Learning All the Time

After reading magazines and books on homeschooling, I realized that I'm going to have to make some behavioral changes in order to get the most benefit from teaching my children at home.  I'm going to have to create an educational atmosphere for my kids.  This means that I'm going to have to start taking advantage of those "educational opportunities" that happen in every day life--in addition to following a structured curriculum.  What seems like a long wait at a restaurant needs to be a chance to discuss foods and culture.  Or what seems to be a simple trip to the pharmacy can turn into an interesting discussion of diseases and treatments.  Or what starts out as a mundane weekly trip to the grocery store can be a chance to practice using a calculator.  Or what is a simple walk to the park can be a chance to learn about leaves and trees (or to find snakes which is way easier to do than I thought!).  Basically, anything can be tweaked to become an educational experience.  I just have to find a way to make experiences count. 

Last week we had the perfect opportunity to focus on a specific subject: snow and sleet.  It occurred to me that I had purchased and received some winter-related books for my new homeschool book collection (which has grown exponentially in the last month).  So last Friday when we were completely iced into our house, I pulled out It's Snowing by Gail Gibbons with the intent to teach the boys about snow. 

I was blown away by how Ms. Gibbons managed to compile so much science and simplicity in one little book. We learned how snow, sleet, and freezing rain are formed.  We learned that Antarctica gets the least amount of snowfall yearly as compared to the other continents (weird huh?).  We learned that it actually snows in the desert sometimes.  And we learned why snow causes power outages.  The book also referenced a guy named Frederick Bentley who was the first person to photograph snowflakes. 

When I read about Mr. Bentley and his snowflakes, I got all excited.  As it turns out, I also have another book in my homeschool collection entitled, Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin.  Upon this realization, I HAD to read this to my son too.  Although I definitely wasn't expecting this book to be a biography, it turned out to be a beautiful book about the life and science behind Frederick Bentley's work.  Amazing! 

Of course, reading this book led to more discussions about freezing points, photography, and proper winter attire.  What a week of science we have had around here!  A week that we would not have enjoyed had I not considered pulling a snow book off of our bookshelf.  

I don't know why it has taken me this long to realize that sometimes the best learning happens OUTSIDE of the classroom setting.  For whatever reason, my institution-trained self forgets that my most memorable educational experiences happened apart from a textbook.  In spite of my dullness, Mr. Wonderful has a knack for "teaching" while playing (as a result of playing X-box with his daddy, my son can tell you all about the Battle of Midway).  Now Mommy needs to find ways to enrich our everyday lives with learning opportunities too.  I'm sure it can be done, but it's going to require some work on my part.  Thank goodness for writers like Gail Gibbons who have created wonderful books to help mommies out! Check out more books by Gail Gibbons at Amazon.  You can also find Snowflake Bentley there as well. 

The Baby is Growing Up

Baby G is officially 1 year old.  Okay, she actually turned a year old 3 weeks ago, but I'm a little behind.  Our sweet little baby is definitely turning into a little girl (although I'll probably always call her my Baby G).  Yesterday she was carrying around her Barbie purse and this morning we caught her playing with her vintage kitchen with her Snow White toddler doll.  I almost feel guilty for not being all sad and sappy that my baby is getting big, but truth be told--I love this age!  I love that my little girl  can climb on the couch and sit in my lap, or that she will start dancing as soon as she hears a good beat, or that she says Ooooh and Ahhhh as soon as you put a pretty dress on her.  Love it!

Having a baby in November seemed like the perfect time to have a baby.  I wasn't 9 months pregnant during the 100 degree part of summer.  And I managed to get a baby here in time to enjoy Christmas.  It never crossed my mind that having a baby in November would just make the holidays a little bit more hectic.  I mean, with play dates and Thanksgiving, I almost forgot to plan a birthday party.  Thank you Minnie Mouse theme and custom cake lady at the Albertson's in Watuaga for saving the day!  Baby G had a blast and absolutely loved her special smash cake  (and Uncle Nik was thrilled to get to eat all the fondant).

It just so happened that our church planned their baby dedication ceremony right after Baby G's birthday.  Since we dedicated the boys at our former church, this day was all about Baby G and committing to raising her according to God's Word.  She really enjoyed all the attention--especially getting prayed over.  And of course, she was the "vocal" child during our service.

Thanks Great Grandma & Great Grandpa for sending the beautiful dress!  She looked adorable and she even left on her shoes and bow!

