Amongst Lovely Things

Wordless Wednesday {and a question for you}

2013-06-19T11:41:00.000-07:00

The Question: I need help giving the twin boys screen names! So far we've got all flowers (Primrose, Tulip, Snapdragon, Posy), but I'd be okay with plant names in general. It's hard to give boys masculine-sounding flower names!

Got any ideas? I'm all ears.

33 Weeks (and Happy Father's Day!)

2013-06-16T15:54:00.001-07:00

About a month or so to go! My personal goal is to get to at least 38 weeks- we'll see if I can pull it off. All this resting is most certainly helping- I don't contract nearly as much as I was a few weeks ago. I had a great doctor's appointment last week- each baby is about 4 lbs, 3oz (!), so we're well on our way. I'm measuring at 41 weeks (which I probably don't need to tell you- that picture says it all).

At Mass today we sang The Servant Song, and I had a hard time keeping my composure. Is it any wonder?

Will you let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you?
Pray that I might have the grace
To let me be your servant too.

We are pilgrims on the journey
We are brothers on the road;
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load.

I will hold the Christ light for you
In the night time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you
Speak the the peace you long to hear.

I will weep when you are weeping
When you laugh, I'll laugh with you;
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we've seen this journey through.

When we sing to God in heaven
We shall find such harmony;
Born to all we've known together
Of Christ's love and agony!

There are so many, many people living this out for me right now. They bring us meals, fold our laundry, clean our kitchen, take our kids for hours at a time... they are the reason we have had no complications with this twin pregnancy, I'm sure of it. And a great many of them were right there, in Mass singing right along with me. It just took my breath away. I actually had to excuse myself and splash cold water on myself in the bathroom, just to make it through the rest of Mass.

Andy's mom is here now, stocking our freezer with food and loving on our kids for a long weekend. All grace, lived out right in front of my eyes.

In other news, I (finally) got around to seeing October Baby. Oh. My. Heck. I do believe that is the best movie I have ever seen. Andy concurs, so you really must just watch it. It's free on Netflix at the moment, so there's no excuse. :) I laughed and cried and cried and cried. I might watch it again this week (if Andy lets me, that is; he was afraid I'd go into labor from all the crying, lol).

I also got a macro lens (that's probably obvious by this point in the post). Guess what? Macro photography is challenging! I'm slowly finding my way, but this lens most definitely has a steeper learning curve than the others I've used so far. I am determined to get comfortable with it before those little twins arrive. There will be eyelashes to capture, you know. And toes. And itty bitty baby bodies all covered in peach fuzz.

Yum.

I wish I had a photo of Andy to show you today, because I am pretty sure my kids managed to get the World's Greatest Father Ever. I just can't imagine loving anyone more than that man. Father's Day once each June is just not enough- he really deserves the moon every day of the year.

I've got a pretty great Papa, too. He shaped so much of who I am today, and gave me so many wonderful childhood memories.

Hug a Dad today. Dads are wonderful.

(Oh, and... I redecorated the blog for summer. If you're reading through a feed, I'd love it if you clicked on through to see what you think.)

Happy Sunday!

7 Quick Takes {an Instagram photo dump}

2013-06-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

--1--

Me, the twins, and a toddler who is offering me a sip of her drink. I'm 33 weeks now!

--2--

My heart! I have no words for this one.

--3--

This was one of those moments that makes one wonder why anyone buys baby toys. Posy desperately wanted to go outside, but I was not feeling well enough to take her, and had already maxed out my ~~child labor~~ resident help. The solution was to cut shapes into a shoe box and keep Little Miss occupied that way. And my, does she loves that thing.

--4--

Favorite hat, favorite book, favorite dolly. Life is good to this girl. The book gets read about 15 times each day, no kidding. There are a lot of us around here to read it! And the kids have it memorized from hearing it so often, so we can all pretty much read it in our sleep. (It's I'm a Big Sister by Joanna Cole, by the way.)

--5--

So by now you've figured out that my Instagram feed is pretty much a Posy photo fest? :) Can you imagine what's going to happen when I have twins to photograph? It will be an Twinsie Instagram frenzy!!! ;)

--6--

This baby breathes books- I'm not kidding! If she's fussy, the fastest way to calm her (other than offering her a mammoth pregnant belly to snuggle) is to say, "Go get a book!" Off she waddles to her basket. And you'd better be ready to sit and read for a while, because there is nothing she'd rather be doing. :)

--7--

Okay, I'll stop the Instagram dumping now. How about some links? Here are a few click-worthy leads for your weekend:

Why Don't Students Like School? :: American Educator

Because the mind is not designed for thinking. Note to self: Memory work is not to be underestimated.

Homeschooling Makes Me a Better Parent :: Permanent Things

Hear, hear!

Pillsbury Rolls Out Three New Gluten-Free Products :: Triumph Dining

I always love to hear about mainstream manufacturers coming out with gluten-free eats. We're (slowly) getting somewhere!

Happy weekending!

2013 End-of-Year Folder Link-Up

2013-06-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

It's time! Let's share our End-of-Year Folders for the 2012-2013 school year. No matter how you document your kids' learning at the end of the year, we'd all love to take a gander.

At the bottom of this post is a widget where you can link back to your own blog and show off any parts or pieces of your kids' documented learning. Your post can be as simple or as detailed as you'd like it to be. Just be sure to include a link back to this page on your own post- that way it'll be easy for us all to find each other.

I'm excited to see what you've done!

***

I made similar books this year as I did last year. I made each of the kids their own folder, and started with a cover page with interview (you can see those here). Then I added page protectors filled with documentation from the year's work. This year I once again used inexpensive report covers with clear plastic covers, but next year I think we'll promote to 1/2" binders. There was certainly enough work to place in each folder to legitimize using a whole binder- the kids have been up to a lot! :)

Let me show you some sample pages from our folders this year:

Accomplished Work Lists:

I keep track of all the curriculum resources each child uses throughout the year, as well as booklists for history and family read-alouds. These get compiled into lists, and those pages go right at the front of each child's folder. Here is Primrose's list of accomplished work (I shrunk the pages so that they don't take up too much space on this post, but I think if you click them they'll be easier to read).

Art Samples:

I also take some of the kids' favorite artwork for the year and include it. If the piece is too big to fit in the folder, I'll either trim it to make it work or scan it into my computer and print it so that I can fit it into a standard size page protector. Here are a couple samples from this year.

Booklists:

Each child tracks his or her independent reading for the year, and then at the end of the year I have them complete a simple Thinking About Books form. Here are links to completed independent reading lists for both Primrose and Tulip. Those lists are printed and included in their folders. I'll be having Snap keep track of his independent reading next year as well.

Photo Pages:

These are the kids' favorite part! I make very simple collages in Picmonkey (free!) and then print them out on matte photo paper. I try to include photos of field trips and memorable activities. This is also where I document things like participating in a science fair or performing at a piano recital. I place certificates indicating participation or promotion (Snap's promotion to Senior White Belt, for example) next to pictures of the event. This makes sure that we keep those ribbons and certificates that mean a lot to the kids, but they don't just take up space somewhere- they are displayed! Here are just a couple samples from Snap's book this year- each child has 5 or 6 pages of these.

Work Samples:

I include just a couple good pieces of writing for each child, as well. If they got a great score on a math test, I might include that, too. This year we did a little unit on the solar system and the kids actually made notebook pages for that, so I popped those in. These are Snap's.

