Organic Learning

what species is that, exactly?

2010-11-11T10:55:00.001-06:00

SAMUEL: We each need to be an animal. What kind of animal are you going to be?

ME: I don't know. What are you going to be?

SAMUEL: A turtle.

ME: Hmm, what eats turtles?

SAMUEL: Bear Grylls.

Colorado!

2010-08-19T19:38:00.001-05:00

Warning: mega-post!

Okay, this is waaaaay overdue. We went to Colorado 2 months ago. But I still wanted to share some of the fun stuff we did now that summer is winding down.

Participants in this epic journey included not just the three of us, but also my husband's parents and brother, and the brother's wife and his 2 daughters, ages 8 and 10. We took 2 vehicles since the 9 of us couldn't fit in one van and it wouldn't have been pretty if we did.

Why Colorado Springs? My father-in-law was stationed at the Air Force Academy when dh was a kid, and they all have very fond memories of the area that they wanted to share with the rest of us while my BIL and his wife were visiting from Germany.

Day 1: Drove to my parents' house (3 hours) so that we would have a bit of a head start the next day. They were on guinea pig duty while we were gone.

Day 2: Drove to Junction City, Kansas. (6 hours) We were supposed to stay in quarters at Fort Riley, but our reservations were messed up beyond all recognition (MUBAR? Ha!), so we ended up in a hotel. Which was fine, because the kids got a chance to swim.

Day 3: Drove to Colorado Springs! (8 hours) Grandma rode in our car this day and watched a movie with Samuel.

watching The Mummy

His finger is in his mouth because he was wiggling a loose tooth.

It was fun to be able to see Pike's Peak from so far away and watch it get closer and closer. By the time we checked in at the hotel, dumped our stuff, and regrouped to go get something for dinner, it was getting fairly late. We wanted to go to one of the Yakitori restaurants in the area, since that was something that my husband and his family had enjoyed when they lived there. We found the nearest one - Yakitori #5 - with the help of the GPS, and showed up at exactly 8:00pm, only to discover that they closed at... 8:00pm! However, a very nice woman (who we later discovered is one of the co-owners) saw us standing outside looking all forlorn and hungry, and she invited us in and cooked for us! The food was awesome, and need I say more about the service??? Plus, even though Yakitori is a Japanese chain, since the owner of this one is Thai, they have Thai food on the menu also at this particular restaurant and I had the best Pad Thai ever.

Moral of the story: if you are in the Colorado Springs area, you must eat at Yakitori #5! Tell 'em those people from Illinois sent you. :)

Day 4: The plan was to go horseback riding at the Air Force Academy riding stables, and since they don't take reservations, we got there right when they opened... right behind another big group that wanted the "beginner" horses. So, we went for a little tour of the Academy. After discovering to everyone's dismay that the house dh's family lived in is now a little grassy patch next to the woods, we headed over to see the famous Air Force Academy Chapel.

Some views of the Protestant chapel upstairs:

cool organ, eh?

a view of the unique architecture

The Catholic chapel in the basement:

After our sightseeing tour of the base, we headed back to saddle up.

Samuel patting his horse, Slick

Giddap!

My MIL and dh were both given obstinate horses, but once those problems were solved, a good time was had by all. I am pretty sure we took the wrong trail, because I trusted my horse to go the right way at an ambiguous fork in the road, but we ended up back at the stables at the right time, so it all worked out in the end.

view from the trail

After lunch at the Falcon Club, we went to the Garden of the Gods - first the museum and gift shop, and then the actual park.

Samuel LOVED climbing all the rocks. Of course, there are signs posted saying not to climb the rocks, but then there are areas where it's clearly acceptable, so we just used common sense about where to allow it.

We discovered that the Trading Post inside the park is much better than the gift shop attached to the museum and spent way too much time and money there. Really, we bought a ridiculous amount of stuff over the course of the whole trip. One of my favorites, though, was bought at the Trading Post. It's a painted wooden plaque with a picture of St. Pasquale and it's now hanging in my kitchen and I love it! You can find the artist here.

If you are unfamiliar with St. Pasqual, you must read Pascual and the Kitchen Angels by Tomie dePaola.

Day 5: We rode the Cog Railway all the way up to Pike's Peak! We loved the ride up: the views were amazing and the tour was interesting.

not the best pic of Samuel, but look out the window!

The top was windy and cold, which we expected. I mean, you could see the snow up there from the bottom, so we knew to bring jackets. Even so, it was COLD up there! We did take a few pics at the top, but they are mostly not so good because we are all squinting into the sun and wind. There was an interesting fellow up there, though, who proved quite photogenic.

Okay, that last picture isn't that spectacular, but just look how blue that sky is! Oh, almost forgot one of the most fun things we saw (but didn't get a picture of) on our way up and down the mountain: yellow-bellied whistling marmots! Very cute.

After we ate some high-altitude doughnuts (SO good!) and rode back down the mountain, we decided to check out the arts-and-crafts mecca that is Manitou Springs. We had lunch at the Euro Cafe. The food there was all very good, but the best part was the Nutella crepe that we had to finish things off. Then we shopped 'til we dropped. Okay, mostly browsed. There were lots and lots of beautiful things, but we were in the market for some rocks and minerals and found a much better place to buy later on.

There are seven springs in the area (hence the name) that you can drink from, so we filled up our water bottles on the way home to give it a try. It tasted like European-style carbonated mineral water! We all loved it and I could easily see getting a large portion of our drinking water there if we lived close enough.

We then headed over to the Flying W, which is a working cattle ranch that also boasts a fun western town setup, a delicious chuckwagon dinner, and a fabulous band. We really had an awesome time here!

enjoying the scenery at Flying W

Look at these two hooligans!

These guys were awesome! They do a very fun show!

Day 6: We drove out to Cañon City and took the Royal Gorge Scenic Railway, which was a fun little ride. Looking out over the gorge is impressive, of course, but I also enjoyed seeing the ground we rode over glittering with mica. Then we headed over to Buckskin Joe, an old frontier town where several Westerns have been filmed. We had a good time watching gunfights and magic shows, but it was ridiculously hot that day. Not the best time to spend your day in a dusty frontier town!

in trouble again

Samuel and the mayor of Buckskin Joe

shooting gallery!

On our way back through Cañon City, we stopped at a trading post where Samuel and Shawn bought cowboy hats. Then we went to the Gold Mine Rock Shop, which is the store of which we'd been dreaming. There were piles and piles of beautiful rocks and minerals, big pieces, little pieces anything in between. I was supposed to buy amazonite and smoky quartz for my mother and sister and picked up some for myself as well. Also got my sister some raw garnets, and we added raw copper, peridot, and a bunch of other things to our rock collection. I was going to include a picture of everything, but maybe I'll make that a separate post and get it all properly photographed and labeled.

After spending WAY too much money (and oh my goodness, I just realized they have an online store, let's pretend that isn't true), we were famished and headed back to Yakitori #5 because I needed more Pad Thai. :)

By the way, if you think that we did a crazy amount of stuff while we were there, you are right, but it was a blast. Also, we swam in the hotel pool every night, too!

Day 7: It was Sunday, so we went to Mass at the Air Force Academy Chapel. Then we headed off to the one place that I had been before, way back when I was 12 years old and visiting my Aunt Janie in Denver: Casa Bonita! This is a crazy-huge Mexican restaurant that includes multiple themed dining areas, two arcades, musicians, shows, and... cliff diving. Yes, there is a waterfall in the middle of the restaurant, and they do silly shows and jump, fall, and dive into the pool below! Oh, and the food was excellent, but really all you need to know is: all-you-can-eat-sopapillas. Soooooo good!

By the time we got back to Colorado Springs, it was getting late, but we still had time to hike at bit at Garden of the Gods before it got too dark.

Day 8: Our last day in Colorado, sniff. We started off with just a little more hiking at Garden of the Gods.

that's Pike's Peak in the background

If this doesn't get me the Cool Mom award, nothing will.

The sign next to us says not to climb any farther!

the Kissing Camels

Ha!

Then we went to Cave of the Winds, and took the basic tour. Turns out there are other tours where you carry lanterns and fun stuff like that, so we'll have to give that a try next time. We made one last stop in Manitou Springs to get some more spring water! We filled our three Kleen Kanteens, plus several plastic bottles that we'd collected.

filling up at the Twin Spring

Finally, it was time to head east, so we got on the road. We were supposed to meet the rest of the group at a hotel in Kansas, but we ended up having to stop early due to tornadoes and hail! Samuel, who had actually been slightly nervous about driving through Kansas due to tornadoes (like we never have tornadoes in Illinois?) was actually disappointed that we didn't get to see any, although they were nearby, according to the radio. I did not share his disappointment!

Day 9: Got an early start, since we didn't get as far the day before, but we still didn't get as far as we'd hoped. We wanted to try and get all the way home this day, but as we got closer to my parents' house, it became evident that we weren't going any farther. The guinea pigs greeted Samuel with squeals of joy. Apparently they had been nearly silent the whole time we were gone, so they must have really missed us!

Day 10: Home at last!

It was a very tiring but fun trip, and I'd definitely do it again if we get the chance!

Helpful tip: always know what you are agreeing to.

2010-04-25T20:06:00.002-05:00

Samuel ran in the other day and said, "We found some sticks. Can we make a fort around the Bradford pear tree?"

I said, "Sure," and thought oh, just a few sticks piled up around the tree, no big deal, why did he even ask permission?

Then I went out to check the sheets on the clothesline and what to my wondering eyes did appear?

Obviously, the word "stick" has a different connotation to him than it does to me.

Samuel the Wise

2010-03-10T20:42:00.005-06:00

On the way home today:

ME: Stay out of the mud!

(I assure you that I am usually the cool mom who lets her child get wet and muddy, but we were about to get in the car and I didn't want him tracking mud in.)

SAMUEL: Oh, come on, you think I'd really step in the mud?

ME: Yes.

SAMUEL: (huffs indignantly)

ME: Well, I don't exactly trust you after the time that you went outside, took off your rain boots, splashed through a mud puddle in your socks, and then put your boots back on.

SAMUEL: (dismissively) Oh, I was young then!

Um, yeah. It was a whole 10 months ago:

I guess 10 months is an eternity when you are almost-nine.

the two lists

2010-01-26T09:25:00.003-06:00

I just had to link to this article at InsideCatholic: The Two Lists. It is simply brilliant:

I started to see the catastrophic mistake our society had made when we started believing that the life-giving potential of the sexual act could be safely forgotten about as long as people use contraception. It would be like saying that guns could be used as toys as long as there are blanks in the chamber. Teaching people to use something with tremendous power nonchalantly, as a casual plaything, had set women up for disaster.

Go read the rest here.

HT: Creative Minority Report

How to tell when it is time to turn off the lights and go to bed already

2010-01-23T21:58:00.003-06:00

Because sometime after midnight, people start getting silly and conversations go like this:

SAMUEL: I'm dead. I'm in purgatory, so you guys have to give me a penance.

ME: So you can get out of purgatory and go to heaven?

SAMUEL: Yes.

SHAWN: Hmm, well, you could skip lunch tomorrow.

SAMUEL: Skip lunch? But I'll DIE.

ME: I thought you were already dead. You're in purgatory, remember?

SAMUEL: Oh. Right.

Things I Have Posted On Facebook Instead Of Blogging Them Here

2010-01-09T17:37:00.004-06:00

... because it's just so darn much easier. In reverse chronological order, here are the highlights from my Facebook profile going back until I got tired of it.

Tracy Reeves A pair of woodpeckers (snowy or downy? haven't checked the field guide yet) have joined the cardinals as regular feeder guests, along with a flock of juncos and one obnoxious squirrel who did a fireman impression today when he tried to jump up the pole only to slide back down.

Tracy Reeves So far, the squirrel has not returned to the feeder since Samuel scared it away, allowing us to enjoy the cardinal pair who visits us daily. Samuel named the male Thomas and his birdie-wife Lucy.

Tracy Reeves If your child: draws a picture of a robot, and when you accidentally tear the picture, informs you that you have ripped a tear in the robot's space-time continuum... he might be watching too much sci-fi.

Tracy Reeves With the sunset reflecting off their bellies, it looked like a flock of pink geese just flew over the house.

Tracy Reeves Samuel tried to tackle me, and when I overcame him with tickles, he cried out in his defense, "It wasn't me! It was the Precious that made us do it!"

Tracy Reeves Yesterday, Elvis came up in conversation. (Don't ask.) Samuel replied, "I don't even know who Elvis is. I mean, I assume he's an elf." Today at Target, I spied an Elvis Christmas CD (which I TOTALLY want) and showed it to him. Upon reading the name, he said, "Well... he doesn't have pointy ears...."

Tracy Reeves Math with Samuel: "Well, to add 7 and 7, each 7 is made up of a 3 and a 4, so the two 4s make 8 and the two 3s make 6. A 6 is also three 2s, so you can take one of those to add to the 8 to make 10, and that leaves 4, so 10 plus 4 is 14." Yes, he can do it much faster, but this is more fun for him, apparently.

Tracy Reeves Samuel woke up, dragged himself upstairs and into my lap, informed me that he does not need to sleep anymore, and promptly fell asleep again.