Can't wait to see all that God has in store for this little one.

Thanksgiving Play Date

 

 

This morning we had our Thanksgiving play date with small group friends. One family who had a little girl backed out at the last minute due to illness, but that's not too uncommon for Texans in November. And as much as we missed them, we're happy that they didn't share their germs with us.  So as it turned out, we had a morning of little boys running around (plus Baby G who took a timely nap). 

This time around, I had a few organized activities in my back pocket in the event that the rascals grew restless.  This was fortuitous because the boys did get hungry and ended up congregating at the kitchen table.  What perfect timing for a food craft!  (This was definitely not the audience for anything involving paint or glue!!!!)

Today we made apple turkeys.  My boys' turkeys are pictured at the top next to mine--can you figure out which apple belongs to whom?  I think the picture demonstrates that the 3 year old loved the idea of stabbing his apple with toothpicks, and that his version of artistic expression is definitely his own version.  The other 3 year old boy who was with us decided to forego the entire craft so that he could just eat his apple and the marshmallows.  That said, the older kids and mommies thought it was fun.  This turned out to be a no mess, no fuss, semi-healthy, and really cute project.

Who knew that apples, marshmallows, toothpicks, raisins, and candy corn could be so entertaining? (Beware though: finding candy corn AFTER Halloween isn't easy.)  But this turned out to be a super fun way to use food for crafting.  For other food craft ideas for Thanksgiving, there's more ideas on my Pinterest board.

The Play Date Update

Humility.  I love how it likes to slap you in the face.  Last week I was so like, "I've got my motherhood groove all figured out.  I don't have to be like all the other moms and can do my own thing and still have great kids!"  And then something happened...

First, I have to give you a little background.  Last month I felt compelled to host a play date at my house.  I've never done this before.  And frankly, my version of a play date is kind of boring.  To make matters worse, no one--that's right, NO ONE--from my Wednesday small group showed up to play (and that was the intended audience).  After setting the date, it became pretty clear that I chose the wrong date to have people over.  So, then I started branching out and inviting other people.  I invited my friend whose kids were in preschool during the play time.  I invited the new girl who was singing with the band at church that week.  And I ultimately prayed that God would use that day to bless SOMEBODY.  In the end it was a good way to build a new friendship and to rekindle an old friendship.  I wasn't real successful on the kid play activity front, but oh well.

Since that time, in the back of my mind I've known that I was going to have to have another play date.  I even told the moms who couldn't make our last date that I would schedule another day.  Part of me believed my words; part of me wanted to back out.  And then Sunday, my Wednesday small group leader's wife hit me up about hosting another mommy/kid event.  So of course, I said sure!

Then I had a panic attack.  Okay, not really, but it did occur to me that this time around I'm going to have to host a kid friendly event.  So what did I do on Monday night?  I spent the evening on Pinterest looking for a Thanksgiving craft project (preferably one that doesn't require paint) that might be suitable  and easy to put together.   As I realized what I was doing a wave of humility just hit me.  I was so convinced that I was not one of "those" moms and yet, out of necessity, here I was planning a craft activity for a bunch of preschoolers!  I was literally eating my words as I was being a Pinterest Mom!

As it turns out, play date #1 was a good learning experience for me.  I'm a total bore when it comes to entertaining children.  That's why there's play date #2.  This time, I'm going to try a little harder.  Maybe I'll even have some cool pictures to share with you all of some edible craft projects--yes, I said edible! 

Stay tuned.

School is Almost Open for Business

We're literally counting down the weeks until our "school" opens for business.  As far as the world is concerned, my son won't start kindergarten until fall 2014.  But the plan is to actually start working through the curriculum in January.  That means that I only have 2 months of freedom before I become a teacher--something that I'm not formally educated to be and something that I'm still completely nervous about attempting.  Trust me, had I gone to college with the idea that I was going to spend 18+ years of my life teaching 3 children everything that they need to know for life, I might have chosen a different major.  I'm sure that my understanding of the human body and pathology and my ability to draft legal documents and arguments will come in handy at some point, but it certainly hasn't prepared me for understanding learning styles, educational theories, curriculum development, etc.  After years and years of higher education, I'm slightly flabbergasted by the world that is Kindergarten!