Each of my kids' books ended up being between 25-30 pages long this year (gasp!), and even though it looks like it might take a lot of time to compile, it really wasn't so bad. It's worth spending a bit of time putting these together, anyway. We all love looking at them.

Evidence:

:) There is something about compiling work done well that makes for a very satisfying end to the school year. We homeschooling mamas work way too hard to shrug off taking a little time to relish in all that we've helped our kids accomplish!

An InLinkz Link-up

Manual Mode Monday 28/52

2013-06-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

F 3.5, 1/2000, ISO 100

I'm working on my photography skills by taking a picture in Manual mode every week for a year. Join me, if you like- I love to see what you've done.

Summer Daybook

2013-06-09T17:59:00.000-07:00

Outside my window...

Perfection. 70's and sunny. It doesn't get any better than this.

I am thankful for...

All the help I am receiving. I've told you about Miss Rose and Natalie, but my friend Sarah has dropped dinner off twice this week. WOW, that's a help. It's hard for me to be on my feet long enough to make a decent meal, so having something I can pop right into the oven and warm is a huge blessing.

I am thinking about...

the twins, naturally.

In the Schoolroom...

It's summer break! This is what we're hitting each day:

I planned a full five days each week, knowing that we will likely miss a day or two on a regular basis.

(And I always feel obligated to tell you that of course the printed version uses my kids' real names. I promise I don't call them by flowers in real life. Well, not usually. Sometimes Posy does get called... Posy.) ;)

From the kitchen...

I want ice cream cake in a big bad way. But that takes too much effort to make (I know, right?), so Andy ran to the store to get me the ingredients, and I'm just going to dump them all in a bowl and eat up. I'm all about sacrificing for the sake of helping these twins put on pounds. Sooo selfless of me.

I've also taken to eating an ice cream cone before bed every night, but scooping that ice cream onto the cone is so much work. So I just eat the ice cream from the carton and then alternate with bites of the empty ice cream cone. I've got to reserve my energy for growing these babies, you know. I'll do whatever it takes. :)

I am creating...

Babies, and it turns out that creating two at the same time is quite the project!

I am working on...

Laying down most of the day. I'm getting better at this, I promise!

I am reading...

The reading has been good around here! I finished Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child by Anthony Esolen and it was utterly fabulous- the best book I've read all year. I also read Leigh Bortins' Echo in Celebration: A Call to Home-Centered Education, and it was very uplifting. (It's also a free ebook, so check it out if you want some cheap inspiration).

I'm still reading The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith because I took a break to read The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin. I'm not linking that one, though, because it seemed to me a blatant feminist manifesto, intent on cutting an American hero down to size and making some social and political assertions I just couldn't swallow. I bailed about 1/3 of the way in.

I am praying for...

My birthday-girl sister-in-law!

I am hearing...

Kids playing out front. Tulip keeping Posy entertained so I can write this.

Clicking around...

Using the Principle of the Sabbath to Organize Your School Year :: Permanent Things
Book List for an 11-Year-Old Girl :: With Great Joy
Wimps and Barbarians: The Sons of Murphy Brown :: The Claremont Institute

Around the house...

Don't ask. I am learning to let go. Growing babies is more important, so I must let go!

One of my favorite things...

Fresh raspberries. YUM.

A few plans for the rest of the week...

Nothing! For me, that is. Miss Rose is coming over to teach Primrose how to make meatballs and meatloaf and to give me a nap. My mother-in-law is coming next weekend to help out and give Andy a break from the breakneck-speed-at-work-breakneck-speed-at-home routine he's got going on (to make up for my obvious slack).

Otherwise, more of the lovely same:
Grow babes.
Lie down.
Read.
Eat ice cream out of the carton.
Repeat.

A Picture...

Yet another project of Tulip's... a Hawaiian themed dinner!

She planned the menu, staged the decor, and dressed up in a hula skirt for the occasion. It was delicious and fun. :) I just love that girl and all her many ideas.

June Goals, Revised (and other random musings)

2013-06-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

Well, that didn't take long. I had my June Goals up on the fridge for all of a day or two before I noticed that Miss Rose had revised them for me:

She's subtle, yes? :)

You might recall that Miss Rose is God's grace in the flesh to me. She came three days this week (and my sweet friend Natalie helped the other two days, so I was literally given help every. single. day.). And guess what? I rested more and contracted less and I feel pretty good! Such grace.

Anyway. Thank you for all of your sweet words of encouragement on my last post. I did notice a running theme in the comments (that is, how about you just keep those babies tucked up tight and forget all the other goals?). :) Which is what my husband (and everyone else) has been telling me all along, but apparently I'm stubborn as a mule.

Kimberlee's comment made me stop, though. I tend to listen really really well to mothers of many. They just... know things. Kimberlee said this: "It's nice to nail down our goals but just picture that first one (the one clearly assigned to you by God) up at the top in all caps and the others way down the page in teeny tiny letters. Really! xo."

And it struck me that yes, there was only one thing on that whole list that was assigned to me by God. Even noble and worthwhile things, like beginning to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, have not been assigned to me in the way that growing these babies has.

So. I'm listening. It's going to be a quiet and unproductive month, but I intend to grow these babies big and healthy.

Isn't my little Senior White Belt the absolute cutest? Don't tell him I said so. He wouldn't like it. ;) He tests for his Yellow Belt later this month. He is so motivated to move up and do well in Taekwon Do! It's been fun to watch him self motivate.

And...

Just a little reminder that the End-of-Year Folder Link-Up is happening here on Wednesday, the 12th. Please remember you can keep these as simple as you want to! I've heard rumors around the internet-grapevine that the idea of such a folder is intimidating and discouraging, which kind of breaks my heart.

The last thing I want to be is a discouragement to a single one of you. If this isn't your thing, good grief- don't make one! I don't have any such thing from my childhood school years, and I'm none the worse for it. REALLY. I kind of get a kick out of putting these together, and I know some other ladies do, too. But for Pete's sake, there's no good to come from any of you beating yourselves up because you just want to limp to the finish line and call it a year, over and done. I don't blame you one bit, and there a million other wonderful things you are good at. No comparisons!

That's it. It's Friday! Here are some links, just in case you find yourself in need of some inspiring weekend clicking:

The Daily Bread of Homeschooling :: Better than Eden

A discussion of Anthony Esolen's Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child (an insanely wonderful book, by the way) over at Our Little Nuthouse

There Were Books :: Starry Sky Ranch

i is for Insecure :: Kate Wicker

See you next week! :)

June Goals

2013-06-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

I printed this out and put it up on the fridge. I got the idea awhile back from Elizabeth at Blue Mockingbird (love her blog).

I want to keep some basic goals at the forefront of my mind this month, even though it's definitely going to be a month where I am horizontal more than vertical. I've got some goals for my health (namely, no early labor!), some goals with/for the kids, and a couple just for me and my camera.

I'm struggling a bit with how much harder this twin pregnancy has been than any of my singletons. At 31 weeks, I'm not even sure I'll be able to attend Mass or go on a simple outing much longer. I just contract, contract, contract. And then there is the heartburn, the back pain, and the complete non-functioning of my lungs. It's all just a bit much. I very much want to enjoy this pregnancy, though, because I know it is a precious gift. We are all so excited to meet the boys God is making just for our family!

I'm hoping that keeping a few simple goals- especially the kind that harness joy- will make these last couple of months before the twin boys arrive more pleasant for everyone. I need to be more pleasant for my husband's sake. The guy is doing everything around here just to keep all of our heads above water.

