Burial for a King: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Funeral and the Week that Transformed Atlanta and Rocked the Nation, written by Rebecca Burns
Jam packed with information about the week after King was killed. It explains how a city overcome with grief and steeped in racial tensions managed to hold itself together and host the thousands of people who came for the funeral, even while riots were were breaking out and record-breaking numbers of U.S. troops were deployed in other American cities.
Animals of the Bible, text selected by Helen Dean Fish and illustrated by Dorothy P. Lathrop
Caldecott, 1938. The text of this book is selected Bible verses and the illustrations are black and white.
The Story of Mankind, written and illustrated by Hendrick Van Loon
Newbery, 1922. I was not expecting the first Newbery book to be a nearly 500 page history textbook. Ay yi yi! If we didn't read a lot of history for school, then I'd have read it. But we do. So I skimmed it and called it good.
Abraham Lincoln, written and illustrated by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire
Caldecott, 1940. The story of Lincoln's childhood and rise to the presidency.
Make Way for Ducklings, written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey
Caldecott, 1942. We have this story in our copy of The Children's 20th Century Children's Book Treasury, though I read it again as I'm going through the Caldecott list, and it's been a favorite of each kid as we've read it for school.
In Grandma's Attic, written by Arleta Richardson and illustrated by Dora Leder
Read aloud for Naomi. Each chapter is a story about the author's grandmother's childhood.
Daughter of the Mountains, written by Louise Rankin and illustrated by Kurt Wiese
Read aloud for Silas and Devon. The fictional story of a Tibetan girl who walks to India in order to find her dog, which was stolen for the purpose of selling.
Shadow Spinner, written by Susan Fletcher
Read aloud for Silas and Devon, though I read it myself and they listened to it on CD. The fictional story of a two girls - one whose life is spared by the Sultan each day, assuming she can come up with a new story to tell him that he finds entertaining, and another who becomes responsible for finding stories for the first. This has been one of my favorite books of the year and the boys also enjoyed it.
The Wizard of Oz, written by L. Frank Baum
Read aloud for Naomi, though we listened to it together on CD. Pretty sure everyone knows what this book is about. :)
Mei Lei, written and illustrated by Thomas Handforth
Caldecott, 1939. A young Chinese girl finds a way out of her rural home to attend a New Years fair in the city.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Saturday, March 30, 2013
THE YARD
I love working in the yard. Seriously love it.
Our yard was picture perfect when we moved in, but I only have so many hours in my day and they tend to be filled up with kids and domesticity. Plus Tim's rarely around these days because of school, which means I'm stretched thinner than usual. And one little W can't just play on their own while I weed, prune, or mow.
Needless to say, our yard has been neglected.
A few days ago, though, I realized that something needed to change. I'm always happier when I get to spend time outside and the yard needed some attention. It wasn't horrid, but there was definitely work to be done. So I decided that I'd do yard work during naps each day, unless there were other things that simply had to be done during that time.
It's only been three days, but it's been great! I've edged the much of the lawn, moved a few plants around, dug out a gazillion dandelions, mowed the front lawn, cleaned up some beds, and tried to stop the aggressive spread of a mystery plant that wants to take over our property.
There's still more edging to be done, the back needs to be mowed after Sunday's egg hunt, some trees need pruning, and our fence is collapsing on all sides ... but I'm making progress! The fence will wait until Tim's employed, but the rest of the work will be done within a few days.
Not only have I been able to work on the yard itself, but I've been able to hang laundry outside a lot lately. I love standing in a quiet yard, in the sunshine, while listening to and watching all the birds flying in and out of our trees. I mean, if you have to do laundry, then that's the way to do it!
Then today I opened the garage door .... wait. Let me tell you about the garage. It's a disaster, a constant source of stress and irritation for me the entire time we've lived here. I know it's ridiculous, but I get so grumpy every time I look in there. Ack.
Anyway, Teebs woke up from naps right as I was finishing one section of the yard. So Devon got him out of bed, set up a pack 'n play outside, and put Teebs in it. I'm so thankful for the way he jumps in and takes care of stuff like that without being asked!
By that time I was done with the yard job I was working on, but didn't want to go inside. So I opened the garage door and started organizing, supervised and entertained by the Mighty Teebs. The sun shines right into the garage during that time of day, so we had fresh air and sunshine, even though we had a roof over our heads.
