Levi Drama

Color or black and white?

Levi at 15

[My new year blog posting goals were foiled by a failed hard drive on the evening of January 1st. All my photos and half-written blog posts were lost and they are gone until we get good news from the recovery company. I’ve been regularly active on my Facebook page, so you can always find me there.]

Levi, my eldest, turned 15 on January 1st.

He was 5 when I started writing here at Mt. Hope Chronicles. [You can find links to pictures and descriptions of him at various ages here.] I always think he’s pretty indescribable until I re-read the description of an ENFP, which is in all honesty an exact description. If I had to sum him up in one word, it would probably be drama. [grin]

What’s Levi up to now?

He is still homeschooling (I use that term loosely) for his first year of high school. He attends our local Classical Conversations Challenge I program, studying algebra, Latin, physical science, American literature and persuasive writing, American documents, economics, policy debate, Shakespeare, and music theory with a group of 11 other students and a fantastic tutor. (Shakespeare and Latin are his favorites; math is his nemesis.) They meet one day each week for presentation, discussion, and science labs. He spends much of the rest of the week studying at his friend McKinnon’s house (with McKinnon’s mom, my best friend Char, teaching and supervising). We’ve found this works better than having him stay at home and butt heads with his mother and younger siblings. It gives him some much-needed space and extroverted time outside the house. He will also be taking an online literature class (Tolkien) with James Nance at Roman Roads (he loves Tokien) this semester as well as attending a 4-day Teen Pact leadership camp over spring break (which he is not at all thrilled about).

Levi’s greatest love—other than writing, drawing, and online role playing—is swimming. This is his first year swimming with the local high school team. It has been time and energy-consuming, but he loves being on the team and swimming for coaches other than his dad (though he’ll return to the YMCA club team that his dad coaches in the high school off-season). He was particularly thrilled to ride a school bus for the first time in his life (to and from swim meets).

Levi’s greatest aspiration at this point in his life is to become a lifeguard. To that end, he will be completing his lifeguard training in two weeks and then will be eligible to apply for a lifeguarding position at the Y. A job will have to wait until his school year is over in May, however, because he has no time left in his schedule! [Right now his plan for his future life is to work as a lifeguard and to live in his car.]

Orthodontics are now in the past (as of yesterday) and a driver’s permit is in his near future. He is eligible and has the study manual; he just needs to study it and pass the test (he is surprisingly reluctant to begin driving). Driver’s Ed will also have to wait until this summer. He attended his first formal in December with a friend.

He can still argue with a fence post and dazzle people with his verbosity. His eyes are still vivid blue, but he has lost his baby face. His hair is shaggy. He looks down on me from his towering six-foot height. His shoulders are broad and his waist narrow. His voice is now low and sonorous. He is constantly drawing on himself with his plethora of Sharpie pens and often looks like he is sporting a full sleeve of tattoos.

His favorite song is “I See Fire” from The Hobbit (which is my favorite song to hear him singing in his low voice). His favorite current movie is Assassin’s Creed. 

 

And that’s my Levi.

The Menagerie [part 2]

I thought you all might enjoy the next installment of Levi’s story while I’m working on the next book list project (and waiting for these antibiotics to kick in after almost seven weeks of illness).

He got braces last week and a haircut yesterday. It’s like I have a full-fledged teenager on my hands! He is almost as tall as me, and his feet passed up mine some time ago. I’m not sure I’m coping. The quotes above express his personality so well.

[Read part 1 here.]

Into the Menagerie

Canth strode into the receiving hall he had been directed to by a hassled-looking servant, who had told him that he might wait there till the lord of the keep came to that place as was required and commanded the servants to notify the resident Asura Krewe that the gate must be opened for a young man who was to be trained as a Ranger.

Canth was told that he might rest his feet on a stool which another tired-out servant procured from a nearby room. After a while of wait Canth was directed to meet the Lord of the Hold.

"Young man, you are the first new Trainee in five years!" boomed the Lord. "And we were not prepared for such a speedy arrival at this time of year!" Canth decided that he liked this man, for he had been hospitable even though his servants were exhausted.

"Thank you for receiving me so pleasantly," Canth replied. "But my new teacher must be waiting for me inside......."

"Oh, your teacher can wait, young man. I would like to make your acquaintance first."

"I am sorry, and I do not mean to be rude, but if your resident Asura Krewe have finished their task then I should be going," he notified the affronted Lord of the Hold.

"I understand young man. I will allow you to be on your way, but please do not mention that I detained your arrival to the Master Trainer. He would make me wish I had a different hold to care for than this castle on the border. It would weaken me to have to fight him off and still have the minotaurs to bother me in my harried state. I would'st prefer if thou think'est of me not as a pompous lord but as a friend." With those words the lord of the hold beckoned to Canth and strode through the halls to the room with the gate.