My, but I love that man.

Manual Mode Monday 26 & 27/52

2013-06-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

I missed last week's MMM, so I'm doubling up today.

F 2.8, 1/250, ISO 640

More snaps from last week's teatime. Even Tulip's dolls observe Marian Feast days around here. Notice the doll-size Mary statue on the wee tea table. :)

F 3.5, 1/250, ISO 6400 (eek)

Probably not my best work photographically (ISO 6400? Really???), but the amount of time I can be on my feet is quite limited these days, so I'll just do the best I can with what I've got.

I ordered a macro lens and cannot wait till it gets here. I told Andy he's going to have to take me to some local gardens so I can try it out on the flowers there. He looked at my belly a bit dubiously and then suggested that perhaps I just lay on the couch and try taking pictures of my belly button instead.

Ha! I'll spare you those shots, promise. :)

(I'm working on my photography skills by taking a picture in Manual mode every week for a year. Join me, if you like- I love to see what you've done.)

7 Quick Takes Friday

2013-05-31T17:04:00.001-07:00

--1--

I woke up from an afternoon nap today and found that the girls had baked cookies, brewed tea, and set a lovely table for today's Feast of the Visitation. Without them, I wouldn't have remembered that today was a feast day at all.

Girls only! (Snap wasn't home).

--2--

We weren't all quite as prim and proper as the big girls at teatime:

But we did all like the cookies! :)

--3--

We finished school today! We are now officially on summer break. Feels SO good. I was really hoping to move to a year-round model (with maybe a month off for summer and Christmas, and lots of breaks scattered throughout the year), but it doesn't make sense to school through a summer with brand new babies, does it?

Instead, I'm creating a summer learning chart to keep everyone on a light track: math, quiet reading hour, piano practice for the girls, and quick-and-dirty phonics practice for Snap. I'm hoping this will keep everyone's brains from melting over the summer (or are my kids the only ones who ask for waaaaay too much screen time during summer break?) and will facilitate a smooth transition in the fall. We'll see how it goes.

--4--

From my Instagram feed:

I'm 31 weeks along and measuring 39. There's already six pounds of baby in there, believe it or not! (My back can believe it- it huuuuurts). I went to the doctor yesterday and found out that both babies are head down (Hooray! Think they'll stay that way?) and everything looks good.

I am, however, teetering on the edge of bedrest because my contractions are constant and have booted up intensity-wise. So far, though, so good. I do think I was freaked out enough by the real prospect of bedrest to start taking everybody's advice to heart, and stop working on projects around the house. Sigh.

My #1 project, of course, is getting these boys big enough to be delivered without having to pay a visit to the NICU. Doc says that will only happen if I rest way more than I think I need to. No more sorting and arranging bedrooms, bins and bookcases. And I promise I won't do what I did last time and go all hog-wild on the chandeliers and light fixtures. (My husband is about to chain me to the couch, anyway, so trust me when I say I'm really waving the white flag of surrender.)

--5--

Prim wants me to thank you all for your help with her math assignment. She also wants you to know that eggs won by a landslide! Here's how it all broke down:

--6--

I know that lots of you out there are both homeschooling and expecting a wee one (or two!), and Mystie gave me such wonderful advice in the comments of this post, I've got to pass it on. She mentioned that my plan still looked a bit ambitious to her, seeing as next year is going to be heavy on the babies, light on the hard-core academics. I asked her what she would cut out if she were me, and this is what she had to say:

If my own experience with pregnancy and new ones is similar to what yours will be, I'd say go with what you have while you can, if you can. Try it out and see if you can do it for a while, or keep it on hand if you end up having the oomph for it later.

Honestly, I'd say if you get in math, the reading hour, the things the kids can do themselves, and the classes others are doing for you, you will have a strong year.

For the things you have planned to do one-on-one, I might try setting some goal like 15-20 minutes per day with each to touch bases and just pick one thing that most needs to be done (even if that's just conversation some days or checking up on independent work). Or, give each child a day of the week for 30-45 minutes of one-on-one lessons. I'd pick one area you think each child needs most to grow in this year and focus on that.

You're probably going to have to go by feel. I think it's good to have what you listed out as available options, but I'd probably let spelling and writing go first. And don't feel bad if there are math + audio book days. :) Remind yourself of the big overall picture and not the snapshot of particular days.

Praying is essential! Don't let that one drop if you can manage it at all.

And take care of yourself, because taking care of yourself is how you are taking care of those precious little ones – and not just the ones in your womb. Praying, Bible reading, church/mass are all essential ingredients in taking care of yourself, as well as eating well.

You'll all be fine! Trust God and He will carry you all through, even though you may look back in another two years and not be exactly sure how it all happened. :) It looks like a muddle when you're in the middle, but it's ok.

Good stuff there, yes? I actually printed it out for those days when I'm thick in the muddle.

--7--

One more picture, because...

Curls! And crayons. Anytime, anywhere- give that girl some crayons and she will be happy as can be. This week she discovered bath crayons. Delight! :)

End-of-Year Folders (get ready for a Link-Up!)

2013-05-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

Remember the End-of-Year Folders from last year? Those were a hit! My kids loved looking through their lists of accomplishments and pictures of field trips and activities. I loved having a simple way to document all the hard work we had put into our year. It was a win-win all around.

Lots of you made your own versions of the folders, as well, so I thought perhaps this year we could have a link-up. That will hopefully motivate us all to work on assembling our kids' work from the year, plus it will give us a place to share them with each other.

There's no right way to make an End-of-Year folder. Just think of it as a sort of yearbook for your child's school year- except better than a yearbook, because the folder showcases their personal accomplishments. You can put in or leave out whatever your heart desires.

I find it helpful to remember that the folder is meant to be a sampling of our year's work. It doesn't have to be perfect! I could have spent a lot more time making sure my pictures were up to snuff and formatting things just so, but then I'd never actually get the folders made. Good enough really is good enough. Your kids won't notice if the folders aren't perfect.

This is what I'm putting in our folders this year:

Cover page with end-of-year interview (made in Picmonkey, printed at home)
A list of accomplished work (this includes all the curriculum they worked through and field trips we went on, as well as a list of our family read-alouds)
A booklist of their independent reading (I have them keep track of the titles they read throughout the year)
A reflection page on the year's reading (I created this Thinking About Books form for my girls to fill out; feel free to nab it, if you like. I think the formatting went a little wonky in Google Docs, but hopefully it still works.)
Picture pages (simple collages made in Picmonkey featuring photos from field trips, projects, extracurricular activities and the like)
Work samples (some artwork or their best writing from the year)
Awards (Tulip keeps winning the Note-Naming Race at her piano studio, so that certificate will go in, as well as Snapdragon's Promotion certificate to Senior White Belt in Taekwon Do)

I'm still working on putting this years' folders together, but I did finish the cover pages. Here's a sneak peek:

(Note that the actual printed pages have my kids' real names on them, not their screen names)

I slip everything into page protectors and contain them in a simple report cover (with the clear plastic front) from Staples. I know my kids will love flipping through them years from now. (Truth be told, so will I.)

I'll host a link-up here at my blog on Wednesday, June 12. That gives everyone a few weeks to work on their own. I'll keep the link-up open for awhile, so you can add yours to the bunch whenever it's ready.