There is still plenty of work to be done in the garage, but I can now walk from one end to the other without climbing over stuff, I have a pile started of things to get rid of, and I have a tentative plan in place for how to finish the job. So happy about that!
I love the fact that I was outside for six hours today. I love that my time outside was so productive. I love our yard.
Our yard was picture perfect when we moved in, but I only have so many hours in my day and they tend to be filled up with kids and domesticity. Plus Tim's rarely around these days because of school, which means I'm stretched thinner than usual. And one little W can't just play on their own while I weed, prune, or mow.
Needless to say, our yard has been neglected.
A few days ago, though, I realized that something needed to change. I'm always happier when I get to spend time outside and the yard needed some attention. It wasn't horrid, but there was definitely work to be done. So I decided that I'd do yard work during naps each day, unless there were other things that simply had to be done during that time.
It's only been three days, but it's been great! I've edged the much of the lawn, moved a few plants around, dug out a gazillion dandelions, mowed the front lawn, cleaned up some beds, and tried to stop the aggressive spread of a mystery plant that wants to take over our property.
There's still more edging to be done, the back needs to be mowed after Sunday's egg hunt, some trees need pruning, and our fence is collapsing on all sides ... but I'm making progress! The fence will wait until Tim's employed, but the rest of the work will be done within a few days.
Not only have I been able to work on the yard itself, but I've been able to hang laundry outside a lot lately. I love standing in a quiet yard, in the sunshine, while listening to and watching all the birds flying in and out of our trees. I mean, if you have to do laundry, then that's the way to do it!
Then today I opened the garage door .... wait. Let me tell you about the garage. It's a disaster, a constant source of stress and irritation for me the entire time we've lived here. I know it's ridiculous, but I get so grumpy every time I look in there. Ack.
Anyway, Teebs woke up from naps right as I was finishing one section of the yard. So Devon got him out of bed, set up a pack 'n play outside, and put Teebs in it. I'm so thankful for the way he jumps in and takes care of stuff like that without being asked!
By that time I was done with the yard job I was working on, but didn't want to go inside. So I opened the garage door and started organizing, supervised and entertained by the Mighty Teebs. The sun shines right into the garage during that time of day, so we had fresh air and sunshine, even though we had a roof over our heads.
There is still plenty of work to be done in the garage, but I can now walk from one end to the other without climbing over stuff, I have a pile started of things to get rid of, and I have a tentative plan in place for how to finish the job. So happy about that!
I love the fact that I was outside for six hours today. I love that my time outside was so productive. I love our yard.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
3/28/13 THANKFUL THURSDAY
I'm thankful for helpful friends.
What's something that you're thankful for?
What's something that you're thankful for?
Friday, March 22, 2013
MENU - SECOND HALF OF MARCH 2013
BREAKFASTS
* doughnuts x3
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, raisins, fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and energy mix as optional toppings x8
* scrambled eggs & bacon
* baked oatmeal (prep the previous night)
* lemony sour cream muffins
* Rebecca's granola
DINNERS
* leftovers x3
* tacos x2
* beef eldorado/peas & corn
* rice, kale, and eggs
* cauliflower bake/rice
* hot dogs/fruit salad
* grilled salmon (Tim's catch, from the freezer)/quinoa/roasted cabbage
* crockpot ziti/roasted broccoli
* red lentil soup (from the freezer)/roasted broccoli
* turkey/homemade stuffing/cranberry sauce/winter fruit salad
* turkey pot pie/winter fruit salad
* Mediterranean black bean salad over spinach/rice
SNACKS & DESSERTS
* produce
* nuts - pistachios & roasted almonds
* popcorn
* s'mores bars
* oatmeal scotchies
* oat & almond bars
* doughnuts x3
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, raisins, fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and energy mix as optional toppings x8
* scrambled eggs & bacon
* baked oatmeal (prep the previous night)
* lemony sour cream muffins
* Rebecca's granola
DINNERS
* leftovers x3
* tacos x2
* beef eldorado/peas & corn
* rice, kale, and eggs
* cauliflower bake/rice
* hot dogs/fruit salad
* grilled salmon (Tim's catch, from the freezer)/quinoa/roasted cabbage
* crockpot ziti/roasted broccoli
* red lentil soup (from the freezer)/roasted broccoli
* turkey/homemade stuffing/cranberry sauce/winter fruit salad
* turkey pot pie/winter fruit salad
* Mediterranean black bean salad over spinach/rice
SNACKS & DESSERTS
* produce
* nuts - pistachios & roasted almonds
* popcorn
* s'mores bars
* oatmeal scotchies
* oat & almond bars
Thursday, March 21, 2013
3/21/13. THANKFUL THURSDAY
I'm thankful I've never been without food, water, shelter, or clothing.