When they arrived in the room a surprise awaited Canth. He thought that he would be going through a normal-seeming castle gate that had a teleport spell cast upon it, but instead it was a circular frame of metal with a purple swirling energy inside.

The portal, since that was the proper name for the Asura Gate, glowed softly in the twilight, a thing of another world. The Asura in charge told him to step through. He did and felt a pull, like a strong tug, then he walked out of the other gate. This time he was inside the Menagerie.

Inside at last

Inside the Menagerie, birds twittered, deer and stags stalked through the forest, and Canth was in the midst of it all, on a journey into the heart of the forest. A journey to find the person who would teach him how to survive in the wild, find food. He had an apprenticeship to fulfill. An apprenticeship that was his and not another's.

He arrived in the heart of the forest and found a little house built into a hill, in a sixty foot wide clearing, with a round door, and beautifully kept plants in front. The house had a stump outside that had been perfectly shaped into a sort of chair, and there sat a man of about twenty-eight. Canth advanced and presented himself in front of the man, saluting and coming to attention.

"First lesson: don't salute or come to attention for me. If you were in sword school then you would have to do that, but here the rules are a little bit less formal. No officials allowed in here; they would want to disturb the peace by bringing heralds with trumpets, and many horses. That would frighten many of the animals on the Island. We use our proper names, not titles and surnames. And, unless we need to show rank in the corps, no saying ‘sir.’ My name is Peter Wolfwynd. Yours is Canth, correct?"

"Yes, it is.”

“Well, today we should start lessons with archery and a preview of Earth Magik." 

Peter and Canth began lessons. Canth was a natural at Earth Magik, but archery would have to be worked on. When Peter saw that Canth was such a good student and that he could perform some of the more complex Magik and had some expertise in simple wilderness survival, he switched Canth's schedule to include more of this because these were what he himself was proficient in, and were what would be more time-consuming to learn.

[To be continued…]

Levi’s Harry Birthday

[Harry Potter, of course]

I have a teenager. That blows my mind. He’s changed a bunch this past year. No longer a childish boy, he’s all limbs and scraggly hair and dark peach fuzz. Most days, however, are wild swings between acting 2 and 20. I imagine that’s pretty typical.

Levi’s my imaginative, playful son, and though getting older is inevitable, I believe he will always have a little boy soul in there somewhere.

I try to do simple themes for our family birthday parties (not the elaborate detailed parties I used to dream I would put on, back when I had no kids—or when they were little and I only had a couple). This year was Harry Potter.

• I printed off some Hogwarts Crest and a Design Your Own Crest coloring pages from Activity Village UK. I know Levi’s a little old for coloring pages, but I thought some of the other kids might enjoy them (younger siblings, cousin, friends). Turns out Levi’s the only one who colored one that evening, because he enjoys drawing and using colored pencils and the design appealed to him.
  
• I used the butterbeer ideas from Bakingdom, and improvised a little. I’m all about making things simple. I just used cream soda, a smidge of butter flavoring, and plain whipped cream. [I also had regular rootbeer and ice cream, so that guests could choose to make a rootbeer float instead.] Levi loved the butterbeer.
  
• These cauldron cakes are simply adorable, but I cheated and just used black cupcake wrappers and a butterscotch candy.
  
• I got the idea to make snitches at this site. I wandered around the craft store looking for just the right thing. I found little wooden knobs, had Russ drill the holes all the way through, painted them gold with craft paint, and added the ribbon. They were a huge hit (and my personal favorite).
  
• My amazing friend Brandy at The Prudent Homemaker did a gorgeous Harry Potter birthday party for her son, and that’s where I got the idea of the banner and printing the short prequel by Rowling as well as the train tickets.
  
• My lack of adequate planning and last-minute prep caused a bit of a problem when a few things I ordered from Amazon didn’t make it in time (estimated arrival time was December 31st, but they didn’t show up until today, January 2nd). Sigh. I had a little something different planned for the cake, but I made a little banner out of the paper scraps from the larger banner. It worked.
  
• Harry Potter Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans showed up late. We’ll have to deliver them. Ha!
  
• Chocolate gold coins made perfect gold galleons (if you don’t pay any attention to the markings on them…).
  

 

 

I shared a bunch about Levi last year, so this year I’ll just share my three favorite quotes that best express his personality:

“I always wanted to be Peter Pan, the boy who never grows up. I can’t fly, but swimming is the next best thing. It’s harmony and balance. The water is my sky.” ~Clayton Jones

“Completion is the death of possibility.”