Tracy Reeves My son was amazed that I somehow knew that he'd been eating chives in the garden again. Maybe I'm psychic. Or maybe he needs an Altoid.

Tracy Reeves decided to celebrate the feast of St. Pio by attempting to bilocate this morning. Thought it would be nice to sleep in WHILE I got up to get a shower. Totally did not work. Will pray harder next time.

Tracy Reeves is thinking that math would go much faster if Samuel didn't insist on drawing alligator teeth on all the less-than and greater-than symbols. Oh, well, at least he's having fun.

Tracy Reeves had to explain to Samuel that just because we are eating popcorn while watching today's Math-U-See video does NOT mean that we will always get popcorn with math. He was rather disappointed.

Tracy Reeves As if Borders suggesting that I buy Dan Brown's new novel wasn't funny enough, Facebook is now suggesting I become a fan of the White House. I assume they don't mean the building itself...

Tracy Reeves Oh, Borders Rewards, how little you know me. Trying to sell me the latest Dan Brown novel! Ha!

Tracy Reeves wonders if she should be concerned that her son is trying to make a blow dart, and also whether she should have aided his endeavor just now.

Tracy Reeves Just busted Samuel for running all over the neighborhood with bare feet. His excuse? "But... I'm a hobbit!!!"

Tracy Reeves Samuel is playing the Lord of the Rings theme song on his kazoo.

Tracy Reeves needs to stop catching her potholders on fire.

Tracy Reeves thinks it has probably been years since Samuel got dressed without simultaneously bouncing on the bed.

Tracy Reeves is not always the most consistent shopper herself, but she still had to laugh when the woman behind her in the checkout line was buying a gallon of organic milk and a block of Velveeta.

Tracy Reeves always forgets that she has clothes on the line until it is time for bed. Hope it doesn't rain tonight.

heartbreak and hope

2009-09-24T19:44:00.003-05:00

I truly hope that these stories and those like them become more widely known - how many lives may be changed and saved!

Video is not for young children.

and now for something completely different

2009-09-18T21:00:00.000-05:00

We've been watching "Monk" through Netflix lately, and we recently saw an episode in which Monk's assistant, Natalie, got a job that made her more famous and popular than her boss. He didn't like that very much, and one of his colleagues teased him, saying, "You're Garfunkel!" I chuckled, and didn't think any more about it. But then, as I've been listening to my Simon and Garfunkel CD, I wondered, what if Garfunkel watches "Monk"? Does he have the sort of sense of humor that he thinks that was funny, or did he find that hurtful and offensive? I can't imagine being someone famous and encountering people making fun of you when you least expect it, perhaps while relaxing to a favorite television show after a long day. It is probably silly of me to worry about it, but I just wanted to say, wherever you are Art, I hope you're feelin' groovy.

Ramadan!

2009-09-17T17:51:00.004-05:00

Okay, so maybe Ramadan is not something that you were expecting me to blog about. However, the students at the Newman Center where dh works were recently invited to the Intercultural Friendship Foundation's Ramadan Iftar dinner, and our family decided to attend. It was really wonderful! We all had a great time meeting new people and making new friends.

First, we listened to the Islamic call to prayer, which was beautiful. Then we had a delicious home-cooked Turkish meal together. After we had eaten our fill, one of the Muslim men gave a presentation on Islam, and specifically how and why Muslims fast during the month of Ramadan. Then my husband gave a talk on fasting in the Catholic tradition. There were many, many similarities. Islam stresses not only fasting, but prayer and almsgiving during Ramadan, just as we do during Lent. Their fast is much more strict than what the Church requires - no food or drink from sunup to sundown, even water! - but they have the same exemptions for children, the eldery, the sick, and pregnant and nursing mothers. Ramadan is a week or two earlier each year than the year before, so it shifts around the calendar over time. I was thinking how much more difficult it must be during the summer, when days are long, than when it falls during the winter. Another thing they do differently is that if you are exempt from the fast, you are expected to feed another person for each day that you did not fast. So, a nursing mom could invite a neighbor to join them for the evening meal (Iftar) to fulfil this requirement.

One saying they have is that during Ramadan, Satan is chained. I think that is a great image for the effect of pious penance. Like us, they use their hunger to remind them of those in need. Samuel was struck by what their presenter said about this - that he is hungry when he fasts, but he knows that he will eat at the end of the day, but many are hungry, and don't know when they will eat again. Samuel enjoyed the food, company, and cultural sharing very much, and immediately asked when the next one will be! :)

a must-read

2009-09-10T18:30:00.002-05:00

I've been trying not to do too much linkage on here lately, now that I've got my handy-dandy shared items widget in the sidebar from Google Reader. But, I couldn't let this one slide.

Will We March with the Death Cult?

yesterday's history/science/math lesson!

2009-09-10T14:07:00.010-05:00

For history this year, dh and I decided that we would like to do one big, overall review of all of human history, just touching on the "main stuff", but not going into a huge amount of depth in any one area. We want to give Samuel an overall framework so that when we do study things in greater depth later on, he'll know how they fit into the big picture. We've already been doing some reading about early human migration, ancient civilizations, the rise of agriculture, etc.

I wanted to give him some visuals about the scope of time, and a Montessori- style ribbon seemed to be just the thing. There was one in the Atrium that we used to attend, and it was great for putting things into perspective for the kids. I didn't know what the scale and dimensions were for that one, so I did some math and figured out one that would work for us. So, here it is! (Apologies for poor picture quality throughout - as I mentioned here, I broke the camera, so it's like having a film camera again! I can't see what I took until I upload everything. It was too hot outside for a redo!)

Each ridge on the grosgrain ribbon represents one million years. Yep, you read that right. 1,000,000. To help give your child a sense of how many one million is, I really recommend the book A Million Dots. You're probably thinking, this is going to be a short ribbon, with a million years per ridge! Well, there are about 25 ridges to an inch, so 4 inches is 100 million years. So, it takes 40 inches to reach one billion years. So, if we start at the beginning of the universe, approximately 14.5 billion years ago...

Time keeps going...

...and going...

Hey! What's that color change? We decided to change the ribbon to brown at around the time the earth formed, around 4.5 billion years ago.

And another color change! We decided to make it green when the first life was created, around 3 billion years ago. What? The ribbon is yellow? Ah, yes, that would be because the craft store was out of green! I'll redo it when they restock. :)

And here we are at present day. Humans have been here for about one-fifth of one ridge, or 200,000 years. So, obviously, we won't be using this ribbon for marking events in human history. We'll have another one for that! But it was fun to guess when the dinosaurs were alive, when the sun and moon formed, and things like that.

If you'd like to make your own ribbon, here are the dimensions. Obviously, the dates are all approximations, so if you're off by a few million here or there, no big deal. :)

Blue (representing time from the Big Bang until the formation of the earth): 33 feet, or 10 billion years.

Brown (representing time from the formation of the earth to the creation of the first life forms): 5 feet, or 1.5 billion years.

Green (representing time from the creation of life until the present): 10 feet, or 3 billion years.

This will give you a total of 48 feet, or 14.5 billion years. Happy learning!

Waldorf liturgy?

2009-09-06T19:00:00.003-05:00

When my son was much younger, he went through a phase of pretending that things were his babies, so I looked into getting him a doll. (He grew out of the phase before I ever got around to it, but that's beside the point.) I was particularly struck by the Waldorf-style dolls. In addition to being beautiful and handmade from natural materials, they typically have very minimal facial details. This allows the child to impart various emotions to the doll, as the face could easily seem to be happy, sad, etc. It made a lot of sense to me that to a sad child, a grinning doll would not be a comfort, but a Waldorf doll would seem to share a child's joy and sorrows.

Today, it struck me that one can draw a parallel with the liturgy. I went to Mass with my heart heavy with sadness for the recent losses in the Real Learning community. I simply could not participate in contemporary, wave-your-hands-in-the-air, tambourine-filled music. But that is what I got. It was like having a grinning doll mock my sadness.

I believe that traditional hymns are the Waldorf doll of liturgy. Certainly, there is joy in them, but it is a deeper, reflective joy that can be engaged in even in the depths of sorrow. Of course, there are some contemporary songs that would fit the bill to some, and certainly we should not ban all songs that are more overtly joyful.

I am neither a theologian nor a liturgist, so maybe I am way off-base here. But it just seems to me that this is something to consider when deciding what music is appropriate for Mass, and another reason to follow the Church's instruction to give traditional music primacy in the liturgy... one more reason to put down the tambourine and pick up a hymnal.

ObamaFood

2009-08-25T17:53:00.003-05:00

You know, I was thinking, food should be considered a right. I mean, we all need it to live. Now think of how many Americans don't get nutritious food. Many cannot afford it. Those people need help. Others choose not to buy and eat healthy food, but let's face it, that costs us all more in the long run, what with all the growing health problems like obesity and diabetes. What if the government were to step in with a federal food program? What would that look like?

First, a tax would be levied against every citizen, whether they chose to participate in the program or not. Gotta pay for it somehow, and with deficits skyrocketing, your pocket is the only option.

Those without proof of a government-approved diet will be forced to use the program. Others have the option... at first. To get government approval that your diet is sufficient, you will need to submit some or all of the following: a medical report verifying that you are not overweight or underweight, and that you are not diabetic, pre-diabetic, insulin-resistant, etc., a log of your food intake over the last month, and grocery and restaurant receipts from that time period.

Those in the program do not go to the grocery store. They go to a local government food distribution center, where, according to their age, gender, and other socio-economic data, they are given food for the week which has been determined to be statistically sufficient. This food is most likely not organic or "natural", but it will have what the government has decided is the proper amount and ratio of fat, protein, and carbohydrates, and be fortified to contain the Recommended Daily Allowance of the most important vitamins and minerals. It will require very little preparation, and there will be a government rebate for those who need to purchase the microwave necessary for most meals. It may or may not actually taste good. There may or may not be special meal packs available for diabetics, vegetarians, those with food allergies, etc. At the very least, a detailed prescription for special food will be required from your doctor.

You have to apply to receive special foods like a birthday cake, pumpkin pie, or Christmas candy at least two months in advance. These applications will be reviewed by a panel of government employees. You may be denied if you are overweight or have other health concerns.

Restaurants will have to show that their meals meet government standards. People in the program will be allotted a set number of restaurant meals per week. You may apply for more, for special occasions, or if your work schedule makes eating out the most convenient, and the panel will decide if you get them or not. Most restaurants will close, except for big chains that can handle the additional costs of government compliance.

The President will appoint a Food Czar, who does not need Congressional approval and answers to no one. This Food Czar will most likely be the former top-level employee of a large food company. That large food company will swiftly get the government contract to provide food for those in the program.

Those people without proof of healthy diet will immediately be ushered into the program. Many others will sign up voluntarily - free food, right? And, millions will retain their right to purchase food of their choosing... at first. As grocery stores and food companies start to go out of business, however, choices become more and more slim. More and more people are forced to turn to the government for their food. Eventually, a tipping point is reached, and either by market forces or law, there are no other options.

It all costs far more than was anticipated, and while a few people receive better nutrition than before the program's inception, most are now eating at a less healthy level than before. As costs continue to outpace income from taxes (think of how many more people are out of work NOW), the quality of government food steadily decreases.

There is no way in hell that the President, members of Congress, and other high-level government employees eat the same food you do. They fly their dinner in from France.

Those who are terminally ill or deemed irreversibly unproductive, such as the severely handicapped and those in a coma or "vegetative state" will receive food only if approved by the panel.

Two words: Soylent Green.

my new favorite craft blog

2009-08-18T21:56:00.004-05:00

I have been terrible the past few years about doing any crafts, except occasionally knitting a few inches of the same scarf I've been working on for probably 3 years now. However, that doesn't stop me from falling completely in love with Wee Folk Art. I love their crafts. LOVE. Maybe enough to motivate me, even!

First, I have to finish organizing my house, which is something I usually work at about as often as I knit that scarf. However, we recently got a ton of new shelves, and I think I might actually be able to find a home for everything now... and everything else, I will give away or throw away!

I also need to work on homeschool planning... I know, I know, I am an unschooler... but we are going to be a little more structured this year, which I think Samuel will like. He has been asking to do more "projects". I think he wants more organized activity, so we're going to give it a try. We are going to do Math U See, because he enjoyed the demo video so much, as well as some history and science. More later!

Samuel the food critic

2009-07-16T19:04:00.001-05:00

On discovering that I put bacon and onions in the green beans:

SAMUEL: Ooh, that's perfect! Except for the green beans.

must be a boy thing

2009-07-16T18:59:00.003-05:00

Samuel got a new scrape on his knee today, and was explaining the whole saga to dh and me at the grocery store. I told him that he could just clean it up when he got his bath tonight, and here's what he said:

SAMUEL: But I already cleaned it up.

ME: With what?

SAMUEL: Leaves and spit.

ME: Leaves and spit. Great.

SAMUEL: Oh, and the white liquid from a dandelion stem.

I know of no antiseptic properties of dandelion juice, but you never know, I guess. Someone should look into that.

beware of doctor

2009-07-16T14:06:00.003-05:00

I don't want to get into too much detail in this post because it involves some medical issues that I have been having, and I doubt that anyone really wants to know the specifics. However, I do want to share what my recent experience has been, as a cautionary tale to anyone dealing with the medical industry.

