Posts

Showing posts from December, 2021

Coloring Bibles

Image
My youngest daughters got coloring Bible for Christmas. Tonight I found them in front of the fire coloring together. I gave thanks for that moment .  

How to Draw Books and Sketchpads

Image
She asked for "how to draw books" and "sketchpads" for Christmas. I came through the living room and saw this. It's a moment that made me smile. 

Small Moss

Image
 ...the extra ordinary beauty of a small moss in fructification irresistibly caught my eye... though the plant was not larger than the top of my fingers, I could not contemplate the delicate conformation of its roots, leaves, and capsule without admiration. Can the Being, thought I, who planted, watered, and brought to perfection, in the obscure part of the world, a thing which appears of so small importance, look with unconcern upon the situation and sufferings of creatures formed after His own image? Surely not!  -Mungo Park as quoted in Ourselves by Charlotte Mason

The Hobbit

Image
My youngest got The Hobbit (the graphic novel) for Christmas and she's reading it.  Tonight, she painted a hobbit door on a small canvas.  Note: She also got several of these small canvases for Christmas.  I often give my daughters illustrated or easier versions of novels, Shakespeare's plays, Greek myths, etc. before they are assigned the actual plays, myths, or books for school.  I often read these kids' versions, too, before reading the grown-up plays or myths!  In my experience, an easier, illustrated version allows people to grow familiar with the characters and plots, fall in love with the stories, and talk to their older siblings about them.  Sometimes immediately, but always eventually, my girls also read the actual books.  

"I am of Mason"

Image
For when one says, "I am of Mason," and another, "I am of Wilson," are you not mere men? What then is Mason? And what is Wilson? Servants through whom you learned, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one... I read Bauer first, then Mason, then Bortins...  but God was the one equipping me and growing my children.  According to the grace of God which was given to us,  we have raised our children in the Lord... So let no one boast in female educators or male educators.  For all things belong to you, Christian homeschooling mother,  whether Mason or Wilson or Bauer or Bortins... all things belong to you,  and you belong to Christ,  and Christ belongs to God.   

Mere Christianity

Image
In plain language, the question should never be, "Do I like that kind of service?" but "Are these doctrines true: Is holiness here? Does my conscience move me towards this? Is my reluctance to knock at this door my pride, or my mere taste, or my personal dislike of this particular doorkeeper?" ...And above all you must be asking which door is the true one; not which pleases you best... -from the Preface of Mere Christianity

Habits/ Goals for 2022

This is a humble list with some very, very basic daily goals.  But in many ways, I find myself having to "start over" in 2022.  The verse that keeps coming to mind as I think about making my goals for 2022 is:  "Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness."  1. Track my calories- When I was healthiest, I was tracking my calories with MyFitnessPal daily.  This simple habit forces me to be aware of and accountable for everything that goes in my body. Naturally, when I am diligently tracking what I eat, I tend to make better choices, eat more healthy foods, and less unhealthy foods. From previous experience, I know this is the one habit that will make the most difference in my health in 2022.  2. Take my vitamins-  Even though my vitamins are right out in plain sight on the kitchen counter, I forget to take them at least a few days a week.  My plan is to take them after my first cup of coffee but before my second. Taking my vitamins daily will ensure I'm getting

Christmas 2021

Image
It was an icy, rainy morning, but we stayed warm under blankets and in front of the fire until breakfast.  Homemade cinnamon rolls and our final Advent readings before presents Stockings first Personalized wax seals Then came the bigger gifts The two oldest got Harry Potter swag- Our kids take the sorting test when they enter Challenge (so the youngest hasn't done it yet, but she's looking forward to it) I made this cross stitch for Dwayne's office many, many years ago. It went in a store bought frame. That frame broke a few years later and it was an awkward size, so I could not find a replacement and having a custom frame made was out of our budget. So the cross stitch sat in a drawer for years. But this year, I snuck it out and splurged and surprised Dwayne with his old gift in a new frame. (He thought it had been misplaced, lost, etc. He cried.) I got the girls full-sized aprons. They had out grown the child-sized aprons they've had for years.  The youngest never sto

Christmas Eve 2021

Image
On Christmas Eve, we worked together to make batches of  no-bake coco cookies and Rolo turtle candies after breakfast.  We attended a Christmas Eve service at our church that afternoon.  We enjoyed Several hours of relaxing reading. Late in the afternoon, we packaged up the cookies and candies for our neighbors.   Then the girls got their their shoes and coats on so they could take the gifts over, but the door bell rang! Our neighbors were already at the door with gifts for us!  We all shared a laugh and exchanged gifts right on our doorstep. Our neighbors are such a blessing!  After dinner, we did our Advent readings.  We've had the same Advent traditions since our oldest was a baby. Here's a picture of her toddling towards the tree to hang one of the Advent ornaments.  For fun, she restaged the same photo below.  We have another tradition of opening one gift on Christmas Eve- new pajamas! Dwayne and I made the dough for homemade cinnamon rolls in the morning.  Then we all we

Disproportionate Joys

Image
In our old house, I had started to keep (or tried to keep alive) a moss garden in a plastic lid. We’d collect mosses on hikes. I got the idea from Lewis. Only God knows the disproportionate joys I got from that little lid of mosses. Then we moved here to the woods and we blew away the leaves for the first time and Behold! I get to live inside Warren’s biscuit tin every single day! The joy never ceases to surprise me.

The Silmarillion

Image
  I was on my second reading of The Silmarillion and I was still confused about all the proper nouns. Tolkien gave the same person many names and the names often sound alike. So I started over again, reading it a third time, but this time I took pen in hand and I started making notes in order to keep all the names straight. Now the notes are turning into doodles! But this makes the story easier to follow and the characters, places, etc. easier to track. 

Homeric Moments

Image
I finished Homeric Moments by Eva Brann.  I read it because Eva Brann is brilliant and witty in interviews I have seen, and I am directing Challenge 4 this year and we are reading The Odyssey right now.   I came away with a few interesting or humorous anecdotes, but nevertheless, it was not my favorite book.  By way of explanation, this is the third book I've read of this sort- where someone brilliant writes down their thoughts about a book. And I haven't enjoyed any book of this genre.  But I'll probably keep reading books about books like this one, because I can't help myself.  I'm a reader and it's far too tempting to hear what brilliant people have to say about things that I love like the epics.  But the facts remain- I'd rather read the actual book than read a book about it or I'd rather  listen to someone talk about a book any day. 
Image

Arcus and Adele

Image
Our pet sun conure, Arcus, loves our youngest daughter best of all. Here are a collection of images of the two together. 

The Winter King

Image
 Our current read-aloud You can hear a podcast with the author here . 

Flower Pot Ornaments

Image
We visited a homeschooling friend and her kids at their home over the Christmas break. She generously provided supplies for a craft for us to complete while there- Flower Pot Ornaments!  We painted the miniature pots with various scenes, then threaded ribbons and bells through the holes in the bottoms, then tied knots and made them into ornament. The bells can be inside the ornament, making it into a bell, or outside, depending on your preference.  A nativity A winter landscape A house An elf's hat A Hobbit house A candy cane garden