Thankfully, the decision to homeschool, the desire to homeschool, and the preparation for homeschooling has not been all me.  Prayer, Mr. Wonderful, supportive grandparents, friends who are successfully surviving the process, the internet, and homeschool how-to books have all contributed to getting us where we are today.  I was originally scared to death about the idea of being a homeschool mom.  Just the thought of teaching someone phonics made my stomach churn.  There  have been tears and fear.  But then there was prayer and at each step in this journey something has happened to confirm that this is the right decision for us, for now.  I can't explain how relieved I am that God has given me a joy about this process, because I year ago I rolled my eyes and groaned just thinking about it.

Another blogger shared that she was reading a must-read homeschool book and recommended that anyone considering homeschooling should read it.  I'm so glad I heeded her advice, because The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell has been a huge blessing and confidence boost for me (and I needed it because according to her I'm an actual-routine learner with an Epimethean temperament who regularly needs a push into the "uncomfortable" zones and constant affirmation that I'm succeeding in order to venture off into new educational endeavors.  Her book has found a way to tap into my sense of duty and to motivate me.  Sorry, I digress...).  Mrs. Bell has done a wonderful job laying out all the truths about the benefits and disadvantages to homeschooling.  She honestly believes that it's not for everybody.  And she lays out a fairly unbiased how-to guide for approaching homeschooling.  I'm not even halfway through the book, but I'm so relieved that I'm reading this prior to starting school in January!  Thank you Mrs. Bell!!!!

Although my blog was not intended to be a homeschool blog, I just wanted to give my reader friends a heads-up that we're about to enter Kindergarten together.  This is just where God has been leading me. So while I don't intend to write about school all the time, homeschooling is my new life.  I have every confidence that God is going to use this new adventure to humble, teach, and change me.  It will likely be painful and ugly at times, but I'm praying that it will produce something lovely in my life, my children, and my home.

 

Tink and Her Few Good Men

Halloween is generally not my favorite holiday.  Unfortunately, it seems unavoidable.  And now that I have kids, I'm a huge Scrooge if I ignore the day.  The neighbors softened me up this year by Booing us on Tuesday night (They leave a bucket of treats on your front porch and then you hang a sign saying that you've been booed.  Then you, likewise, Boo 2 neighbors who don't have signs in their windows until most of the neighborhood has ghost signs in the window.  I've been informed that when they do this at Christmastime you get "elfed." Super fun!).  Once the Boo thing happened, I kind of decided that Halloween might be a good chance to be neighborly.  And I confess that I actually enjoyed last night--although there were car loads of kids getting dropped off in our neighborhood from who-knows-where and we ran out of our 6 bags of candy pretty quickly!

Since this was Baby G's first Halloween, I really wanted to dress my entire gang up as the characters from Peter Pan.  I thought it would be so cute to have a little Tinker Bell, a Captain Hook, and a Peter Pan!  Unfortunately, my boys did not share this vision.  The 5 year old was amenable to the idea of dressing as a pirate, but neither were thrilled at the thought of being dressed in green and the 3 year old told me he didn't want to dress up at all.  (I really should have forced them to watch a little more Peter Pan and Hook this summer.)  So only 1/3 of my wish came true--I got my little Tinker Bell!  I actually purchased her costume last year before she was born and it fit perfectly.  Somehow, my intuition proved right as Baby G's personality made her the perfect Tink. She had a blast!

Choosing costumes for the boys was an entirely different story.  They're not really into super heroes or Disney characters.  Instead, when they play "dress up" they pretend to be actual men--Daddy going to work, a fireman on duty, a football player on game day, a coach instructing his football team, etc.  So when I found my costumes this year, I knew I had scored.

All the neighbors loved my little Marine and Navy Pilot.  Of course, the boys saluted and said cute little things as they went from door to door too.  And as expected, this morning they were dressed up in their little ensembles all over again!  Today they pretended that they were going to war in the backyard.  Looks like we'll get plenty of use out of this year's costumes--although I confess that I let my oldest sleep in last year's shark costume from time to time too so the shark costume wasn't a complete loss either.  Nothing like getting your money's worth out of things.

Halloween is still not my favorite holiday, but as a mommy I'm learning that some things just aren't about me.  Sometimes you've just got to loosen up for your kids and for your neighbors. Gotta enjoy these years while I've got them.

