Jun. 12, 2006 Beginning Piano
 I love this painting, Before the Recital by Stephen Shortridge. The warm sunlight, the glowing colors and the somewhat crowded room fit with my idealized notions of owning a piano. I can picture me sitting on the sofa knitting scarves for the children while my daughter plays some classical piece. Mozart, maybe. But a piano is something I never thought I would own. Why on earth would I? I can't play. Nor can my husband. But for some unknown reason, my husband recently purchased one. A Kimball. With ivory keys.
And it is sitting in our already overstuffed front room. Baby Bug and Baby Bear enjoy their time each morning pretending to play. My daughter and I are working through lessons together. She is learning to hold her fingers properly. I already can play two songs: Merrily We Go Along and Jolly Old St. Nicholaus. Hmm. The colors in our front room are similar to this painting. I just need to invest in some floral arrangements. It definitely qualifies as crowded...even before the addition of the piano. I know how to knit. All I need is for Mouse to learn a bit of classical piano and I can sit inside my own imagination.
Learning piano is supposed to be one of those life long skills that brings personal satisfaction, depth to life and some sort of academic edge, isn't it? And surely Little Mouse can learn all she needs to know from her books, right? I am still trying to grasp the fact that we actually are now in possession of a piano. I can't begin to imagine a future involving piano tutors. Do you think I could find one who would trade for German lessons?
Or perhaps she could become an "un-musician." Oh, but I think that title has been taken. Chance music?
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Jun. 9, 2006 Psst! Santa Came....
 My weekly digression into the general adorableness of my children involves a photograph. Without the photograph, it just doesn't work. So until such time as my computer again decides to reconcile its differences with its own USB port and returns to speaking terms with itself, that particular post will have to wait. Instead, I shall share a bit from my past.
I am six years older than my little brother and have at times considered it a great act of mercy and grace on my part to have allowed him to survive into adulthood. He, to say the least, is annoying. And there was no privacy for the reflective, somewhat private pesron that I am so long as he was in the house. He has ADHD and those of you who doubt its existence have never met someone the likes of my brother. Within moments of meeting him, you know there is something "different" about him. The air almost zings with the energy. He is also also has obsessive compulsive disorder.
And he has an older sister who didn't take too well to any of this. And who wasn't always nice to him. I shan't get into the details of all of that, but here is an excerpt from a longstanding prank I played on him as a child:
(Early in the morning, I sneak into his room.)
"Chris. Santa Claus came," I whisper.
Chris, eyes not quite open, was already in the hall at a full run toward the living room. Any day of the year.
I do that to him now when he's sleeping on the couch. It only elicits a smile and perhaps a flung pillow, though.
I keep these moments in mind when my children don't get along so well. Years from now, I hope they can laugh at some of what they take so seriously now.
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Apr. 21, 2006 And a Little Child Shall Lead Them
One of the great joys of homeschooling is watching the seeds you
planted bear fruit...especially as you watch your older children serve
as models to your younger children, breaking ground I guess. My son
learned the alphabet, counting in Japanese and some phonograms from his
older sister. Now my son is passing down some of his three years of
wisdom to his younger sister.
While waiting for story time, Baby Bear decided to start jumping on my
bed. He jumps, giggles, throws himself on his back and laughs
hysterically. My 11 month old watched intently. Finally, the
lightbulb went on. She rose to her feet, steadied herself and then
threw herself on her back in a fit of giggles.
What would she do without her brother? Her mother certainly would have
never taught her that, although I'm not so sure about her dad...
homeschooling, home
school, humor, parenting, family
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Children have a way of bringing joy to your heart at any time of day.
Even in the still of night when they are all in bed, their evidence
cannot be erased. Daddy's boots found in the playroom, a favorite car
parked by the couch and a baby toy dropped behind the couch. If
children are present, the cleanest of homes bear their mark.
We recently checked out Stone Soup
by Pete Seeger from the library. All socialist notions aside, I like
that story. And I enjoy Pete Seeger's musical rendition of it. We
have read it and sung it repeatedly. It seems to have made quite an
impression on Baby Bear as he chants portions of it throughout the day.
This morning, Baby Bear
helped me add vegetables and water to a chicken carcass to make chicken
stock. He talked about the story and chanted the parts about the
vegetables as we dumped them in the slow cooker. I thought that was it
until just a few minutes ago. I just poured the broth through a sieve
and amongst the left over bits of chicken and vegetables lay a single
stone.
I have no idea when he did it, but he decided we were going to have
stone soup. I think I'll put it back tomorrow when we turn our broth
into vegetable soup...and if he will have added that key ingredient
that any family meal needs to be truly satisfying.
family, children, humor,
homeschooling, parenting
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Apr. 4, 2006 A Smile for Today
My son is toilet training at the moment...and doing quite well. I'd almost say he was trained, but he still needs a diaper at night. The other day we went to the store and he needed to go so we rushed to the restroom. The toilet hadn't been flushed and here is our little conversation:
Baby Bear: "Oh no. The toilet dirty!"
