonexistent. As long as companies hold the control they have in lobbying and the legal system, it's a long slow fight.

I find myself wondering now about the origins of the plastic in Legos, Playmobile sets and all those parts and pieces of the stuff of our lives. Sigh. Hopefully we're not contributing too much to the degradation of the world and the exploitation of workers and their families in Texas or a third-world country.

Our 2011 Advent Books, Week 2

2011-12-01T07:00:00.001-06:00

Apparently I'm not going to post our Advent books on an actual schedule, just as I get around to them. Here are our picture-book-or-two-a-day for the second week of Advent.

Saint Francis and the Christmas Donkey by Robert Byrd. We've read this for many years now and my children love it every time.

Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend by Julie Stiegmeyer - I reviewed this in my post on St. Nicholas's feast day last year. I still love it.

The Miracle of St. Nicholas by Gloria Whelan is such a wonderful story about how faith can survive and be revived through the simple acts of a child.

The Christmas Knight by Jane Louise Curry is a new one for us this year. I'm not sure how I feel about mortgaging the farm to pay for Christmas parties, but I think First Son will enjoy the story.

The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola (Hooray for PaperBackSwap!)

The Lady of Guadalupe by Tomie dePaola (another PaperBackSwap aquisition) in celebration of the feast days of St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe. We're having tacos for dinner, too.

The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado seems a bit forced to me, but my children always respond well to it. I do like how the lamb's adversity gives it the opportunity to be in the presence of the Lord. I think we can find ourselves in similar situations.

Our 2011 Advent Books
Week 1

Is it possible to read too many Christmas picture books? I don't think so!

November Book Report

2011-11-30T23:36:00.000-06:00

The One Thing by Matthew Kelly (a review for The Catholic Company)

Science Fiction: Stories and Contexts ed. by Heather Masri is the main reason I haven't been finishing as many books as usual recently. It is over 1200 pages long. I read all of the short stories in it, skipping the critical context essays and the excerpts from longer stories. I intend to join Kansas Dad as he's co-teaching a course using this book next semester, so now I'm a little ahead on the reading. I enjoyed a great many of the stories but was particularly fascinated by one of the most disturbing stories I've ever read, Octavia Butler's Bloodchild. (Kansas Dad's desk copy)

Patron Saints by Thomas J. Craughwell (a review for The Catholic Company)

My monthly book reports are really becoming a bit embarrassing. I did, however, finish three books on November 30th. I'll be posting about them early in December and will include them in December's book report. (I'm in the middle of four or five books in addition to those three, which perhaps partly explains why I'm not finishing many books. One of my Advent goals is to decrease that pile a little, as unworthy as that may be as a goal.)

Preschool Reading Around the World: Africa

2011-11-30T07:00:00.000-06:00

This year, the girls and I are reading around the world. Well, mainly First Daughter and I are reading around the world, with First Son watching over our shoulders. Second Daughter is too busy. (She's probably in the bathroom.)

We had a wonderful time reading stories set in Africa this term. I chose our books by searching the library catalog and tried to select ones we had not read before. Some of our own books set in Africa cycled in and out of the book basket, from which the kids can select a book during quiet time (which is a mixed success, but I'm sticking with it).

My goal was not to teach about Africa's geography, economics or politics. It was merely to read some wonderful books set in Africa and perhaps learn a little of the culture and people there along the way.

A Triangle for Adaora: An African Book of Shapes by Ifeoma Onyefulu showcases lots of cultural photographs in the search for shapes. The girls loved it.

Mama Elizabeti and Elizabeti's School by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen, illustrated by Christy Hale (Don't miss Elizabeti's Doll, either.) I adore these books. The girls adore these books. We read them over and over again.

Where Are You Going, Manyoni? by Catherine Stock is another of my favorites. I've mentioned it on the blog before.

Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya by Donna Jo Napoli is a good book about a real person who has made a difference in the world. I didn't think the environmental and peace messages were too forced. My children love reading about real people and they enjoyed this book. I thought the illustrations were wonderful.

Jambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book by Muriel Feelings was more fun for me than the children, but it does introduce quite a bit of African life.

Ikenna Goes to Nigeria by Ifeoma Onyefulu is a fictionalized account of a real boy's visit to his family in Nigeria. The story was fine and I knew the children would love seeing real photographs. They did.

Happy Birthday, Jamela!, Where's Jamela?, and Jamelas Dress by Niki Daly were well received. First Daughter loved Jamela and was thrilled each time I pulled out another book about her. She's a bit of a trouble-maker, but she loves her mother and seems to get in trouble more because she is impulsive than mischievous.

The Village of Round and Square Houses by Ann Grifalconi was one of the children's favorite books. They were fascinated by the story of this real village in Africa and the volcano that changed everyone's lives. (They wondered if the villagers knew about Jesus, which I couldn't learn, but I think it was sweet they cared enough to ask.)

One Big Family: Sharing Life in an African Village (also called Ogbo: Sharing Life in an African Village) by Ifeoma Onyefulu is a book more focused on telling about life in Africa than a story. My kids liked looking at the photographs, though.

Africa Is Not A Country by Margy Burns Knight was confusing for the children. It seems like a neat idea, following a day in Africa by peeking at the lives of children in different countries at different times of day, but my children were just confused that we never went back to see what happened to any of the children. It's not really a story. It was also difficult for me to read, knowing how it was glossing over so many of the troubles in the continent. (It's easier to read a story about one person or family without feeling like I'm giving the wrong impression about the continent as a whole.)

So this was our tour through Africa. We're on to Asia now and I love having a plan for introducing the children to the world without wading through actual history, geography or culture studies (though those sorts of things will come in the future). Oh, how I love picture books!

Quote: Towards a Philosophy of Education

2011-11-29T19:00:00.000-06:00

Charlotte Mason in Towards A Philosophy Of Education, Chapter 7:

That children like feeble and tedious oral lessons, feeble and tedious story books, does not at all prove that these are wholesome food; they like lollipops but cannot live upon them; yet there is a serious attempt in certain schools to supply the intellectual, moral, and religious needs of children by appropriate 'sweetmeats.'

My own children have only been homeschooled, so I don't have a lot of experience with what the schools are teaching, but I do know that my youngest sister (who is currently in ninth grade) has come home with some shocking books as assigned reading. The theory seems to be that they must provide something entertaining to entice the children to read. I have nothing against being entertained as we read per se, but our primary goal in education must be to educate. Sometimes, we are educating our souls and hearts to learn to be engrossed in that which is not entertaining. Sometimes, we are training our souls to be entertained by that which is wholesome.

Charlotte Mason quotes A. Paterson's Across the Bridges:

The teacher ready to use the powers that his training and experience have given him works too hard while the boy's share in the struggle is too light. It is possible to make education too easy for children and to rob learning of mental discipline which often wearies but in the end produces concentration and the capacity to work alone...He is rarely left to himself with the book in his hands, forced to concentrate all his mind on the dull words before him with no one at hand to explain or make the memory work easier by little tricks of repetition and association...

Exactly.

Later in chapter 7, Charlotte Mason says:

Their implicit contention is, given a well-educated man with cultivated imagination, trained judgment, wide interests, and he is prepared to master the intricacies of any profession; while he knows at the same time how to make use of himself, of the powers with which nature and education have endowed him for his own happiness; the delightful employment of his leisure; for the increased happiness of his neighbours and the well-being of the community; that is, such a man is able, not only to earn his living, but to live. (emphasis the author's)

Again, exactly! It is our intention to educate our children in such a way as to prepare them adequately for success in competitive colleges and even graduate programs, but our goal is to educate them so they are eager and able to seek out their own growth in knowledge, skills and wisdom, regardless of their career.

What I Loved About Last Week (11th Ed.)

2011-11-29T07:00:00.000-06:00

1. Monday and Tuesday I had class for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd all day. It was great to sit and talk with other people about the education of children all day. On Monday, Second Son's godparents were gracious enough to watch all four of my children while I was at class and Kansas Dad was at work. I am so very thankful for their good care, and particularly his godmother, who spent at least part of the day alone with seven kids seven and under. (Good gracious!) Second Son is so blessed to have them as godparents, and even more blessed to have the opportunity to really know them. I am so blessed that they live just down the road from us!

2. Story hour recipes for How to Cook a Turkey. Our story hour teacher asked each child how to cook a turkey and then printed recipe cards to share at the Thanksgiving celebration. I didn'thave time to write them up last week, but I did want to share. (It astounds me how often I can bake with the children and yet they have no concept of how to use an oven or how it works. Sigh. At least the recipes are amusing.)

First Son (a month shy of 8):

1. Set the oven for 20 degrees.

2. Then grab a turkey.

3. Make it die.

4. Take out the stuffings.

5. Then take all the feathers off.

6. Then go and cook it.

7. Then eat.

First Daughter (5):

1. Well, first you can take all the meat out.

2. Then you can, let's see, take out all the stuffing if there's some stuck to the meat.

3. Then cook the meat.

4. Then eat.

5. Set the oven at 53 degrees.

6. Cook it for 20 minutes.

Second Daughter (3):

1. Turn on the oven to 2 degrees.

2. Cook it for 3 days.

Pretty drawers

3. On Tuesday, I stopped at Hobby Lobby to pick up supplies for our annual Christmas ornament. While there, I spotted a cardboard Advent calendar of drawers for 50% off and couldn't resist. I spent Tuesday night cutting and gluing scrapbook paper on it to make it beautiful and eagerly anticipate opening the first drawer on December 1st. Of course...I'm not entirely sure what will be in the drawers. So far I have the little pieces of our magnetic Nativity set and will also probably write a special Advent activity for each day on a folded piece of paper.

Reading for filling

4. I also bought a white candle for the center of our Advent wreath. It, and the small mirrored candle stand were also 50% off. We set out the wreath just before Thanksgiving, because it's pretty and because it was in front of the box of Advent books I needed to pull out anyway. The children were intrigued by all the pictures "carved" around the bottom. Each week has a different set of four images to remind us of something. A pamphlet in the box explains each of the images (and gives Scripture suggestions as well). I bought ours at a local Catholic bookstore, but you can find it online as well. (Here's one.)

Images for the First Week

5. On Wednesday the kids and I cleaned, which is to say I cleaned while the kids complained. I finally figured out how to get my floorboards as clean as I like in the kitchen. (It involves hands and knees scrubbing with an actual scrub brush, which was not so fun, but they were clean!) I was so pleased with my progress I took a two hour break to take Second Son outside (with his older siblings, of course) to play on the swings and run around in the yard.

6. Thanksgiving - wonderful wonderful! Kansas Dad's parents came for the day. Kansas Dad made a fabulous meal. They brought four desserts including a homemade apple pie! At the end of the day, my house was still remarkably clean, which is really saying something considering the dishwasher is temporarily out of order.

7. On the day after Thanksgiving, we did nothing. Well, Kansas Dad worked and the kids and I did little at home. I had considered a trip to a museum or something but decided in the end to just relax. (Isn't it great to be a homeschooling mom?) I did a little Black Friday shopping online at some Catholic stores and (dare I say it?) have almost finished shopping for the kids. We only buy one thing for Christmas (generally a toy, though I tend to the educational ones), but we have stockings to fill for St. Nicholas's feast day and small faith-filled gifts for Epiphany...not to mention First Son's birthday and baptism anniversary.

8. First Daughter and Second Daughter drew some amazing portraits this week. (See how hard Second Daughter is working above. She insisted on finishing before she could eat her dinner.) First, we have Second Daughter's portraits - that's First Daughter on the left and me on the right. She told me I'd have to draw in my own arms. (Was she tired? Or just hungry for dinner?)

Below we have First Daughter's portrait of Second Daughter. Kansas Dad is impressed with how First Daughter's pictures look like whatever she says she's drawing now.

6. The Catechesis children processed into Mass with the new Missal this weekend. I love how our priest always thinks of the children and how to involve them in our parish life.

7. First Daughter, talking to Second Daughter at the dinner table, after Kansas Dad had made a remark to me, "We need a you-know-what tonight; that means we're going to have a bath."

Blessed Advent!

