Apple Orchard

New Fall Memory:

Meandering up the hill to the neighbor's apple orchard to pick apples.

Confessions

A cyber-friend of mine was asking about how I planned ahead for our school lessons. In particular, she asked about RightStart math and gathering the things I would need for each lesson. In my email, I told her that I give Levi his copywork and frantically look over the day's lesson and grab what we need. She said that wasn't quite what she pictured from my blog posts... (Wry grin.) So, in the interest of complete honesty, here are my confessions:

1. I have no self-discipline. Staying on track is a huge effort for me, and rarely happens like it should.

2. I don't multi-task well. I love to plan, but I need time to focus. Time in my own space with no distractions is almost non-existent.

3. I enjoy doing laundry and my shirts in my closet are arranged by color, but I never fold underwear. They just get shoved in a drawer.

4. I hate to clean house. Hate it. Hate it. I hate mopping the kitchen floor, only to have it look like a natural disaster zone after just one more meal (or snack). I hired someone to clean my house a couple times around the birth of #3. It was so much effort to pick-up the house (so she would have some surfaces to clean), clean the house a little (I was too embarrassed for her to see it really dirty), and then get out of the way for a couple of hours with 2 or 3 little boys in tow.

5. I love to eat. But not vegetables or healthy stuff, darn it! I love pizza, and M&Ms, and Dr. Pepper.

6. I need tons of sleep. I never get tons of sleep. I'm always tired and crabby.

7. I love to check the mail, but I hate to answer the phone.

8. I can't go to bed without straightening up the living room and doing the dishes in the sink, but can put off other tasks indefinitely.

9. I get embarrassed really easily. I always shake my head when people confess to their most embarrassing moments and wonder, 'Why on earth would you want to re-live that?'

10. I hate making a scene. I would much rather blend in.

11. I am extremely shy around people I don't know or in large groups. Business dinners and parties are like torture to me. But get me in a small group of people I am comfortable around or one-on-one and I don't know when to be quiet.

12. I don't like to do new things. I don't like surprises. I don't like changes of plans. I don't go with the flow.

13. I have absolutely no desire to ever have a pet. I dislike reading books or watching movies about animals. I get too emotional. (I grew up with dogs, cats, horses, sheep, goats, chickens, hampsters, fish.... so I am really sure on this one. It isn't a 'try it and you'll like it' sort of thing.)

14. I get overwhelmed and emotional very easily. Especially when I'm tired.

15. I'm a worrier. When I was little, I always worried that I had some terrible disease. Now I have 3 more little people to worry about.

16. I love to plan things. When I was young, I'd plan things I knew would never happen. The planning was the fun part. I'm a chronic list-maker. I'm also a compulsive 'namer.' I'll name cars, houses, garden statues, my next 10 children, pets I will never have....

17. I take criticism very personally.


That is a long enough list for now. I'll post on my current lesson 'planning strategies' (with the utmost honesty) in the next week.

The Book List

I have been wanting to make up a book list, mostly because I am a compulsive list-maker. There is something so calming to me about a well-made list. Who knows why. At first I thought about making an 'Everyone Should Read These Books' sort of list, but I am actually shy and don't like to assert myself. Who am I to tell people what books they should read? Especially since I haven't read many of the books on well-known book lists!

While browsing over at Semicolon, I came across Sherry's Best Fiction book list. Her description was perfect:

I have a few rules for this list. No author may be represented more than once, even though he or she may have written more than one very good book. I list only the books and authors that I like, not those I’m supposed to like but don’t. Children’s books that make the list must appeal to me as an adult, too. (I actually like lots of children’s books.) No short stories or short story collections are on the list because I mostly don’t care for short stories. They’re too short. I only list books I’ve actually read; there are certainly others out there that I haven’t yet managed to read that will be added to the list eventually. That’s why there aren’t 100 books on the list-only 68 so far. The definitive list will have to be made upon my deathbed—or beyond.

That is the kind of book list I appreciate. I decided to start with those rules, but wanted to add my top ten at the beginning of the list and will not have even 58 on the remainder. Today's post will include my top five, with the rest of the list to follow soon.

TOP FIVE:

1. C. S. Lewis. The Chronicles of Narnia. I really wanted to list multiple books by Lewis in my top ten, but, in addition to being a compulsive list-maker, I also happen to be a rule-follower. So I will mention in this one entry that you cannot go wrong with C. S. Lewis. Read the Narnia series first (beginning with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), but don't miss Mere Christianity or The Space Trilogy. I'm looking at the bright side--now I have room for even more books in my top ten. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is now in fabulous movie version, and Prince Caspian will be released next year! Check out this link.

