Talking Books

Books on tape and CD are a favorite thing of mine, they suit my auditory learning style well. Currently I am almost done listening to The Wind In The Willows and then I will move on to Just So Stories. I listen while I get ready in the morning and when I wash my face at night or while I clean. It is easy to get in 20-30 minutes of listening each day and I am amazed at how many books I can “read” this way. Listening to books is especially appealing because I don’t sit down much, except to write. It is appealing to me to listen while I do other things.

Yesterday I read the poem The Reading Mother on Jen's Page and I thought that I am a Listening Mother. “Listening” in the sense that I regularly have books on CD in the van to listen to with the kids. A favorite is The Story of the World series. Yesterday, at the library, we picked up The Story of Classical Music and are enjoying it immensely. A fun aspect of listening together is that we share the experience with one another. We often pause the disk to discuss something or to answer a question from one of the kids.

During quiet time, the kids are regularly in their rooms listening to various stories. As of late C is listening to an American Girl story and the boys have been listening to The Chronicles of Narnia. Another favorite of C’s are the Elsie stories and the boys enjoy Winnie The Pooh and Curious George.

When using talking books some things to consider include:

~Borrow from the library and buy only favorites that will be listened to repeatedly. Talking books can be expensive, although some are very reasonably priced, so this is a reasonable way to access a variety of books. Along these lines, I like to listen to books, but I still prefer to have the written book on my shelf if the book is especially good. That way, I can look up something in it if I want to or I can actually sit down and read it myself.

~I have found a number of audio books at discount stores. They are cheap and if I like them, I keep them, if not, they can be donated to a local library or Goodwill.

~Look for unabridged versions. We have a few abridged books, but in general I steer clear of them. The Well Trained Mind has helpful information on selecting books to listen to. See the index (under “books on tape”)for the pages.

~Cassette tapes are easier for young children to handle than easily scratched CD’s.

~Many books can be downloaded directly to your computer or iPod. This can be a convenient option. I don’t do this too often because my iPod can only be docked at our computer, so it is used mostly for music. I don’t often/ever use the headphones, it is just a personal preference.

Swimming Lessons! And thoughts on PE.

Swimming lessons are a tradition of summer. I remember going when I was younger. In spite of all those lessons (and the little known fact that I was licenced as a scuba diver-not my favorite activity, but that is another story) I still dog paddle or swim on my back and I am hopeless when I attempt a dive...in spite of or because of those things I find myself driving my children every day for four weeks to swimming lessons. They love their swimming lessons, as I did, and it counts as PE for homeschool!

Speaking of homeschool and PE, my goal for that is to teach practical skills. Some of my favorite PE activities when I was younger included learning miniture golf, shuffle board (I really did like to play that) and the crab walk (Yeah, I don't want to brag but I was pretty quick with that one.) I am not saying the crab walk is practical, but it was fun.

In high school I loved soccer and I am thankful that I had a wonderful PE teacher (thanks Carolyn!) who actually let us play lots and lots of soccer. She was and is a great teacher. I have long had a soft spot for soccer and it still bums me out that girls were not allowed on the team when I was in high school. But, I have a second chance, of sorts. Stoagie is pretty good with a soccer ball, if he does not pop it and chew it to pieces.

The PE time that still cracks me up...square dance. Now who decided that 6th graders needed to learn to square dance? And how handy of a skill is that anyway? If someone has a burning desire to square dance, they can always learn, but do all young people need to be subjected to this? Do schools still do this?

When I worked at the junior high and high school, back before I had my own young ones, I did see some changes in PE. The kids were doing Tae Bo, to a video. On one hand it was good to see them doing something that was popular and that they might actually continue doing on their own. On the other hand, day after day of Tae Bo, to a video, come on, why are we paying a teacher to pop in a video and work out day after day. Maybe teaching was involved, I am just stating my observaion.

