Fun Thursday

After mulling over several choices of places to go today, the girls decided that we would visit a paint-your-own-pottery store.


Holly and Mackenzie opted for identically patterned tiles, knowing that their different color choices would make the tiles unique.


Although the tiles weren't large, there was quite a bit of intricate and careful painting.


Trevor spent his time painting a much larger shark.


We were there for a couple of hours, and the kids all had a good time. Before we'd even walked out the door, Trevor was asking when we could come back.

We took advantage of Mill Mountain for a photo op, even though the humidity blurred the view.



We saw a sign on the star, advising of a webcam, so we called Mackenzie's mom to watch us waving to her on the internet. (That was FUN!)


We hopped on the Blue Ridge Parkway for a shortcut towards home, stopping at Dairy Queen on the way.


And one last stop at the library to pick up a couple of movies, and then home for dinner (as if anyone had room for dinner, lol). It was a Very Good Day.

On my nightstand....

Yikes. This is what I'm waiting to read, and it doesn't even include what I'm already reading!

Rite of passage

I go through life pretty oblivious, so I was thrown completely off guard a few days ago when Holly asked if she and her friend could shop at the mall alone. Alone? Alone? Honestly, it never crossed my mind. I guess I thought Holly would want to shop with me forever.

So the girls took off.


And I hid in a corner, complete with caffeine and entertainment....



A fun way to spend a little time, and I did just fine too.


(But they look a little sad and lonely, don't you think?)

Trip to Raleigh

Rob, Trevor and I headed to Raleigh yesterday to pick up Holly and Mackenzie. Because of space issues, we'd been planning to take the van. At the last minute, we changed our minds and took the fun car. Yay!



It's a three hour drive, and we made a couple of stops on the way. It's part of the fun of the trip, since we don't have these places in Roanoke.



We planned it perfectly for dinner too!



We settled in at our hotel.



It was in the 90s and muggy. We had a good thunderstorm, and praise the Lord for stopping the rain before I had to leave to meet their 11:00 flight. I don't know the area well at all.



The terminal had shut down for the night, and I was unable to meet the girls at the gate (the airline will give a security pass to meet minors traveling alone, even if they have an adult ticket). It's such a wonderfully small airport, so that wasn't a big deal.



Armed with my GPS AND a detailed map, we headed for the 24 hour Walmart to grab some food for the girls and candy for all of us.



We made it back to the hotel after midnight. The kids and I ate and chatted while Robert tried to sleep (I guess somewhat successfully?).



We were up at 7 a.m. Hilarious, since Holly on a good day will wake up at 9, and she was still on Denver time. We ate breakfast downstairs, and since no one wanted to swim, we got an early start back home...after stopping at a few more stores.



And no, Trevor did not get to adopt a kitty!



It was a bit of a squeeze in the car, particularly the back seat. It is GOOD to be home!

Blog tour and book review - The Hope of Refuge: An Ada's House Novel by Cindy Woodsmall

Courtesy of WaterBrook Press, I have the opportunity to review the latest Cindy Woodsmall book, The Hope of Refuge: An Ada's House Novel. I've reviewed Woodsmall's previous books, and I've been pleased to recommend them to several library patrons. While I've not yet read this book, I am definitely looking forward to this first installment of the new series.

Meanwhile, here's the publisher's info.

Summary:

Raised in foster care and now the widowed mother of a little girl, Cara Moore struggles against poverty, fear, and a relentless stalker. When a trail of memories leads Cara and Lori out of New York City toward an Amish community, she follows every lead, eager for answers and a fresh start. She discovers that long-held secrets about her family history ripple beneath the surface of Dry Lake, Pennsylvania, and it’s no place for an outsider. But one Amish man, Ephraim Mast, dares to fulfill the command he believes that he received from God–“Be me to her”– despite how it threatens his way of life.

Completely opposite of the hard, untrusting Cara, Ephraim’s sister Deborah also finds her dreams crumbling when the man she has pledged to build a life with begins withdrawing from Deborah and his community, including his mother, Ada Stoltzfus. Can the run-down house that Ada envisions transforming unite them toward a common purpose–or push Mahlon away forever? While Ephraim is trying to do what he believes is right, will he be shunned and lose everything–including the guarded single mother who simply longs for a better life?

