Doing the Next Thing

As narrated by A, 4 years old: Ketchup is tomatoes. They open the top of the tomato. They get the liquid out. They stir the liquid up and mix it, too. And then they put flour in and pour it into the ketchup bottle and then it's done. That's how ketchup goes. Didn't you always wonder? For more Tiny Talk, go visit Mary's place !

You were the wiggliest of all babies when you were in my tummy. You were the tallest newborn we had, measuring 21 long inches when you were born. Your precious hair was so fine and white, it was almost invisible. You were loaded with personality from the very beginning. It warms my heart to see you growing into a compassionate, generous, curious young man. So happy birthday to my Creative, Observant, Loving, Intelligent, and Noble son of my heart! I love you! --Mom

For those who are interested, I'm going to post my curriculum plans in several stages, to make it easier on both the writer and the reader. If you are not interested in curriculum in the least, I won't be offended if you skip this post altogether! I'm still ironing out much of this and expect a few things will change (other than math & science) through the year. Budget has been a big issue in planning this year, so I'm hoping to add some things second semester that I just couldn't afford right now. First up, Big Brother, S (almost 14): 8th Grade Bible - finishing Old Testament Survey from Logos School Materials Catechism - memorizing Shorter Catechism Spelling - Apples 2 Grammar - S is still finishing some random lessons we missed in A Beka's Grammar and Comp. I from 7th grade. He's doing this because 1. I want him to focus more on writing than grammar this semester; and 2. I'm still thinking about/saving $$ for grammar for him. I'm considerin...

What is the deal with the modern American obsession with more ? I give you, as evidence, the Milky Way bar. I'm not a big candy person. I'm not a big chocolate lover. But I do occasionally enjoy a good Milky Way. Today, however, I noticed that it wasn't as good as usual. Hard to eat, even. I looked at the package and knew instantly what the problem was: "more caramel in every bite!" Why more? The original had the perfect ratio of chocolate, nougat, and caramel. Now -- it's a sticky, overly sugared mess. (Don't even get me started on how hard it is to find a regular sized bar, rather than "king size!") Thanks a lot, Mars! Thanks for ruining a small island of happiness in a busy mother's day.

A childhood friend of mine has a blog about her homeschool. She recently posted her reasons for homeschooling and they summed up my own heart so well, I just had to link to the post. Go visit her here .

"When I grow up, I want to be a Barbarian! " - 4yo A. announced one day at dinner. We all laughed and told him he pretty much already is . "Mom, I want to know all the things about electricity and wires. Can you tell me about wires?" - A showing his insatiable curiosity about the world around him "oh, no! wah happen?" (tr. what happened?) a favorite exclamation of 2yo K, heard many times a day. " No Dahdoo!" another phrase uttered many times a day by little K, screaming her brother's name in her own wild animal voice "kugga kugga KYOO KYOO!" (tr. chugga chugga choo choo)- 2yo K, playing with the Thomas Trains. "That sure is one pretty governor!" - not-quite-12 yo C, while watching Sarah Palin at the RNC. "Yes, I am a fairy princess." 9yo M, adorned in gossamer wings and a cape, while playing with The Littles -with just enough pre-teen irony in her voice to be sure no one thought she was enjoying it too much. ...

I promise this is not turning into a book blog! But I do love books and I want to post about things I love, so... Bear with me as I share another book discovery. I've been taking the Littles to weekly preschool storytime at the library. Last week, the librarian read a funny book entitled Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus ! I liked the simple illustrations that had an almost retro feel. I liked how author used speech balloons to convey the plucky pigeon's personality. It made an amusing read-aloud, since every page presented the children in the audience an opportunity to shout, "No!" (when the pigeon begs and pleads to drive.) I admit to laughing out loud during storytime and enjoying the book as much as the 4-year- olds ! I had seen the book at the bookstore (on date night, of course!) and noticed there were others in the series. But when I went to the library the other night (to pick up school books I had put on hold,) I couldn't for the life of me rememb...

...why not use a grocery bag? A (4) came up with this one all on his own.