I am way off track here...homeschool and PE...I want my kids to learn practical skills. I am hoping to get C out and running with me, but that means that I have to be in a regular routine first. I am working on that. We did go running/walking last week. I need to be more consistent with that. And the kids used to do Pilates with me. I love Winsor Pilates. It was worth doing just to watch the kids. I got a work out from the exercise and from laughing. They were so stinkin' cute to watch.

Okay, so I keep going off track, but it is just fun. M is also great about helping the kids with fitness. He has the kids do push ups before bed. That is hilarious. B, who is 3, is so funny. His little hind end is all up in the air, but he is so proud of his push up. C and A can actually do a decent push up, maybe even better than me at this point.

I am off to load the kids up and we are going for a walk!

Last night I received a great phone call from a friend. She has four children, like I do and she called with a parenting question. A simple question, really, about feeding solids to a baby. In fact I could have easily been the one calling her. Yet neither one of us had the answer. We just chatted and shared, “well, I have tried this or that” stories. We are in the same boat, baffled at times by seemingly simple parenting things. Both of us shared how at moments the whole parenting thing seems fairly straightforward and simple and then there are moments where one feels completely incompetent. So we pray for wisdom, lean on friends and family for support and joyfully keep at it.

Cole Slaw and Compliments

M is great to cook for. He does not even complain too much when my meals are light on or lack meat. If he feels carnivorous urges he just gently says something along the lines of, “can we have some meat with our meal at some point.” Or, “are we out of meat?” That is my hint to make him meatloaf or some other manly meal.

He is very complimentary of my cooking and gently honest if he does not care for something. I can ask, “Do you like this?” And he will usually say something nice. Then I can ask, “Okay, should I make it again or not.” If he says, “no, don’t make it again” then I know he does not like it. He is honest about it, but never rude. I appreciate both qualities.

Awhile back I saw a cole slaw mix in the store and it was on sale. We were going to grill up some burgers, so I grabbed a slaw mix. I had never made it before so I just followed the directions on the bag, but made a few changes. I used balsamic vinegar instead of white and I added dill and cumin. I thought it was fine and tasty. But M raved and raved about it. Whenever I make it, he comments about how he had never liked cole slaw until I made it. He has such confidence in my cooking, more than I have. But I love it and it makes cooking for him a joy.

I read a blurb in a magazine about a father who took over making dinners in order to be more connected to his family. I thought that was sweet, but for our family, there is no way I would want to give up cooking for M. It is one of my favorite things to do for him.

Our favorite cole slaw recipe:
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon sugar
½ tablespoon dill
¼ teaspoon cumin
Combine all ingredients in a lidded container and shake to combine. Then put 16 oz of cole slaw mix into another lidded container, pour on the dressing, put on the lid and shake. Or leave the lid off and stir by hand if preferred. Refrigerate for a couple hours and then serve.

Our Dog: Stoagie, or is it Stogie

The dog:

He is a nine year old Border Collie who came from a great home, but needed a new home. We had tossed around the idea of getting a dog. There had been reservations about it, at least while we have such young children. A dog is great, but we had talked about puppies and they take lots of time to train. I haven't felt that I had that sort of time available right now. We thought that maybe in about 5 years a dog would be a good thing. The down side of that is that C is 11, in 5 years she will be 16. For the younger kids, 5 years would have been about perfect for a dog, but for C, sooner is better than later. So, when we found out about this dog and his need for a new home, we jumped on it.

Why it works for us:

We are familiar with Border Collies, having lived on a farm before living where we do now. There were two Border Collies who worked with the sheep. They are great dogs.

This dog is nine. Border Collies have lots, and lots of energy. At nine, he still has lots of energy, but it is tempered a bit.

He is all trained and so obedient. And his herding instinct is not obnoxious. Plus he has been around young children his entire life so he is great with them. Overall he is a great dog!

