Hmmm.  Well, it was interesting.  Here is another audio book on MP3 from the library.

HG Wells obviously had a rich imagination when he wrote these stories.  He also had a good bit of indoctrination from some environmentalists, too.  Should I tell you how the world ends?  I suppose you should read the story yourself (or listen to it).  I did appreciate his writing style.  I also appreciate the unique plots and settings he uses.

I listened to most of the short stories on the recording as well.  I say most because I got fed up with the endings of his stories.  Now, I am one who gets disgusted with our modern story endings where everyone gets what they wanted, exactly as they wanted, as much as they wanted, etc.  I like endings that make you think, or at least are a little unexpected.  Perhaps someone does get what they want but they find out they have to pay a price for it or perhaps they don't get as much as they want of it.  You get the idea.

This is not the way Wells ends his short stories.  His stories just stop.  As though he got called away from his desk while writing the last page but he never returned to finish it. 

Although I am glad I listened to it, I don't think I will have the inkling to re-read (listen to)  this book.

I just finished this book today.  I have had discussions regarding this book with my husband and several friends already.  Wow, this book is causing a stir.

I want to go back now and re-read several passages that threw up little red flags.  I also want to compare notes with those of Norman Geisler (an apologist that I respect).  A friend directed me to a website that contains his comments on the book.

At any rate, I can say two things about  The Shack so far:

1.  I cried almost every time I picked up the book!

2. I thought the literary style of the book was excellent. (That's my humble opinion.)

Well, it is spring which seems to be the time of year that I get inspired to research educational ideas and methods, etc.  I wonder why.  Anyway,  I think it is time to read my TJEd material again.  I just got it off the shelf and set it on another shelf.  Hmmm.  At least it is closer at hand.

Speaking of spring, we are also hitting that tough time of year for keeping the mind indoors and concentrated on what we are learning.   We are learning though.  I was encouraged when Seth was able to recall the three things needed for weather to happen (sun, air, water).  He also remembered the "why" and "how" wind happens.  We are taking much longer on our weather unit than I originally intended.  The worst part is that we are just getting to the fun stuff such as, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc.  I don't want to rush through. 

Again speaking of spring, I am really getting excited about a garden this summer.  It has been years since we could have a garden of our own.  Already the little cauliflower and broccoli plants are peeking out of their little containers.  I am told that we will be able to plant our garden about mid-May. Can't wait.  Can't wait!

I recently finished listening to Jane Eyre on MP3.  Does that count for reading the book?  Well, I loved it.  Our library has gotten several books on MP3.  You check out the little unit with the book on it and you provide the earphones and the triple A battery.  Of course, this may be old news to people who aren't tucked away in the corner of Alaska!

Anyway, the book compared to those by Jane Austen but I don't think it topped them.  Several times I just couldn't stand the thought of stopping the story because of the intensity of the plot.  I truly wondered what would happen several times.  This not knowing was heightened by the fact that the box said the running time was 4 hours....uh, try 24!  I don't know exactly how long it runs but the box was definitely way, way off.  Anyway, I kept thinking I was coming to the end but the story kept going.

In the end, this book rates a little lower than Jane Austen's because there was really only one plot to follow whereas Ms. Austen always had three or more all at once.  This made Jane Eyre a little flat to me.  However, as people have said a number of times in my hearing, anyway, Jane Eyre does provide  some opportunities for the reader to learn about human nature and himself.

We went sledding on Thursay.  Up until that day we only went to a friend's house and used the street behind her house.  However, on this day the snow wasn't fresh so the street was pretty well sanded.

My friend told me about another road where nobody lives at the top and the last time she took a couple kids sledding there she would get them at the bottom of the hill in her car to take them to the top.  "Ok, whatever...how lazy are kids these days?!"  I didn't say it but I certainly thought it.

We followed the directions...right turn, see the greenhouse, left turn, follow the jog in the road. And there it was.  Every person in the car sucked in a big breath of air then let out a collective, "OH!"