In the last few months, I've been experiencing severe anemia due to irregular bleeding. The bleeding absolutely had to be stopped for at least a few months so that my hemoglobin levels could recover. My options were a shot of Depo-Provera or 3 months of continuous birth control pills (without the weeks off for a period). I knew, from my experience as a student of and teacher for the Couple to Couple League, that birth control pills increase your risk of blood clots, something that I may be prone to. I talked to my doctor about it, and we agreed that Depo-Provera was the best option, as it does not have the same clotting risks as the Pill. I will give my doctor the benefit of the doubt that she would have asked about my health history with regard to blood clots before prescribing them for me if I had decided to go that route rather than getting the shot, but she had not said anything about it before I brought it up.

Three weeks later, I started bleeding again, despite the Depo-Provera. My doctor prescribed some progesterone pills in addition to what was already in my system. The pills did not work. When I called to tell her this, her nurse told me that the next thing to try would be birth control pills, and was ready to send my prescription in to the pharmacy right then. I reminded her that I had a possible issue with blood clots and did not think that I ought to take birth control pills. She put me on hold to check with the doctor, and came back with, "You're right, we DEFINITELY don't want to do that," and then we discussed other options.

What if I had not known the dangers of the medication that I was being prescribed? Again, I want to give my doctor the benefit of the doubt for the first incident, but for the second, there is no excuse. It is the doctor's job to know what medication is appropriate for a patient given their condition and history, not the patient's! That's why we pay them the big bucks, right? It makes me wonder how often doctors forget to ask questions or check chart information, and what the repercussions are.

Of course, even a doctor who actually tries to do these things will make a mistake sometimes. And, sometimes we have to make a decision to trust our doctor because a quick decision is needed and we simply don't have the time to Google everything. But whenever possible, we need to be responsible for our own health by learning about our health conditions, medications, side effects, and asking questions. There is a great ad being played in the radio right now encouraging patients to ask lots of questions, and I truly hope that people will listen!

Our Big Summer '09 Vacation

2009-07-14T20:47:00.003-05:00

Day 1

We started the drive out east. Samuel passed the time by listening to a Shel Silverstein CD.

We stopped at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to visit the air museum. An hour was not nearly enough time to see everything, but we had a great time.

Samuel in an F-4 cockpit

Then we drove to Salt Fork State Park in eastern Ohio, where we camped for the night. Other than Shawn nearly being attacked by a raccoon, we had a great time. It's been a couple of years since we camped, and Samuel was so excited to finally do it again. We need to go more often!

only when camping do 3 hot dogs and 2 s'mores make an acceptable dinner

Day 2

We drove to my grandparents' house in Virginia. It was great to see them and other family members again, and meet some others for the first time! Samuel got to meet his 2nd cousin finally, and they had a blast playing in a cardboard box. :) Wish I had gotten a picture of that, but I was so entertained watching them that it didn't even occur to me.

Day 3

Samuel and were sitting on the back porch looking out at the lake before breakfast, when he suddenly poked me and said, "Mama! That's a turkey." Sure enough, there was a turkey walking up the hill from the lake. He crossed the driveway and the yard, and I managed to snap a shot before he headed off down the road. We have seen lots of animals there, but this was our first turkey!

Later, we went for a swim in the lake, which was great. It is SO much nicer to go for a swim when there are only a few people in a nice big lake, rather than at the pool when you are always bumping into rowdy teenagers!

Day 4

Driving again - off to DC for the rehearsal dinner for my cousin's wedding. We managed to get in a swim at the hotel before heading off to dinner. Dinner was at a restaurant called Wildfire at Tyson's Corner. If you're ever in the neighborhood, their key lime pie is to die for. And I don't usually even LIKE key lime pie.

Day 5

It was an evening wedding, so we had plenty of time to take the Metro to the Mall. We took Samuel to the Museum of Natural History, which we all really enjoyed.

Samuel took this shot of the elephant that greets you at the door

This is a giant sloth that once stood 12 feet tall. Seriously. You do NOT want to meet that sloth in a dark alley.

Samuel was excited to see the saber-tooth...

... and the mammoth! Okay, he was probably only excited because of that silly Ice Age movie.

Samuel and a leatherback sea turtle! We'd just been reading about how big they are!

Samuel and a big fat caterpillar. I think it may have been a tomato hornworm.

After we got back to the hotel, we did NOT go for a swim, because they didn't open the pool when they said they would. Yes, the Crown Plaza made at least 2 small children cry that day. Keep that in mind when choosing a hotel at Tyson's Corner. ;) Ah, well, the kids recovered in time for the wedding. Here they are, getting some refreshment before the ceremony.

The wedding and reception were beautiful, and I wish my cousin and his new wife all the best! It was great to see all my aunts and uncles, and most of my cousins, too. It had been 6 years since I'd seen some of them!

Day... what day am I on? 6?

Driving... again! Back to my grandparents' house. Most of the family came, too, and we got to visit some more. The cardboard box was also revisited. Shawn and Samuel went kayaking on the lake, too.

Day 7

Relaxed. Went swimming. Went to Mass at the most awesome church ever. (You people in Front Royal are SO LUCKY!!!) Relaxed some more. Then re-packed like crazy because the next day, we were...

Day 8

Driving. Again. Back to Ohio, but the Hocking Hills region this time. The route that randmcnally.com had us take was through the mountains of West Virginia, and it was very very beautiful, but also very very twisty. We are talking constant hairpin turns as you go up and down and up and down and up and down and then Samuel said he wasn't feeling well and then he said that he was feeling worse and they he said, "Pull over! Pull over! PULL OVER NOW!" So we did.

This is the scenic overlook where we pulled over so Samuel could throw up.

We managed to make it through the mountains without further incident and arrived at last at the awesome cabin we rented for an early 10th anniversary trip.

We went out to dinner at Millstone BBQ, which was fabulous, and then just enjoyed our cabin.

Day... I lost track again.

For our first hike in Hocking Hills, we decided on Ash Cave. It was a fairly easy hike, and the rock formations were breathtaking, as they are everywhere in the Hocking Hills area.

That is Shawn and Samuel down there in the cave. And this is the last picture I took before I broke the camera.

Yep, I broke the camera. While leaning down to put our canteens on a rock, I let the camera around my neck swing forward and hit the rock, which dented the screen. It still takes pictures, but you can't use the screen AT ALL, which really limits things. Yes, I am still kicking myself. ARRRGGG! Oh, well

Samuel and I in Ash Cave

Then we went to Cedar Falls. This trail was a bit more challenging. It would help if they had better maps posted to help you plan your route. Hint, hint, Hocking Hills State Park people!

an alligator snapping turtle swimming by the Cedar Falls trail

Samuel in front of Cedar Falls

After all that hiking, we were ready to enjoy the cabin's hot tub that night. And after that, we put the fire pit to good use and made s'mores and banana boats.

The next day

More hiking! We went to the Rock House, which is the only true cave in the park (the others are recess caves). Here are some shots of Samuel inside the Rock House:

After that we were too tired for more hiking, so we played mini golf and went back to the cabin for more hot tub and s'mores. Just so you know, putting a Reeces cup in the s'more instead of a piece of chocolate is not as good at it sounds, because it doesn't get melty enough. Using dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate doesn't get quite as melty, either, but is still the best option. :)

Last Day (you thought it would never come)

We checked out of our lovely cabin and headed off for one more trail. We really wanted to do Old Man's Cave, since that seems to be the biggest attraction, but it's also a longer trail, so we opted for Conkle Hollows instead. It was such a beautiful trail! Absolutely gorgeous.

After that, we still managed to play mini golf again and browse an antique store before hitting the road for home. We discovered another great BBQ place in Springfield, Ohio - Rudy's Smokehouse. And then, at long last, we made it back home. It was a great trip, but it sure was busy, and it is nice to be back!

BTW, this is not all of our pictures from the trip. I KNOW. I totally maxed out my Flickr account this month, which I have never done before. If you want to see the rest, they are there.

Ted and Mo

2009-07-14T19:46:00.002-05:00

Samuel has decided that's what he likes to call his parents.

A couple of years ago, he started calling Shawn "Teddy", because he said that his daddy was like a big teddy bear. He has called him that off and on, and recently has shortened it to "Ted".

A few months ago, he started calling me "Mo-Mo" instead of "Mama", I think just because he thought it sounded funny. That stuck, too, and he's shortened it to "Mo".

People must think that we're really weird when he calls us that in public, but I'm so used to it now that I really don't even think twice about it. I guess I can't really complain, since I call him "Shmoo" half the time!

Mo, Shmoo, and Ted in a rare family picture

And here's what happens when Samuel has too much fun with the camera.

I hope he does this when he gets his driver's license picture taken in 8 years.

Happy Feast of St. John the Baptist!

2009-06-24T12:21:00.002-05:00

Our wonderful pastor was recently reassigned to another parish, and we miss him terribly. One of the things I love about him is that he was always sharing little tidbits of Church tradition that I had never heard of before. I know just what he is telling his new parishioners today! He shared with us the very interesting fact that the feast of the birth of St. John the Baptist occurs just after the summer solstice, and the feast of the birth of Christ - Christmas - occurs just after the winter solstice. So, St. John, who was 6 months younger than Jesus was born as the light is beginning to diminish, until the birth of Jesus when it begins to increase again. Which brings to mind the words of St. John the Baptist, "He must increase, but I must decrease."

I love all the ways our faith interweaves with life!

climbing onto my soapbox...

2009-06-24T10:42:00.003-05:00

We have a few upcoming weddings, which have gotten me thinking about how our marriage started off. Everyone thought that we should wait to get married, we were too young, we didn't have any money, etc. Well, we got married anyway! People also seemed to think we should wait to have children, since we were so young (I was 20, dh was 22 when we married) and dh's job paid next to nothing. We didn't listen to that advice, either. It took us 11 months to conceive our son. He is now 8, and an only child, although we have only ever used NFP to increase our chances of conception. My fertility has gone rapidly downhill and so far, no one knows why. I shudder to think what our life would be if we had listened to all the well-meant advice. What if we had not been married and started trying for a baby until 1 or 2 years later? I am quite convinced we would be childless. Our beautiful son would not exist.

What advice does our culture give young couples these days? I think it is much the same advice we were given: Wait, you don't need kids yet! You have all the time in the world. Go finish that degree first, get your dream job, buy that house... and on and on. Anytime I see young couples, recently married or preparing for marriage, I want to scream the opposite: Don't wait! Don't listen to the culture! Don't hesitate to pursue the real goods of marriage: children!

Now, I know that there may be some couples who legitimately should postpone having children, and only they can discern this through prayer. However, I think the number of couples who do wait is probably far greater than the number of couples who should wait, thanks to the influence of our culture, which puts things before children. I also know that not everyone has fertility problems like mine, and thank God for that! Nevertheless, fertility problems are becoming more and more prevalent, and postponing starting a family is a big part of the reason. I hate to think that there are couples out there who will never have children because they thought they could just wait and have them later, or even couples who will not have as many children as they would like because they started too late.

My prayer for all couples embarking on married life is that they will be able to silence the voice of the culture in their ears and focus only on the voice of God when making these life-changing decisions.

Samuel, a few days old.

ah, innocence

2009-05-12T21:04:00.000-05:00

We watched an episode of Stargate: Atlantis a while back in which the good guys failed in their first several attempts to beat the bad guys. Good Guy R was rescuing Good Guy J and explaining the new plan in the process. "We've moved to Plan B. Or is it C?" he says, before explaining the plan, which is basically a suicide mission. Good Guy J replies, "Isn't that Plan F? As in we are-" and then is conveniently cut off.

Samuel brought that incident up later, saying, "Wasn't that funny, when J said 'Isn't that Plan F?' "

I was all set to talk to him about appropriate language, when he continued, "As in, we are FRIED!!!"

Right. Why didn't I think of that?

Good Friday

2009-04-10T07:00:00.002-05:00

At the Cross her station keeping,
stood the mournful Mother weeping,
close to Jesus to the last.

Through her heart, His sorrow sharing,
all His bitter anguish bearing,
now at length the sword has passed.

O how sad and sore distressed
was that Mother, highly blest,
of the sole-begotten One.

Christ above in torment hangs,
she beneath beholds the pangs
of her dying glorious Son.

Is there one who would not weep,
whelmed in miseries so deep,
Christ's dear Mother to behold?

Can the human heart refrain
from partaking in her pain,
in that Mother's pain untold?

Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
she beheld her tender Child
All with bloody scourges rent:

For the sins of His own nation,
saw Him hang in desolation,
Till His spirit forth He sent.

O thou Mother! fount of love!
Touch my spirit from above,
make my heart with thine accord:

Make me feel as thou hast felt;
make my soul to glow and melt
with the love of Christ my Lord.

Holy Mother! pierce me through,
in my heart each wound renew
of my Savior crucified:

Let me share with thee His pain,
who for all my sins was slain,
who for me in torments died.

Let me mingle tears with thee,
mourning Him who mourned for me,
all the days that I may live:

By the Cross with thee to stay,
there with thee to weep and pray,
is all I ask of thee to give.

Virgin of all virgins blest!,
Listen to my fond request:
let me share thy grief divine;

Let me, to my latest breath,
in my body bear the death
of that dying Son of thine.