“A straight line may be the shortest distance between two points, but it is by no means the most interesting.” ~Doctor Who

Yep, that pretty well sums him up.

Levi. 13.

Just in case Levi’s feelings about math haven’t been clear…

I found the following doodled in his math book:

Musings of a Student

 

Math, be not proud. Thou art mean and base. Thou hath no royal luster in thy eyes. Give me those who art tired of thy blusters and brags. Send these to me. Math, thou shalt die. Thou shalt die a death so profound that none shall remember thee, or revive thee. Thy death shall be cause of rejoicin’. All the school masters shall be merry for math was a subject none would learn. The schoolboy would no longer creep like a snail, now he would run faster than a cheetah. A cheetah would wonder why he had been so challenged. One king will decree that addition symbols will be fed to his falcons. Ah, these simple musings do no good. I must be done, gentle listeners, for even papers have ears.

 

I don’t know what to do with this child.

The Water is His Sky

Let’s Talk About Levi

As my boys get older, I feel the increasing need to respect their ‘personhood’ online as well as protect their privacy. For those reasons, you may see a little less of Levi in this space. I’d love to share more about him (as I did Luke), but maybe that wouldn’t be entirely appropriate. Instead, I’m going to quote (extensively) my favorite Myers-Briggs personality/parenting book, Nurture by Nature: Understand Your Child's Personality Type - And Become a Better Parent. Not all kids have distinct personalities at a young age (at least not distinguishable MB types), but Levi, well, there’s never been a doubt in my mind that he is an ENFP. No doubt.

 

ENFP

Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving

“A Great Idea? I’ve Got a Million of ‘Em!”

“They need to mention each and every new impression they have or interesting thing they notice. Because they tend to think out loud, they frequently speak spontaneously or spout ideas they haven’t considered for even a second before expressing them.

“They are friendly and warm people, eager to meet new friends, and love the surprise of seeing people they weren’t expecting to see.

“They seem to be ever able to see possibilities others may not, and they aren’t easily discouraged from finding a way out of a dilemma. They need to bounce their ideas off other people and are very frustrated by people who either don’t take time to listen or stifle their enthusiasm with endless objections or criticism. They generally have vivid imaginations and love dramatic play, getting very involved in their role with accompanying costumes, props, and staging.

“ENFPs are usually sensitive, gentle, and kind. They take criticism personally and have deep affection for the people and causes they love. They have strong beliefs about the right way to treat others and often favor the underdog or befriend the social outcast. They may prefer to play with younger children or to interact with adults rather than their peers.

“When upset, they can act irrationally and have the tendency to become depressed and moody when they are overwhelmed with details or projects to finish.

“ENFPs are innately very curious, eager to understand why things are as they are. So they tend ask lots of questions and to push limits and conventions.

“Since they value the process well ahead of the product, they are easily distracted and don’t naturally have a strong sense of time. They value harmony in their relationships but place the highest importance on their own individuality, which they strive to express in everything they do.

“The key to understanding and appreciating ENFPs of any age is to remember that they are ruled by their highly developed sense of what is possible… Above all else, they think of themselves as idea people, but they are also deeply sensitive and need their feelings and values to be honored and understood.

“Because ENFPs rarely accept anything at face value and because they have such a remarkable ability to see alternatives, they naturally question most limits and rule.

“ENFPs think out loud and do not censor or edit their thoughts. They actually need to hear what they’ve said before they can apply any judgment to it.

“Because ENFPs are so energized by interacting with other people, they often become so wound up that they lose control of themselves. Their eagerness makes them attentive, engaging, and interesting children to be around, and they are often funny and entertaining as well.

“ENFPs are so good at bending rules that if there is any ambiguity in your message, they will find a way of continuing the action, but with a slight variation that wasn’t expressly prohibited. In general, the more you correct and limit, the less they pay attention.

“Life can be chaotic with an ENFP. They seem to create messes everywhere…Cleanup is almost always a battle. Mess represents activity and possibility to ENFPs, so they can live happily amid more disorder than most parents are comfortable with.

“ENFPs are strongly individualistic children. They sometimes have trouble striking a balance between their need for social acceptance and their desire to express themselves in original ways.

“ENFPs are happiest in a very casual and relaxed environment, where there are a minimum of rules and limitations. They like to keep all their options open as long as possible to be able to explore every alternative.

“Focus and concentration do not come easily to most ENFPs. It takes great effort to stay on task… The playful spirit of ENFPs is delightful and refreshing. But they also tend to lack self-discipline and often wait until the last possible moment to begin working on assignments and chores.