Me: "Oh no. Someone forgot to flush."
(Confused look from Baby Bear.)
Baby Bear: "How you forget to flush? That's the best part!"
Oh, the life of a three year old.
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Mar. 20, 2006 A Dog's Collar
A collar and tag may not seem that significant to some. Those who own a dog and especially those who have lost one will understand why it is I still have my first dogs collar with all her tags in a cabinet. They might also understand the sadness I feel that I did not remove Holdens collar before burying him, although it was a simple blue nylon collar that could be found at any pet store. He didnt even have tags yet. This is Hunters collar, with the ID tag my husband bought for him. It, too, is a simple collar. The tag bears only his name and our phone number. Yet I believe it to be perhaps the most significant of the three.
All of us at times allow the weeds of our heart to come out into the light. Not all of us recognize this or try to change it. Mostly, we just bury them deeper and try harder not to let people notice. After our dog was killed, I was expecting my husband to become impatient with me in regards to missing Holden. Its just a dog. The fact that he was wrapped up in a trash bag at the bottom of our dumpster disturbed me but, It was just a dog.
The day after Holden was killed, my husband called me and apologized for not being more compassionate as I carried Holden through the house, leaving a trail of blood. He had mostly been upset at having been awoken in the middle of the night. But there, in his hotel room, he began thinking about all the things he had said to and about the dog. All the times the children had witnessed him losing his temper over minor annoyances of pet ownership. My husband has always tended toward noticing the worst in every situation and this was most clearly demonstrated in his behavior toward Holden.
Now, suddenly, he had a deeper appreciation for life. He noticed how many gifts he had been given in this world, but rather than appreciating them, he carried them as yet another burden. His home, his possessions, his pet
even his children and spouse. He resolved in his heart to develop a habit of praise.
After he got home, he helped me dig a grave in the back yard. He got Holden out of the dumpster and talked to the children about the privileges and responsibilities of pet ownership. He praised God; he praised the children; he praised Holden.
Now that we have a new puppy, he has made a concerted effort to speak gently. Hes playing with the children and the puppy more. He is noticing the efforts of the children and not just how they fall short. And he spent $8.50 on a little tag with Hunters name and phone number on it in case he gets lost.
Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. --Psalm 47:6
, pets, death, devotions
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Just wanted to share...my little Baby Bug took her first steps last night at exactly 10 months of age. I was helping her stand because she is just starting to stand on her own. I let go and she started to wobble. Faced with the choice of falling or making it to mommy, she took three stumbling steps and fell in mommy's arms. She was very proud of her accomplishment and her little eyes beamed with delight. Now she loves the game.
She is the kind that wants to be in mom's arms. All the time. While washing dishes or cooking, she settles for standing, holding on to my pant leg. I shuffle through the kitchen with her at my side. My dad thinks it is odd that she of all my children would take her first steps so soon. She is not the explorer that my oldest was. But she has a clear goal...get to mommy. I guess it is all about connecting the skill with their internal motivation. Now, where have I heard that before?
We also have a new puppy. I didn't really want to get one so soon after Holden got hit. Our neighbors, who new the kid who hit our dog, offered us one of their puppies. His mom is a black lab...his father is a lab/German Shepherd mix. Little Hunter (our puppy) is a sweet dog and the kids are getting along with him rather well.
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Perhaps I should save this for my next edition of Writer's Workshop for it really is a nice little example of descriptive writing. It was a difficult piece to praise. To be perfectly honest, the dictator in me wanted to just delete this entry all together.
Instead, I choose to make an example. There are things I struggle with. There are many things about myself that I do not like. The strange thing is, over time, I have learned to recognize how many of my faults are tied with my strengths. Not that I excuse my faults in that, but it helps me keep perspective in parenting. My daughter has definite strengths...one of them is a heart for God. She is bolder than I in talking about Christ. She is quite the little leader and somehow, most kids she is with follow her lead.
The flip side to that is that she is stubborn and tends to control her more easy-going little brother.
She is also seven. And she has a unique ability to get herself riled up. She works herself into a frenzy with hyper giggling and then literally bounces off the walls. This agitates her brother who will begin acting out and the next thing you know, he is having a temper tantrum, the baby is crying, the dog is barking and mom shouts at her.
That is what this entry is about...
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My lesson plan for today is below. But I came across this on Lisa's blog, and had to do it to. This is more fun than tagging. So everyone who reads this consider themselves tagged and go do this. Then come back and tell me so I can come look at yours because this is way cool.
Oh, yeah. Go here to do this yourself. |
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Jan. 2, 2006 Back to Normal, I guess
I haven't done this in awhile, but since it does directly relate to the reason I started this blog to begin with, I thought I should post our lessons at least occasionally amongst my ramblings.
