Kids' Summer Reading Lists

We're having salads with lettuce from the garden!  It's pretty good, too.
Brian built a fire pit in the backyard so we can roast marshmallows.  The kids can't wait.  Hoping the storms hold off so we can make smores tonight.
The kids and I just got back from the library.  I decided to put together summer reading lists for them.  I like to beg, borrow, and steal.    Mostly from recommended reading lists from a classical school and from the IEW (writing program) people.  For me, it gets harder to choose good, solid literature as they get older (like Jack).  I just don't know as many of these titles.  I hope they both enjoy their books!
Here's some of Kayla's (age 8):
Baby Island by Carol Ryrie Brink
Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat
Stuart Little by E.B. White
The Littles by John Lawrence Peterson
The Littles and Their Amazing New Friend by J.L. Peterson
Five Children and It by E. Nesbit
The Moffats by Eleanor Estes
The Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli

Some of Jack's (age 10) (shorter list, longer books):
Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray
The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates

This Evening

I've just come in from sitting on the deck.  I listened to the sounds of the evening and realized the birds and crickets have replaced the peepers.  I'll look forward to hearing them next spring.
I occasionally got a whiff of the petunias.  Seemed like by the time I recognized the sweet scent it was gone.  That's such a comforting smell to me- always reminds me of summers as a kid and of my mom, who planted them.  On the top of the list for tonight- I saw the first lightening bug of the summer (which I was watching for)!  It's an annual race for Brian and me- I usually win!  On the bottom of the list- I pulled a tick out of Kayla's hair tonight.  It's the third or fourth I've seen already.  Not looking forward to finding more of those little guys.
Oh well.
The calendar might still say spring, but it's summer now for us.

On the Swings

The best part of swinging for this five-year old boy is to see just how high he can get on the swing.

The best part for his mom is hearing him laugh when his feet touch the leaves.

Getting a little bigger every day.

For some reason I love to watch these two belly-swing.

Lucy has just figured it out.  She's a little calmer, happier when she's just barely moving.

Sammy- not so calm.  He likes to take a running leap to get himself going.

I love Lucy in pigtails.  

She's just so stinkin' cute.

Friday Afternoon

First- I laughed out loud when I reread the end of that last post.  I think I said something like "I am all looking..."  Not sure what I meant there.  Do you ever get distracted and end up writing something you didn't intend to?
I like living in (or next to) a college town.  There are so many interesting people in our church who are students but the thing is, they are only here for a few years then they move on.  We went to a little farewell today at the park for a dear family who is headed for Texas.  We'll miss them.
This is our last official day of school for this year.  We'll keep up a low-key summer schedule but for now- we're done!  Yay!  To celebrate, we had donuts this morning and are watching "The Muppets" tonight with friends.
Last thing- my house is so clean.  It hasn't been this clean since we moved in.  Brian's parents have a friend who cleans and she came here today.  I have to say it's humbling for someone else to see the corners of your shower and the bottoms of your trash cans but-- it is oh so nice now!

My Summer Reading List

I am hoping to spend a lot of time here this summer.
In this chair, in the shade.  Maybe with a glass of lemonade.
And a book.
I decided to make myself a summer reading list.  The kids will have one- why not me?  It seems like there is so much good non-fiction out there that I've never read a word of- which will always be but I might as well scratch the surface.  I'm guessing that I'll bite off more than I can chew so here's my disclaimer:
I don't expect a lot of this reading to be easy for me- I'm not a particularly analytical reader.  I don't think of myself as a terribly smart reader, either.  So, I might read a chapter or two then be done.  I might bag the whole list and grab a page-turner that I've read five times.  But, I'm gonna try.  And I'm hoping to learn a few things in the process.  Here's the list:

*How Should We Then Live? by Francis Schaeffer
*Surprised By Joy by C.S. Lewis
*Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography  (don't have the author in front of me)
*A Turn of the Crank (essays) by Wendell Berry (I can't leave him out.)
*Window Poems by Wendell Berry
I'm all looking for something by Flannery O'Connor.
And for when I need a little lighter, fun read:  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone


Anyone want to join me?