Wounded with His every wound,
steep my soul till it hath swooned,
in His very Blood away;

Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,
lest in flames I burn and die,
in His awful Judgment Day.

Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence,
by Thy Mother my defense,
by Thy Cross my victory;

While my body here decays,
may my soul Thy goodness praise,
safe in paradise with Thee. Amen.

always liturgically correct

2009-03-12T12:55:00.003-05:00

On Tuesday, the stock market apparently recovered a little bit. (I have no idea of its current state, my head is buried firmly in the sand at the moment.) Samuel and I caught a snippet of the news on the radio just before we got out of the car for Mass:

RADIO ANNOUNCER: ... and they are singing "Hallelujah" on Wall Street today...

SAMUEL: Is it not Lent there?

What Samuel says about me...

2009-03-05T16:17:00.001-06:00

This is a meme I saw on Facebook, reposting here...

Kids are honest. What do your kids have to say about you? Ask your child the following questions, and post their answers in your own note.

1. What is something your mom always says to you?

Shmoo. (This is our latest nickname for him, and it has evolved into quite the game for him. He is a shmoo from the planet Shmoodle. Shmoos are blue.)

2. What makes your mom happy?

Dark chocolate. (Darn right.)

3. What makes your mom sad?

No dark chocolate. (He knows me so well.)

4. How does your mom make you laugh?

Most likely, tickling me. (Guilty as charged. But can I add that he is the most ticklish child on the planet???)

5. What was your mom like as a child?

I don't know. (Said in a slightly annoyed tone, like how could I have the nerve to ask such an unreasonable question. I mean, he wasn't there. Might as well ask what Moses was like as a child.)

6. How old is your mom?

30. 29? No, 30. (Yes, he was correct after the waffling.)

7. How tall is your mom?

No clue. (He then asked how big a foot was, and I showed him with my hands. He then estimated 4 feet.)

8. What is her favorite thing to do?

Doing stuff on the computer, snuggling, eating dark chocolate, reading books, making new recipes.

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?

(Confusion!)I'm never not around.

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?

I don't know.

11. What is your mom really good at?

Making new recipes. (I really don't make new stuff all too often, we've just had a couple recently.)

12. What is your mom not very good at?

Remembering things. (True.)

13. What does your mom do for a job?

She doesn't have one. (Heh.)

14. What is your mom's favorite food?

Tiramisu. (Don't know about favorite, but it's up there!)

15. What makes you proud of your mom?

She makes yummy recipes from scratch and she notices things. (Now if only I could remember them...)

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?

No clue.

17. What do you and your mom do together?

We play a lot of games.

18. How are you and your mom the same?

I have her eyes

19. How are you and your mom different?

I don't have her hair.

20. How do you know your mom loves you?

She just does! What kind of mom doesn't??? (Duh...)

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?

He's a good daddy.

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?

The beach. (Indeed.)

when you don't know what to write...

2009-02-27T10:53:00.003-06:00

... just do a meme!

1. My poor, neglected blog. Here's where I've been. (HT: Marie - on Facebook, of course!)

2. I really really really want winter to GO AWAY, but at the same time, it's hard to be Lent-y when flowers are blooming everywhere.

3. Samuel and I have been doing the Journey North project, although we're already behind. Oh, well. He's having fun calculating photoperiods and graphing them. It is nice to see our sunlight increasing!

4. I am probably spending way too much time reading about politics. I feel physically ill every time I learn something new about the "stimulus" bill, CPSIA, what they're doing to health care, etc.

5. Well, that one was depressing, so let's pretend everything is fine and move on, shall we? Let's see, we went to Mass on Ash Wednesday and were not subjected to the song "Ashes"! You have no idea how huge this is for our parish!

6. Samuel is having lots of fun learning Gregorian chant from Heath. He would like Gregorian chant at every Mass, please.

7. I have started veiling at Mass. I have been feeling called to for a long time, but just never really got up the nerve to start doing it, so I decided that it would be part of my Lenten penance to start. I am sure that after a while it won't be a big deal, I'll just be that weird lady who veils and that'll be that, but right now I can feel everyone staring, whether they actually are or not. Now that I've announced it, I can't chicken out, right?

More at Jen's!

Ouch! A bee!

2009-02-10T16:18:00.003-06:00

I finally uploaded a picture of myself for my Blogger profile. Took me long enough! We have almost no pictures of me, so I finally just took one myself. Before this one, the best one I had was probably one from a couple Christmases ago, where I am in my pajamas and am displaying a book I'd just received. I didn't realize until trying to get a flattering shot of myself how much rounder my face is than it was not so very long ago.

That reminds me of a priest I knew who was going to see his sister for the first time in many years, and had gained weight in the interim. He asked me, "Do you think she'd buy it if I tell her I got stung by a bee and I'm real allergic?" Well, it's too cold for bees here, so I guess that excuse won't work for me!

7 Quick Takes Friday

2009-01-23T11:04:00.004-06:00

1. So, this is the new meme going around, and I think I'm the last one in the blogosphere to join.

2. Hey, it's been a while since I posted, eh? Holidays and all. My house still looks like the Christmas tornado hit it. I mean, ~~all~~ most of the decorations are ~~put away~~ piled in the guest room, but there are still gifts here and there that we haven't found a home for. Plus I took a little Christmas vacation from laundry that I am still regretting, and my kitchen sink has frozen no less that three times, causing an involuntary vacation from doing dishes as well. Yes, I could haul them up to the bathroom and wash them in the bathtub. But I don't.

3. It is above freezing here today and the snow is melting! Woo! Of course, I think it's supposed to be really cold again in a few days, but let's enjoy this brief respite, shall we? At least it won't be getting really really cold this time, like it was a couple weeks ago. Which means maybe, just maybe, my sink will not freeze!

4. I need a teapot. I would like to be able to brew more than one cup at a time so I don't have to keep trekking to my very cold kitchen every time I need a refill. Then I will need a cozy for my teapot to keep it warm. Anyone have a good pattern to knit one? (Note to my mother in the event that she reads this: we need to go teapot shopping at your nifty tea store next time I'm there.)

5. We have rediscovered some of our games here lately. Our new favorites are Yahtzee!, Battleship, and Mille Bornes. Samuel wants to try Monopoly tonight. I hate Monopoly. I secretly hope that he will hate Monopoly so that he won't want to play it ever again. I promise not to sabotage the game in order to make him hate it. I will just silently hope.

6. Doesn't Father Cantalamessa have the Best Name Ever? It means "sings the Mass". I want Samuel to grow up to be a priest who will of course have excellent liturgical taste and, thanks to Heath, will be able to chant beautifully. Then he can change his name to Cantalamessa, too.

7. I think I have pictures to share. I'm not sure. I can't remember the last time I saw the camera. I know that I didn't get as many at Christmas as I wanted to. I never do. I tend to forget about taking pictures until all that's left is a wasteland of wrapping paper scraps. I also wanted some nice pictures of Samuel in the snow, but it was cold out and I am a wimp so that didn't happen either.

More at Jen's!

Christmas music: the dark side

2008-12-08T23:46:00.004-06:00

As a counterpoint to the last post I shall now complain about my most-despised Christmas song ever. It is, of course, "The Christmas Shoes". (Yes, I know I already complained about "The Christmas Song". But that song is NOTHING compared to "The Christmas Shoes".)

Isn't this song awful? But I bet it made you cry anyway. That's just part of it's evil power. What I want to know is, what kind of shoes did he buy? Nike trainers? Bejeweled flip-flops? Thigh-high black leather stiletto boots? Really, can you picture ANY shoes that would be appropriate for this poor, bed-ridden woman? She is DYING, people! Who cares about a pair of silly shoes?

And, for the record, should I suddenly acquire a terminal illness, I'll take a pair of these:

...since, being bed-ridden and all, it won't matter that I probably can't walk in them.

Until then, these are on the top of my list:

Christmas music meme

2008-12-08T21:54:00.003-06:00

I've been tagged by Wendy at Zoom Times!

If you were trapped on a desert island and it was Christmas and all you had was a small generator, Christmas lights for your coconut tree, an endless supply of Christmas cookies and eggnog, your CD player and 6 Christmas CDs , which 6 albums would you want them to be? If you can find Amazon links, we can listen to snippets...

My answers:

Okay, before I give answers, I need to tell you that we really don't own very much Christmas music, and I'm not familiar with CDs we don't own! Most of what we have we picked up on clearance after checking to be sure that it was all (or at least mostly) religious music and did not include "The Christmas Song", which I hate. (Sorry.) I prefer the traditional stuff mostly. Oh, and I don't like instrumental stuff, I want words!

So, what I'm trying to say here is that I don't know if these are my favorites, but this is what we've got!

1. The Gregg Smith Singers - I have no idea who these people are. Nice CD, though. Covers most of the "basics".
2. Traditional Sounds of Christmas - this is a boxed set that has 3 CDs. I think one of them is instrumental, so we only listen to the other 2.
3. Bing Crosby's White Christmas - we actually have 2 CDs with this title, with different songs. I haven't listened much to either to tell you which is better, but they both seem nice.

That's pretty much it. We listen to the radio a lot, because there are stations around here that play nothin' but Christmas music from Black Friday to Christmas, so we do get more variety, we just don't own it. Anyway, I would like to expand our collection, so here are some things I'd LIKE to have - any suggestions on these would be most welcome!

4. a Gregorian chant CD
5. something with "Sing We Now of Christmas" which I love even more now that I finally heard the whole thing, thanks to Heath, and no thanks to Michael W. Smith.
6. something with more obscure traditional songs from different cultures

And you know what else I would LOVE? An Advent CD. With songs like O Come, O Come Emmanuel and The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns and stuff like that. Does one of those exist???

Okay, I think I totally destroyed that meme with my lameness, but I'll try to pick up the pieces here and tag a few folks:

Heath and Shannon (I expect to hear from both of you!)
Jennifer
Angi
Dawn
Molly

Do you think he has low self-esteem?

2008-12-04T17:29:00.002-06:00

While snipping the tags off the new Christmas washclothes I bought at Sears...

ME: Look! Now you can use these to wash your little face!

SAMUEL: You mean my little cute face?

I'm an all-or-nothing kind of gal.

2008-12-04T15:20:00.003-06:00

I like having a nice seasonal picture up there on my header, but unfortunately, it comes with the crushing responsibility of having to change it. The fall leaves weren't exactly current anymore, as I look out my window at all the snow. I thought about changing the page colors, too, to a lovely purple Advent theme, but then I'd have to change it to pink in two weeks and then back to purple, and then to white and gold, and then I'd have the dilemma of going back to my familiar ol' blue or to green during OT, or maybe I could use the blue for Marian holidays, oooooh and green for St. Patrick's Day, and I could put up pictures of the Saints on their Feast Days and relevant novena prayers, and, and...

I think I'll stick with blue. For now.

Simple Woman's Daybook

2008-11-17T12:10:00.002-06:00

I think I missed a couple of weeks. Things have been a little busy around here. I suppose it will only get worse, since it's that time of year.

You can see all of this week's posts if you go and visit Peggy!

For Today...

Outside my Window... it is cold! And we have been having snow flurries, which Samuel thinks is great. He wants a gigantic snowstorm and was quite disappointed when I told him it wasn't going to stick.

I am thinking... about Christmas. We've already made a good dent in our shopping, and I think almost everything else is planned and just needs to be ordered. I really wanted to get this out of the way early this year so that we can relax and really enjoy Advent for once - it always seems to fly by.

From the learning rooms... Oregon Trail! Although apparently we need to get started on a history timeline to put things in perspective.

I am thankful for... warmth. A working furnace, a toasty little space heater, warm clothes, hot tea, hot food, a hot bath... these will be my refuge for the next 4 months.

From the kitchen... dh is working (again) so I'll make Samuel and I some pasta to go with the leftover sauce from last week. And I think I'll bake something. I don't know what yet, just something...

I am wearing... long johns, blue jeans, burgundy knit shirt, wool socks, slippers, and a gray fleece robe. I am COLD, people!

I am reading... the Anne of Green Gables series, including Chronicles of Avonlea and More Chronicles of Avonlea. With all the political mess, this has been a nice escape, and I had never read the Chronicles before, despite the fact that I've had them for a couple of years now. LMM was kind of obsessed with the idea of lovers who are kept apart for 20 years and then finally get together. It makes for a nice sappy ending, if you don't think about it too much, but I can't help but think of how many years they wasted! And now they'll never have a family! I know, I know, they are FICTIONAL, but it still bothers me.

I am hoping... and praying that FOCA does not happen.

I am creating... order. I hope.

I am hearing... Samuel making bizarre noises. So, business as usual.

Around the house... it is kinda messy in here. Gotta do something about that.

One of my favorite things... eating pizza in the basement while we watch a movie together. Lately it's been a BBC series on Africa that we got from Netflix (another of my favorite things).

A few plans for the rest of the week... Samuel and I are going to the last week of a museum program on Wednesdays. I'd like to set up a playdate, since it seems like we haven't seen any of our friends lately. Got a bit more shopping to do... other than that we will just try to stay warm. Well, I will. He thinks it's fun to ride his bike in this weather.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

Pa! I lost my laptop in the stampede and it got trampled! Guess we'll have to get a new one at the next trading post.

