All I Want For Christmas

December Twitterature

Today I'm linking up with Anne at Modern Mrs. Darcy to share "short, casual reviews" of the books I've read in the past 30 days.

Last year I drastically decreased my reading during the month of December, but this year...not so much!  I've started reading more in the evenings again (without falling asleep!) and I've mastered the art of reading in increments.  I love to talk books on my Facebook page , too, so stop by if you have a chance. 

{As always, post about books contain my affiliate links.}

*****

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Long book.  It's an award winner, but I'm still not sure how I felt about it. It's a rare instance of liking the movie better than the book. 

#worldwar2   #germany   #heartbreaking

 For Every Seasonby Cindy Woodsmall

Book 3 in a series.  I loved Woodsmall's debut series and hated her second series, but this one is growing on me.  Great easy read for a busy season.

#amishfiction   #lovetriangle   #mystery

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays by Ree Drummond

I made her cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving dinner.  The house smelled divine!

#pioneerwoman   #cookbook   #delish

Maid to Matchby Deeanne Gish

Set in the late 1800s at the Biltmore Estate, this was a fun Thanksgiving weekend read.  There was depth to the story, yet the tone was light.

#historicalfiction   #lovestory  






Seeker of Starsby Susan Fish

I downloaded this for my Kindle because it was free, but it was far better than the majority of free downloads.  This fictional retelling of the wise men from the Bible incorporated the personal story of one of the astronomers. 

#wisemen   #Christmasfiction

Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches by Rachel Jankovic

I thought my kids were too old for me to benefit from this book.  Instead, it taught me great lessons about attitude, grace, and relationships.
#parenting   #unityamongbrothers  







The Silent Wifeby A. S. A. Harrison

I wanted to like this book, but by page 40 I gave up.  I wanted a can't-put-down mystery.  Instead I got raunchy details of an affair.

#suspense   #iquit







Harriet the Spyby Louise Fitzhugh

I read this as a child, but I remembered nothing. I'm never sure what to expect from kid lit, but I was hooked by the first chapter.  Well written and intelligent.
#kidlit   #lifelessons  



 

With the kids...

The Best Christmas Pageant Everby Barbara Robinson, Amahl and the Night Visitorsby Gian Carlo Menotti, and Danger on a Silent Night by Marianne Hering and Nancy Sanders

We're reading 1 book a week until Christmas.  It's a dinnertime tradition we keep no matter how crazy our schedule.

#Christmasfiction   #morekidlit


We are flying through stacks of picture books, too.  A highlight:

Claude the Dog: A Christmas Storyby Dick Gackenbach

This was my very favorite Christmas picture book from childhood.  My brother says it's depressing, but I want my kids to love it, too. 

#picturebook   #Christmas   #bettertogivethantoreceive

Wrapping Up

I'm not writing about gift wrapping, though we are doing a bit of that in these days leading up to Christmas.  I'm actually referring to wrapping up our school term next week. 

When formally began homeschooling in 2007, we decided to school from August through December (approximately 20 weeks) and, after an extended winter break, school again from February through May (approximately 15-16 weeks).  We chose this schedule to allow a little time off from bookwork during Brian's annual off-season.  It was a practical decision that seemed to make sense logistically, plus it allowed for a good dose of family time.

Alaine's Christmas style

Through the years I've realized another advantage.   With two large breaks in our school year-- a 2-month break in the summer and a 1-month break in the winter-- I have 2 opportunities every year to stop and evaluate our progress.   Of course, as a homeschooling mom, I can continually adapt our schedule as I tune into what my kids need, but these extended breaks give me a moment to breathe.  Then I can step back, take some time to think and pray, and decide if there are ways to make our days more efficient, more profitable, more challenging,  or more fun!

Our last day of school for this term will be next Thursday, the 19th.  We've been slowly bringing things to a close.  The kids finished gym class the week before Thanksgiving. We completed our study of Beethoven in November, too.  A few subjects we snowballed like when we finished our history book and started reading our science book more frequently instead. The kids are motivated with the end in sight. Maddie did three weeks worth of handwriting in two days to complete the term.  Gavin finished his cursive practice last week and did his last page of grammar yesterday.  All the kids have taken a break from art and we're calling baking and Christmas crafting art for December. 

Decorating cookies

Christmas crafting with friends

Next week is a ~crazy~ schedule week.  I'm so thankful that our school requirements are down to bare bones because Brian and I had to have a mini-meeting in front of the calendar to coordinate everywhere we have to be and everything we need to do starting Sunday.  In the midst of the chaos, we will quietly (or not so quietly) finish the school term. 

