BOOKS I FINISHED - FEBRUARY 2016

The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are, written by Brene Brown

Shelley regularly asks her Facebook friends what they're reading and this book was mentioned by someone. While some things I didn't fully agree with and others I couldn't relate to, Brown has a lot of good thing to say in this book.She spends ten chapters on different qualities to cultivate in our lives and pairs them with the ones we need to let go of in order to cultivate what's worth having. Some examples of things to cultivate are gratitude and joy, creativity (that one kinda hit me between the eyes), play and rest, and a resilient spirit.

p.13, Heroics is often about putting our life on the line. Ordinary courage is about putting our vulnerability on the line. In today's world, that's pretty extraordinary. 

p.56, Perfectionism is a twenty-ton shield that we lug around thinking it will protect us when, in fact, it's the thing that's really preventing us from taking flight.

p.61, The line is, "There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." So many of us run around spackling all the cracks, trying to make everything look just right. < snip > It reminds me that our imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we're all in this together. Imperfectly, but together. (Quoting Leonard Cohen's song "Anthem".)

p.67, Over the past two years I've become increasingly concerned that we're raising children who have little tolerance for disappointment and have a strong sense of entitlement, which is very different than agency. Entitlement is "I deserve this just because I want it" and agency is "I know I can do this."

p.79, It seems that gratitude without practice may be a little like faith without works - it's not alive.

p.96, "I'm not creative" doesn't work. There's no such thing as creative people and non-creative people. There are only people who use their creativity and people who don't.

p.102, If we want to live a Wholehearted life, we have to become intentional about cultivating sleep and play, and about letting go of exhaustion as a status symbol and productivity as self-worth.

p.115, "Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is more people who have come alive." (quoting Howard Thurman)

One of Us Must Be Crazy ... and I'm Pretty Sure It's You: Making Sense of the Differences That Divide Us, written by Tim and Joy Downs

Susan let me take what I wanted from their book supply and this is one of the books I grabbed. It's an easy read that's based on the premise most marital conflicts boil down to one of seven key issues - caring, connection, loyalty, order, openness, responsibility, and security. In addition to explaining each of these issues and giving examples of how they manifest in conflicts that appear to be about other things, they also give tips for spouses who value these things and for spouses who are married to someone who values them.

Black-Eyed Susans, written by Julia Heaberlin

Sharon mentioned this story in a recent post and I enjoyed it. It's about a woman who survived an attack by a serial killer and many years later thinks the wrong person was convicted for the crime.

Lovable Livable Home: How to Add Beauty, Get Organized, and Make Your House Work for You, written by Sherry & John Petersik

This is the second of the Petersik's books that I've read, but it appears I never mentioned the first. Young House Love: 243 Ways to Paint, Craft, Update & Show Your House Some Love and this book are both full of simple ways to make your home fit your needs, interests, and personality. The second book also gives glimpses into several other homes, all of various sizes, styles, and needs. As with their blog, which they don't actively post on anymore, both books are fun to look through, have ideas that are easy to implement, and are very real world (save for big things, look for ways to cut costs, learn to do things yourself, embrace imperfection).

PICTURE BOOKS ABOUT REAL PEOPLE

The House that Jane Built: A Story About Jane Addams, written by Tanya Lee Stone and illustrated by Kathryn Brown

This children's book is the true story of a wealthy woman who moved into a poor area of Chicago and took her home, which was donated to her by a woman who believed in her cause, and turned it into a community center where rich and poor worked side by side and people learned skills that would help them move forward in life. The initial building, names Hull House after the woman who donated it, eventually morphed into a thirteen building complex. Addams was the first female to be awarded the Nobel Peace Price.

Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave, written Laban Carrick Hill and illustrated by Bryan Collier

The story of a gifted potter from the 1800s.



The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever, written by H. Joseph Hopkins and illustrated by Jill McElmurry

San Diego was forever changed by this woman.



A Passion for Elephants: The Real Life Adventure of Field Scientist Cynthia Moss, written by Toni Buzzeo and illustrated by Holly Berry

Over forty years dedicated to elephants.



Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suite, written by Anna Harwell Celenza and illustrated by Don Tate

Turning the music of classical ballet on its head.

The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton Poet, written and illustrated by Don Tate

A slave whose poetry allowed him to live on his own for a while, tried to buy his freedom, and who eventually was freed by law.



BOOKS THE KIDS LIKED

Sidewalk Flowers, written by Jon Arno Lawson and illustrated by Sydney Smith

A wordless book that shows the joy of looking for the good things in life and then sharing them with others.



The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom, written by Christopher Healy

Shannon said one of her sons recommended this twist on well-known fairy tales, so we got it from the library. Silas and Devon both enjoyed it.

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IT'S BEEN A WHILE

Tim and I haven't left the kids overnight in about nine years, since I was pregnant with Naomi. We've each left for various things and the kids have gone away without us, but we haven't left together while they stayed behind. I don't believe getting away overnight like that is essential to a healthy marriage, but it wasn't a deliberate choice to wait that long. Life happened, time passed, and when we recently had an opportunity to go away for the weekend with a bunch of other couples from church we realized it had been a while. We're super thankful for Mindy, as she hung out at our place to, as Teebs said, "make sure no one got hurt" while Tim and I were gone.

We didn't have the camera out much, but we took a handful of pictures yesterday to prove that we got away. Naomi made and sneaked this into my bag right before we left. Evidently we can't stay anywhere that doesn't have a W wall.

This was taken on a brisk, 45 minute, pre-breakfast walk yesterday.

As was this, taken facing the other direction.

There was rain in the forecast, but we got sunshine instead. Perfect! 

One of my happy places ... bare feet on sand. Bliss.

The little Ws like rocks, so we gathered some cool ones we found to bring home for them, but made a rock W while we were still on the beach.

We really enjoyed our time away, had fun meeting a bunch of new people and visiting with people we already knew, played games, ate absurd amounts of delicious food, and were challenged and encouraged in our marriage. It was a fun weekend!

MAKER FAIRE - 2016

All 6 Ws headed to the library last Saturday for the Maker Faire, an event with several different stations for people to create things. They had stations for paper airplanes, paracord bracelets, whirlygigs, jelly bean & toothpick engineering, knitting on ring looms, building bridges with popsicle sticks, paper cup structures, Legos, and straw rockets. 

Silas had offered to run a paracord bracelet station. He had written to and talked with the manager at Wheeler Dealer ahead of time and she granted his request to donate paracord for the event, so he was able to help a bunch of kids make their own bracelets. Tim jumped in to help at some point because there were so many kids there at once. The rest of us spent our time rotating between the stations.

It was a fun event! I don't know if the library has done them in the past or not, but hopefully they'll keep doing them.

2/25/16 - THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for the huge camellia in bloom in our neighbor's yard.

What's something that you're thankful for?

FLIP

Silas has been doing this on trampolines and from raised surfaces for a long time, but yesterday was the first time he did it on the ground.

Needless to say, he was pretty excited.

HANDMADE HATS

Last month I was on the hunt for a hat for a friend and Laury ended up making this one, which I photographed on my head so the recipient could confirm it would work for them. I wouldn't want it for myself because the only grey I wear is almost black, but I think the style is super cute.

This month I moved from our giving budget over to some fun money I received for Christmas and had her make one for me. I have a blue hat I wear a lot, but I knew a brown one would go with most of the things I wear that don't coordinate with the blue one. This is what she gave me yesterday. I don't know if the bottom was meant to be folded like a cuff or not, but that's what I did and I've been wearing it ever since I got it. I love it!

Laury doesn't have a website or anything, but I can connect you with her if you're interested in having her make something for you. 

TAKING A WEEK OFF

I made a spontaneous decision last Sunday to take a week off. I was feeling a little bit overwhelmed with responsibilities and discouraged about some things we can't seem to work through, which meant I was also crabby. I always keep a clipboard on the corner of our kitchen counter with a weekly list of things that need to get done, all categorized and checked off as tasks are accomplished. That works well for me, but this is the list I made for last week (including this weekend). 

