Must Have's- Books

I was recently asked if there are any books that I think are must have's in terms of picture books/read-alouds.  At the time, for some reason I felt put on the spot, and didn't really allow my brain time to process the question in order to come up with a good answer.  So here is my real answer...

There are A LOT of great books out there, there are also A LOT of books that have no substance, and truly are not worth our time.  The job of sorting out which is which, can be time consuming, and arduous.  Not ideal for a home schooling mother with young children.  So my recommendation at this point, because this is the source I use to determine which books are best, The Read Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease, and Honey for a Child's Heart, by Gladys Hunt.  They are both stellar books! 

Most people feel that reading to their children is important.  I also use to feel that way.  I now feel, since having read these books that reading together as a family is important, and that there are books to read, and books not to be read.  There are ages that books should be enjoyed, and ages that maybe they shouldn't be, or aren't ready for that book just yet.  There is a reason that a classic is a classic and that revising it, or adapting it, or retelling it, makes it not a classic.  I use to know that reading to my children is important.  Now I know that reading to my teenagers will also be important.  Now I know that reading out loud while my children are at home will make up a sizable portion of my homeschooling efforts.

The main reason I would recommend these two books for the question posed, is because of their extensive list of great books.  In The Read~Aloud Handbook it is referred to as the treasury of read-alouds, is divided by category as well as grade and is 115 pages long!  In Honey For A Child's Heart it is divided by categories, as well as ages and is 116 pages long!

Jim Trelease's web page

Gladys Hunt's blog

You can't buy Gladys' book from her blog, but it's a great blog, and has links to web sites where her book is for sale.

I welcome your comments.

Happy Reading!

Some thoughts I've had over the past few days....

I am so grateful for neighbors who are willing to help, despite their own plans, at a moments notice.

I am grateful to have family and friends (Mary) that are willing to drop their lives in order to help make sure mine doesn't fall apart!

Grateful for the things that happen that could not be anything but the Lords careful orchestration of our lives (Mary)!  You must be the reason I went to the instacare first!

Really nurse, you think a CAT scan and x-rays are more important than a priesthood blessing?

Grateful for worthy priesthood holders who were prepared to administer at a moments notice.

I wonder who our home teachers are.

Trauma 2?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ambulances are cool!

I love you primary children's hospital!

Thank goodness for family, and safe places for my other children to be.

I love volunteers!!  They get the bigger picture and what it really takes to put "the child first and always."

(I had that thought a few times...)

I love volunteers!!!

I am grateful for orthopedic surgeons, opthomologists, nuero surgeons and trauma teams, oh, and CAT scans and x-rays.

Where would we be without casseroles, I love them!

Even though I had a clash with our nurse, I am so glad that she was trying to do what she felt was best for Caleb.  I do have a strong mother bear instinct, but I also know I need others to help me sometimes, and I am glad she brought her knowledge, expertise and concern to the table...even though we had differences.

I am grateful for homecomings.

The phrase "get back to normal" is a myth.  Things happen to change us, to make us better, returning to where we were before means we did not gain all we could have from the experience.  Besides that I was in the middle of turning our house upside down anyway, so we couldn't have returned to the way it was.  :)

The Relief Society is just as much an army as the missionaries.  WOW!  They came.  They cleaned, organized, rearranged, chatted.  All of the bases were covered, I didn't even know the names of some of them!!  And when the dust cleared there were treats and flowers and needed supplies waiting in the kitchen for us!!

Last, but most strongly felt over the last two days....I am grateful for Caleb, and his many guardian angels!!

My Favorite Time of Day

Awhile ago I had a conversation with my oldest son, then 6.  I do not remember any details except his response.  He said "My favorite time of day is bedtime, because that is the calmest time of day"  Lest you get any false images of our home, this is not always the case!  Especially lately.  Bedtime is the time of day I try to get my children to sleep as quickly as possible so I can then relax. 

What bedtime should be though, and what I am trying to create for me and my children is just what Jeremiah said, the calmest time of our day.  I use the word 'our' there with purpose, because without a calm parents influence it could not be calm.  These are the ways we are trying to make bedtime a calm time...

