A Memoir of Place and People: The Hearthstone of My Heart

The Hearthstone of My Heart

by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino

Elizabeth Borton de Trevino is such a delight. This book is like sitting down to tea with her and listening as she shares memories of her family and her incredible life. Her thoughts on the deepest aspects of what it is to be human rise up naturally from her stories.

Borton de Trevino is the author of children's books like Nacar: The White Deer and I, Juan de Pareja. She actually wrote many books, but most of them are now sadly out of print. 

In this book, she commented on children's literature in a way that reminded me of Charlotte Mason's ideals. 

Shouldn't the imagination of what could be a beautiful world, be kept, in their stories, in their entertainment? If not, how will they envision it? Man has always dreamed of improvements before he was able to effect them. (p. 195)

A little later, she writes:

I do feel, strongly, that some of the special gifts of childhood must somehow be preserved, and chief among those is the vaulting imagination, and the child's capacity for love and empathy. (p. 195) 

This author led a remarkable life, interviewing and befriending (or befriended by) many of the greatest artists and musicians of her life in Boston, New York, San Francisco, and Mexico. She writes often with generosity and warmth of her relationships with them.

Her Epilogue provides a good reflection on the book as a whole.

I think, as I look back over what I have told in this volume, that the important thing I want to emphasize is that there is still much goodness, generosity, and kindness  all around us, that friendship is still the greatest treasure God has offered us for the taking, during our lives, and that, as they say in Spanish, "Amor con amor se paga." Love is repaid by love. (p. 223) 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I also recommend My Heart Lies South. 

I have received nothing in exchange for this review. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links. I purchased this book.

September 2019 Book Reports

Look at the Sky and Tell the Weather by Eric Sloane - link to my post (purchased copy)

Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare (No Fear Shakespeare) - Apparently, this is one of the Shakespeare plays most read in high school, but I'd missed it. Lots of blood and famous lines. First Son is reading this in tenth grade, but I'll assign it to the others in ninth grade (matching up with our study of ancient Rome in history). (purchased copy)

Out of Africa and Shadows on the Grass by Isak Dinesen - link to my post (copy from PaperBackSwap.com)

Hamlet by William Shakespeare (No Fear Shakespeare) - Both my tenth grader and my seventh grader will be reading this play. It's quite long so they won't read an entire act each week. We're right in the midst of memorizing lines from the play using How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare so I thought it was an appropriate choice for the year. (purchased copy)

The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt (Landmark Books) by Elizabeth Payne and The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone: Key to Ancient Egypt by James Cross Giblin - link to my post (purchased copies)

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - This classic was different than I remembered it, a little less exciting, a little more depressing, and a little more contrived. I think I skimmed over a lot of the "boring" conversations when I read it as a teenager. Those same conversations strike me as disturbingly prescient today. Though it was easy to pick apart the inconsistencies and the instances where the plot seems unlikely, there was something, as always, lovely just in listening to Bradbury's language: lyrical and powerful. (purchased Audible book)

Stanley: The Impossible Life of Africa's Greatest Explorer by Tim Jeal - link to my post (library copy)

Lady Susan and The Watsons by Jane Austen - These two books, one Austen never published and a second she never finished, were recommended by Audible because they know I love all things Austen. I enjoyed listening to the stories, though obviously they are not her best. Lady Susan is written as a series of letters and sometimes it was more difficult in an audiobook to tell who was writing each one. (purchased on Audible)

Not So Fast: Parenting Your Teen Through the Dangers of Driving by Tim Hollister and Pam Shadel Fischer - link to my post (library copy)

The Creed in Slow Motion by Ronald Knox - link to my post (purchased copy)

After Anatevka: Live by Alexandra Silber - This is an Audible original offered as one of the free books of the month. Ms. Silber created this stage performance melding readings from her book, After Anatevka, and performances of songs from Fiddler on the Roof and new compositions written to complement her book. It was enjoyable with some delightful music. (free from Audible in October 2018)

The Rise and Fall of the British Empire (The Great Courses) by Patrick N. Allitt - link to my post (purchased audio book)

Elizabeth II: Life of a Monarch by Ruth Cowen - This was another Audible original offered as a free book of the month to members. I thought it would be interested as a supplement to my recent audiobook on the British Empire. It was kind of an interesting take on Queen Elizabeth's life, but it wasn't a complete biography. There were quite a lot of lurid details of the other royals' love lives. (free from Audible in April 2019)

In Ethiopia with a Mule by Dervla Murphy - link to my post (purchased copy)

Folsom Untold by Danny Robins - This audio book on Johnny Cash and his Folsom album is a little melodramatic, but it was interesting to hear something about the album, how it came about, and what happened later. It looks like it's no longer available on Audible, but if you're interested in all things Johnny Cash, you may want to see if you can find it elsewhere. (free from Audible in February 2019)

I have received nothing in exchange for these posts. All opinions are my own. Links to Amazon, PaperBackSwap, and RC History are affiliate links.