We parked the car less than half way up the hill on a side street.  Everyone piled out but only the big kids and a friend who had come along started hiking up the hill.  I got the youngest out of the carseat, peeked at the others going up the hill, fiddled with my gloves, peeked at the others going up the hill, pulled my gloves back off, got out the camera, peeked at the others still going up the hill, corralled the youngest, peeked at the others still going up the hill, got ready to take a picture...by this time our friend had made it to the top, my two oldest girls were little specks nearly there, my son was lying on the road spread eagled!

I didn't see our friend for a couple minutes so I thought maybe we were supposed to go up the thing and sled down the other side.  I had to put the car in four-wheel-drive to get up the hill but the youngest and I made it up there.  If everyone had been in the car at that point I think there would have been a collective breath and "OH" once again.  The view...I should say views were absolutely amazing.  I can't even describe the water and mountains and the old fort and the town of Haines and the valley inland.  (sigh)

Anyway, then we slid from the top.  Oh my!  That was the longest sled ride I have ever taken.  I am sure of it.  Of course, the kids wanted to know why I couldn't hike all the way back up to get the car and come all the way back down to get them to take them all the way back up in the car.

Nope, no lazy kids in our family. They went all the way to the top one more time but then we hiked only a third of the way up and rode our sleds from there.  Ah well, we all had fun anyway and the youngest got her heart's desire: she rode down by herself.

Below is a picture just before the first ride:

I was certainly impressed by this book.  It is written by two boys who are tired of the attitude our society has towards teens...one of terribly low expectations.  They cite examples of teens in history and teens today who have done hard things.

It made me realize how much time I myself have wasted living at the status quo.  Hopefully, Abbie and then the other kids (at appropriate times) will be interested in the concepts this book puts forth.

We recently ordered a chess curriculum from WinterPromise.  Did I say that in a previous entry?  Anyway, we also ordered a picture book called "The Story of Chess" by Horacio Cardo.  All four of us, actually the youngest was there, too, enjoyed this book. 

It tells a fictional account of the creation of the game of chess that creatively explains the movements and rules of the game.  The dust cover says, "...the beautiful illustrations and the story...distill the game to its almost mythical essence."

We found the illustrations to be comical, beautiful and yet sometimes a little bizarre.  Each page required a moment of observation and discussion of the illustration just because each is so intriguing.

Anyway, we already understood the rules of the game but we thoroughly enjoyed reading the book.  We will probably read it again.  I am going to suggest our local library get a copy as well.

Now I am the copycat copying the copycat!  Christ over at The Journey http://inhisstep.blogspot.com/ found this survey and now I am going to do it, too.

If you want to copy us copycats, too, just paste the 99 items on the list in your blog and highlight the things you have done.  Those you haven't done leave plain.

So, here goes...

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland/world

8. Climbed a mountain.

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea -- storm was at sea, I was on land - it counts

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill -- that's embarrassing

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29 Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33 Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language -- Yo habla espaniol -- pequito.

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41 Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60 Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies -- it was CampFire Girls though

62. Gone whale watching

63. Gotten flowers for no reason

64 Donated blood, platelets, or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced on a trampoline

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades -- we drove Alligator Alley through the Everglades, stopped and saw gators along the side of the road

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79 Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life -- my daughter choked on a piece of peach once

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake -- drove past it...at night...in  the fog!  :-)

97. Been involved in a lawsuit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

100. Done a silly blog survey!

I added #100.  It was a fun survey though.  It brought back some good memories that I hadn't remembered in a long time.

I am thankful for my husband.  There are so many reasons why. 

Yesterday, we had one of those conversations you have beside the washer and dryer.  You know, you're just talking as you work on moving wet laundry and then he says something that starts you on a serious subject.  You end up talking for half an hour leaning against said washer and dryer.

Anyway, we weren't beside the washer, we were in the doorway to his office but the format was the same.  We had a great talk about our goals for homeschooling and where we stand in each child's educational journey and what we should/could do to get us closer to the goal.  By the end, I was encouraged AND I was reminded that my husband believes in me being the teacher of our children.

So now I want to tell the world...MY HUSBAND IS WONDERFUL!!  Thank you, Lord, for providing me with the perfect man for me! 

