tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13785621558964377042024-02-06T22:33:19.234-05:00Bits and Pieces From My LifeKristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17152562871467319771noreply@blogger.comBlogger1249125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378562155896437704.post-42451421492657587392018-10-02T15:39:00.002-04:002018-10-02T15:39:33.606-04:00Judah's Birth Story<br />
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I'm not planning to make a permanent return to blogging, but I thought this was the best platform to share my latest birth story. If you follow my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/frommylifeblog" target="_blank">blog's page on Facebook</a>, you know I gave birth to my seventh baby in August. </div>
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This pregnancy was my hardest pregnancy. I would have assumed it was because I'm an "older" mom, thirty-eight when I gave birth, but my sixth child,<a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2016/01/macies-birth-story.html?m=0" target="_blank"> Macie, was born</a> when I was thirty-five and it was by far my easiest pregnancy so that theory doesn't hold up. With this pregnancy, I was sick for weeks and weeks-- throwing up until 16-17 weeks, nauseous daily until 20 weeks, and nauseous several days a week until the third trimester. I had back pain beginning at 15 weeks which became nerve pain between 6 and 7 months and then returned to normal heavy, aching back pain for the end of the pregnancy. While during my pregnancy with Macie I ran 3-4 miles regularly until the day my water broke, with this pregnancy, even walking hurt. (I walked 5-6 days a week anyway but kept a slow pace.)</div>
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Otherwise, I was extremely healthy. My iron was good, my blood pressure normal, my blood sugar almost perfect. The biggest worry was that the baby stayed breech longer than expected. At my 22- week, 28-week and then at my 32-week appointment, he was not head down. (For what it's worth, he <i>was</i> head down at 30 weeks.) I began doing <a href="https://spinningbabies.com/" target="_blank">Spinning Babies</a> exercises at home to convince him to get into an ideal position. I cried and prayed and eventually felt peace that God was in control whether he needed to be born naturally or by C-section. I didn't realize how nervous I was though, until at 35 weeks, I found out he had flipped and felt a lightness come over my whole body! (For the remainder of the pregnancy, I kept open the possibility that he could flip back up!)</div>
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Three of my older kids were born in the 37th week, one in the 38th week, one right on time, and one at 41 weeks. Odds were in my favor that this baby would be born early. On the day I turned 37 weeks, we came home from church and had a celebratory dinner! Then the waiting began. Thirty-eight weeks came and went, and then I reached 39 weeks. I was miserable and impatient! Each morning, I woke up a little angry that I was still pregnant. I even convinced myself I was going to make it all the way to 42 weeks without birthing my baby. My body developed a pattern where I would have contractions for an hour or two in the evening before bed-- just long enough to make me wonder if labor was beginning-- and then disappear until the following evening.<br />
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I prayed throughout this pregnancy that the labor would go quickly. My other labors ranged from 9 hours (3rd baby) to 25 hours (6th baby), and I really wanted things to be faster this time. Brian added the request that it not be so fast that we didn't make it to the hospital! At church Bible study one evening a friend was sharing the story of when her son was born. She said, "Don't be afraid to ask God for what you want...but don't be surprised if he gives it to you!" </div>
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On the morning of August 22 (at 39 weeks, 3 days), I woke up at 4 am with a mildly painful contraction. I continued having contractions every ten minutes until Brian woke up for work at 5:30. I would drift off to sleep and then wake each time another would begin. I was almost certain I was in labor, but this seemed to be following the slow pattern of my previous labors so Brian went off to work and I got up for my daily walk. I walked about two miles and had regular contractions 5 minutes apart. I texted my mom to alert her that she may need to come get the kids later. I also texted a friend the news. </div>
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The kids and I ate breakfast and had a "normal" morning. Contractions slowed to one every 12 minutes or so. Any time I stood up or walked around the house or did a few Spinning Babies exercises, I would have a contraction, but I felt like I was having to coax them along. My mom asked if it would help to come get the kids. I thought maybe being on my own in the house would be helpful so I could avoid the feeling of being watched, but I was also afraid that everyone would leave and I would labor on for several more days. We decided to take our chances and by 11 am, they said good-bye and I was alone. </div>
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Almost instantly, <i>as soon as they walked out the door</i>, I went into true labor. The contractions increased in frequency and intensity. I finished packing my hospital bag between contractions. Another friend texted to see if I was headed to the hospital, but I told her I planned to stay home and labor as long as I could. I was hungry so I fixed myself lunch and ate while watching a show. The contractions were intense and painful. I paused between bites to breathe. I paused the TV show when I couldn't concentrate. I wondered how far I was progressing, but I wasn't quite ready to call Brian home. I went to put my plate in the sink and had a contraction that startled me with its intensity. I texted Brian and told him to begin thinking about coming home. He replied that he had been <i>thinking</i> about it all day and just to say the word. With the next contraction, I told him I needed him now.<br />
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Brian works about 35-40 minutes from home so I continued watching TV and laboring on my own. When he walked in the door, he quickly changed his clothes and gathered a few things for the hospital. I told him there was no hurry and I wanted to stay home as long as I could, but I could barely tell him this because the contractions kept coming. I stood up to walk to the kitchen (only a few feet away) and had to stop several times before getting there. Brian said it was time to go!<br />
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I was afraid to get in the car because with every previous labor, contractions stalled during the drive and labor stopped until we settled at the hospital. That was not the case this time. I continued to have regular contractions on the hour drive. This was a new experience.<br />
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We arrived at the hospital around 3. I very, very slowly made my way to the hospital entrance because contractions were coming so quickly, especially when I was moving. The ER attendant asked if I wanted a wheelchair, but I really felt the need to keep moving. Sitting did not sound appealing. An aide met us in the ER and walked me up to the birthing center in the hospital. She made the comment, "I hope they don't send you home." I didn't say anything, but I knew that would not happen. I had a calm exterior, but I knew the baby was coming!<br />
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A nurse got me settled in triage and informed my that there were no available beds. "We've been so busy this month that all the rooms are full. We're moving people now so hopefully, you can have a spot soon if you need it." She hooked me up to monitors for a short trial to see how strong or close my contractions were coming. I was so uncomfortable in the half-seated, half-reclined position. I wiggled around as much as I could but it was miserable.<br />
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At 4:00, a second nurse said she wanted to check my dilation. This was the first time I had been checked that day (or at all, actually, since my midwives don't check for progress during pregnancy). She said that maybe if I was 5 or 6 centimeters, there would be more hurry to find me a room. "Oh!" she exclaimed. My first thought was that I was only a smidgen dilated, but next she said, "You are 8 centimeters and your water is bulging. If that breaks, we could have a baby by dinnertime." Brian and I looked at each other, thinking, "That's a bold statement. I doubt things are moving that quickly, especially with my history of slow labors."<br />
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The good news, though, was that I was immediately given a room that had been prepared for a woman coming in to be induced. I walked across the hall, trying to ignore a contraction. I sat on the edge of the bed. My midwife came in and told me to assume any position that was comfortable. The contractions were coming so close together that I sat frozen even though I wanted to move. The nurse commented that one contraction lasted a whole 2 minutes. I felt pressure at the end of contractions that made me involuntarily lift myself off of the bed. The top of my belly started to press down on its own. I know all this means it is almost time to push, but I wasn't thinking clearly at this point.<br />
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Suddenly my water broke. My midwife guided me to find a more comfortable position. With help, I turned backwards on the bed, upright on my knees with my arms leaning against the back of the bed. My midwife urged me to follow my body's cues, then she sat back to watch. I felt a strong urge to push and my body took over. Pushing went like lightening. I could feel his head and then his body emerge. I am usually overwhelmed by pushing but it was not as terrifying as I remembered.<br />
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Judah was born at 4:33 pm, less than a half hour after I had walked to my room.<br />
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I pulled him up between my legs and then sat back on my heels, still backward on the bed. This was a peaceful time as I held my baby. He made a whimper and then was quiet. There was no rush to cut the cord or deliver the placenta. My legs started to fall asleep so someone helped me turn around and sit up in bed. My midwife taught me how to see if the cord was still pulsing. It kept going for a long time which means the placenta was strong and healthy. Eventually, it stopped and Brian cut the cord. The placenta kind of just fell out, with barely a push.<br />
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I was stunned-- in a wonderful way-- when it was all over. Five or six hours before, I had been mentally preparing for labor to linger on for another day or so. Just an hour before, I was chatting and bemoaning my uncomfortable position in triage.<br />
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Judah weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces and was 20 inches long. He was, and still is, a calm happy baby. That is a gift in a busy household of nine people. Some people assume that being the seventh child, some of the novelty has worn off, but his older siblings compete for the rights to hold him.<br />
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We praise God for our gift of Judah Nathaniel! *<br />
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*Judah means <i>"praise"</i> while Nathaniel means<i> "given by God."<br /></i><br />
<img align="left" src="https://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u166/mia954/blue.png" style="border: 0px;" /> Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17152562871467319771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378562155896437704.post-19116276773420698662017-01-02T21:44:00.000-05:002017-01-02T21:44:39.741-05:00The Things I DON'T Do<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">With Christmas over and the decorations put away, I often take time in January to think about my goals for the coming months. I don't like the word "resolution." There is a lot of pressure with resolutions. If I make one wrong move, I feel like I've failed and might as well give up. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Instead, I like to make goals. Goals imply something I am working toward-- a series of baby steps in the direction of an end result. Mistakes may set me back, but I can still pick up and try again.<br /><br />Brian and I talked over the weekend about things we want to do this year and things we want to change both individually and together, but I don't want to talk about that now. I love getting a peek into someone else's thought and plans, but sometimes it can inspire a bit of discouragement or comparison, too. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><br />I often have people say to me, "I don't know how you have six kids and manage to homeschool," or, "keep your house clean," or, "read." The reality is, there are so many things I <i>don't</i> do. I thought it would be fun to share a few of those things here instead:<br /><br /></span></div>
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<b style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">1) </span><span style="font-size: large;">I <i>don't </i>write daily...or even weekly... lesson plans. </span></b><br />
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Maybe this surprises the people who know my love of a list and a calendar, but I have never written a detailed lesson plan...or many lesson plans at all. My method of school planning is big-picture. I know what I want to accomplish in a year and we chip away in small chunks. For example, in history, I know we need to cover post-Civil War through the present this year so in August we studied the Reconstruction Era. In September, we read about the early 1900s. In October, we focused on World War I. I <i>do not</i> write out what needs to be done each day.</div>
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Each child also refers to their own weekly schedule, but that simply reminds them what subjects they need to cover each day, not the specifics of what they need to do. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2) I <i>don't </i>wash my hair every day.</b></span><br />
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I used to have very oily hair that looked gross and limp if I didn't wash it, but as I got older, my hair started to dry out. After my pregnancy with Macie, my dry hair also became more wavy. I have a lot of hair-- "massive amounts," in the words of the girl who cut my hair-- and I suddenly realized that I could save a lot of time by not washing and styling it every day. </div>
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I have never used dry shampoo, but I spray on <a href="https://wellnessmama.com/5054/beach-waves-hair-spray/" target="_blank">homemade sea salt spray</a> after I wash my hair, and I spray on a bit more on in-between days. The salt helps dry out any stray moisture or yuck. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3) I <i>don't</i> garden or raise chickens.</b></span><br />