2. Dumas, Alexandre. The Count of Monte Cristo. This book has everything you could possibly want: action, suspense, love, revenge, history.... with the most wonderful, intricate plot I have ever encountered. Don't be intimidated by the unabridged version. It is the only way to go. You won't be sorry.

3. Dickens, Charles. David Copperfield. I had put off reading this one because I didn't want to be depressed by the ill-treatment of young orphan boys. Silly me. Yes, there were heart-wrenching moments, but I had no idea that I would be laughing out loud so often. The characters now have permanent places in my memory. I am not quite finished with A Tale of Two Cities, but I can confidently recommend it as well. In a completely different mood and style than David Copperfield, it speaks to the brilliance of Dickens. I love the imagery, the poetry, the emotions, the history. It is an astoundingly beautiful epic.

4. Sawyer, Ruth. Maggie Rose: Her Birthday Christmas. My mother first read this book to my sisters and me many years ago. It isn't Christmas if I haven't yet read Maggie Rose during the season. The quirky illustrations by Maurice Sendak are etched in my memory for eternity. Maggie Rose is, to me, the epitome of 'gumption.' Ruth Sawyer avoids the sentimentality, the perfect appearance, and gushiness that a few other children's books contain. This book is charming, heart-felt, timeless, full of humor, and reverent--all at the same time. It is a perfect Christmas season read-aloud.

5. Sedgwick, Anne Douglas. The Little French Girl. Not a children's book, The Little French Girl is a thoughtful, insightful, and beautiful book about a 16 year-old French girl who goes to live with a family in England. I'll be posting more as I read this book again in the next month for book club.

What is on your list? Leave me a message in the comments section!

Semicolon hosts the Saturday Review of Books every week. Go on over and visit.

Welcome Back!

Shan and Mom (Bambi, Cheri....) have made it home safely from France. They had an amazing time and are already planning another trip! Shannon will be posting pictures over the next week or two at Poet's Garden Girl. Check them out!

I met a lot of people in Europe. I even encountered myself. ~James Baldwin

When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money. ~Susan Heller

Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe. ~Anatole France

Bad Habits, Yummy Food

Well, I've conquered my M&Ms habit (for the most part). It wasn't so much the empty calories (maybe it should have been), but more this and that. Do you know the easiest way to get rid of a habit? Yes, of course. Replace it with something else. Couldn't I have replaced my M&Ms habit with something like, say, running or yoga? Nah.

I rejoice at this time of year when Costco again carries Anna's Ginger Thins. If you really want a heavenly treat, try a couple with a dish of natural vanilla bean ice cream.

Speaking of Costco, do you know that they also carry Krusteaz Cinnamon Crumb Cake mix? I fell in love with a coffee cake similar to this at a local coffee shop. They no longer carry it, but I have found that adding a (generous) handful of chocolate chips to the top of the Krusteaz version before baking comes very close. (I purchased two huge bags of chocolate chips before developing a conscience.)

Were we talking about chocolate chips? How about a large batch of chocolate chip cookies with dried cranberries. It is a new favorite of mine.

And that conscience? I tell myself that stopping by Burgerville is completely harmless because their slogan is 'Fresh, Local, Sustainable.' That, and they have really cool kid's meal toys like the bird-watching binoculars the boys received yesterday or seeds, pot, and a little trowel. They also have delicious local and seasonal things on their menu--like the pumpkin milkshake I ordered. It tasted just like pumpkin pie without the crust. Ooh, did that feel like fall! And if you haven't tried their sweet potato fries, you are missing out!


This morning while working on our grammar lesson covering common nouns and proper nouns, I read Levi the first sentence with the common noun: 'My mother ate cereal for breakfast.'

Levi looked at the second sentence which said '____________ ate cereal for breakfast.' The point was to fill in the blank with the proper noun. Levi said 'Heidi ate chocolate for breakfast.' I wonder if there was a message I should be getting....


Lest you think it is all dessert around here, I'm making Marlboro Man's Second Favorite Sandwich tonight. And then I'll be finishing off the last crumbs of the crumb cake... if it lasts that long.