Author info:

Cindy Woodsmall is the author of When the Heart Cries, When the Morning Comes, and The New York Times Best-Seller When the Soul Mends. Her ability to authentically capture the heart of her characters comes from her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families. A mother of three sons and two daughters-in-law, Cindy lives in Georgia with her husband of thirty-one years.

Additionally:

For information on where to purchase this and other WaterBrook Press books, click here.

See Cindy's recent interview on ABC Nightline, and follow her on Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter.

If you are interested in participating in similar blog tours, please visit the official WaterBrook Multnomah Blogging for Books site.

Things I am thankful for today

My car that went 492 miles . . .



on 9.6 gallons of gas. (Yes, that's 51.2 miles per gallon.)



Good friends at a housewarming party . . .



and good food.



Robert playing with babies . . .



and knowing that ours are bigger than that.



The drive home . . .



and life in this beautiful place.



For of His fullness we have all received,
and grace upon grace.
John 1:16

My turn to visit

Holly's visiting in Colorado.

Trevor had a two night sleepover.

So I invited myself to a friend's house under the guise of helping her prepare food for a large gathering she's hosting. It's hard to turn down someone who offers to bring a potato peeler and lots of large bowls. We made potato salad and oatmeal cookies, and enjoyed each other's company (well, I hope she enjoyed my company).

While our boys played Bionicles, Legos and Wii, we later were able to pull out our own fun things--curriculum! We talked about Latin, and while she looked over my Notgrass Exploring America, I was able to check out her Classical Conversations Challenge II materials.

At dinner time, we met up with a group of about two dozen women from church, and then migrated down the street for coffee and dessert. (I've already discovered people don't appreciate getting their pictures taken when they are eating, so I didn't even try.)



I skipped on the dessert, but over the course of the evening, I had three glasses of tea and a large iced coffee, so it's not like I needed any more sugar. Or caffeine.


But I didn't have to worry about staying awake for the drive home either.


And yes, they thought it was rather odd that I was taking pictures of their feet on the floor, but it's gotten to where people just don't ask anymore. That's a good thing.

Blue tailed skink

Trevor caught this cute little guy outside a few days ago. Trevor's familiar with these. When we first moved here, Trevor grabbed for one and freaked out when the tail came off in his hand. This time, he was almost expecting the skink to bolt, but it stayed in his palm for a minute or so, and I was able to grab my camera.



We learned that skinks like to burrow into small tunnels and eat bugs. Trevor let him down into our front planter.

Trev looked for him after dinner, and that's when we learned that wolf spiders like to eat skinks.

Stupid wolf spiders.

Tuesday to Thursday

Holly's gone, having a good time in Colorado. I appreciate that she's called me a few times each day.

Trevor had a friend spend two nights. The boys were ex-cit-ed. They played Legos, Star Wars (and of course Lego Star Wars), Bionicles, video games, and watched a movie or two.



They ran around in the rain and roasted marshmallows outside.



They had a mud fight, followed by a water fight (both in good fun). They did a great job at chasing two chihuahuas out of our yard which belong to our new neighbor.

(Nothing like getting the dogs trained right from the get go, although temporarily raising copperheads has crossed my mind more than once twice a few times.)

The boys played down at the creek and wandered through the woods.



It was a FUN time! :)

Curriculum Review! Lightning Literature

I have been wanting to review a few programs that we used last year, but this is the first one I've gotten around to. For 8th grade history, Holly used Beautiful Feet history. Because I felt it was light on literature compared to what we were used to, I chose Elizabeth Kamath's Lightning Lit & Comp as an additional literature course.



The curriculum consists of two books in notebook binders. The student's book is large and includes twelve chapters planned to cover two semesters. Each chapter contains a brief author bio, a short list of items to watch for while reading, recommended vocabulary lists, several comprehension questions, two literary lessons relating to a particular writing style or element, and several suggested writing exercises. The second half of the student's book contains a variety of workbook pages for each chapter, to be completed following the reading and literary lessons. Most of these I felt were worthwhile, although we skipped the busywork word search and crossword puzzle in each chapter.

The total cost for the teacher's guide and student book was about $65. It was not necessary for me to buy additional books, as I was able to find everything at my library.

Lightning Lit was an excellent choice for our school year. The book selections were not what I would have otherwise used; and Holly, for the most part, enjoyed them. Several of the readings were short stories or poems from Harold Bloom's Stories and Poems for Extremely Intelligent Children of All Ages, authored by G.K. Chesterton, Christina Rosetti, Lewis Carroll, Walt Whitman, Ralph Waldo Emerson. The books, both fiction and non-fiction, included A Day of Pleasure by Isaac Bashevis Singer, Dickens' A Christmas Carol, and Tolkien's The Hobbitt.