What is something that you are thankful for?
What is something that you are thankful for?
Sunday, March 17, 2013
AN AMAZING DAY
A dear friend of mine recently had a recurrence of her cancer take a shockingly fast turn for the worse. So, in true Sonlight Sisterhood fashion, everyone in the Portland-ish and Seattle-ish areas who were able to dropped everything to spend some time with her yesterday.
Folks, it was amazing. The day was such a gift! A few days earlier she was looking and feeling horrible, but yesterday she was stunning and having little pain. We were expecting to spend five minutes at a time with her in a hospital room, going in little groups, but instead our whole group got to spend three hours hanging out together in her living room. We chatted, laughed, ate, and prayed - pretty much par for the course in our group of friends. Yes, some tears were shed, but the overall mood of our time together was positive and fun.
I'm so thankful, so very thankful, for time spent with the group as a whole and with one friend who is deeply loved, will be enjoyed during whatever time she has left, and will be deeply missed when she is gone.
Folks, it was amazing. The day was such a gift! A few days earlier she was looking and feeling horrible, but yesterday she was stunning and having little pain. We were expecting to spend five minutes at a time with her in a hospital room, going in little groups, but instead our whole group got to spend three hours hanging out together in her living room. We chatted, laughed, ate, and prayed - pretty much par for the course in our group of friends. Yes, some tears were shed, but the overall mood of our time together was positive and fun.
I'm so thankful, so very thankful, for time spent with the group as a whole and with one friend who is deeply loved, will be enjoyed during whatever time she has left, and will be deeply missed when she is gone.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
3/14/13 THANKFUL THURSDAY
I'm thankful for Melanie and the community that we're both part of.
What's something that you're thankful for?
What's something that you're thankful for?
Monday, March 11, 2013
3/11/13 MEMORIES ON MONDAY
This picture was taken the day Tim got his bachelors in health promotion and fitnesss management. College graduation is always a big milestone (he actually went on to get his masters in teaching few years later), but he had a rough academic start to college that made the day even more important. On top of that, he was the first person in his family to get a degree, though others are working on theirs right now, which is pretty significant. Having a college degree is certainly not the determining factor of success or happiness in life and his other family members have wisely pursued the things that interest them, but I think it's admirable when someone reaches a goal without having any footsteps to follow.
I know what you're thinking right now. College degree? Who cares. We want to know what's up with all Tim's hair?!
Saturday, March 9, 2013
EDZAPP SEASON
It's the time of year when we spend part of each day looking for new job postings on Edzapp. Here's where things are at.
* Tim started the administrative licensing program late, but the university is trying doing their best to get him licensed before summer is over.
* Posts for teaching jobs kick into high gear next month and don't taper off until the fall.
* Admin jobs are getting posted now.
* He's willing to take either kind of job.
* Some schools will fill an administrative position with someone who doesn't quite have their license yet, but is eligible to get it soon. Others won't.
* I spend part of my time looking for admin jobs and the other part not considering those jobs to be realistic options until Tim actually has a license in his hands.
* The school he's doing his full-time practicum at will have some administrative openings next year, positions he's currently shadowing for his practicum.
* The school is on the other end of the metro area and 45 minutes away in good traffic.
* He really likes the school his practicum is at.
If I ruled the world, then Tim would meet all the requirements for his administrative license and have it in his hand by the end of summer, get hired for a teaching or administrative job that is a good fit for his skills and interests, be at a school that is close enough to home that we can visit occasionally and that will allow him to spend time with the kids on weeknights, and that he would have a job lined up sooner than later.
Time will tell.
Meanwhile, if you're looking for me, then I can probably be found on Edzapp.
* Tim started the administrative licensing program late, but the university is trying doing their best to get him licensed before summer is over.
* Posts for teaching jobs kick into high gear next month and don't taper off until the fall.
* Admin jobs are getting posted now.
* He's willing to take either kind of job.
* Some schools will fill an administrative position with someone who doesn't quite have their license yet, but is eligible to get it soon. Others won't.
* I spend part of my time looking for admin jobs and the other part not considering those jobs to be realistic options until Tim actually has a license in his hands.
* The school he's doing his full-time practicum at will have some administrative openings next year, positions he's currently shadowing for his practicum.