Book Discussion: Chapter 8 in One Thousand Gifts

2011-11-28T23:35:00.000-06:00

Brandy at Afterthoughts is blogging as she reads A Mother's Rule of Life. You can catch up on the series (so far) here. Her third post was still fresh in my mind when I read chapter ten of One Thousand Gifts, entitled empty to fill.

In this chapter, Ann Voskamp continues her exploration of eucharisteo:

At the last, this is what will determine a fulfilling, meaningful life, a life that, behind all the facades, every one of us longs to live: gratitude for the blessings that expresses itself by becoming the blessing. (emphasis the author's)

She realizes that each and every task is an opportunity for her to be a gift to others, that all of His gifts are in fact incomplete unless we reach out to others.

I scour pots and grin silly: I can wash feet here by washing dishes.

Later:

Scratching a stubborn pot furiously with a wire scrubby, I remember it again, what I once read of liturgy. That liturgy has its roots in the Greek word leitourgia, meaning "public work" or "public servant." The meaning! This life of washing dishes, of domestic routine, it can be something wholly different. This life of rote work, it is itself public work, a public serving--even this scrubbing of pans--and thus, if done unto God, the mundane work can become the living liturgy of the Last Supper. I could become the blessing, live the liturgy! I rinse pots and sing it softly, "This is my song of thanks to You..." (emphasis the author's)

There's more. We must not think only of the people we serve, the very real crying, moaning, whining, grumpy little people -- or even the homeless, the sick, the elderly.

When service is unto people, the bones can grow weary, the frustration deep.

When we concentrate on serving other people, even people we love deeply and who depend entirely on us as a newborn does, we dwell on ourselves. We think of our sacrifice, what we deserve.

But when Christ is at the center, when dishes, laundry, work, is my song of thanks to Him, joy rains. Passionately serving Christ alone makes us the loving servant to all. When the eyes of the heart focus on God, and the hands on always washing the feet of Jesus alone--the bones, they sing joy, and the work returns to its purest state: eucharisteo. The work becomes worship, a liturgy of thankfulness.

I haven't finished the book yet, but I think this is by far the best chapter with only one to go.

Quote: One Thousand Gifts

2011-11-28T19:00:00.000-06:00

Ann Voskamp in One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are:

While I may not always feel joy, God asks me to give thanks in all things, because He knows that the feeling of joy begins in the action of thanksgiving...

True saints know that the place where all joy comes from is far deeper than that of feelings; joy comes from the place of the very presence of God. Joy is God and God is joy and joy doesn't negate all other emotions--joy transcends all other emotions.

Our 2011 Advent Books, Week 1

2011-11-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

I was hoping to post this earlier, but we can only do what we can do and feeding the children is more important than blogging. (It is, right?) My regular Monday post (What I Loved About Last Week) will (hopefully) appear on Tuesday.

Here's our first week of Advent books. As last year, we'll be reading a picture book a day (well, often two; I have a picture book problem) and I had to front load the library books again.

The Christmas Story by Jane Werner Watson, illustrated by Eloise Wilkin, is just a sweet story of the Nativity. I expect my girls to love it.

Look and Find on the Night Before Christmas When Every Creature Is Stirring. My mother picked this up at Goodwill or someplace during the year and I added it to the mix because I think First Son will enjoy it

Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett, just for fun.

Peter Spier's Christmas is a delightfully illustrated wordless book. I got our copy from PaperBackSwap.com.

Great Joy by Kate DiCamillo is a new book for us this year. I hope it makes the children think about who Jesus came to save.

Christmas Alphabet by Robert Sabuda. Kansas Dad and I found this on clearance years ago. The children love it every year, but I have to put it up where they can't reach it or the artwork is destroyed.

The Donkey's Dream by Barbara Berger

Good King Wenceslas - Our library copy is the one illustrated by Christopher Manson

A Small Miracle by Peter Collington is one of my favorite books of all time; it's a joy to read each Advent.

Through the Animals' Eyes: A Story of the First Christmas by Christopher Wormell - my kids love all of his books.

Blessed Advent!

Currently from the Library: Some Book Reviews

2011-11-25T07:00:00.000-06:00

We have had a run of great luck with library books recently and I wanted to share!

The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle is full of the large vibrant illustrations we all expect from this illustrator. The limited text encourages young artists to experiment and imagine other possibilities while painting and drawing. After reading this book, I found First Son copying the pages with his own paper and markers. I actually heard Mr. Carle speaking on NPR about this title and found the story of his experience seeing Franz Marc's paintings for the first time fascinating. (Blue Horse I is shown at the end of the book.)

Waiting for the Biblioburro by Monica Brown, illustrated by John Parra, tells the story of a man who travels through rural Colombia with two burros carrying books, a mobile library for children otherwise without access to a library. It's well-told and vibrantly illustrated. I intend to read it next term during our sojourn in Central and South American for our preschool-reading-around-the-world. (Jeanette Winter has a similar story, Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia, but I haven't read that one yet.)

Perfect Square by Michael Hall explores what a square is and what it can be. Read this book before presenting your child with a pile of square papers and watch what happens. It's a delightful book. (The cover made you smile, didn't it?)

Me . . . Jane by Patrick McDonnell is a little story of Jane, who has a dream to live in Africa with the wild animals, a dream that comes true when Jane Goodall arrives in Tanzania in 1960. The text is simple, the illustrations are delightful and there is much to imagine after reading it. Plus, the picture of baby Jane with her toy chimpanzee is adorable!

Brother Sun, Sister Moon, Saint Francis of Assisi's Canticle of the Creatures adapted by Katherine Paterson and illustrated by Pamela Dalton is a stunning book. The illustrations glow on the black backgrounds. The text is a worthy adaptation of St. Francis's canticle. In a similar vein, I checked out Tomie dePaola's Let The Whole Earth Sing Praise. It's a nice little book but not quite as good.

LMNO Peas by Keith Baker is a charming romp through the alphabet, illustrated by career peas "(hikers, inventors, and investigators"). It's funny and well-illustrated. I loved it and so did the kids.

Not every week at the library is as full of delights as this pile of books, but isn't is wonderful when it happens?

Quote: Towards a Philosophy of Education

2011-11-22T07:00:00.000-06:00

Charlotte Mason in Towards a Philosophy of Education:

For the mind is capable of dealing with only one kind of food; it lives, grows and is nourished upon ideas only; mere information is to it as a meal of sawdust to the body; there are no organs for the assimilation of the one more than of the other.

Later:

There is but one sphere in which the word idea never occurs, in which the conception of an idea is curiously absent, and that sphere is education! Look at any publisher's list of school books and you shall find that the books recommended are carefully dessicated, drained of the least suspicion of an idea, reduced to the driest statements of fact.

At the end of the chapter (chapter 6):

All roads lead to Rome, and all I have said is meant to enforce the fact that much and varied humane reading, as well as human thought expressed in the forms of art, is, not a luxury, a tit-bit, to be given to children now and then, but their very bread of life, which they must have in abundant portions and at regular periods. This and more is implied in the phrase, "The mind feeds on ideas and therefore children should have a generous curriculum."

What I Loved About Last Week (10th Ed.)

2011-11-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

1. Second Son's 15 month well child appointment. The appointment itself was uneventful other than the fact that it happened. Due to various circumstances, it had been rescheduled twice. Third time's the charm. He's healthy and on track (despite not saying Mama yet; I think he can and just refuses). He weights 25 pounds and some ounces (65% for weight and 50% for height). The other kids were remarkably good, thanks to the goodie bag I had left in the van stocked with dot-to-dots, coloring books, and boxes of crayons.

2. Geoboards. First Son made a pirate ship.

3. Second Daughter's creativity. This is a ghost she made for me; it's actually "You, Mom, when you are a ghost without arms." I'm not quite sure what to make of that, so I choose to be delighted in her creativity.

3. Second Daughter's hair styling skills.

5. Messy baby pictures.

6. Second Son reading the Sunday paper.

7. First Daughter's reading lessons, which took a dramatic turn for the better this week. Without whining, giggling, complaining, or dramatics, she read. Just read, and quite well. Let's hope it continues after our Thanksgiving break.

8. Our first week without choir, and anticipating the coming week without choir or Catechesis. In fact, we're taking the week off.

9. Our story hour Thanksgiving celebration, when all the families gathered for the full meal. We have such a wonderful community!

10. Dear friends, who watched our four kids on top of their own five so I could join Kansas Dad for a treat - dinner out with another university couple and a visiting professor. We talked about politics, culture, American and British comparisons, and theology (of course) and generally had a lovely evening. Nobody spilled anything. Nobody fell off his or her chair. Nobody refused to eat dinner. Someday soon we hope to return the favor so our friends can enjoy an evening out.

11. The upcoming Thanksgiving, when I have the opportunity to eat so many of my favorite foods, Kansas Dad's apple herb stuffing being very high on that list. If I'm not too overwhelmed by cleaning before the holiday, I'm going to try to make some cinnamon babka. Mmmm...

12. Christmas shopping. I picked a fun toy for my parents to give Second Son (with the other gifts left to choose). We've also picked some special gifts for Grammy and Paw Paw to give the kids. They are so very generous and our children are going to be thrilled!

Have a marvelous Thanksgiving! When I post "What I Loved About Last Week" next week...it'll be Advent!

It's Advent Planning Time!

2011-11-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

I hate to think past a major holiday like Thanksgiving, but it just must be done. I have our Advent requests in at the library. There are over 50 books and CDs on my list. I noticed a few we won't get in time as there's already a waiting list, so I picked extras to make sure we could unwrap and read a picture-book-a-day. I was hoping to finalize my list so I could write lovely posts about them in time for you all to run out and find your own copies...but I don't think I'll be that productive. I will try to post our final list...once I've figured it out.

It's also time to start thinking about ornaments. We'll be starting ours the first week of Advent, so I really must decide what we're making this year. Do I finally dare the salt-dough-baked ones? Second Son just might let me get away with it this year...

I have a new Advent wreath this year! I'm very pleased with it! (It's this one, though I bought ours at a local Catholic book store.) I'd like to get a big white candle to put in the middle of it for the Christmas season.

For the first time, we're going to read through The Life of Mary and The Way to Bethlehem by Inos Biffi and illustrated by Franco Vignazia. This are beautiful books that will hopefully inspire lofty thoughts in my little ones. We're also going to try reading through Proclaim The Wondrous Birth - Daily Prayers for Advent.

The real question is...will we have a Jesse Tree this year? Every year I say no, then we do at the last minute because the idea of a Jesse Tree is so wonderful...but my children have never liked it. Hope springs eternal, though, and they are one year older...

First Son will have his first confession this Advent. That's certainly something worth celebrating! His birthday and baptism anniversary also fall within Advent.

First Son and First Daughter will see The Nutcracker for the first time this year. I think First Daughter is mostly excited about wearing her princess dress again.

Did I mention Kansas Dad also has a birthday during Advent?

Oh, my, we'll be busy!

Query 37

2011-11-18T20:32:00.001-06:00

Does writing out a wish list (or three) count as handwriting?

Missing the Resurrection

2011-11-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

Our timeline card for the resurrection has disappeared. Nothing like missing the second half of the single most important episode in history. I'm afraid a certain toddler has run off with it.

Sigh.

Consequences

2011-11-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

When you teach the boy Daddy's cell phone number, he will convince the baby to relinquish your cell phone, then hide in his bedroom and call Daddy's number, which you will discover when you frantically run through the house looking for the ringing phone and then realize you called it.

Only you didn't.

The Catholic Company Review: Patron Saints for Every Member of Your Family

2011-11-15T21:12:00.001-06:00

Patron Saints for Every Member of Your Family, Every Profession, Every Ailment, Every Emergency, and Even Every Amusement by Thomas J. Craughwell

I love stories of the saints. It's hard to imagine having too many books on saints around the house. When I saw this one available for review from The Catholic Company, I quickly requested it.

As the title promises, there are saints for (nearly) everything with chapters for the family, for the spiritual life, for ailments, for professions, for education, for the military, for recreation, for disasters, for animals, for unexpected causes and for the nations of the world.

It's not the kind of book I would sit and read from cover to cover. Instead, I've been flipping through it, reading bits and pieces. Interspersed with the patron saints are short articles giving more information on Catholic practices, background and explanations of changes over time in how saints have been approached.