The name:

He came pre-named, being that he was nine years old. So, I went to get a new tag for him. His name is Stoagie*, well now it is Stoagie** . I am not sure how his previous owner spelled the name. I quickly googled "stoagie" as I was running out of the house to get his tag. It came up on google and never occured to me that it can also be spelled, "Stogie." In fact I actually like it without the "a" better, but I realized that after the tag was ordered. When his tag came in the mail, I looked at it and set it aside for the moment. When M came home he picked up the tag and didn't say anything about the spelling, that did make me feel better. So, according to his tag that is his name.

*Click on this link and notice the second defination. That didn't make me feel any better.

**Click on this link and notice how it asks if I actually intended to google "storage." That didn't help either.

Dog tidbits that I have learned/been reminded of:

Dogs like to mark their territory, and sometimes that territory can include C's shoes or the stroller.

Dogs like to roll in gross things.

Playing catch is relaxing.

Running is more fun with a dog, sometimes, anyway.

The young children who begged for a dog actually tire of playing catch with the dog after an amazingly short time. Thankfully I find playing catch relaxing.

Dogs don't like cats. Actually I should rephrase that, the dog would love to get ahold of a cat, but not for reasons that would in any way benefit the cat.

Notes From Lasagna Gardening With Herbs by Patricia Lanza

Some things that I learned, want to remember, thought were interesting...from Lasagna Gardening With Herbs by Patricia Lanza

First, this is a great gardening book, in my opinion (and I am just starting to learn about gardening). I checked out the first Lasagna Gardening book from the library and was a little bored with it. Not so with this one. I enjoy that it focuses on herbs, has some great recipes, has sections that ares so easy to understand that they seem to be straight out of Gardening For Dummies-that is helpful to me, has a chart that explains different mulches and related materials along with the pros and cons of each, lists a variety of herbs along with how to grow and use them, has garden design tips, has craft ideas to do with herbs, has a section on solving growing problems that may arise...

~Plan, plan, plan before planting so that it turns out like desired, but if you don't plan, it is not impossible to change things. So, plan, but if I get lazy, all is not lost. Whew!

~The Lasagna Layering Materials chart is invaluable to a newbie like me. I believe I will refer to it often.

~It is never too late to learn to garden. Do what I can now and I can always experiment more later.

~Purpose to cook with herbs and edible flowers. I already cook with herbs, but I want to grow more of my own.

~Add herbs to butter and freeze for later use. Some ideas-dill butter, basil butter, parsley butter...

~Plant a butterfly garden-not just a garden full of plants that attract butterflies, but consider shaping the garden like a butterfly. The kids would love this!

~Consider a pizza garden shaped like a wheel and full of herbs and vegetables used on pizza. Another kid favorite.

~Do a Thyme lawn or walkway.

~A tea garden planted in the shape of a teacup.

~Work in the garden, but remember to take time to sit (or walk) and enjoy it as well. Remember to play in the garden. A quote from the author, "When you have seven children and all the confusion that goes with them, there are times you want to run away from home. When I couldn't really run away, I could go to the garden. There's something magical that happens when you are mucking about." I find that when the kids are fussy inside, going outside is a good change of pace. I can prune or weed a bit and they can play. That is good for everyone.

"Do I have something in my eye?"

Andrews Sisters - Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree

That Man of Mine

One, of the many, many things that I adore about him...The other night at about 10pm he was just on the verge of sleep and I said, "Lets go sit in the swings and watch the stars." I heard him sigh, then say, "go get my sweat pants." And we went out and sat in the chair swings that he put up in the apple tree for me. I appreciate that he caters to my silly whims. That is love!

More On A Liberal Education

The article that I quoted from yesterday is so full of thought-provoking words, that, I am compelled to share some more.

"Our educational apparatus has been rearing up not a class of liberally educated young people of humane outlook, but instead of a series of degree-dignified elites, an alleged meritocracy of confined views and dubious intellectual and moral credentials, puffed up by that little learning which is most truly described by that mordant Tory Alexander Pope as a dangerous thing.