 

The Pinterest Mom

For the life of me, I couldn't put my finger on the mommy issue that has been bugging me.  But last night at small group, another mom nailed it.  Being a mommy today is hard because there is a peer pressure to be "The Pinterest mom."  Say what?  Yeah, if you're not a mommy, then the concept of The Pinterest Mom is probably totally foreign.  On the other hand, if you are a mommy, you likely know exactly what I'm talking about.  The crazy thing is that The Pinterest Mom cannot be defined.  She's a legend.  She's the modern renaissance mom.

I assure you, as much as I would love to claim the rights to this title (because then that would make me a 5 star mom), I am certainly not The Pinterest Mom.  Don't get me wrong, I do have a Pinterest page.  I have a blog.  I am a homeschool mom.  I have some of the components of this idealic Mother figure, but I certainly wouldn't pass the Super Mom test. 

These are the reasons why I'm not The Pinterest Mom:

1) For starters, I don't craft or build or sew.  I like to buy things ready-to-wear and ready-to-display, preferably new, and from an actual store.  When I see cute crafts on Pinterest, I go to places like Hobby Lobby in search of the already made version.  Sometimes, my way of non-crafting is actually cheaper and this gives me satisfaction that I'm not a total loser.

2) I also don't shop at the Farmer's Market or cook Vegan meals for my family.  We eat fruits and vegetables with meals, but generally I just buy what is fresh from Wal-Mart (I know, I'm soooo middle America!).  Plus, I like beef and refuse to give it up.  I mean, would you give up a yummy post roast or ball game hot dog in exchange for a meal of beans, tofu, or salad?  Enough said!

3) Next, I don't do Yoga or Pilates.  My version of exercise is either doing my kids' laundry which requires a hundred trips up and down my stairs, or it involves pushing a stroller of 75 pounds of children on a 3 mile round trip to the park.  I may not be a size 0, but since I can fit into my pre-baby#1 jeans I figure what I'm doing is sufficient for now.
 
4) Since you're reading my blog, you already know that photography is not my gift.  I don't have time to stage my house and fix the lighting in order to take amazing photos of my life.  So, when I do share pictures, they're generally from my phone or from Grandma's collection.  Photos have never been a big deal to me.  I didn't even hire a professional photographer for my wedding (gasp!).  The walls of my home are also not plastered with pictures of myself or the family.  And while I do have some great photos for memory's sake, I'm just not into lots of pictures.  Sorry to disappoint.

5) My 5 year old doesn't go to preschool and he doesn't read.  This was intentional on my part.  Maybe I'm crazy, but my anti-schooling of this little guy seems to have worked.  He's super excited about starting school and learning.  And now I know that he's going to learn correctly and in the correct order when we start "real school" via homeschooling.

6) My ideas on childbirth and pregnancy are so not "in" right now.  I'm not gaga over midwives.  I believe that God gifted women with pain medicine and that it is 100% acceptable to use it.  I believe that fetal monitoring saves the lives of babies.   I believe that C-Sections are often the difference between a healthy vs. a brain injured baby.  And I think that plenty babies have grown up to be healthy happy children even though they weren't breast fed.  Pregnancy and childbirth are such individual experiences that I think moms should stop the indoctrination of falsities and should let people have their own safe, comfortable experiences.  Mind you, I'm a nurse and a birth injury attorney, so I have a different perspective on this than the average mom.

I could go on and on with reasons why I'm not The Pinterest Mom.  Yeah, I know, I sound crazy.  At the age of 16, I wrote a 15 page paper of My Philosphy of Life for school.  Today, that paper would be a couple hundred pages long (I know I sound a little fruity), because  I'm very intentional in what I do and usually have a well thought-out reason for what I do even if my ideas are not en vogue.  By society's standards, my parenting and housewife ways are often unconventional or old fashioned.  I would never be given a Mom of the Year award.  For sure, other moms raise their eyebrows at me and think I'm lazy or uninformed.

But the joy of being a mom is that it's not about me.  For me,  motherhood is about my kids and doing what is best for them.  I don't have to fit society's version of the perfect mother--nor do I want to, because I'm not raising kids to be politically correct socialbots (go with me on this word). 

That said, I may never even get close to being The Pinterest Mom or having her homespun house.  Still I'm pretty sure my kids could rival hers any day of the week!

Sweet Words

Baby G is trying to talk.  My guess is that if she's anything like her older brothers and her mother, she's going to be a big talker.  I think I've shared before how she's figured out names for everyone.  But lately she's mastered a phrase, "a wuv wu" a.k.a "I love you."  It's adorable and cute and she always seems to know the best times to say it.