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I have a very black thumb. I can barely keep a hanging basket alive in the summer. As much as I would like to feed my family fresh vegetables from our own garden, it is just not my thing. Even if I <i>could</i> do it, there is a huge time commitment and I would rather devote my time to other things. Instead, I gladly make good use of every gift of vegetables from my gardening friends or family. <br />
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<br /><br />The same goes for chickens. We know at least four families who raise their own chickens and Maddie is dying to join them. As much as I love fresh eggs and understand their health benefits, I am saying no for now.<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4) I <i>don't</i> exercise.</b></span><br />
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For three years I was a regular runner. I ran 2 half-marathons and many more shorter races. I ran through my pregnancy, up until the day my water broke. I know other moms who find time to run with a baby, but it's not working for me. Macie turns one this month and I don't see running in my near future either. </div>
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<br />My favorite time to run is early morning, but that's when she wakes to nurse. Once my morning gets going, the rest of the day is full to the brim. Over the summer and fall, I took a daily mile-and-a-half walk with Macie and either Brian or one of the kids, but now it is too dark and cold. Maybe I could find time to exercise another way, but I'm choosing not to make it a priority right now. I will take the occasional run when I'm able, but I won't put it on my regular to-do list for many more months. </div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br />5) I <i>don't </i>use coupons.</span></b><br />
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I am frugal and like to save money, but I rarely use coupons. I buy generic and watch for sales. We also love the effortlessness of <a href="https://savingscatcher.walmart.com/" target="_blank">Walmart Savings Catcher</a>. I say "we" because <i>I</i> am not even the one who uses the app. Brian is. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>6) I <i>don't</i> take my kids to dance or sports practice.</b></span></div>
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We have made the decision for monetary and time purposes to forego weekly individual activities with our five older kids. They <i>all</i> take a gym class. They <i>all</i> go to church activities one evening a week. They <i>all</i> sing in the local homeschool choir. Maddie does attend a monthly book club and the others will occasionally go to a class or camp, but we are choosing to not have multiple outside commitments. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>7) I <i>don't </i>put my kids to bed at night.</b></span><br />
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I feel the most guilt about this one! Our nightly routine involves the kids listening to audio books in their rooms before bed. Everyone gets ready (teeth, pjs, etc.) and then go into the bedrooms to listen. Sometimes it's boys/girls, sometimes older/younger, sometimes all together. When a disc is over (usually after an hour-ish), they come back out to the living room to tell me goodnight and then they take themselves to bed. I rarely tuck anyone in or turn out lights. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">*****</span></div>
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There is one more thing I am going to take off my plate. <b> Blogging. </b> After almost nine years of writing here, I have decided to spend time on other pursuits. When I began, I was still in my twenties and we lived in a small townhouse. We had no pets, Gavin was five, and three of my kids were not even born! What a journey.<br />
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My blog is staying right here. I plan to leave all posts, links, and photos up for browsing. <i>I</i> won't disappear either. I'm keeping <a href="http://www.facebook.com/frommylifeblog" target="_blank">my blog's Facebook page</a> open, and I plan to continue posting a few thoughts and photos there. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-HCSB-29056S" data-link="(<a href="#cen-HCSB-29056S" title="See cross-reference S">S</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you." 2 Corinthians 13:13</span></div>
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<br />Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17152562871467319771noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378562155896437704.post-65081762307487439432016-12-23T10:00:00.000-05:002016-12-23T10:00:22.303-05:00<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">For the wages of sin is death, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">but <i><span style="color: red;">the gift</span> of God</i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">is eternal life </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">in Christ Jesus our Lord.</span><br />Romans 6:23</div>
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<br />We rejoice in the hope that we have in this season and always. </div>
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It is not a hope that we deserve or have earned.</div>
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We have hope because Christ came to earth to die for us and bring us into fellowship with Him! </div>
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Joy to the World!<br /></div>
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<br />Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17152562871467319771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378562155896437704.post-91844245394102212872016-12-15T19:53:00.000-05:002016-12-15T19:53:19.038-05:00Christmas Outtakes<br />
We've had our share of infamous Christmas memories. <br />
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Like the year Gavin was a toddler and sneaked downstairs before anyone else was awake and ate all the individual chocolates out of the advent calendar. <br /><br />Or the next year when Maddie climbed onto the dining room table and ate the gingerbread house.</div>
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We've had kids open presents that were not intended for them and kids open presents early that <i>were </i>intended for them. Then there was the child who got up in the middle of the night to re-wrap the presents he opened, in an effort to make right his wrong. </div>
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One year we had hundreds of praying mantises hatch from our Christmas tree and cover the wall by the tree and the presents under it. </div>
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I've even had to perform the Heimlich maneuver on one of my children on Christmas Eve, and the child was so disturbed by the incident that it ruined his entire Christmas! <br /><br />This year has been mild in comparison, but we have had a few Christmas outtakes.<br /><br />Try as I might, we could not avoid sickness this season. Alaine and Maddie both caught a fever virus right after Thanksgiving, but it was mild and passed within 48 hours. </div>
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Just this week, Macie caught a different fever virus. She had a mild cold before she got a sudden high fever on Saturday. She still ate well and actually slept <i>better</i>, both for naps and at night. I thought it might be <a href="http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/health-concerns/childhood-illnesses/roseola" target="_blank">roseola</a>. Her symptoms were textbook, and sure enough, she broke out with a light, lacy rash on Tuesday, confirming my suspicions.<br /><br />Our medical concerns didn't end there. Earlier this month, we were in the urgent care center when Macie scratched her eye (<a href="http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/health-concerns/childhood-illnesses/eye-scratched" target="_blank">a corneal abrasion</a>).<br /></div>
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<br />We were given antibiotic drops and a pain reliever and by the next morning, you almost couldn't tell it had happened! <br /><br />We got several strange photos of Alaine in December. Both of her top teeth were loose and instead of pulling them out, she played with them and let them dangle until they literally <i>fell </i>out. We called her Nanny McPhee. <br /></div>
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<br />While my girls have had a wild month, my boys have stayed healthy and whole.<br /><br />Gavin celebrated his 14th birthday a week ago. He wanted no fanfare but had a blast when we spontaneously got a pizza to eat in the car while we were running errands. Then he had a friend over to eat dinner, play chess, and watch crazy YouTube videos. Maybe we would have had some funny outtake photos, except I forgot to take any photos at all.<br /><br />We're moving into the last weekend before Christmas and we pray it stays free of sickness or injury. <br /><br />The only downside is the fact that we've had four, yes <i><b>four</b></i>, separate invitations for Saturday evening and we can only accept one!<br /><br /></div>
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Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17152562871467319771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378562155896437704.post-1886108184184723622016-12-13T16:05:00.001-05:002016-12-13T16:05:17.070-05:00Christmas (or Winter) Mini-Unit<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>{<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif;">This post contains a few Amazon affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a few pennies from your purchase</span></i></span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">.} </span></i></i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /><br /></i></span>We are counting down the days until our Christmas break and we are in the single digits. Three more days to go. 👍 Because of Brian's line of work, we begin our school year in August and work hard through the fall so that we can take off at Christmas and continue our break through the end of January. It has been an intense few weeks as the kids prepared for their Christmas choir recital and then as we worked toward a stopping point in our school books. Gavin, especially, put in a concentrated effort to accumulate hours toward his art history credit. <br /><br />Now. Now, we are beginning to breathe a little easier as the end is in sight. We took some time this week to do a fun, book-based Christmas activity. This would be appropriate to do as a winter activity in January as well. </div>
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First, we sat by the Christmas tree and read <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2glApmh" target="_blank">The Snowy Day</a></i> by Ezra Jack Keats. This book is short and simple, appropriate for anyone from toddler on up. Macie, who turns 1 next month, enjoyed turning the pages after we finished reading.<br /><br />Then we read <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2glEHKm" target="_blank">A Poem for Peter: The Story of Ezra Jack Keats and the Creation of The Snowy Day</a> </i>by Andrea Davis Pinkney. I was fascinated by this a picture book biography of the life of Ezra Jack Keats (actually Jacob Ezra Katz) who was born into a Polish-Jewish immigrant family in the early 1900s. Why did I always assume Keats, himself, African American? Probably because he includes people of many nationalities and colors in his children's books. This biography addresses why he felt so strongly about writing books for <i>all</i> children. This is a new book, published in November of this year, and while it is marketed to children, the comprehension level would begin at mid-elementary age. The story will speak to those far beyond!<br /><br />
To cap it off, we watched<i> <a href="http://amzn.to/2hnVqN2" target="_blank">The Snowy Day</a>,</i> a 45-minute movie, new<i> </i>on Amazon video this year. It expands the story of the book and is available free with <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Prime-One-Year-Membership/dp/B00EW0FYA0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481312385&sr=8-1&keywords=amazon+prime" target="_blank">Amazon Prime</a> (<i><b>not </b></i>an affiliate link). <br />
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<i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do you enjoy Christmas reading with your children? If you 'like' my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/frommylifeblog" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>, you will notice I've been linking to a slew of my old blog posts, recommending Christmas books.<br /></span></i></div>
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Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17152562871467319771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378562155896437704.post-66733723410438611802016-12-08T14:21:00.001-05:002016-12-08T14:21:44.666-05:00Unconventional Hospitality<br />
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In my <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2016/11/more-on-hospitality-and-community-part-3.html" target="_blank">most recent post about hospitality</a>, I promised I had one more thing to say:</div>
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<b>If hospitality is about fostering relationships, don't be afraid to accept other opportunities for community.</b><br />
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<b></b>I guess that is a topic all to itself and not really hospitality at all, but it <i>is</i> important. It doesn't have to be in <i>my</i> home with <i>my </i>food on <i>my</i> timetable to be meaningful.<br />
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Accept an invitation to another person's home. Go to the park with another family for conversation and play. Accept an invitation to meet up at a restaurant. Go out with friends after church.<br />
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Immerse yourself in other people and their lives.<br />
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As we sink deep into this holiday season, remember to invest in more than gifts and decorations. Invest in people, too. </div>
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<img align="left" src="https://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u166/mia954/blue.png" style="border: 0;" /> Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17152562871467319771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378562155896437704.post-74375462178506772242016-11-27T20:36:00.000-05:002016-11-27T20:36:44.994-05:00Wednesday Through Sunday {in three words}<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><i>This is Wednesday:</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">crazy sous chef</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">making pumpkin pie</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMDwk7-z4gfXiruOdSK8bSAepAt5ARyr2Ri3L5C0FV4t8iUz7TXzW0OWft6oz7n60-8Ad-BB0c95pwGvwFjIaUNgZ8423ogUN2UFggaaKU0_XsAtel-gPai2c-YVUJLV34_ZYIEy7/s1600/SAM_1888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMDwk7-z4gfXiruOdSK8bSAepAt5ARyr2Ri3L5C0FV4t8iUz7TXzW0OWft6oz7n60-8Ad-BB0c95pwGvwFjIaUNgZ8423ogUN2UFggaaKU0_XsAtel-gPai2c-YVUJLV34_ZYIEy7/s640/SAM_1888.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>And now Thursday:</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">all six kids</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">and an outtake</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">two of us</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">gathering with family</span><br />