(I have to admit I was shocked to discover how much TREVOR knew A Christmas Carol--apparently from watching the MICKEY MOUSE cartoon. Sigh. I suppose I can never say that Disney didn't teach us anything...)

Early on, I told Holly she could opt out of one book throughout the course, and after she began reading Treasure Island, she decided that would be the one to skip.

What I liked:
- The book selections. For so long, I've handpicked books that fit both our curriculum and my daughter's tastes. This was great exposure to a variety of writing.
- Ease of use. Holly easily picked this up to do on her own, yet it was for me to pick up at the end of the day to later review with her. With me working part time this year, ease of use for both of us was crucial.
- Flexibility! It's easy to adapt the workload to fit the student, skipping over any workbook pages, based on what the student already knows (or may not need to cover). While there are guidelines on what should be completed each week, I had no problem adapting to fit us. I think we began several weeks into the school year, and we completed about 80% of the book.
- The lessons. They make the student think. These are not fill-in-the-blank answers.
- The writing exercises. Each chapter includes several writing exercises, and the student is told to choose just one. You can assign an additional exercise if there is time. Many of the exercises build on what the student has worked on earlier in the lesson. It was easy for Holly to choose the one that best fit her.
- The variety. Over the course of the year, students study and then apply a wide variety of skills, including identifying bias, taking notes, rewriting source material, writing ballads and free verse, and creating allegory.

What I didn't like:
It's minor, really. While the teacher's guide lays out lesson plans in an easy-to-read, check-the-box format, it didn't include any mention of reviewing the comprehension and discussion questions with the student. I NEED this reminder. It was easy to fix; I just penciled it in for each chapter. But it's a relevant part of the study to not include!

Lightning Lit has courses that continue through high school. I wish we were continuing to use it; it worked that well. Instead, we'll be using Notgrass-- partially because of how much it reminds me of Lightning Lit. The additional appeal of Notgrass is that it combines history, literature and Bible. If Notgrass doesn't work out, I'll definitely be back considering Lightning Lit. Meanwhile, I'll be planning to use this 8th grade book for Trevor in a few years. This was definitely a HIT at our house!

It's that time again!!

All the new, shiny books, fresh curriculum to start off a fresh year! While we won't actually begin school until after Labor Day, my biggest order arrived today. I'll have plenty of time to leaf through it, plan, and imagine. THIS will be the year that everything is PERFECT. THIS will be the year that I do it ALL right. THIS will be our BEST year YET, all because of these choices I'VE made.

And then I'll fall over laughing.

Blog tour and book review - Blue Like Play Dough by Tricia Goyer

I am still reading this book. When I am done, I will read it again. This has been my favorite non-fiction book that I've received from WaterBrook Press, and I only wish I had requested an additional copy to giveaway.

Tricia Goyer is warm, funny, engaging, and entertaining. I find myself repeatedly thinking, "I thought *I* was the only one who ever felt that way!" After reading a couple of chapters, I discovered she's also a homeschool mom, one more way for me to feel a connection to her.

Although I am not doing a giveaway, if you google 'blue like play dough blog tour,' you'll find others who are. This book is such an encouragement to me; I definitely recommend it! This book is available in the usual places, and you can always check out the publisher's website.

* * * *

Here's the blurb from WaterBrook.

Summary:

In the everyday stretch and squeeze of motherhood, Tricia Goyer often feels smooshed by the demands of life. In Blue Like Play Dough, she shares her unlikely journey from rebellious, pregnant teen to busy wife and mom with big dreams of her own. As her story unfolds, Tricia realizes that God has more in store for her than she has ever imagined possible.

Sure, life is messy and beset by doubts. But God keeps showing up in the most unlikely places–in a bowl of carrot soup, the umpteenth reading of Goodnight Moon, a woe-is me teen drama, or play dough in the hands of a child.

In Tricia’s transparent account, you’ll find understanding, laughter, and strength for your own story. And in the daily push and pull, you’ll learn to recognizes the loving hands of God at work in your life… and know He has something beautiful in mind.