When I got her out of bed the other morning she was extremely chatty.  And then she said the sweetest thing, "Da Da Da Da, Wuv, Wuv, Wuv Wuv."  My heart melted right then and I could have died! What a way to start the day.  I don't even mind that she's a Daddy's girl.  I'm just happy to have such a sweetie!

Sand Fleas and Leprosy

It's Wednesday!  That means it's Survivor night, or as my 3 year old says it's Surbibor night.  Yes, we are those parents who actually allow our children to watch Survivor after Wednesday night church (of course, we fast forward and edit when necessary).  If it weren't for Survivor, we might not get our children to leave church.  I guess Wednesdays are just fun days for my gang.

Last Wednesday on  Survivor, they told the stories of camp-life and how it was taking a toll on some of the contestants.  At one camp in particular, they seemed to have a problem with bug bites and fungus.  It was gross, but not out of the realm of fascinating (as a school nurse I saw all kinds of weird things and it never got old).  As the camera showed different angles of this girl's body covered in red, puffy welts all I could do was groan.  The poor girl looked like she'd been attacked by sand fleas.  I would know, because it happened to me once too.  I think that incident has scarred me for life as I'm not a fan of sitting anywhere near the beach.

When my son saw this poor girl, he gasped!  He shook his head and informed us that he was pretty sure he knew what was wrong with the girl on Survivor.  I half expected him to tell me that she had been attacked by ants--he has a fear of Texas fire ants.  But I wasn't prepared for his actual diagnosis.  He informed us that she probably had the same disease that Naaman had.  You know, Naaman the leper who dipped seven times in the Jordan River and was miraculously healed of LEPROSY.  Yeah, that Naaman from 2 Kings!  Apparently my son listened very well in Sunday School, but his teacher needs to do a better job describing the necrotizing sores that a leper gets.  Because I'm guessing that sand flea bites aren't quite as nasty as leper spots. 

Anyway, the moral of the story is that while watching Survivor, we got the opportunity to recap Sunday's lesson about Naaman being healed.  I love how God gifts us with these special moments when we least expect them. 

Book Hunt

Not on our reading list, but this book by Pat Miller kind of represents our day today!

I love books.  I love trips to the bookstore.  I love that most date nights with my husband involve a trip to a bookstore.  And I love that my children love books too. 

I didn't realize, however, that I have a lame children's book collection.  We have a few classics and some large books with nice pictures, but I'm learning that my collection is pretty pitiful.  I came to this conclusion when I pulled up my homeschool curriculum's read-aloud book lists for pk-1st grade. 

Apparently, there is such a thing as classic children's books--beyond obvious ones like Dr. Seuss books, Curious George stories, and Clifford.   There are authors that are considered "good reading" for children such as Jan Brett, Margaret Wise Brown, Eric Carle, Tasha Tudor, Bill Peet, Tomie dePaola, Paul Galdone, Cynthia Rylant, ect.  I had heard of some of these authors before (Who hasn't heard of the The Very Hungry Caterpillar or Goodnight Moon?), but I didn't realize that these authors have written collections of books on all sorts of topics.  I also didn't realize that I have completely failed my children.  Were it not for the fact that my homeschool curriculum enrichment program includes these books as a part of each week's activities, it never would have crossed my mind to read most of these to my children.  Instead, my kids would just be reading their circus or train books over and over and over again!

So now, I'm on a book hunt.  My recommended book lists cost about $300 per list to order from the company who supplies my curriculum (so from them, it would cost me $900 to get all the books listed below).  Or I can bargain hunt for these myself.  And since I've never turned down the opportunity to bargain hunt, I've been doing just that.  First, I did an online search of books and discovered that Walmart has a fabulous collection of books online.  Then I went to Amazon and found that, in general, Walmart is cheaper (who knew?!). Next I went to Half-Price Books in an attempt to get an even cheaper deal.  This proved successful as most children's paperbacks at Half Price Books are under $3. That said, after spending a couple hundred dollars on books today, I'm only halfway through my Pre-k and kindergarten lists!  Still, my book hunt has been cheaper than the suggested retail of my curriculum vendor.

By the time my kids are through elementary school, I'm probably going to have one of the most admirable collection of children's books around.  It's just too bad that it took my homeschool curriculum to cue me in to the fact that I'm a failure as a mother.  I'm just hoping that I can make up for lost time on the reading front with my kids. 