“They are easily embarrassed when their privacy is violated, and since they tend to perceive insensitivity as intentional meanness, they can wind up feeling emotionally abandoned when criticized. So gentle and positive are the important watchwords when guiding ENFPs.

“They may seem to get their feelings hurt “at the drop of a hat” and withdraw into their rooms to sulk or rage. Both boy and girl ENFPs tend to cry easily.

“Whereas the public ENFP is active, entertaining, clever, and playful, the private one can be worried, fearful, and morose. Accepting both sides of their personality is essential to fully understanding them. Accepting the child’s feelings as valid, no matter how odd or irrational they may seem, is critical. ENFPs often suffer self-blame and may express doubts about their worthiness or their ability to handle the tough stuff. With constant (even if it seems excessive) reassurance, self-doubting ENFPs will learn to comfort themselves…

“Because ENFPs, more so than many other types, are such individuals, they often become less conventional as they grow older. They like the whole mystique of being different…They feel a strong and unrelenting pull to figure out what makes them special, and they pursue a quest to understand themselves and the meaning of life.

“Many teen ENFPs like to cause a stir and get a reaction; they find shocking adults is fun and exciting. They usually respond best to being treated like adults, being invited into adult conversations, and having their views considered. But their natural ability to read between the lines may result in some heated discussion of necessary limits, or constant renegotiating of rules. They are almost incapable of accepting that there is no possibility of getting you to change your mind…

“Allow them to fantasize without accusing them of lying.

“When we parents can have the courage to turn our backs a bit on society’s conventions and instead stand by our ENFPs—in all their occasional quirkiness—we send a loud and clear message of unconditional love that lasts a lifetime.”

Chitchat

As Levi and I are getting into the car, just the two of us (after hours of too much sensory input for this introvert and obviously not enough for my extroverted son):

Levi: What music are we going to listen to?

Me: You're driving with Mom. That means we get to drive in silence.

Levi: (With a disappointed sigh) Oh, I was looking forward to some Mom-Levi time.

Me: (Feeling remorse) What would you like to talk about, Levi?

Levi: I don't know. I was going to defer to your expert knowledge of chitchat subjects.

So, you see, I’m a chitchat expert.

Not really, but let’s pretend.

We had a decent day full of lessons today. Not completely up to speed, but close. (As the above pictures demonstrate, lessons at our house are done with flair.) We have another back-to-school event with our charter school on Thursday. The boys (Levi and Luke) started swim team practice again this week after a short break. I am planning on being up to full speed this coming week. The boys start choir on Monday, as well. I’m trying to decide whether to have Leif attend Awanas or whether that is just too much on the schedule.

I’m currently reading Gilead for my ChocLit Guild book club selection this month. Every sentence is a glorious masterpiece of profound simplicity. (How’s that for a glowing recommendation?) It reminds me of Peace Like a River, which is now on my all-time top 10 books list. (Also a book which made me thrilled to have a son named Leif.)

As an aside, thank you to whoever clicked on one of my Amazon affiliate links and ordered Gilead. First, whenever you click one of my links and then place items in your cart (even when you do not purchase items I have recommended), I receive a small commission which helps support my book habit. I am immensely grateful. Second, I find it fascinating to see what people order (I can see the items ordered, but not who ordered them). I occasionally click on the books out of curiosity, and Gilead was one such occasion. You have now blessed a whole book club. Grin.

A sentence diagramming challenge is coming up shortly. Get those pencils ready. (I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, straining upon the start.) (This one’s for you, Kellie.)

I’ll also be writing about using CC memory work at home without being a part of a CC community. (This one’s for you, Andrea.)

In other (Big, Mysterious) news, I’m working on something exciting. It is a sort of themed year-long life project with many interconnected facets that I’ll be launching in January here at Mt. Hope Chronicles. It has to do with my Billboards post that I reposted last week. I have many details to work out (and prep work to accomplish), but I’m full of anticipation. Can you believe that January is just over three months away? I’m hoping y’all are here to join me on the journey.

 

P.S. Lola turns three in two weeks. I am all astonishment. This is not possible.

Life with Levi and Random Other-ness

(Levi is in the kitchen as I am walking (or painfully limping, as it may be) through the front room with a hurt foot.)

Levi: Your gait is unmistakable. You're lurching.

(No sneaking up on him to see if he is on task…)

(He has been s-l-o-w-l-y working through tasks and begging to be released from servitude. As he finishes the dishes, he asks, in a somewhat exasperated manner…)

Levi: May I disperse myself with the seven winds?

(When this kid’s writing skills and maturity catch up with his verbal processing skills, watch out.)

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

I have Minecraft birthday party pictures to share. And beach pictures.