I really enjoyed looking at everyone's cover pages last year (and I think that's all some folks did- just cover pages, with no folders-- that's fine too! Link up with us!). I can't wait to see yours. :)

A Survey for Primrose

2013-05-28T10:05:00.001-07:00

Primrose is guest posting today with a math assignment! If you get a chance, please take a minute to help her out. We'll close the comments on Thursday morning so that she can tally her results and complete her assignment.

Hi, I'm Primrose. Today I need to conduct a survey to find out what most moms prefer to make for breakfast. If you would like to be a part of my sample, please choose one:

Muffins
Eggs
Cereal
Pancakes

Please respond in the comments! Thanks so much for your help!

Memorial Day Weekend {a daybook}

2013-05-26T22:35:00.000-07:00

Outside my window...

I wouldn't really know! The kids are outside from dawn till dusk, but I've been plowing through a list of things-to-get-done-before-babies. Well, that and napping.

I am thankful for...

All of you who use my Amazon links- I really do not thank you enough. I know you don't have to do it, but your taking the time to click through my blog before making your Amazon purchases makes a big difference here, and I appreciate every one of your clicks. It's one of those little happy-making perks of blogging (and there are lots of happy-making perks to blogging!), so I don't want to neglect saying thank you! :)

I am thinking about...

Macro lenses. I am determined to get my hands on one before these babies arrive. Just think of all the close-ups I could do with a macro: eyelashes! toes! itty bitty lips! I've been saving and saving and I think I can make it happen in the near future. Lens opinions welcome.

In the Schoolroom...

We begin our final week! We had originally planned to go for a few weeks longer, but after looking over all we've accomplished this year, I think we can wrap things up and feel like we've finished well. We'll keep a light summer school schedule to include math, Quiet Reading Hour, piano practice, and daily read-alouds.

Andy is currently reading from Banner in the Sky each night. I love love love when he reads aloud.

From the kitchen...

Yeah, feeling very unmotivated in this department. I swear my stomach is maybe the size of a golf ball, but I'm supposed to be getting 2400 daily calories in there. Right. I have a doctor appointment this week and I fully expect a lecture on my abysmal weight gain. I always struggle to gain enough weight during pregnancy (wish I had that "problem" when I wasn't pregnant!), but this time it's been doubly hard. I kind of just want to bury my head in the sand when it comes to all things food.

Unless it's chocolate ice cream. That I can always manage to make room for. ;)

I am creating...

Order! We are shuffling bedrooms and sleeping arrangements, gutting closets, weeding out clothes, and just generally getting things in shape before the twins arrive. The kids' bedrooms were in a bad state, so this has been a giant project.

I am working on...

Growing twins, which is HARD WORK, let me tell you! When I first found out I was pregnant with twins, I kept hearing (even from my doctor) that twin pregnancy is twice as hard as a singleton pregnancy. Honestly, I kind of shrugged it off. My body does pregnancy pretty dang well (and I should know by now, right?) ;)

But. I'm now 30 weeks. And everyone who said it would be twice as hard? Was right. I have this whole new respect for mothers of multiples. It's hard.

I am reading...

Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child by Anthony Esolen (Ooooh, Nellie! Esolen is knocking this one out of the park! I'm halfway through, and it's fabulous so far.)

The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith

I am praying for...

Our troops and their families.

I am hearing...

Andy tinkering in the kitchen, making beef jerky. I'm not so much a dried-meat kind of girl, but the kids will be happy as larks to find homemade jerky at the ready tomorrow.

Clicking around...

The Year We Survived :: Everyday Snapshots
Ask Auntie Leila- A Little Misunderstood :: Like Mother, Like Daughter
1000 Good Books List :: (Thanks, Dani, for the heads-up on this! The criteria the list-makers used for choosing which books made this list is so impressive.)

Around the house...

Getting stuff done. But I'm fizzling fast and I know I'm pushing harder than I ought- probably not especially wise at 30 weeks. At some point here (very soon) I'm going to have throw up my hands and wave the white flag of surrender. But not before I get those bedrooms all sorted and organized, and the outgrown clothes into properly labeled bins, by golly.

One of my favorite things...

Wrapping up a well-done school year.

A few plans for the rest of the week...

Last week of school. Last week of dance class. A piano recital. A doctor's appointment.

Then it's hello to June, which I'm determined to make all about sipping lemonade, reading teetering stacks of books, and keeping these twins tucked up where they belong.

2013-2014 Curriculum Plans

2013-05-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

I definitely feel like we're finding our homeschooling groove. After years of trying to find the best fit, we've finally settled into something of a relaxed Classical model. Of course, the word "Classical" itself means different things to different people. I like how CIRCE defines it:

Classical education is the cultivation of wisdom and virtue by nourishing the soul on truth, goodness and beauty so that, in Christ, a student is better able to know, glorify and enjoy God.

It is, in fact, the entire goal of real education to learn to love that which is lovely. So just knowing that's where I'm coming from might help make better sense of why particular curriculum choices appeal to me.

2013-2014 is going to be a survival year of sorts- six kids in this house, and half of them under the age of two! I'm only teaching language arts, math, and religion. Everything else is being covered either through our daily Quiet Reading Hour or by my wildly generous friends who have offered to take over entire subjects for me.

Read-Alouds

I hope to read aloud for a half-hour each morning. I would love to read more than that, but I'm trying to be realistic about how much reading-aloud will happen with all these babies underfoot everywhere. :) In this excellent article, Andrew Kern recommends reading through the My Book House series as a core curriculum. This series, he says, offers quite the junior liberal arts education for children through 6th grade- an education that nourishes the child's moral imagination. The stories within range from nursery rhymes (in book 1) through to Dickens, Longfellow, and Shakespeare (book 12)- each book increasing in complexity just a bit.

They are carefully selected stories, as a preface to one of the editions says, "to not only enlarge the child's knowledge and his understanding of life but help to plant within his heart and spirit that dynamo which impels him to live life fully, wisely, and well."

Yes, please. :) I purchased a set and am planning on using it as our principle source of read-alouds next year. (Maybe this will help cut down on the library fines, too?)

Quiet Reading Hour

Our daily Quiet Reading Hour has become a staple in our homeschool. We do it right after lunch: the girls curl up in their beds and read for an hour, and Snap usually listens to an audio book and plays quietly. The baby is napping so I read too, unless I fall asleep (which happens a lot these days!). Next year it will be harder for me to read because I'm sure I'll be nursing or rocking newborn twins during this time, but the kids will keep up with it. I don't usually choose books for Quiet Reading Hour- I let them choose their own (with guidance, of course, and I often make suggestions for them).

At some point I would like to have one Quiet Reading Hour that is a book of their own choosing and one Hour that is a book of my choosing (wherein I could plug in Classics or higher literature selections, for example). For now I'm keeping it simpler than that and just letting them do the picking.

Religion & Memory Work

We'll do religion all together. I plan to work through Christian Studies I with the kids orally (no workbook). I'd also like to read aloud from St. Patrick's Summer. We'll work on our memory work as a group, too. We'll focus on memorizing more poetry from Linguistic Development Through Poetry Memorization, as well as some prayers and larger scripture selections. We should also get to Mass twice each week (once on Sunday, one daily mass with our co-op), and we'll work to infuse our days with a bit of prayer. I'm learning to pray the Liturgy of Hours and hope to fold my kids into the habit, as well.

Aren't these end papers such a feast for the eyes?

Outsourcing!

My sweet friend Angela is coming once each week to teach history and have a literary lunch with the kids, in which they will play around with a bit of poetry and classical music. Lucky them! Miss Angela is a treasure, and I feel blessed beyond measure to have her come each week.