Just to give you an insight as to what I've been up to, listed below is the combined list of preK-1st grade books that I've been hunting.  Before today, I might have owned 1 or 2 of these books. As of this afternoon, I've acquired about a 3rd of the list.  From what I gather, it's a great list to consider if you want to enrich the lives of children around you.

The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone

The House That Jack Built illustrated by J.P. Miller

Mr. Pine's Purple House by Leonard Kessler

Curious George by H.A. Rey

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

My Shadow by Robert Lewis Stevenson, illustrated by Glenna Lang

Charlie Needs a Cloak by Tomie dePaola

Barndance by Bill Martin Kr. & John Archambault

Tikki Tikki Tembo retold by Arlene Mosel

Noah's Ark by Barbara Shook Hazen & Diane Muldrow

The Quilt Story by Tony Johnston & Tomie dePaola

In November by Cynthia Rylant

The Gingerbread Boy by Paul Galdone

The Little Drummer Boy by Ezra Jack Keats

The Friendly Beasts by Tomie dePaola

Around the Year by Tasha Tudor

The Mitten by Jan Brett

Snow by Cynthia Rylant

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann

Never Tease a Weasel by Jean Conder Soule

The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown

The Golden Egg Book by Margaret Wise Brown

Home for a Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

The Song of Francis by Tomie dePaola

One Fine Day by Nonny Hogrogian

Three Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Galdone

Andy and the Lion by James Daugherty

Chester's Way by Kevin Henkes

The Story of Little Babaji by Helen Bannerman

Ten Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle

The Empty Pot by Demi

The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant

A Child's Book of Poems by Gyo Fujikawa

Animals Animals by Eric Carle

The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown

A Tree Is Nice by Janice May Udry

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman

Frederick by Leo Lionni

Follow the Dream: The Story of Christopher Columbus by Peter Sis

Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall

Pumpkin Moonshine by Tasha Tudor

The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

Pancakes, Pancakes! by Eric Carle

Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban

This First Thanksgiving Day by Laura Krauss Melmed

The Little Fir Tree by Margaret Wise Brown

The Twelve Days of Christmas illustrated by Jan Brett

Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert Barry

Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening illustrated by Susan Jeffers

Gregory's Shadow by Don Freeman

Abe's Fish by Jen Bryrant

Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton

The Frogs and Toads All Sang by Arnold Lobel

Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran

Cactus Hotel by Brenda Z. Guiberson

Hide and Seek Fog by Alvin Tresselt

All Things Bright and Beautiful by Cecil Frances Alexander

A Tale for Easter by Tasha Tudor

What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page

A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle

An Extraordinary Egg by Leo Lionni

The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman

Come On, Rain! by Karen Hesse

Wonders of Nature by Eloise Wilkins

Hubert's Hair-Raising Adventure by Bill Peet

Miss Spider's Tea Party by David Kirk

The Ink Garden of Brother Theophane by C. M. Millen

A House Is a House for Me by Mary Ann Hoberman

Miss Twiggley's Tree by Dorothea Warren Fox

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile by Bernard Waber

A Picture Book of Christopher Columbus by David A. Adler

Katy No-Pocket by Emmy Pane

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod by Eugene Field, Illustrated by Johanna Westerman

The Caboose Who Got Loose by Bill Peet

The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear

The Little Island by Margaret Wise Brown

The Very First Thanksgiving Day Rhonda Gowler Greene

Choo Choo by Virginia Lee Burton

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

The Moon Shines Down by Margaret Wise Brown

Norman the Doorman by Don Freeman

Pickle-Chiffon Pie by Jolly Roger Bradfield

The Star-Spangled Banner Illustrated by Peter Spier

Abe Lincoln: The Boy Who Loved Books by Kay Winters

White Snow, Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt

Patrick - Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie de Paola

Doctor DeSoto by William Steig

Little Toot by Hardie Gramatky

Rabbit School by Albert Sixtus, translated by Roland Freischlad

The Glorious Flight by Alice and Martin Provensen

Saint Francis and the Wolf by Jane Langton

Fly High, Fly Low by Don Freeman

Millions of Cats by Wanda Ga'g

The Storm Book by Charlotte Zolotow

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton

A Time to Keep by Tasha Tudor

 

She's Walking!