First Piano Recital

First Son and First Daughter started piano lessons last fall. A very dear friend of mine is their teacher and I think she's fantastic. The recital was also perfect - all kids we knew, one right after the other, with lots of fun and fellowship (and scrumptious chocolate chip cookies and vanilla scones) afterwards. Just so it's on the official blog record, here are the videos.

She was a lot more nervous than she thought she would be, but she kept on going.

First Son was one of the steadiest players that day. He came. He played. He ate cookies. Just another day. (Maybe it was his previous performance experience.)

If Gru Were a Shakespearean Actor

Last summer, I read and reviewed How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare. You can read that post here.

During the school year I began reading How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare with the children. We memorized passages and I read from the chapters, slowly and discussing it as we went along. We only memorized four passages, the ones selected from A Midsummer Night's Dream, but they responded with absolute joy. All of my children (11, 8, 6, and 4) can recite some lines from the play. The three older ones can recite many lines from the play. My two oldest know the plot and, what's most important, love the play.

I absolutely recommend this method of learning Shakespeare with your children. As evidence and for your amusement, I'd like to present First Son, performing as Gru as a Shakespearean actor.

"Bottom's Dream" (Passage 3 in the book)
First Son as Gru as Bottom, other three children as Minions
 

The Minions did their jobs well. I've actually heard him do an even more convincing Gru performance; he was a little nervous with the camera running.


"Theseus and Hippolyta" (Passage 4)
First Daughter as Theseus and First Son as Gru as Hippolyta (using his Most Magical Fairy Princess voice from Despicable Me 2)

They all think this voice is hilarious. I'm sorry you can't hear it very well. I have a new camera (yay!) but it doesn't come with those fancy microphones that real movie sets have.


"I Know a Bank" (Passage 1)
Second Son wanted to recite. First Daughter agreed to help him.

"Captain of our Fairy Band" (Passage 2)
Second Daughter's favorite passage

"Lord, what fools these mortals be!"
Second Son

This phrase has become common in our house. When chaos reigns, I will often say it and capture the attention of all the little ones in hearing.

I had meant to read A Midsummer Night's Dream before last school year and did not. I'm reading it now. It's a delight to come to a passage we memorized or read together.

Memorize Shakespeare with your children. You will not regret it.

The links to Amazon above are affiliate links. My original review copy was provided free by the publisher in exchange for an objective review. This post contains my honest opinions and recitations by my zany kids.

Book Review: How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare

How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare by Ken Ludwig

I had read glowing reviews of this book on other blogs and glanced through the book enough to decide I wanted to try it with the kids next year for our Shakespeare studies. I was thrilled to find the new paperback version available at Blogging for Books and requested it immediately.

Ken Ludwig has written a fantastic book for all parents interested in sharing Shakespeare with their children. These are exactly the methods he used successfully with his own two children, now young adults, though he was not a homeschooling dad. Instead, they delved into Shakespeare in their free time on weekends and in the evenings. Though the strategy is memorization, the true strength of this method is how understanding the meaning of the passages, their context within the plays, and the genius of Shakespeare's language is intertwined with the passages.

...I became convinced that the way into the subject--the way to introduce someone to Shakespeare for the first time so that it doesn't feel daunting and yet has real integrity--is to memorize it. First a few lines, then whole speeches.

The books is designed for the parent to read first, then share the passage and information with the children. Links are provided for resources as well, pages to print as memorization aids and recordings of Shakespearean actors reading the passages, for those of us unsure of pronunciation. The author explains every passage so anyone, even someone who feels daunted by reading Shakespeare themselves, can understand the meaning of the selections.

What I love most of all about this book is the example the author has given us of how to share a passion with children. Mr. Ludwig's delight in Shakespeare and his awe of Shakespeare's abilities permeate the text so much that I found myself delighted and awed as well at all the same things. It seems impossible to present Shakespeare in such a way and not foster a love of language in our children.