The kids will also attend a co-op at our church to take some classes. My friends there are so very generous to offer to teach my kids, even though I am unable to contribute in pretty much any way, shape or form this year.

From Book 4: Through the Gate

As for the rest of the curriculum, it breaks down like this:

Primrose ~ 6th Grade

With me, Prim will work through Saxon Math 6/5 and a couple of grammar programs that we'll go over orally (except for diagramming, which obviously needs to be done on paper). We'll use English Grammar Recitation Book Two from Memoria Press and Nancy Wilson's Our Mother Tongue for grammar.

On her own, she will do daily math drill on the Flashmaster, play on Dreambox Math once each week, and practice working on her cursive and typing skills. She'll also practice piano and work through the first two parts of Writing with Skill. We only plan to tackle the first two parts of WWS, so that's about 15 weeks' worth that we'll spread over the whole year. She will have some writing assignments for the Historical Book Club class she is taking at our co-op, so I think that will be plenty of writing overall.

Prim will take second-year Latin, Historical Book Club, and a science class using Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day at our co-op.

Tulip ~ 4th Grade

Subjects with me include Saxon Math 5/4, Intermediate Language Lessons, All About Spelling, and Prima Latina. We won't do all of that every day, though- we'll stagger it.

On her own, she will tackle daily math drill on the Flashmaster, do Dreambox Math a couple times each week, Explode the Code, and practice her cursive and typing skills. She'll also practice piano.

At the co-op, she'll take a class on the Liturgical Year as well as science using Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day.

Snapdragon ~ 2nd/3rd

Snap and I will work together on math using MCP C. We'll also do All About Spelling and continue improving his reading fluency using the All About Reading readers (and other books). I think I'll have him listen in on Prima Latina- not doing the written work, but just working on memorizing some vocabulary and basic forms with Tulip and me.

On his own, he'll work on copywork, math fact drill using the Flashmaster, Dreambox math once or twice each week, Explode the Code, and some typing instruction (maybe).

He'll take the Liturgical Year class at co-op, and the science class using Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day.

***

I'll be making new progress lists for their work, but I'm not sure I'll color-code them this year. I really want to focus on being a peaceful and happy homeschooling mother, doing as much as we can do cheerfully and well each day. I'm not sure I can do that while caring for three babies if I feel pressured by a color-coded list that tells me how much we need to get done before quarter's end. This year, what we get to is what we get to!

I just don't want to be that frantic homeschooling mother who feels pressured to do-do-do. I want to be the kind of mother who showers her kids with love each day, helps them learn new things, trains them to be self-disciplined and productive, and still has the energy to laugh and enjoy them all. I want to ponder beauty, goodness, and truth with them. I want to teach from a state of rest.

With grace and a flexible mindset, I think that is possible.

Curriculum Hits & Misses

2013-05-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

We're almost there! It's nearing the end of May- are you limping along to the finish line like me? :)

I thought I'd take a few minutes and share what worked and what didn't this year, curriculum-wise. The longer I'm at this homeschooling thing, the less I'm willing to toss plans or change curricula. I've become more careful about selecting materials, and more mindful before I reject one that we had chosen in favor of another.

It does seem a bit inevitable, though- the need to rethink a resource or two. Plans change, students grow, one size doesn't fit all. We have to be flexible and pay attention to what our kids need and what we are realistically able to offer them.

I'm going to tell you what I thought were "hits" and "misses" on our curriculum shelf this year. Do keep in mind that just because I label something a "miss," it certainly doesn't mean that I think the curriculum itself is bad. Probably any curriculum could work for anyone- I'm pretty convinced that successful homeschooling is more about a happy and peaceful mother running a happy and peaceful home than about specific materials and resources. In fact, I know several families who have been very successful using the exact same materials that didn't meet our own needs this year. I'm not telling you what to use/not use, or how to homeschool. Only you can decide that! I'm just a touch point, sharing a bit of our experience in case it's helpful to anyone else.

All that said, here's what stands out to me this year:

--Hits--

Primary Arts of Language

I used both the reading and the writing set with Snapdragon this year. The reading portion was a huge hit. Very game-based and strong on phonics with some sight words in there too (I prefer programs that use both methods, not just one or the other). I never heard one complaint about this program from my boy. It did the trick, too- his reading skills took off once we started this program. My biggest caveat is that this resource is quite mom-intensive. All beginning reading programs require mom, of course, but this one seemed to take more mom-time than others we have used. I felt it was time well spent, but this is not a program I would use if I was in a survival year or had lots of littles underfoot.

The writing portion was just okay. It did a great job of teaching how to properly form letters, and the stories that went along with were quite helpful. I'm not a huge fan of teaching young children stylistic techniques, so I should have just skipped those parts; I didn't, and we kind of petered out halfway through the program. The copywork did seem to be a good fit for my son, and I loved how this program dovetails so perfectly with All About Spelling.

All About Spelling

I still haven't seen a spelling curriculum that comes close to this one. It's just brilliant, plain and simple. Emphasis is on spelling rules, not word lists. Memorizing the rules and putting them into practice is where success in this program comes from. I thought we were going to ditch this program next year, just because I'm going to be so short on mom-time, but I'm not sure I can. I'm coming up with ways of making it less time-intensive, instead (by ditching the tiles, for one, and just working on a small white board).

Apologia Science as a Read-Aloud

I bought the lab kit to go with, but we never even opened it. Honestly, I grumbled against (and put off using) this program most of the year, until I read Low-Key Science without Lesson Plans. Then, a light bulb turned on. Using the book as a read-aloud only has been fantastic, and I'm surprised at how much the kids are learning and retaining this way. Because I believe elementary science should be mostly poetic knowledge (reading about, observing, collecting, classifying, and delighting in nature), I'm able to scrap the experiments entirely and just let this book delight us with its language. My kids are all still young enough that experiments are not where the best learning is happening, anyway.

Linguistic Development Through Poetry Memorization

I really like this poetry program from IEW. I love the mastery focus, and I love that my kids can now recite several poems perfectly, without forgetting any they learned before. I never once used the CD, so I really just recommend getting the book. You can save a boatload of money that way.

All About Reading Readers

For extra reading practice, Snap enjoyed a reader from the All About Reading series. These are the best phonics-based early readers I've seen yet. The illustrations are nice, the stories are not mind-numbing (I mean, one can only handle so many Bob Books before her brain begins to melt, right?), and the incremental steps up from one skill to another are well done. All around, a win. I'll keep working with Snap on these until he is fluent.

Dreambox Learning

This is conceptual math (think RightStart without the financial outlay or the mom-directed teaching) that the kids can do independently on the computer. Next year it will serve as a math supplement for all three. I have been so impressed with how this program has improved my kids' math understanding. It's not a complete math curriculum, but as far as supplements go- it's top notch.

King of the Golden City

I'm not sure if I should include this, because it's not so much a curriculum resource as it is just a really really great read-aloud. But I can't say enough good things about it, so it's making the list anyway. This will be one we'll re-read every single year from here on out. The depth of this book! The imagery! It's really just a beautiful way to talk to kids about the sacraments and our life in Christ.

Flashmaster

I don't often recommend this puppy because it's so spendy. For math drill that can happen every day and get the job done, though, it works. My kids neither love nor hate it. It just is. Which is pretty much how math facts are anyway, right?