That's right, Baby G started walking this weekend!  She's been on the verge of independently ambulating for some time, but this weekend she finally built up the courage to go solo.  (I think she overheard me telling her Daddy that she has a fear problem and decided to prove me wrong.)

Something tells me that this girl is going to keep us on our toes.  She's only 10 months old (turns 11 months next week) and she's doing things that her brothers weren't doing until much later.   This month she has also started to refer to people by different sounds:  Dada (short vowel sound) is kind of obvious, Nono (short vowel sound) is her mommy, Dodo (short vowel sound) is Grandpa, Gar and Ga are her brothers, and this morning she was asking for Gaga which is probably Grandma since they were hanging out together last night.  Not sure how Grandma is going to like being named after a disgusting performer, but Gaga it is for now.

Baby G has also distinguished herself by making herself known as "the happy baby."  Everywhere we go, she's happy, she waves, she talks to strangers, and she squeals with delight.  She's everything you might imagine a little girl to be (I mean, the last time she sobbed in public was when I took her Juicy Couture shoes away and put them in the box!).  Her brothers have nicknamed her "Grabsy" because she's always into their toys.  And she already has a little friend that she gets so excited to see when they're in the nursery together at church--I think she tried to give her a hug the last time they were together.

Can't help loving this stage.  There's nothing like watching a little one's personality blossom!

Where Have All the Older Women Gone?

picture from a Juicy Couture Ad Campaign

I snickered as I drafted the title to this post.  Some might think I'm referring to our culture where women are going to extreme measures to look young (although newsflash: if we can tell you had plastic surgery then we think you're old!)  But that's really not the point of this post.  When I'm talking about the "older women" I'm referring to the Titus definition of older women--the ones who are instructed to teach the younger women how to love their husbands and children, etc.

During the last decade of my adult life, I've been blessed with older women in my life who have instructed me as a wife, mother, professional, and Christian woman.  My mom has always filled this role in my life and has been involved in "my business" and has taken it upon herself to provide accountability and counsel.  I appreciate this.  (I also know that there other girls with whom she has stepped in to fill this role for as well--including the girls who work under her at her job.)  Similarly, I've had godly women who I have worked with and under at various jobs who have openly instructed and taken care of me: Judy, Donna, Debbie, Katie, Lisa B., Lisa W.  I will forever be grateful for the care coordinators in Houston who taught me how to be a wife when I was a newlywed.  Who knew that choosing a career as a nurse would have allowed me to be around so many older women who have had such a huge spiritual impact on my life?

That said, the supply of interactive Titus-motivated women seems to have dried up.  Aside from my mom, I'm not sure who I would go to for accountability and discipleship.  As far as I know, no one at my job would be appropriate for this role.  And at church (pretty much the only other place I go) there are plenty of older women, but I don't know of any who would have the time or desire to truly get involved in my life.  But at least I have my mom.  Some other girls at church have recently revealed to me that they don't even have godly mothers from whom they can seek guidance.  Thus, they feel like all they've got is other people their age.

I have no doubt that the Apostle Paul would have been sad and disheartened if he could have overheard the conversation I had with these girls a few weeks ago.  How is it possible that the older women aren't even aware that they are needed?  And I don't mean that they're needed to greet people at church with smiles and hugs.  They're actually needed!  Younger women need to be able to interact with these women by phone or in-person outside of the church setting.  Younger women need guidance and affirmation from older women who have been-there, done-that.  Younger women need to know that there is an older woman who will be there for them when their babies scream all day, their husbands are in a bad mood, and they just need someone to pray over them.  We need older women as living proof that life is doable!

I know that there are godly, older women out there somewhere.  They seem to be able to congregate for Senior luncheons, game nights, Sunday School, and political events.  How cool would it be if these women rallied around the younger women at church and actually made themselves useful teaching the women?  Maybe it's time the senior ladies hosted a play date for us moms.  That would be something wouldn't it?!

Addendum: The Juicy Campaign pic at the top is kind of a dream of mine.  I would so love to be that stylish girl with a group of chic older ladies to have my back!

Getting to Know Them...

I've been convicted lately.  For the past 20 months my family has been attending our church.  In that time, we've become familiar with a lot of people.  We have been in small groups with quite a few families.  We were blessed with meals from these same families after Baby G was born.  And we've served with quite a few people in various capacities. 