2008-11-16T22:44:00.004-06:00

We got Samuel the Oregon Trail computer game. It's fancier than the one that we played way back in 1986, as you can well imagine, but it's the same premise and Samuel has had fun playing it. It came with this bumper sticker, which I love:

Samuel looked at it and wanted to know why the picture looked funny. I explained to him that all computer pictures used to look like that, thinking that he would make the connection to when dh and I told him that we used to play the game when we were kids. Instead, he thought we were talking about an even earlier time:

"So, like when they had the wagons?"

post-election humor

2008-11-11T12:12:00.002-06:00

This is the funniest thing I've seen in quite a while...

HT: Heath, who I would be happy to teach how to embed YouTube videos. :)

can't sleep, sharing a link

2008-11-06T04:04:00.003-06:00

Jennifer at Conversion Diary asks an important question:

"What litmus test could you offer that would apply to all places and all times as a way for a person to look around themselves with completely clear eyes, piercing through even the thickest fog of self-delusion and widespread cultural acceptance, and see that they are surrounded by grave evil?"

Go and read the answer.

we can never give up

2008-11-05T13:38:00.002-06:00

Prayer to End Abortion
Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life,

And for the lives of all my brothers and sisters.

I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion,

Yet I rejoice that you have conquered death by the Resurrection of Your Son.

I am ready to do my part in ending abortion.

Today I commit myself

Never to be silent,

Never to be passive,

Never to be forgetful of the unborn.

I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement,

And never to stop defending life

Until all my brothers and sisters are protected,

And our nation once again becomes

A nation with liberty and justice

Not just for some, but for all,

Through Christ our Lord.

Amen!

God help us

2008-10-28T13:12:00.003-05:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

You probably don't want to watch this with young children around. It is very difficult to watch, but I hope that you will.

HT: Creative Minority Report

Cherry Apple Crisp

2008-10-21T14:33:00.002-05:00

My family has been making apple crisp for a looooong time. It's a very simple recipe - we don't usually put anything in the filling except apples, maybe a bit of lemon juice (although I usually forget that) and occasionally a drizzle of honey (because the recipe is officially called Honey Apple Crisp - but we almost always skip the honey, too). The topping is just flour, brown sugar, salt, and butter.

Then I decided to try the Country Pear Cherry Crisp from the Better Homes and Gardens baking book. It has a granola topping. Well, we really like our topping, so we made their filling with our topping, and it was pretty good. But, we really like apples better than pears, and it's often easier to find good apples around my birthday, which is when I always request this, so here is the latest variation. I think it's a keeper!

Cherry Apple Crisp

Topping:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter

Mix the flour, brown sugar, and salt, and then cut in the butter. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375, then start the filling.

Filling:
1 16-ounce can of tart pitted cherries, water pack (NOT cherry pie filling!)
1/3 - 1/2 cup sugar (I have only used 1/3, but maybe you want more if you have very tart apples)
4 large apples, peeled and sliced - you want these fairly thin
2-3 Tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh orange zest (optional)

Dump the cherries with juice into your casserole dish - I used a 2 1/2 quart. Mix in the sugar and let that sit and dissolve while you peel and slice the apples. Mix the apple slices, flour, cinnamon, and orange zest into the cherries, getting it all evenly distributed. Sprinkle on the topping, and then bake for about 40 minutes, or until filling bubbles, apples are tender, and topping is browned. Let it cool for a few minutes before serving. If you're the type of person who likes ice cream over warm baked goods (and I am not) this would be good with some vanilla or even butter pecan.

This made enough for about 6 medium servings - enough for our family of three for last night and tonight. (It reheats well in the oven.)

If you need more, you can use 6 apples instead of 4, and increase the topping by 50%. (So, 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cups brown sugar, etc.) Everything else can stay the same, you just won't have quite as many cherries in each dish. You'll obviously need a bigger casserole too.

This is definitely one of my new favorite desserts, and will probably be my birthday treat for a long time!

Simple Woman's Daybook

2008-10-20T16:48:00.002-05:00

You can see all of this week's posts if you go and visit Peggy!

For Today...

Outside my Window... a dreary, overcast fall day. Indian summer is over, and fall is here to stay. Now I just wish the leaves would catch up. I am seeing way too much green for this time of year!

I am thinking... that winter will be here before we know it. Fall never seems to last long enough.

From the learning rooms... we are plugging away at Samuel's "Little Stories for Little Folks" books. I know, I know, not very unschool-y. But he actually enjoys it and it is helping him to feel more confident in trying to read things that are unfamiliar to him. Plus, it makes dh feel better.

I am thankful for... life. We should never take it for granted.

From the kitchen... dh is working (I think I only ever do this on nights when dh is working) so probably leftover pasta with alfredo and broccoli for dinner. And, if I get my act together, a cherry apple crisp for when he comes home.

I am wearing... blue jeans, a green T-shirt with 3/4 sleeves, gray socks and navy slippers.

I am reading... more about politics online. I should really stop, as it just gets me mad, but...

I am hoping... and praying for a miracle.

I am creating... a scarf. Still. Someday I'll finish it. Really.

I am hearing... the muted sound of Samuel playing with his friends outside.

Around the house... it is cold in here! And it is going to stay cold until some time in May... that's 7 months from now! Better break out the blankets and sweaters!

One of my favorite things... hot drinks. Coffee, tea, cider, cocoa. I'll need lots to get me through.

A few plans for the rest of the week... Samuel and I are going to a museum program on Wednesday and then we will hopefully get to see a friend from out-of-town. Other than that, we'll probably start staying indoors more, reading more, and trying to keep warm!

No picture this week, I haven't used the camera for a while. The one I can't get out of my mind is over at the top of my sidebar.

pray for Michael

2008-10-20T14:20:00.003-05:00

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/lovemichael

not that I am bitter...

2008-10-09T10:59:00.003-05:00

Link.

Yep, I need to get a couple of those T-shirts for my husband and me. You see, we've made very little money during our nine years of marriage, since he works for the Church. However, that was a sacrifice we were quite willing to make. So, we did our best to be responsible with the money we had. We saved, were frugal, and did without. We rarely bought any of the extras that most people take for granted. We bought a house, but it was a house we could afford: half a duplex in a small town 30 minutes away from where dh works. Sure, we wanted to live closer. And have a nicer house, as opposed to old military housing. And not share a wall with people who scream at each other and don't mow their lawn - ever. But we didn't have the money to do that, SO WE DIDN'T. All this time, we thought that we were being responsible, and using our money wisely. How silly of us. Apparently, we'd have been better off blowing money we didn't have and buying our dream house in a nice neighborhood within walking distance of dh's work, because thanks to stupid politicians, those people may not only get their fancy houses, they won't even have to pay the money that they owe for them. No, it's my husband and I - who only this year will even make enough money to have to pay federal taxes - who will be helping to pay for their irresponsibility.

Yes, I know that there are some people who can't pay their mortgage not because they were irresponsible, but due to a genuine crisis. Yes, I think they should be helped, but by the community, not the government. As for the average greedy Americans who bought McMansions they couldn't afford, maybe you should sell it and try living within your means. There are some duplexes for sale in my neighborhood if you'd like to move to the real world.

I guess he's not a morning person either.

2008-10-07T16:39:00.002-05:00

This morning we had to get up early to drive dh to work so that Samuel and I could take the car to visit Grandma and Grandpa. As I came into the bedroom after my shower and flipped the light on, Samuel moaned, "Noooooooo," and dove under the covers. I stood in front of the closet and mused, "What should Mama wear today?" He replied, "Something she can put on with the light off."

Simple Woman's Daybook

2008-10-06T18:04:00.002-05:00

You can see all of this week's posts if you go and visit Peggy!

For Today...

Outside my Window... twilight is fading. I do love autumn, but the shorter days are not my favorite part.

I am thinking... that I want to enjoy every last bit of fall before the real cold sets in.

From the learning rooms... Samuel was fascinated by an orb spider who took up residence near our front door. We got to watch it reweave its web each night and catch insects. It reminded him of Shelob and now he is watching Lord of the Rings.

I am thankful for... the lovely weekend we just spent with my family. We went to the Best of Missouri Market at the Missouri Botanical Gardens. There are so many interesting vendors there, and lots of things to taste - Samuel's favorite part. :)

From the kitchen... dh is working tonight, so something quick and easy... eggs and toast! Scrambled eggs with buttered toast for Samuel, and eggs fried in bread with a hole cut in the middle for me.

I am wearing... blue jeans and a pink T-shirt.

I am reading... Facebook. Yep, just joined. It has been fun to see what everyone's been up to.

I am hoping... to have the will to resist wasting too much time on Facebook.

I am creating... fall crafts. Whoever posted about The Crafty Crow on 4Real: thank you! What a fun website. I made this acorn necklace, which Samuel loves.

And, I am going to try the waxed leaves once we have a better selection here in the next week or two.

I am hearing... the theme of Rohan. (I told you Samuel is watching LOTR!)

Around the house... need to finish putting up the fall decor!

One of my favorite things... a crescent moon on a clear night. (It's not so clear tonight, but last night as we were driving home, it was beautiful.)

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... going to visit Grandma and Grandpa tomorrow. Other than that, I just want to get back to a routine, or what passes for one in this house.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

Took a walk a few days ago, and Samuel kept straying into the gutter to crunch the leaves that had accumulated there. We don't have too many yet, but there will be lots more to come!

In Which I Turn 30

2008-10-03T07:00:00.002-05:00

Feast of the Hunter's Moon!

2008-10-01T14:28:00.005-05:00

We went to the Feast of the Hunter's Moon on Saturday and Sunday. It was awesome! If Fort Ouiatenon in West Lafayette, Indiana is a reasonable driving distance for you, then you really must plan to go next year.

We got to see craftspeople at work, like this cooper.

We watched Native American dance.

We saw artisans' wares, like this beautifully dyed yarn.

We watched a musket competition.

We watched various fife and drum corps give demonstrations.

We got to learn some forgotten skills, like cross-cut sawing.

We watched a cannon demonstration. (The picture is fuzzy due to the shock wave from the cannon firing!)

We got to watch the massed fife and drum corps perform.

We watched some country dancing.

We watched the British battle the French!

We ate LOTS of delicious food, all cooked over wood fires like these. (Samuel's favorites were the forfar bridies and apple dumplings.)

We saw all the campsites where people were living just like they did in the 1700's.

And we got in the spirit ourselves!

Next Feast is October 10-11, 2009 - hope to see you there!

note to self: always bring the camera

2008-10-01T13:57:00.005-05:00

On Friday, we decided to go for a walk in the woods. Since I forgot the camera, of course we saw lots of cool stuff! In our short walk, we spied 5 deer, 2 of whom we were able to observe for quite a while from less than 15 feet away, a really weird looking spider, and a toad, which peed all over dh's hand when he picked it up. Samuel learned a very valuable lesson: always let Daddy pick up the toad. As we were hiking down the trail, Samuel said, "Now this is my idea of a good time!"

Save the Liturgy!

2008-09-25T21:11:00.003-05:00

I've been wanting to put that image on my blog for a while now, and there's nothing like attending a horrendous liturgy to inspire you. I attended Mass (if indeed it was a valid Mass, I'm still not entirely sure) in my sister's new hometown last Sunday, and it was quite the experience. It would take too long to detail all the ways in which the Mass was illicit and in poor taste, so I'll just share what stands out the most at the moment. After the Agnus Dei, the copious EMEs swarmed the altar and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the priest (who was wearing an alb that only reached his knees, khakis, brown shoes, a stole, and no chasuble). Instead of elevating the Host to proclaim "This is the Lamb of God", he opted to leave Jesus lying on the altar with his hands resting on either side. Then he handed out the (glass) bowls and chalices to the EMEs and they all headed off to distribute communion. None of them, including the priest, had received yet. After receiving, I watched them closely, because I had not been able to locate the tabernacle upon entering the church, and I thought that surely they would have to approach it at some point and clue me into its location. Nope, after everyone else had received communion, they returned to the altar and unceremoniously finished off what was left. After Mass, I asked the mother of the only other family who had bothered to kneel at any point in the Mass just where on earth the tabernacle was. She didn't know what a tabernacle was. After I explained, she said, "Oh, yeah, I think I've seen those, I think I know what you're talking about. I don't think I've ever seen one here."

At least we were there last week, and not the next, because this coming Sunday the parishoners have been invited to bring their lawn chairs and blankets - and animals!!! - for an outdoor Mass where their pets will be blessed! Of course, then we at least would have known immediately to run for the hills. Although, in retrospect, when Samuel leaned over and said, "Mama, that lady is plugging in her guitar," maybe I should have taken the hint.

Simple Woman's Daybook

2008-09-25T18:07:00.001-05:00

I am waaaaay late this week. Ah, well, probably won't be the last time. You can see all of this week's posts if you go and visit Peggy!

For Today...

Outside my Window... we are having an Indian Summer here. It hasn't quite decided to be Autumn yet.

I am thinking... this weekend is going to be awesome, because we are going to the Feast of the Hunter's Moon! If you are anywhere within driving distance of West Lafayette, Indiana, you should really go sometime.