We started with scripture...
Eph 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
We did some simple reasoning with this and established that:
1) Children ought to obey their parents.
2) The Lord put parents in authority over their children.
3) The phrase "in the Lord" means that you do not have to obey if your parents ask you to sin.
We talked about other people in authority over us and why they hold those positions. We talked about reasoned obedience. Since all authority is ultimately derived from God, we answer to God for our actions. If someone in authority tells us to do something we do not want to do, we should do it because they have authority. If they tell us to do something God's Word tells us not to do, we should not do it, no matter the earthly consequences.
I spliced my reading lesson. The principle we are working on (related to our scripture study) is on just authority. We are working on Snug (you can see it and a little review in my sidebar). I tracked down a cool site I used for a similar story I did when teaching and got ahead of myself. We were supposed to talk about children obeying their parents because their parents are better equipped to make good decisions for them. Then we were going to read Snug and look at all the things he is supposed to do and what happens when he disobeys. Tomorrow, we were supposed to view the slide show and then re-read Snug, looking for things Snug and his mother do that real bears do.
So we looked at the slideshow and read Snug, talking about obedience. Oh well. She did pretty well...tomorrow we'll go ahead and do what was planned for tomorrow. Mouse will enjoy watching the slide show again, anyway. We talked about why Snug disobeyed (he wanted to be like his mother and thought he could do it himself). We talked about some of her behavior and how she sometimes decides she knows better than her parents about how to do thing. I asked her for some examples and she said, "How I sometimes try to direct adults. And how I do things my way and then have to re-do it anyway." That took me a little off guard. I usually have to prompt her a bit more to get to any application, and there it was immediately. Hopefully, the Lord is working on her little heart in those matters...
I completely muffed math (is that a word?) We did not do a principle. No scripture. No nothing. Just opened up the book and did the next page. It seemed completely pointless. Our principle was immutability and we were seeing how that is displayed through number "families." We were examining the relationship between 5 + 2 = 7, 2 + 5 = 7, 7 - 2 = 5, and 7 - 5 = 2 and similar problems. But now we are moving on to shapes and when I was reflecting before our little break, I could not come up with any good principles. I had some idea of boundaries...God set a boundary in Eden which was disobeyed. He sets boundaries in our lives. He sets boundaries for the subject areas. But for some reason I just did not want to go that direction.
So we did not do anything remotely looking like BPA. Mouse matched shapes on the first page, matched sizes on the second and then came a page where you look at a solid and decide what shape you'll have if you trace one of its sides (like tracing the bottom of a cylinder will get you a circle). I set the workbook aside, and got out my solids. Mouse sorted and traced them, grouping them into circles, triangles and rectangles. While she was doing that, Baby Bear worked on his circles. He tried to do some tracing, but can't really do that yet. So I traced the shapes, and he laid the corresponding solids on top of my drawn shapes. He was quite proud of himself.
While doing that, I reflected a bit. What am I actually teaching? What is the point? I thought about teaching solids in my first grade class. The main concept at the time was attributes. Of course! That is what I want to study. We are going to be learning about the attributes of different shapes and solids...sides, angles, whether they roll, slide or can be stacked. I still need to do a bit of planning in that regard, but we will probably be talking a bit about the attributes of God and the attributes He gave each of us.
For history, we are moving into the enslavement of the Jews in Israel. Up to now, the main principles we have addressed in history are God's Principle of Individuality, and the Development of Christian Character. This series of lessons is going to deal heavily with government, so would this fall under "How the Seed of Local Self-Government is Planted?" Someone who is not doing this for the first time please help!
I also planned to get our map out and look at where in North America you can still find grizzly bears. But we did nothing educational after lunch. Our schools don't start back up until tomorrow, and Mouse's best friend came over to play. So they went to her house and Baby Bear and I baked bread and made baby food. And went outside to play with the puppy. And cuddled and snuggled on Baby Bug.
I'm still looking for fellow homeschoolers to join me posting lesson plans on Friday! Look here for more details...I at least have the code correct now, but unfortunately you cannot just cut and paste. I can email it to you if you like. It will be a quick and easy way to surf many blogs for many different ideas since all the links to everyone participating will be available. If you are interested, let me know so I can enter your site in the blogroll, and it will automatically insert it in everyone's sidebar that is participating!
Hey, muffed is a word!
muff 1  (m f)v. muffed, muff·ing, muffs v.tr.1. To perform or handle clumsily; bungle. See Synonyms at botch. 2. Sports To fail to make (a catch). v.intr. To perform an act clumsily. n.1. A clumsy or bungled action. 2. Sports A failure to make a catch.
Glad I used it correctly!
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Dec. 25, 2005 Christmas Day
I hope all had a blessed Christmas Day. I know I did.