Everyone keeps talking about "hunkering down" during January but then the next breath is filled with talk about where they are going and what they are doing there.   I guess the ideal is to be snug in the house...maybe on the couch with hot chocolate and a good book, or maybe everyone around a board game.

Yep, that is the ideal but it isn't what we did today.   We did the proverbial bundling and trooped off to the library.  Carina found a book about a girl who wants to win the spelling bee (she is already on ch 17 of 18).  Abbie found a book about a dragon who collects shoes!  She is into fantasy and especially dragons.  I am glad she found one that she could read as most are objectionable due to magic, etc.  Ellie found a mountain of board books.  Thankfully, we came home with only one.  I found some books for our science unit.

The exciting find was books for Seth.  He goes to the library only because, otherwise, he would be at home by himself.  Once there, he repeatedlys asks to play computer games on the available computers.  I don't get that one because the answer is the same...always the same.  Today, Abbie showed him books outside the children's section.  They were animal books and he was excited.  I don't know that he will read any of the words but even if he just looks at pictures at least he is warming up to books. 

Oh man,  I am so glad to know the end of the story but wish I hadn't finished that book because I want the story to go on and on.  Aah, the love story that emerges...or should I say stories.  The improvement of Emma's character by the observation and realization of the characters around her gives me a model.  I even saw a bit of myself in one character...I won't say which one.

Anyway, this is certainly the epitome of a classic.  I learned about others and about myself and the experience was all the better for the story I found myself wrapped up in.

We have added to our household...three parakeets took up residence just over a week ago.  They are an early birthday present for Carina.  I can't believe we have birds because I always said...you know the rest. They are charming though.  Carina named them Fidelia (a green bird),  Liberty (blue) and Jubilee (yellow).  Yes, she chose those names although I think Abbie suggested them. 

So here's the story...We made the mistake of letting them out of the cage the day after they arrived here!  I know.  I know.  Very dumb.  Should have known.  Yep.  We chased those ridiculous birds around our house for...well, it seemed like a lifetime.  I kept waiting for them to get tired and sit still, doggone-it.

Finally, one kind of got itself trapped between the end of a bookcase and the wall.  "Yesss!  Now I can grab it and carefully put it back in the cage,"  I thought.  Don't you know, there was a large piece of cloth there that the bird landed on and it hung onto that dumb cloth and bit my finger at the same time.  I finally got it to stop biting me and was trying to get the claw to release the fabric when the bird started flapping its wings.  I thought I had its body in my hand but apparently not so much because the next second I was standing there with all its tail feathers in my hand while the bird flapped away!  Good grief!

That was it for me.  I left for other parts of the house to nurse my bleeding finger while my husband caught the sweet darling (read STUPID) birds with a butterfly net. 

Really, I do like the birds.  In fact I have been working along with Carina to train them to sit on our fingers.  It is slow progress but maybe just maybe they can be trained.  Until then the hard and fast and unchangeable rule in our house is:  NO BIRDS OUT OF THE CAGE!

I haven't written in a long time because it seems like all I had to report was the same ol' same ol'.  I struggle with inspiring my son to read, I struggle with time issues but then again we have had a great time studying __(fill in the blank)___.

Speaking of having a great time studying...Today we discovered why we call a cow a cow but the meat from the cow is called beef.  When the Normans invaded England the Saxons ended up being serfs while the Normans were the lords.  The term cow is the name the Saxons used for the animal that they had to raise but the animal ended up on the Norman table so the meat is called beef.  Same goes for sheep (mutton), calf (veal), and pig (pork).  Oh, and "milk" comes from the Saxon language but "cream" comes from the Norman language.  I suppose you can guess why. 

We also recently received a chess curriculum that I ordered for the kids.  They have really gotten excited about that game all of a sudden.  The curriculum comes from a company called WinterPromise.  They started in on it before I could even organize our study, which is fine by me.  We are going to finish our unit on geology and take the rest of our science-time until after the New Year to work on playing chess.  I, too, am bitten by the chess bug and hope we can finish our unit by the day after tomorrow. 

