Nov. 22, 2009 - Finding Color
My sweet Preschooler and I went on our very own nature walk today to seek out color on a somewhat drabby day. This November has been a very mild one, indeed, but also has lacked sunshine. So we determined ourselves to find our very own "sunshine" by finding colors in the brown of late autumn.
At first, it seemed everywhere we looked there was brown, which we still found beauty in.
Here, we found STARS! She said they look like fireworks too.
Then we started noticing all the pretty green around still, even after the frosts.
And the pretty green lichen and white fungi were plentiful.
We couldn't decide if we wanted to call these berries "red" or "purple", so we called them "red purple".
And finally, there was this neat looking orange fungi. We thought they looked like orange fingers!
But the most colorful thing I found in nature today, was my sweet Gabby Rose.
Nov. 22, 2009 - Gingerbread House
Today is the first day in 2 weeks that I've not needed a breathing treatment. I am so thankful! There is nothing like breathing problems to make me appreciate breathing with ease!
I really feel close to normal, except that I am tired. I took a deep, intense 3 hour nap this afternoon. I woke up to hear Angela crying and it took tremendous will power to get out of bed. I was THAT out of it.
While I was sleeping, Kevin and the children put together a gingerbread house from a kit he got at Sam's Club. There is nothing more wonderful for the kids than an art project involving candy. So, here are a few pictures of their masterpiece.
The finished house is quite charming, don't you think?
Nov. 22, 2009 - Review of "The Daisy Chain" by Charlotte Mary Yonge
As I said, I was able to read a lot while I was so sick. One book I read is reviewed below. I purchased it months ago but had not previously found time to read it.
Review of The Daisy Chain by
This brilliant, complex novel was written in 1856 and is the absorbing and fascinating saga of a large family in Victorian England. The protagonists are a medical doctor and his 11 children. There are a great many themes of interest: the need for Christians to care for the poor, the struggle we have to overcome our sinful tendencies with Christ's help, patience in the midst of suffering, the dangers of vanity and pride, and the roles of women and men in the Christian Body. This book is not easy reading; the author makes casual references to cultural issues and uses words associated with Victorian England about which I am not familiar. There are also literary discussions between the characters which reference classical literature that I’ve not read. So I would say it would be for high school students. One thing of note is that the author (and protagonists) were convinced of the need for infant baptism and Confirmation for salvation, which I do not believe.
It is hard to convey how wonderful this book is. The characters are very "real" people, with foibles and tendencies that result in sins and failures. But every single one grows throughout the book. There are so many ways that God uses their struggles to bring them closer to Christ. I heartily recommend this book.
Nov. 22, 2009 - The Day We Saw "Mr. Rogers" in Church
During this morning's church service, dad and I noticed Biruk was staring intently into the congregation, unresponsive to our attempts to get his attention.
I asked him what he was looking at, and finally he answered, with eyes shining and a quiet voice laden with awe..."I see...I see...Mr. Rogers."
Sure enough, a few rows ahead and to the right, was an older gentleman in a button-down burnt-orange cardigan. He didn't look much like Mr. Rogers to me (except for the sweater), but looking closer, I could see how a two-year-old might think so. A thin older gentleman, with hair just-so, a certain set of the ears, and a softly pleasant facial expression. Combined with the sweater, "just like" Mr. Rogers.
Dad and Mom do live in Fred Roger's hometown (and his show was produced in Pittsburgh, not too far from where we lived before). Once Biruk heard about this, whenever we walk down the street he grew up on, he has to "wave at Mr. Rogers house!". We don't know exactly which house it is, so we just randomly pick one and wave at it. Between the house and seeing the guy "live" on PBS, it's no surprise that Biruk assumed that the nice old guy in the sweater had to be the real Mr. Rogers. I think I'll wait a few years before I break it to him that Mr. Rogers isn't actually our neighbor. For now, he can go on believing that he's seen Mr. Rogers up close and personal, a distinction he shares with former President Bush and his wife. What a lucky boy!
Nov. 21, 2009 - What kind of mother?
If you saw us today and thought "What kind of mother makes her toddler walk half-way around a huge lake in wet clothes and a stinky diaper?"...this would be my answer:
The kind of mother who feels terrible about the fact that her son's pants and boots are soaking wet and probably very cold.
The kind of mother who's son walked the first half of the lake dry and warm, and then disobeyed her and sat down in a stream at the exact mid-point of the hike so that she couldn't simply run him back to the car to change him.
The kind of mother who carefully dressed her children in warm clothes and boots suitable for mud stomping. The kind of mother who made sure to put a whole bag of clean clothes and diapers in the back, for just such an occasion. Only she couldn't get to her car when she needed it.
The kind of mother who never, ever properly gauges the amount of time it takes to walk nearly 3 miles with 3 boys who want to stop and look at every hole in the ground.
The kind of mother who was thinking about this because "What kind of mother...?" is a thought that often runs through her own mind, and a comment that she often sees and hears leveled at other women. Being a mom means it is incredibly easy to look bad to others, very difficult to look good to others (since there are so many ideas of "good mothering"), and easier than I'd like to forget that other mothers also have whole lives that lead up to and include the one bad moment I may see.
What kind of "What kind of mother....?" are you?
Nov. 20, 2009 - Spinach Salad: A Yummy Recipe
Spinach Salad
1 pkg. spinach (10 oz)
1 (12 oz.) carton small curd cottage cheese
½ c. chopped pecans
½ c. sugar
3 T. vinegar
2 tsp. prepared horseradish
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. dried mustard (very important, and I always use more than ½ tsp.)