{photo by <a href="http://thinking-about-home.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mom</a>}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZENNpkvAGaeKQQR2lN5I1YMrOcQMTrOK0lVjmJmYXySL1w2OBMFFRQD1DgrVxGtwmix6S-ze8gCnw-9Ri1nCK8cXVx_m34CiHqbK0-MFoTAwLY4v9jrMSDOYdFxPQVosKUmvBJO6/s1600/thanksgiving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZENNpkvAGaeKQQR2lN5I1YMrOcQMTrOK0lVjmJmYXySL1w2OBMFFRQD1DgrVxGtwmix6S-ze8gCnw-9Ri1nCK8cXVx_m34CiHqbK0-MFoTAwLY4v9jrMSDOYdFxPQVosKUmvBJO6/s640/thanksgiving.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<i>
On to Friday:</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">choosing a tree</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> this is it</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">mommy/baby selfie</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">lost a tooth</span></div>
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</span> <br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;"><i>Saturday was Fun:</i></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">annual date day</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">💗our third wheel 💗</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">evening birthday party</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYj65C6woWJGmWW1r50WsNw_7Xzf-6yigbbdg6g5iZAdU8CqPsXqjPdHsRT_yDEK3zWVNXMYrVh6kTGaKTIiZ9H0MDuUqsncANrNjEwSUO_8heR0S20v9AQlCjpbAVQcngrdF8IdH/s1600/josiahparty2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYj65C6woWJGmWW1r50WsNw_7Xzf-6yigbbdg6g5iZAdU8CqPsXqjPdHsRT_yDEK3zWVNXMYrVh6kTGaKTIiZ9H0MDuUqsncANrNjEwSUO_8heR0S20v9AQlCjpbAVQcngrdF8IdH/s640/josiahparty2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Day of Rest: </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">choir singing hymns</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyXuSGh56h__Dj3dP3xh_SBObPj5nyqeSHDOTQpxhk2POy94415UsuNDh2MSHcurhmMaMOBnKEG_hZXrHmwog' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />one more song</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwZwCvKLK9EQERAhHKiYo8QpgMt0KqRB79wSUjKfKo9YtkYZkPiVG7eOf0uLdTrELVD7u4hqkQKYYA8zZlJYg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2016/11/a-charlie-brown-lunch.html" target="_blank">can't escape sickies!</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSjoRJaMlohJCSBGvivn1xxW1WEIClrtibWwk8Z3ioOzmfId1FB42WhHIcirM5nNpLh-i_YxePeAiQDB3XVHgLlwL2v2CNhnFq2uwP1APOW8R12x80jbMtFG5o0QKhDzqPA5fm_x4/s1600/SAM_1928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSjoRJaMlohJCSBGvivn1xxW1WEIClrtibWwk8Z3ioOzmfId1FB42WhHIcirM5nNpLh-i_YxePeAiQDB3XVHgLlwL2v2CNhnFq2uwP1APOW8R12x80jbMtFG5o0QKhDzqPA5fm_x4/s640/SAM_1928.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></div>
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<a href="https://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u166/mia954/blue.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Back to reality.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u166/mia954/blue.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img align="left" border="0" src="https://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u166/mia954/blue.png" style="border: 0px;" /></a><br /><br /><br /></span></div>
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</span> Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17152562871467319771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378562155896437704.post-88792596019341031742016-11-23T15:00:00.000-05:002016-11-23T15:00:23.662-05:00a Charlie Brown lunch<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I talked about <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2016/11/in-twenty-three-days.html" target="_blank">some happy Thanksgiving memories</a>, but Thanksgiving 2014 will go down in our family history as a <i>bad</i> one. On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Maddie woke up sick. She had a slight fever and stayed on the couch most of the day watching movies, but by Wednesday lunchtime she was well enough to join us at the table. <br />
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Unfortunately, another kid woke up with a fever on Thanksgiving morning and a third developed one mid-morning. Before cancelling the day's plans, we made a few calls to family who encouraged us to come to dinner anyway, saying they would risk exposure to germs since Maddie's case had been mild and quick. <br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Wrong move. </i> 😬 On Friday morning we began putting up our Christmas tree and by afternoon, a full-blown case of the flu hit our house with high fevers, chills, sore throats, headaches, and body aches. This was the scene in our house while Brian was stringing the lights:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3UB21hiWVKcn1gg4tGRTvXB_07FfT5CWsG7vxUZIvcU08ql6y97laHvieVOP2JHRoFP4DTsafhIzWgNXH_Spe8CTCn1CEIEXG6BWsMXUMH2aKLqCMWPUCkcq1cTAMNnmKwR8EFxi/s1600/DSC01333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: start;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3UB21hiWVKcn1gg4tGRTvXB_07FfT5CWsG7vxUZIvcU08ql6y97laHvieVOP2JHRoFP4DTsafhIzWgNXH_Spe8CTCn1CEIEXG6BWsMXUMH2aKLqCMWPUCkcq1cTAMNnmKwR8EFxi/s640/DSC01333.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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And despite all the festivity around him, this little guy only managed to put one ornament on the tree before he curled back up on the floor. </div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
It was bad. Brian and I managed to finish the decorating before we succumbed, too, and it was days before anyone was well enough to cook dinner or go to work, let alone take care of the long Christmas to-do list. </div>
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In those few hours between bouts of wretchedness that year, after Maddie got better and before aninyone else got sick, we made a happy memory. On Wednesday afternoon, we served a <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2gC9tPD" target="_blank">Charlie Brown Thanksgiving</a></i> lunch.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6kyGV_89MS4pqIcNp4lqkITFJ1opMgluyI2Q2icoo3ma0zBGfMYj7YVjkNcyWA2aGPzFsBQftEJNTyH375UJXTGKfuQ4_0iuGPC6wAzdrj21dVDdRoeoc2vkDOwJIcZL972MhNOKB/s1600/SAM_1878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6kyGV_89MS4pqIcNp4lqkITFJ1opMgluyI2Q2icoo3ma0zBGfMYj7YVjkNcyWA2aGPzFsBQftEJNTyH375UJXTGKfuQ4_0iuGPC6wAzdrj21dVDdRoeoc2vkDOwJIcZL972MhNOKB/s400/SAM_1878.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Today we did the same. Today everyone is well and we are very thankful for it. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB3btCseMY4OG-jdxvDwhyGChyj7tKd1P0wkxn5ZH3X9LgkeF5w9KFRq-Esxe5jCyrXMmnRvwE2al42a79Fe8DqhquTCxApQv7oatgJsNfY6UWIKKGqKH6mbHakAHSWL4ZiucQVf46/s1600/SAM_1880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB3btCseMY4OG-jdxvDwhyGChyj7tKd1P0wkxn5ZH3X9LgkeF5w9KFRq-Esxe5jCyrXMmnRvwE2al42a79Fe8DqhquTCxApQv7oatgJsNfY6UWIKKGqKH6mbHakAHSWL4ZiucQVf46/s320/SAM_1880.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdeBouV7XqcB6pp6xNngUIJyfm4D79-vzMUtpCE5hK0SmvbjNnCz0TZS4lpH20lax_dCizsbMzBEazyifQTUac9hYKU954zzbaqw6C1hMw92uZrxysCuRPdVe6JaZfvZVAsdsL2WWC/s1600/SAM_1881.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdeBouV7XqcB6pp6xNngUIJyfm4D79-vzMUtpCE5hK0SmvbjNnCz0TZS4lpH20lax_dCizsbMzBEazyifQTUac9hYKU954zzbaqw6C1hMw92uZrxysCuRPdVe6JaZfvZVAsdsL2WWC/s320/SAM_1881.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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We popped some popcorn, toasted some bread, handed out gourmet jelly beans, and portioned out pretzel sticks. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhFc1SlDJ-IHEKqupxSu8s-zdoB2nb03lhVejbVX81Kn1MOJ7Y34UIsHAIQUVbSqulvuFapLUaLMq5HjbFL5TGPc0zuBgZ9qK5MazWdaZS7S3jrLEg2DwFnmFxWLXzQW2PItf1ZzD/s1600/SAM_1884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhFc1SlDJ-IHEKqupxSu8s-zdoB2nb03lhVejbVX81Kn1MOJ7Y34UIsHAIQUVbSqulvuFapLUaLMq5HjbFL5TGPc0zuBgZ9qK5MazWdaZS7S3jrLEg2DwFnmFxWLXzQW2PItf1ZzD/s400/SAM_1884.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />Tomorrow we will feast on turkey and mashed potatoes, but today we enjoyed a few simple pleasures. </div>
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<img align="left" src="https://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u166/mia954/blue.png" style="border: 0;" /> Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17152562871467319771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378562155896437704.post-68947553623389507422016-11-16T22:21:00.000-05:002016-11-16T22:21:01.268-05:00Is there space for "twaddle?"<br />
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When I shared <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2016/11/how-our-family-uses-library.html" target="_blank">how our family uses the library</a>, I implied that one reason I don't scan the shelves is to avoid twaddle-- poor quality, silly, or fluffy books. </div>
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<b><b>But...confession... <i>I'm not totally offended by twaddle</i>! </b></b></div>
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I obviously steer away from books that are too mature for my readers (or listeners) and I discuss with my older kids the wisdom of setting a standard for content in the books they choose. I sometimes push my younger boys to read books a little longer or complicated than they are comfortable choosing on their own, but I do not forbid them from easy, maybe even trivial, reading. </div>
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Here's why: first of all, I know for myself that I often look to reading as an escape. I have opportunities all throughout theday to stretch my brain, but reading is my way to relax. I don't want to look up words or think deeply. After Macie was born in January, one of my goals for the year was to read for pleasure. I declared that it was <a href="http://i%27m%20dedicating%20the%20year%20to%20reading%20for%20pleasure.%20%20this%20is%20not%20the%20year%20to%20tackle%20hefty%20classics%20or%20challenge%20myself%20intellectually./" target="_blank">"not the year to tackle heavy classics or challenge myself intellectually."</a></div>
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Also, much of our family culture has been shaped by "twaddle-y" books. Conversations are sparked by what we read. No one would consider the <i>Diary of a Wimpy Kid </i>books classic literature, but we love them. My kids say I am a twin of the "Mom" character in the books. We both dance (and embarrass our kids) when we hear music and apparently "Mom" always gets her ideas from the magazine she subscribes to called <i>Family Frolic</i>. I get ideas from podcasts. <i> </i>They know because I often listen out loud in the car while I am driving them to and fro... and then they see me implement the ideas at home. I've been caught! <i> </i>Maddie says that <i><a href="http://lifelistened.com/category/mom-hour/" target="_blank">The Mom Hour</a></i> is my <i>Family Frolic</i>. </div>
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We enjoy other characters, too, and many quotes from the books are recited around the dinner table and are inserted into our real-life situations. My boys particularly love how older brother, Roderick, watched the movie instead of read the book for his high school English assignment. Unfortunately, he watched wrestling movie, <i>Lords of the Ring,</i> instead of the correct <i>Lord of the Rings</i>. </div>
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I'm not saying that these types of books should replace classic or other thought-provoking literature, but I <i>am</i> saying there are <i>pleasure benefits</i> and <i>relational benefits</i> to fluffy books, too. <br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What are your thoughts? Do you read twaddle? Do you allow your kids to read it? </b></span></i></div>
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<br />Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17152562871467319771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378562155896437704.post-72483983517288471272016-11-08T16:07:00.000-05:002016-11-08T16:07:15.449-05:00How Our Family Uses the Library <br />
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I've had several <i>in-real-life</i> questions from <i>in-real-life</i> friends about how we use the library: how often we go and how I find the books I read to my children. I answered them in person, but I figured it might be fun to share my answers here, too. </div>
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We go to the library every. single. week of life, including when I was 8 months pregnant during last holiday season and when I had a tiny new baby. Books are due every three weeks and a few years ago I considered only going that often. Then I came to my senses, realizing <i>that won't work for us</i>. We check out and return far too many books each week. We currently have 55 items checked out on our library accounts and about 20 items on hold waiting to be picked up. It hurts my brain (and my back!) to consider stretching the time between visits and needing to deal with that volume of books times three! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwyRKyQizZOoSjYWvW5QSVqIWE9Th0GK-oxbREnEjOxZt2nfsAvdKXp4rmHos2KB-0uswrMopTMcahn61oGfEgiEaWztXNV4suCujmyLAdfIetSqCCLvOVoab1P8UVxkrrcWHL5VB/s1600/SAM_1818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwyRKyQizZOoSjYWvW5QSVqIWE9Th0GK-oxbREnEjOxZt2nfsAvdKXp4rmHos2KB-0uswrMopTMcahn61oGfEgiEaWztXNV4suCujmyLAdfIetSqCCLvOVoab1P8UVxkrrcWHL5VB/s400/SAM_1818.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the newest reader: Macie, 10 months</td></tr>
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Alaine and I have continued <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2016/07/picture-books-arent-just-for-toddlers.html" target="_blank">the habit we began during the summer</a> of reading a few picture books on weekday mornings after breakfast. I try to have between 10 and 15 waiting for her at the library each week. We are also reading the entire <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2eiBOsD" target="_blank">Mr. Putter and Tabby</a></i> series out loud in order. I did that with the kids once before, but <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2009/07/childrens-book-monday.html" target="_blank">it was before Alaine was even born</a> so she and I, plus Ben, are revisiting them. Again, too many books to consider <i>not</i> going weekly.<br /><br />Then there is the questions of <i>how</i> I find the books we read. My older kids generally choose their own books, but how do I find the books we need for school, plus a variety of picture books... in a small library... with a baby in tow? I seldom browse the shelves at our library. I would guess that 95% or more of the books we check out come to us via the hold shelf. I can go online to access any book in the statewide library system and have it delivered to my small town library. I do all my research during the week and make a ten minute trip inside the library where a large stack is waiting for me. (My older kids often browse for themselves while I nurse the baby or let her crawl around the children's room.)</div>
