First Son Is Ten!

My very first baby turned ten years old in December. That's right - double digits! To celebrate, we have a whole post of pictures of First Son.

First Son with his St. Nicholas feast day cookie. His birth month is one of celebrations from beginning to end and we revel in them all.

Grammy took me and the kids to a local museum to make gingerbread houses (which the girls told us repeatedly were graham crackers, not gingerbread cookies). First Son was much more interested in the museum. He hurriedly put a few things on his house and moved on.

He only listens peripherally to the picture books for Christmas this year. (Sad mama.) But he likes the Jesse Tree readings and still likes opening the books on his days.

He's tremendously protective and helpful with Second Son, except when he's not.

First Son started fourth grade in August. We love fourth grade. His favorite subject is Latin (thanks entirely to Latin for Children which we all enjoy). He does the majority of his work independently. He's essentially teaching himself math using the book which just amazes me.

His least favorite subject is Writing with Ease, particularly on the dictation days. I think he's learning it's not too difficult if he just listens and writes without worrying about it so much. He often complains about narration in general. He doesn't like telling me what he's read or heard when he knows I know it already. He also doesn't like mental math, but he was pleased to hit the midpoint of his math book on his birthday. (I had put a sticky note in telling him to do a little dance in celebration, but he didn't dance, just smiled.) Even the mental math became less contentious after we watched Arthur Benjamin a few times.

First Son started seeing an orthodontist in April. He got braces in August on the first day of school. He doesn't like them, but he treats them well and is always careful about what he eats. We'll all be glad when he gets them off, just before First Daughter will have hers put on.

His favorite activity: screen time. He always chooses to play a game on the Wii when he has first choice.

For his birthday, he really wanted Super Mario Galaxy 2, which we found for him. For Christmas, he really wanted a Nintendo 3DS XL and not much else. Grammy and Paw Paw generously bought one for the whole family to share. It was his favorite choice while riding in the van to visit my parents in Illinois.

He has finally started reading chapter books (real chapter books) on his own. I read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz out loud to the family (oh, how everyone loved it!) and he promptly began reading all of the sequels. I think his favorite independent reading book so far this year is Theras and His Town which he's reading now. He's been surprisingly happy listening to A Christmas Carol.

My mom found this K'nex set at Goodwill for a bargain. We had to supplement with a few pieces, but First Son had a fabulous time putting it together. It lived on the kitchen counter for as long as I could stand it; then we made a video of it in action and took it apart.

He does not really like to go outside and play, but we have new neighbors now with boys near his age. Now they all go out and play happily and we parents let them.

He complains about his chores a lot, but he does them and almost always does what I ask the first time.

For his birthday, he requested enchiladas and homemade Oreo cookies. Of course, he started the day with a pancake as big as his head, which he polished off easily along with his eggs.

He wanted a Mario party for his birthday this year. I made a pinata like a question mark cube which turned out to be remarkably difficult to smash apart. First Daughter helped color the goody boxes yellow and filled them with coins. He invited a lot of kids - sixteen, including our four.  I even made some cookies, but my friend made the cake again.

 My mom and aunt surprised us during the party. They had driven to Oklahoma for my cousin's graduation and drove home through Kansas at just the right time.

For his baptismal anniversary, he received a copy of the Glory Story on Blessed John Paul II and I tried to make John Paul II's favorite dessert, a Polish pastry custard cake. I think my recipe wasn't quite right, though, as it was more like shortcake with custard. It was delicious, however.

May God bless you in the coming year, First Son!

November 2013 Book Reports

I took an unplanned vacation from the blog for Advent and Christmas. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season!


Much delayed, here are the books I read last November.