From the learning rooms... Still having fun with the math workbook (how weird is that?) Samuel also had fun last night with some brain-teaser-type puzzles in a book that I had when I was a child. The ones he was working on were things involving making shapes with matchsticks, and then moving a set quantity to alter the shape in a certain way. After seeing all the different ways that you can solve a problem on http://fantasticcontraption.com/, he was rather surprised that the puzzles in the book had only one right answer!

I am thankful for... lots of friends for Samuel to play with in this neighborhood. He's out there right now with several of his buddies. I think it will be hard for him when the weather is colder and the days shorter and he won't be able to see his friends when they get home from his school. The wait until they are home is already interminable to him.

From the kitchen... dh is working again tonight. Dinner will be... I have no idea. But lest you think I am a total slacker, let me assure you that I have made two new dishes in the last week which have already been requested again: shepherd's pie and tamale pie. These are so easy and good - why didn't I ever make these before???

I am wearing... khaki capris, teal striped T-shirt, bare feet

I am reading... still working on How Children Learn, by John Holt. Most of my reading time has been reading political stuff online.

I am creating... a scarf. I've been working on the silly thing for a year now! I put it aside for a looong time when I was having pain in my hands and wrists, and what was supposed to be a short break turned into months. I finally remembered it and have picked it up again, so far with no pain other than getting used to using my knitting muscles again.

I am hearing... Rich Mullins' "The Jesus Record"

Around the house... remember that apple butter I was making? You're supposed to make applesauce first and then cook it down. So far, I haven't gotten past the applesauce part. The first batch had too much water. Well, no big deal, I'll just put less in the rest and it'll cook down eventually. So the second batch, I put less water... too much less water... and burned it! ("Too much less"? Does that even make sense? Oh, you know what I mean.) Will try again tonight or tomorrow.

One of my favorite things... apple butter on a warm muffin... hey, I can dream, can't I?

A few plans for the rest of the week... get out the fall decor! The weather isn't quite there yet, but I'm not waiting any longer!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

Got my new shoes! They aren't quite broken in yet, but I think they'll be as comfy as they are cute after a few more days.

Air Show!

2008-09-23T13:00:00.002-05:00

Like any other child growing up in the Air Force, I have been to a LOT of air shows. Now we get to share this family tradition with Samuel!

Here he is next to one of the tanker planes. (Sorry, I don't remember the official names of most of these aircraft!) He liked these "flying gas stations".

Here's what my dad used to fly:

Here he is giving Samuel his first flying lesson:

Here's what my cousin Jason flies:

Samuel's not sure about keeping track of all of those controls!

But he gives it a try anyway.

We got to watch several flight demonstrations while we looked at the static displays, including a B-52 bomber, another tanker, a bi-plane with a wing walker, an F-15, and a WWII plane. Then came the main attraction, the Thunderbirds! I tried to take pictures, but it was cloudy, so there is not a good contrast between the jets and the sky, and, well, they fly fast! Most of my pictures are blurred, and that's if I managed to catch them in the frame at all! I did get this one of all six Thunderbirds in formation.

In addition to my dad (retired) and my cousin (active), dh's parents were both in the Air Force, and his brother currently is. We are definitely an Air Force family!

always listening

2008-09-17T18:37:00.002-05:00

When we started praying the election novena before bed at night, I thought we ought to explain to Samuel what it's all about. We hadn't really talked to him about the election, although dh and I have discussed it at length in his presence. So, I was telling Samuel that there are two men running for President, and soon we'll all vote on who we think will be the best one, and he said, "Well, I know which one we're NOT supposed to vote for."

"Oh, really? Which one?"

"Obama."

"Yep, that's right."

"I think I know the name of the other one, too... McCain?"

"Yes. How did you know that?"

"I'm very good at listening, you know."

Very good indeed, except when he's being told what chores need to be done. He apparently learned not only their names, but our opinions as well: there's the Bad One, and the Other One. That pretty much sums it up for me!

Simple Woman's Daybook

2008-09-15T19:00:00.002-05:00

I have been seeing these posts around the blogosphere for some time, and there is something so appealing about these simple reflections. So, I'm a little late, but decided to join the party anyway.

You can see all of this week's posts if you go and visit Peggy!

For Today...

Outside my Window... I know that the harvest moon is there, but I can't see it for all the clouds. :(

I am thinking... that I am so very ready for Autumn!

From the learning rooms... Shawn and Samuel have been doing a math workbook together, since Samuel has been asking us for more math problems.

I am thankful for... a new cell phone, finally!

From the kitchen... dh was not home for dinner, so I indulged Samuel by letting him have parmesan couscous for dinner.

I am wearing... a blue patterned skirt and purple long-sleeved T-shirt.

I am reading... How Children Learn, by John Holt.

I am creating... apple butter. I've never made it before. I'll let you know how it turns out!

I am hearing... They Might Be Giants. :)

Around the house... I finally got caught up on dishes, but managed to break a bowl and a glass (dropped the bowl onto the glass). Oh, well, two less things to wash later.

One of my favorite things... a hot cup of tea on a cool, overcast afternoon.

A few plans for the rest of the week... get this house cleaned up. We are leaving dh all by his lonesome this weekend, and I don't want him to feel like he should spend his time cleaning while we are gone. Except the guinea pig cage. That's all him.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

Samuel painted this little family of pumpkins that we got at Curtis Orchard. Don't they look nice on our table?

Catholic Vote 2008

2008-09-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

Be sure to pray the Election Novena from Priests for Life that's over there in my sidebar!

maybe it's good that I forgot the camera

2008-09-12T12:56:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was very busy for us. We only have one reliable vehicle at the moment, and it's not even ours. (Three cheers for in-laws who live very close and don't care if you borrow their van for, um, forever!) So, we had to drive daddy to work if we wanted to go anywhere, and we certainly had places to go! After dropping him off, we went to Pontious Farm and spent the morning picking raspberries. I love picking there - it is very addictive. I always see one more ripe cluster that I just can't resist. We picked three pounds, not counting what Samuel ate off the bushes, which was considerable. I paid for four, in the hopes of compensating. When we were done, we were a filthy mess, as things were fairly damp. Samuel looked like he'd been wading in mud puddles up halfway up to his knees. Not to mention the raspberry juice smeared all over his face. We saw lots of cool insects there. While not certified, Pontious Farm uses organic practices, so there's no lack of nature buzzing about you as you pick. We had fun watching the honeybees, bumblebees, butterflies, and grasshoppers. (Well, Samuel liked the grasshoppers. I could do without those.) We also saw a huge black and yellow orb spider.

We had brought a picnic lunch, so we ate there as the first raindrops of the day began, and then we headed off to the mall. Picked up dh's contacts, got Samuel some new socks, and browsed the kitchen store. They had a display of Halloween items up - skull candy dishes, pumpkin linens, severed finger cheese knives, etc. It was quite possibly the first time in history that a mother had to drag her seven year old out of a kitchen store instead of the other way around.

Went shoe shopping, which was slightly embarassing, because did I mention how dirty we got berry picking? Especially our feet? And I was wearing sandals? Ugh. But I did find these.

Then we went to meet some out-of-town friends and some in-town friends at the local nature center. (Decided not to meet at the park due to the rain - wouldn't want to get wet and dirty!) The kids played inside for a while, and then wanted to go out, and since the rain had stopped, the moms agreed. Kids proceeded to play in the woods and get even dirtier. And wetter. (Hence the title of this post.)

Went to meet dh for dinner. Walked to Chipotle, and Samuel could not ride on dh's shoulders like usual because his feet were so muddy he would have gotten dh's shirt all dirty and dh still had work to do. Hung out at the Newman Center while dh ran the RCIA program. Went to 9pm Mass, where I was very grateful that they keep the lights low so that no one noticed how dirty my son was. Wished that I was one of those moms who is foresighted enough to bring extra clothes on days like this. Went home and collapsed!

and the geography lesson is...

2008-09-11T07:00:00.002-05:00

today's science lesson

2008-09-10T10:59:00.003-05:00

Any guesses on tomorrow's geography lesson???

I heard that she tortures kittens

2008-09-10T10:28:00.002-05:00

There's a great summary (and subsequent de-bunking) of all the Palin rumors here. Honestly, people, what happened to integrity in journalism? It's sad when the New York Times has the credibility of the National Enquirer.

HT: The Common Room

new study on the effects of attachment parenting

2008-09-09T13:10:00.001-05:00

More evidence that it DOES matter.

Most. Addictive. Website. EVER!!!

2008-09-06T13:26:00.002-05:00

http://fantasticcontraption.com/

Dh and I were actually arguing over whose turn it was last night.

You've been warned!

I've been awarded!

2008-09-06T11:25:00.002-05:00

Aww, thanks Jennifer! Now I get to bestow the award on my top ten favorite blogs. Hmm, only ten??? Well, I will do my best! I am guessing that most of you, when seeing that I've nominated you, will say, "Thanks! Um, who are you?" I am not so great about leaving comments on people's blogs, unfortunately. I tend to lurk. But I've been reading all of these for a long time, so I guess it's about time I let you know how much I appreciate you!

Alice, at Cottage Blessings. She is such an inspiration when it comes to living the liturgical year, and her craft ideas and liturgical teas are simply amazing!

Cindy at PuppyKisses. I love hearing about unschooling families who are farther along on their journey than we are - this glimpse into what our future holds is very inspiring!

Dawn at By Sun and Candlelight. I love how she appreciates every little detail of nature - she has inspired me to notice all the little changes throughout the year.

The DHM and family at the Common Room. Have you ever wished for a family of experienced homeschoolers to move in next door to you? People you could have afternoon tea with, and just soak up their wisdom? This is that family.

Emily at Free Range Ramblings. A mama after my own heart: crunchy and unschool-y. :)

Leonie at Living Without School. Leonie has got to be the coolest mom in Australia!

Karen Edmisten. Two words: Ramona stories! (Plus, she shares my love of chocolate and coffee!)

MacBeth at MacBeth's Opinion. Another role model for sharing the love of nature!

Wendy at Zoom Times. You can always count on the Zoomlians to liven up your day with their neverending creativity!

And finally, one more that isn't a blog exactly... my friend Kate's photostream! Check out her hilarious photos and beautiful cake creations! Seriously, you have to see her photo for today - awesome!

summer rain

2008-09-04T15:37:00.003-05:00

And you thought he got wet in the puddle.

It's not often that we get a nice, warm rain with no accompanying thunder and lightning, so we have to take advantage of it!

a butterfly is born

2008-09-04T15:18:00.002-05:00

First, I finally got a picture of the chrysalis so that you can see the gold accents. Still not the best quality - but better than nothing.

Next, a picture just before it hatched. The green fades to transparency the day before so that you can see the butterfly within.

And here it is newly hatched! This one is a girl - you can tell because her black "veins" are thinner and she lacks a pair of black spots on her rear wings.

Here is another view - her wings are still dark and damp.

In this photo, the wings are drier, lighter, and you can see the the inner pair has more fully extended.

After I took this photo, we carried her outside on the stick which we stuck in our whiskey barrel planter near some flowers. She rested in the sunshine for a couple of hours before flying away!

salt potato science!

2008-09-04T14:52:00.002-05:00

We finally made these last night, and I have a new favorite way to fix potatoes! Yum!

three cheers for Sarah Palin!!!

2008-08-29T12:05:00.002-05:00

McCain did the one thing that will get me to vote for him instead of for a third party candidate. God bless this woman for recognizing the value of every human life!

chyrsalises or chrysalii?

2008-08-28T21:37:00.002-05:00

Well, whatever it is, we have three of them. The first two formed on Monday, and the third one today.

First, we noticed Hungry and Feed-Me making their silk attachments. Feed-Me chose one of the lovely sticks we provided:

Hungry apparently was not as pleased with the selection and opted to make his on the side of the bowl:

Then they each attached their back "feet" to the silk and hung:

We missed the transformation of Feed-Me and found him like this:

But, we were able to watch Hungry shed his skin! At first, we thought he looked a bit unwell:

Kind of bloated:

But then, as his body pulsated and squirmed, his skin began to slip away:

After the skin was all the way off, the new pupa began to thrash and twist all around to get the old skin to fall away from the silk:

We missed the transformation of the third today. He at least had enough sense to choose a stick instead of the bowl! Their chysalises/ii are so beautiful - they have metallic gold accents that are just amazing! I haven't been able to get a good picture yet, but hopefully soon.

We are looking forward to having three beautiful butterflies!

One more picture - here is Samuel with one of them a couple of days before the transformation:

Samuel's favorite puddle

2008-08-25T15:37:00.002-05:00

There's this puddle that is about a block away from our house and forms every time there is a decent rain. It is deep and wide, and perfect for splashing. The first time that Samuel really got into it was when we went for an early spring walk after it had snowed. It was around 50 degrees that day, which felt wonderfully warm after the winter, and there was still quite a bit of melting snow and slush. Samuel was probably around 3 years old at the time, and he started stamping in all the slush on the sidewalk. Then he moved on to some of the puddles along the way, and by the time we reached the big puddle, he was soaked to the knees. The rest of him was soon dripping as well as he playing in the bigger, deeper puddle. He was soon shivering with blue lips, but didn't want to stop splashing. Ah, well, that's what hot chocolate is for.

Whenever he plays in that puddle, people driving and walking past give me the strangest looks. I guess not many people would let their kids get soaking wet whenever they want. Why not? It's just water. Clothes dry. :)

And, just for fun, here are a few more garden shots. The first is a praying mantis that dh snapped on the sunflowers.