There were many familiar saints in the book and also some I had never seen before like St. John Kanty (a theology professor in the 1400s) and St. Nicholas of Tolentino, the patron saint of vegetarians. He had given up meat. When he was served some roast chicken, he made the sign of the cross and it changed into roasted vegetables. We don't have any vegetarians here on the Range, but you have to love a saint who blessed what he was served. There are also no fewer than three different saints for test-takers; it's nice to know saints didn't always know the answers.

This book would be wonderful for someone preparing for Confirmation, a great beginning for someone choosing a patron saint.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an objective review. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Patron Saints. They are also a great source for a Catechism of the Catholic Church or a Catholic Bible.

What I Loved About Last Week (9th Ed.)

2011-11-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

1. Second Daughter's rendition of America, the Beautiful in which she sings, "God shed his light on me!"

2. First Daughter's drawing from Sunday School - this wonderful drawing of herself with the words "I am a child of God."

3. Second Son has started making some sounds! He will neigh and baa. He also might have said "cheese," "drink," and "yes." But I'm going to pretend he hasn't because I'm still waiting to hear "Mama."

4. First Daughter's reading. She impressed me this week by reading a word my finger was covering, having glanced at it long enough to see and remember it. She is apparently reading much better than her performance in lessons would indicate. She wiggles, giggles and stares into space, but she is learning to read. We're still using The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading but I'm breaking up the lessons because she drags them out much too long. Ten or fifteen minutes is really my limit.

5. Butterflies! All of our pupae hatched beautiful painted lady butterflies. We're feeding them sugar syrup and I'm wishing we'd done our butterfly unit earlier in the year so we could release them. Maybe we'll order some more caterpillars in the spring.

6. Our last choir practice of the term followed by the concert. The children did a wonderful job, except for Second Daughter who stood at center stage and entertained the crowd. At one point she turned completely around and faced the rest of the choir for a whole song. At another time she was twisting back and forth, twirling her skirt, attracting the attention of the little girl next to her who promptly began doing the same. She also left the stage and returned on her own whims a few times. Sigh. The other parents were very kind.

7. A baptism! Our sweet little goddaughter was baptized this weekend. It was a wonderful ceremony. Our priest invited all the other children close and gave the oils and candles and books to them to hold so they all felt like a part of the ceremony. It is such a blessing to have godparents and godchildren in our very own parish; we are truly becoming one family in Christ.

What did you love about last week?

Quote: The Faith Explained

2011-11-09T07:23:00.000-06:00

Leo Trese in The Faith Explained:

We become more conscious of the fact that the Mass is an act of corporate worship, of group worship. The idea that we are all in this together--the priest at the altar and the people around us--comes more alive for us. We are in this together, one Body in Christ. We support each other with our prayers, we share with each other our graces.

What I Loved About Last Week (8th Ed.)

2011-11-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

1. Halloween night - We had a wonderful time at Grammy and Paw Paw's house: pizza for dinner and then trick-or-treating in her neighborhood. I took six videos trying to get Second Son to growl for the camera. This is the best one:

Second Daughter as Elmo, First Son as Mario, First Daughter as Princess

Handsome Kansas Dad as lion tamer

2. Walnut bread for the feast of All Saints on Tuesday from the My Bread cookbook - delicious!

3. Second Daughter at choir rehearsal. She refused to go up on stage at first. When she did for the last song, she sang little but twisted and turned a lot. I hope the choir director did not find her too distracting. I thought she was adorable. (She will probably choose not to sing in the concert, and that's alright.)

4. We used a bunch of our Halloween candy to celebrate the Feast Day of St. Martin de Porres on Thursday with mouse cupcakes (original idea here). Then the kids and I delivered some to friends. I loved how they called to tell us how much their family enjoyed them. It was a wonderful lesson for my children on sharing our excess to bless others.

5. Library book sales - I had the opportunity to preview a sale at our little library and came home with about 20 books I want to read, plus a handful for the kids. I also found a copy of Unlikely Pairs (Bob Raczka's Art Adventures), which I think will make an interesting addition to our art appreciation for the year.

6. Dinner out and frozen yogurt on Friday for no reason.

7. A hair cut with a friend on Saturday morning. We went to an academy where students cut hair at a discounted price and it was wonderful! They treated us wonderfully, the stylist behind the academy made an appearance and complimented everyone and the hair cut is great. Of course, Second Daughter was inspired to cut her own hair...so now she has a few bangs again.

8. Last soccer game on Saturday! We have Saturdays free until the spring! Well, except for the choir concert coming up.

9. Planning week 12 of our year - I am loving my planning system and am looking forward to the week. We're starting Pagoo, finishing our second unit of Connecting with History (right on schedule), preparing for our choir concert and I'm starting to think seriously about Advent.

10. My first earthquake! Kansas Dad and I were awake for the aftershock in Oklahoma that could be felt in parts of Kansas on Saturday night. I was scared at first, but it was fairly gentle and over quickly and I gleefully announced, "I think that was an earthquake!" Who would have thought after six years in Kansas, I'd have never seen a tornado but felt an earthquake?

11. A handsome seven year old, First Son. I should have taken a picture of him hard at work on math or Latin or copywork or something! He still captures my heart when closely studying the Lego magazine (essentially a glorified ten page advertisement, sigh).

What did you love about your week?

A Few Ways to Tell Second Daughter Has Been in the Bathroom

2011-11-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

1. Her sleeves and shirt front are soaking wet.

2. Little bits of toilet paper are strewn around on the floor, many of them damp.

3. A pool of water in the sink.

4. A pool of water in front of the sink.

5. Twenty or thirty wipes piled in the trash bin.

6. Water in the fluoride-free toothpaste, sitting on the sink without a lid.

7. Hand towels, sopping wet, are draped over the side of the bath tub.

8. All of the wash cloths wandering the house, wet, of course.

9. A baby doll left lying bereft on the floor, forgotten in the joy of water in the sink.

10. Second Son laughing in the bathroom; he knows how to take advantage of his sister's carelessness in closing the door properly.

11. A pile of things in the tub, dumped there by Second Son (who giggles gleefully whenever he has the opportunity to throw things in there).

You will not be surprised to learn I spend a lot of time cleaning the bathroom and it still never seems to be clean. That is one of the prices we pay for the blessing of a three-year-old in the house.

October Book Report

2011-11-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

Write These Laws on Your Children by Robert Kunzman (inter-library loan copy)

Young Pioneers by Rose Wilder Lane will seem familiar to anyone who has read the Little House books, though written for an older audience. Young David and Molly stake a claim, facing grasshoppers, blizzards and loneliness. It's well written and enjoyable. I was particularly struck by how little Molly had to do during the winter. She had one book of Tennyson poems and very little else to occupy her mind. Sometimes I think weathering a winter of blizzards in a cozy little house on the prairie would be wonderful, given enough food, an Internet connection, a Kindle and an iPad. I would have made a poor settler's wife in her time, though. (library copy)

Francis: The Journey and the Dream by Murray Bodo (a review for The Catholic Company)

Chalk Box Kid by Clyde Robert Bulla is the story of Gregory's move to a new home and a new school. Things don't start out so well for him, but his creativity and artistic endeavors ease his transition. This is a fine early reader (much below First Son's reading level), but I didn't feel like it was great. (library copy)

I think it's kind of funny I commented on September's list that it was so short -- and here's October with even fewer! I am, however, in the middle of about seven books. I think that's complicating the finishing part.

The Catholic Company Review: The One Thing

2011-11-01T22:07:00.001-05:00

The One Thing: Passing Faith Onto Children
by Matthew Kelly

This is a short book, beautifully printed, full of photographs from the author's own family, most featuring his son who was only ten months old when the book was written. Mr. Kelly asked himself, what is the one thing most important to teach my son to help him remain committed to his faith and his Lord throughout his life?

Set in the middle of the night as Mr. Kelly comforts and snuggles his sleeping son, the book follows his thoughts in an orderly way without losing the feeling of a conversation with himself, such as many of us have had as we walk the floors with our little ones in the wee hours.

Mr Kelly's thoughts on why people leave the church are generalized, not quite taking into account all the possibilities, but there's enough to begin thinking about it.

[The] scandals that stain our history do not exist because we lived our Catholicism, but rather, because we failed to live it.

Eventually, Mr. Kelly realizes the one thing he believes is most important to impress upon his son is the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and the Mass.

...I don't think I could ever leave the church. The reason is because I believe that Jesus Christ is alive in the Eucharist. And no protestant, evangelical, or nondenominational church can give me that.

Facing the reality of a few brief but all-important years before him to share the Catholic faith with his son and to lead him to a relationship that will remain strong long after his son is grown, Mr. Kelly begins to feel overwhelmed - as do we all!

[Then] I was reminded of a friend who had told me that the first lessons of faith come through relationships. In the care and concern I show my son, by touching him tenderly and speaking sincere words of love, I have already begun to teach him about God as a loving Father. When I go out of my way to do things for him, to help his mother, or to serve others, I am teaching him about the Eucharist, which is a powerful reminder that Jesus laid down his life for us...and that he calls us to lay down our lives for others.

I was reminded of a previous review for The Catholic Company, Parenting with Grace. I think the idea of self-donative love fits well with Mr. Kelly's thoughts.

My favorite quote came near the end of the book:

God loves us. We hear this all the time in Christian circles, and for some reason I have always believed it. But now I feel it. It has become real to me in fatherhood. You see, I love my son so much. I love him more than I ever thought I was capable of loving. And if I can love him this much--with all my weakness, brokenness, and limitations--how much God must love his children.

I've often thought we learn much about the faith by having children, by living this life of caring for others and suffering with them or because of them. Surely it is a little like how God cares for all of us.

I think this book would be a wonderful gift for new parents or a nice little baptismal gift. I received it on Saturday afternoon and read it in a short time, sitting on the porch while I watched my younger two putter about the front yard. (Second Son is at the perfect puttering age; he's still sublimely happy walking up and down the path over and over again.) While it's brief, the book was full of insight even for this mother of four. I sometimes found myself agreeing and thinking how much more he'd feel the same way in a few years!

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. I received a free copy of the book. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on The One Thing. They are also a great source for a Catechism of the Catholic Church or a Catholic Bible.

What I Loved About Last Week (7th Ed.)

2011-10-31T07:00:00.000-05:00

1. Our caterpillars arrived on Monday! We have five and they were all alive when we opened the box. Within a few days, they all starting making crysalids. By Sunday evening they were ready to move to the butterfly garden. Now we just have to wait for them to hatch. It's too bad they'll have to live their whole lives in our house; it's too cold to let them go outside, but we're starting to study butterflies on Tuesday so the timing was good for our curriculum.

2. Tuesday was our last day of soccer practice! On Saturday, we had three games, Second Daughter's last ones until next spring. First Son still has one more next weekend. It's been fun and great for the kids, but I'm glad we're nearing the end.

3. Our goddaughter was born! We met her on Sunday and her sweet parents let me hold her even though she was sleeping in her car seat.

4. Wonderful news from a friend that she's having her first baby!

5. Second Son playing the piano - He loves it! Notice the big bump in the middle of his forehead? That's from him trying to climb down from the piano bench and hitting the futon. It looks worse than it felt, I think. Also notice he's in disposable diapers? I washed his cloth ones and haven't even had time to stuff them! (Well, that, and we had half a package of size three diapers that were really too small for overnight and all the babies I know are bigger or much much smaller.)

6. We celebrated Halloween at story hour this week. All the kids dressed up in their costumes and were able to climb on the table (always a treat) to tell who they were. I dressed Second Son in his lion costume. I was surprised how well he wore it, but I think he scared himself when I put him in front of the mirror.

7. Spending Thursday afternoon at home. We've been running around, going on lots of field trips and visits, so it was nice to spend some time at home. I drank a whole pot of tea and read two short stories while the kids cleaned the living room. (Note I did not finish stuffing those cloth diapers.)