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins is a classic mystery story. It's long by contemporary mystery standards (and likely considered too wordy) but it was fascinating and exciting. I don't read many mysteries but I love books of Victorian England and enjoyed this one. (free Kindle version)

The Wonder Clock by Howard Pyle (library copy)

The Secret School by Avi is a book I picked up at a library sale thinking First Daughter might like to read it aloud this year (first grade). It's the story of a young girl who secretly becomes the teacher of her school in order to complete eighth grade and go on to high school. The writing is not too difficult, so I think she could manage it, but the subject matter is a little more sophisticated. I think it would be more appropriate for late elementary or middle grade readers. So I've made a note to bring it out in a few years. (purchased copy)

Canadian Summer by Hilda van Stockum (purchased used on CathSwap)

A Donkey's Tale by Stefano Gorla, illustrated by Angela Marchetti (a review for The Catholic Company)

Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry (library copy)

The Story of a Soul by St. Therese of Lisieux (library copy)

Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan is the new book by a Catholic comedian who lives in a two-bedroom apartment in New York City with his wife and five children. It was highly enjoyable. (library copy)

Macbeth (Shakespeare Made Easy) by William Shakespeare is the second play we'll study in fourth grade. The modern version in this book has some explicit text, but First Son won't be reading it. As before, we'll read Lamb and Nesbit's versions, both of which are appropriate for all ages. Easily my favorite part of studying Shakespeare with the children is reading it myself in preparation. (purchased from Sacred Heart Books and Gifts)

Books in Progress (and date started)

• Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling (September 2013)
• How to Talk so Kids Will Listen and Listen so Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish (October 2013)
• Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived by Rob Bell (November 2013)
• Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men by Leonard Sax (November 2013)
• A Right To Be Merry by Mother Mary Francis (November 2013)

Book Review: Story of a Soul

Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux, Third Edition 

translated from the original manuscripts by John Clarke, O.C.D.

This book hardly needs another review, but of the books I've read this year, it is one of my favorites, so I didn't want to neglect posting a little about it. St. Therese is First Daughter's favorite saints. I've always encouraged the children to be more like her, because her "little way" of seeking out opportunities to serve and sacrifice for those around her allows little ones to truly imitate a saint in their own daily lives. They can't sail off to foreign lands to be missionaries (yet), but they can run to bring a spoon to Mama or a baby brother. So I was interested in learning more about this young saint.

At the beginning of my spiritual life when I was thirteen or fourteen, I used to ask myself what I would have to strive for later on because I believed it was quite impossible for me to understand perfection better. I learned very quickly since then that the more one advances, the more one sees the goal is still far off. And now I am simply resigned to see myself always imperfect and in this I find my joy.

St. Therese was very young when she entered Carmel, and still relatively young when she died. Her autobiography is written like a love story of a young woman. She is so full of joy it is hard not to be joyful along with her. She even composed an invitation to her wedding with Jesus (in imitation of her cousin's wedding invitation) that made me smile with its language describing the groom's parents: "God Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth, Sovereign Ruler of the Universe, and the Most Glorious Virgin Mary, Queen of the Heavenly Court, announce to you..."

Well, I am the Child of the Church and the Church is a Queen since she is Your Spouse, O divine King of kings. The heart of a child does not seek riches and glory (even the glory of heaven). She understands that this glory belongs by right to her brothers, the angels and saints....Astounding works are forbidden to her; she cannot preach the Gospel, shed her blood; but what does it matter since her brothers work in her stead and she, a little child, stays very close to the throne of the King and Queen...But how will she prove her love since love is proved by works? Well, the little child will strew flowers, she will perfume the royal throne with their sweet scents, and she will sing in her silvery tones the canticle of Love.

I found by reading the autobiography, all I've read about St. Therese made more sense. Her Little Way, that of doing small acts that could be strewn about Jesus like flowers spread before a king, became much clearer and more beautiful.

Ah! Lord, I know you don't command the impossible. You know better than I do my weakness and imperfection; You know very well that never would I be able to love my Sisters as You love them, unless You, O my Jesus, loved them in me.

To show perfect love to all we encounter, and especially these little ones that swarm our houses, is really impossible. Those who want to love as a saint loves must do as St. Therese did: allow Jesus's love to flow through us to all of those around us. So I don't need to serve my children perfectly at each moment. Instead, I can merely open myself up to Jesus's love and He will take care of it. (I know, it's not easy, but it seems easier to me than trying to do it myself.)