This is not a course of study. There are not explicit lessons for each week and day of the school year, but I think a homeschooling parent can easily adapt this book for homeschooling. I intend to simply start at the beginning and work our way through the passages. When we've memorized one (myself included!), we'll move on to the next. (My oldest two will be in fifth grade and second grade, but I think the book can be used with children of any ages, though some of the later passages are more appropriate in content for older children.) I anticipate years of enjoyment from the 25 passages in this book (and a bonus 26th and lists in the back of additional passages to explore and memorize). I will probably also introduce some of his recommended books for children every once in a while. At the end of the book, it's not about being able to pass a test on Shakespeare or incorporate quotations into college writing papers, though you might be able to do that; it's about building a foundation of Shakespeare in a child that will foster a desire to learn more for the rest of his or her life.

This book is also a gem for anyone interested in Shakespeare. I never studied any of his plays after high school and have seen very few of them performed. I would hardly know where to start now given the plethora of books and movies and performances. The appendices in this book include annotated lists of books for children, books for teachers and parents, films, and audio recordings. After finishing the book, there was nothing I wanted to do more than start reading, watching, and listening to all of his recommendations.

You can read more about the book here and more about the author here or on his website.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review. The opinions above are my own.

Homeschool Review: Making Music Praying Twice

Making Music Praying Twice

You can purchase the Homeschool Edition directly from Making Music Praying Twice. It is also available at Sacred Heart Books or at Adoremus Books. Because it is a large purchase, I recommend watching for a deal.

I'm pretty sure I purchased mine from Adoremus last year using their Easter discount code. Their Easter sale is going on now (until April 7th) and I still think it's one of the best prices you'll find if you want to purchase the whole set.

The full homeschool curriculum comes with five CDs, five music books (one for each of the CDs), and a homeschool edition teacher's manual.

I decided to purchase this curriculum last year when I wanted to decrease the number of days we were driving into town and thought I could use it instead of spending an hour in the van every week driving to and from choir practice.

First Son (nine years old) and First Daughter (six years old) participate in the small children's choir at our parish. Second Daughter (four years old) and Second Son (two years old) get the bulk of their singing and instrumentation experimentation in this program. And they love it. Second Son loves it so much he asks for the "Good day" CD nearly daily!

The curriculum comes with five CDs (Ordinary Time Fall; Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany; Ordinary Time Winter; Lent; Easter and Pentecost). Good Day (to begin) and God Bless (to end) are on each CD, but the other songs are a mix of seasonal offerings, spoken rhythms, movement songs, and other fun choices. I am no musical expert, but the performances and recordings seem professional and are not at all annoying for adults. It is a Catholic program and includes such wonderful songs as Dona Nobis Pacem, Magnificat, Our Father, and other delightful hymns like Holy God We Praise Thy Name.

The manual provides plenty of background information and lesson plan options (daily or weekly). I particularly appreciated the sections that talked about all the different ways to incorporate music into life with young children, many of which we were already doing. There's a bit in there about how important early instruction is in brain development. I'm not sure I'm convinced by the idea that children must learn something before they turn four in order to ever be proficient at it, but I do think music play is more important than formal instruction in math or reading. (Of course, I think imaginative play in general is more important than formal instruction in math or reading for young children; that's one of the reasons we homeschool.) The Making Music Praying Twice lessons, however, seem to me to be more of the informal instruction kind rather than formal lessons.

I chose to use the daily lesson plan, but we usually only have official music time three times a week, though the children are free to listen to the CD more often. Ideally, the instructor would be comfortable enough to go through the lesson without the CD, but my musical talents are extremely limited. We simply flip through the tracks on the CD so it can always accompany us. For each track, there is a whole page in the manual with recommendations on using the song in the lesson plans and expanding on it throughout the day (like changing the words during bath-time or when rushing out the door on errands). Kansas Dad is much more proficient than I am at changing lyrics to match our situation. It's something he's always done naturally.