8. On Saturday, Kansas Dad and I each took a turn playing Wii Fit using the balance board. Because I was feeling magnanimous, I let the kids all play a game or two as well. When the Wii and TV were turned off, I found Second Son standing on the Wii balance board slapping his hands just like us. It was so adorable! I would have taken a picture, but he's squarely in the too-fast-for-you phase. Exhibit A:

Fuzzy adorable toddler

9. Second Son toddling to Kansas Dad while he taught the Sunday School class and asking to be picked up. Kansas Dad scooped him up and taught the rest of the class holding him. I love how cute Second Son was. I love how handsome my awesome husband looked. I love how the class just laughed and continued on as if nothing were out of the ordinary.

10. A birthday party today full of building and dirt. I missed most of it because I didn't want to wake Second Son who had cried all through lunch and then fallen asleep in the van. So I sat with him, reading my Kindle, until he woke up -- one and a half hours later! The other kids had a great time at the party and I was lucky enough to see most of the families again later in the day.

11. Last, but not least, our parish hosted an All Saint's Trunk or Treat today. It was wonderful! There was a great turn-out, both of kids dressed as saints (babies through high schoolers) and families with decorated trunks handing out candy. There were games, cookies, coloring pages. Really, it was fun and gave us many more reasons to be thankful for our parish family. My kids dressed at St. George, St. Elizabeth of Hungry (notice her basket of bread), St. Bernadette and St. Juan Diego.

Juan Diego did not want to stay still for a picture, so these are the best I have. Thanks to fabulous family members, I spent $0 on our costumes!

My, it was a full week here on the Range! What did you love last week?

Cloth Diaper Review: SwaddleBees One Size Pocket Diaper

2011-10-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

I run into this problem often: a desire to write a review of a cloth diapering product that is no longer sold. It either speaks to the dynamic world of cloth diapering, forging ahead to find a better fit and better materials or just results from a busy mama's life with four kids under eight. Or both.

Anyway, I bought this Swaddlebees one size pocket diaper used at a local cloth diaper store. I love buying good condition used cloth diapers. Not only do we extend the environmental benefits of cloth diapering and decrease our financial investment, I'm able to try a wider variety of cloth diapers than I probably would buying only new ones. (Swaddlebees has some fantastic prints!)

This diaper has two levels of snaps to decrease the size. The one I bought wouldn't stay snapped at the top level on one side (and Second Son was too big to try the lower ones), but it still worked just fine in catching everything it was supposed to catch.

It is soft on the inside, and it has stayed soft. (I'm not sure how used it was when I bought it; it was in very good or like new condition.) It came with two bamboo inserts, one large and one small. I was excited to try out bamboo and it has not disappointed, though I do have to use both inserts together. I find this is the case for all of Second Son's diapers. He needs the highest levels of absorption.

The only real problem I've had with this diaper is the velcro. The strip across the front at the top ends up rubbing against Second Son's tummy if he's not wearing pants. (You can see in the picture above how it's very close to the top of the diaper.) Now that it's fall (though still in the 80s), it's not as much as a problem as it was in the summer when I'd often leave him in a shirt and diaper. (The summer was so blistering hot the air conditioner often struggled to keep the house in the mid to high 80s.) Also the tabs are already peeling apart. The diaper still holds together but sometimes it's hard to get a good grip on it to put the diaper on or take the diaper off.

I'm not sharing the name of the local store here on the blog, but if you're local and interested send me an email and I'll tell you were I found it. It's a fantastic store that carries a full selection of new diapers and accessories in addition to some wonderful toys. For those of you farther afield, you can often find a range of gently used diapers (one size diapers and pocket diapers, for example) at Cloth Diaper Outlet.

Model in Motion

Someday...

2011-10-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

Someday I will do all the laundry and will not have to wash any clothes, diapers or bed linens that someone went to the bathroom in or on.

Someday...

What I Loved About Last Week (6th Ed.)

2011-10-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

1. Second Son's sixth tooth came in. I was hoping we'd get a break from the grumpiness but he's still chewing on his hands constantly so perhaps more are on the way. Baby teeth are adorable, aren't they?

2. I just love second grade. First Son is a much more diligent, focused child than last year. We don't always finish everything I plan for the day, but we usually do and often with very little whining, once we get started. He even cheerfully told his grandma he couldn't come outside to play because he wasn't done with his lessons yet. (We did finish early so he could play outside with everyone else.)

3. First Son reading along on my Kindle as we've started A First Book in American History. I have a free version downloaded on PDF on my laptop in which the brief definitions of some of the words appear at the end of the chapter. In the Kindle edition, they appear just after the word defined. First Son will often interrupt to interject the definition. This behavior may be frustrating before we finish the book, but now I love it because it shows he's paying attention even when it seems to me that he's not even looking at the Kindle. (As a side note, I'm tying his narrations for this book and the chapters are a bit difficult for him to narrate very well. He did like how the sailors wanted to throw Columbus overboard, though.)

4. Pumpkin patch field trip - everyone should have one every year. Second Son picked a baby pumpkin, but rolled it off the trailer before we made it back to the van. He didn't seem to mind too much.

A very messy Second Son after his cookie snack

The kids and the pumpkins

Second Son and his pumpkin

5. After our faith formation class this week, which only meets once a month, two other moms and I chatted for over an hour while our children played in the wet grass and on the playground. The children were wet and muddy before we left, but it was a beautiful fall day and I loved watching them play and talking with my friends.

6. Watching Second Son walk around outside. He loves to walk and walk and walk. He's fascinated by the borders between sidewalk and grass. He'll often step on and off the sidewalk over and over again.

7. Second Son also loves the slide. He doesn't understand why it ends or why he has to be lifted to the top or has to climb the stairs to the top. He just wants to slide down and down and down. His laugh is wonderful.

8. Parties! A housewarming for Second Son's godparents who have moved near-by and a birthday party for a sweet little girl who has a new baby sister I was able to hold for a while.

9. Second Son's scratched up face. Well, I suppose I don't really love that he fell on his face and got all scratched up (especially as I had been intending to take some 15 month pictures), but I do love how the bumps, bruises and scratches of toddlers speak to their increasing independence and forays into the world beyond Mama's reach.

What did you love about your week?

Quote: One Thousand Gifts

2011-10-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

Ann Voskamp in One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are:

The world I live in is loud and blurring and toilets plug and I get speeding tickets and the dog gets sick all over the back step and I forget everything and these six kids lean hard into me all day to teach and raise and lead and I fail hard and there are real souls that are at stake and how long do I really have to figure out how to live full of grace, full of joy--before these six beautiful children fly the coop and my mothering days fold up quiet? How do you open your eyes to see how to take the daily, domestic, workday vortex and invert it into the dome of an everyday cathedral? Could I go back to my life and pray with eyes wide open?

Praying with eyes wide open is the only way to pray without ceasing.

The Catholic Company Review: Francis

2011-10-19T08:46:00.002-05:00

Francis: The Journey and the Dream by Murray Bodo
40th Anniversary Edition with a foreward by John Michael Talbot

Francis: The Journey and the Dream is not a biography of St. Francis of Assisi. Written by a Franciscan priest who is also a poet, the book is more of a series of reflections on the life and inner thoughts of the saint by a modern member of his order. Fr. Bodo had the opportunity to live in Assisi while writing this book, gazing at a country rich in history and perhaps similar to the land Francis himself wandered.

The book allows us to dwell on St. Francis's thoughts and feelings.

God's own Son had spoken to him, had asked him to rebuild his church. He understood now that request meant more than brick and mortar. It meant that he, Francis, was to recreate in his own person the life of Jesus on earth. He was to be obedient to God's Word, chaste in mind and heart, poor in everything. How that was to rebuild God's Church he did not know, but he suspected that it would follow, as his father Pietro always said, from being a good steward.

The chapters tend to be short, just two or three pages. It would be a nice addition to a morning or evening devotion, a brief glimpse into the life of a man devoted to giving everything to Christ, and receiving Him in return.

When Francis passed people on the road or met the on their doorsteps as he begged, he could not hide his delight in them, in their very existence. All people to Francis were good gifts to brighten his day with the mystery of their unique personalities.

We can see how Francis embodied the Gospel and exhortations of Paul.

And he was not worried or anxious about yesterday, today, or tomorrow because Christ is, and all things are in Him and He is in the Father. Francis no longer worried, not because he was a naive optimist, but because he had become in prayer and penance a realist who saw the unimportance of everything but God, and in God and with God and through God, the importance of everything. God was everywhere; the divine presence charged creation with a power and glory that made everything shine with beauty and goodness in Francis's eyes. God's touch on everything inspirited everything that was.

I liked the following quote, because it shows that sharing pain with someone we love, who loves us, truly eases it.

[N]ow, as Francis lay dying, he was comforted by the thought that Leo was there with him. And Leo would suffer with him, so that all the pain was halved by Leo's love.

Writing of the end of Francis's life, Fr. Bodo speaks to those of us who are unable to work despite a great desire because of infirmity or a temporary condition:

Ironically, this non-activity was the hardest work he had ever done. For now nothing remained but love, kept alive by his faith and his hope. He had never been so utterly dependent on others. This was Lady Poverty's last courtship of him, and he realized for the first time that honeymoons do recur to those who persevere in love to the end. He now submitted finally and totally to his Lady, giving up for her even the pride of honest labor. And he was at peace in her arms.

Fr. Bodo imagines Francis's thoughts as he contemplates a common but beautiful mountain flower:

How much more should we human beings be witnesses to the glory of simply existing? We will live forever. Our existence alone is enough, and we are glorious apart from any work we may produce or any life we may engender. But we have to learn that liberating truth by meeting God in the soul's own core. God's love and acceptance of us makes possible our own self-love and self-acceptance.

This is a beautiful hardcover book with thick pages. It would make a lovely gift for someone who loves St. Francis or is interested in what it means to live a life of Poverty.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. I received a free copy of the book in exchange for this honest review. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Francis - The Journey and the Dream. They are also a great source for a Catechism of the Catholic Church or a Catholic Bible.

What I Loved About Last Week (5th Ed.)

2011-10-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

1. Kansas Dad and I spent the weekend away from home and the kids. My mother and mother-in-law held down the fort, fed the kids and ferried First Daughter to and from her soccer game.

2. For the first time this year, First Son's weather graph for math showed more cool days than warm ones.

3. Kansas Dad and I had two nights without feeding anyone else, making a meal or washing any dishes.

4. My new dryer chirps when the cycle is finished. It makes me foolishly happy.

5. For two days, Kansas Dad and I didn't have to hear anyone say, "What else is there to eat?"

6. Our Fly Trap experiment failed to attract any fruit flies. I know I should be disappointed that the kids have missed out on an exciting observation opportunity, but I'm just happy to learn my kitchen does not harbor a fruit fly population.

7. Did I mention Kansas Dad and I had a lovely weekend all to ourselves full of good food, a museum of art and a luxurious hotel?

Quote: Towards a Philosophy of Education

2011-10-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

Charlotte Mason in Towards A Philosophy Of Education:

Our chief concern for the mind or for the body is to supply a well-ordered table with abundant, appetising, nourishing and very varied food, which children deal with in their own way and for themselves. This food must be served au naturel, without the predigestion which deprives it of stimulating and nourishing properties and no sort of forcible feeding or spoon feeding may be practised. Hungry minds sit down to such a diet with the charming greediness of little children; they absorb it, assimilate it and grow thereby in a manner astonishing to those accustomed to the dull profitless ruminating so often practised in schools.

Sleepless

2011-10-13T03:35:00.002-05:00

I think Second Son may be becoming nocturnal.

I suppose it's preferable to what we went through with First Daughter at this age. She used to wake from 1 am to 3 am pretty much every night, but whereas Second Son just doesn't want to sleep, she used to scream for two hours.

He only screams if we put him back in his crib...but he won't sleep with us and he's not really safe anywhere else and I'm so tired...

So tired...

Book Review: Write These Laws on Your Children

2011-10-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

Write These Laws on Your Children: Inside the World of Conservative Christian Homeschooling by Robert Kunzman

This book was fascinating! I first read about it on Milton Gaither's blog. You can read what he thought about it in part 1 and part 2 of his review.

Mr. Kunzman has written a book that reminds me of an in-depth newspaper or magazine article, perhaps a series. He intersperses anecdotes and interview material with research he has done. In an admittedly random way, Mr. Kunzman found six homeschooling families in California, Vermont, Indiana, Oregon, and Tennessee. Given that these families allowed a researcher to come into their homes and observe their homeschooling days, he found a wide range of methods and abilities.