Conquering

"Hey Lucy- do you want me to read you a book?"
"That's ok Sam- I"ll help you."
"Sure Mom. I'll do my piano now."
"You want some help with that?"

Jack has been particularly pleasant this morning.  Helpful, cheerful.
So, I mentioned it to him, just to let him know I noticed.
"Well, Mom, it's easier when I don't wake up grumpy."
I get that.
"And sometimes it helps if I conquer something early."
"Like what?"
"I was asleep with my face on the edge of my bed.  Sammy was prying my eye open.  I snapped my eye shut."
(I love picturing this scene.)
"Then he squeezed my nose and twisted it."
Somehow this isn't adding up in my mind to a good morning.
"So I suppressed my rage and got up anyway.  See?  I conquered something."
Alrighty then.
I'll say this, I am thankful for answered prayer.

To Grandma's House

Yesterday was like a breath of fresh air for me.
Literally and figuratively.
We all spent the day at my Grandma's, just over the Virginia border into North Carolina.
Every time we go, I try to take it all in.  I want those memories etched deep into my mind.
What I see, what I smell, how it feels.
Grandma's towels have smelled the same since I was little, at least.  Like they just came in off the line.
The house always looks the same but I still find myself taking a quick peak in every room, just to see if something has changed.  I've always done this, not sure why.
I love that our children can play where my brother and cousins and I played.

I can think of several little girls (maybe with pigtails?) who sat on this step.

I can't count how many visits have been spent on the porch.

This is part of the view from the porch.  Those trees have grown up quite a bit over the years, blocking a lot of what Papa liked to see.

Checkers on the carport.

Chess inside, to escape the pollen for a while.

Papa's grape vines and a great spot for rolling down the hill.

Eggs and Chickens

Brian's  had a growing interest in helping our family eat locally when possible.  Goes right along with the Wendell Berry book, Bringing It To the Table, On Farming and Food, that I've been reading.  (I'm trying to expand my reading horizons...)
So, a friend told us of a small farm just a mile or two from us.  We visited last week- it ended up being a field trip, really.  Learned a little about the chickens that will be our dinner as well as the eggs we'll be getting from them every Monday.  I'm looking forward to eating just a little bit healthier and to having some new friends up the road.

One of us no longer wants to eat meat...

These guys were just plain cute.

So Far on Friday

Snacking counts for something!

So far, Friday has been busy, in a good, homey way.
After chores this morning, we settled down to read.  First we talked about James 1:19, our new memory verse.  I think all of us (myself included) can use a reminder to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.  Then we regrouped and read some more of Tom Sawyer.  I have been excited to start this one- seems perfect for the beginning of summer.  We're only a few chapters in but it's a good sign when someone asks "for just a little more."
Jack and Kayla worked on a little school work, which is not finished yet.  We'll be getting to that soon.
Then we got outside to dig a flower bed.  My mom is bringing me a few plants tomorrow and I'll add here and there.  I'm really hoping for a start from a rose bush that started with my great-grandmother. My grandma and mom both have bushes that began from that one.
We have two more places to dig- one for strawberries and one just to expand the garden.  All I can say is digging is hard work.  It took longer than I'd like to admit!  I did have good help, though.

Sometimes just being a little industrious outdoors is just what we all need.

Everyone was a little happier.

Dump trucks and dirt and little boys.

Perfect.

We need two photographers.

At least.

All the worms were the best part for Sam.

He's pretty sure all the worms in his box will "make friends today."

Some of Our Favorite Picture Books

“A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest.”
― C.S. Lewis

There are SO many wonderful picture books out there with quality stories and illustrations.  I like to look for new ones but there are some that we just like to read over and over.
Sammy and Lucy have really enjoyed a couple of books in particular this week.  One is Don Freeman's Dandelion.  The more of Freeman's books we read, the more I like him.  His work is good, quality story telling that my kids always enjoy.



Bats in the Library was just plain fun to read.  It rhymes all the way through as it tells of bats who love a chance to get to the library one night.  Engaging illustrations.


Some other titles that we have read many times:
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney (Such a pretty book, in many ways.)
Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall  (One of my favorites.)