Having a toddler to chase? A definite hit. No miss there! ;)

--Misses--

Teaching Textbooks Math

Oof. We had to learn this one the hard way. We've used this program for the last three years, but just recently discovered that it just wasn't giving us the results we wanted. I know many kids succeed using it, but for my students it was not a good fit. They were able to score 100% on the tests without actually mastering the concepts, and that is a recipe for disaster when it comes to math. I really, really wanted this program to work for us, because the layout is so mom-friendly, especially when things are busy (or say, you're having twins...). Alas. This one definitely won't make the cut here again.

Student Writing Intensive

What?!?! Did I really just say an IEW writing program was a "miss" at our house??? I did. You can all pick your jaws up off the floor. ;) Look, I adore Andrew Pudewa and I'm a huge, huge, huge IEW fan. But. This year I have a one-year-old and am pregnant with twins. There is only so much mom-teaching I can do. I bought this for Prim (5th grade), and she liked it. Mr. Pudewa is a fantastic teacher, and the DVDs are both helpful and hilarious. The assignments are great. The program itself rocks; I just couldn't pull it off with any regularity, so it kept getting shuffled to the bottom of the priority list. Writing is a bit too important to get shuffled off the daily schedule. I've decided that for this season in life, we need a program that requires a bit less of my hand-holding and can get done every single day, no matter what.

I absolutely still recommend this program for folks looking for a great elementary writing program. Just maybe not if you happen to be pregnant with twins and chasing a toddler at the same time. Unless you're supermom or something, which I am most certainly not. ;)

Phonetic Zoo

I am not sold on this spelling program, so I'm adding it here to the "miss" list. I do that hesitantly, though, because my student who used it (Prim) is an excellent speller. I think that has more to do with her voracious reading habits and natural abilities, though, than it does with the program. I found the jingles in this program awkward and forced. Prim didn't memorize any of them, and she memorizes things fairly quickly and easily.

On the flip side, this program only took about 10 minutes a day, and she did it completely independently. I'm just not sure if it was busywork or if it was actually helpful. I don't plan to use it again- my rising 4th and 3rd graders will continue to use All About Spelling instead (see above), and Prim will drop spelling as a formal class. We'll just work on spelling words as they come up in her writing. Like I said, she's something of a natural speller, anyway.

State-by-State Notebooking Pages

We just got bored, that's all there is to it. Or at least, I did. I wasn't sure the kids were learning much anyway, although that's my general impression of lapbooking/notebooking activities- that they look impressive but don't do a whole lot for mastery learning. Instead, we channeled our geography energy toward memorizing the U.S. states & capitals, as well as their locations on a map.

Unrelated photo of Primrose, posy, and a Popsicle. Just because.

I'm working on a post about what we'll use next year. It's that time of year where we all like to compare notes. I'm hoping to get that up soon. In the meantime, we limp to the finish lines, my friends! Keep on keepin' on!

Manual Mode Monday 25/52

2013-05-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

F 2.2, 1/200, ISO 100

I'm working on my photography skills by taking a picture in Manual mode every week for a year. Join me, if you like- I love to see what you've done!

Read-Aloud Revival :: Pre-Reading

2013-05-17T17:55:00.000-07:00

Do you read ahead of your kids?

It's a hard thing to do when you've got a voracious reader in the house; if you have more than one, the challenge is even bigger!

I used to casually flip through my oldest daughter's reading selections and hope for the best. I tried to steer her toward authors I was familiar with, but every so often I would just skim a book and think it looked fine. Then, at about age 9, she brought me a book and asked what "strip poker" was. That's when the casual book-skimming stopped. That particular book looked as innocuous as could be- it was a chapter book at about the fourth or fifth grade reading level.

The hard truth is, a great amount of modern fiction written for kids is just garbage. There are a whole slew of books I read as a child that I wouldn't give to my kids (several titles by Judy Blume come to mind).

Even if we are reading the books aloud (as opposed to handing the book to our child for her independent reading time), we can start stumbling over our words when a book gets inappropriate. Last year, for example, my husband read Hatchet aloud to the kids. In a few spots, he had to ad-lib and skip around on the fly. We had both forgotten that there were parts of that book that we'd rather leave out. Right now he's getting ready to read Banner in the Sky, so this time he read the book ahead of time, just to be sure there weren't any spots he had forgotten from reading it all those years ago, in his youth.

But we are busy mothers! If we have to pre-read every single title our children pick up, how will we ever keep up?

Using our Resources

This is where reputable booklists and the internet are our friends, I'm certain of it. Before I let my kids watch a movie, I always check Plugged In; it is such a reliable resource for possibly sketchy content. As parents, we are charged with safeguarding our children's hearts and minds until they are ready to protect their own. Resources like Plugged In help me do that.

I don't, however, have a go-to internet resource for children's books. I usually end up googling something like "[book title] christian book review," but even then I don't always find what I'm looking for. I want to know if a book has questionable content, introduces secular or worldly themes before I want my child to learn about them, or flies in the face of our faith. When my child brings a book up to me at the library, I need a place online where I can go that will help me decide whether it's good reading material for my child or not.

My oldest daughter is a very reliable little resource, and I feel blessed to have had her first! When she stumbles across something questionable (like the rabid anti-Catholicism in the Elsie Dinsmore series), she brings it to my attention. I'm able to weed out titles for my subsequent children based on her recommendations, which I very much appreciate.

As far as booklists go, I like Gladys Hunt's Honey for a Child's Heart, and would trust any of her recommendations. (I notice she also has Honey for a Teen's Heart. I don't have any teens yet, so I'd love to hear if you have experience with that book and would recommend it or not.)

So tell me, do you have a go-to internet source for book reviews?

Where do you look when you don't have time to pre-read a title for your child? Let's see if we can compile a list of good reliable places online.

The comments are open and threaded. I've heard from a few readers that my combox is not playing nicely, especially if you are trying to leave a comment from a mobile device. :( Argh. I'm not sure what to do about that. Please email me if you are having a hard time commenting from a computer desktop. I'll try to mess with some settings again, if need be. I want to hear your suggestions! I can always put up your comment for you, if you email it to me.

***

Don't forget, you can find links to all of our past Revivals at the main page.

Go here to get the Read-Aloud Revival form if you'd like to track your time. There are no requirements to participate, of course. We're all just glad you're here. :)

The Moral Imagination, part 2

2013-05-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

The first part of this discussion is here: Toward Understanding the Moral Imagination.

I started Vigen Guroian's Tending the Heart of Virtue: How Classic Stories Awaken the Child's Moral Imagination, and wanted to pull together a post after reading the introduction and first chapter. I'm struggling to find the time to write it all out like I'd like to, so I'm simplifying and going for bullet points. At least then we can start talking! :) I'll share what's stuck out to me, and then I'd love to hear your thoughts, as well.

Let's jump right in.

Mere instruction in morality is not sufficient to nurture the virtues. It might even backfire, especially when the presentation is heavily exhortative and the pupil's will is coerced. Instead, a compelling version of the goodness of goodness itself needs to be presented in a way that is attractive and stirs the imagination. (p. 20)

Here is where we clarify what we mean by developing the moral imagination, as opposed to character training. We don't set out with a didactic goal to teach a child a specific moral or virtue. There is a time and place for that, perhaps, but the strength of the fairy tale resides in its ability to reach us at a depth that we can not otherwise teach to.

Guroian describes a person who knows what is right, intellectually, but whose moral imagination has not been sufficiently developed. That person may know that something is wrong to do, but he feels it is not so bad because he has been formed by the secular culture, which normalizes sin. His feelings will likely win out, because intellectual knowledge is easy to question.