Mr. Kunzman is clear about his concerns regarding conservative Christian homeschoolers. He is mainly worried these parents are teaching their children to be warriors in the political arena to aggressively attack anyone who is not a conservative Christian, unwilling to accept any views other than their own as acceptable. He fears they are growing up without an understanding of a pluralistic society and the need for compromise for a successful democracy.

He says in the first chapter that he hopes to "illuminate some of [homeschooling's] underlying tensions."

I call them tensions not to imply some fundamental flaw in homeschooling, but rather that legitimate priorities often pull against one another. The freedom that homeschooling provides parents to shape teaching and learning, for example, holds both positive and negative possibilities ranging from enrichment to neglect. The desire to impart cherished values to one's children can be in tension with helping them learn to think for themselves. Striving for a society in harmony with one's religious values can clash with a democracy filled with diversity of thought and belief. And regulations aimed at protecting the interests of parents, children, and society can threaten the flexibility that makes homeschooling an effective learning experience for many children. Each of these tensions involves competing visions about the proper aims of education as well as the relationship between faith, freedom, and citizenship.

Given his obvious bias against conservative Christian homeschooling, if not homeschooling in general, Mr. Kunzman is wonderfully empathetic, understanding and even-handed in his descriptions of the families and of their responses to his interview and survey questions. In many cases, he openly admires the teaching skills of the (mainly) mothers and the strengths of homeschooling in general. When the families he is observing fall short (and, oh, some of them fall very short indeed!), he is surprisingly gentle in his discussion of their weaknesses.

The most glaring fault of his book is the lack of footnotes, end notes or any other kind of references. I know I'm biased and like to check sources, but I think it's a serious flaw in a book with as many statements in the text that were obviously researched. Without the references themselves, it's very difficult to say with certainty that they are legitimate though I have no real reason to believe they are not.

In some ways, we have much more in common with the families Mr. Kunzman is interviewing in this book than with the author. He repeatedly discusses his concerns with children being unable to compromise on issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion. Now, not everyone who reads this blog agrees with my feelings on these issues and I don't intend to start a discussion about them. I only want to point out that Mr. Kunzman is missing the point a bit here. On abortion at least, I am certainly not willing to compromise. As far as I'm concerned, this is not analogous to whether we will allow prayer at a flag pole outside a public school. It's more along the lines of a genocide. To expect me to agree to a legal compromise that allows abortion to continue in order to maintain some sort of acceptable order in the public square would be the same as expecting me to agree to a legal compromise that allows a person to be murdered every hour at the courthouse because it will keep the peace.

As I said, I don't want to start a discussion on whether my views of abortion are correct. I am only trying to explain why Mr. Kunzman's expectations in this particular issue are misguided. Compromises on other issues are certainly to be expected and desired in many cases.

I also felt like he was overly concerned with the fears that conservative Christian homeschooling parents would not want their children to learn to think for themselves, that they would not want them exposed to other cultures, thoughts and ideas. Every parent eventually wants children to learn to think for themselves. The struggle to find the right time to introduce new ideas and challenges is one we all face. Even the most protective of homeschooling parents Mr. Kunzman interviewed wanted their children to "choose Christ" rather than follow blindly.

Mr. Kunzman also continually wondered whether homeschooling parents would be willing to sacrifice some of their own freedoms with increased regulation to protect the homeschooled children who are being essentially educationally neglected, either purposely or through parents' ignorance. It seemed like none of the parents he interviewed were willing to accept additional regulation. I know many other homeschooling parents feel the same way. As someone who has worked at a non-profit focused on public education for a decade, I have mixed feelings here. I don't want the hassle of additional regulation for myself or my homeschool and recognize the inherent difficulties in determining what the baseline of necessary educational knowledge would be...however, I can see the validity of asking whether homeschooled children are learning the most basic concepts of reading and arithmetic. I would be most anxious to support legislation that offered assistance to families struggling rather than using tests or other methods to forbid homeschooling.

But the rise of homeschooling also holds implications that extend far beyond the phenomenon itself, raising fundamental questions about the purposes of education and the relationship between families, the state, and the society we share.

This book is more like a sociological exploration of conservative Christian homeschooling by an outsider than a study. Mr. Kunzman does not make broad generalizations about the absolute need for regulation. He does not decry homeschooling in general or even the method of schooling by the conservative Christian families he visited. He doesn't seem to change his mind about anything after the experiences he had with six families over the course of two years but it also doesn't seem like he's determined to change the reader's mind, either.

I would be very interested in hearing what others have to say about this book.

Homeschooling in Real Life

2011-10-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

On my counter now stands a quart jar, open, in which ripens a banana in an attempt to lure fruit flies to descend and lay eggs so we can watch the fruit fly life cycle.

This is the state to which homeschooling has brought me and my house. Every time I walk past that jar I wonder what I was thinking.

What I Loved About Last Week (4th Ed.)

2011-10-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

1. We almost finished lessons before lunch on Tuesday. I made it halfway through First Daughter's reading lesson. Usually we need at least an hour after lunch to finish up.

2. Once last week, First Son got every single one of his math fact sheet problems done correctly in under a minute. He knows those sums of ten facts amazingly well!

3. We had an awesome discussion this week as we started our second unit of Connecting with History volume 2. Without any idea what the answer would be, I asked First Son why he thought Jesus was born as a baby instead of arriving on earth as an adult. He answered, "So he could grow." I thought that was a remarkably good answer from a second grade boy. I really enjoyed our conversation.

4. Hanging clothes outside - Last week our dryer crossed over to the no-longer-worth-fixing-and-broken-again zone. We ordered a new one, one that will not arrive until today. In consequence, I've spent the past week hanging nearly everything out on the line. I tend to use the dryer because finding time around a one-year-old and homeschooling a second grader (not to mention the other two in-between) is a hassle, but I do love a few minutes of sunshine at random times during the day and the sound of slapping clothes as they flap in the wind. I may even try to keep up with the clothesline on our easier days as long as the weather holds up. (Though we do have days of strong Kansas winds! More than once the first clothes I hung were dry before I finished hanging all the clothes in the load.)

5. Second Daughter saying, "I'm growing big, but I'm still little."

6. The near pristine hardcover copy of The Legend of the Poinsettia from a wonderful member of PaperBackSwap which appears to be autographed by the author. I also received a wonderful hardcover copy of Paddle-to-the-Sea. (I waited a long time for that one!)

7. Teaching my first lesson of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.

8. A fabulous picture of Second Daughter and a wonderful trip to a living history museum for the fall education day.

9. Wonderful news about a first baby!

10. First Son's narration of the myth of Europa and Cadmus. He finished Europa off in one sentence, dooming her to wander the world riding on a "deer." Cadmus, though, was another story. He went into great detail:

Cadmus was sent away from the castle because he was blamedfor the bull that took away his sister. Then he followed a brindled cow and inthe spot that he was supposed to build a city he had lots of people followinghim who he thought would help build the city. He sat down and waited. He satand he sat and he sat, but they didn’t come. They were eaten by a dragon whichhe defeated.

He planted the teeth and soldiers grew from them. Then theyhelped him build the city and he was the king. They called it Thebes.

This is easily the best narration he has ever given. If only every story had a dragon to slay and teeth to plant! (I type his myth narrations from Classic Myths to Read Aloud. Putting the piece of paper into his Mario folder is probably the highlight of the narration for him. I accept that.)

11. Second Daughter's "laughing pumpkin."

How was your week last week? Anything wonderful happen?

** Please note, I am a new affiliate with RC History. If you follow the link above for Connecting with History and make a purchase, I do receive a commission. I love this program and have no qualms about encouraging any Catholic to learn more about it. (Non-Catholics probably want to look elsewhere for a history program.)

Love Is Sacrificing an Hour

2011-10-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week, Kansas Dad stopped at a home improvement store on his way to work. Walking back out to the car, he noticed Second Son's car seat in the back. (He meets me and brings Second Son home once a week when the older three and I go to Catechesis.) Knowing we were supposed to drive to story hour with snacks for the group and show and tell, he turned the car around and drove thirty minutes home in time to move the car seat (in the rain!) to the van for our day.

That's love.

The Color of a Soul

2011-10-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

I've been reading Kateri Tekakwitha: Mohawk Maiden (Vision Books) aloud to the kids. First Son, when hearing the child Kateri would dream of a Blessed Mary who looked like a Mohawk, said he usually imagined Mary as white.

I explained that Mary was probably darker than we are because the Hebrew people who lived in Nazareth and Jerusalem at that time were darker.

First Daughter replied, "Mary was darker on the outside, but she was whiter on the inside because her soul was cleaner. She never sinned."

First Daughter Is Five

2011-10-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

I don't know quite how it happened, but First Daughter turned five about ten days ago. Could it really be true?

First Daughter, five years ago

Making a wish

She's both a delight and a frustration. This girl doesn't care a fig for any sort of punishment so I often feel like she's running rampant over everything, but she's actually pretty well behaved. It is true she refuses to clean her half of the living on a regular basis, but she does bring the dirty clothes for me to run through the laundry and I think she'd wash all the dishes if I let her. Now that I think about it, I should set her at the sink after lunch every day to wash a few...the unbreakable ones.

After playing in the fountain at the State Fair

When we asked her what she wanted to eat for dinner to celebrate her baptism anniversary, she said, "Ice cream!" She doesn't just want ice cream, either. She wants ice cream with some sprinkles or cookie crumbs or bits of candy on top, doused with chocolate syrup or hot fudge and a dollop of whipped cream (or more). There's a girl after my own heart.

With the obligatory pancake as big as her head for her birthday breakfast

She's learning to read. She started sounding out words last week and even learned her first sight work (the).

She's not always excited to read. She still has trouble mixing up b and d. She also has trouble remembering the sound for n. So I'm not in a big hurry with the lessons. Last week we took a little break to spend some time with the sandpaper letters and sound and picture cards. She enjoyed them so much she asked for another letter.

First Daughter on the first day of school

She often spends our lesson time pretending something elaborate involving babies, sleeping and alarm clocks with Second Daughter, particularly amusing since we don't have any alarm clocks. (Unless you count Second Son.) She's not interested in listening to many of the lessons herself, though she does still like the picture books. She is interested in distracting her brother.

First Daughter in the deer hat she made for our Native American study

She loves to paint, stamp, cut, tape, staple...basically anything that will make a mess in the kitchen.

She has little fear. At the State Fair she had more fun on the fast dragon ride than First Son or Second Daughter.

For her birthday, she wanted a princess party. She especially requested a princess pinata. So we went to the store and picked out the perfect one with Grammy. It was so full of candy, Kansas Dad said we had to hang it from a doorway instead of the ceiling. The girls didn't complain.

All dressed up in her Pretty Princess game jewelry

Ready for the party guests to arrive

She loves to borrow my camera. Every time she does, I find a picture like this one.

What I Loved About Last Week (3rd Ed.)

2011-10-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

Illnesses (kids and mine) kept me from posting anything much last week, but I was determined to get a few pictures up for Monday. Here are a few things I loved about the last week.

1. Kid's Eye Views - While going through the pictures on my camera, I found a few from our trip to Medicine Lodge. I had let the kids take turns with my camera while we waited for the parade to begin. There were about ten pictures of the road.

2. Second Daughter's paten - In Atrium, the children can use tracing paper to trace alter items. Second Daughter doesn't quite understand how it works. She always just colors in the item with markers and then cuts it out. This past week, she also cut it up and glued it onto another piece of paper as a "puzzle." I should take a picture of that because it's adorable.

3. Missing Teeth - First Son lost his sixth tooth last week. He's always so excited. Of course, he doesn't understand that only two more little baby teeth stand between him and orthodontics. Sigh. But he's still cute. (By the way, he's wearing some deer antlers he made while we were learning about how Native American hunting techniques, found in More Than Moccasins. This is the project First Son selected for our unit craft.)

4. Outdoor projects, especially those overseen and documented by Dad. First Son is learning about rivers this year, so he and First Daughter built a mountain then doused it with water to see how the water would change the shape of their mountain.