But I also have a time deficit. (More of a self-management issue than a time deficit issue, but, whatever.)

Between a beach trip on Saturday, a painful foot (going to the chiropractor today to see if he can help), serious practicum prep (hours and hours and hours yesterday and the rest of this week), and a lengthy debate in the comments of my Common Core post (so not my forte and very energy- and emotion-sapping for me), my house has taken a serious hit. I’m so thankful for my friend Cheris who had my kids for something like nine hours yesterday so that they weren’t totally devoid of care.

I’ve decided to close my eyes when I walk limp through my house today so that I can pretend it doesn’t look like a bomb exploded in here.

Not only has my house taken a serious hit, but the chocolate consumption is out of control.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

As I’m preparing for practicum speaking, a truth has become manifest.

Leigh Bortins talks about her vision of “copiousness” for Classical Conversations practicum speakers. Ideally, we would fill ourselves full of skills, content, stories, and ideas, so that we will not be scraping the bottom of the barrel when we are speaking. We don’t merely study what we must to cover the information that we must, but we fill ourselves to overflowing.

And out of abundance, the best, the cream, rises to the top and pours out.

I hope, I pray, that will be the case in reality, as there are other contributing factors—such as the fact that I have never, ever spoken in front of a group like this [gulp!], and I’m not sure that I’ll be able to control anything coming out of my brain and mouth. Inspires confidence in y’all, right? [wry gin]

But there is truth here. What we fill our lives with will come pouring out. What we invest in will be what we are passionate and excited about. Copiousness. Out of abundance.

In our lives as teachers, we must first be learners.

And we must know God in order to make Him known.

[I’ve also personally discovered that when a brain’s capacity is small, overflowing happens very quickly. Ahem.]

Tidbits

Isn’t that a funny word? Tidbits.

I’m still on my quest for imperfect real-life randomness…

I don’t know how a four-year-old manages to play Monopoly by himself, but Leif seemed to be doing fine. Lola thought he needed another player, however.

I wish I could have captured Leif on video camera this morning. He enthusiastically giggled through a math lesson (his idea). I hope he maintains that attitude for the next 13 years.

Levi: (About VBS) My teacher is teaching everyone how to swagger, so I’m excelling at that already. (I don’t even want to know.)

Luke: (While snuggling up on my lap after a blood-gushing head injury. (He’s fine.)) Could you catch one of my tears and show it to me? (How can such a dare-devil be such a tender-hearted, sweet snuggler?)

Luke: My pencil has a loose tooth.

Luke: (I find him whittling a stick with a box knife. I tell him he will slip and stab himself.) I already slipped and stabbed myself like five times. (So what’s the big deal, mom?)

I’m attending a formal wedding on Friday with four children. You might want to pray for me. I had to go buy a dress. Is it sad that I didn’t own one? And my boys have “church'” flip-flops. Lola is the only one who owned appropriate clothing… but she is going barefoot because I didn’t want to buy her fancy shoes. Does it surprise you that we are so un-fancy?

I had a dual senior photo session the other night. Two cousins who also happen to be my second cousins. I think I’ll have some interesting photos to share when I get a chance to start editing.

Lola isn’t crawling yet (at just 9 months), but she is the funniest little bottom-scooter. My boys did some army-crawling, but this bottom-scooting is new here. She can move quickly and get into anything she sets her sights on.

She also loves to play peek-a-boo. I caught some (blurry) snap-shots of the action this afternoon. She found a shirt of Levi’s and was putting it up over her head. She’d bring it down really quickly, we’d all say peek-a-boo, and she’d squeal and giggle. We are easily entertained around here. All of us think Lola is the cat’s meow. What did we do without her?!

 

We are finally getting some summer weather around here. Today it is a bit warm for my tastes, but it is amazing how a little sunshine improves one’s outlook!

Summer is the time when one sheds one's tensions with one's clothes, and the right kind of day is jeweled balm for the battered spirit.  A few of those days and you can become drunk with the belief that all's right with the world. 

~Ada Louise Huxtable

Just For Fun

Levi finished the unabridged version of Robinson Crusoe today, and I thought it might be a good idea to surprise quiz him a little just to make sure he truly read it.


I took the book from him and asked how it ended.


He said, 'Pantaloons, men's tight trousers, reaching to the ankle. Pieces of Eight, Spanish silver coins marked with figure eights.'


What?!


'Mom, there is a glossary at the end of the book.'


Ohhhhhhh.