The more people who are humanely educated, the better. But the more people we have who are half-educated or quarter-educated, the worse for them and for the republic. Really educated people, rather than forming presumptuous elites, will permeate society, leavening the lump through their professions, their teaching, their preaching, their participation in commerce and industry, their public offices at every level of the commonwealth. And being educated, they will know that they do not know everything; that there exist objects in life besides power and money and sensual gratification; they will take long views; they will look forward to posterity and backward toward their ancestors. For them, education will not terminate on commencement day."

Russell Kirk eloquently states the value, the importance, of a lifestyle of learning. That is an important goal in educating my children. I desire for them to be humanely educated, to know that they do not know everything, to take "long views." Learning, education, school is not something that occurs in four enclosed walls of some building, it is not limited to September to June, Monday to Friday, 9 to 3pm. Rather learning should be a state of being, it should be deep in the very core of who we are.

A Liberal Education

In the recent edition of The Classical Teacher, put out by Memoria Press, there was an article by Russell Kirk entitled, "The Conservative Purpose of a Classical Education." The article did two things for me. First it introduced me to Russell Kirk and second, it helped me to define why a liberal education is appropriate and I would add, necessary, to conservative thinking.

Here is a quote from that article:

"The primary purpose of a liberal education, then, is the cultivation of the person's own intellect and imagination, for the person's own sake. It ought not to be forgotten, in this mass-age when the state aspires to be all-in-all, that genuine education is something higher than an instrument of public policy. True education is meant to develop the individual human being, the person, rather than to serve the state. We tend to ignore the fact that schooling was not originated by the modern nation-state. Formal schooling actually commenced as an endeavor to acquaint the rising generation with religious knowledge: with awareness of the transcendent and with moral truths. Its purpose was not to indoctrinate a young person in civics, but rather to teach what it is to be a true human being, living within a moral order. The person has primacy in liberal education."

Psalm 113

Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!
The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens!
Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high,
who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.
He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!

A Little Jane Austin

"Silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an imprudent way."

"What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance."

"You have delighted us long enough."

"Wisdom is better than wit, and in the long run will certainly have the laugh on her side."

Things I Have Learned From My Friends #1

I am starting a new series on my blog. I won't have a schedule for posting on this topic, I will just post on it when I think of something or when I feel like it, okay, so that is my method for all my posts...This series will be "Things I Have Learned From My Friends." Friends are a huge blessing and I have learned so many great things that I want to pass some of it along.

First of all, my friends Jen and Lucia both inspired me to start a blog. I thought about it and thought about it and during one conversation or email, I forget which, Lucia, said to me, "Do it! Start a blog, I just started mine and it is so easy." So I did and I love it! It is a great way for me to share my life and discipline myself to be writing on a regular basis.

Another lesson learned from Lucia is to let my kids dress themselves. Really, it is okay. I remember her sharing a story about her girls going to preschool and, if I remember correctly, one had on a feather boa for a scarf and their outfits were not exactly color coordinated. She said the other moms with their children in coordinated Hannah Anderson looked at her daughters while she asked, "What? Is there a problem?" That simple story taught me to not sweat the small stuff that does not really matter. I do set out my boys clothes for them to wear in the mornings but since they put it on by themselves when they wake up, they accessorize it themselves, as the photo above shows. And, yes, they left the house for preschool looking like this. I only took the picture for this post.

Parting With Mater

We have worked to teach the kids to not hold onto material things too tightly. Before birthdays and Christmas we regularly clean out old toys before new ones arrive, when toys break, we get rid of them, and that sort of thing.

Well recently we were heading to a birthday party when B announced, “I want to take my Mater as a gift.”

This stopped me dead in my tracks. This is the Mater that I hunted and hunted for. We don’t buy too many toys ourselves, the grandparents supply this area quite nicely. But this Mater, the tow truck from Cars, was something that I searched for. This was a toy that I was so excited to obtain in order to watch B’s eyes light up when he saw it.