There could be a lot of equipment with this curriculum. I've been investing in musical instruments based on Making Music Praying Twice's equipment guide since at least a year before I purchased the curriculum. Even before that, I had selected good instruments as gifts for our children. Here are a few of the things we've enjoyed:

• Egg shakers - These were a gift from St. Nicholas one year. They are easy to hold and make a pleasant even sound.
• Rhythm sticks - These were another gift from St. Nicholas, after watching the children enjoy them so much in our homeschool choir.
• Floor drum - Second Son received this last Christmas from my parents. Kansas Dad was a little concerned, but the children don't bang on it too much or inappropriately. It has a nice sound and came with two drumsticks (though people complained in earlier reviews at Amazon that it only came with one).
• Jingle bells - The children received a few of these just last December from St. Nicholas. They make a delightful ringing.
• Hand bells - Second Daughter received these years ago for her birthday. They're getting a little chipped now from being tossed into our instrument basket, but they still sound wonderful. I chose them because they play actual notes in a scale and I often use them with our music CDs because I can read music just enough to ring the right one now and then.
• Glockenspiel - Again, this is a really nice instrument that plays the actual notes of a scale. 
• Long streamers - I had high hopes for these. The girls loved them, but they didn't stay nice looking as long as I'd hoped. That's probably because Second Daughter likes to chew on the silk. Sigh.

I felt like, with this curriculum, I was able to offer my children musical experiences they would otherwise have lacked without formal music lessons in a school setting, though I think it could be a wonderful addition to what children were doing in school if they weren't home with me.

This program is a way to infuse our day with a quiet time for prayer, a silly time for singing or dancing, a loving time with tickling and singing about each other, and a bit of music instruction besides. I believe I first heard of Making Music Praying Twice on the Mater Amabilis website (recommended for the prep level). As I think more about the preschool and kindergarten years, I begin to think we should be doing less rather than more. Next year, Second Daughter will be starting kindergarten. I'm considering skipping formal math altogether, but Making Music Praying Twice will remain an important part of her lesson time.

The activities and songs are particularly designed for children under eight. I found First Son was not focused during our music time and often sent him off to do some independent work. As the year progressed, he enjoyed leading the little ones with the manual and lesson plans. I'm not sure the lessons were quite as educational on those days as they might have been if I led them, but he did a remarkably good job.

I could never be an instructor for Making Music Praying Twice, but the training seems to be quite reasonable and is now offered in a number of cities. If you have the skills and the time, consider becoming trained and offering this program at parishes near you. They are currently working on an updated edition that will have three years' worth of music and lessons.

Don't forget, if you are interested in purchasing Making Music Praying Twice for your home, the Adoremus Books Easter sale is going on until April 7th. (If you miss it this year, they have one every Easter.)


I did not receive anything in exchange for this review. I do not receive anything if you purchase this or anything else at Making Music Praying Twice, Sacred Heart Books, or Adoremus Books, but I do receive a small commission if you follow a link to Amazon, put something in your cart, and purchase it.

The Range Kids Meet Ballet

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.

Big Cities Don't Have All the Perks

Our annual summer reading program concert was yesterday. This year, our amazing librarian found a harpist willing to drive long hours with his harp to entertain and teach a small group of children and townsfolk. After the concert, he invited all the children to take a turn playing his harp.

I think I was more impressed than the children, but they just don't know how extraordinary the morning was.

I said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again, I'd stake our summer reading program against any big city one.

Special thanks to our teacher, who took this great picture of First Son.

Book Review: The Creative Family

The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections by Amanda Black Soule

When I reviewed Young at Art, two friends suggested this book instead. Susan Striker's book actually laid out a plan for introducing a young child to art materials like paints, clay and colors. This book focuses more on creating a family life that embraces and encourages creativity.

First of all, this book is beautiful. It is well-designed and illustrated, including many pictures of the author with her three children. (She now has four; check out her blog for more updates on her life.)

There are a few projects suggested in the book, many of which were new to me and some of which we will be introducing on the Range. I love the idea of creating thank you cards with some artwork by the children (p. 17) and think Kansas Dad and the kids will have a great time making real wood block from logs we cut on our own land (p. 49). I've made lots of notes on these and other ideas. The projects cover a range of materials and skill levels so there's something here for everyone.

The tone of the book was a little "earthy" for me, thanking "earth mother" and such. In our house, we usually thank God for the earth. I think it's simple enough to glean some great ideas, though, from around the few things we wouldn't do with our children. I was also surprised she didn't mention cooking until a paragraph or so in the last chapter, but perhaps that's because once I started thinking about how we encourage creativity on the Range now, I realized it's mainly in the kitchen. (And by "we," I mean "I" since Kansas Dad does relatively little baking with the children, though they will sometimes help stir the pancake batter.)