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I have <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2014/07/how-do-youplan-new-school-year-part-2.html" target="_blank">mentioned briefly</a> how I utilize the list feature on my library card online. I am forever on the look-out for book recommendations. I follow several book lovers' Facebook and Instagram accounts <i>(like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/readaloudrevival/?fref=ts" target="_blank">this one</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/housefullofbookworms/" target="_blank">this one</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/everydayreading/" target="_blank">this one</a>...)</i> When someone shares a book that interests me, I add it to my ongoing online list. I have a general list and then I have more specific lists, too, like a "Christmas" list and an "audiobook" list. This is what I pull from when I place my holds each week. <br />
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Below is a screenshot of my list of lists.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvVJ13iEgQGQVF4pkXVrubfzhs-roKp_yoLyArn8gAOyo3gDwPT3GrV19gNCGgu1O66jzjLNs68_bQoyPtG4xQSbU0r6qYuPMXssSMH-IhmOQxcVZQwcE2f_q-uTVfOJeKztGQ0c5N/s1600/list.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvVJ13iEgQGQVF4pkXVrubfzhs-roKp_yoLyArn8gAOyo3gDwPT3GrV19gNCGgu1O66jzjLNs68_bQoyPtG4xQSbU0r6qYuPMXssSMH-IhmOQxcVZQwcE2f_q-uTVfOJeKztGQ0c5N/s400/list.JPG" width="192" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What about you? How often do you go to the library? Do you take your kids with you? How do you select books? Any great sources of book suggestions? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Be looking for a post where I share what I think about <i><a href="https://simplycharlottemason.com/blog/what-is-twaddle/" target="_blank">twaddle-y books</a>. </i>It's not what you might expect. </span></div>
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<img align="left" src="https://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u166/mia954/blue.png" style="border: 0;" /> Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17152562871467319771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378562155896437704.post-14993011270998754052016-11-04T16:18:00.000-04:002016-11-04T16:18:44.561-04:00More on Hospitality and Community {part 3}<br />
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<i>This is part 3 of my informal series about imperfect hospitality. Get caught up <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2016/10/notes-on-hospitality-and-community-pt-1.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2016/10/hospitality-and-community-pt-2.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </i><br />
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /><br />As we (my family, specifically, and maybe yours, too) prepare to welcome people into our home during the holiday season, it is important to remember that</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> the house and the decor and the food are secondary to the people. </span><b style="text-align: justify;">Relationships are what hospitality is all about. </b><span style="text-align: justify;">There are a few points I focus on to keep my priorities in the right place. </span></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;">Kids are equally as important as adults.</span></li>
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It is easy to focus on our adult friends and relatives and forget that the younger people they bring along matter, too. <br />
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Sometimes it is fun to invite <i>only</i> kids over, too. This may be kid-led, like when my kids had a group of friends over for a movie party at the end of the summer. (They plan to do it again the weekend before Thanksgiving--with even more kids this time-- 13, or possibly 17, kids, instead of 12!) <br />
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Other times we invite whole families, making sure the kids feel welcome, too, whether with their own table or a special dessert or activity. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrP-HNUDqW8OzxZIaNqXnLInNi2-EQsRtGmHzRFbC8sEAGptbVIBfwnD89z59M6DP_05siNT181aWpwuJLzH4nvCFZWheUkcJlj1qxBvfnDqkzQnhlML7Q6iw_EyXzn8ommCm0cq-C/s1600/SAM_2724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrP-HNUDqW8OzxZIaNqXnLInNi2-EQsRtGmHzRFbC8sEAGptbVIBfwnD89z59M6DP_05siNT181aWpwuJLzH4nvCFZWheUkcJlj1qxBvfnDqkzQnhlML7Q6iw_EyXzn8ommCm0cq-C/s400/SAM_2724.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Mother's Day meal (2013)<br />
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Welcoming friends' children into our home while the parents go out for a few hours alone is also hospitality.<br /><br />
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The house does <i>not</i> need to be spotless.</span></li>
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<br />It is so easy to let the house cleaning take over my brain. I attempt to keep my house moderately clean all the time so spontaneous hospitality is possible, but when I have time to plan ahead, I have a hierarchy of importance. The bathrooms come first. (No one wants to use a dirty potty!). Next I want the house straight and the clutter picked up. If there is time, I vacuum and/or sweep the floor, specifically the main traffic areas. Dusting and deeper cleaning (mirrors, wiping down the refrigerator, etc.) come last. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgulVBCVX2lcbZiafomanNSoFqVADhiZCEhjnT2VqN0Derl_gnHvYPF1pC4aYUl2KMkJuwZv67OV2_TW5wBb71RmjbaMwnJq49VyxLao66AOUf2J5ppauSUrw6JDdXXA_gdKH4m4sEU/s1600/102_0219+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgulVBCVX2lcbZiafomanNSoFqVADhiZCEhjnT2VqN0Derl_gnHvYPF1pC4aYUl2KMkJuwZv67OV2_TW5wBb71RmjbaMwnJq49VyxLao66AOUf2J5ppauSUrw6JDdXXA_gdKH4m4sEU/s400/102_0219+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Valentine's Day celebration (2009)</td></tr>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Entertaining does <i>not </i>need to be complicated. </span></li>
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Keeping people happy and entertained can be as easy as having a good conversation. Watching a sporting event together on TV or playing a board game works as well. We've hosted more than one <i>Survivor</i> party of the years, too. <br /><br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrPBvNKV5nmIW4UG9SQfgmiSyoM2881W9wYccGvPu1mgmK-jbm360QVlOLCs4551z5yBIYL9aCjBtH_sSJx9yYbcNYHYF-1MbrxOQjlDvbObPFDHselcKo0D45b-WJ7NrrWNxBJDi/s1600/DSC00240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrPBvNKV5nmIW4UG9SQfgmiSyoM2881W9wYccGvPu1mgmK-jbm360QVlOLCs4551z5yBIYL9aCjBtH_sSJx9yYbcNYHYF-1MbrxOQjlDvbObPFDHselcKo0D45b-WJ7NrrWNxBJDi/s400/DSC00240.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>football!</i></td></tr>
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And though we don't want the food to take precedence over the relationships, sometimes food <i>is</i> the entertainment. Before they go home for the day, Brian and a single co-worker sometimes discuss what they will be eating for dinner. If a particular food gets a lot of talk, Brian tells me, and we make a point to invite his co-worker over next time we eat that particular dish. We've done <a href="http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2011/11/homemade-chicken-and-dumplings/" target="_blank">chicken and dumplings</a>, <a href="http://relish.com/recipes/blackberry-chicken/" target="_blank">blackberry chicken</a>, and <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2009/10/can-you-smell-it-now.html" target="_blank">cider beef</a>. We plan to do honey sriracha wings next (<a href="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/12/wingers-sticky-fingers-copycat-recipe.html" target="_blank"><i>this</i> recipe</a>, substituting 4 tablespoons sriracha for the hot sauce).</div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Talk about the obvious. </span></li>
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I am terrible at small talk, not because I don't like to talk, but I have a hard time initiating conversation with feeling awkward. I like to think about a few conversation starters ahead of time-- nothing gimicky and certainly not a script-- but I consider what our guests do for a living or what I know about them.<br />
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They say that talking about the weather is boring, but almost everyone has an opinion about the heat wave or the cold snap you are currently experiencing. Everyone has opinion about whether it will be a snowy winter or rainy spring. Weather conversations often lead to discussions of holidays or vacations or family traditions. It is not a bad starter topic at all!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ow2JbsVNUw8vPzuona020o3yaMLUIDpiA89iM2NXFRa7FUNqkI_3zotLmR2S7mZIT-JQOyc8CTaSmLF2y0old6gDcBt1dl8ZClkPYO0r8cx3o9xLgsqkjxhkJHG_Q6i6JhpJbPni/s1600/SAM_2728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ow2JbsVNUw8vPzuona020o3yaMLUIDpiA89iM2NXFRa7FUNqkI_3zotLmR2S7mZIT-JQOyc8CTaSmLF2y0old6gDcBt1dl8ZClkPYO0r8cx3o9xLgsqkjxhkJHG_Q6i6JhpJbPni/s400/SAM_2728.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
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12 cousins with Grandma-- 1 missing + 2 born since the photo was taken in 2013</div>
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When we had a group of kids over recently, some of them did not know each other. We played a quick ice breaker that even the shyest of kids could play. I said, "Raise your hand if you are five," and then each child who raised her hand told everyone else her name. We continued right up the line until we got to the thirteen-year-olds. (And yes, we had each age represented!) I wouldn't recommend playing this with adults, but it was perfect for our group. </div>
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<b>Part 4, which will also be the last part, will address how I <i style="font-family: "courier new", courier, monospace;">Promote Hospitality Unconventionally. </i></b></div>
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<br />Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17152562871467319771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378562155896437704.post-18806379190295884692016-11-01T13:58:00.000-04:002016-11-01T13:58:00.947-04:00In Twenty-Three Days<br />
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Is it too cliche to say that time is flying this fall?! Growing up, my dad used to say, "Today is the 4th of July. Tomorrow is Christmas." I am seriously in denial that Thanksgiving is a little more than three weeks away. That means you have <i>twenty-three days</i> to get your hands on this book and read it to your kids, your grandkids, your friend's kids...yourself! I'm being very honest when I say that I often check out books from the library for my kids because I want to read them myself! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">throwback to Thanksgiving 2009</td></tr>
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<br />We have a tradition in our family on Thanksgiving morning. Though I cook most of my Thanksgiving dinner contributions-- the <a href="http://thisweekfordinner.com/easyrecipe-print/11257-0/" target="_blank">cranberry sauce</a>, pumpkin pie, and <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2008/10/fall-recipes.html" target="_blank">sweet potato biscuits</a>-- on Thanksgiving Eve, I intentionally save the corn pudding for Thanksgiving morning. It only takes a few minutes to assemble, but it goes into the oven for 45 minutes and the aroma fills the house for much longer. It is the smell of Thanksgiving for us. When I bake corn pudding other times throughout the year, someone often remarks, "It smells like Thanksgiving in here."<br />
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While the pudding is baking, we watch the Thanksgiving Day parade on TV. Sure, the televised version includes things besides the actual parade-- Broadway dancers, corny commentary, street interviews, and pre-recorded musical performances-- but we love it anyway because it says Thanksgiving to us and it is tradition. My kids have never believed in Santa, but they still stick around until the end of the parade to see Santa come into town on his sleigh.<br />
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For my kids, the highlight of the parade is the balloons. They try to spot Toothless from <i>How to Train Your Dragon</i>,<i> </i>Greg from <i>Diary of a Wimpy Kid</i>, and<i> </i>Red from <i>Angry Birds. </i>They look for classics, too, like Snoopy and Sonic the Hedgehog and Buzz Lightyear. <br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Balloons-over-Broadway-Puppeteer-Education/dp/0547199457/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1467136753&sr=8-1&keywords=balloons+over+broadway&linkCode=li2&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20&linkId=776f582f34a511681ecae803a39ff010" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0547199457&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20" /></a>We discovered <i style="text-align: start;"><a href="http://amzn.to/28Yp9Uf" target="_blank">Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade</a></i><span style="text-align: start;"> by Melissa Sweet this year. Sweet is also the author of <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2ewz4YD" target="_blank">Some Writer</a> </i>which I <a href="https://www.facebook.com/frommylifeblog/photos/a.584704028231861.1073741828.578327788869485/1173998495969075/?type=3&theater" target="_blank">read and recommended</a> in October. Both books have </span>mixed-media collage-style illustrations which I find fascinating and draw me in almost as much as the story {no pun intended!}.<br />
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<i style="text-align: start;"><a href="http://amzn.to/28Yp9Uf" target="_blank">Balloons Over Broadway</a> </i><span style="text-align: start;">is the biographical story of </span>Tony Sarg, the puppeteer who designed the first large helium balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The balloons debuted at the 1928 Parade and were not "characters" like many of the balloons are today. These first balloons, controlled by men holding long ropes, were shaped like zoo animals. Sarg called them "upside-down marionettes." Sarg continued working with the Parade and did eventually collaborate with Walt Disney to design character balloons, including a Mickey Mouse balloon which made its first appearance in 1934.<br />
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The book also details Sarg's background as a child who "loved to figure out how things moved." This aspect resonated with me, the mom of just such a child. Sarg used his curiosity and ingenuity to shape his career.<br />
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This is not a new book. It was published back in 2011 which ironically is when I published a list of Thanksgiving-themed books that we loved at our house that year...and still love five years later. </div>
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<i>Click the square below for more <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2011/11/tri-moms-real-meaning-of-thanksgiving.html" target="_blank">Thanksgiving books</a>!</i><br />
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<a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2011/11/tri-moms-real-meaning-of-thanksgiving.html" target="_blank"><img height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjVI1hEVSTA6-zmUo-gi0jpSDHczFpzEiE-GejsWt9TtmPo_T-H7UUm3t7KVnZaFm8oZO_jcbPgPkVNB9ba3NKuMt5bNBhAlAKdxJIViQ-ElmZ2Fwy48BG70q05uw_L-d5XrQiC9WPDEc/s320/thanksgivingbutton2.jpg" width="315" /></a></div>