He knows it is wrong to steal, for example, or to treat his girlfriend as his plaything instead of as a treasure, but he decides- with his intellect as his guide- that it can't be as bad as he always thought. He reasons that his aversion to these behaviors are part of the lessons drilled into him during childhood. But now he is a man! He needs to think for himself! He doesn't need childish rules and drills to guide his decisions- he must find his own way and be true to himself!

Compare this to a person who may or may not know, on an intellectual level, what is right, but who has been formed by great stories to understand the difference between right and wrong. He knows it because it is in his bones, not because he sat through a Sunday School lecture on the importance, say, of not stealing, or of living chastely. The fairy tales and classic stories his soul was nourished on tell him that it is not virtuous or honorable to take that which doesn't belong to him. He is less likely to fall into those sins, then, even though he may never have been taught the "virtues" or "morals" like an ordinary Christian child who has heard countless lessons on moral living.

Why?

Because poetic knowledge trumps scientific knowledge. We can reason away anything we want, but the gut-level, deep-down, I-know-this-to-be-true-because-God's-law-is-written-on-my-heart kind of knowing (that is, poetic knowledge), is much harder to shake or dismiss.

The great fairy tales and fantasy stories capture the meaning of morality through vivid depictions of the struggle between good and evil, where characters must make difficult choices between right and wrong or heroes and villains must contest the very fate of imaginary worlds. (p. 18)

When these great stories have been inscribed on a child's heart, they stay with him and guide him at a core level. They help him to recognize evil and wickedness and drive him to always seek Truth and goodness. He will recognize that Truth because God created all of us in His image, in order to love and serve him and to be happy with Him in Heaven. We are wired to be God-seekers. The stories we tell our children either nurture or hinder that natural longing.

The [fairy tales] make us face the unvarnished truth about ourselves and compel us to consider what kind of people we want to be. (p. 20)

It is one thing to read a morality tale and ask the child which character he thinks he should try to emulate. Such a lesson will likely dull the child's senses and be forgotten immediately, never to make a real impact on his life or his decisions. But to read a riveting account of St. George and the Dragon? To be swept away in the story- to thrill at the terror of the beast and the noble courage of the knight, who has promised to do what is right, regardless of the physical dangers to himself- that will stay with a young boy. That will nurture his soul toward virtue and honor and feed his God-given instinct to do what is right at all costs.

Fairy tales and classic stories are the most direct way to our hearts.

Thus, while fairy tales are not a substitute for life experience, they have the great capacity to shape our moral constitution without the shortcomings of either rigidly dogmatic schooling or values-clarification education... Fairy tales say plainly that virtue and vice are opposites and not just a matter of degree. (p. 36)

So yeah. That. :)

Values refers to 'one's standards, one's judgement of what is valuable or important in life'... as a society, we are learning to regard morality and values as matters of taste and personal satisfaction. (p. 29)

It's important for us to clarify what we mean by "values" and "virtues," as they are not the same thing. Values are relative to circumstances; virtues, on the other hand, are universal. For example, tolerance is a value, and it is one that reigns supreme in secular character education today. But while it is good to be tolerant in some cases, it is not wise to be tolerant in all (abusive situations, for example, among many others). Tolerance itself is not a good thing; it is only good when exercised in the proper situation. So a value cannot be universally applied, because it is relative to circumstance.

Virtues, however, are universal. It is always and everywhere good to be full of courage and fortitude, and it is never virtuous to be cowardly. Regardless of the circumstances, the virtue remains True. Courage is good. Fortitude is good. Always. Every time.

One way to rapidly confuse young people is to interchange values and virtues, and unfortunately we do that all the time. When we confuse values and virtues as a matter of course, we end up with a whole lot of people who think that Truth itself is relative and who reject absolutes.

When we reject absolute Truth, we reject God Himself.

***

If you've read the first bit of Guroian's book, I'd love to hear your thoughts. The combox is open and threaded. I'll take down the word verification and see if we can sidestep the spammers this time around. If it gets really bad, I'll put word verification back up.

My plan is to read the rest of the book and then host one final discussion so we can dig out the good stuff and help each other apply it in our homes. That post won't go up for another few weeks, at least. I hope you'll join us!

Manual Mode Monday 24/52

2013-05-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

F 2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100

I'm working on my photography skills by taking a picture in Manual mode every week for a year. Join me, if you like- I love to see what you've done!

28 Weeks

2013-05-11T14:32:00.001-07:00

I'm getting a wee bit nervous. You all know that nothing makes me happier than a big big tummy full of baby.

But I have every reason to be nervous about just how big I'm going to get this time around. Compare these images of me- on the left I'm full term with Posy. On the right? That's me today, at just 28 weeks, with the twins.

I mean... right? (And yeah, I know my shirt needs to be ironed, but... ain't nobody got time for dat. ;) And I really was too lazy to pop it in the dryer for 20 more minutes, so that should tell you a few things about my current energy level. Or lack thereof.)

Yesterday I was walking in to my OB's office and two ladies asked if I was heading in to have my baby. I told them I had almost three more months to go, just to watch their expressions. And anyway, I was smiling, which wouldn't have been the case if I was really in labor. I don't smile while I'm in labor. Not until the whole ordeal is over and I've got a snuggleicious little bundle all safe in my arms. This time I'll get TWO snuggleicious bundles, so how lucky am I?

So. What else? I have all these posts sitting in draft form, but not a one is ready to go up. The moral imagination. Curriculum hits & misses. Plans for next year. Contemplating success vs. faithfulness. Teaching and mothering from a state of rest. So many good things to talk about, but I'm kind of being sabotaged by my constant need to nap.

It's been gorgeous outside as well, so we've been drinking up a bit of early summer. And I finished Rapunzel Let Down by Regina Doman, which was just absolutely wonderful. This is the cultivation of the moral imagination for adults!

Are you familiar with Regina Doman's Fairy Tale series? These are fairy tales, masterfully retold for teenagers and adults-- although this newest title, Rapunzel, is definitely for the over-18 crowd. (Doman explains why here. Pay attention to this. Rapunzel tackles the biggest moral and societal issues we face today- brilliantly, I might add- and this is absolutely adult fare only. She actually makes age recommendations for all of her books at her website, and I would check those thoroughly before handing any of her titles to a teen or young adult).

I've got some other yummy titles in my reading stack: The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis (I'm almost done), The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer, Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child by Anthony Esolen, The Everyday Catholic's Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours by Daria Sockey, and The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexandar McCall Smith (I really like that series!). I love big stacks of books, beckoning me.

So anyway, hopefully I'll be back with some meaty posts soon, but if I'm not- you know where I am. Napping. Reading. Or running around like a chicken with my head cut off, freaking out about all the things we still need to do before these twins arrive.

Happy Weekend!

Right Now

2013-05-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

A little glimpse, right now, at who they are. Oh, but I don't want to forget a thing.