Books (and More Books)

The book reviews here at Mt. Hope Chronicles have sadly been few and far between this year. One thing after another, excuses, exhaustion, getting to bed too late, illnesses and sleepless nights with the boys, blah, blah, blah. Here is a quick review of the books I have managed to read so far:

The Edge on the Sword by Rebecca Tingle: Interesting YA historical fiction. It is set in the time period we are studying, so it helped set the stage, so to speak. I chose not to read it with Levi, as it was a coming of age story about a 16 year old girl. Wise choice, I think.

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time by Mortenson/Relin: Fascinating, powerful, relevant, inspiring, balanced, intelligent and informative. Thoughts to chew on for quite some time.

Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher: Terrific read-aloud. Review here.

I Am David by Anne Holm: One of my favorites. I'm looking forward to sharing it with Levi in a couple years. Review here.

The Children's Homer by Padraic Colum: I found this to be a perfect retelling of Homer's epics as an adult with no background in the classics. Hopefully I'll read something closer to the originals next time we visit ancient history.

Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico: Charming, delightful, witty, light-hearted. Short and easy to read, yet well-written and full of interesting characters. I loved the movie with Angela Lansbury and was happy to discover that it stayed very true to the book.

Augustine: The Farmer's Boy of Tagaste by P. de Zeeuw: Both Levi and I very much enjoyed this story of Augustine's childhood.

Messenger by Lois Lowry: This is the third book in Lowry's YA trilogy. Interesting and provides food for thought (and discussion), but The Giver (the first book) is by far my favorite of the three.

Hard Questions, Real Answers by William Lane Craig: Excellent look at tough theological questions.

Philippa by Anne Douglas Sedgwick: A disappointment. Sigh. The Little French Girl by the same author is one of my all-time favorites, so I suppose I had high expectations. Philippa was well-written and a fascinating character study in parts, but it lacked the beautiful, ethereal quality of TLFG, as well as a happy ending.

Beowulf: The Warrior retold by Ian Serraillier: Loved. I had a blast reading this book aloud to Levi. I found myself pacing the floor with excitement. The prose rolls off the tongue and begs to be read with drama. I doubt I would be able to read this book in public the way I hammed it up at home. What fun. It made me even more eager to read the translation by Seamus Heaney, but that might have to wait until next history rotation...

The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare: Excellent choice for reading aloud to Levi. Well-told story which brought history alive for us both.

That should catch us up to date. I'm hoping the book reviews won't be so scant in the next few months...

I may not have spent much time with my nose in a book lately, but luckily (I think) Levi hasn't had the same issue. I can't seem to get his nose out of a book! In two days he finished off Owls in the Family and Mr. Popper's Penguins in addition to the 450 pages of Peter and the Star Catchers.

I was teasingly giving him a bad time about all the reading he was doing, wondering what I was going to do with him. He looked up at me with his signature Levi grin and said, "It's like I was born to read, or something!"

On another day, I walked into the boys' bedroom as Levi was finishing up his reading for the night (late as usual). He closed up Miracles on Maple Hill, handed it to me, and said, "I have one word for this book. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. You need to read it and then give it to Dad to read."

I think I'll just hand my book list over to Levi and call it good.

Reading Anywhere

When you are in the middle of a good book, it goes with you everywhere! Levi has been known to play outside with a book under his arm. Grin.

I guess it's time for another Levitical saying... The other day I handed Levi something sharp and said something ridiculous like, 'Watch out, it has an owie.' He replied, 'I'll receive it with care.' Hmmm.

Oh, Levi

Even at a very young age, the photos snapped of Levi at the beach rarely show his feet touching the ground. I love watching the delight he expresses (running or digging) at the beach. I hope he never loses that!

(Levi watched me wet the jumbo pretzels before baking so that the salt would stick to them.) Mom, that one's already been anointed with water.

(Levi glanced at the skirt I was wearing. It had a pattern that resembled chain links.) Mom, you could dance in Les Miserables with that skirt. (Apparently as part of the chain gang, LOL!)

(We were heading into Safeway and Levi mentioned that he should have brought Moby Dick with him. I was completely at a loss trying to figure out what Moby Dick had to do with grocery shopping.) Uh, Starbucks?! (Pointing at the attached coffee shop. He must think me very dim, but I still couldn't figure it out. Either I need to hide the Illustrated Classics from him or I have some serious reading to do. Who knew there was a character named Starbuck in Moby Dick? Not I.)

This room has a makeover!

(Of a box of doughnuts.) I'll just hold it and look at the contents.

The track diverges.

Mom, why are you astounded?

Lukie has snow in the house! Lukie, dispose of it!

(As he sits down to a breakfast of pancakes, his favorite meal.) I wish Narnians ate pancakes. I think High King Peter would have liked a good meal.... Maybe he could have taken some provisions from England.