The next is our John Paul II clematis. We bought this variety of clematis several years ago, but it never bloomed until the summer after John Paul II died. It has bloomed beautifully ever since.

don't count your caterpillars before they ha- erm, metamorphasize*

2008-08-22T11:29:00.005-05:00

We're back up to four. Not because we found the one that escaped, but because when dh brought some new leaves in a couple of nights ago, he didn't realize that there was a stowaway on one of them. It's 2-3 days old right now. Here is the new addition next to Hungry and Feed-Me, who are approaching the 2 week mark.

And here's Samuel admiring his pets.

*Is metamorphasize a word? It reminds me of Jazzercise. Now I'm picturing little dancing caterpillars. Except they can't do Jazz Hands.

caterpillar update

2008-08-20T13:11:00.002-05:00

Here's one of the bigger ones. If I remember correctly, this is about halfway to their full size, before they make their chrysalis.

They will eat for a while and then rest for a while, and then eat again. When they are resting, they keep climbing up the edges of the bowl. One of them likes to climb over the edge and rest on the outside, where he proceeds to poop all over my table. I told him that pooping on the table is not good manners, but he doesn't listen to me.

nature study gets gross

2008-08-18T13:00:00.001-05:00

One of our newer caterpillars disappeared. We can't find him anywhere. Yes, that means there's a dead caterpillar somewhere in my house. Ewwwwwwww #1.

The little one that hatched out of the egg also died - not sure why. So I had to pitch another dead caterpillar. Ewwwwwwww #2.

Hungry and Feed-Me molted. I wouldn't have known this if I had not checked on them when I did, because they both promptly ate their old skin. Ewwwwwwww #s 3-27. So far. I am sure there will be many more ewwwwwwwws to come before I get over it. Plus, I think they molt a few more times. Something to look forward to.

Homeschooling: More Catholic than the Pope

2008-08-18T11:51:00.002-05:00

Well, okay, maybe not MORE Catholic. But definitely Catholic.

Both we and some of our friends have recently encountered criticism of homeschooling, with the argument that homeschooling is not Catholic. The attitude seems to be that not sending your children to the local Catholic school is something akin to being unpatriotic. I do want to note that the vast majority of people that we have talked to about homeschooling are very supportive. But for those who are not, let's look at what the Church says about homeschooling... thanks to Seton Home Study School for putting all the information in one place!

Catholic schools were once an essential alternative to the Protestant schools that dominated most communities. However, I wonder what, if anything, we are accomplishing by pouring money into them today. I know, I know, there are many fantastic Catholic schools where children get a solid education in a vibrant faithful environment. But I think those schools are more and more the minority. I hear so often that many times the teachers in Catholic schools are not Catholic, or only nominally so. I hear that with a few exceptions, the students are not any more well-formed than your typical public-schooled child. I wonder if a big part of this is that parents send their kids off to Catholic school and think, "Well, that takes care of their faith formation! Done!" In fact, there is NO substitute for parents sharing their own love of the Church and practicing the faith as a family.

What if, instead of giving parents a false sense of security with Catholic schools, parishes put more money into programs like Family Formation, so that the whole family would be encouraged to learn, pray, and celebrate the faith together?

Let the tomatoes fly.

there are more caterpillars than people in this house

2008-08-16T11:09:00.004-05:00

Dh mowed the backyard yesterday, and we had sprigs of milkweed vine popping up all over. So, he checked each one to be sure that he wasn't mowing over more caterpillars. He ended up finding two more caterpillars and an egg! We are going to be a butterfly zoo! Here are Feed-Me (the oldest caterpillar), an as yet unnamed caterpillar that looks to be about a day old, and the egg. Now you can really see how much they grow in less than a week!

Our garden is doing well this year. We have zuchinni for the first time ever, bell peppers, chili peppers, tomatoes, basil, rosemary, cilantro, and chives.

My bell peppers are finally getting ripe. Hmm, think I need to weed???

We also bought gerber daisies for the front yard, and found some sort of squash vine growing up in them, so we moved it to the backyard. We just found a gourd of some kind on the vine! It is small and white now, so I am excited to see what kind it becomes.

We also had some sort of vine pop up around our compost bin, and now it has a melon on it!

One more surprise: our neighbor puts out corn for the squirrels, and they planted some in our yard, so we have a couple of corn stalks, too. I love garden surprises!

Our blackberry bush performed wonderfully this year. We had bowls full of huge berries - more than enough for a pie, although they never made it that far. it sent up so many new shoots this year, that next year we should be able to have plenty for a pie and snacking.

One more thing we planted this year was a sunflower mix. They are growing beautifully, as you can see!

The sunflowers even look cool when they haven't opened yet.

One more: my favorite daylilies.

Sorry for the picture-heavy post! Just couldn't pick and choose when it came to all the flowers. :)

They grow up so fast. sniff

2008-08-15T10:42:00.002-05:00

Our caterpillars are getting bigger!

The one on the right is a day older than the one on the left. If you click on the picture, you can see a larger version on Flickr.

In other news, I got a picture of Samuel and his big sea turtle, although he has not yet finished coloring the belly.

Can you tell that it was chilly in our house this morning? We've been keeping the windows open, and the weather has just been awesome. I am trying hard to enjoy summer while it's here, but these brisk mornings have me in the mood for hot apple cider and pumpkin bread. I love fall!!!

Al Gore can take his compact fluorescent lightbulbs and...

2008-08-15T09:53:00.003-05:00

Well, I'll let you finish that sentence. After you read this.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for people voluntarily limiting their energy use, and I do it because I'm cheap. However, CFLs give me a headache and I will be stocking up on incandescents so that I will have a supply long after they become contraband.

HT: The Common Room

Hungry and Feed-Me

2008-08-12T11:11:00.002-05:00

On Friday, we found a monarch egg on a leaf of milkweed vine in our yard, so we brought it in. Last year, we found a monarch caterpillar, but he was nearly full grown when we started taking care of him. Our egg hatched on Sunday morning!

Then on Monday, Samuel found first another egg and then a new hatchling. The egg didn't hatch, and it accidentally got smushed so I think it's a lost cause. But we have two baby caterpillars now. You can see how much they grow in one day - the smaller one is only a day behind the bigger one!

Samuel has been getting them fresh leaves every day, but I had to caution him to check first to make sure that he doesn't bring in anymore eggs or caterpillars - two is enough!

Oh, and he named the little one "Hungry" and the bigger one "Feed-Me". Pretty apt, as all they do is eat!

the log flume... OF DEATH!!!

2008-08-10T19:57:00.002-05:00

So, we went to Indiana Beach with dh's family in June, and I am just now getting around to posting this hilarious picture that was taken by the auto camera on the log flume - you know, at the moment that you plummet down the big hill at the end?

From top to bottom: first me, having fun, then my niece, a little concerned. Then comes dh, not a fan of sudden drops. Then, poor Samuel, who apparently believed that death was imminent. His face is priceless, though. If you click on the picture, you can go see a larger version on Flickr if you'd like to see his terror in greater detail. Don't worry, he wasn't too traumatized. That came later, when we rode the roller coaster!

I learn something new every day

2008-08-08T13:52:00.003-05:00

How The Lungs Work
by Samuel

Apparently, you breathe in through your nose, and then the air goes to your lungs where two little helpful men grab the oxygen and throw everything else out of your mouth. Mystery solved.

excuses

2008-08-06T13:17:00.003-05:00

Did you watch this video yet? If not, do it now! That pretty much tells you the basics. If you want more details, you should watch this one. Evidently Obama has made various excuses for his vote, including that he didn't understand what the bill was about (um, isn't it his job to understand???) and that he didn't like the way it was worded, but would have voted for it if it had been worded the same way as the federal bill. Except, he left out the part about how he was the one who kept the bill from being worded like the federal bill when it was in committee. Oops.

Here is a quote from him where he finally gives what I think is the real reason:

Number one, whenever we define a previable fetus as a person that is protected by the equal protection clause or the other elements in the Constitution, what we're really saying is, in fact, that they are persons that are entitled to the kinds of protections that would be provided to a – child, a 9-month-old – child that was delivered to term. …

And there you have it. If we have to save a child one minute, why was it okay to be trying to kill it seconds before, just because it was in a different place? Good question. Obama voted against this bill because he doesn't like the answer.

please watch this and share it

2008-08-04T09:16:00.002-05:00

Let me preface this by saying that I am no McCain fan. However, I feel much more strongly about his opponent, and this video pretty much sums up the reason. This is something that every American should know about this man before they head into the polling booth this November.

Please note that there is one brief graphic image, so do not view it with children present.

what to do...

2008-08-01T12:01:00.002-05:00

...when you are seven years old and you have spent WAY too much time in the car lately and you are stuck in the backseat AGAIN and you find your camera:

When you're an artist...

2008-07-31T14:34:00.002-05:00

...the world is your canvas. Including:

your hamburger bun.

Samuel also made his own WALL-E out of paper and cardboard after we saw the movie. Talk about keeping with the spirit of the movie - making your own toys out of recycled materials!

He's also been making lots of sea turtles this week.

I told him that since he was so interested, we could get some sea turtle books from the library, only to discover when I was cleaning up around the house that we bought him one a month ago when we were at a used book store in Virginia.

So, now we are all set!

His artistry has extended to his hair lately. After his shower, he likes to get it all combed down in a particular way. When we were at my parents', he told my mom that he had it all fixed, but that after he put his shirt on, it got messed up and he had to "reconfigure it." So, I was surprised when he woke up looking like this today:

and decided to leave it that way!

So, that's life around here this week! Now that we will finally be home for a while, unlike the rest of this crazy summer, I'll hopefully get back to blogging. Just for you, Sarah. :)

wow

2008-03-18T21:01:00.002-05:00

I just have to link to this awesome post from Melissa Wiley. Just what I needed today!

I've been

2008-03-14T21:09:00.002-05:00

tagged. Okay, here goes. Hmm, five things? Do they have to be interesting things, or just like, I am 5'3", like chocolate, love coffee, enjoy knitting, and hate grasshoppers?

I guess that would be cheating.

1. I was a physics major in college. When I tell people that, they always act so surprised. "Physics? You? Really?" Should I be insulted by that??? ;) While it really didn't take me long to discover that I had no interest in a career in physics, it was fun and I'd like to get back into it more on a hobby level someday. (Not like doing experiments or anything, but just being able to read a scientific article and know what they are talking about!) I'll have to relearn a lot, considering how much I have already forgotten!

2. My husband and I were engaged 4 months after we started dating. We just didn't tell anyone until about 7 months later. We didn't think our parents would believe that we knew what we were doing if they knew how quickly we made that decision. I'm not sure how much the extra 7 months helped, but I think that after almost 9 years, they are on board now. :)

3. When I was pregnant, I didn't know that there were underground homebirth midwives to be found in Illinois, but I really really wanted a homebirth. I fantasized all the time about having such a quick labor that I "accidentally" gave birth at home. Unfortunately, I ended up on the other end of the spectrum, with 55 hours of labor!

4. While I was in the constant nursing phase of new motherhood, I read a LOT. (That was before I discovered internet groups and blogs.) I read everything on our shelves, and finally came to a fantasy book that dh had picked up somewhere and only read a few pages of. I read the whole thing, wasn't terribly impressed, but requested the next from the library anyway, because I needed something to read. Somewhere along the way, I got totally hooked on this series. I am not going to tell you what it is, because there is all sorts of objectionable content that should have made me quit reading it, but by the time I realized that, it was too late and I just had to know the end! Well, by the time I got through the 10th ridiculously long book, I realized that the author had not finished the series, and judging from the later books, had written himself into a corner and was buying time until he figured out what to do! I joked with dh that this guy better not die before he finished the series because he was clearly procrastinating. Well, guess what? HE DIED. No joke, he died last fall, before writing what was supposed to be the last book. And YES, I feel very very bad about joking about his impending death!

5. One of my favorite songs, that I could listen to over and over, was written by.... Eugene Levy. Really. He is the performer, too, with Catherine O'Hara. I never would've predicted that! The song is called When You're Next To Me and is on the soundtrack of the Christopher Guest folk music mockumentary A Mighty Wind.

Well, that was more work. Not sure if it was more interesting. :) The official rules to this meme:

Link to your tagger and post these rules.
Share 5 facts about yourself.
Tag 5 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

And now I will blatantly disobey the rules because I hate tagging people. (Ooh, that's like a bonus 6th thing for you!) So, if you are reading this, consider yourself tagged!

catching up

2008-03-07T14:00:00.002-06:00

Wow, I did not realize how long it's been since I posted. February just sort of flew by, since I was barely conscious for about half of it. Yes, our family came down with the Evil Death Flu. I've never been so sick in my life. I am starting to feel human again, finally! Now hopefully all this snow will melt and spring will come and we can start living again!