So, there are some random thoughts.  Maybe the same ol' is really a vast resource for random thoughts...hopefully I will keep you posted.

No, we aren't really slogging.  We have read several wonderful books together recently.  We did a science experiment (it didn't exactly turn out...chemistry gets me every time).  We have played several games and puzzles that I think have benefitted the kids.

We have been doing the TJEd thing for a few weeks now...the problem is this: I don't know if I can keep up the schedule.   Since all three of my kids are in the Love of Learning stage, I feel like all schooling depends on me being there to administer the various activities.  Or else I have to delay whatever I was going to do so that I can get a list of acceptable school activities for the next _______ (fill in the blank with a time period) for one, two or three children. It made me late for Bible study the other day and then I couldn't get out the door to the grocery store yesterday.

I admit it.  I miss the days of saying that while I am working with a certain child, the other children can work on the assigned worksheets, computer programs, reading books or whatever.

I am not giving up yet but the frustration level is rising.  This brings me back to my wish last spring when I was studying the TJEd thing so closely.  I wish I had someone who has walked this path to help me know what I am doing.

On the positive side...my son and I had a great conversation about ordinal numbers, days of the week and months of the year today.  Usually, he totally resists learning the months of the year and sometimes even the days of the week.  We will definitely not be doing the worksheets from this lesson in math!  I already have a game idea for tomorrow.  I am going to make a memory game out of family birthdays, etc. to match with the months of the year.   The name of the family member (or holiday/notable event) and the ordinal number of the month will be on one card and the name of the month will be on the match.  As we make matches we will arrange the months in order.

It just occurred to me that if my game works out well, my son will know exactly when my birthday is!  I am so totally kidding!  Absolutely.  March...if you're wondering.  Just kidding.  Really. 

We are moved into the house in Haines.  It was pretty crazy there for a while with boxes up to the eyeballs.  But I am still thanking the Lord that we had a clear day last Saturday for the garage sale.  We sold lots of duplicates...beds, coffee pot, iron, etc.

Why did we have so many duplicates?  We are consolidating houses because this past summer was our last at camp.  Yep, a new phase in our lives.  I am still very sad about leaving camp.  No one could ask for a better "backyard" for the kids.  We had very dear friends on staff with us.  This summer we saw almost 950 kids come to camp, many of which accepted Christ as their Savior.  The kids were beginning to develop horsemanship skills.  The list goes on and on.

Yet I look forward with great joy to the future.  My husband will take our retiring pastor's place at the new year.  That means we will not be eating in a rather noisy dining hall with over 100 other people for most meals but rather we will eat at a table with only our family (and guests).  We will not have to use a marine radio phone or a cell phone, neither of which is very reliable, but rather we will be able to pick up the phone any time to call someone.  We will not have to wait for low tide to drive on tidal flats to get to a road and then drive on the road for 30+ miles to get to a gas station or store of any kind but rather we can walk to the store.  The list goes on and on.

Every spring and fall for the past 9 years we have tasted the bittersweet flavor of leaving one place and moving to the other.  Besides our move from Craig (our previous winter home), none has been more strongly flavored than this one.  The tears remain just under the surface, the joy remains in our hearts...God remains constant through it all.  All praise be to Him.

School started day before yesterday...kind of.  It officially started but we are in the middle of packing for the move back to Haines and there are extra things to deal with at camp this year so we are rather casual about school for the moment.

We have started every subject except foreign language so far.  I was pleasantly surprised by how much they remembered of ancient history from last spring.  We also settled on geology for our first unit in earth and space science. 

It seems like our school conversations are transitioning to a deeper level.  I love it.  Instead of just talking about the facts we seem to be talking about philosophies a little, too.  Maybe I am more aware of where world view issues pop up in our studies or maybe the girls, anyway, are at the age where they can converse about it now.  Either way this new depth is remarkable.

Speaking of remarkable.  I have not required any reading from Seth since last spring.  We haven't even played "reading games."  I have not mentioned the subject to him since school started.  Last night...tadaaaah...he read a book all on his own!  I am sure angels were singing!  I was shocked to see all the harder phonics combinations that he remembered.  There were a few I had to help him with and he got frustrated at times but he did so very well.  To top it all off, he read some more today (his own initiative) and tonight before bed he said that all of school tomorrow will be reading for him.