Mom, could you coax Lukie to eat his soup?

Levitical Sayings

Levi at 6 1/2

Why did you refuse her offer? (Our neighbor had just called and asked if she could take Levi to VBS.)

Sigh. When does the opening melody return? (While working in the middle of a particularly difficult piano piece.)

I'd like to direct your attention over here. (While giving a 'tour' to visiting friends.)

I don't want to forfeit my turn!!

Will someone rid me of my backpack? (Can't seem to get his backpack off easily.)

These go in the school room, I presume? (Putting away a stack of books.)

This music makes me drowsy.

This heat is soothing.

I love dinosaurs, but one thing surpasses them.... horses!

Look at my dinosaur wing protrude.

Hey, mom. I know you've watched this movie because the outer covering is gone. (Holding Nim's Island which we purchased. I tell him he has to wait for Dad to watch it with him.) But it's a Levi movie, none the less!

(Levi comes out of the bedroom wearing Leif's swimming trunks on his head. I ask him if Leif got into his closet as well. Levi holds up a discarded set of jammie bottoms.) Here is his evidence.

Picketing

Levi came into the house asking for paper and glue. I knew he was up to something. He's always up to something. A short while later I noticed him walking up and down the driveway with an old board from a picket fence. It looked like something was attatched. Later I found this on the front porch:
I don't know how well this will show up, so let me translate for you: "Stop, Naoo, Plez." (Stop Now, Please.) The picture shows a house with an X through it. See, Levi wants the house building to stop or soon we will no longer live in the country. Hmmm. Gives new life to the term 'picketing.'

WordBoy

Why this kid should never watch commercials:
Mom, do you think it would be nice if we went on vacation? (Of course. That sounds wonderful.) Well. You'll have to get a gold kit so that we can afford it. I guess the best of your jewelry will have to go. (Have you seen the commercial where the guy asks if you have gold scraps or old jewelry you would like to turn into cash? If so, call for their free gold kit!)

(Luke didn't want to eat his pancake so I told him to slide it over to Levi and he would eat it. Levi looked down at the plate and Luke's child-sized fork and says) This fork will have to be improved. (I look at him blankly, as I often do when he says things like that.) Uh, bigger? Longer? (Do you not get it, mom?)

Mom! Mom! (He comes breathlessly to where I am. He has just heard on one of his CDs a poem from our Circle Time notebook which we haven't been using lately.) Please. You've got to put the Circle Time notebook back in service!

I might be hungrier than you suspect.

Can I get some support over here?! (Levi was working on a craft project and apparently not getting the help or attention he needed.)

Levi's superhero name should be WordBoy. (Kinda like the new cartoon WordGirl...)

My diagram indicates...

scrumptious

scour (rather than 'look all around for'...)

plank (board)

release

finishing touches

would you kindly...

pleaded

thicket

retrievable

cunning trap

tattered

devoured

exploded with laughter

restore

extend

Levi. Again.

I was going through a box of stuff yesterday and came across the list I had written of funny things Levi said at the age of four. I laughed and laughed at each one, again realizing that Levi has been distinctly 'Levi' from a very young age. I wanted to share one of my favorites, as it so perfectly highlights the difference between Levi and myself:

Mom, I'm fishing. (He was in the back of the Suburban, 'fishing' with a flag pole while we were out running errands. Without thinking, I asked him what he was fishing for. Immediately, I realized what a stupid question that was. The answer would obviously be fish. What else do you fish for? His answer came without a second's hesitation...) Speckled trout for the mayor's dinner. (Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Not.)

Without further ado, Levi at six:

(Levi is skipping into his TKD class. He asks me if I'll join him. No, thank you. I'm still feeling the after affects of the stomach flu.) Mom, don't you feel young again?

I like that bird monastery. (My mom had a weathered bird house in a somewhat vague church shape.

(We were at Two Rivers Market.) They should have called this place Mesopotamia Market. (Thank you, Story of the World! Otherwise we would not have known that Mesopotamia means 'between two rivers.')

(Levi calls to me in the middle of the night. I go in his room. He asks me to fill up his water cup. I go...come back and give it to him. He takes a long drink.) Perfection. (He rolls over and goes back to sleep.)

(Levi tells his aunt that he is learning Spanish. As he is leading her into the school room to show her his Spanish lessons, he says...) Would you like to see the source?

My legs look so slender!

Mom, we're going to play outside today. Do you doubt it? I've seen the future!

I can't tolerate this any longer!

I have a parcel for Leif.

isolated

eager

device

and the list goes on.... until next time....