My heart sang this morning. We got a puppy Friday night, and that was
our family gift. We prepared the children for the fact that was going
to be the only present. This morning they got up all excited about
getting to spend the whole day playing with the puppy who was no longer
drowsy from his shots. We had blueberry pancakes for breakfast, and Baby Bear had lots of fun sneaking blueberries out of the batter while I was cooking.
Then
my husband came home. He works for the railroad so works all hours all
over the place and we are kinda used to not seeing him for a few days
at a time. He had brought Baby Bear a matchbox semi truck and he was
sooooo excited. "Tank youm! Tank youm!" he kept shouting. Little Mouse
rejoiced with him. She went back to playing with the puppy and did not
once say anything about "What about me?" or anything of that nature. I
was so proud of her. Then Daddy got out his little present for her. A
hat/scarf/mitten set. All pink and sparkly. She literally squealed
with delight. She threw her arms around her father, put everything on,
and wore them the rest of the day. Seriously. Even in the house. And
she took special care to put them away so the puppy would not tear them.
I
could not believe it. Little Mouse is a special little girl. At time
she can be quite competitive with her brother, ever concerned that
somehow he will get something that she won't. But not today. She
rejoiced with her brother over his special treat with no thought of
herself. And they both displayed such genuine appreciation over
something that really is quite little.
Baby Bug did not get anything. But then, at seven months, all she wants is to be cuddled. And she got plenty of that.
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Dec. 24, 2005 OK, last entry about the puppy already
Well, we've had Holden for 24 hours now. So far so good. He's done his "business" outside six times and inside zero times. Not too bad for such a little guy.
At 3:30 this morning, as I stood outside shivering in the wind and bits of rain, I contemplated why exactly it is that everyone wants a puppy for Christmas. Every reputable guide says it is a bad time to get a puppy. Children are overwhelmed by all the gifts and excitement. The puppy gets forgotten. The puppy eats a few ornaments. Seems to be a bad deal for the puppy all the way around. I was being reminded of how uncomfortable midnight trips outside would be. June is a good time for a puppy. Nights are comfortable. It is kind of pleasant to be out at those hour at the beginning of summer.
This puppy is our "family" present. It is all any of us are getting, so I don't think we have to worry too much about being overwhelmed by the general lack of anything but a puppy to play with in the morning. I kind of like "family" presents. Last year we decided to get a family Y pass for Christmas. But I will be up at all hours for awhile. In the cold. And here in Nebraska, it is as likely to be driving rain as driving snow. Much worse in my book.
This morning as the puppy ran chasing after Little Mouse and Baby Bear chased after him, I thought, "This is why we got a puppy." Watching them pounce and tumble was worth getting up at 3:30. And 5:30. Not to mention not going to bed until midnight.
This afternoon, while taking little Holden for yet another romp, I contemplated why people get dogs in general. And the notion that you genererally get out of something what you put into it. We could have gotten an adult dog that was at least somewhat trained. We could have signed him up for obedience classes down the road. We could have let someone else done all the work so that we could just enjoy a nice, well-behaved dog.
But right now, at least, I think there is something to be said for putting in the work. There is something to midnight walks, frequent cleanings and the many trips outside (even in the cold). And I'm really looking forward to the more proper training as he is ready (he's working on 'do your business,' 'kennel up' and his name at the moment.) If a child learns to value a dollar by understanding the work it represents, can it not also be for a puppy?
He really is a neat little guy...and he still trips over himself. He is so adorable!
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Dec. 22, 2005 This and That
Yesterday was a pretty good day. I taught my daughter how to comparison shop as we went to Menard's, Wal-Mart and Pet-Co to check prices on puppy supplies. On our list of things to check were a crate, puppy food, puppy treats, puppy collar and a special ball I was looking for. We got everything plus a little bone that was on clearance at Pet-Co. We discovered that Menards is the place to shop for pets! If they had it, they were by far cheaper. But they did not have the crate or the ball toy I wanted, so Wal-Mart and Pet-Co got a bit of our money, as well. Why are all the accessories more than the actual puppy?
At home, I discovered a tempting use for our new crate:
Hopefully, they'll let poor Holden in!
Today, we are finishing up our "Homemade Christmas." We are giving homemade jelly (peach and pear) and some Fruit Jumble Granola from a recipe from Marmee's Kitchen. It was printed in The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and is really yummy! It's a good thing we got enough stuff to make a double batch or our Christmas presents would not survive the snacking!
We're getting ready to make our Christmas cards. Baby Bear will be putting a cute little Teddy Bear sticker on the front. Inside, I printed out Matthew 1:23 and Little Mouse will be writing "Merry Christmas!" inside. Nothing for Baby Bug at the moment. When Mausi was that age, we seeled the cards with her little hand print. When Baby Bear was that age, we seeled them with his footprint. We might do something similar with little Baby Bug...except that we are not putting these in envelopes. They are just getting stuck in the box with all the jellies/granola.