Author Bio:

Tricia Goyer is the author of numerous works of fiction and nonfiction, including Generation NeXt Parenting and the Gold Medallion finalist Life Interrupted. Goyer writes for publications such as Today’s Christian Woman and Focus on the Family, speaks to women’s groups nationwide and has been a presenter at the Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) national convention. She and her husband, John, live with their family in Montana.

Monday

Holly and I left early this morning for the three hour drive to Raleigh-Durham. Once we got into the airport, I realized I made the fatal mistake of leaving my camera in my car. Of course, Holly was happy that I wouldn't be trying to sneak pictures of her.



I love this little airport; at least it seems little. The parking is fast and easy; once again, I parked in the second row away from the door. The food is reasonably priced, and the gates are a very short walk from security. (Although nothing beats Roanoke's airport, which is smaller than Sam's Club; I guess that's why we don't have a chance to use it that often.)

After Holly left, I met up with one of my loopy friends. I first met Michele back on SHS eight years ago. We have a lot of things in common: we started hsing using Sonlight, we both made big family moves to an unexpected spots, we've both worked in the children's section of our libraries, we both go to Calvary Chapels. We had a very nice lunch together, and I was amazed to find out afterwards that Michele took a VACATION day from work to make this happen!



It's always SO much fun to meet my loopy friends in person. These ladies have been such a wonderful support, such a blessing in my life. It was a very good day.

...comfort each other, and edify one another... 1 Thess 5:11

Holly on the edge

So it begins

Well, not really. But a few people thought it might be fun to get a jump on the fall soccer season. I wasn't one of them; in fact, I was really wishing I could stay home, but I knew that I should just go along and be part of a happy family.



It was a gorgeous evening, absolutely gorgeous.



I even learned to kick the soccer ball with my barefoot and not break a bone or hurt myself in any other way. (Yay, Mom!)

Holly caught the sunset on the way home.



We did this alot last summer but not at all this summer. I needed this, and I'm looking forward to doing it again, even if they have to drag me there kicking and screaming.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

That's a sound we'll be hearing around here.

For the past few months, we've been considering buying a Prius. For us, there are two clear advantages: 1) 50 mpg; 2) Toyota.

In fact, we've been waiting for someone to sell us one, but no one's been particularly interested. We took a drive over to a dealership in Christiansburg a few days ago.

Robert test drives...



and signs his life away.


Meanwhile, I set Trevor up on a computer, where he happily entertained himself.


It's a neat little car. So far, I love it; I knew I would. It's straight of The Jetsons, and a few things have me stymied. I have issues with the "Smart" key--I am NOT that smart. But I'll learn!


After driving my van for the past seven years, I'm surprised that I don't feel terribly short and vulnerable in this car. And as much as I love my van (which we are keeping), this little car makes me feel like I'm driving a sports car on our back roads.

Every time I think of 50 mpg, I get happy all over again.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Weekly menu

Chicken Jerusalem, brown rice, sauteed summer squash
galoush, bread, salad
bbq beef sandwiches, corn on the cob, creamed cukes, tater tots
knockwurst, mashed potatoes, sauerkraut
pizza
breakfast (scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, sausage, fruit)
BLTs, cottage cheese, chips
nacho dogs

Cake of the Week: Carrot Cake

On the back burner:Easy Peanut Butter Fudge, thanks again to Heather
chicken fajitas
Marlboro Man Sandwiches, creamy orange jello
grilled flank steak
frito pie

Book Review - Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

I've read and enjoyed all of Lisa See's books and am surprised to see that the last one was almost three years ago. Shanghai Girls is the story of educated, well-to-do siblings, Pearl and May. In 1937 Shanghai, they enjoy their carefree, modernized Westernized lives, modeling part time and socializing with friends.

As Japan invades China, their father gambles away his fortune, and to repay his debt, promises his daughters to Chinese-born brothers in America. Amidst the war, and after failed attempts to flee the commitment their father made, Pearl and May travel to southern California to embrace their new lives with their stranger-husbands.

I was swept away by this book, by the always-fascinating Chinese culture, by the hardships the sisters faced both together and individually. As in Lisa See's nonfiction book On Gold Mountain, a significant part of the story takes place in Chinatown, providing insight into the lives of many Chinese immigrants in the early to mid-1900s. The author has a wonderful knack for storytelling; this is one of those books that you can't put down. Highly recommended.

Irony of choice

There are two more books I plan to read with Trevor this summer, and I'm waiting for him to decide which one we'll read next. At some point, the irony of the choices dawned on me.

LOL