Homer Price

Homer Price was first published in 1943. That is always a good start as far as I'm concerned. And this book had more than a good start, it was engaging and unexpected from beginning to end! From an automatic doughnut making machine that won't turn off, rescuing a super hero who has crashed his car, a musical mouse trap, and a town originally named Edible Fungus, to a string saving champion of the world contest, Homer's adventures are one of a kind. This book is a riot you don't want to miss.

Although I have loved so many of our read-aloud books this year, Homer Price was probably the best selection for a young boy. The frequent illustrations are whimsical, the characters' names are memorable, the plot is hilarious and full of action, and the book is relatively short. It makes a good read-aloud because there are many bits and pieces that will delight the reader as well as the listener. We have the sequel, Centerburg Tales, on our bookshelf waiting to be enjoyed.

pg. 18

Then the second robber (who had a cramp in his back from stooping over and from sleeping in the woods) straightened up and turned around. He noticed Aroma [Homer's pet skunk] and said, "Look at that thing in our money!" The other robbers turned around and looked surprised.

"That, my dear friend, is not a thing. It is a Musteline Mammal (Genus Mephitis) commonly known as a skunk!" said the third robber who had evidently gone to college and studied zoology.

"Well I don't care if it's a thing or a mammal or a skunk, he can't sleep on our money. I'll cook that mammal's goose!" Then he picked up a big gun and pointed it at Aroma.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said the third robber with the college education. "It might attract the sheriff, and besides it isn't the accepted thing to do to Musteline Mammals."

pg. 27

"We didn't mean to do it," mumbled the first robber.

"And we'll give the money back," said the second robber.

"Our early environment is responsible for our actions," said the educated robber.

A couple of our favorite new words:

baffled: confused

imperative: impossible to avoid or ignore

Robert McCloskey is also well-know for his award-winning books Make Way For Ducklings and Blueberries for Sal, among others.

Columbus

Image Copyright Information

Salvador Dali (1904-1989)

The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus (1959)

_____________________________________

IN 1492

In fourteen hundred ninety-two
Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

He had three ships and left from Spain;
He sailed through sunshine, wind and rain.

He sailed by night; he sailed by day;
He used the stars to find his way.

A compass also helped him know
How to find the way to go.

Ninety sailors were on board;
Some men worked while others snored.

Then the workers went to sleep;
And others watched the ocean deep.

Day after day they looked for land;
They dreamed of trees and rocks and sand.

October 12 their dream came true,
You never saw a happier crew!

"Indians! Indians!" Columbus cried;
His heart was filled with joyful pride.

But "India" the land was not;
It was the Bahamas, and it was hot.

The Arakawa natives were very nice;
They gave the sailors food and spice.

Columbus sailed on to find some gold
To bring back home, as he'd been told.

He made the trip again and again,
Trading gold to bring to Spain.

The first American? No, not quite.
But Columbus was brave, and he was bright.

_____________________________________

If you are interested, The Magnificent Voyage of Christopher Columbus airs on PBS, tonight at 8 PM.

Here are a few Columbus Day coloring pages to print. Check out the stories and activities links!

_____________________________________

Added later:

Check out this link! Biography.com has great videos and biographies.

Ideal World

I unconsciously decided that, even if it wasn't an ideal world, it should be. So I painted only the ideal aspects of it -- pictures in which there are no drunken slatterns or self-centered mothers -- only foxy grandpas who played baseball with the kids and boys who fished from logs and got up circuses in the backyard.

~Norman Rockwell


Yes. That's it exactly!

October Brings the Last

Brown October brings the last

Of ripening gifts, from summer past.

Have you noticed that summer is definitely past? It has been a hard adjustment this week. I'm not used to finding socks, shoes, jackets, and hats for all three boys. Our 'getting out of the house routine' takes a full 15-20 minutes longer, and it was bad enough when Luke and Levi could slip on their flip-flops. Leif just went barefoot!

Yesterday, the sun decided to grace us with its presence for a little while. The boys and I took a walk, enjoying breathing in the clean fall air. The pitiful veggie garden has been begging for attention. I pulled up and picked the last of the ripening gifts. Our tomatoes had a rough year. The deer, the cool weather.... there are a lot of green tomatoes on the vines, but we've only picked a few red ones. I'm guessing they won't last much longer with this cold and rain!


I'm sad that the boys won't get to pick carrots for lunch again until next summer rolls around. The delicious crunch of fresh-picked French green beans, roasted with olive oil and sea salt, is already a dim memory. We are gearing up to plant our fruit trees, though. That will be a job and a half!

Ones

My hallway is begging for this trio of pictures. All three boys at the age of one (give or take a month). It almost makes me want more. But not quite. Grin.