* The school is on the other end of the metro area and 45 minutes away in good traffic.
* He really likes the school his practicum is at.
If I ruled the world, then Tim would meet all the requirements for his administrative license and have it in his hand by the end of summer, get hired for a teaching or administrative job that is a good fit for his skills and interests, be at a school that is close enough to home that we can visit occasionally and that will allow him to spend time with the kids on weeknights, and that he would have a job lined up sooner than later.
Time will tell.
Meanwhile, if you're looking for me, then I can probably be found on Edzapp.
Friday, March 8, 2013
MOVIES I WATCHED - MARCH 2013
The Man Who Saved Christmas
I forgot to mention this one in my last movie post, but we watched it during the Christmas season. It's the true story of a A.C. Gilbert, creator of the erector set, toy company founder, model train expert, producer of military supplies, and someone who was born in our neck of the woods, hence the location of the A.C. Gilbert Discovery Village.
The Odd Life of Timothy Green
Loved it.
Cowgirls n' Angels
Cute.
In the Wild - Mongolian Horsemen, with Julia Roberts
We watched this after reading I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade, which was set in Mongolia, for school.
Here Comes the Boom
Redbox freebie that Tim and I watched. He liked it more than I did.
I forgot to mention this one in my last movie post, but we watched it during the Christmas season. It's the true story of a A.C. Gilbert, creator of the erector set, toy company founder, model train expert, producer of military supplies, and someone who was born in our neck of the woods, hence the location of the A.C. Gilbert Discovery Village.
The Odd Life of Timothy Green
Loved it.
Cowgirls n' Angels
Cute.
In the Wild - Mongolian Horsemen, with Julia Roberts
We watched this after reading I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade, which was set in Mongolia, for school.
Here Comes the Boom
Redbox freebie that Tim and I watched. He liked it more than I did.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
3/7/13 THANKFUL THURSDAY
I am thankful for friends who love the little Ws.
What is something that you are thankful for?
What is something that you are thankful for?
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
I LOVE OUR HOUSE #8
For all but two years of my adulthood I have lived near train tracks and we now live about half a mile from some. I love the sound of trains, the whistles blowing and engines roaring as they pass through town. I love hearing the bells as the gates fall at the crossing. I wonder what is being transported and where people are traveling.
I obviously don't have a picture of the sound of trains, but I heard one a few minutes ago and wanted to add that sound to the list of things I love about our home.
I obviously don't have a picture of the sound of trains, but I heard one a few minutes ago and wanted to add that sound to the list of things I love about our home.
Monday, March 4, 2013
WHERE WE LIVE, WHERE WE GO, WHAT WE READ
High school - The kids and I drove out to Roosevelt on Friday so that we could see where Tim spends his days. What a cool building! We met one of the vice principals and some other staff members, checked out the football field, then headed out. It was a quick visit, but, barring undercover jobs, I think it's important for kids to see where their parents spend the bulk of their time.
Zoo - We were (mostly) anonymously given a zoo membership a couple months ago, so we headed there after visiting Tim. It was nice to get some wiggles out on a dry day!
Spring - I love seeing all the trees budding and flowers blooming in our yard and neighborhood!!!
The Hobbit - If my mom were alive, then she would be thrilled to know that one of the little Ws just finished reading The Hobbit. She loved that book, but I could never enjoy it enough to finish reading it. Silas, however, just read it for school and loved it! Devon will start it next and I'm curious to see what he thinks about it.
Neighborhood - We walk to the library once or twice a week and it always strikes me how much the area we live in reminds me of Ashland's railroad district. Old houses, big trees, porches ... I love it! the income level of this area is much lower than Ashland, so there are a few more run down houses mixed in with the cute ones, but I love the feel of older neighborhoods. If only the little downtown area could be revitalized and some of the awesome old buildings be put to good use! I'd love to see more people walking around from home to library, to post office, to restaurant, to college, to little market, to pool, to furniture store .... maybe someday.
Eating out - We met had Tim meet us at Red Robin after his practicum a few nights ago and enjoyed the second family dinner that we got from some gift cards we were given for Christmas. Yum!
Children's books - Every time we go to the library I see some posters about books that won the Caldecott and Newbery Awards. Some of the Newbery ones are books we've read for school, but there are tons I've never read or heard of. So I recently decided to read every book on each list, starting from the first years they were awarded and working my way forward to the present day. I read one Caldecott book last night and have both a Caldecott and Newbery book headed in transit to the library to pick up tomorrow.