5. Second Daughter as Doctor to Elmo (sometimes called Baby Felicity)

6. My kids are currently 7, 5, 3, and 1. I just like that. It will only last for a few months before First Son turns...8!! Can it be?7.

7. Dinner with Grammy and a visit to our children's museum on a members only night to see a new traveling exhibit that included a squid dissection.

8. Second Son waking on Saturday morning and not crying. I could hear him jabbering away to himself in his crib.

9. First Daughter's baptism anniversary - The more we celebrate these, the more I love celebrating them. The birthday celebrations are full of planning, food, friends and craziness. The baptism celebrations are quiet but the kids still look forward to them. They love lighting the candle. Their faces are just as flushed with pleasure when we pray for them as when they are hearing a roomful of friends sing "Happy Birthday." I am also finding I like the little gifts we give. They are (so far) quiet inexpensive, but I feel like they are growing our faith. First Daughter received one of Brother C.S.C Ernest's books newly republished by Mary's Books, A Story of Saint Therese. I think she'll be able to read it herself before too long, with help. St. Therese's feast day is First Daughter's baptism anniversary. She's also a favorite saint here on the Range.

10. Lion sandwiches to celebrate the feast of St. Jerome, after reading St. Jerome and the Lion.

11. Watching soccer games - First Son has improved tremendously. First Daughter made two goals.

What did you love about last week?

September Book Report

2011-09-30T22:22:00.000-05:00

Toliver's Secret by Esther Wood Brady is a wonderful book. Ellen Tolliver feels like she's scared of everything, but she agrees to help her grandfather with an important mission to get information to General Washington about the British as he prepares for the fateful events of December 25, 1776. The book provides a great amount of information about life for average people in the New York and New Jersey area during the Revolutionary War. It also shows some amazing problem-solving skills by the courageous Ellen. It's a great book for young ones and we'll be reading it aloud this year. (library copy)

Did You Carry The Flag Today, Charley? by Rebecca Caudill is a sweet story of Charley, just turned five, who attends The Little School in the Appalachian Mountains. He's an imaginative young boy, innocently finding himself in trouble time after time. In the end, we all learn a little about the magic of learning. This one is going on our list of read alouds, especially for the girls. (library copy)

Pocahontas by Joseph Bruchac is a much deeper and more informative book on Pocahontas than the Clyde Robert Bulla one I read last month. It is also written for much older students. I would guess at least middle school and into high school aged students would benefit the most from this book. It's still historical fiction, imagined from what little is known of Pocahontas and her people, but unlike many other authors, Mr. Bruchac seems to have a real talent for sharing Native American history, tales and lives. Recommended. (library copy)

Kateri Tekakwitha: Mohawk Maiden (Vision Books) by Evelyn M. Brown is one I decided to read with the children. We're studying Native Americans for the first couple of months of school this year and they've recently become fascinated with Tekakwitha. This particular book had one scene early on that I thought was too violent for the little ones, mainly the girls, so I edited it a little while I was reading it. Other than that, it's a solid and enjoyable piece of historical fiction. I haven't read any of the other Vision Books, but would definitely consider them. I am a little annoyed at some of the editorial problems - mainly commas and quotation marks not being properly used (or even consistently used), but those don't matter so much when a book is being read aloud. Kateri is a sweet example of loving Christ even when scared of when family members and close friends do not agree or understand. (purchased used on Amazon)

The Buffalo Knife by William O. Steele was a fun little book describing an exciting trip down the Tennessee River. First Son could read this book but I'm not sure he's quite old enough to understand the difference between Andy's language and behavior and what's currently acceptable. It will be on our list as a possible book in future years. (library copy)

Protecting the Gift by Gavin De Becker (purchased copy)

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin is a fantastic book, far superior to her Earthsea novels (which I also enjoyed). The Envoy is attempting to interest the people of Winter in joining the Ekumen of Worlds. In doing so, he must bridge the gap between himself and a world in which gender does not exist except for brief times, and a bit longer if a pregnancy ensues. It is a book best saved for older students (and adults), allowing us to discuss gender, relationships, friendships, family and whether Le Guin has imagined an accurate or appealing world. My copy also included a very interesting discussion of gendered-pronouns in the afterword. (library copy)

Well, my list for September is significantly shorter than some previous months. I think it has something to do with starting school. I had no idea second grade, homeschool choir, Catechesis, story hour and soccer would keep me so busy. Though when I write it that way, it doesn't seem like I should have been surprised. I'm reading an excellent book now that I'll share in October and, if all goes as planned, I'll be sitting in on an awesome science fiction - theology class Kansas Dad is team teaching next semester. Hooray for reading!

What I Loved About Last Week (Second Edition)

2011-09-26T08:29:00.001-05:00

1. First Daughter played in her first soccer game last Monday night. The U6 (under 6) AYSO teams are awesome! She has a wonderful coach, some fun team-mates, and they played a great game. She even scored two goals! Next week we'll tie her shorts better so she's not holding them up so often while she runs. She and First Son had their second games over the weekend. First Daughter scored three goals in the first half and had two close misses in the second half. (It helps the U6 teams play without a goalie.) First Son's team had improved dramatically after a week of practicing together. He could be a really fast player if he stopped running with his head down and his hands flung behind him. (I think he's pretending to be flying Mario.)

2. First Son's spelling practice. I love how he adds the "(s)" all on his own and insists on writing his "a" like it is typed.

3. Second Son's speech-making. Kansas Dad jokes he'll grow up to be a politician, but maybe he'll be a missionary.

4. Carmy and Claire in this video:

Watching Second Son watch this video is awesome.

If you have time, this video is also enjoyable:

5. The Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty Pageant - We went on Friday. The kids watched their first ever parade in town, then we drove out to the park for the pageant. I thought it was a wonderful and loved watching the horses and wagon train. I thought it was useful for First Son and First Daughter to see real Native American dancing, hear their war whoops and get a better feel for at least a bit of life here in Kansas from the first forays of European exploration. They were hot and had little patience for the more explanatory parts of the performance. There is a great need for help in continuing this tradition and I hope very much energetic people step forward because I would love to attend in the future as my children grow older.

6. First Daughter's birthday! She turned five this weekend, complete with a pancake as big as her head, cupcakes and ice cream with the family and a princess party with a few friends. She was delighted, dancing and laughing. The girls went through 500 Adhesive Back Jewels decorating some party hats (their princess crowns) and goblets (for their pink lemonade, of course). The pinata was a success and then the girls played a complicated version of throw and catch with a ball in our living room, princess dresses, tiaras and all. Hopefully her birthday post will post later this week. (I'm still writing it, of course.)

7. Our parish - I was thinking again this weekend of how wonderful our parish family is. We are blessed by a friendly congregation who cares deeply about the faith formation not only of their own children, but of those in the entire parish. Second Son's godparents recently moved into the parish and Kansas Dad and I were honored to be asked to be godparents for a baby due very soon. Whenever our physical house is frustrating, which happens when Kansas Dad is too busy with his university duties to work on his wish list for the property, I remember our parish family and know this is where we're meant to be.

8. Homeschooling and the ability to take a break. I've had an exhausting schedule for a few weeks and need to take a breath, wash a ton of dishes and fold a kind-sized bed pile of laundry. So this morning we're taking a break before First Daughter's well-child check up. We'll be back to our regularly scheduled lessons tomorrow.

What about you? What did you love about last week?

Busy September Days

2011-09-23T22:12:00.000-05:00

Grammy, the kids, and I spent the day in Medicine Lodge for the Indian Peace Treaty Pageant (and parade). It was wonderful! Well, the parade and the pageant were wonderful. The kids were hot and tired, but I think it was valuable for them, too.

If you are anywhere near Kansas, you should try to make it out this weekend.

We were late getting home, late with baths and dinner. We are all tired and have a busy weekend ahead of us: First Daughter's birthday, two soccer games, the usual Sunday PSR and Mass and a princess birthday party!

I need to get some sleep so I have energy for the cleaning and preparing and partying!

The

2011-09-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

According to The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading, there's a rule on how to pronounce "the." It's "/thuh/ before words beginning with consonants and /thee/ before words beginning with vowels."

Seriously? I had no idea. I think I always say /thuh/.

Book Review: Protecting the Gift

2011-09-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

Protecting the Gift: Keeping Children and Teenagers Safe (and Parents Sane)by Gavin De Becker

Kansas Dad thought perhaps it would make me more paranoid about the safety of our children, but I think it did more to alleviate unnecessary fears than anything else.

The best chapter in the book, in my opinion, was the fifth: Talk to Strangers. In it, De Becker addresses the standard ways we try to teach our children to be safe and why they are inadequate or, worse, dangerous. He begins with the rule "Don't talk to strangers," showing how, as parents, we encourage our children to talk to strangers every day. ("Say hello to the nice lady.")

Never Talk to Strangers, it turns out, isn't a rule at after all, but a highly flexible and incomprehensible concept that only Mom and Dad really understand--if even they do.

He also addresses the appropriateness of our expectations.

When we assume that a young child will reliably do what we say in our absence, or that doing it will keep him or her safe, we are choosing to share our duty with the least qualified person available.

I agree wholeheartedly! My four year old (who will be five this month) is completely incapable of remembering to stay in her chair during meals. If she can't do that, when she practices at least three times a day every day, how could I possibly expect her to follow instructions in a situation with strangers when she hasn't had any practice at all. I also think it unrealistic to tell the children to stay with me or keep me within sight instead of watching the children myself. I do give my children those commands, but I try always to know where they are and keep them within my sight.

We never taught our children to not talk to strangers. In fact, we haven't taught them anything at all about these potential dangers. Our children are still young and until recently spent nearly all of their time with me, Kansas Dad or Grammy. They simply were never out of our sight or control.

Now that we are involved with more in the homeschooling group, soccer, swimming lessons and other activities, we do need to address these threats in a more concrete way with our children. Luckily, this chapter shared a lot of ideas on what kinds of tools will work to help children be aware and safe without giving them too much responsibility for their own safety.

I'll let you read the book to find the suggestions that would work best for your family, but the one we've started using already is teaching the children to go straight to a mother if they find themselves separated from me or Kansas Dad in a public place. They are supposed to say, "My name is [child's name]. Will you help me find my mom?" Mothers with young children are non-threatening, extremely unlikely to hurt another child and very likely to stick with a child until he or she has been reunited with a parent.

Another great suggestion was teaching children to yell "This is not my mom!" or "This is not my dad!" if someone else tries to get them to go somewhere they don't want to go. We will not be teaching Second Daughter this trick anytime soon, though, because she's contrary enough at the moment to yell it when she gets angry at me. I would feel like I'd need to carry photo ID and a birth certificate for her wherever we went. Sigh.

The book is full of anecdotes. Lots and lots of anecdotes. It wasn't clear if the author thought the anecdotes alone would be convincing. I certainly found the book lacking in clear source material. I think he tried to reference sources in the text itself, but footnotes or end notes with actual studies, dates, issues, etc., would have greatly increased the value of the book in my opinion. If you view the anecdotes as merely explanatory, like hypothetical situations, they are useful.

I also did not care for the chapter on gun control. According to De Becker, no one in the country outside of law enforcement should ever carry, own, or look at a gun. He seemed rather unreasonable on this issue. I would perhaps feel differently if any of my children had been injured by a gun.

I liked other things in the book and disliked other things in the book. That being said, there is much to learn in this book. I'm very glad I read it and I do recommend it to other parents or people who care for children. Take from it what is helpful and try not to let the rest bother you too much.

What I Loved About Last Week (First Edition)

2011-09-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

1. We started reading A Life of Our Lord for Children by Marigold Hunt. I haven't pre-read this book, so we're all reading it together and I love it already. (I did pre-read The First Christians by the same author. Based on that and the Mater Amabilis recommendation, I decided to take a chance.)

2. Second Son is walking! I think I can safely say he walks more than he crawls now. I absolutely love toddlers with their cute wobbly steps! I could have a houseful...if only they didn't turn two. I tried to catch him on video but the only good one has names in the audio. I'll keep trying for you because he's just adorable. Not that I'm biased or anything.

