Family Landmarks

This weekend was full of family landmarks.

We moved into our new home over Fall Break. It took a lot of work, to move in our furniture, but it's accomplished! The best feeling in the world was being able to sleep in our own beds in our new house. This morning, making coffee in my kitchen, I'm thankful (even for a Monday morning)!

I love watching my kids grow into young adults. They have become so responsible, putting away dishes without being asked, helping to cook dinner, and putting up their clean clothes. I love how much hard work they are putting into the new house.

A wonderful moment occurred on Sunday evening. My nephew was baptized!

It brought back some great memories, of my own baptism and of my kids' baptism just a few years ago. The preacher asked for a show of hands of people in the congregation who had been baptized. Such a moment to watch my kids, smiling, raise their hands in acknowledgement. That moment was real, deep in their hearts -- just as it was in mine. What a great landmark to celebrate as a family!

Can't wait for Thanksgiving in the new house, making more family memories and family landmark events!

A great read about family life and family landmark events: Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen. (a classic Newbery and worth the while)

Reading for Class Assignment (and for fun)

I am really enjoying my grad class this semester! I'm taking Children's Literature, and although there is a lot of reading involved, I am having so much fun!

I'm enjoying the lively discussions with other classmates from around the state, via the college discussion boards. One particularly lively discussion centered around The Giver by Lois Lowry. I enjoyed reading the book, and its sequels, and I relished the responses given by other students about their interpretations.

I also had to read a couple of books from this year's Sequoyah reading list (available here: http://www.owasso.k12.ok.us/webpages/stcmedia/index.cfm?subpage=554878)
I read Strange Case of Origami Yoda and reread Moon Over Manifest. Comparing the main characters in each, and then creating cross-curricular lesson plans, was an enjoyable task!


We also had a couple of great assignments that involved writing. Each assignment involved reading something from a selected list, and then writing about it by following the course rubric. The hardest thing about these assignments is learning how to pare down my writing. For example, one assignment called for a ONE-PAGE paper about an illustrator; however, the instructions also called for us to become an expert on that illustrator by reading several of his/her works and research him/her on the internet! Let's just suffice to say that my paper was actually 2 pages, not one. I used Chris Van Allsburg as my illustrator, and discovered so much about him and his unique books.

Another assignment asked us to suggest a poem for class study and for a detailed plan to teach various skills (not just poetry) in a cross-curricular format. I really enjoyed that assignment! I used the book Whiff of Pine, Hint of Skunk as the basis for my lesson, since there are so many ways to connect it to science curriculum (and much more)!

Most recently, we were given an assignment to read two different children's books that re-imagined a fairy tale. There are so many great ones out there, I had trouble deciding. I ended up going for a Gingerbread Man retelling, by using The Sugar Child and The Stinky Cheese Man. These two books are roughly based on the same story, but are polar opposites in reality. It made the writing so much easier, and the reading so much more fun! (Of course, this paper was supposed to be 1-2 pages, and ended up 2 1/2. Proud of myself for keeping it that short!)

Can't wait to see what the next assignment will be!







Reading suggestions? Well, any of the above, obviously. And dive into the above assignments on your own! You never know which book will spark your enthusiasm until you try!

Serious Reading Endeavor

I've been reading again.

I didn't really stop reading. But sometimes I just read for fun, just frivolous little fluff bits that entertain me.

Not this time. This time, it started as a serious endeavor.

It began with an assignment for my class. I'm taking my last master's class, Children's Lit. We were assigned to read Lois Lowry's The Giver.

I've read the book before. Apparently, it was so long ago, I'd forgotten most of it. Or maybe reading it again with new eyes caused me to see it differently.

What an amazing book! It is well-written, chock full of foreshadowing, symbolism, and vivid imagery. This imagery despite the fact that no one can see colors or have feelings!

I was so impressed, I had to read the sequels! The only one our school doesn't have is the finale, the fourth book. So I'll have to check it out from the public library.

Our assignment for class was to read The Giver. Next week, we will have a class discussion (via messageboard) about the novel. I can't wait to see what my colleagues think about the book!

Easter

Easter is one of my favorite holidays. I love seeing the spring grass and the rain, everyone dressed up in new clothes, and families getting together.

We all coordinated because my daughter picked out our clothes. We had a unique Easter meal after church, because my husband and my father-in-law designed the menu (and cooked it all). We did enjoy our steaks and burgers off the grill!

I think my favorite thing about Easter is what happens in the church. It certainly is a time when we are filled with joy and hope. The sanctuary fills with people, lillies, and powerful hymns that we only sing at Easter. It is at Easter than communion means more than ever, and our eyes are stung by unexpected tears at the wonder of it all.