Garage - Our garage is a disaster that stresses me out. I love organizing things, but can't figure out what in the world to do with that area. I think we have too much stuff, but I also think I'm the only one with that opinion on the matter. Hopefully we can tackle it over spring break, but I need to start formulating a plan of attack now.
(This post contains affiliate links.)
Zoo - We were (mostly) anonymously given a zoo membership a couple months ago, so we headed there after visiting Tim. It was nice to get some wiggles out on a dry day!
Spring - I love seeing all the trees budding and flowers blooming in our yard and neighborhood!!!
The Hobbit - If my mom were alive, then she would be thrilled to know that one of the little Ws just finished reading The Hobbit. She loved that book, but I could never enjoy it enough to finish reading it. Silas, however, just read it for school and loved it! Devon will start it next and I'm curious to see what he thinks about it.
Neighborhood - We walk to the library once or twice a week and it always strikes me how much the area we live in reminds me of Ashland's railroad district. Old houses, big trees, porches ... I love it! the income level of this area is much lower than Ashland, so there are a few more run down houses mixed in with the cute ones, but I love the feel of older neighborhoods. If only the little downtown area could be revitalized and some of the awesome old buildings be put to good use! I'd love to see more people walking around from home to library, to post office, to restaurant, to college, to little market, to pool, to furniture store .... maybe someday.
Eating out - We met had Tim meet us at Red Robin after his practicum a few nights ago and enjoyed the second family dinner that we got from some gift cards we were given for Christmas. Yum!
Children's books - Every time we go to the library I see some posters about books that won the Caldecott and Newbery Awards. Some of the Newbery ones are books we've read for school, but there are tons I've never read or heard of. So I recently decided to read every book on each list, starting from the first years they were awarded and working my way forward to the present day. I read one Caldecott book last night and have both a Caldecott and Newbery book headed in transit to the library to pick up tomorrow.
Garage - Our garage is a disaster that stresses me out. I love organizing things, but can't figure out what in the world to do with that area. I think we have too much stuff, but I also think I'm the only one with that opinion on the matter. Hopefully we can tackle it over spring break, but I need to start formulating a plan of attack now.
(This post contains affiliate links.)
Sunday, March 3, 2013
MENU - FIRST HALF OF MARCH 2013
I only have one new recipe to share this time, then you'll see what we'll be eating over the next couple weeks.
* red pepper salmon pasta - Despite the ingredients, this is actually a fairly mild dish.
BREAKFASTS
* doughnuts x2
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, raisins, fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and energy mix as optional toppings x8
* Dutch cream waffles
* Rebecca's granola
* wheat germ whole wheat buttermilk pancakes
* egg & potato scramble
DINNERS
* leftovers x2
* tacos x2
* tortellini pesto salad
* new salmon recipe (Tim's catch)/bean salad
* upside down pizza (base from the freezer)/peas & corn
* zesty chicken/rice/roasted broccoli
* crockpot ziti/winter fruit salad with lemon poppyseed dressing
* lentil bean chili/raw veggie sticks & slices
* cheesy green beans/rice
* orange lentil soup/bread
* Asian wraps or salad
* grilled salmon (Tim's catch)/coleslaw
SNACKS & DESSERTS
* produce
* nuts - pistachios & roasted almonds
* popcorn
* oat & almond bars
* creamy lemon pie
* pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
* red pepper salmon pasta - Despite the ingredients, this is actually a fairly mild dish.
BREAKFASTS
* doughnuts x2
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, raisins, fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and energy mix as optional toppings x8
* Dutch cream waffles
* Rebecca's granola
* wheat germ whole wheat buttermilk pancakes
* egg & potato scramble
DINNERS
* leftovers x2
* tacos x2
* tortellini pesto salad
* new salmon recipe (Tim's catch)/bean salad
* upside down pizza (base from the freezer)/peas & corn
* zesty chicken/rice/roasted broccoli
* crockpot ziti/winter fruit salad with lemon poppyseed dressing
* lentil bean chili/raw veggie sticks & slices
* cheesy green beans/rice
* orange lentil soup/bread
* Asian wraps or salad
* grilled salmon (Tim's catch)/coleslaw
SNACKS & DESSERTS
* produce
* nuts - pistachios & roasted almonds
* popcorn
* oat & almond bars
* creamy lemon pie
* pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
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