To be heard it is not necessary to read from a book some beautiful formula composed for the occasion...I do not have the courage to force myself to search out beautiful prayers in books...I say very simply to God what I wish to say, without composing beautiful sentences, and He always understands me. For me, prayer is an aspiration of the heart, it is a simple glance directed to heaven, it is a cry of gratitude and love in the midst of trial as well as joy; finally, it is something great, supernatural, which expands my soul and unites me to Jesus.

And, as much as she seems to have sought out opportunities for sacrifice, she was so serene about any mistake or stumble:

It often happens that I allow these little sacrifices which give such peace to the soul to slip by; this does not discourage me, for I put up with having a little less peace and I try to be more vigilant on another occasion.

She also admits to often falling asleep during prayer and failing to complete a Rosary, but is again undeterred because the One who loves so much is still pleased with the desires of a little child who falls asleep at her tasks.

This book is available free online, but I read in many places that this edition, the Third Edition, was the best. I didn't actually look through any other versions, but this one was thorough, easy to read, and clear it the editor's notes. It also includes a few nice appendices and a reproduction of St. Therese's coat of arms in the beginning of the book.

Book Review: Hannah Coulter

Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry

Kansas Dad has been recommending Wendell Berry for years and I regret it took me so long to pick one up. Hannah Coulter may very well be one of my two favorite novels of all time (along with Anna Karenina). It is heartbreakingly beautiful from beginning to end and I wanted to start reading it again as soon as I had finished.

This is one of Berry's Port William "membership" books. Hannah Coulter, a widow with a baby after World War II, marries Nathan Coulter. This book is her story, and their story.

I've already posted some of my favorite quotes. As I read, I thought a lot about my own childhood and now my life as a mother, comparing it to that of Hannah. I was struck by her thoughts on education.

The way of education leads away from home. That is what we learned form our children's education.

The big idea of education, from first to last, is the idea of a better place. Not a better place where you are, because you want it to be better and have been to school and learned to make it better, but a better place somewhere else. in order to move up, you have got to move on. I didn't see this at first. And for a while after I knew it, I pretended I didn't. I didn't want it to be true.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Read it.

An Advent Activity Chain for 2013

Are you ready for Advent? I've planned our picture books for the season (though I haven't wrapped them yet). Our Jesse Tree is ready and I've got a new "branch" on which to hang the ornaments. Much I planned last year will work just fine for this year.

I did decide to make our own Advent activity chain this year. Last year's was fine, but I wanted to include activities for all our birthdays, parties, and baptismal anniversaries. It was so easy! I made an Excel document with spaces for each day, printed it, cut them out, and taped them onto pink and purple strips of paper. I easily could have asked my older two to cut and tape everything, but I was having too much fun with my new adhesive dispensers.

I can't share our personal activity chain, because I included names and birthdays on it, but I also printed out a few for some friends. I tried to choose activities that would be really easy for any family with young children without a lot of preparation. If you have ten minutes between now and the first Sunday of Advent (this coming Sunday!), you can make your own with this file.

   Advent 2013 Activity Chain

The Catholic Company Book Review: A Donkey's Tale

A Donkey's Tale by Stefano Gorla, illustrated by Angela Marchetti

This sweetly illustrated book tells the story of Jesus' life, beginning with the Nativity, and continuing through the Resurrection and Ascension, from the point of view of the fictional donkey, Ladan.

The book retells many familiar Gospel stories. Some of the quotations seem to be directly from a Bible, but others are obvious (and sometimes jarring) paraphrases. Overall, the stories are faithful to the meanings and I would willingly share them with my children.

Each story, however, ends with the phrase "...I was there." The description of the book says:

The phrase "…because I was there" is repeated by the donkey at the end of each story, emphasizing the importance of being a witness of and to the faith. Sensitively expressed and colorfully illustrated, A Donkey's Tale encourages children to also be witnesses to the faith by sharing what they have seen and heard about Jesus with others.

I guess I can understand the author's goal, but I found myself frustrated that the truth of the Gospel was contrasted with the obviously fictional viewpoint of the donkey with words that indicated we should believe the Gospel story because the donkey was telling it and he was a witness to the events. We do not believe these stories because of the witness of a donkey and I felt like those repeated words detracted from the book.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an objective review. This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on A Donkey's Tale. The Catholic Company is the best resource for all your seasonal needs such as First Communion gifts as well as ideas and gifts for the special papal Year of Faith.