First of all divide and conquer!  It is great advice in times of war but we frequently apply it to our parenting as well.  One of us is more or less in charge of helping the boys get teeth brushed and washed up and use the potty before bedtime.  The other one is doing pajamas and reading to the boys in their bedroom.  We might also sing to them at this time.  So a child is either in the bedroom with a parent or in the bathroom with a parent.  This means that neither John or I have all three during this part of the routine.

I have moved a rocking chair into their bedroom with the intent to have a calming influence in their room while they are getting ready for bed.  This is where John or I sit while we read to them and talk to them about their day and sing to them.  This where we sit while we wait for them to sleep.  It provides a comfortable place for us to be, so that it is not unpleasant for us to carry out this routine.

This is an important step, not only for bedtime, but also for our relationship with the children.  They have an opportunity to tell us about the events of the day, and ask questions openly.  This is a great way to get to know your children and develop an important open dialogue situation with them. 

Last but most certainly not least is patience!  This word seems to be creeping into every aspect of our day and of my job as mother.  How could I possibly be successful without it?!  It can take them awhile to calm down and be ready to sleep, sticking to the routine helps avoid attention driven behavior.  They learn more and more that it is a special time and will crave the calmness of it if we stick with it.

Happy Mother's Day

How can words express gratitude for the single person who has had the most influence in my life?  You have seen me through to adulthood- to my own independence, and yet I still want you in my life.  You have given me so much, but the thing that stands out the most is your patience and love. 

Always you were patient with me.

Always you loved me!

Always you were there, the constant presence of someone that is always patient and kind, someone that loves you as only a mother can has turned me into the person I am.  So when you tell me you are proud to be my mother, don't forget your own role in accomplishing who I am and have become.

You taught me to pray, because I saw you praying.

You taught me to love because I saw and felt your love.

You taught me to weather life's storms no matter your own personal cost, because I saw you do the same.

You taught me to have faith, because I saw your faith.

You taught me to be smart about the decisions I make, because that's what I saw you do.

You taught me that life should be fun and to find the good in it, because you always have.

Thank you for all these things, and so much more!!

Happy Mother's Day!
I love you!

What Works

This past week or so I have been thinking back on our year of home schooling.  Evaluating and analyzing how things have gone, what worked, what didn't, what I need to change or add, Whats missing etc...

Many things have gone really well, and in that sense they have worked for us.  For our math curriculum we use Math-u-see, Jeremiah is doing really well in that area.  The science units I found online are working great.  Caleb has some room for improvement, but I am not sure if I will ever be able to help him make that improvement.  After all the analyzing and evaluating I can do, it boils down to this:  what has worked for me, for us, this year is prayer.

Prayer has brought patience where before I can assure you, there was very little patience.

Prayer has brought conviction, the conviction I needed to stand up to nay sayers, and the like.  The conviction I needed to help me stay the course even when things were hard- really really hard.

After all the research one can do, and all the studying about home schooling, prayer helped me know what methods and curriculum and ideas were best for us.  Prayer helped me see through the dust to the gold.

Prayer has taken a day filled with anger and frustration and yelling, and made it peaceful, healed the wounds that were created and helped us move on.

Prayer has given me courage to take on something so big that I cannot see the end from the beginning, or even what the middle will look like.  I can feel the Lords reassurance and for now that is enough.

Prayer has brought answers from the most unlikely places, help came to me when I didn't even know that is what I was praying for.  I was praying though and asking for help, and help came and answered a question I didn't even know I had.  Yet, I did have it, and with out the answer things could not progress.

Prayer has done all these things and so much more.  I did not know that I was living a luke warm life until I took on a project so big I couldn't even comprehend where to start or how to start.  I could not start without the Lords guidance and help.

First Trip Up American Fork Canyon

We went up the canyon on Easter Sunday.  I felt like I was being rebellious or "weird" for not doing something more traditional.  After we had all eaten though, and were exploring the new life of the canyon, I began to ask Jeremiah and Caleb questions about what they saw that was different.  Were the leaves different and if so, how?  How about the trees? The grass? Bugs?  It is always fun to watch your children discover things.  The excitement in a child is one of the best parts of parenting.

I was surprised to find myself loving the new life of the canyon, of spring time.  The timing could not have been more perfect- Easter Sunday.  Usually it's day of family and a nice ham, Easter baskets and candy, gifts for the little ones.  None of these things point to The Resurrection of Our Savior.  As I walked among all the new life of spring time though, it seemed to me that everything was pointing to the Savior!