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bianpifrmyl09-20&l=li2&o=1&a=080506530X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><i>What are your Thanksgiving Day traditions?</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><i>Do you watch the parade?</i></span></b><br />
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<img align="left" src="https://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u166/mia954/blue.png" style="border: 0;" /> Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17152562871467319771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378562155896437704.post-36908202681404131312016-10-20T15:58:00.001-04:002016-10-20T15:58:55.256-04:00Acknowledging the Hard <br />
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This post is difficult to write, not because I'm nervous about how it will be received, but in the sense that my words may be construed to mean something else entirely. I believe what I'm about to say is true, but it is not an excuse to wallow in pity or make excuses for ourselves.</div>
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<b>We need to acknowledge the hard. </b></div>
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<a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2016_07_01_archive.html" target="_blank">I've admitted that life with a baby is hard</a>, but this year has been hard in other ways, too. Buying a vehicle made finances a little tighter. We started high school and had a bumpy start with our chosen curriculum. In fact, we're still smoothing the bumps. We've had to do extensive training, talking, and praying with two of the kids who have relationship issues with each other. Another child has struggled with attitude over schoolwork. Brian has worked long hours.</div>
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I hesitate to share, even with my real-life friends. It's not necessarily pride or wanting people to see me as having it all together, but it is knowing there are people going through things far worse than what I'm going through. And is it disloyal to my kids to say that their activities, growth, exuberance-- their very existence-- make some days difficult? I choose this life, didn't I?</div>
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I believe it is important to acknowledge that what we are experiencing is hard. We don't need to brush it off and paint a rosy picture for ourselves. We need to understand that yes, this is hard. The path I'm walking every day is not easy mentally or emotionally or physically. Even if I've chosen it, or even if I believe it is precisely where God has placed me,<i> it is hard</i>. </div>
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At the same time, I want to remember that <b>hard is not the same as bad</b>. </div>
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<span class="text Rom-5-3" id="en-HCSB-28050" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">"And not only that,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-HCSB-28050A" data-link="(<a href="#cen-HCSB-28050A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> but we also rejoice in our afflictions,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-HCSB-28050B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-HCSB-28050B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> because we know that affliction produces endurance,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-HCSB-28050C" data-link="(<a href="#cen-HCSB-28050C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> </span><span class="text Rom-5-4" id="en-HCSB-28051" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">endurance produces proven character,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-HCSB-28051D" data-link="(<a href="#cen-HCSB-28051D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> and proven character produces hope." Romans 5:3-4 HCSB</span></div>
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One of my friends wrote recently about <a href="https://living-joyful-journey.blogspot.com/2016/10/loneliness.html" target="_blank">her strugges with singleness</a>. My mom wrote last year about <a href="http://thinking-about-home.blogspot.com/2015/11/ebenezer.html" target="_blank">the difficulties of walking the path of poor health with my dad </a>. </div>
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God has given each of us hard things. He says in His Word, <a href="http://biblehub.com/2_corinthians/12-9.htm" target="_blank">"My grace is sufficient for you. for power is perfected in weakness."</a></div>
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Let's each of acknowledge our hard and then let His grace wash over us.</div>
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<br />Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17152562871467319771noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378562155896437704.post-8547056127773904462016-10-18T18:48:00.000-04:002016-10-19T10:45:42.343-04:00Hospitality and Community, pt. 2<br />
I <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2016/10/notes-on-hospitality-and-community-pt-1.html" target="_blank">mused about imperfect hospitality</a> about a week ago and shared how it is so easy for me to come up with a list of excuses why it would be easier or better to avoid having people into our home. I talked about <i>why I've decided it is important despite my shortcomings</i> and <i>how our family fits guests into an already full schedule.</i><br />
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<span class="">Today I want to take a few paragraphs to address one of my biggest hang-ups:</span><br />
<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">How am I going to feed these people? </span></i></b><br />
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<i>The food</i><br />
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The food itself can be a big concern when you are pinching pennies (me!) or when you don't feel like a good cook (me, again!). I've found in most instances, guests want to help contribute to the meal so no one person is responsible for the cost or the planning. We hosted lunch guests this summer and ate simple <a href="http://thinking-about-home.blogspot.com/2014/03/slow-cooker-tuesday-week-12-wedding-beef.html" target="_blank">dripped beef sandwiches</a> with potatoes and a bowl of watermelon. One family brought tomatoes from their garden to slice and another brought a pan of brownies. </div>
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We had friends for dinner the day my water broke with Macie, too. <i> (What an adventure! You can read more about that <a href="http://thinking-about-home.blogspot.com/2014/03/slow-cooker-tuesday-week-12-wedding-beef.html" target="_blank">here</a>!) </i>That day I made <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/216756/baked-ham-and-cheese-party-sandwiches/" target="_blank">ham and poppy seed sandwiches</a> and our friends brought a fruit salad, and we ate before I headed to the hospital!</div>
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Another time we invited over friends with small kids so each family made two pizzas with a variety of toppings. <i>(I have a <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2012/02/adding-pizazz-to-pizza.html" target="_blank">trick</a> or <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2015/09/the-almost-easiest-pizza-sauce-ever.html" target="_blank">two</a> for baking pizza at home.)</i> We baked all the pizzas in our oven and paired pizza slices with a big salad.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1zySYxHbqEH6sZ8RxzYzgTWcvjZJMGhdG6FX1ZDAKoPZuze48Sr0IvfvMwSQHAjp08urNutLqa_3BskzUf3wokPM8HbxswnitXJFlVvUpdexU5qRKmDoY6bJT182TEi9_lKcCiqvz/s1600/SAM_1823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="564" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1zySYxHbqEH6sZ8RxzYzgTWcvjZJMGhdG6FX1ZDAKoPZuze48Sr0IvfvMwSQHAjp08urNutLqa_3BskzUf3wokPM8HbxswnitXJFlVvUpdexU5qRKmDoY6bJT182TEi9_lKcCiqvz/s640/SAM_1823.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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At the beginning of this month, friends came for dinner on a school night so I simmered a pot of <a href="http://www.tammysrecipes.com/whole_grain_chicken_soup_with_rice" target="_blank">chicken and rice soup</a> in the afternoon and made a pan of garlic and herb flat bread (a non-dairy variation of <a href="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2013/04/cheesy-garlic-flat-bread.html" target="_blank">this recipe</a>, using olive oil). One guest brought a salad and another assembled dessert and baked it in our oven after she arrived. </div>
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We've also hosted people and served only snack foods. I had a ladies' game party and offered desserts. Ben invited friends over on his birthday morning and had donuts.</div>
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I served a <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/20852/taco-in-a-bag/" target="_blank">walking taco bar</a> to a group of hungry kids and teenagers. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDwzElgxs_dBEIDp0YcVOyDThKeou4zlAFoaO1UyRpUcVWf5fYgH7BeVVZwZaOp84tYRUribl6938OgsikZVaybRktBRtcW7USWSBIsKkBeNPjtQC4-UkQELD1AKFgHEU0ByKkUig/s1600/SAM_1642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDwzElgxs_dBEIDp0YcVOyDThKeou4zlAFoaO1UyRpUcVWf5fYgH7BeVVZwZaOp84tYRUribl6938OgsikZVaybRktBRtcW7USWSBIsKkBeNPjtQC4-UkQELD1AKFgHEU0ByKkUig/s400/SAM_1642.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Feeding a crowd does not have to be expensive. I employ a few go-to recipes that I am confident taste good and I use them over and over. (There are lots of food ideas on my blog if you dig into the <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/search/label/Recipes" target="_blank">recipe archives</a>.)</div>
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<i><br /><br />Setting the table</i><br />
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Our dining room table holds eight and there are eight of us. Macie uses a high chair so that only leaves one extra seat at the table. Our solution is to serve the meal buffet style from the counter. Usually the kids claim the seats at the table (often squishing in more than eight!), and the adults eat at the living room coffee table or on their laps. Other times we switch it up and let the adults enjoy the table. Once we borrowed a folding table and a few chairs so all sixteen people could score a spot at the table. </div>
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And you know what? If none of those ideas appeal, inviting just one person to fill that one empty spot at the table is still hospitality! </div>
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What about the plates and glasses and silverware for extra people? I bought an <a href="http://amzn.to/2e2tFHl" target="_blank">inexpensive set of white plates</a> to supplement the dishes I already have. I use mix-and-match bowls and glasses, too. Nothing is a perfect match, but it all coordinates. Sometimes it is easier to use paper plates and plastic utensils. That is more than okay. Plus it eliminates the need to wash dishes when my guests go home</div>
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<i>It doesn't have to be about food!</i><br />
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I always assume that hospitality equals feeding people, but if my goal is relationship, being together is more important than what we put in our mouths. One spring we invited three other families over to dye Easter eggs with us. <br />
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Other times we've had people over just to talk and visit, or to take a walk.<br />
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...which leads to the next topic...<br />
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 12.61px;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: medium;"><span class="">Who should I invite and what do we talk about?</span></span></i><br />
<img align="left" src="https://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u166/mia954/blue.png" style="border: 0;" /> Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17152562871467319771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378562155896437704.post-16080272894807929562016-10-11T13:35:00.000-04:002016-10-11T13:51:39.390-04:003/4<br />
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Macie turned<i> </i>9 months old yesterday. She has been on the outside longer than I carried her inside.<i>(<a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2016/01/macies-birth-story.html" target="_blank">She was born over two weeks "early"</a> so she had a head start on life!)</i><br />
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She is no longer a skinny baby, <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2016/04/old-school-blogging.html" target="_blank">struggling to maintain her weight</a>. At her well-check today she weighed 19 pounds, 10.5 ounces.<br />
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She is a mover. She speed-crawls through the house, finding and picking up all the teensy-tiny specks on the floor. She pulls up and cruises around furniture so not much is out of her reach. </div>
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She loves books, but finds paper books much more fascinating than board books. If we can draw her away from those, her favorite books have pictures of babies or animals. I enjoy reading her books that we saved from when the older kids were babies and toddlers.<br />
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She sleeps through the night or wakes up once to cuddle and nurse. (And on a rough night, sometimes she wakes up two or three times.)</div>
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She has three teeth and two more on the way.<br />
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She loves to eat. We've practiced <a href="https://www.facebook.com/frommylifeblog/photos/a.584704028231861.1073741828.578327788869485/1076028725766053/?type=3&theater" target="_blank">baby-led weaning</a> from the beginning so she prefers to feed herself. The only food she has turned down is turnip greens. She loves chicken, avocado, applesauce, carrots, green beans, oranges, beef, banana, chicken and rice soup, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, tomatoes, eggs, Cheerios, and bread. <a href="http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/forbiddenbabyfood.htm" target="_blank">The recommendations have changed</a> since my older kids were babies so Macie also enjoys a thin spread of natural peanut butter. Her absolute favorites, though, are pasta with meat sauce and broccoli!</div>
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She loves the bath but doesn't like to get dressed afterwards. She loves music. She loves, I mean <i>loves</i>, the vacuum cleaner. She loves to screech and hear her own voice. She says "ma-ma" and "bye." She waves. She has a temper and doesn't like to be told no. She doesn't like to sit still for a diaper change. She doesn't like her car seat straps. </div>
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She is 3/4 of the way to a year!<br />
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<img align="left" src="https://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u166/mia954/blue.png" style="border: 0;" /> Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17152562871467319771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378562155896437704.post-66816203956799191692016-10-06T22:21:00.000-04:002016-10-06T22:21:57.002-04:00Notes on Hospitality and Community, pt. 1<br />
