Go read this!

When They're Older


I still catch myself playing this game, even though I know it is dangerous.

Happenings

1. We are crazy. We are seriously investigating getting a dog. The kids are beginning to turn up the heat in asking for a pet. Laine is leading the crusade. She is now carrying around a little yellow bag that she keeps money in and she puts any change she finds into her 'purse' and she tells everyone it's her puppy money. Aunt Anne listened to Laine explain her money bag and kindly donated a few bucks. Because of Jake's allergies we are looking at poodle mixes. The favorite is a cockapoo, but we are open to advice and suggestions. I have a feeling that whatever dog we get will end up with a Narnian name. (see no.3) The dog in the picture above is a cockapoo.

2. A really wonderful thing happend pertaining to Lee's job, but it's not what you might expect. I am thinking of how to blog about it.

3. We finished up "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" this morning. We all loved another wonderul Narnian adventure. The kids got pretty bummed that Edmund and Lucy will not be returning to Narnia. They felt the same way at the end of "Prince Caspian" about Susan and Peter. It really puts a damper on the end of those otherwise fun tales. Ryan went to far as to say, "This is the worst story I ever heard!" But he didn't really mean it. At least we have two more books to read in the series. I know it will be hard to come to the end of them. We all love them so much. I feel sort of like Lucy reading the story in the magician's book in TVOTDT. At least I can re-read them over and over, unlike poor Lucy.

4. We went to the Silent March for Life stuff down at the capital yesterday. First there was mass with the Archbishop, who is awesome, and then lunch and then we went outside in front of the capital and there were politicians speaking, musicians etc...we missed most of that because we were chatting with friends and checking out the nice police horses. We had to leave before the March began, but next year we are hoping to participate. This was our first time attending any pro-life event and I was really happy to see how peaceful and positive the whole environment was.

5. Jake and Ryan are practicing for their homeschool group Spelling Bee. Jake is very good, Ryan, well, he takes more after me in his spelling abilities. I think he is actually better at it than I ever was/am though. Maybe they will end up in D.C. one year for the National Spelling Bee. Aren't the homeschool kids always winning those?

Lee's Birthday

Today is my husband's birthday.

We are not huge birthday celebrators, but we'll probably have a nice meal for dinner, maybe some cake and cards too. We'll probably talk a bit about Dad as a baby and might even call his mom and dad to say thanks for having such a wonderful son.

Lee truly is my 'other half'. We fit like puzzle pieces with each other. He fills in my personality gaps. He keeps me lighthearted and joyful. I help him stay grounded.

We met a wonderful woman named Joan the other night. Joan's husband Chris died not too long ago but they were married 51 years and it is obvious he is a big part of who she is. Their love and marriage and her friendliness really touched my heart.

I feel that way about Lee. Even if he dies tomorrow and I live many more years on earth without him, he will always be a big part of who I am.

I love his birthday, even without the cake, presents and general hoopla, because it is just another day to remind me how special he is.

Down Memory Lane

Fourteen Bears In Summer and Winter
I had this book as a child and I began to search for it for my own kids a few years ago. It was out of print and copies were going for over one hundred dollars!

I was so excited to see it being published again and I recieved our copy today. After ripping open the box we sat down immediately to read it. It is every bit as wonderful as I remembered. Jake and Ryan really loved it to, probably not as much as me though because 11 our of the twelve bear cubs are girls! They were charmed by the illustrations of the bears in the woods and each individual cub's own tree house which has it's own style. I remember pouring over this book for hours, studying each page carefully and dreaming of how I would decorate my own tree house and how wonderful it would be to live in such a big family in the woods with customized tree houses.

Say What?

Direction for the new term

Over our break, I really have taken more time to follow up my interest in Charlotte Mason's educational philosophy.

Ambleside Online has a great index of CM's writings and I decided to start reading through them. For some reason I began with volume 3. My first experiences with CM have been through the Real Learning forums, other blogs (see sidebar) and Elizabeth Foss's book . I figured it was time to go to the source.

We are already incorporating much CM style in our homeschool, but reading her original writings definitely inspire me to keep pushing on. Overall, the concept that resonates the most is the discipline of narration. Narration is simply the child retelling what he has learned. The form can be quite in depth, detailed and written or more like a casual, conversational rundown.

I have a difficult time explaining how this deeply this concept of narration motivates me. I see endless benefits in training a child how to listen, absorb and integrate ideas AND THEN communicate them effectively. This is not just an educational skill, this is a life skill.

ETA: ok I re-read this and I am tickled at the irony of me not being able to explain clearly why I think narration is so exciting. I needed more CM training as a child apparently, lol!

10 things I love that begin with 'Y'

I am late (as usual) to this alphabet party and almost all of the other letters are taken. However, I am in luck! 'Y' is still left and there are several things I like that being with 'Y':

Yellow: a very good color. Yellow is a happy color, an association that most people make and I am sure it has nothing at all to do with the ubiquitous yellow smiley faces.

Yarn: I am not a knitter, but I sure appreciate the fruits of loving knitters such as my Nana, who has knit several wonderful things for me and my family over the years, including these awesome Christmas stockings:



Yes: I am thinking specifically of Mary and her "Yes" to God. May I follow in her example...

You: I love my blog readers!

Years: My birthday is just days away (the 9th...) and I am happy to have been here almost 32 years. When I think about it, I mean really, really think about it, I can say honestly that I am more happy and content every year of my life and I appreciate every moment more and more.

Yesterday: means more wonderful memories to reflect on over the years

Youngster: We have 5 and totally love them!

Yogurt: specifically I like the Yoplait whips. Key Lime, Raspberry Chocolate...so good.

Whew...2 more? Hmmm........

Yard: I am looking forward to spring and maybe some new plants and flowers. We are completely renovating our yard and it is a loooong process, but we are already enjoying the lawn for soccer and tag.

Yawn: You know, a big yawn feels really good sometimes, like as you are climbing into bed with clean sheets and a soft new nightgown, or right now even!

I hope you have enjoyed our fun journey with the letter "Y". See it wasn't so bad! Let's all remember to give this noble letter a bit more respect in the future, ok?