His eyes did light up when he saw it and I was blessed by that. I had visions of down the road, a 20 something B going through a box of select toys that had been lovingly saved for him and coming upon his well-worn Mater. In this scenario he is, of course, thrilled that it had been saved and this little tow truck would again be a source of his eyes lighting up in joy.

And now he wanted to give it away?! No way! How could I trust the judgment of a 3 year old in an important decision such as this? Didn’t he realize that I, who do not go into many stores these days, actually went to 4 different stores just to find this toy? Okay, so those were my thoughts, but what came out of my mouth was, “B that is so kind, sure you can give him Mater.” And he did, he joyfully parted with his beloved Mater and has not mentioned is since, almost a week later. Well, he did mention it once and what he expressed was contented happiness over being able to give a special gift to this other boy. This friend does not lack for Cars toys, but that didn’t matter, it was a gift of love. Given because B knew that this friend likes the movie Cars and when he thought of him, he knew that only Mater would do.

God worked on my heart to realize that a toy Mater is not a sacred thing. Yet the character of B is. B does not know how hard it was for me to part with Mater. I feel a little silly about it myself, but that silly feeling evaporates when I remember how B truly gave a good gift. I am proud of him and thankful that God helped me to keep my wits, keep my mouth shut and step out of the way and allow my son to do a good thing.

Be Part of the Solution

“These are the times that try men’s souls.” ~ Thomas Paine

From Memorial Day until July 4th we focus on American history. Whenever I focus on the lives of those who took part in establishing this country I am humbled, grateful, and inspired. They gave up much so we could be a part of this free nation. So many lost so much, homes, lives, property, valuable possessions… There were deserters and who can blame them?

When Thomas Pain wrote the above words to be read to Washington’s troops on Christmas Eve 1776, the morale of the patriots was at one of the lowest points. These men were cold, tired, didn’t have adequate clothing or food and victory over the British seemed a distant dream that had turned into a nightmare of seemingly inevitable defeat. Which takes me back to the fact that there were deserters. And who can blame them? Who can blame them, that is, when we consider the view from their vantage point. Who can blame them when we look at the bleak, cold outlook they must have had.

Who can blame them? But, now who remembers them? Now, who celebrates them? From our vantage point, over 200 years later, we know that those who persevered were not disillusional. Those who stayed committed were not crazy or doomed to failure. There was great cost, great discomfort and lives were lost, but there were men who had eyes to see beyond the dismal circumstances. Men like Thomas Paine who ended his challenge to the troops with these words, “I thank God that I fear not. I see no real cause for fear. I know our situation well, and can see the way out of it.” Thank God for those who see clearly what is not clearly seen!

Today I am writing a challenge. A challenge to myself and to those who read this. We all face difficult situations. We all face circumstances that test our character and try our souls. Whether it is a difficult relationship, circumstance or whatever the case may be, my challenge as you enter this week is to ask yourself, “This week, how can I be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem?”

Define something tangible and do it! If your challenge is your marriage then be quick to look for ways to do good in your marriage. If the challenge is in relating to a child or other person, then be quick to pray and offer encouraging words to that person. If the challenge is a difficult work environment, then look to be the cheery one in the office. If the challenge is a struggling church, then look to open your home to hospitality or to do some other good. Look to be part of the solution, rather than being part of the problem. Look to bless rather than waiting to be blessed.

To paraphrase what Gregg Harris shared with our church body at Family Camp: The church is run by and strengthened by the faithfulness of regular people doing regular tasks with faithfulness and diligence. It is through the practice of doing the daily tasks of living a life that honors God that we develop the qualities of greatness that are needed in difficult times.

Various Thoughts On This Sunny Friday, Or What Happens To Be On My Mind

I have known that our life was busy lately. It struck me just how busy I have been when I arrived at the doctors office for an appointment and was able to catch up on my reading. The irony of the situation was that the magazines I read were two that I subscribe to and had sitting in my own home, but had not had the time to sit down and read them there.