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I was all set to record my thoughts on imperfect hospitality when I logged on to my computer to see that my real-life friend, Ginger, had already expressed many similar thoughts <a href="https://living-joyful-journey.blogspot.com/2016/10/hosting-challenge-or-enjoyment.html" target="_blank">here</a>. When I consider hospitality, I can come up with a list of excuses:</div>
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<i>I have a baby. My house is too small. No one wants to drive to our house 15 minutes outside of town. Our dining room table is already at capacity. I'm not a great cook. I don't know how to start small talk. </i></div>
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<b>Don't we all have a list of reasons why it is easier to say no to hospitality? </b></div>
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The Lord has been showing me more and more the need for and the importance of relationship. I want my children to grow up knowing people, loving people, ministering to people, and simply sharing life with people. <br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVsUw_nRdnezBZWmw2VLyZK0EN7pBXUiPh00FJ8Xs-LLO4klx0OLYMKC4K9fHu-wuPSgbU0nDMvlm7mfSXUcesmHmqqNMf9NGqj-BVboDksSW7ePcTfYpJ420NcjL9lQ50Lbt7Zq1-/s1600/DSC00753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVsUw_nRdnezBZWmw2VLyZK0EN7pBXUiPh00FJ8Xs-LLO4klx0OLYMKC4K9fHu-wuPSgbU0nDMvlm7mfSXUcesmHmqqNMf9NGqj-BVboDksSW7ePcTfYpJ420NcjL9lQ50Lbt7Zq1-/s400/DSC00753.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /><br />Over several posts, I want to share what I'm learning about hospitality, not because I've got it figured out and have no insecurities, but because I am still stretching and learning myself. </div>
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I'm going to begin with a few ideas on <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">timing</span>. </div>
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<i>Weeknight vs. weekend</i></div>
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I always thought entertaining was better on the weekends, but when Brian pointed out that our weekends were booked through October and partly into November, I had to think outside of the box. In September, we had a dinner guest on a Monday evening. After dinner, he played chess with my boys over dessert. This week, we had three people over for soup and bread on Tuesday evening. One friend brought a salad and another brought dessert. After dinner, the ladies and kids chatted in the living room and played games with my kids while the men continued to talk at the table. </div>
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I only mention the minutiae because it proved to me that we can have a regular school day, welcome people into our home, go to bed, and get back up to another regular day. It also proved that we can eat simple food and do simple things and still have a good time because <b>the <i>people</i> are more important than the details. </b></div>
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<i>Planning vs. spontaneity </i><br />
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Sometime it requires advanced planning to get people in the same place at the same time. Other times, a last minute gathering is best. I am a planner by nature and I love penciling things onto the calendar weeks ahead of time, but at the end of the summer, my kids wanted to have a big group of friends over for a movie night. I texted a few moms early in the week and was pleased that almost everyone was available on Saturday. The kids played a bunch of Twister tournaments in the living room while I prepared a super-easy meal. Then they watched the movie and we sent them all outside until the party was over. It was a blast! </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsC3SPG1Db9excLsiLRbDjt3nGoAzBjBq3GMrvzk1SqB8g4Z3gQKEF8izTqLVChpEUPbChQyKe9MDhHyVWQzTT6O9S4B9fGAxvAHRA77EbdzGD88TfbtJ3arlzSp4dNZgtOrTVa44a/s1600/SAM_1645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="632" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsC3SPG1Db9excLsiLRbDjt3nGoAzBjBq3GMrvzk1SqB8g4Z3gQKEF8izTqLVChpEUPbChQyKe9MDhHyVWQzTT6O9S4B9fGAxvAHRA77EbdzGD88TfbtJ3arlzSp4dNZgtOrTVa44a/s640/SAM_1645.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10 of the 12 kids in our living room</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsC3SPG1Db9excLsiLRbDjt3nGoAzBjBq3GMrvzk1SqB8g4Z3gQKEF8izTqLVChpEUPbChQyKe9MDhHyVWQzTT6O9S4B9fGAxvAHRA77EbdzGD88TfbtJ3arlzSp4dNZgtOrTVa44a/s1600/SAM_1645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Next up: How can I feed these people?</span></i><br />
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Do you have any thoughts on hospitality? Share them with me!<br />
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<a href="https://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u166/mia954/blue.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img align="left" border="0" src="https://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u166/mia954/blue.png" style="border: 0px;" /></a>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17152562871467319771noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378562155896437704.post-85717982244431980882016-10-03T21:22:00.000-04:002016-10-03T21:22:44.206-04:00a month of Firsts<br />
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We started our school year at the beginning of August. We do that so that we have enough days banked to give us a long winter break from Christmas through the end of January. We do our best to keep August flexible <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2016/08/mom-confessional-or-why-we-took-2-days.html" target="_blank">if we need or want to take a day off</a>. <b>Academics are important but so are relationships.</b> We want to be open to fellowship when our friends are still enjoying their summer breaks.<br />
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September, though, is the month to buckle down to our studies. It's also the month when our activities start. This thrills (most of) my kids. Maddie, especially, loves when her social life and academic life mix! <br />
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At the beginning of the month, <b>Wednesday night classes at church started </b>for the school year. We share dinner and then break into smaller groups for an hour of missions-based classes. This year I am co-teaching the baby through preschool kids and I absolutely love it. </div>
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I realized last year as I was homeschooling my own kids that I struggle with middle- and high-school learning. Algebra and world history just don't thrill me. I find the early elementary ages-- picture books, animals, shapes, crafts-- a lot more enjoyable. <i>(That doesn't mean I give my older kids any less of me, but as they age out of elementary school, I miss it.)</i></div>
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On the <b>first day of fall</b>, we had the <b>first day of gym</b>. The air was a little warm and sticky for autumn, but there was a pleasant breeze so we walked with friends who live several blocks from the campus. Maddie reluctantly moved to an older class this year. Alaine reluctantly stayed behind while her slightly older friends moved to new classes. It's all about socialization for my girls!<br />
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Even though it didn't feel very fall-ish outside, we read a favorite fall book to celebrate the new season. </div>
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Then there was the <b>first day of book club</b>. Two years ago, <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2015/06/book-club.html" target="_blank">the theme was decades</a>. Last year it was <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2015/09/all-things.html" target="_blank">geographic regions</a>. This year the girls are reading seasonal books so in September they could choose any book about school, teachers, or friends. It was appropriate because one of Maddie's closest friends joined the club this year. </div>
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And then last week marked their <b>first day of homeschool choir</b>. Alaine, Ben, and Owen are in the "younger" choir with several of their friends, two cousins, and a smattering of kids they don't know yet. Maddie is in the "older" choir with an aunt, several friends, and at least a dozen more potential friends. (Gavin is choosing to sit this one out.) If the first day was any indication, they are going to learn valuable musical skills this semester, and it is going to stretch them all in the best way possible. <br /><br /></div>
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Happy October, everyone!</div>
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<img align="left" src="https://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u166/mia954/blue.png" style="border: 0;" /> Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17152562871467319771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378562155896437704.post-80277674788824150482016-09-28T09:30:00.000-04:002016-09-28T09:30:50.159-04:00In Which I Answer a Question About Homeschool Boredom<br />
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We invited a group of friends over after church one afternoon in August. The after-lunch conversation turned to kids and school and the question was asked, <b>"<i>Do you get tired of teaching the same things to all of your kids?" </i></b><br />
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My simple answer is <i><b>I don't </b>teach everyone the same things. </i>Obviously they all need to learn to add and they need American history, spelling, and basic science, but there is great variation in how we achieve that learning. It sounds selfish, but I do it for me. I choose to teach them things I want to learn about, too, with books that look interesting to<i> me</i>! When we circle back around to an era in history I covered years ago with the older kids, I choose <i>different</i> library books to read and <i>new </i>ways to explore the subject. In this way, we've covered astronomy, composers, nature study, ancient history, poetry, geography, grammar, missionary stories, hygiene, drawing, fractions. cooking, typing, creative writing, sewing, and the list goes on.</div>
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<br />If you've read this blog for any length of time, you know we read <i>a lot</i>. One of my favorite things we're doing this year is purposing to <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2016/08/our-new-little-habit.html" target="_blank">read 10 minutes a day</a> for fun. This doesn't include what we're reading for history, Bible study or our own personal reading. This special 10 minutes is my chance to share a book I want to read with my kids... just because. I don't have to finish a chapter each session and I don't have to read seven days a week, but I can almost always eek out 10 minutes. Right now we're working our way through <a href="http://amzn.to/2cFojRl" target="_blank"><i>Little House on the Prairie</i></a> and plan to keep going until we finish the series. <i>Do you know I've never read past the third book with any of my kids?! </i><br />
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Learning is a lifelong pursuit so why not make it a pleasure for everyone-- including, maybe especially, the teacher? </div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Whether you homeschool or not, do you get tired of teaching your kids the same things over and over?</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><br /><br />How do you choose what to teach?</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><br /><br />What are some things you want to learn with your children?</span></i></b></div>
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<img align="left" src="https://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u166/mia954/blue.png" style="border: 0;" /> Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17152562871467319771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378562155896437704.post-46445386777296703792016-09-23T07:32:00.000-04:002016-09-23T07:32:06.043-04:00Reading For Writing and 'Rithmetic<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Math-Curse-Jon-Scieszka/dp/0670861944/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1474467933&sr=8-1&keywords=math+curse&linkCode=li2&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20&linkId=77f44fadb9db62a32ed46bc96299f671" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0670861944&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bianpifrmyl09-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0670861944" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Yaks-Yak-Animal-Word-Pairs/dp/0544391012/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1474468025&sr=8-1&keywords=yaks+yak&linkCode=li2&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20&linkId=4bb638545dafa12f5d83d47ab6081a4e" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0544391012&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bianpifrmyl09-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0544391012" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Camille-Sunflowers-Laurence-Anholt/dp/0812064097/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1474468123&sr=8-1&keywords=camille+and+the+sunflowers&linkCode=li2&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20&linkId=aa4721d81c3154b09ca7a19b40829a59" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0812064097&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bianpifrmyl09-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0812064097" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Six-Dots-Story-Young-Braille/dp/0449813371/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1474468285&sr=8-1&keywords=six+dots&linkCode=li2&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20&linkId=eed0726e6ccb76b698275e02570f10a7" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0449813371&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bianpifrmyl09-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0449813371" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Some weeks are jam-packed with planned activities and you wonder how you will find time to breathe, let alone fit in a decent amount of school work. This was supposed to be one of those weeks for us, but then one full afternoon of activities was cancelled, and the relentless rain drove Brian home from work for two-and-a-half days so our week was more peaceful than anticipated. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Some weeks it is easier to lower expectations anyway and be unconventional. Games of Monopoly, decorating for fall, baking, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/frommylifeblog/posts/1155195631182695?notif_t=like&notif_id=1474396675401500" target="_blank">trying a new soup recipe</a>, and sorting fall clothes count as practical learning, right? <br /><br />Yes, we did keep up with algebra and science, but we also read these picture books and called it school!</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Math:</b><br />
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<i style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://amzn.to/2ctPlez" target="_blank">Math Curse</a></i> by Jon Scieszka I picked up especially for Gavin who loves to say that math is something he will never use again. Okay. Granted, he may never use some of the more abstract concepts of algebra or trigonometry, but this book was a fun way to emphasize how much we use math every day. </div>