3. I weaned Second Son last week. I admit to feeling more ambivalent about this point than the post title would suggest, but it is nice to be free of nursing. In fact, this is the first time since December 2005 I haven't been pregnant or nursing or both.

4. I had my first Catechesis class about a week ago. It was amazing. We also had our first Atrium time. I think the kids and I are going to love Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. I am feeling truly blessed to be a part of it.

5. We had our first faith formation coop class last week, too. I ran the nursery (which basically consists of making sure kids don't follow the wrong mom out of the room). My room was quiet and calm (hooray!) and all three of my kids in classes had a great time.

6. First Son played in his first soccer game! I saw marked improvement just over the course of the first game. He was exhausted at the end, too. (First Daughter's first game is tonight.)

7. Second Daughter's response when I asked who had let the baby into the office (where he was very seriously moving newspapers all over the floor): "Moses opened the door with his pointy nose."

8. I finally remade our parish website. I've been uploading bulletins and making updates on a free site that just wasn't very pretty or easy to use. Now we have a simple but (hopefully) effective Google site, also free and much more functional.

9. We went to the State Fair last week. It was lovely and a wonderful way to celebrate our anniversary. (Thirteen years, for those interested in such things.)

10. I finally have a timeline! Now we just need to add some people and events.

My plan it to post something like this every week as a way to get me back into the habit of blogging. We've been so busy with soccer, Catechesis, homeschooling and life in general I haven't been posting very much. Feel free to join in by writing on your blog or the comments what you loved about last week, too.

Anyone Want to Talk About Lent?

2011-09-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

I was just going through my blog post drafts and found a note (not a post, mind you, just a draft with a note to myself) to post about our Lenten plans. I'd say I'm a little behind on that post...or perhaps I should consider myself far ahead!

I think I'm going to just delete this note to myself and hope I manage to get my Advent plans on the blog before Christmas. (Speaking of Advent plans, if anyone has new book ideas for our picture-book-a-day this Advent, let me know!)

Second Daughter's Baptism Anniversary

2011-09-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, we celebrated Second Daughter's baptism anniversary. It's wonderful to see how excited the kids are when a baptism anniversary rolls around. Second Daughter was giddy while enjoying her favorite dinner of hot dogs and cheese puffy curl things. We even had ice cream for dessert.

Second Daughter, a child of God for three years

Second Son making a funny face

For those interested, Second Daughter's baptism gift was a copy of Glory Stories vol 5. The kids are loving all the Glory Stories they can get right now.

Thank You!

2011-09-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

In the past few months, quite a few readers have made purchases through my links to Amazon and I just wanted to say I've noticed it and I'm thankful. With some of my earnings this month, I purchased these Geometric Solids. They are a total luxury, but I'm so excited to have them. Now I don't have to run around the house the night before a geometry lesson to find toys that are all these particular shapes. Sending the kids around the house with a shape in hand to find others is instead in the plans.

For those who wonder, the shapes are solid wood and of a good size. The ones in my local school supplies store were tiny and plastic. And more expensive.

Thank you!

First Nature Walk of the Year

2011-09-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

We were supposed to go on our first nature walk during the second week of school, but it was still over 100 degrees outside. Instead, we delayed it a few days so we could enjoy some fantastic weather, about twenty degrees cooler.

Because we're studying rivers and oceans this year, I selected a park not too far from home with views of a creek and a paved path -- very nice for the toddler in the stroller. (Yes, I realize I could put him in a carrier, but he weighs 25 pounds and I have to be nimble enough to chase the three year old.)

We had a lovely walk, though my children were much more interested in taking pictures with my camera (not of the creek, mind you) or asking when we'd have our snack than just about anything else. Still, I think it was a worthwhile trip and we'll be visiting on a regular basis over the course of our school year.

Explorers, including First Son in Mario stance and Boots, faithful sidekick of Second Daughter

The Creek

Second Son enjoying his snack

Deer

We also came home with a few ticks, so I'll have to be more diligent with the bug spray, at least until we get some freezing weather. (Will we really? After this summer it's hard to imagine real cold.)

Help Bring Hope to a Family with CFCA

2011-09-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

Our copy of Volunteer Connection from CFCA arrived in the mail today and I wanted to share some of the campaigns going on right now.

CFCA President and Co-founder Bob Hentzen walked 8,000 miles recently (what an amazing man!) and is hoping to find sponsors for 8,000 children in honor of the walk, one for each mile. I checked the website (it was here when I was looking recently) and they had over 4,500. Please prayerfully consider sponsoring a child. You can read about our experiences as a sponsor family here. View profiles at the CFCA website. There's even a search feature if you'd like to sponsor a child of a certain age or in a certain country.

In other news, CFCA is hosting a benefit concert in Kansas! We are unable to attend with about 20 other things going on that weekend (alright, 3, but one of them is First Daughter's birthday and the concert would be a bit of a drive - Kansas is big, you know), but if you will be in the area, check it out!

Shine a Light: A CFCA Benefit Concert at The Theatre in the Park in Shawnee, KS
Sunday, September 25th
Find all the details and purchase tickets at their website.

******

We sponsor a child through Christian Foundation for Children and Aging, an organization that creates relationships between sponsors in the United States and children, youth and aging persons in 23 developing countries. Through its Hope for a Family program, our contributions provide life-changing benefits such as education, nutrition, clothing and medical care for our sponsored friend. Through letter writing we are able to learn about our sponsored friend's life and offer our encouragement and prayers.

Grounded in the Gospel call to serve the poor, CFCA works with people of all faith traditions. CFCA receives the highest ratings from Charity Navigator and the American Institute of Philanthropy.

2011-2012 Average Day Chart...So Far

2011-09-07T05:00:00.000-05:00

Brandy at Afterthoughts posted a look at her average day and I thought I'd share ours. Second Son is at that age where naps are a bit unstable and will hopefully settle into a single long reliable nap in the next few months, so the "average" day is likely to change a bit of the course of the year.

Breakfast

Kansas Dad is often up and out of the house before 7 am, right about the time I'm picking up Second Son for his morning nursing. The others stumble out as they wake and play quietly for a few minutes. We all like time to wake up in the mornings. Sometime around 8 am I call the kids for breakfast. If Kansas Dad is not home, we have cereal or some kind of oatmeal (which the kids will only eat with brown sugar, so it's a bit of a treat). I prefer meals and snacks with as little prep-mess and clean-up as possible. (Kansas Dad makes wonderful big breakfasts on the weekends - eggs, bacon, fried potatoes, biscuits and gravy, wheat pancakes with blueberries or chocolate chips...not all at the same time of course!)

Chores

After breakfast, we do chores. The three older kids all get dressed, brush hair and teeth. First Son-7 unloads the dishwasher. First Daughter-4 brings all the dirty clothes to the laundry room and feeds the dog. (First Son feeds him in the evening.) Someone also brings any sippy cups from the bedroom. I start the first or second load of laundry, get dressed, load the dishwasher and wash the few breakfast dishes and sometimes fold some clothes. I give First Son five minutes warning for lessons and set a timer. I finish my tea and brush my teeth.

Lessons

We start with morning prayer and all the subjects I think might interest the girls. There are also a few picture books just for the girls, our "reading around the world" in particular. I also plan at least one Montessori activity for First Daughter that sometimes happens during this time. I don't require the girls to pay attention or even stay in the room for anything else. Early subjects tend to be memory work, P.A.C.E., history, Scripture, saint stories and our liturgical year celebrations.

First Daughter's reading lessons happen whenever First Son has something to occupy him for a few minutes. Usually he finishes before she does and has a few minutes to relax while he waits on me. She's squirrelly with her lessons. If she gets actively defiant, we'll put them on hold (she's only four), but for now we're continuing with them.

Sometime around 10 am, depending on when Second Son starts to act tired, I give First Son something he can do on his own, like copy work, and lay Second Son down for a nap.

If we are very ambitious and work steadily, we could probably finish all of our lessons in the morning, but usually we meander along until Second Son wakes from his nap. Then we transition to lunch.

Lunch

We take a break at lunch time. I don't read aloud, though I intend to find audio books I could play on the laptop, now that I have Kansas Dad's old one. I don't like to cook at lunch time. I usually make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or we have leftovers. The girls get bouncy and loud. Second Son laughs and throws his food. Eventually they stop asking for more food and I send them out to the living room to play while I clean. Because I don't cook, it takes very little time to clean up lunch - probably around ten minutes or so. I take some extra time to keep the laundry moving and assess where we are on our lessons. When I'm ready to start, I give First Son a warning, set the time for five minutes and (often) sit down to check my email.

Finish Lessons

After lunch, we finish our lessons. They usually don't take very long except for our "special activity." Each day I've tried to schedule something big for us to do: art, PE (class taught by Kansas Dad), homeschool choir, a special video or a field trip or nature walk. As fall and winter arrive and it's not 100 degrees, I'll send the kids outside during this time as well. After lessons are over, First Son and First Daughter are asked to clean their sides of the living room.

Quiet Time

In theory, Second Son will one day nap for a long time in the afternoons. Currently, he's running about 30 minutes. Sigh. Anyway, for this time I've prepared a "book basket" which is really a big plastic bin. I've filled it with extra books related to our history, science or feast days. In addition, I sometimes put in special books I'll know they want to read or peruse. We only pull out the basket during quiet time. The three older ones (Second Daughter only as long as she seems able) sit on the futon and read while Second Son naps and I exercise. In theory.

Sometime in the afternoon, I file away the papers for the day. Theoretically, First Son could do this himself, but I like the papers nicely organized and placed neatly in binder or folders. First Son doesn't care for organization much at all. For now, I don't fight the battle and put them away myself.

I also take a few minutes to look over our schedule of lessons for the next day. I pull all the books and materials we need and place them in reverse order on a shelf. That way, I'm never searching for something. First Son and First Daughter both know where our day's school books are and can bring something to me if my hands are full.

Screen Time

Sometime before or after my exercise time, the older three have screen time. First Son usually chooses to spend his twenty minutes playing the Wii. First Daughter usually loses her time because she does not clean her half of the room. (Some day, I will fight this battle, but for the next few weeks at least I intend to let it go.) Second Daughter then usually chooses a twenty minute video on Netflix from a pre-approved list. (I'm in the kitchen within sight or hearing whenever the TV is on.)

Some day we're going to move the old desktop to the living room so the kids could choose to explore pre-approved sites online during this time, but for now that's not an option.

While screen time doesn't happen every day, it happens most days. It's usually less than an hour and doesn't include any commercials (other than the shows themselves, sigh), so we allow it for now.

Dinner and the Evening

Kansas Dad arrives home sometime around 6 or 6:30 pm. We try to eat soon after he finishes his chores (chickens* and dog-walking**, mostly) because our children eat for a long time, often an hour. I have made dinner a few nights since school started and will hopefully take that chore over from Kansas Dad. When dinner is over, it's time to get ready for bed. Usually we divide the duties - one parents handles dinner clean-up and one supervises bedtime preparation. My goal is always to have all the chores done so I can focus on my homeschool stuff, blog stuff, parish stuff or fun stuff after the kids are in bed.

I like lights-out by 8 pm for all of the kids so Kansas Dad and I have some time to relax together in the evenings. He usually still has work to do (the life of a professor), so I can read or prepare lessons or watch something silly on Netflix while I cross-stitch.

That's an average day on the Range.

* Kansas Dad intends to build a coop that would allow First Son to take care of the chickens for us. It's on the list.

** First Son used to walk the dog, but he started running away (the dog, not the boy), so now it's back to Kansas Dad. When the weather is not so terrible and when Second Son starts walking well enough, I think we'll start walking the dog in the afternoons. Our dog and our baby are both big enough I can't manage them both at the same time.

Hot Dog!

2011-09-06T05:00:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Second Daughter's baptism anniversary last week with one of her favorite meals: hot dogs and cheese puffs (ice cream for dessert, of course).

Second Son made it clear he wanted some of those hot dogs when they were set on the table. He pointed right at them, made a happy noise, blew, and then panted -- the baby signs for hot and for dog.