Well, I just can't contain myself. I have to tell you about another serendipitous find at the local library. As I was browsing last week for "B" books, I saw Bats at the Library by Brian Lies. Bat starts with B. We love libraries. Illustrations look cute. Let's check it out. Turns out I picked another winner. Before we even had a chance to read it, My Sweetie and I spotted it on a display at a bookstore on our date night. I thought to myself, "hmmm...maybe it's actually a decent book." When I finally sat down to read it to the kids we had a blast. The story is a funny one about some mischievous bats who discover an open window at the library and let themselves in. They make all kinds of silly fun, such as photocopying themselves and "swimming" in the water fountain. What captivated the Big 3, however, were the scenes of the little bats imagining themselves in all the stories they read. Mr. Lies puts a clever twist on many classic stories - lik...

I wasn't planning to compose anything today, simply to post the book reviews I wrote over the weekend. (scroll down or click here to find those) But I just had to tell ya'll about this book. It's called simply Apples and it's written by Jacqueline Farmer. It was a random find at the library last week. For my little pre-K "program" with A (4) I am doing a "Letter of the Week" theme. We're on our 3rd official week of school, but we're still doing fun "A" things, because I keep finding fun things to study and do! (Plus it's the first letter of his name and therefore kind of a pet.) Naturally this book caught my eye as it lay on the shelf, discarded by some previous library visitor. Apples not only start with "A," but are a fun topic for this time of year. I liked the cover art; I picked it up and thumbed through a couple of pages. Looks good - let's get it. We finally got around to reading it today and I have to say ...

I've been doing a lot of reading, but not a lot of writing about what I'm reading. I keep putting it off and now it's overwhelming. So I decided to play a fun game and see if I can share my thoughts on each book in six words or less. Here goes: Mitford. Bliss. Saved best for last. ******************************** Everyone must read this book. Now. ********************************* Gut-wrenching story. Beautifully told. Bit graphic. *********************************** All truth is God's truth. Paideia. ********************************** Convicting. Enlightening. Biblical. Very useful book. ************************************

Ok, so I promised weekly school reports. It's not going to happen. Disappointed? As The Man in Black said to Vizzini in the Princess Bride, "Get used to disappointment." (grin) In all seriousness, the same issues that troubled me last year when I gave up the reports are still on my mind. Mainly that it's hard to find the time to write the reports. I enjoy blogging and that's not how I want to spend my blog time. I also have a hard time making them interesting to read - I'm just not that good a writer and I don't want to burden the poor readers. That being the case, there were a couple of folks who said they actually enjoyed the reports. For you, I offer this: I will post an overall 2008-2009 curriculum plan (eventually) and provide a permalink in my sidebar. I will keep the fun stuff - nature walks, history, great book finds - updated in the sidebar as well. And yes, I will occasionally be so excited about something school-related that I write a post abo...

- travel to Pluto and back - if you're a rhinoceros, complete one life cycle - watch 14,610 sunsets - blink 168million times - grow a white oak that is over 40 feet tall - enjoy several "generations" of Star Trek - almost build the Temple in Jerusalem - if you're a glacier, grow by 13 miles -- build a godly marriage ! Forty years ago today, two young kids got married and started a family. Those "kids" were my parents. They met on a blind date, fell in love, and were both still in college when they wed. Neither of them was a Christian then, but God, who is rich in mercy, drew them both to Himself in the course of time. Now 40 years, 4 children, and 11 grandchildren later, they continue to build a legacy of faith that will be passed down for generations. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for being faithful to each other, faithful to the Lord, and setting a good example for us. Happy Anniversary, Mimi & Grandpa! We love you!

Hmmm... now where is the Winde*x? Oh, I remember - in the fridge next to the milk! (orange roughy disaster - trust me, you don't want to know!)

Things that made today sweet: -some good finds at the library -some awesome deals at Good*will: bike $8; boots $3; kids on bike and in boots-priceless -finding three of these that call our garden home -fresh air on a pretty day -ending the day, thanks to a Star Wars cookbook found at the library, with yummy "Darth Malts."

Random Thought of the Day: Is it wrong to call my basement playroom "Thunderdome" and just close the door, hoping the screams die down on their own?

that there will always be a stack of books on my kitchen table. I've put adorable bamboo magazine files from Ikea on the counter, in the hopes that the books would drift and land there. But alas, my table looks more like a library than a place to serve a meal. Perhaps it is because I tend to read to the kiddos while they're eating breakfast and lunch. Perhaps it is because the kitchen is the heart of the home and books are dear to the hearts of its inhabitants. Whatever the case, we move the pile to a chair, or the piano - a temporary resting place during family meals - and they soon wander back to their adopted home.