SHE:

Has several projects going all at once: she is organizing a small fundraising project to buy teddy bears for children with cancer, and she's also planning a neighborhood VBS for this summer.
Is extremely self-driven. I just get out of the way, for the most part. ;)
Would like to be a missionary when she gets older.
Has a hard time standing still. She's usually stepdancing around the house (or while standing at the kitchen counter, baking).
Thinks we should name the twins Leo and Theo.
Says that she is going to have all girls when she grows up. Andy and I are pretty sure that means she will have 8 sons. ;)

SHE:

Is enamored with the Liturgical Year. She's always looking ahead to see which feast day is coming up next.
Is her brother's partner-in-crime when it comes to all things anime. This baffles me a bit, but they've got quite a "thing" going on between them.
Leaves hilarious notes all about the house. Sometimes she signs her name but other times she signs them "George Washington" or the like. :)
Is always, always creating. The art center downstairs is her home base.
Stays in bed for a while after she wakes in the morning, just to sneak in a little extra reading.
Thinks having twin brothers will be "double trouble" in a big bad way. She's probably right. ;)

HE:

Earned his Senior White Belt in Taekwondo almost immediately after joining the class. He takes his martial arts very seriously.
Loves coming up with (or memorizing others') jokes. Repeats them ad infinitum.
Sleeps with about 15 stuffed animals, which he fondly calls his "pets."
Loves rubbing my big pregnant belly.
Begs me to read from his Action Bible every single night. He eats the stories right up.
Wants to be a motorcycle cop when he gets older.

SHE:

Walks! She pretty much refused to walk until she was 14 months old, but woke up on that day exactly and just cruised all over the house. It was like somebody flipped a switch.
Is a pretty picky eater, already. Her favorites are fruits and cheese (especially blueberries and string cheese). Try getting that girl to eat meat, though, and God be with you. She takes after her mama. She also loves butternut squash and frozen peas & carrots.
Folds her hands whenever we begin to say the table blessing- especially if it's in Latin. Then at the end, she gives a loud "Amen!" but it sounds more like "All done!" and I'm pretty sure it means "Start the food!" :)
Loves her tiny baby doll. She also loves brushing her (or anybody else's) hair, and playing with balls. If the balls belong to "Bubba" (that's brother), all the better.
Poops in the tub. Every. Single. Day.
Says: "Dada" (constantly), "Mama" (usually when whining), "Bubba" (because he's her sunshine), "All Done", "Uh-huh!" and "Uh-uh" with much enthusiasm. The big kids like to ask her questions and see if she''ll answer with "uh-huh" or "uh-uh." It's a rather amusing past-time, really.
Adores my pregnant belly. She loves it more than her special blankie, even. She rubs her face all over it, and when she's got an owie or needs some comfort, she finds the belly first and foremost. It's the fastest way to calm her down. This can be mildly embarrassing in public, as she requires a bare belly for her comfort. Ahem.

Manual Mode Monday 23/52

2013-05-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

F 2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100

F 2.8, 1/1250, ISO 160

F 2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100

I guess I couldn't choose just one this week. ;)

(I'm working on my photography skills by taking a picture in Manual mode every week for a year. Join me, if you like- I love to see what you've done!)

12 Years

2013-05-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

A dozen years and half-a-dozen kids later, I'd say we're on a roll. :)

I love you, Andy. I only wish every girl could be so lucky to have such a man to call her own.

7 Quick Takes

2013-05-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

--1--

This is my new St. Gerard Rosary bracelet from Loreto Rosaries. Ruth sent it to me, and I've been wearing it almost every day ever since. St. Gerard is the patron saint of expectant mothers, and I am more than happy to beg his prayers for my growing twins. Thank you so much for the sweet gift, Ruth! I love it.

--2--

I've been thinking about the Read-Aloud Revival. We always have such great conversations, and I want to them to continue. I think, however, instead of meeting on the final Saturday of each month, I'd rather we meet up more randomly to encourage one another. (That's my cop-out way of saying that I'm having a hard time keeping to a regular posting schedule!) To that end, I'll just announce RAR dates here on the blog so everyone who would like to participate can.

We'll have our next one on Saturday, May 18th, and I think this time we'll chat about how to choose good books when you don't have enough time to preview each title. This is something that comes up a lot in our conversations, so I think it's worth discussing.

--3--

Speaking of read-alouds, the kids and I finished King of the Golden City and it was, hands-down, the best religious book we have ever read. We all loved the story, and the allegories within it really helped us come to a deeper understanding of the sacraments, suffering, and our life in the Church. I used the free study guide at CHC orally at the end of each chapter, just to make sure we weren't missing any important symbols or metaphors. Now I think we'll read it again right away without stopping to discuss quite as much- it's the kind of story I want to just seep into our souls.

--4--

A quote that is sticking with me, from Dog-Eared Pursuits: The Importance of Not Reading:

"Bad reading not only wastes time; not only does it fail in its vaunted objective, to make you 'well-rounded,' whatever that twinkie image is supposed to mean; bad reading makes you stupid. Assuming that if you are not reading, you must be doing something, anything, bad reading at least steals away time you might spend planing a board or walking down by the river to search for turtles; at worst, it inoculates you against good reading."

Yes. This.

--5--

Need another great podcast to listen to while you fold laundry or clean the kitchen? Try How to Raise Strong Catholic Families in a Difficult Culture by Dr. Meg Meeker. It's free. And very inspiring. Dr. Meeker might be one of the most compelling speakers I've ever listened to.

--6--

I love it when you leave comments on my blog. It makes me so happy when we have conversations here, like you are all sitting in my living room and we're sipping margaritas, chatting over laundry systems or poetic knowledge. (Okay, I'm pregnant. No margaritas.)

But you know what really makes my heart skip a beat? When Andy leaves me a comment. Like here. (And yes, he really does stay up late into the night and discuss things that I'm all aflutter about, like the moral imagination.)

Swoon.

--7--

I've got a million reasons to love this man; that he can rock a pink shirt and shamelessly strut the park with a binky in his mouth are two of them.

Happy Weekending!

Wordless Wednesday :: Spaghetti Night

2013-05-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Amongst Lovely Things

Wordless Wednesday {and a question for you}

33 Weeks (and Happy Father's Day!)

7 Quick Takes {an Instagram photo dump}

--1--

Me, the twins, and a toddler who is offering me a sip of her drink. I'm 33 weeks now!

--2--

--3--

--4--

--5--

--6--

--7--

2013 End-of-Year Folder Link-Up

Accomplished Work Lists:

Art Samples:

Booklists:

Photo Pages:

Work Samples:

Manual Mode Monday 28/52

Summer Daybook

Outside my window...

I am thankful for...

I am thinking about...

In the Schoolroom...

From the kitchen...

I am creating...

I am working on...

I am reading...

I am praying for...

I am hearing...

Clicking around...

Around the house...

One of my favorite things...

A few plans for the rest of the week...

A Picture...

June Goals, Revised (and other random musings)

June Goals

Manual Mode Monday 26 & 27/52

7 Quick Takes Friday

--1--

--2--

--3--

--4--

--5--

--6--

--7--

End-of-Year Folders (get ready for a Link-Up!)

A Survey for Primrose

Memorial Day Weekend {a daybook}

Outside my window...

I am thankful for...

I am thinking about...

In the Schoolroom...

From the kitchen...

I am creating...

I am working on...

I am reading...

I am praying for...

I am hearing...

Clicking around...

Around the house...

One of my favorite things...

A few plans for the rest of the week...

2013-2014 Curriculum Plans

Read-Alouds

Quiet Reading Hour

Religion & Memory Work

Outsourcing!

Primrose ~ 6th Grade

Tulip ~ 4th Grade

Snapdragon ~ 2nd/3rd

Curriculum Hits & Misses

State-by-State Notebooking Pages

Manual Mode Monday 25/52

Read-Aloud Revival :: Pre-Reading

Using our Resources

So tell me, do you have a go-to internet source for book reviews?

The Moral Imagination, part 2

Manual Mode Monday 24/52

28 Weeks