There was one very sweet moment in the midst of the achy-shivery-feverish haze that we endured. One day when I was huddled in bed, Samuel slipped in as quietly as an almost-seven-year-old boy can manage and came to stand by me. (He hadn't come down with the Evil Death Flu yet.) I think he thought I was sleeping. After a few minutes, he kissed me and then traced a cross on my forehead, before slipping back out again. As awful as the Evil Death Flu was, I think it was worth it just for that.

message in a trash can

2008-01-25T21:41:00.000-06:00

It has often struck me, when dealing with small children, how much they understand versus how much they can express. For example, I read an account in a Mothering magazine article about baby sign language in which a very young child - 14 months, I think? - woke up in the night in pain, and was able to sign to her parents, "Ears hurt. Need medicine." Now, there is no way the average 14-month-old could express that verbally, which goes to show the advantage of teaching your baby sign language. But think of how much more they want to express that they can't even sign. That they wouldn't know how to express even if they could? Suddenly tantrums become much more understandable.

Well, today I had another lesson from my son in which I learned that an almost-7-year-old still can't express everything either. When we woke up this morning, dh and I were snuggling in bed after Samuel got up to get a banana. When he returned, he wanted to be in the middle (as usual) and we said no, because we were in the middle of a conversation and it's hard to talk around a wiggly little boy. He left the room, and I could tell by his body language that he was upset. He came back into the room a few minutes later to tell us what he was feeling. Of course, he chose the most direct method, which was to bring in the trash can from his bedroom, set it next to us, and hurry back out without a word. (Insert Napoleon Dynamite: "Well, what would you do in a situation like that??? Gosh.") I called him back in and asked him to explain and he couldn't. He was clearly upset, but couldn't say a thing about why. I tried to see if there was some deep meaning in the trash can, but he just said he didn't know. I can only guess that it was the first thing in his room that he laid eyes on that wouldn't seem like a gift if he brought it to us. When I asked if he was upset because we wouldn't let him be in the middle, he said yes, that was it, and I was also able to determine that he thought we didn't want him with us at all, and we got it all cleared up just fine. I tried once more to have him decipher the trash can, and he was still clueless.

Most children probably won't bring you a trash can. But they might throw a tantrum, talk back, throw a toy, hit a sibling, or otherwise act out. There's always a reason, we just have to find it.

okay, one more

2008-01-17T14:57:00.000-06:00

Just had to link to these two posts.

First, some of the statements that I have seen attributed to Dr. Popcak over the last few days have been quite shocking. This should set the record straight.

Second, it bears repeating, AP is more than breastfeeding and babywearing. Really.

Please pray...

2008-01-17T14:33:00.000-06:00

... for Jonathan and his family.

Yay, Jane Austen!

2008-01-14T18:47:00.000-06:00

I got to watch the first in the Jane Austen series on Masterpiece Theater last night, even though I had to go hide in the back bedroom of my in-laws to do it since we were visiting there and they were watching some Lonesome Dove prequel miniseries. (I got the better end of that deal, IMO!) Last night's movie was Persuasion, and I really liked it, although it was not nearly as faithful to the book as the other version I have seen. Samuel was in the room with me, coloring, and he looked up just in time to see the scene where Mary Musgrove's son is injured, and again when Louisa takes her fall. With just those two bits to go on, he told me, "This movie is all about sickness and death!" I explained to him that neither one died, and that it was actually about love, but I don't think he believed me. I just finished reading Northanger Abbey (which I found very funny), so I am ready for next week! I am hoping to finish each book that I haven't read yet before it airs.

if you need a good mommy laugh...

2008-01-11T21:11:00.000-06:00

Read about this mom's "relaxing morning" here.

Another hilarious post: lots of people complain about their mother-in-laws (I am pretty blessed in this area, so you'll not hear such talk from me), but have you ever thought about what it would be like to be one? Actually, I have had some very similar conversations to this with my friends!

ah, co-sleeping

2008-01-10T23:31:00.001-06:00

Disclaimer: this just happened to come up right before bedtime tonight, and is not meant to throw fuel on the AP debate fire in any way. It was so funny that I have left my family in bed to run into the next room and blog it, which probably isn't very AP since my son doesn't like falling asleep without me, and.... yep, he just got up to come in here and ask what on earth I am doing and when I am coming back to bed.

Anyway, dh has been plagued by bad dreams ever since I have known him. Not the being-chased-down-a-long-hallway-by-icky-monsters kind, but just finding himself in stressful situations. The result is that he is rarely well-rested. We were talking about how we need to make more of an effort to pray before bed for the blessing of restful sleep (which you'd think we'd have figured out a long time ago, and we have thought of it, but never made it a habit since we're always too tired at bedtime to remember it!) Dh joked, in light of the AP discussion, "It's all because my mom didn't do extended breastfeeding." We laughed, and then I said, "Actually, I have seen research that says children who co-sleep have less nightmares." We asked Samuel if he ever had bad dreams, and he told us that he has only had one (which we knew about) in his whole life. Now, that's impressive, to have had only one bad dream ever in almost 7 years. Especially when I remember how many bad dreams I had by the time I was his age. There was the one where I went into our living room to find a swingset, only to discover a lion under it. Oh, and the one where our next-door neighbor was a witch and chased me because she wanted to eat me with her breakfast cereal. (Really.)

Oh, right, I said this would be a funny post. (It's late.) Anyway, after confirming Samuel's lack of nightmares, dh told him that he must have a lot of funny dreams instead, because we often find him laughing in his sleep. Samuel replied, "I must be telling jokes or something. Ooh, or drinking beer!"

(And, no, we have never let him have beer. However, he is convinced that it must be wickedly good, or daddy would let him have some.)

final thoughts on AP

2008-01-10T16:19:00.000-06:00

... well, you know, until it comes up again. :)

First, if you haven't read through the comments on my last AP post, please do - some wonderful words of wisdom there. Thanks, ladies!

Anyway, this whole thing reminded me of a mom I know who didn't co-sleep and spanked occasionally... but was otherwise very AP. However, she described herself as an AP failure, talked of all the guilt she had because she couldn't "do" AP... I remember thinking that she was just as AP as I am! I've been thinking about how AP is so much more than breastfeeding and babywearing - it is a philosophy, a relationship, not a set of rules! - and how all but the most dedicated Babywise parents probably do at least a little AP. And, even those of us who are very dedicated to AP probably all fall short at times - I know I do. Even we don't do every little "AP" bit all the time. So why toss out the whole philosophy just because you don't like co-sleeping (for example)? There is ample research to show that co-sleeping is best for your baby... but if you can't do it, you can't do it. It won't change the fact that co-sleeping may objectively be what's best, but if you are doing your best, why feel guilty and/or defensive? Having a family is about give and take, and there are times when you just can't do what's best for everybody. Why not just admit that? We all have our gifts and our limitations. No one is a perfect parent, but that doesn't mean that you aren't a good parent. Even if you are already a good parent, though, why not see if there is room for improvement? Why not see if making your life a little more AP is possible for you right now?

The best thing to come out of this whole discussion for me has been the discovery of the Heart, Mind, & Strength blog (how did I not know about this???), and this post really sums up my feelings on the subject.

geometrically correct

2008-01-08T19:53:00.000-06:00

After dinner, dh pulled out the last of his Terry's Dark Chocolate Orange that I got him for Christmas. There were 3 slices left, so Samuel pronounced, "One for each of us! Fair and triangle." Before I could say, "Don't you mean fair and square," he explained, "Because there are three of us." Can't argue with that!

welcome!

2008-01-08T14:58:00.000-06:00

I put my blog address in our family Christmas letter this year, so if any new family or friends are reading this, welcome! I think I said the same thing last year, but last year our Christmas cards never made it off our computer and onto actual paper into the mailbox. (Oops.) Anyway, feel free to leave a comment and say hi!

the needs of children

2008-01-08T13:46:00.000-06:00

So, I've not kept up with any blogs since about the last time I posted on my own - busy with Christmas and all - so I just now came across the debate between Danielle Bean and Gregory Popcak. I have previously written about how much I love Popcak, so you can guess my feelings on this latest discussion. There are so many things that I want to say about Attachment Parenting and how it relates to the Catholic faith... but right now the main thing sticking out at me is that I think many people have a real misunderstanding of what children, especially infants, need. Most would agree that they need their basic physical needs met: food, warmth, cleanliness, etc. But so many people stop there. Just because an infant (or a toddler or young child) cannot express all of their emotional and developmental needs does not mean that they don't have any. They do have REAL NEEDS - and it is just as important to meet these needs as it is to feed them, even though the effects of not meeting them may not be as immediately evident. Popcak's Parenting with Grace is of course a great resource here, as are the books by the Sears. Another great one is Our Babies, Ourselves by Meredith Small. This book was incredibly fascinating to me - all about what babies are biologically designed to do and need, and how traditional cultures respond versus how modern cultures react. My only quibble is that she talks in the framework of how we have "evolved" to be this and that, just mentally substitute that we were created to be how we are, and you'll be all set. :)

notice a theme?

2007-12-17T17:51:00.000-06:00

While discussing the Trinity, specifically the fact that the Three Persons are perfectly united in mind and will...

Samuel: "They're like the Borg!"

you know you've been watching too much sci-fi when...

2007-12-06T18:26:00.000-06:00

... your son, encumbered by boxer shorts, pants, a belt, a button-down shirt, and a sweater vest, exits the bathroom with clothing asunder and helplessly announces, "I've got a hull breach."

for the warrior with a sense of style

2007-12-02T15:11:00.000-06:00

Samuel: I have armor that bullets can't even penetrate. When a bullet hits it, it just adds a little more shine.

pumpkins, squash, and gourds, oh my!

2007-10-23T14:26:00.000-05:00

Also on Saturday, we went to a local pumpkin patch. Calling it a pumpkin patch hardly does it justice, though, as they grow over 200 varieties of pumpkins, squash, and gourds. Amazing! It was so fascinating to see the varieties, learn what they are used for, what countries they come from, and select our own to try. We got a nice jack-o-lantern pumpkin, but also a big pie pumpkin, a Japanese squash that is supposed to taste similar to hash browns when fried, a butternut, some sweet potato squash (Samuel's favorite last year), and some spaghetti squash, which I've been wanting to try for some time now. I'll post how they turn out as we cook them!

Stargazing

2007-10-23T14:25:00.000-05:00

Thanks to a friend who took it upon herself to organize this, we were able to participate in a 2-part astronomy field trip last week. On Wednesday, we went to the local planetarium and saw the Fall Prairie Skies show, detailing the stars, planets, and galaxies that are currently visible in the night sky. Then on Saturday night, we joined the local Astronomical Society for their weekly viewing and got to see the moon up close, as well as the Andromeda galaxy, twin star clusters, the ring nebula, and all the constellations that we had learned about earlier in the week. We had a great time, and learned a lot. We will definitely have to do more stargazing - we were surprised at how much you can see with a simple pair of binoculars - not to mention your own eyes, when you leave the city lights behind!

Samuel on the latest college fashions

2007-10-23T13:54:00.000-05:00

"Mama, that guy needs new pants. They have big holes in the knees, and littles holes above that! And, they're all droopy - like he's too skinny or something. Or maybe he got too fat and then he shrank."

Thankfully, we were out of earshot. Although, maybe it wouldn't have been so bad for this student to hear just what he looked like!

Organic Learning

what species is that, exactly?

Colorado!

Helpful tip: always know what you are agreeing to.

Samuel the Wise

the two lists

How to tell when it is time to turn off the lights and go to bed already

Things I Have Posted On Facebook Instead Of Blogging Them Here

heartbreak and hope

and now for something completely different

Ramadan!

a must-read

yesterday's history/science/math lesson!

Waldorf liturgy?

ObamaFood

my new favorite craft blog

Samuel the food critic

must be a boy thing

beware of doctor

Our Big Summer '09 Vacation

Ted and Mo

Happy Feast of St. John the Baptist!

climbing onto my soapbox...

ah, innocence

Good Friday

always liturgically correct

What Samuel says about me...

when you don't know what to write...

Ouch! A bee!

7 Quick Takes Friday

Christmas music: the dark side

Christmas music meme

Do you think he has low self-esteem?

I'm an all-or-nothing kind of gal.

Simple Woman's Daybook

Pa! I lost my laptop in the stampede and it got trampled! Guess we'll have to get a new one at the next trading post.

post-election humor

can't sleep, sharing a link

we can never give up

God help us

Cherry Apple Crisp

Simple Woman's Daybook

pray for Michael

not that I am bitter...

I guess he's not a morning person either.

Simple Woman's Daybook

In Which I Turn 30

Feast of the Hunter's Moon!

note to self: always bring the camera

Save the Liturgy!

Simple Woman's Daybook

Air Show!

always listening

Simple Woman's Daybook

Catholic Vote 2008

maybe it's good that I forgot the camera

and the geography lesson is...

today's science lesson

I heard that she tortures kittens

new study on the effects of attachment parenting

Most. Addictive. Website. EVER!!!

I've been awarded!

summer rain

a butterfly is born

salt potato science!

three cheers for Sarah Palin!!!

chyrsalises or chrysalii?

Samuel's favorite puddle

don't count your caterpillars before they ha- erm, metamorphasize*

caterpillar update

nature study gets gross

Homeschooling: More Catholic than the Pope

there are more caterpillars than people in this house

They grow up so fast. *sniff*

Al Gore can take his compact fluorescent lightbulbs and...

Hungry and Feed-Me

the log flume... OF DEATH!!!

I learn something new every day

excuses

please watch this and share it

They grow up so fast. sniff