First Son and His Imagination

First Son and I have started using Stories with a View: Narrative Inspirations by Margot Davidson for creative writing this year. (I have an older version I bought used on Cathswap.) We've never done creative writing before and I'm approaching it more as a way to see into my son's mind than with a need to produce some great stories or poems.

It certainly is interesting! Today we read "The Hens" by Elizabeth Madox Roberts (which you can find here) and discussed it a little. The assignment, then, was to "Describe the morning when the hens awake." We have chickens, so I expected a description of what our chickens do in the morning, but this is what I heard instead (which I typed into a Google doc as he talked).

I really don't know what to think about it.

First Son (fourth grade) on "the morning when hens awake"

In the morning, the hens woke up, laid their daily eggs, took care of the chicks, and in the house, the father was just ready to get the eggs when the Fed Ex guy came. When he finally was able to get past the Fed Ex truck and get into the chicken coop, all the hens were already sitting on the eggs. The father slapped his head and said, “If only the Fed Ex guy did not come.”

When he came back, his family was all ready to start cooking eggs. “Where are all the eggs, dear?” the mother said.

He said, “That Fed Ex guy made me go too late. The hens were already on their nests.”

“Never mind, dear,” the mother said. “Go and butcher the pig and we will have bacon.”

Just then the UPS guy came and made it too late again for the pig had run away. “Where is the bacon, dear?”

“We’ll just have to have cold cereal for the pig has run away. Oh, my, I forgot that we don’t have any cereal.”

“Oh dear, you are such a fool!” said she. “Why didn’t you buy cereal when I asked you to one morning?”

“Because I didn’t hear you. You should have called.”

“Oh my dear, you are such a fool!” said she again.

“I will try never to be a fool again.”

“You’d better, or I will hit you upside the head with a skillet.”

“I’ll go and do Xtramath.”

“No, you must go and get us some cereal.”

“Where?”

“At the store.” Then she hit him upside the head with a skillet. He passed out and then woke up at the hospital.

Then the mother said, “The children are waiting for their cereal, dear.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t get some.”

“Why can’t you?”

“You made me go to the hospital, remember?”

“Oh that’s right. Try not to be a fool again.”

The End

My Twelve Books of Christmas

Memoria Press has compiled a package deal on the Twelve Books of Christmas that looks awesome if you're looking for a gift for a young family that hasn't started building their picture book library. (Updated in 2015: This package is no longer available.)

Looking at this list, I started to wonder what I would choose for twelve books of Christmas. So I set myself a challenge: if we were going off into the wilderness (like moving to a remote cabin in Alaska without electricity), what would be the twelve Christmas and Advent books I would choose for our library?

12. The Little Drummer Boy illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats, because it's beautiful, and I remember my grandmother reading it to me.

11. Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend by Julie Stiegmeyer, because no Catholic Advent with children would be complete without this wonderful saint. I like this book, which I purchased a few years ago. I've also always wanted to read The Legend of Saint Nicholas by Demi, but have never found a copy.

10. The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore, because it's an American Christmas tradition. There are many illustrated version available. We have one by Anita Lobel and will be reading one by Matt Tavares this year. The Robert Sabuda version would probably be worth the money if I were really only choosing twelve Christmas books to take into the wilderness.

9. The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski, because Advent is a time of healing and hope.

8. Marta and the Manger Straw by Virginia Kroll, illustrated by Robyn Belton, because when we sacrifice to share what we have, we receive the graces of God. This is a new book for us this year and I think the children will love it.

7. Why the Chimes Rang by Raymond Macdonald Alden, often found in collections like this one, because our sacrifices please God and comfort others.

6. Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck, because the best gift we can give to those we love is ourself.

5. The Last Straw by Fredrick H. Thury, because Christmas is a time to worship the Lord, and because laughter is pleasing to the Lord.

4. The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story by Gloria Houston and illustrated by Barbara Cooney, because it is the perfect combination of the story of a mother's ingenuity and sacrifice and delightful illustrations.