This year, our kids (ten of them this time) did a skit of sorts to the song "Hero" by the Christian group Abandon. What a moving experience! No words were needed, they just acted out the story of Christ's coming. Yep, the kids get it, even when the adults have trouble remembering.

"There He goes, the Hero, the Savior of the world, here He stands with scars in His hands. With love He gave His life so we could be free." Powerful words. If you haven't heard this song, I heartily recommend it!

For a light springtime read, try Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson. Newbery Award winner 1945, a bit like Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit mixed with Richard Adams' Watership Down. One of my favorite lines happens just before Little Georgie sets off on his journey: "As he drifted off to sleep he could hear Mother still worrying and Father talking on and on -- and on -- and on -- and -- on --" And then there's a picture of Little Georgie asleep. So sweet!!

Independence Day

Our family celebrated Independence Day at John's house. All the family and kiddos were there, and we all had a great time.

This despite the fact that our county is under a burn ban. So no grill, no fireworks. But we still managed to eat, play, and chat. The kids all played in PaPa's pool (aka horse tank) and played some "golf" and "baseball". They are so cute!

We also celebrated by attending the church of our choice. What greater freedom than that?

Celebrate freedom today by reading a great book -- maybe Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool! It's a fabulous book, reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird, and set in depression-era Kansas. Oh, and it won the Newbery Medal for this year!

There's No Place Like Home

Special mommy moment: watching The Wizard of Oz with my daughter and experiencing it new with her. I'm so glad she loves it! :) "There's no place like home!"

Now, as much as I have read in my life, you'd think I wouldn't continue to be surprised. But books still continue to surprise and delight me.

One aspect of reading that always amazes me is the repetition of themes. And honestly, no matter how much I have read, the "ah-ha" moment of finding a recurring theme continues to strike a poignant chord.

On my quest to read the Newbery books, I just finished Secret of the Andes. "Ho-hum," right? Wrong! There was so much beauty and just good "story" in this little book!!

And you may wonder where I'm going with all of this... The theme of "coming home"!!

The beauty of Secret of the Andes and The Wizard of Oz is in finding the place we are supposed to be, the place we can truly label "home". The delight of discovering we ARE where we are supposed to be.

Yes, I am where I am supposed to be. Cyril is home.

(Following are poignant quotes from Secret of the Andes that I simply must share.)

"Chuto sighed. 'Is your heart going back over the trail your feet have traveled?' he asked tiredly. Cusi shook his head. 'That way,' he said pointing on the way toward home. Chuto laughed, and his laughter held the precious tones of gladness."

"They walked along in silence, a comfortable silence. They were companions. Companions have no need for constant talking."

"'We are a family. We belong to one another and everything we have can be shared together.' Cusi stood still and tense. There was the answer! he had alsmot gone away, leaving all that mattered behind him."

"Before him lay the meadow of ychu grass and beyond it the little river and then the fields of corn. He, Keeper of the Fields, was home again."

Resolutions

No, I did not make any New Year's Resolutions. And yet, after considering awhile, it seems I have actually made some. They just weren't "official".

Resolution 1: Get healthier. (I bought a wii fit, which I plan to use everyday, with help from the kiddos.)

Resolution 2: Increase my education to further my career. (Masters classes start tomorrow.)

Resolution 3: Spend more time with my girlfriends. (I am busily planning Praise & Coffee Night with Jennie.)

Resolution 4: Take time to do the things that really make me happy. (I actually scrapbooked yesterday, and set up a space where I can scrapbook at will.)

Resolution 5: Set a personal goal for the year. (I'm going to try to read the Newbery Honor books by the end of the year.)

Now, how amazing is that?!

Recommended Reading:
Hawksong by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

An Inspired Idea

During my "recuperation" from my wasp sting, I got to finally watch the movie Julie & Julia. FABULOUS movie!

And inspired an idea. Since I blogged last week about Newbery Books, I think I will give myself a year to read all the Newbery Honor Books. Hmm. A year is a LONG time. Should be fun!

It seems there are 88 total Newberys, and I have already read 44 of them! What an awesome start! Sadly, there are a few that are not available in the school library. Guess I will have to "road trip" to find those.

Can't wait to pick up another one. I'll keep you posted.

Interesting Reading

There is not much really going on, so I have finished reading another book on the Newbery List. I am trying to work my way through the whole list, and I have found that most are very good. I must admit that the older ones are more difficult reading but just as interesting.

The one I just finished was Caddie Woodlawn. I can't believe I hadn't read it before! A bit like Little House on the Prairie, but with more adventure thrown in. I hope Rachyl will feel interested in reading it when she reaches "green" level in AR. Most interesting of all, it was based on a real person! The author based the story on the real adventures of her grandmother. Now, that sounds like what I did to write my book! :)

No decision as yet about publishing my book. So many things to consider.

Suggested Reading:
Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Brink