Even When He's Sick

Levi is down with the stomach flu, but he certainly doesn't let that stop his priceless comments and vocabulary words. Heard today:

(I check on him and tell him that he looks like he's feeling a bit better.) Yeah! (He says, very chipper.) Dad put some steam on in the bathroom and got me back on track! (He was sick again within a few minutes.) I'm off track, again.

My legs feel like they are going to fail.

(He throws up just a little.) Mom, sometimes it is only a portion.

Mom, I need to go to market. (Market? Why?) To get more cran-raspberry juice. That seemed to really work.

Poor kid.

And just the other day, we were out (just the two of us, which rarely happens) and he had me in stitches the entire time. I can't even remember half of it. My mom says that I need to have a recording device clipped to my belt at all times.

While we were driving to the appointment, he asked me if I had watched the commercial about the vehicle with video games for the kids. He proceeded to 'play' a video game. (We don't own a gaming system. The poor child is limited to the occasional computer program.) Who needs a video game system when you can do the whole thing in your imagination?!

(After the appointment, I ask him what the nurse and he talked about.) Oh, a great deal of things. (What questions did she ask you.) A bunch of foolishness.

On our way home, he tells me that he'll need the keys to the Suburban because he is going to own it. I promptly inform him that it will be 10 years before he can drive it, much less own it.

Actually, I'm going to drive that Dodge. (That what?) You know, the Caravan we discussed earlier. (Oh, that Dodge. The one with the DVD player?) No, with the video games. (He pauses while mulling over something.) Well, my wife will drive. I'll be playing the video games.

(Later that evening, Russ was getting out the microscope with the boys for the first time. He was in his element getting it all figured out. Levi has a way of sizing up the situation.) Dad, is this your big moment?

More From the World of Levi

Getting Levi to focus on his one main chore, emptying the dishwasher, can be a bit of a challenge. This boy is not about doing things 'correctly,' step-by-step, and finishing in a timely manner. He is all about the creative process. I had no idea that emptying the dishwasher could be creative. The above picture shows, I am told, a buffalo. Do you see the horns? (Hint: they are orange and blue.) The flatware basket is apparently the body.

Do you have any idea what mismatched cups do to my mental and emotional state? It is ridiculous. But I'm taking a deep breath and going with it. I suppose it wouldn't be so bad if the kids didn't drink out of specific colored cups. I always know that a purple cup is Leif's. But what about a purple and green cup? I'm flummoxed.

Levitical Sayings:

Mom, I have an appointment with you. (Is that so? Did you want to show me what a lovely job you did cleaning up the front room?) No, Lukie did it all. I came to pay him credit.

Mark my word.

Just passing the time.

Have it your way.

I'm convinced.

What a shame.

Hey, Todd! (We were in the food line at Costco, and he was talking to someone behind us. It worried me a little, as we don't know anyone in town by the name of Todd. I looked behind me at a young man wearing a service uniform. He sported a name patch with the name Todd, of course. For Levi, that is as good as an introduction. Levi chuckled at the guy's bemused look.) Actually, I just read your name tag. (Grin.)

(We go for dinner at Red Robin. Our server come to the table. Levi cranes his neck to look at her name tag.) Kristen, it is my dad's birthday. Could you please sing to him and bring us balloons and ice cream? (It was just a day or two after his birthday, and we had not talked about 'celebrating' at the restaurant. Russ practically crawled under the table, but we did get free ice cream.)

(Pointing at Leif.) Turn thy head into a donkey'est'. (Maybe we should cut back on the Shakespeare.)

(Levi was escaping from the kitchen after breakfast without clearing his plate. I reminded him.) Sorry, I forgot that process.

(We are snuggling in bed early in the morning.) Mom, diets don't work. Do you want to know what does? (Not so sure.) Weight Watchers.

(We were working on a grammar lesson covering common nouns and proper nouns. I asked Levi to think of a proper name for a girl.) Mona Lisa. (Um, okay, I guess that works. How about a man?) King Louis XV. (I almost hate to ask, but how about a boy?) Levi, of course! (A proper name for a book?) Kings and Queens of England. (You do know that King Louis was a French king, don't you?) I'm not talking about him anymore. (Alrighty, then. I guess there is probably a book called Kings and Queens of England. I glance at the example in the text book. It says Go, Dog, Go. Who knew that grammar could be so entertaining.)

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Because many of these Levitical sayings were from the last month or two, when Levi was five, I will leave you with these amusing quotes:

A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five. ~Groucho Marx

There's nothing that can help you understand your beliefs more than trying to explain them to an inquisitive child. ~Frank A. Clark

The real menace in dealing with a five-year-old is that in no time at all you begin to sound like a five-year-old. ~Joan Kerr, Please Don't Eat the Daisies, 1957