The new life of Spring and Christ Rising from the tomb to live again.  I couldn't help but think of the winter we are coming out of though- how dark and snowy it was.  Yet all these plants are on schedule to bloom and grow in their own right, despite the winter.  And we too can grow and bloom in our right, despite the harsh things this world can throw at us.  Despite our own weaknesses, shortcomings, and sins we can apply the Miracle of Christ to our lives and have new joy and hope, just as we can see all around us at this time of year!  Christ rose on the third day and we too can over come because He over came!

I am grateful we took the time to enjoy the canyon before it seemed like the canyon would be ready for us.  We went and enjoyed the new life, the beauty of nature at this time of year, and the Resurrection of Christ!

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day 1999 found me single and with out a date (as did most Valentines until I met my husband).  I was in college, sharing an apartment with 5 other girls, and loving it.  I did not mind that I didn't have a date, because my roommates and I always had so much fun together, no matter what others were celebrating.  On this Valentines Day though, I was to be taken by surprise.  One of my roommates gave each of us a card.  I don't remember what the card said.  I do remember the gesture, and Valentines Day was never to be the same again.  It was no longer about romantic love for me.

This Valentines day we will be delivering cards to those that mean the most to us!  I want my boys to use Valentines Day as a reminder to say I love you, to ALL the important people in our lives, not just our spouse. So we are currently in the process of making valentine cards and will be delivering them to friends and family on Thursday.  Then we will share a nice dinner together, ALL of us, as a family, so that we can read the valentines cards that we have made for each other!  I love sharing Valentines Day with ALL of my family, not just my husband.

Pulse of the Home

Everyone knows it all goes down in the kitchen.  The kitchen/dining room is where the pulse of the home is.  Even more so in our home since that is where we have school.  To date, our kitchen, unless there is a structured and guided activity for the children, is noisy mayhem.  It is often frustrating to have to yell at my children just to get them to quite down so they can hear what I am going to ask them.  They love to run around the island and that is usually accompanied by loud laughter/screaming and eventually crying and then a time out.  At which point my husband walks through the door.  Dinner isn't ready, the children are all upset and crying, and I feel like crying.  Welcome home honey!!

A glimmer of light shone down on us today.  Church was over, lunch was over and the table cleaned up.  Jeremiah asked John if he would play with a circuit board with him.  So they got that out and I asked Caleb if he wanted to do a puzzle with me.  We were all sitting at the table and rather amicably I might add.  It was very pleasant, and an experience I would like to see repeated often!

Such moments give me hope for the not too distant future and I feel that someday Caleb's fits of screaming and shrieking will subside.  The boys will stop running around the island and trying to hurt each other in the process.   And instead of walking into a room filled with mayhem, my husband will be able to walk through the door and be greeted with smiles.

The Importance of a Good Looking Home

  It was finally time to stack the bunk beds that the boys have been sleeping in.  Caleb is old enough and they were both very excited about doing it.  To date they have been sleeping in two separate beds, with the option of being stacked as bunk beds.

  After stacking them and doing the mandatory vacuuming that comes with rearranging it was time to put some decorations on the wall.  This is my favorite part!!  Jeremiah's desk is in the corner so I put up his things there.  He has a picture of the temple, his letter "J" from Grandma, a faith rock sitting on his desk, and a few framed things that he colored.  Above Caleb's dresser are his letter "C", also from Grandma, and some painted wood things: car, train, airplane.  He was involved in the process of putting them up so they are not perfectly spaced and arranged as I would have liked them to be.

  As I stood back to admire their room and its decorations, Caleb was playing on the floor with a toy.  I liked the way everything looked!  I was proud of myself for actually "getting around to decorating".  

  I turned to leave the room but then took another look, and couldn't help but notice Caleb- now very involved in his toy.  No matter how cute his room and its decor is; watching him and his brothers play will always be my favorite part of it!  So how important is decorating?  How important is it to have a home that is constantly clean?  Perhaps I cannot pin down a perfectly quantified answer to those questions, but I can say that before we decorate, before we spend tons of money on the perfectly placed eye-catching ornaments for the cutest shelf from the latest store; we should make sure all is well with our children.  We should be spending time with them in those rooms that we love to decorate so much- before they are grown and all we have left are the decorations, and the time for our children to fill those rooms has passed.