I was...worried isn't quite the right word.  I was trying to prepare mentally for him to not fall in love with reading until maybe age 12 or something.  I sure hope this is it.  He has had fits and starts throughout his reading journey so far.  Maybe there won't be any more stall outs.  (Please, Lord?)

Finalleeeeeeee!  I feel like i was holding my breath for more than a month until I could allow myself to read the last book in Ted Dekker's "The Circle Trilogy."  I knew it would be a fast read because I would not be able to put the book down...I was right.

The new believers, the ones who chose to die to find new life in Elyon (God), are beginning to look a lot like the church as we know it.  The largest issue is how the believers should behave toward unbelievers.  Some advocate strict rules and adherance to those rules while others want to be all soft and inviting to lure people into church and there are those in between.  Again, there is a dichotomy where some want to seclude themselves and others want to fit back into the non-believer setting.  Dekker walks a fine line between the importance of the church remaining pure in doctrine but also not becoming legalists. 

This third book also deals with the way Christ is romancing his bride.  My own feelings of awe were renewed as I thought about how Christ saw me, chose me, loved me --even before I was a believer.  I was convicted, too, as I thought about how certain people who are unlovely to me.  I cannot love them myself but I can depend on Christ to help me love them.

What a wonderful series.  I have recommended this trilogy to everyone who will listen to me.  

This week an intriguing concept popped out of my devotions.  Just as Christ died on behalf of me personally, He lived each day in righteousness on my behalf. 

I am familiar with the idea that if there had been no other person in the whole world that was guilty of sin then Christ would have still died because of my sin.  How humbling that is.

How about His life then?  He lived a life of righteousness, well, because being completely God meant that He could do no less.  But He also did it because it was the requirement for an acceptable sacrifice for my sin (for the sin of the world). 

So, in a way, Christ lived each day for me!  That makes me feel rather special.

The Solid Rock

         -Edward Mote, 1834

"My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name.

When darkness veils his lovely face, I rest on his unchanging grace;

in every high and stormy gale my anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, his covenant, his blood support me in the whelming flood;

when all around my soul gives way he then is all my hope and stay.

When he shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in him be found,

dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand;

all other ground is sinking sand."

Yahoo!  Our curricula are ordered for the next school year.  I love July.  We are registered with a state homeschooling program where we can purchase school supplies related to our individual learning plans using state funds but we have to wait until July 1st. 

I ordered the next volume from Story of the World.  I don't know a whole lot about the middle ages so I am looking forward to reading lots of library books and doing some fun  things like building a viking ship or maybe a castle fromt the canon-bubblejet website.  Have you ever seen that website?  It is fabulous.  You can download all the pieces to build famous buildings.  They also have several animal patterns.  Best of all, they don't charge a penny for it.  You print out the pages (it does take a bit of ink), cut out the pieces and glue the tabs in designated spots.  When you are done you have a statue of a castle or a cat or whatever. Here is the website.

Anyway, we are going to study astronomy (especially stars as opposed to the solar system), geology, and weather (especially tornadoes and such).  I ordered a curriculum but we are going to read from real books for our classtime learning.  We are also going to try a literature course according to the style of Adam Andrews and his curriculum "Teaching the Classics."  I hope we can start a literature club with other students, too.  And finally, the girls are so far ahead in math that we are going to have our own, very fun, personal "math club" to polish our skills we have already learned instead of pressing forward to new things.

Oh, and we are going to try the Auralog Tell Me More program for foreign language.  I am hoping the newness of the curriculum will jumpstart their interest again in Spanish (Carina) and Dutch (Abbie and Seth). Oh and also, we will be going back to an official art class again since all three of my students requested it. Carina wants to take violin and Seth wants to do trumpet.  I don't know if that will work out yet...we will see when we get back to Haines.

And that is it for our 08-09 schoolyear plans.  Let's go...I'm ready to start...