It wasn't organized or prioritized and nothing got marked off, but it was a visual reminder for me of the things I wanted to make time for during our week. We ditched structured academics and alarm clocks, then practiced responsibility through tackling some random household tasks, worked on kindness and respect in our conversations with each other, piled on the couch to read books, cranked music, went on walks, pulled out paint and craft supplies, did science experiments, jumped on the trampoline, built forts, played games, and just lived life.

The result?

No, it wasn't a perfectly dreamy week. Yes, we had conflicts, discipline, and bad moods. However, I think people were happier by the time this picture was taken Friday evening than they had been lately ... and this structure-loving girl is sorta wishing she was an unschooler. That will never happen, but it did make me rethink how we're doing school. Now I'm trying to figure out if there's a way we could do school that would provide some structure and guarantee we do things that matter most to me, but also allow the kids more freedom in their day, me to be more involved, and all of us to do some school together. We'll see. Meanwhile, I'm thankful for the freedom in our schedule to take time to breathe and regroup for a week.

2/18/16 - THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful to get rid of things that are no longer earning the space they take up.

What's something you're thankful for?

SCIENCE FAIR - 2016

Tonight was our homeschool group's second annual science fair. We all had soup and bread together for dinner, then listened to sixteen (if I remember correctly) presentations. All the kids did a great job! Fourteen year old bigs down to four year old littles, families that are hardcore science fans and others that aren't so much, kids who love speaking to groups and ones who'd rather do just about anything else, randomly selected topics and personal collections or hobbies ... a little bit of everything. All four little Ws participated this year.

Silas talked about popcorn.

Devon talked about Oobleck.

Teebs presented two pictures, one of a wolf and the other of a fox.

Naomi talked about trees.

It was a fun night!

MAKEUP SESSION

Naomi loves makeup and we let her put it on around the house from time to time, just for kicks. She's been asking me for weeks to let her put makeup on me, but it just hasn't worked out. Today was the day.

She put makeup on me.

Then I put makeup on her. I don't have any idea when the last time was that I put eye shadow on anyone, myself included. Years and years.

The final product.

We've been talking about love languages at home lately and one of Naomi's is quality time. This took no more than 15 minutes of our day and she absolutely loved it. Other than an occasional use of mascara, I don't wear makeup, but I think we're going to do this once a week or so for a while. I'm not super girly, but I could give her a little bit of guidance in how to apply makeup. More importantly, the time together would mean a lot to her. 

BUDDIES AT BULLWINKLE'S

Teebs was invited to join Cannon and his parents for a post-church trip to the Bullwinkle's/Family Fun Center. He was so excited! Erin sent me these pictures while they were all out.

Such cute kids! His favorite part? "All of it!" Later, he said it was "those motorcycle things". What did you eat? "Pizza!" Were there any funny parts? "When the animals were talking. But they weren't real animals and they weren't really talking."

2/11/16 - THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for life.

What's something that you're thankful for?

MOVIES I WATCHED: 12/15/15 - 2/8/16

A Smile as Big as the Moon
I read A Smile as Big as the Moon: A Special Education Teacher, His Class, and Their Inspiring Journey Through U.S. Space Camp, written by Mike Kersjes, back in 2012, but our library system didn't have the movie at the time. They have it now, so we watched it as a family and everyone enjoyed it. It's a great story, whether in book or movie form. We actually watched it in the late summer or early fall, but I forgot to list it back then.

Ramona and Beezus
This was our selection for a family movie night and it had each W laughing at one point or another. I've only read one or two Beverly Cleary books, and only when the kids had them assigned for school, but this movie almost made me want to read more of them.

War Room
Tim and I watched this together one night. It served as a good reminder to make prayer a high priority, to take responsibility for our own behavior, and that there are always consequences for our choices, even in the midst of grace.