Tomorrow, we pick up little Holden. We're excited...even my husband admitted being a little excited. That reminds me...I need to get going on clearing off my sewing stuff and making room for my husband to break down our table and move some dressers so we'll have room for the little rascal. Hmmm. How easy it is to forget what I don't want to do.
Merry Christmas, all!
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Dec. 19, 2005 Somewhat of a unit study...on dogs!
OK, this is a bit of an impromptu lesson because I just can't let exciting things happen without trying to reap some sort of educational benefit. For those of you who do not already know, we are getting a puppy (on Friday!) G.M. Holden is pictured below, being held by Little Mouse.
He's still as cute as he was yesterday, with his little pink nose and snow boots! My son is now wavering between wanting the puppy now and telling me he doesn't want the puppy. He wants Kieva. Oh boy. Poor guy. He is, however, very enthusiastic about his new chore of feeding the dog. But now I'm getting ahead of myself. We are doing a unit study of sorts regarding this little fluff ball:
Principle: God gave man dominion over the animals.
Leading Idea(s): We have dominion over Holden and a responsibility to provide for his care.
For scripture, we started off reading Genesis 1:26.
Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
My daughter reasoned from this that people are different from animals because we are created in His image. Having dominion over our puppy will mean that we will train him and mold his schedule to ours. Since he is in our care, we will also be responsible to care for all his needs.
We didn't really do math today, but we will be doing some measurement in order to ensure that we get the right size kennel and collar. We will note how we use mathematics in order to fulfill God's purpose for us. Mathematics can be used to help us plan for the future so that we will not have to buy another kennel later and so that it won't be bigger than necessary, either. We will also be working with comparing and ordering numbers as we do some comparison shopping for pet supplies.
For reading, we reviewed informational texts. We started with the guide we have to Australian Shepherds. We looked at its external structure which gives a clue to its purpose being informational. It has a cover, a title page, copyright information, a table of contents and an index. We discussed that the purpose for the table of contents and the index was to find information on a given topic quickly. We practiced using the book that way. We compared this to a story book. I then read her the first chapter on the history of the Australian Shepherd, which (without planning it that way) made a nice little history lesson.
So now for history, we are looking at how man has taken dominion over animals by training them and working them. We also are looking specifically at how he has bred and trained dogs to help him in the fulfillment of this mandate in a broader sense. They are used for hunting, tracking, protection, herding, etc.
For geography, we are looking a bit at the American Southwest, since that is where this particular breed originated. The land is rough...some areas experience vast extremes in temperature with frigid winters and searing summers. The land is relatively dry and the sheep need to be moved regularly to find adequate food and water. Because of this, man needed an animal who was faithful and devoted to his master, tireless in his ability to work, and able to withstand heat and cold. Thus, the Aussie was born. (Principle here is basically how geography influences man and how man takes dominion of the earth by compensating.)
For science, we will be talking a little about genetics although I'm not sure how much my daughter will understand. We'll be talking a bit about dominant and recessive genes and how Holden got his beautiful, blue merle coat. Since we are talking about the development of this breed of dog, we will be talking about how breeders select for certain traits. I'd love to get a bunch of mice and breed them for specific traits, but my husband would not be a happy man. And I don't know anyone with pet snakes to give them to when we are done experimenting. We got to meet Holden's mom and dad, so we'll use that as an example. Dad is a beautiful blue merle as well, and mom is tri-colored. Dad was friendly, but reserved (typical for the breed). He came up to us, but not excited. My son slipped on the ice and immediately the Corgi jumped on him, but Dad laid down next to him and waited. Mom was sweet, but shy. She kept her eye on us, but did not come up (also normal for the breed). Holden, too, seemed reserved but not as shy as his mother.
For more specific application, we have divided the chores for the puppy to help us have dominion over him. Obviously, I will "really" be doing most of these since my children are small, but they each have tasks that they will be expected to help with. Baby Bear's job is feeding him. He loved feeding Kieva and was upset that Mouse did most of this chore. He loves his routines, and I'm sure he'll be into the dog food every day at the same time once he figures out that Holden gets fed right after we're done. (I know all kinds of people say you take care of your animals before yourself, but all the dog training stuff I read says your dog should see you eat first so that it knows you are dominant. That is part of the non-verbal language they understand since the dominant dog always eats the choicest food and gets to eat first.) Little Mouse will be assisting with the many trips little Holden will need to make outside to train him where to "do his business." I will predominantly be responsible for training, and I will be training Mouse how to train a dog, as well.
As our puppy's little personality begins to show, we will also talk more about how God gives us all certain traits to fulfill our purpose for Him. Holden's is herding. I expect we will see that play out in his personality and we will need to find positive outlets for his ingrained herding instincts. If we do not, we will have a miserable puppy, and quite likely a torn apart house. Or children tired of having their ankles nipped when he tries to herd them. We will compare that to how God had a purpose for us and what can happen if we try to replace that calling with things other than what God has planned.