3. A Small Miracle by Peter Collington, because those who do right are rewarded and comforted by God.

2. The Little Juggler by Barbara Cooney, because God has blessed us with talents and asks only that we give those talents back to him.

1. The Story of Christmas by Pamela Dalton, because we would need an exquisitely beautiful illustrated version of the Nativity story.

So what are the twelve picture books you would choose?

If you're looking for more books to read this Advent, here's a post I wrote earlier this year of the new and noteworthy picture books we read last year. It includes links to all the other Advent picture book posts I've written.

I don't receive anything if you order from Memoria Press, but I do receive a small commission if you follow one of the links to Amazon, add something to your cart, and make a purchase.

Book Review: Canadian Summer

Canadian Summer, book two of the Mitchells series, by Hilda van Stockum

I've just finished reading Canadian Summer aloud to the children. They were so delighted with The Mitchells: Five for Victory, that they convinced me to read this sequel immediately. In this book, the Mitchell family summers at a small rustic ski cabin in Canada, hoping their father finds an appropriate home to rent in Montreal near his job after World War II ended. They make friends everywhere they go, find adventure at every turn, and delight young and old alike.

It is a perfect summer of romping in the woods, swimming in the lake, and working together. There's no electricity and no running water, but the wide world is right outside the door. I doubt my own ability to survive such a summer (and Mother Mitchell was concerned as well), but I can only imagine how much my children would learn and grow.

It becomes plain in this book that the Mitchell family is Catholic, but only in a few instances. Though faith at all is only mentioned a few times, my favorite part of the book illuminates the hopes of many a family.

"What would you like me to be, Mother?" asked Peter...

Mother thought for a moment, looking at the fire.

"I don't care," she said slowly, "as long as you are happy and at home in your work." 

"Don't you have any special wish for us?" asked Joan.

"Yes, I do," said Mother. "I want you to become men and women who are easily moved by God's inspiration. I think there is nothing more beautiful in the world than a soul who is sensitive to the language of God, whether He speaks in nature, or in art, or through people, or whispers directly into our hearts. I think we are happy and alive just so much as our ears are open to His voice and our eyes to His handiwork. That is what I wish for you and that alone. Then I know you will choose the right way of life for yourselves." 

She says it better than I.

We are beginning the third book, Friendly Gables, today, and I hope it will be as wonderful as the first two.

Quotes: Hannah Coulter

Wendell Berry in Hannah Coulter:

You could say that Port William has never been the same place two minutes together. But I think any way it has ever been it will always be. It is an immortal place. Some day there will be a new heaven and a new earth and a new Port William coming down from heaven, adorned as a bride for her husband, and whoever has known her before will know her then.

On home, on earth and in heaven:

Most people now are looking for "a better place," which means that a lot of them will end up in a worse one. I think this is what Nathan learned from his time in the army and the war. He saw a lot of places, and he came home. I think he gave up the idea that there is a better place somewhere else. There is no "better place" than this, not in this world. And it is by the place we've got, and our love for it and our keeping of it, that this world is joined to Heaven.

On work:

As I went about my work then as a young woman, and still now when I am old, Grandmam has been often close to me in my thoughts. And again I come to the difficulty of finding words. It is hard to say what it means to be at work and thinking of a person you loved and love still who did that same work before you and who taught you to do it. It is a comfort ever and always, like hearing the rhyme come when you are singing a song. 

On love:

But I knew too that he was thinking of me. My steadfast comfort for fifty years and more had been to know that I was on his mind. Whatever was happening between us, I knew I was on his mind, and that was where I wanted to be.

On love and suffering:

You can't give yourself over to love for somebody without giving yourself over to suffering. You can't give yourself to love for a soldier without giving yourself to his suffering in war. It is this body of our suffering that Christ was born into, to suffer it Himself and to fill it with light, so that beyond the suffering we can imagine Easter morning and the peace of God on little earthly homelands such as Port William and the farming villages of Okinawa.

But Christ's living unto death in this body of our suffering did not end the suffering. He asked us to end it, but we have not ended it. We suffer the old suffering over and over again. Eventually, in loving, you see that you have given yourself over to the knowledge of suffering in a state of war that is always going on.