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<i><a href="http://amzn.to/2cQziba" target="_blank">Yaks Yak: Animal Word Pairs</a></i> by Linda Sue Park was loads of fun for me, an person who loves words and grammar. It was fun to see my kids "get" the puns on each page. For example, "kids kid"... as in, goats teasing each other and "slugs slug"...as in, slugs in a boxing match! There are little notes on each page with definitions of words a child may not know. </div>
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<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Art: </b><br />
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<i><a href="http://amzn.to/2cQz3N9" target="_blank">Camille and the Sunflowers</a></i> by Laurence Anholt is about a boy who meets Vincent Van Gogh. It is fictional and told in story form, but biographical details are sprinkled throughout, and reflections of Van Gogh's paintings and style of work can be found in the illustrations. </div>
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<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">History: </b><br />
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<i><a href="http://amzn.to/2cUPLry" target="_blank">Six Dots</a></i> by Jen Bryant focuses on the childhood of Louis Braille, recounting the injury that caused his blindness. It follows him through school and how he was inspired to create the Braille alphabet. My children have always been especially fascinated by picture books that tell a true story!</div>
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<img align="left" src="https://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u166/mia954/blue.png" style="border: 0;" /> Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17152562871467319771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378562155896437704.post-19536970204574835812016-09-20T14:48:00.000-04:002016-09-20T14:48:11.866-04:00How to Get Out of a Reading Rut<br />
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A friend and I were discussing online how we had both fallen into a deep reading rut. She was asking for book suggestions and I was telling her how I had nothing to offer because I had read very little lately and the books I <i>had</i> read were not thrilling me. I was dragging through short books and returning books to the library unread. </div>
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I turned to another (in-real-life) friend. She is my go-to book friend. We have similar taste, and she reads far more and more quickly than I do so she always has a book (or five!) to suggest. This is what she said: "My last rut, I just read a bunch of middle reader books, but it worked." </div>
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I took her words to heart and got a few books from the library. I started with <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2b4dGYd" target="_blank">Out of My Mind</a></i> by Sharon Draper. After reading that, my friend told me to try <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2dbNtFY" target="_blank">Wonder</a></i> by R. J. Polacio, a book in a similar vein. Both books are the stories of children with physical difficulties who must navigate the social world of school and life and also what it means to be different than what everyone else calls normal. I love books that are well-crafted stories but also appropriate to discuss and pass on my pre-teens. </div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Out-My-Mind-Sharon-Draper/dp/1416971718/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470769209&sr=1-1&keywords=out+of+my+mind&linkCode=li2&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20&linkId=37526d763e88500e1cf90119dcd66011" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1416971718&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20" /></a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wonder-R-J-Palacio/dp/0375869026/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1474317480&sr=8-1&keywords=wonder&linkCode=li2&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20&linkId=f8534cbaca8893e22fd90a4dc189fca6" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0375869026&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20" /></a></div>
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What makes this even more fun is that<i> </i><a href="http://amzn.to/2dbNtFY" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Wonder</a> is being made into movie (April 2017). A local group of friends got together earlier this month <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2016/08/3-books-i-want-to-read-in-fall.html" target="_blank">to watch another book-to-movie</a> adaptation and I'm hoping even more of us can watch this one, too, maybe with our kids. <br />
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Right now I need books that are easy to begin <i>and </i>continue, even if I can only read in short bursts. These are a few of my other middle grade favorites: </div>
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<i style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://amzn.to/2bcgNMc" target="_blank">The Wednesday Wars</a></i><i style="font-style: italic;"> </i>and its companion (not sequel) <a href="http://amzn.to/2bchk0H" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Okay For Now</a><i> </i>by Gary Schmidt take place in the late 60s during the Vietnam era. Each follow a different young boy as he lives through a year of school, friends, and the emotional heartbreak of growing up. I absolutely loved both of these books, so much that I would list them among my favorite books of all time. These are not just stories for children. </div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wednesday-Wars-Gary-D-Schmidt/dp/054723760X/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=9GR3B8BSDFCQYB7SD4TN&linkCode=li2&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20&linkId=c5e3819cf205c362af3e9a6b8f119773" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=054723760X&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20" /></a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Okay-Now-Gary-D-Schmidt/dp/0544022807/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FHBHS5SW7E27XH5A8091&linkCode=li2&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20&linkId=5795a6a0dba421159b2353aaac605518" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0544022807&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://amzn.to/2aPIfjY" target="_blank">A Long Way From Chicago</a></i> and <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2aSREV0" target="_blank">A Year Down Yonder</a></i> by Richard Peck are a different sort of book. They each are written more like a series of short stories. Set during the Depression era, <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2aPIfjY" target="_blank">A Long Way From Chicago</a> </i>comes first and recounts a string of summers when Joey and his sister, Mary Alice, leave the city to spend the summer with their Grandmother Dowdel who is quite a colorful character. <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2aSREV0" target="_blank">A Year Down Yonder</a>, </i>a Newbery winner, focuses on Mary Alice, now fifteen. Joey is grown up, and is sent to spend an entire year by herself with her grandmother. </div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Long-Chicago-Puffin-Modern-Classics/dp/0142401102/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470768994&sr=1-1&keywords=a+long+way+from+chicago&linkCode=li2&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20&linkId=0c090043ee5335f752509a81550b4608" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0142401102&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20" /></a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Year-Down-Yonder-Richard-Peck/dp/0142300705/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=014A070Y03P4HQVHT3NG&linkCode=li2&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20&linkId=198c80fd9d767abe5100de1fa86caea6" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0142300705&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20" /></a></div>
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<br /><b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i>Do you read middle grade fiction or do you leave that to your kids? <br /> </i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i>What are some good ones you (or they) have read lately? </i></span></b></div>
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<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bianpifrmyl09-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1416971718" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bianpifrmyl09-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0375869026" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
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<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bianpifrmyl09-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0544022807" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bianpifrmyl09-20&l=li2&o=1&a=054723760X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
<img align="left" src="https://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u166/mia954/blue.png" style="border: 0;" /> Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17152562871467319771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378562155896437704.post-82425221811488816962016-09-14T16:34:00.000-04:002016-09-14T16:34:31.832-04:00Art Class<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">{This post contains affiliate links.}</span></i><br />
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My yearly post, giving the run-down of our curriculum choices may not happen this time, but I do want to share a few snippets. I gave my thoughts on <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2016/09/when-plans-fall-flat-before-they-begin.html">high school science</a> last week. and now I want to discuss art. </div>
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Some years we've chosen to focus more on art than other years. Some years we've done a picture study of fine art. (Go<a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2013/08/study-art-for-free-without-curriculum.html"> here</a> to see how we did that for <i>free</i>!) Other years we did crafts and hands-on projects. This year it is a little of both. <br />
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Gavin (9th grade) is studying art history. We are using <a href="http://amzn.to/2c0UY3v"><i>Short Lessons in Art History</i></a> and the <a href="http://amzn.to/2cgbQUC">accompanying book of exercises and activities</a>. (I bought both books used on Amazon.) Since we are studying the modern era in history this year, we decided it would be meaningful to study the more modern era of art, too, so we began midway through the book with Monet. Our first weeks of art history were rocky as Gavin enjoys the <i>art</i> part far more than the <i>history</i> part, but we soldiered through and he is learning to make this course his own. He can't skip the history part but once he finishes the reading which he finds dull, he can spend as much time as he likes on the art projects. </div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Short-Lessons-Art-History-Artists/dp/0825142458/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1473345003&sr=8-1&keywords=short+lessons&linkCode=li2&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20&linkId=b84c50e36709c567f56bb470ecd9422c" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0825142458&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20" /></a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Short-Lessons-Art-History-Activities/dp/0825142466/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1473345003&sr=8-2&keywords=short+lessons&linkCode=li2&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20&linkId=422875db9bd8b6a837f9fc9ffdeb82a4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0825142466&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20" /></a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Draw-Write-Through-History-Century/dp/0977859754/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1473345141&sr=8-4&keywords=draw+write+history&linkCode=li2&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20&linkId=59f8618f9a953c99aa92d2c9f3948946" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0977859754&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Maddie (7th grade) and Owen (5th grade) are using </span><i style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://amzn.to/2cENqlH">Draw and Write Through History: The 20th Century</a>. </i><span style="text-align: justify;">The book is divided into chapters, each with topics that closely mirror what we had already planned to study in our study of modern history. Tuesday is art day and they work on their drawings a little each week, turning in a final product on the last week of the month.<br /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2z-gMGO-J_oWrCiXXUgIGamVAXJMVDROAztaiYtvqe2rUWV01HDvCZIjEuYn662l5L0KpMQSO-mYWH5KnePItB0t4LDWuf4BKf7lmd9xkAPbeBfChJCbVcXEC2WazymB8B_p-CCG/s1600/art1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2z-gMGO-J_oWrCiXXUgIGamVAXJMVDROAztaiYtvqe2rUWV01HDvCZIjEuYn662l5L0KpMQSO-mYWH5KnePItB0t4LDWuf4BKf7lmd9xkAPbeBfChJCbVcXEC2WazymB8B_p-CCG/s640/art1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><br />In August, they both drew the Titanic, and this month they are working on Antarctic animals that Shackleton may have seen on his expeditions. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Ben (3rd grade) and Alaine (1st grade) are taking online art "lessons" at </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnpQvHhCASTY0vt8mkZPeIw" style="text-align: justify;">The Art Club Online</a><span style="text-align: justify;">. They just finished a series of lessons on drawing faces. They have inspired their older siblings to get in on the action, too. This week, four kids (instead of two) gathered around the coffee table for the week's lesson. N</span>ext up is drawing animals. <br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b><i>How do you teach art in your homeschool?<br />Are you more an art-appreciator or an art-doer?</i></b></span></div>
<img align="left" src="https://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u166/mia954/blue.png" style="border: 0;" /> Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17152562871467319771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378562155896437704.post-47387663276693326312016-09-09T12:51:00.000-04:002016-09-09T12:51:03.487-04:00Weekend Encouragement {a few thoughts and a pile of links}<br />
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We completed a full week of school on this first full week of September. As in, we did our work on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, <i>and</i> Friday without <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2016/08/mom-confessional-or-why-we-took-2-days.html" target="_blank">taking a break for a summer activity</a>. Things went smoothly, and one student admitted a subject that was hated last week was now "okay." <br />