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen  (One of Brian's favorites.)
One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey  (Sam asks for this one often.)
King Bidgood's in the Bathtub by Audrey and Don Wood  (This one makes me laugh!)


Connecting to Read Aloud Thursdays!   

Aaaahhh.

What a nice way to end a busy few days...

on a swing in the evening with a little one in my lap.

Normal

We are way out of our routine this week.  There's a Classical Conversations parent practicum.  So, we've been packing lunches and heading out around 8:15 and getting home around 4:30.
That's normal for some people but not for us.
I am tired!
While the moms are in their meetings, the kids are learning, too.
Jack's in Latin camp- and really enjoying it.
Kayla's in a geography/art camp and doing great.
Sammy and Lucy are in play camp together and having their own fun.
I am also learning some Latin and more about classical education.  Also some tutor training in the afternoon.
Thankful for a good week so far, and I will be thankful when it's over!
I like our normal.

The Tip

I think it's true that the older you get, the clearer some things become.
You hear stories.  You meet people.
You begin to realize just how good you have it.
I feel that way more and more about my parents, and today, about my mom.
Let me tell you a few things I remember about growing up at my house:
*Mom planned parties.  Not just birthday parties.  Valentine parties, Christmas parties.  Fun, simple times with our friends.
*She made us pretty cakes when it was our birthday.
*She made holidays special.
*She took us places.  I always think in particular of Washington, DC.  She would take my brother, cousin, and me in the summers.  I know we had fun- I've seen the pictures.  And I remember.
*She read us stories.  I have one specific memory of sitting on the white couch listening to A Wrinkle in Time.
*She took us to the book store and the library.
*I remember making Christmas ornaments with her.  I can see little snowmen and reindeer.
*She took us to see our grandparents often.
*She let us help in the kitchen- no small feat in my mind now.
*She let us play and get dirty.  Let us be kids.
*She loved us and encouraged us and was patient.  I can appreciate this even more now that I'm a mom!
Later on...
*She had to listen to me crying from homesickness when I went to college.  Quite often.
*She made our wedding cake!
*She has helped take care of 7 newborns as they came, four mine, three Jeff's.
*She has loved on her grandkids, had tea parties with them, celebrated with them, created fun memories for them.

This is just the tip.
I have always had a good mama.
She surely doesn't hear it enough but Mom, I appreciate you and I love you.
Happy Mother's Day.

3 Months to Go

Today is graduation at Virginia Tech.
The First Lady is there as a guest speaker.  I am not a Democrat but I do think it's kind of exciting to have her 10 minutes away.
I have something even more exciting than that, though.
Three months from tomorrow our first worship service is scheduled for Providence Presbyterian Church.
Three.
August 12, 2012.
There are all kinds of directions I could take with this post.  What I want to say is this.
God is faithful.  This is His work.  And He does all things well.
God  has given us a wonderfully gifted core group.  I love hearing about the ways people want to serve, or the ways people already have.  I am truly looking forward to seeing all the things God does in and through this church.

"He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it."  

                                      1 Thessalonians 5:24

Pray for us, please.
The website is up and running!  Check it out:

http://www.providencechristiansburg.org/

Linking to Read Aloud Thursday

Well, this is my first time "linking up" to anything!  I ran across Read Aloud Thursdays last week and really enjoyed reading different book suggestions.  I love hearing about good books!  
So, the kids and I thought back over the past several months and remembered some of our favorite read alouds- all chapter books this time, all books we have read together in the mornings as we begin our day.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle  I remember my mom reading this to me- I think that makes me enjoy a book even more.

Carry On Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham     I chose this one as we have studied US History this year.  We learned a lot as we read it.  The older ones (9 and 7 at the time) especially enjoyed it.

The Railway Children by E. Nesbit  What a great story of family and adventure.  It made me cry.  Another hit.

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by  Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin    Rebecca is an endearing character we could all relate to in one way or another.  We had some good discussions on character and family.

The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs  by Betty Birney.  This book was new to me.  Loved it.  It's funny and heart-warming.  Of course we had to learn more about the real Seven Wonders of the World, too.