That said, I don't feel like I actually KNOW very many people at my church very well.  I know quite a few people by name, but I don't go out for coffee with anybody; I don't hang out with other moms outside of church;  and the only time we ever truly did get to know other people was when Mr. Wonderful played on the church softball team.  (Never underestimate how beneficial a church softball team can be for families!)

My first inclination when I came to this realization was to blame people at my church for the fact that they're superficially friendly and nothing more.  But the truth of the matter is that our church has grown exponentially in the last 3 years and everyone has been fairly "new" to each other.  Plus, there aren't many people who have been around a long time who were able to bring the new people into their circles.  So it has been tough for everybody to find their place.

As I said before, I've been convicted.  I can't blame other people for the fact that I don't have deep friendships at church.  I haven't exactly put myself in a position where I can develop these friendships.  Nor have I pursued friendships with anyone else.  So now  I'm convicted that 1) I need to take the initiate to both get to know other people, and 2) I need to facilitate other people getting to know each other.  When I prayed about getting to know women at church, I felt God direct me to host a play date.  Even worse, I'm pretty sure he wants me to host one a month! Thus, next week we will be hosting the first-ever small group play date at our Derby House. 

Please don't laugh at or judge me, but the idea of hosting a play date for multiple mommas is terrifying for me.  For starters, as far as I know hospitality is NOT my spiritual gift.  I also get anxiety at the thought of trying to come up with a menu for the ladies at church since it seems that everybody has absurd food restrictions--meaning that they're going to think that I'm the unhealthy, bad mom because I would even consider serving cookies or peanut butter or caffeinated beverages. 

Anyone who really knows me knows that I'm not big on play dates either.  Mainly, because I don't have 3 eyes yet I do have 3 children to keep track of which is next to impossible when I'm trying to visit with other moms.  And to be honest with you, other peoples' kids aren't always fun to be around.  So the fact that I'm hosting a play date is a really big deal.  Somehow, God is using one of my least favorite activities to teach me something.   

Who knows how this will turn out?  I've already invited my mother to attend so that if nobody else shows up I'll at least feel like I have one friend and I won't have to eat all the scones by myself.  I guess we'll just see.  But at least now if I don't know anybody, it won't be for lack of effort.

The Homeschool Curriculum

A package came in the mail yesterday.  I was expecting my dining room table to be delivered and I ended up getting an even more life-changing package from the postman.  It was homeschool curriculum!

I was so excited about my box of homeschool gear that when my dining room table did finally show up, I spread all the books out on the table and spent a few hours immersed in the books.  What a relief that the teacher instructions are clear.  And even better--the instructions explain why you're doing what you're doing.  For someone like me who has a terrible time following directions that I feel are useless, knowing that there is a purpose for my activities keeps me motivated.  So, the Memoria Press curriculum that ordered appears to be a good match.

If you're wondering how I picked out a homeschool curriculum, I can honestly say that I searched for a curriculum package that included a teacher's manual and lesson plans for the year.  The idea of planning lessons for each subject and making them fit into a schedule was terrifying for me.  So having someone do the hard work for me was a huge boost for my confidence for my first year as a homeschool teacher.  Once I narrowed my curriculum options down to pre-planned lessons, choosing Memoria Press was easy.

I'm not a trained teacher.  The only education class I ever took involved health promotion and education for nurses.  Thus, my only exposure to curriculum was what I used at the private schools I attended when I was growing up.  So going into the curriculum search, I had no idea how to compare each company and brand.  As one homeschool parent told me, you try one and if you don't like it, you try another.  We may not stay with MP forever, but at least it offers us a good start.

I chose Memoria Press for a couple of reasons:
1) the planned-out year of lessons is really detailed and easy to follow
2)  this is a Bible based curriculum that teachers Scripture and biblical principles in every subject;
3) kindergarten reading is taught via phonics--this is how I was taught to read;
4) this is a classical curriculum with an emphasis on history and literature (I thrived in this type of curriculum at Covenant and it was indispensable for law school!)
5) The school that developed this curriculum has been extremely successful with test scores and college acceptance

Somehow, this program just suited me.  And based upon the fact that recitation is a huge part of this program, I'm thinking that Boy 1 who never forgets anything will do well. 

I don't know how other people choose their curriculum.  But it was pretty empowering to do my own independent search and to choose what I felt was best.  So as the rest of the country is dealing with Common Core, this momma is getting prepared to teach something that she picked out.  Point 1 for homeschooling!  Haven't even started, but am liking this idea already.