That should get us through Christmas "break." It will keep us going without too much "school" to worry about, but still educational. And we'll be taking it with us to Grandma's...puppy can't stay home alone that long!
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Mat 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
I have been reflecting on this verse recently. We sing it frequently in Honeybees, and my son loves the actions. We hold our rod and cast it out, reeling in those little fishies as quick as we can. I think most of us have similar images as we read this verse. It is how many of us evangelize. We bait out our hooks, cast it out and wait patiently, assuring ourselves that this is how Jesus planned evangelism to look. He did, after all, compare it to fishing.
But then I watched this video we have from Follow the Rabbi.. In one of the faith lessons, a man is depicting fishing just as fishermen in those days would have done it. He casts his net (quite an interesting sight in itself), and pulls in nothing. Also a common occurence, both in fishing and evangelism.
What strikes me is that there is no bait. You cast out the net; you pull it in. Cast it out; pull it in. There is no idleness. You do not sit back and wait to see what will take the bait. Net fishing is hard work. Once you throw out the net, you start pulling it in for another attempt. Finally, making a catch has more to do with knowing where and when to throw your net than what kinds of things they eat. Fish are in the shallows in the cool parts of the day and in the deep through the heat of the day. You rowed your boat out to where there were likely to be fish, and cast your nets.
(free picture from biblepicturegallery.com)
What does that have to do with how the church evangelizes? And how is that really any different from how we currently "fish?" I think fishing in the sense of today's rod-and-reel fishing effectively describes "seeker sensitive" evangelism. You throw out your bait: children's programs, accomplished author's and speakers as pastors, family life centers and the like.
I believe, however, God brings those to us who have hearts to hear His message. We need only to continue to cast out the nets. It is not so much about us and our skill at baiting the hook as it is about doing what we are called to do on a continual basis so when the fish are sent our way, we are not sunbathing in the boat with a pole resting on the edge.
Just my thoughts. Here is a link to some more information about fishing in Jesus' day.
And if you would like to make a Christmas ornament (or other neat little thing with images transferred to clay...even photos!) check out my other blog. Other projects are now linked in the sidebar so you can more easily see what I've done so far. Eventually, I'll put little pictures in the sidebar, too.
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Dec. 15, 2005 More blog toys
Why is this stuff fun?
According to Truth Laid Bear,
So there you have it. Don't you want to proudly display your status in "the web of life?"
Or how about this...
I knew this was a waste of time, technically speaking. Some of you out there have blogs worth something, though. I know. I checked. Don't know how you could turn that into a paycheck, though.
Oh well, just my random thought for the day.
Have fun with more blog toys, should you so choose!
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Dec. 10, 2005 Teeth and Tea
Last night, my Little Mouse lost her first tooth. Now, we don't really do the tooth fairy, and my daughter knows that is just a fairy tale. But that does not mean that she can't leave it under her pillow and have mom replace it with a treat. But we really never carry cash So I was at a bit of a loss as to what to do for my little girl who was SOOO excited about this little milestone.
I ended up writing her a letter:
Little Mouse,
You are growing so fast. It was not so long ago you were running about, scaling cabinets and getting into mischief like Baby Bear. It was not so long ago you depended on us for everything like Baby Bug. I still remember when you got your first tooth.
Now you can do all kinds of things for yourself. You can cook and clean and even sew. Sometimes you get into trouble, but mostly you are a big help. You are beginning to put childish things aside, like it says in 1Corinthians 13:11. Including your first baby tooth.
So for your first tooth, I thought we culd have a tea party. We can have fun planning it out together. Does that sound like fun?
Love,
Mommy and Daddy
So I got online today and found a recipe for scones. And I got out my tea set that I brought all the way from Germany.
Tea in East Frisia begins with the right tea. My family used the brand pictured in the top middle.. It is called Ostfriesen Broken and is a strong black tea. I think this stuff has more caffeine than coffee. It comes from China, but tastes a bit like Assam. I can't believe I found a company that distributes this in the US...but I'll need a job or a second mortgage to purchase it.
For our tea party, we just used normal old orange pekoe/cut black (what Lipton is).
Normally, the tea leaves are put straight into the tea pot and hot water is poured over it. Picture C is my tea pot and F is my Stoevchen, or warmer. Before serving, you turn the pot three times. Ligt the candle, set the pot on, and you have hot tea as long as your company stays to chat.
The tea set is also an important feature. Mine were handpainted in Germany. The original artist is J.C.v. Hunnik. I have four cups and saucers of the windmills depicted here:
I have one cup and saucer of this design:
I would really like this set...it is the traditional Ostfriesen Rose. But pricey...