Home Run
A professional baseball player whose alcoholism is destroying his life and career finds himself coaching a kids' team in his hometown. It's definitely a "happily ever after" kind of movie and fairly predictable, but it was fine. Celebrate Recovery, an organization I have no personal experience with, but that friends have been helped greatly by, is part of the movie,

He Named Me Malala
This is the documentary of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani young woman who, at age 15, was shot in the face by the Taliban for speaking publicly about the importance of and right to an education in girls' lives. She'll be 19 this year and continues to make advocacy her life's work. Tim and I watched this together, but will be having the big boys watch it soon. It pairs well with Girl Rising, for those who haven't seen either movie. I plan on reading her book, I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, as well, and will check out Malala Yousafzai: Warrior with Words, written by Karen Leggett Abouraya and illustrated by L. C. Wheatley, or something comparable if the library doesn't have it, for the younger kids.

2/4/16 - THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for the internet.

What's one thing that you're thankful for?

I LOVE OUR HOUSE #10

This window is right above my kitchen sink and I love being able to see outside while I'm standing there. It's hard to see in this picture because it's currently bare, but there's a small tree right in front of the bushes at the edge of the yard, between the bushes and the house. We have two bird feeders hanging on it and the leaves are really pretty in the spring and fall, so it's a nice view from the kitchen.

I've lived in one other place with a window above the sink, but this one has an advantage the other didn't. It opens to our front porch. That means it's handy for acknowledging guests and telling or motioning them to come in, even if I'm in the middle of something and can't come to the door. It's also really handy for solicitors I don't want to ignore, or can't ignore because we're three feet away from each other and have made eye contact, but don't want to get locked into a conversation with. Window conversations just don't last as long as door ones.

BOOKS I FINISHED - JANUARY 2016

Orphan Train, written by Christina Baker Kline
I loved this novel and read it in one sitting. A great mix of historical information, multi-generational relationships, foster care and adoption, overcoming difficult circumstances, and people helping those in need.

BiblioTech: Why Libraries matter More Than Ever in the Age of Google, written by John Palfrey
Jennifer mentioned this book in a reading group and I thought it sounded interesting. I read every word of some chapters and just skimmed others, but there's a lot of good information in it. Among other things, Palfrey talks about the importance of free, public access to information in a democracy, the value of both of print and digital books and information, how libraries foster a sense of community, the importance of libraries for students who otherwise wouldn't have quiet places to study, people to answer their questions, or access to the internet that they need to complete assignments.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, written by Frederick Douglass
We recently picked up Frederick's Journey: The Life of Frederick Douglass, written by Doreen Rappaport and illustrated by London Ladd, from the library. I read it to the kids at lunch one day, realized I'd never read anything about Douglass before, then put this book on hold for myself. I read the introduction and preface, which were written by other men, but it was the actual narrative that I truly enjoyed. Of course, one can't actually enjoy the description of a life that no human should ever have to live, but Douglass was a well-spoken man, discerning in what information should be shared, and able to give a glimpse into the realities of slavery that many slaves could not for lack of ability to speak articulately or write legibly (if at all), or would not because of the incredibly valid fear of retribution. I'm going to have the big boys read it soon.

p.26, ... an expression of feeling has already found its way down my cheek. (Speaking of songs sung by slaves, but so fitting for the reader of  his narrative.)

p.89, They do nothing towards enlightening the slave, whilst they do much towards enlightening the master.  < snip>  Let us render the tyrant no aid; let us not hold the light by which he can trace the footprints of our flying brother.  (Speaking of those who shared of their involvement in the underground railroad and his belief that their words did more harm than good.)

p.92, But I remained firm, and, according to my resolution, on the third day of September, 1838, I left my chains, and succeeded in reaching New York without the slightest interruption of any kind. (The brevity of this sentence, given its significance in his life, really struck me.)


BOOKS I BAILED ON

Tinkers, written by Paul Harding
I really wanted to like this book about a dying clock fixer's memories of his childhood and his dad, but I just couldn't get into it. I like the idea of it, but it felt disjointed to me.


BOOKS THE KIDS LOVED

Why? Answers to Everyday Scientific Questions, written by Joel Levy