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Still I battled feelings of discouragement. As she moves closer to a year old, Macie is needing less sleep in the afternoon. Her morning nap is solid and falls during our busiest school hours which is a help, but I crave the quiet time in the afternoons, too. It's all good, and I may grow to love this new routine, especially as several of our afternoon extracurriculars begin again this fall. I'll be happy that she doesn't get grumpy if she misses a long rest time. Transitions are difficult, though, and my body and mind are weary.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPlSjXJq9ecGnbcNlTHy3sKk6-bxxYy4_Wu7grGWEZEPDNS19a5IYmBqmCOBVg2UCxHGbUoZ1vM5Feu7wNwN-9T00Q_Ry2xikCbBYP2jguGHWkT-OfoJHyo_qoh2Vu_zASYep714u/s1600/SAM_1687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPlSjXJq9ecGnbcNlTHy3sKk6-bxxYy4_Wu7grGWEZEPDNS19a5IYmBqmCOBVg2UCxHGbUoZ1vM5Feu7wNwN-9T00Q_Ry2xikCbBYP2jguGHWkT-OfoJHyo_qoh2Vu_zASYep714u/s640/SAM_1687.JPG" width="640" /></a> As summer winds down and all our friends are back to school, too, we're home more which is also a good thing, but I miss the hubbub of activity and the conversation with other moms. For years, I thought I was an introvert, but this summer made me suspect I'm more extroverted than I realized.<br />
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Brian's work season is slowing slightly, and we have been intentional about our <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-evening-walk.html" target="_blank">evening walk</a>. Those, and an invitation from a friend to hang out and talk while our kids played yesterday after school, buoyed the end of my week.<br />
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I've also been encouraged by exchanging scriptures with various friends via text message. "A word spoken at the right time is like gold apples on a silver tray." (Proverbs 25:11 HCSB) On Thursday, I asked if any reader on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/frommylifeblog/posts/1145939182108340" style="text-align: start;" target="_blank">the blog's Facebook page</a> would leave a comment with a scripture that brought encouragement to them. I was blessed all day by the responses. Click <a href="http://a%20word%20spoken%20at%20the%20right%20time%20is%20like%20gold%20apples%20on%20a%20silver%20tray./" target="_blank">here</a> to find encouragement, too, and click below on the links to read other articles (by other people) that I loved this week.<br /><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKX_TOdxAAqnXzahmPpX2M0JcmzUCUM3prfnhnFNLjmpZcSc5-GHzv9q3QvsJcbDWptbEjci012PEbtPhB1caDy7jCis-1v5-EKAj-Eh0tQoJyRRH3DdPH_GF2BBcfszoTnPIvkyb6/s1600/SAM_1689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKX_TOdxAAqnXzahmPpX2M0JcmzUCUM3prfnhnFNLjmpZcSc5-GHzv9q3QvsJcbDWptbEjci012PEbtPhB1caDy7jCis-1v5-EKAj-Eh0tQoJyRRH3DdPH_GF2BBcfszoTnPIvkyb6/s640/SAM_1689.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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</span> <i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://amongstlovelythings.com/do-it-afraid" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Do It Afraid </span></a> </span></i>by Sarah Mackenzie @ <a href="http://amongstlovelythings.com/blog/" target="_blank">Amongst the Lovely Things </a><br />
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<i>About starting something hard: "So here we are, starting our calendar square in the face and running out of excuses to put off starting. I say just leap in. It isn't going to be perfect-- it won't even if you try to make it so, so just do your best and let God feed the 5,000 with your measly basket of loaves and fish.<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; line-height: 29.25px;">" </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 29.25px;"> </span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><a href="http://thrivinghomeblog.com/2016/09/to-think-god-had-this-in-mind/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">To Think God Had This in Mind for My Family 15 Years Ago</span></a> </i></span>by Rachel @ <a href="http://thrivinghomeblog.com/" target="_blank">Thriving Home</a></div>
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<i>Timely for our family as in the last year as each of us has made new friendships, renewed some old ones, and explored "what it means to do life with others in Christ."</i></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/2016/09/start-the-homeschool-year-off-right-by-homeschooling-your-way/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Start the Homeschool Year Off RIGHT by Homeschooling YOUR Way </span></a></i>by Lea Ann Garfias @ <a href="http://raisingarrows.net/" target="_blank">Raising Arrows</a></div>
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<i>This has nothing to do with ego, selfishness, or pushing God out of the picture but simply leaving behind the comparison game and teaching your children the way that works best for your family.</i></div>
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<img align="left" src="https://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u166/mia954/blue.png" style="border: 0;" /> Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17152562871467319771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378562155896437704.post-78171997035352987822016-09-05T16:15:00.000-04:002016-09-05T16:15:47.672-04:00When Plans Fall Flat Before They Begin<br />
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That title sounds more dramatic than I intended, but it describes our experience with high school science so far. <i><b>This just may be the homeschool year that kicks my butt. </b></i></div>
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There have been a few baby issues. First it was a cold, then <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2016/08/teeth-week.html" target="_blank">teething</a>, then realizing she had insomnia caused by her continuing <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2016/05/dairy-free-mom.html" target="_blank">dairy insensitivity</a>. Good-bye <i>again</i>, cheese and butter! All that makes for a mama who is tired, distracted, and not her best self. </div>
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Our primary stumbling block, though, has been high school. More than the increase in work or the difficulty of the work itself, <b>it is navigating new expectations</b>. I'm putting pressure on myself. I'm putting pressure on Gavin. He's putting pressure on himself. We both need to take a deep breath and realize it's not as hard as we're making it. </div>
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I mentioned in <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2016/08/our-new-little-habit.html" target="_blank">another post</a> that we shelved what I had planned for science. One of the joys of homeschooling is tailoring the work to our children's interests, but it doesn't mean they must love everything they do. Algebra is not going away just because some of my kids hate math! We're teaching them that sometimes in life you have to do something just because it has been given you to do. </div>
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That being said, in the first weeks of school as we slowly began each subject, we avoided Gavin's science day after day until finally it was the only subject left to begin so we cracked open the book, The black and white pages with very little color, the experiment supply lists, and the lack of insight on what was important and what aspects could be skimmed over...it was too overwhelming. Two weeks into school and we put the book back on the shelf and started a search for new science curriculum. </div>
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At the same time, I was pondering where to plug in the 3-D printing class Gavin took over the summer. I wanted to give him credit for the 15 hours of classroom time, but wasn't sure what it could "count" towards. My mom sent me <a href="http://momentswithmotherculture.blogspot.com/2016/05/curiosity-the-boy-builder-by-karen.html#.V82JFigrLIU" target="_blank">this link</a>, telling me she thought it sounded like Gavin, and the pieces all clicked for me.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Way-Things-Work-Now/dp/0544824385/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1470767486&sr=8-1&keywords=the+way+things+work+now&linkCode=li2&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20&linkId=eeaa9b05b82907bf9babb1bd2e0d3473" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0544824385&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20" /></a>The traditional sciences (biology, chemistry, etc.) will wait as Gavin dives into <i style="text-align: start;"><a href="http://amzn.to/2b66z2X" target="_blank">The Way Things Work Now</a></i><span style="text-align: start;"> by David Macaulay. The subtitle says it all: </span><span style="text-align: start;"><i>From Lasers to Levers, Windmills to Wi-Fi, a Visual Guide to the World of Machines</i>.<br /></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">I almost ordered a used copy of </span><i><a href="http://amzn.to/2aIowiD" target="_blank">The New Way Things Work</a> </i>at an incredible price, I might add, but I decided to pre-order (at full price) the new edition that comes out in October because the topics and technology covered are more up-to-date and include a section on 3-D printers. </div>
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<i><a href="http://amzn.to/2b66z2X" target="_blank"><br /></a></i>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/How-Machines-Work-Zoo-Break/dp/1465440127/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1470831140&sr=8-1&keywords=zoo+break&linkCode=li2&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20&linkId=082b5768121c026d4ef6596ed6a9c8f0" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1465440127&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20" /></a><br />
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While we wait, we checked <a href="http://amzn.to/2bfwFj2" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">How Machines Work: Zoo Break</a> by the same author out of the library. It is an incredibly fun, hands-on look at simple machines, and I had Gavin teach it to the younger kids. It was his idea to build an example of each simple machine with Duplo blocks as they read the book. They each (Gavin included) also illustrated a chart for their school portfolios. </div>
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<br />I'm sure there will be more bumps in our journey this school year, but this has put us on a more confident path. Fellow mamas, don't be afraid to insist that your kids do hard things, but don't be afraid to change course if it's the better choice.<br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Bonus points if you can give us a name for this science course. It goes beyond general science and I don't think it quite fits the description of physical science. Help! </span></b></span></i></span></div>
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Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17152562871467319771noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378562155896437704.post-14317639127018083442016-08-21T13:00:00.000-04:002016-08-21T13:00:30.652-04:00Teeth Week<br />
It was a week of teeth <i>(and another birthday and sickness and compromised sleep) </i>at our house. <br /><br />
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<b>Macie got her first tooth. </b> It brought <i>smiles</i> from all of us as we discovered her new milestone. It's really special to be the youngest of six and have everyone ooh and aah over your every move!<br /><br /></div>
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<br />It produced a few <i>tears </i>from her. The tears could probably be more accurately attributed to a cold/fever virus that passed through our house. The cold...or the tooth...or the violent thunderstorms prompted her to wake more often than usual a couple nights.<br /><br />Yawn! Brian and I are a little behind on our sleep as Macie was not the only child who woke us with sickness woes this week. </div>
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<b>Alaine lost her first two teeth. </b>They had both been loose for over a month, and on Thursday morning (my 36th birthday!) the first fell out into her hand with little fanfare and no blood at all. The tooth fairy came for a visit, but she was out of dollar bills so she borrowed one from Maddie before leaving it under Alaine's pillow! On Friday evening, the second tooth followed, thankfully after the tooth fairy had been been to the bank.<br /><br /></div>
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Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17152562871467319771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378562155896437704.post-48669590619249218792016-08-18T15:23:00.000-04:002016-08-18T15:23:31.294-04:00Our New Little Habit<br />
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Between <a href="http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2016/08/mom-confessional-or-why-we-took-2-days.html" target="_blank">the flurry of extra activity</a>, a plan for science that we shelved before we even started (more on that in a later post), and a summer virus that glued a few of my students to the couch, our school year has not started in a way I had pictured. </div>
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We are implementing a new idea this year, though, a tiny habit that will stick despite the crazies of life. <b>I am reading aloud for pleasure 10 minutes a day. </b>Inspired by <a href="http://amongstlovelythings.com/read-aloud-revival-the-podcast/" target="_blank"><i>Read Aloud Revival</i> podcast</a>, every day at lunch time I open a book and read to whoever will listen. I'm only <i>requiring</i> that Ben and Alaine listen, but anyone is welcome, and most of the time, my older kids and teen stay, too.<br />
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Ten minutes a day...I can commit to that. I don't have to finish a chapter or check books off of a list. This isn't working towards our history credit. I just need to read for ten minutes, then put the book down and go about my day. <i>(It's worth clicking <a href="https://www.facebook.com/readaloudrevival/photos/a.396016947168006.1073741828.395389773897390/782711688498528/?type=3&theater" target="_blank">here</a> to see how many books you could read by devoting just 10 minutes a day.)</i></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Little-House-Woods-Ingalls-Wilder/dp/0060581808/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1470853487&sr=8-1&keywords=little+house+in+the+big+woods&linkCode=li2&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20&linkId=f4c00e1a88c7de808db35476132e3080" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0060581808&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=bianpifrmyl09-20" /></a><br />
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We're starting with <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2aKEZmh" target="_blank">Little House in the Big Woods</a> </i>because my younger ones have never heard it and I'm planning to move all the way through the series. Ben, who has never loved to sit still and listen, doesn't complains because...ten minutes. He even says that he is enjoying the book. He has <i>never</i> said that about reading aloud a chapter book. Today when I read the part about Grandpa, the sled, and the pig, I watched out of the corner of my eye as Ben stopped with his sandwich mid-way to his mouth until he heard what was going to happen! </div>
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Ten minutes. <i>Want to join me?</i><br />
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