In the bottom of the cup, you place one Kluntje, which is basically rock candy. After you pour the steamy tea, you pour one teaspoon of cream on top. You are not supposed to stir it. The cream sweetens the first sips and cuts the bitterness. By the time you get to the bottom, the Kluntje have begun to dissolve and you have a nice sweet finish.
In East Frisia, tea is served at 10, 2, 4 and 8. These are normal visiting hours and if you drop in on someone at this time, you will be treated to een Kopke Tee (Low German for "a cup of tea.") There is a very well known saying, "Ostfriesische Gemuetlichkeit haelt stets ein Taesschen Tee bereit." (East Frisian hospitality holds a cup of tea ever-ready.) And it is true. The rest of Germany drinks coffee.
What is it with me and beverages and Germany. Aah. If only I could have some of "Oma's" Kekse (cookies) right now. But alas, I haven't the recipe...
My daughter is now doubly anxious for her next tooth to fall out!
Here is more on the unique culture of E. Frisia and its tea. This is the site these pictures came from, and they sell everything but the cups I already have.
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Dec. 7, 2005 Holiday Memories
Up in my cabinet, I have these beautiful little punch glasses which depict a light snow and barren trees in shades of blue and gray. I don't remember where I got them from, but we had never used them until the other night when my daughter and I decided we needed something special to serve our egg nog in.
The clanking of glasses, the custardy smell of the egg nog and the wafting aroma of nutmeg brought back memories of the Christmases I spent in Germany. It is strange to feel twinges of homesickness for a foreign land, but the holiday season always seems to stir those longings within me. I remember ice skating with Johanne on the canal behind her house. While out in the middle, the ice cracked, sending us both anxiously back to shore where her mother met us with steamy cups of Glόhwein (heated mulled wine) and a plate of Spekulatis (ginger almond cookies).
I could not walk through the marketplace witout pausing to admire the decorated shop windows and inhaling the scent of fresh-baked Lebkuchen (gingerbread). As Christmas Eve approached, Weihnachtsmδrkte (Christmas markets) were set up in any community large enough to support one. These were a multi-sensory wonderland. The nip of the wind, the spicy smell (and welcomed warmth) of a glass of Glόhwein (heated mulled wine), the bustle of people moving through the narrow paths between the Hόtte (booths). The booths themselves were a sight to behold...candles of every size, shape and color, the fine woodworking from the Erzgebirge (region in Germany known for its woodworking), towering Kerzenpyramide (candle pyramids) slowly turning with the rising heat of the candleflames, finely woven
cloths and old-fashioned wooden toys . And the air was permeated with
the sweet smell of gebrannte Mandeln (roasted almonds) hanging in the cold.
In Germany, the Weihnachtsmann (Santa) typically brings the tree and all the presents on Christmas Eve. This occurs during the one day each year that the nation remembers its Christian heritage and turns out for Christmas Eve service. Presents are opened that evening. Our Christmas tree in the US was always decorated with a hodge-podge of ornaments collected over the years. But here in Germany, it was a true art. Trees were themed; the colors matched. My host family's tree was draped with flowing pink ribbons which swept the ground and woven with delicate lace ribbon through the branches. If you did not have real candles on the tree, your lights were made to look like candles. None of these endless strings of pinpoint lights, but rows of small electric candles perched delicately on each branch.
Looking out our window here in NE, the scene looks similar to that found on our glasses. Barren trees, soft slopes and five inches of snow which has a way of shifting the fading rays of twilight to the same shades of blue and gray found on my glasses. I just recently discovered my cookbook contains a recipe for Glόhwein (heated mulled wine), so I have a feeling I will soon be reminiscing yet again as the smells of cinnamon and orange mix with that of the heated red wine, and glasses clank to be filled with a seasonal favorite.
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Nov. 25, 2005 Interuption, or welcome diversion
I have some work to do. In fact I can think of four things off the top of my head that I should be higher on my priority list than blogging:
1) Dishes
2) Laundry
3) Packing
4) Sorting this stack of paperwork before me into a coheren/usable lesson sequence.
Wow, it actually ended up four. I'm getting better at guesstimating as there almost inevitably seems to be a number ? hidden in those kinds of statements.
But for some unknown reason, Baby Bug is wide awake. She is bouncing up and down in my lap, tuggung at her pajama top and singing, "Anana gaguui ammammamma." It is her very favorite song, and we hear it often.
Why is the joy of an infant so infectious? There is no stress in my day that a flash of her little smile will not completely alleviate, no bout of "winter blues" that her joyful giggle cannot chase away. I have never seen anyone respond to a gurgling baby with anything but delight. "One of the most treasured sounds," a stranger once remarked, listening to my son squeal while my husband tickled him.
Per haps it is because her joy is so pure. It is not tempered by fears of what others will think. She is unconcerned about making a scene. She has no lingering knowledge that this joy is but passing, or concerns for tomorrow. And her expression is never forced. She does not fake a smile to hide her true thoughts about Daddy's best attempts at baby-humor. She does not muster a giggle to keep the peace and not hurt any feelings.