Then comes Christmas where all thoughts of school will fly from my head for a few days.

Then comes that promised time to breathe. 

Then...I plan to take some time in January to do an overhaul on chores assignments.  I have new ideas and Brian has mentioned new ideas.  My dad used to say, "I love to see my kids work."  He said it tongue-in-cheek and I do, too.  I also want to research a few new things to implement during our daily table time. I love an afternoon when I can sit down with my laptop and a blank notebook and put my plans to paper.

But that is then.  For now, I'm focusing on the task at hand-- wrapping up the school year and finishing well. 

"Let us run with endurance, the race that is set before us."

Hebrews 12:1

{This post contained Amazon affiliate links.}

Maid to Match

I've hit the 60 book mark in my personal reading this year.  We were discussing this at dinner the other night.  Then the kids wanted me to add up the books we've read together (not including picture books or school books) and we totaled around 30.   Last year my reading in December slowed drastically, partly due to the fact that I started a heavy book that was not compatible with a holiday schedule. 

I picked up Maid to Matchby Deeanne Gist at the library around Thanksgiving.  It is the seventh book I've chosen from The Sisters Book Challenge and I was hoping for a fun, light read.  Set at Biltmore Estate in Ashville, North Carolina during the late 1800s, I flew through this historical romance.  It was an easy, yet well-written and intelligent, read.  I have a thing for unnatural dialogue in a book, but the conversation met my standards, too.  ~wink~

I have three more books I want to finish before the end of the year, but I'm already busy at work on my personal reading list for 2014.  And though I have run out of time to sample either of the remaining books on this year's challenge, Kati and I have discussed repeating The Sister's Book Challenge next year, with new choices so I've been jotting down a list of ideas. 

I can't wait to share my round-up of my best and worst books of the year.  Look for it in the next few weeks!

Savoring Days in December

I sat down for a few moments this evening to look at our calendar for the next two weeks.  Whether we are home or away, almost every day has a penciled note of something to do.  Between baking, errands, a Christmas dinner, three Christmas parties, wrapping, crafting with friends, and finishing the school year, our days could pass in a whirlwind.  We are purposing to slow down and savor them anyway. 

Savor the busyness?

Yes, even in the midst of a full calendar, we can appreciate each other.  We can (and will!) work together in the kitchen to bake the things on our list.  We will play Christmas music while I wrap presents and the kids select ribbons and tags.  We will let go of perfection as we straighten the house and light a candle as we wait for guests to arrive.  We will countdown the days left in our year (ei8ht!) until school break! 

On Thursday, we spent an entire afternoon savoring.  We had a Girls' Day.  The boys played Lego (did you know the plural of Lego is Lego?) in their bedroom while Maddie (9), Alaine (3), and I drank tea or hot chocolate, ate molasses cookies, and watched White Christmas.  We invited my sister, Bekah (12), to join us. 

When the movie was over and while dinner was simmering, the girls and I made washer necklaces.  I bought a 4-pack of washers at Walmart and used nail polish that we already owned.  Super easy, but usable craft!  (I struggle with crafts that don't have a purpose beyond cluttering my house!)

The older boys loved the leisure of an afternoon in their bedroom, but Ben (5) felt left out so we invited him to join our crafting time.  I was so thankful for the 6-pack of foam penguins from the Target Dollar Spot that I had tucked away in the cabinet.  Fifteen minutes into the project, Owen (7) drifted out and asked to make a penguin, and right before dinner, Gavin (11) asked if he could make one, too, so now we have a whole row of cute penguins decorating the chalkboard in our kitchen. 

On Saturday morning, Brian took the boys out for a Boys' Day.  The girls and I stayed home in our comfy clothes and wrapped a few Christmas presents while they went to a Lego building event at a local department store.  Each boy got to build and bring home a free small set, plus Brian bought each of them a candy bar to bring home for a snack.  Lego and chocolate made for a happy morning.  Sadly, no photos. 

Today was another slow day of savoring.  It was rainy, cold, and sleety, but it was Gavin's 11th birthday so the family came to us.  We ordered pizza to eat with our salad and homemade breadsticks.  Gavin performed a series of card tricks, Owen planned a birthday MadLib, and we enjoyed soda floats for dessert. 

It was the perfect way to celebrate our funny, talkative, inquisitive, energetic, thinker of a Gavin. 

As we move into this full and potentially stressful week, I pray that we put it all in perspective and focus on love and fellowship rather than our list of to-dos. I pray that we can continue to find the joy and savor the time.