Directions:
In a large serving bowl, layer half of the spinach, cottage cheese, and pecans. Repeat layers.
In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately. Note: If you don’t plan to use this immediately, just add the dressing right before serving.
Nov. 20, 2009 - Keeps Me Busy
This is not a good bye post, but just letting you all know I'm still here, but my time is limited...
The days and nights are full, but I have so much to be thankful for.
The Lord is good!
Nov. 20, 2009 - Thoughts on Food
First, an update. I am definitely improving. I am still tired and have very minor breathing problems when I do more than usual, but all in all I am miles ahead from where I was a week ago. Again, thank you so much for your prayers and support. I am grateful to be closer to normal again.
Below is a blog post I wrote before I got really sick. I didn't post it when I wrote it, but am doing so now.
What is food doing in a homeschooling blog? Well, let me tell you!
A sentence in an online article jumped out at me a few weeks ago. I don’t remember the exact quote, but the general idea was this. Most people who quit homeschooling don’t do it because they can’t teach their children. They quit because they are overwhelmed with financial stress, with housework and food preparation and cooking, with organizational challenges, and so on.
I think that is so true. Yes, some of us do get overwhelmed with teaching a certain topic (biology leaps to mind for me.) But I am more bothered by the lack of time I have for doing VITAL things. I must feed our family. Either my husband or I must shop for food and other items. I must keep the floors clean enough that we can walk on them. The mountains of laundry get intimidating very quickly. And so on. I never contemplate sending the kids off to public school, but I do get frustrated at my lack of time to do all the essentials around the house, including feeding my wonderful family.
So I’m going to write up a bit on food, because it is important. There are at least 3 huge issues regarding food: nutrition, cost, and time for preparation.
God made us with the need to eat. Furthermore, plenty of research shows that we can’t just eat anything. A child (or adult) who consistently eats poorly will probably be unhealthy, and might not learn all that well either. We need to eat a healthy diet. I feel like I am fumbling my way in the right direction there as we slowly modify our diet towards more “natural” foods. By that I mean we are raising plenty of vegetables in the summer, and now drink raw milk and eat organic eggs and hormone free, grass fed beef. All this good nutrition is definitely a work in progress, and I’m making changes slowly. I admit that as an engineer I get frustrated by the lack of data I have in this area. Nutrition is not a passionate interest of mine, and every book has a different view of the matter. I have to pray for godly wisdom.
And then there is cost. A family of 8 eats a lot. Oh, we eat a LOT! It is incredible how quickly we can demolish the food that I put on our table. And we don’t have any teens yet J. There are many ways to cut down on the cost of food. I’ve mentioned some in previous blogs, and I may discuss other ideas on that topic in the near future. One basic starting point is not to waste food. Since we now give our chickens most of our “waste food” I can see we actually leave quite a bit on plates and in scary tubs in the refrigerator. (Ok, I try to give the chickens the extras BEFORE the food gets scary.) But really, how often in the past did I throw away some leftover corn into the trash? Too often, I confess. I now try to save small portions of veggies and serve them at a “leftover lunch” a couple of times a week. One advantage of having a large family is that usually I can find someone to eat the leftovers.
Time for preparation: Ok, this is a biggie. I do not have time, I do not have TIME, to spend hours every day chopping and preparing a meal.
I watch cooking shows about once every 2 years, but when I do catch one I always chuckle. The TV cook is surrounded by gleaming surfaces. All the ingredients and utensils are laid out nicely. Most of the necessary chopping has been completed. When she is done with the bowl, she pushes it aside in a regal manner that makes me think some minion is outside the viewing screen ready to wash it up.
I find that the actual COOKING isn’t the time consuming part. That’s usually quite easy. It’s all the chopping and preparing. It’s all the cleaning up afterwards.
The result is that I gravitate towards easy dishes. I really don't have time for elaborate cooking very often. I'm at peace with that. I am also trying to cook up large quantities of basic meals (like chili, veggie soup, and cabbage rolls) and freeze some for a later date.
I have more thoughts on food but will close for now.
Nov. 19, 2009 - Haven't forgotten....
Baby is doing well and growing, we are so enjoying him. He is 5 weeks tomorrow. He is smiling and cooing to us, which is so adorable.
School is going well too.
God is good!
Until next week.......
( I can't promise though)
Nov. 19, 2009 - Weekly Wrap-up
From the Heart:
God has been working on me to develop a Rule of Life, as it's called. This is just a flexible rhythm of spiritual disciplines that will guide me in my life. So far, it's slow-going on figuring out what God wants me to do when, but I'm getting there.
On the Homefront:
Sarah continues to impress me with her musical ability. I taught her "Jingle Bells" the other day, and she already had it memorized by the next day. The same for "Away in the Manger."
Craig has been hunting; he went pheasant hunting the other day and shot 4, I think.
Katie is dying to go see New Moon.
Thursday was my birthday. It was a nice, quiet day. Today I walked a 4-mile fundraiser walk for the Kettering FOP Association.
In the School Room:
We breezed through this week, condensing 5 days into 3, while moving into next week's assignments. George Washington was an awesome guy; Thomas Jefferson wasn't too shabby either. John Adams seems like kind of a dud. It's cool that Dolley Madison had the presence of mind to save some stuff from the White House before the British burned it down. The girl in A Gathering of Days made peace with her new step-mother and began to move on from the death of her friend, Cassie. Gilbert Stuart painted several portraits of Washington. Bird migration is interesting and a little mysterious, and energy comes in different forms.
In the Literary Scene:
I am still reading the book on spiritual rhythms, and I started reading The Red-Haired Girl from the Bog, a non-fiction book about Ireland. I like it very well so far.
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