Perhaps I would have an easier time as a "fisher of men" if I took more time to experience the pure joy of the Lord. I have that joy which comes only with having peace with God, but sometimes I put it on a shelf so I can fret about the laundry and the dishes and my lesson planning. When I do sit to talk (or type) with someone about the Lord, I speak of peace and joy, but exhibit the same distracted, stressed and frenetic conversation as my unbelieving neighbor's. Not real good bait in a world built on the principles of the Type A personality.
I cannot help but think of the apostles in the early church. I believe they were able to have such an impact on their world becaue, "...the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost. " (Act 13:52). This had nothing to do with their ability to get away to weekend retreats, fellowship with the MOPS group once a month and gather together for occasional potlucks. It really did not have so much to do with taking daily quiet time with the Lord. Just two verses before noting the joy of the disciples, we learn of the intense persecution and how the Jews were lying about them to stir up trouble.
Their joy came from the same source as my baby's. They were secure in their knowledge of being loved. They had no worries for tomorrow. They were completely unconcerned about how they were received by their fellow man. I think those are the principles of Christianity I need to focus on to keep from "shelving" my joy.
Number 5 to my list of four? Play with this exuberant baby who is up at 11:30 at night.
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Nov. 24, 2005 OK, and here it is...Thanksgiving
And we truly have much to be thankful for. Here is our day:
12:09AM I realize that we never actually made any specific plans for a meal. There is a reason for that, which you can read about HERE. But to be perfectly honest, in my right-brained world, that is pretty typical. There really is not pressing need to get started on much of anything until it is ALMOST too late to actually get it done in time. That seems to be my motto in life...at least it is what my actions demonstrate.
12:15 AM I remember the frozen chicken in the freezer and pull it out. I print off a recipe for chicken with wild rice stuffing and squash pie. All I need are unseasoned croutons, maple syrup and celery. Will ask husband to bring said items home when he gets into town.
9:04 AM Husband calls. Oh yeah. Can't ask him to pick anything up. I have the car. Quickly get kids ready (feed them leftover custard pie for breakfast) and drive to the train terminal to pick up my husband.
10:00 AM Pick up husband. Immediately get into an argument. No idea what it is about...but he has been up most of the night, so I should be a little more forgiving.
10:15 AM Stop at Wal-Mart and husband runs in for three things, comes out with five...yeah! A Snugli for Baby Bug! And potato wedges. His favorite food is anything potato. Mashed, fried, baked, raw. The perfect vegetable.
12:00 Noon Video for the kids, nap for husband, Snugli for the baby. Chicken goes in the microwave to defrost while I prepare the stuffing. Begin boiling squash for the pie.
1:00 PM The chicken finally goes in the oven. But I'm not sure what temperature to cook it at. The last time I made this, we put it in at 350 before church and it was perfect when we returned. Attempted to menatlly calculate how long it was in for, but could not remember clearly enough to be helpful. I looked at the pie recipe which called for 350. 350 it is.
1:15 PM Muse momentarily about how much easier it is to make pie crust with a pastry blender than a knife and fork. To think that three weeks ago, I thought a pastry blender was an electric appliance. Give daughter the scraps to make a small apple pie in an old corningware dish that is too small to do anything useful in.
2:00 PM The two pies join the chicken in the oven. Mouse is incredibly proud of her first pie, and checks on it frequently through the oven door. She inquires if it is ok for her to have a bite, even though she made it for daddy.
The children lunched on scraps...bits of pastry, stuffing, bits of squash, left over pie filling, and apple slices.
5:15 PM The chicken finally tests done.
5:20 PM The phone rings...hubby is being called to work. He has 90 minutes to report at the terminal.
5:25 PM The temperature guage may say this chicken is done, but it still seems pretty firm. I like the meat to fall off the bird. So I crank up the temperatrue to 450 and pop it back in while my husband showers and I throw together a meal for him (he's on his way to Kansas City and won't be back to Saturday).
5:45 PM We sit down together and read, "At Thanksgiving" by Lucy Larcom as a prayer. MMMMMMMM. The chicken is good. Husband even gets to take a meal of it with him. And the squash pie is delicious. And husband very much enjoys his apple pie made for him especially by his daughter who knew that he did not like squash pie.
6:15 PM The kids and I stand on the doorstep to wave at daddy. The children shout various names at their father..."Goodbye applesauce!" "Good bye french fry!" "Good bye pumpkin pie!" He shouts back at them and waves out the window as he drives off.
So maybe it was not your typical everybody-ate-too-much-turkey-and-passed-out-watching-football type of Thanksgiving. But it is pretty typical for the way things seem to go around here, and we enjoyed a rather relaxing afternoon, talking and playing and baking.
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