There's more I'd like to share about the book, but Second Son is calling me and it's already taken a week to write this post. Check the book out and see if it can encourage some more creativity in your own life.

Backyard Fun

Have you seen this lovely video?

My kids wanted to watch it three times in a row...and then they wanted to play some guitars in our backyard. That kind of fun will have to wait until this unbearable heat wave is over (two record-breaking days in a row...so far), but I love that they wanted to immediately run out and play.

HT: Faith and Family

Jesus Loves Them

I've been trying to get a little video of Second Daughter singing "Jesus Loves Me" to share (and to remember her sweet little voice). I thought I'd have a chance a few days ago, but the other kids were drawn in by the camera and kept straying between the camera and Second Daughter. I finally just gave in and invited them to join us.

First Son was so excited to see the video, he wouldn't let the girls actually finish the song. That's probably for the best since my ancient computer almost died three times while uploading the video to YouTube. I'm not sure it could have handled anything larger. Hopefully you can still hear her little voice.

Second Daughter, by the way, is covered in chocolate yogurt. We let the girls choose a few flavors themselves at the store. Neither of them liked eating the chocolate yogurt, but Second Daughter loved smearing it all over her arms, hands and high chair tray.

Singing to Herself

Twice today Second Daughter was just playing by herself and suddenly started quietly singing, "Jesus loves me, this I know..."

So adorable!

For future reference, though, she doesn't always like it if someone else joins in. Or, at least if I join in.

Better Than a Bookmark

We watched this video of OK Go's "This Too Shall Pass" over and over again a few months ago and I'd forgotten all about it when First Son asked about it this morning. It took a few minutes to find it again, so I figured I should post about it on the blog so I could find it for future requests.



I hope the engineers who helped create this video realize just how awesome their jobs are. (Somewhere online I watched interviews with them, but I don't want to take the time to find them now.)

Recitation

From First Daughter's current favorite book, Moo Baa La La La:

Rock Monster in the House

I apologize that it's sideways. I always seem to forget that as I'm filming. Apparently, with our new laptop I can modify these little videos, but the laptop is usually with my husband.

Recap

First Son returned to the dentist today. Perhaps he matured just the right amount or perhaps it helped for him to watch me have my teeth cleaned last week, but he was an angel. The dentist was able to polish and floss for the first time!

Today at lunch, a bird joined the family and munched on the seeds from the feeder outside our window for the first time. The kids loved it and I missed it because I was at a training all day.

When she was supposed to be falling asleep (in my arms as I rocked her), First Daughter sang to herself (the Rock Monster song, of course) and then pretended to snore. Perhaps she thought pretending would make falling asleep easier.

Snug as a Bug

First Daughter loves to practice sleeping in her brother's bed. If only she'd sleep well in her own bed. Kansas Dad and I have been taking turns walking with her, rubbing her back, and rocking her at night, listening all the while to her bedtime CD, my favorite lullaby CD of all time: Bedtime Prayers by Twila Paris.

The music is soft and lovely. The lyrics are beautiful. My favorite song is Your Whole Life Long. You can read the lyrics here (scroll down to track #6). I have a much easier time remembering how blessed we are and learning to love sacrificially when this song begins to play, even in the middle of the night when it feels like she hasn't slept for hours. Not that I have it down yet, of course.

When you're ready to become a parent, it's important to find a bedtime CD you can enjoy for hours on end night after night. I've tried others, many of them wonderful, but I always come back to this one. (First Son is old enough to pick his own now and usually listens to stories, but he listened to this one for over a year after he was born. We even had to replace it with the album from iTunes when we left the actual CD in a hotel in California.)

Christmas Concert, Interrupted

The concert was suddenly ended when the main performer decided the commercial on TV was more interesting than performing for the camera.

Dancing with the Pirates

For his birthday, First Son received the music for the new Veggie Pirate movie coming out in January and has been dancing up a storm ever since. (We're eagerly awaiting its release because it will be the first movie First Son will see in a theater.)

Thanks Grammy!

Christmas Cheer

I know I'm not keeping up with the blog as I should. It's all Kansas Dad's fault. He thinks he needs to use the home computer to finish his dissertation and has been hogging it every night after the kids are asleep. The nerve.

Anyway, here's a little video to keep you entertained until I can post again. (By the way, I don't know anything about these guys, but I liked the performance.)

HT: Testosterhome