Overheard:
A “B come here.”
B continues playing silently.
Louder, “B come here!”
B continues playing silently.
“if you don’t answer me then I am going to…"
(pause-I can only assume that he was weighing his options)”
“…then, I am going to keep asking you!”
*grin*

Thoughts of Home posted a great link to a Time Magazine Photo Essay entitled, "What The World Eats." It is worth visiting, sharing with your kids and discussing.

Creativity Calls!

Lucia, Lucia has issued a challenge to create some art. I know I have some pastels that are packed up and we thought C has some, but that didn't pan out. So, I had to search high and low to find some. Finally I found a nice, reasonable priced set in the bookstore of our local college. I love having colleges close by! They had remodeled since I was last there and the new art section is wonderful! I am sure we will be back.

Yesterday I grabbed my new pastels and drew. Nothing worth posting, but I had fun and that is the point of it all. Later in the evening I found myself thinking of what would have improved my drawing and I am excited to put my pastels to paper again-soon! I am looking forward to being more intentional in incorporating art and creativity into my life. That is an area I can easily let slip. When I do have a spare moment it seems so frivolous. Actually it is cheap therapy! Thanks Lucia for the challenge and anyone who is interested visit the links above and join in!

At Family Camp, I Learned…

~Baby food from a jar really is easy! Typically I make my own baby food, but this weekend I decided to do easy with the food I took.

~Always carry plastic bags in my purse or diaper bag. Any questions, see here.

~A good speaker is even more credible when his kids live lives that honor God. See here, here, here, here, and here.

From our speaker, Gregg Harris…
~ Every act of sin is an act of unbelief, unbelief in the goodness of God.
~God uses regular, ordinary people.
~Be faithful in your regular, ordinary life and through that you can be prepared to move beyond the ordinary if that is what God calls you to.
~We are ambassadors for Christ and our homes are like an embassy which are to be used for intentional hospitality.
~The reason so many families are falling apart is that they have lost their purpose. We have outsourced every major function . The home is the place to go when nothing else is open. The home is no longer vital.
~The Bible commands women to respect their husbands and husbands to love their wives. Respect is the greatest need of men. Love is the greatest need of women. Too often we give what we want to get as opposed to what our spouse needs (ie women give love and men give respect).
~Any effective family has a goal in mind.
~Our children need to see themselves as being in training for the team, the team being our family.
~Base all discipline and instruction on the Word of God, not on age. God’s word is applicable for all ages, not something that is thrown off at age 18.
~Help children pursue their delight, not just their fleeting interests.
~Consider celebrating birthdays with purpose. For example for a boys birthday party have boys and fathers of all ages come. For gifts consider a book, tool…party.
~"Walking with the wise” is God’s primary method of instructing all ages.
~The Biblical key to child training is to first be wise and second to include our children in our own daily lives.

Pizza Margherita

A favorite of mine, Pizza Margherita, and, even better still, the basil is from my container garden!

"Are You Crazy"

I set off on Friday to take my kids to our church family camp. When I happened to mention this to various people throughout my day, their response was, "oh, fun." When it was revealed that M was gone for the weekend and that I would be tackling this on my own the "oh, fun" went to "are you crazy!?" To which I replied, "no, I am not crazy, but I may be by the time the weekend is over."

Well, the weekend is over and I am exhausted, but still sane. Many thanks are due to friends who helped in various ways from baby holding to taking the boys to the potty to encouraging words and many other helps which made this weekend not only survivable but enjoyable. There were some hectic moments, but overall, everything went smoothly.

We even survived the drive home which started out so nicely, L asleep in her seat, A, B and C all settled in to their seats. Within twenty minutes of pulling out, L was awake and screaming, A had thrown up and we were all gagging from the puke smell. At that point the only thing to do was DRIVE, DRIVE LIKE THE WIND with the windows down and the air conditioning on and GET HOME! Thanks to the plastic bag holder and bags that I was given for the diaper bag, the puke was contained and tied up. And thankfully no one else succumbed.

Rose Colored Glasses

Have a great weekend and enjoy the sunshine!