Product Review: Chicco Keyfit 30 Infant Car Seat

2011-09-05T05:00:00.000-05:00

A few months before Second Son was born, I did a lot of research on infant car seats. We had never purchased one before, always borrowed them, but the ones we had were expiring and I wanted a new one for the baby. I have no problems with infant car seats, but I hate convertible car seats. I find convertible car seats are nearly impossible to adequately adjust in the rear-facing position, at least our convertible car seat is nearly impossible to adequately adjust, so I was much intrigued by the Chicco Ketfit 30 Infant Car Seat which proposed to keep our infant safely tucked into an infant car seat up to 30 pounds. Our babies tended to be big at birth and all of them had outgrown the infant car seat long before six months

We found the Chicco car seat on sale and used an exchange program to get another 25% off. I was hoping to use it for Second Daughter until the baby was born, but at 20 months (or so) she was too long for it.

Soon after Second Son was born, Kansas Dad trudged out in the July heat to install our new car seat in the van. About five minutes later he returned to the birth care center room. At first I thought he needed something else, but no, he was done! This car seat base literally installs in minutes with LATCH. I've personally easily moved it from one car to another.

Second Son was quite snuggly in the new seat for his first ride in the van, going home from the hospital. We only used the infant insert (the gray parts you see around him) for a few weeks since he was already over ten pounds when he was born. It washed up very nicely and was packed away.

Second Son is now 13 months old and around 24 pounds. About two months ago, when he was 11 months old, we moved the straps to the highest setting. Though the seat is really too heavy to carry in and out of the house, Second Son still fits very well in it. Good news, now that the recommendations say to keep children rear-facing until they are two years old. (Those of you who have read the Range for a while know I have doubts about the necessity of expensive car seats for older children -- here and here. I have no such doubts about the necessity of rear-facing seats up to one year, and tend to agree with the recommendations up to two years old.)

One of the things I like best about this car seat is the height limits are based on how the child actually fits into the car seat -- nothing like an absolute number. First Daughter was very tall, but all her length was in her legs. She "outgrew" the infant car seat by height when her ears and head were far below where it would seem to make a difference in her infant car seat. (We moved her anyway as I always hesitate to go against product recommendations and we already had a seat she could use instead.)

We never used this seat in a frame or stroller**, so I can't say how well that feature might work, but in almost all other ways we have been extremely pleased with this car seat. The only disadvantage is how difficult it is to get the cover off the seat to wash it. You'd think no one who designed such things had ever taken a child for a ride. Babies are always making messes! We've been lucky with our cloth diapers and have only had to wash the cover once or twice. (Of all our car seats, only the Britax has a truly easily-removable cover for washing.)

I heartily recommend this car seat to anyone expecting a little one!

For those that worry about such things, this review is my honest opinion. I did not receive a free car seat or any other compensation.

** Sometimes I think this feature would be nice, now that Second Son is so heavy and does still often fall asleep in the van. I doubt he'd stay asleep at home, but it's possible he'd continue to sleep if we arrived somewhere like the zoo and pushed him around in a stroller. Right after he was born, though, I felt like putting Second Son in the carrier was the only reliable way to handle all four children. Second Daughter rode in the stroller with First Son and First Daughter on either side of me. It seemed a shame to buy a new stroller when we had one I loved that functioned perfectly (and still does -- I love my ebay stroller!).

Homeschool Review: Milo Winter's Aesop for Children

2011-09-02T05:00:00.000-05:00

Aesop's Fables for Children: Includes a Read-and-Listen CD illustrated by Milo Winter

I've mentioned this book a few times in our resource lists (2010-2011 School Year Books and Resources) and our recommendations for Ancient Greece. We've read and enjoyed this book so much, though, I decided it deserved its own post.

There are many versions of Aesop's Fables. This one is my favorite. The fables are clearly printed with plenty of beautiful color illustrations. The children would often look ahead and then ask me to read the fable for a particular illustration. Aesop's fables in general are excellent for learning how to narrate. Many of them are only a few paragraphs long. For nearly the entire first grade year, First Son could only consistently narrate well these fables. Everything else was a struggle. (He's a little better now in second grade.)

We recently listened to the included audio CD for the first time. The readers say the page numbers, which I found annoying, but perhaps others would like that. Kansas Dad enjoyed listening while he was in the van with us. He didn't have the fun of reading them during our lessons.

We won't be reading any fables this year for the first time in two years. I may bring them out again next year, when First Daughter is in kindergarten, but her narration skills are already equal to or better than her brother's so she wouldn't need them for the practice. We would read them just to enjoy them.

August Book Report

2011-09-01T12:40:00.000-05:00

The Matchlock Gun by Walter D. Edmonds (library copy)

The Hawk and the Dove trilogy by Penelope Wilcock (inter-library loan book)

The House of Power (Atherton, Book 1) by Patrick Carmen is the first of a trilogy of a world created by mankind after Earth's resources were abused and depleted. It begins with a young boy, eleven-year-old Edgar, who discovers a secret book and starts on a quest to find an ally in the powerful land above, the Highlands. The balance of water and of power shift as the land does, bringing war and perhaps even greater dangers. It's a thrilling adventure of loyalty, courage, deception, fear and men's plans gone awry. Even better, it's wonderfully written. It's recommended for late elementary and middle-school aged children. So far, I see nothing that would preclude First Son from reading it in a year or two. Luckily, I'll have to read to the end of the trilogy to be sure. Be forewarned, the first book ends very much in the midst of the story. (library copy)

Waterfall: A Novel (River of Time Series) by Lisa T. Bergren is a young adult Christian romance, at least in theory. I was looking for something a little lighter than Charlotte Mason's Towards A Philosophy Of Education and this certainly was. Gabi and Lia, her sister, touch perfectly fitted hand prints in an Etruscan tomb (in Italy) and find themselves back in the 1300s. There, they find adventure, romance, and war. It's definitely for more mature young adults with deadly battles in which the girls participate. Though there's nothing beyond a few kisses physically, there's the hint of more, particularly in a malicious sense. I didn't find that much "Christian" about it, either, other than Gabi's occasional, "God are you real?" and "God please save me" thoughts. At first I thought it was badly written, too, but at the end I decided it was just written in a contemporary voice, something I almost never read outside of blogs. I will say this, it was quite exciting. If the next two books were available from my library, I might even read them. I can't say if or when I'd let the girls read them. I'll have to wait and see how Kansas Dad and I feel when they're teenagers. (Kindle version, which was available free for a limited time)

The Squirrel's Birthday and Other Parties by Toon Tellegen is a delightful collection of stories of animal parties and celebrations. It's silly and lovely at the same time. I'm very much looking forward to reading it with the children this year as a fun read-aloud. The illustrations are wonderful as well. (library copy)

The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dalgliesh is on First Son's reading list for the year. It's a bit below his reading level, I think, but I find I need to push First Son to read anything not in a series so I think it's acceptable to vary the challenges he faces in reading. The rest of us will enjoy listening to this story. Hopefully it will be just the right amount of scary for them as Jonathan discovers there still are bears on Hemlock Mountain. (library copy)

Rivers of Fire (Atherton, Book 2) and The Dark Planet (Atherton, Book 3) by Patrick Carman were both read on the drive home from our Missouri vacation. I battled carsickness the whole way, stopping when necessary to stare out the window for a while, but I couldn't bring myself to stop entirely. The second and last books of the trilogy are fascinating, thrilling and full of the unexpected. Though I'm not sure how I feel about a "created" world, and a "created" boy in particular, the story is otherwise compelling and well-written. (There's also a man-made dragon that plays an important role for good in the last book, for those that are familiar with the arguments in A Landscape with Dragons: The Battle for Your Child's Mind.) Overall, I found the trilogy excellent and intend to let First Son read them himself in a few years. The Patrick Carman website recommends the Atherton novels for ages 9-15 and I will probably wait until about the middle of that range. There are quite a few technical complications in the novels that will be better understood with a few more years. Also, there are battles, children in miserable conditions and the whole "created child" issue to address. (both library copies)

Binya's Blue Umbrella by Ruskin Bond is a book I found while searching for picture books on India. It's not a single-session picture book, so we won't be reading it as part of our Asian term, but it is going on the list for the girls to read in second or third grade, depending on their reading levels. Binya is a ten year old girl who trades for a beautiful sky-blue parasol, completely impractical and desperately loved. She carries it everywhere and quickly becomes the envy of everyone in her rural Himalayan village. The book recounts her adventures with the umbrella, culminating in the attempt theft by the local store-owner. Binya finds herself enjoying her umbrella less, knowing how the store-keeper has suffered for his greed and struggles to find a way to resolve her discomfort. I think it's a nice little story with an enjoyable look at life in India for the young reader. (library copy)

The Big Wave by Pearl S. Buck is a heart-wrenching tale of a tsunami striking a fishing village in Japan. Jiya is standing with his best friend, Kino, and Kino's father when the wave hits, watching as his home, father, mother and brother are swept away. While descriptions of the "gods" would need to be placed in context, Kino and Jiya learn what it is to live unafraid in a world full of the unpredictable destruction of nature. The themes of the book place it solidly in the realm of older readers (perhaps late elementary or middle school) despite it's short length. I think it could find a place as a read-aloud for younger children, though, if they have faced such fears themselves or have encountered disturbing images of such destruction and death in the news. Pearl Buck is, of course, a marvelous author. (library copy)

Paul Revere's Ride by David Hackett Fischer (library copy)

The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford tells the story of three pets who travel across 300 miles of rugged and dangerous Canadian land to return to their home and owners. Thrilling, tender, well-written, and a wonderful tale set in Canada. Our library has an audio copy so we'll be listening to it. I'll be keeping a close eye on the girls (and the road, of course) to make sure the more frightening parts aren't too scary for them. (library copy)

Pocahontas and the Strangers (Scholastic Biography) by Clyde Robert Bulla is the first Bulla book I've read that I didn't love. It's a fictionalized account of Pocahontas's life. Though it does seem reasonably accurate in the details of Algonquin life, it's difficult to sympathize with Pocahontas. She seems like a spoiled, disobedient princess. I suppose the idea was to recognizer her contributions to the people of Jamestown as heroic, but I was not impressed by her actions. In addition, the writing is surprisingly awkward, not at all what I've come to expect from Bulla. I am not going to ask First Son to read this when we study Jamestown. I may allow him to read it on his own if he likes (which he probably wouldn't). (PaperBackSwap.com)

Squanto, Friend Of The Pilgrims (Scholastic Biography) by Clyde Robert Bulla is a better book than Pocahontas and the Strangers (see above), but I was not overwhelmingly impressed. Mayflower, while obviously more nuanced than a children's book could be, gave a much more interesting impression of Squanto. I think I may put this book where First Son can glace through it if he likes, but if we read anything on Squanto, it will be Squanto's Journey. (PaperBackSwap.com)

Mr. Revere and I: Being an Account of certain Episodes in the Career of Paul Revere,Esq. as Revealed by his Horse by Robert Lawson is an account of the events leading up to the first shots at Lexington and Concord as told by Paul Revere's horse, who conveniently has (literally) a window into the Revere kitchen. It is most certainly not historically accurate. I can't remember if Paul Revere's horse was named Scheherazade, but I do remember from Paul Revere's Ride that on the night of the infamous ride, he borrowed a horse that was subsequently captured by the British and never returned. Paul Revere seems to be a bit of a country bumpkin in the book. Sam Adams spends as much time eluding his debts and insinuating himself into invitations to meals with others as he does concentrating on Liberty. All that being said, it's a highly entertaining book. Rather than reading it aloud, I think I'll wait until the children are older and ask them to explain what they think is accurate or inaccurate after they've read it. (library copy)

Soccer Excitement

2011-09-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

First Son and First Daughter were signed up for soccer this fall (and next spring). Grammy and I took them to pick out shin guards earlier this week. They were so excited, they insisted on wearing the shin guards home (with flip flops and sandals and no socks).

Second Son Steps Out

2011-08-30T19:23:00.001-05:00

Second Son just took his first steps! He was cruising toward Kansas Dad, who stepped away from the piano bench just as he got near. Second Son didn't pause at all, just kept right on going! He took at least two or three steps all on his own!

Of course, he's way too grumpy for a picture. That's what happens when he only naps for twenty minutes. (Thank you very much, Second Daughter.)