Mr. Popper's Penguins  by Richard and Florence Atwater     Another new one to me.  It has made us all laugh.  This one's great for both the older kids and the younger- our five year old asks for more!  A favorite!

I hear Eli is doing great.  I can't stand looking at those cheeks in his picture and not getting to kiss them.  I seriously want to squeeze him.  Hopefully soon!
We have friends here who are expecting any day now.  Maybe I can get a baby-fix when this little one comes???

Elijah

Welcome little one!

My nephew Elijah- Eli for short.

8 pounds, 5 ounces

4:02 this morning

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

A Few Things

Logically speaking, having seven kids around should be more work, not less.  But for this afternoon, we've had some friends over.  So, my kids  have been occupied and I've been able to get things mostly picked up for home group tonight.  It didn't hurt that the kids' mom brought me a caramel frappucino.  What a friend.

Two quick stories:
On the way home from the library it started to pour the rain.  I guess Lucy thought it got darker, too, because she said, "Hey!  Somebody turned out the lights!"  All the kids laughed.

Last night I over heard this:
Jack: "Yep.  You're a big boy now."
Sam:  "When I was four, I wasn't too big but now I'm five."
J:  "That's pretty big.  And you're pretty smart and pretty funny, and really fast."
S:  "Yeah.  I am."
I just liked hearing Jack affirm his brother.  Sweet.

Kayla won a drawing at the library today.  The prize:  Beverly Cleary's Mouse and the Motorcycle.

Everyone was excited about that!

Ladies Tea

Cucumber sandwiches, fancy cookies, raspberry tea.

Sounds like a ladies tea party to me!

Some ladies wore hats, some didn't but we were all dressed up at the second annual Ladies Tea at church.

Table decorations were supposed to remind us of childhood.

Kayla and I decorated a table.  She had the idea to use the ABC blocks to spell "ladies tea."

We also used Beatrix Potter books and a few stuffed animals.

Can you see some of the tiny tea set pieces behind the tea pot?

We put little flowers in those.

Granny got to come!

Not Quitting

Last week, I remember walking around the house thinking, "I'm not homeschooling anymore.  I'm done."
Not sure what my problem was at the time.  Really, I think I have those thoughts at least once a week.  I write this mostly because I've had a few friends ask me lately about homeschooling and I love to talk about it.  I love to answer questions  and remember all the reasons we do this.  But sometimes I get discouraged, and I would hate for someone walking into this venture thinking it will all be roses.  It's like anything else.  Nothing is perfect.   Good days and bad.  An opportunity for learning and growing in faith and dependence on the Lord.
This week, though, I have been greatly encouraged.  I've read through some blogs that have given me some new ideas.  New books to use, new titles to read.  Reminders that this is not to be done on my own strength or widsom.  Reminders about what's important at the end of the day.

I've also seen a few things in the kids that encourage me as mom, not as teacher.
We've been testing this week, which requires some extra peace and quiet- not always easy to come by with four kids in the house.
Jack was a champ helping with the younger kids when Kayla was testing.  He read to them, played a game, and was genuinely helpful.
When all that was done, they spent the afternoon outside playing in the water, eating popcorn and popcicles, and just enjoying each other.
I don't think we'll quit anytime soon.

Pancake Date

Lucy said, "We are having a pancake date."

I guess I thought about it in my dream.

In My Dream

I just put Samuel to bed.  Here's the conversation:
"I always have to rewind my ears when I get out of the bath."
"What??"
"Yeah, they get unwinded when I am in the water."
"Oh.  OK."
"Mom, can we have pancakes for breakfast?"
"Hmmm...I'll think about it."
"Well, how about this.  Can you just think about it in your dreams tonight?"

Tea Party

We started a new book this morning, Mr. Popper's Penguins.  Jack has read it before and it is so hard for him not to tell what's next.  Good lesson in self-control!
We also started our end of the year testing.  Hopefully we'll get that out of the way this week.
The highlight of the day, for the girls at least, was a tea party.  A just for fun, come eat and wear dresses kind of tea party.

The big girls

and the little girls.

Kayla made chocolate covered strawberries.

Decorating cupcakes.

Yum.