Brilliant!

If you are a mom or have a mom (grin), you must watch this. I seriously do not know when I have laughed so hard! Anita Renfroe is just brilliant.

Autumn

Autumn

by my niece, Ilex

(written at age 10)

Trees loose their leaves one by one.

Summer is now over and done.

Pumpkins ripen.

Winds blow.

Rain falls,

And rivers flow.

Flowers die

And wither away;

Every day foggy and gray.

More Levi

We've taken the plunge and registered Levi for Tae Kwon Do. I'm hoping it will give him a good dose of structure, exercise, and practice following directions (especially in a social setting where he is easily distracted). Doesn't he look fierce? Or maybe just focused. That would be nice...

In other news:

Levi and I recently read about the three branches of government. He wanted to know which branch he was a part of. I explained that we are 'the people,' and that we elect others to be the government by voting. He decided that he wanted to be part of the judicial branch of the government and asked his dad and me if we would vote for him.

Some time previous to that discussion, I was doing clothing shopping for the boys and came across a shirt that said 'Vote For Me.' For some reason it just shouted 'Levi.' He is the kid that would run for class president. I snatched it up along with a shirt that said 'Hillside Prep,' washed them both, and stowed them away in his dresser.

This morning he came out of his room with a thrilled expression on his face--wearing his new shirt. "Mom! You won't believe it. My shirt says 'Vote For Me.' Now I can be part of the government!"


(I'll have to work on my photography skills before getting roped into being his campaign manager...)

The Continuing Story

I toyed with the idea of posting a few adventure pictures each day this week, but ultimately decided that I would overwhelm you with them all (well, not all, but all that I will be posting) today as I have other things to do and hopefully post this week. So, while practicing extreme procrastination and avoiding the 'to do' list, I will inundate you with pictures (and captions!).

The great thing about blogs is that, unlike the old slide shows of the family vacation to Yellowstone, you can feel free to completely ignore this horrendously long offering of photos or even skim through them in 2 or 3 seconds. Go ahead, you won't hurt my feelings!

Our last 'family vacation' was over a year and a half ago. We took a long weekend to the mountains in the snow with Luke- 1 1/2, and Levi- 3. After that, Russ changed jobs, had multiple business trips out of state, I was pregnant then gave birth to a very fussy baby, and we moved to our house in the country. We then spent a few months doing projects on our old house and selling it. This spring and summer has been one project after another at our new place. We were due for a vacation.

The only night we've spent away from home (as a family) was in January for my grandmother's funeral. All three boys were terribly sick. We were awake all night with a 2 year old and baby who could hardly breathe. Luke slept on the hotel bathroom floor with the hot shower running for steam. The day after we got home, Leif ended up in urgent care because his breaths were so fast and shallow.

In the few weeks before leaving on this current adventure, Luke had a sudden asthma attack (in the middle of the night) and a cold, a bee sting, the stomach flu, and a lovely outbreak of poison ivy rash. You should have seen the 'pharmacy' that I subsequently packed in the trailer.

The day before leaving, Levi came down with a bad cold, Leif was starting to get sick and not napping well, Russ spent two hours under the house unclogging the kitchen drain pipes after working all day, and I had my own set of issues.

Amazingly, we left home by noon on Saturday and headed over to the Oregon Coast where we visited our old haunts. Russ and I lived in Winchester Bay overlooking the ocean when we were first married. This view was within a very short walking distance from our little beach house:

The Umpqua Lighthouse is directly behind us.

Just a short walk down the road is Lake Marie. It is a positively gorgeous little lake, with a mile trail winding around its perimeter. You feel like you are in a quiet and secluded mountain area, but with the faint sound of ocean waves and a sandy shoreline. We made it all the way around the lake--perfect for getting out a bit of energy:

We made it down to Bandon that evening and finally found an RV park to stay at for the night. It was our first night in the camp trailer. Obviously we were really roughing it:

The next morning we visited the West Coast Game Park Safari.

We saw lions, tigers, and bears, oh my!

Many animals wandered around un-caged.

Luke and I were able to pet Sultan, a rare white tiger cub.

As we headed down the coast, we took a short detour for a lunch break. It was one of those unplanned, memorable moments. We watched para surfers while eating:

Crescent City, California was the next stop. I had a few things planned, but the boys were having so much fun on the beach during low tide. I had to throw the plans out the window and just enjoy the afternoon. The whole point was to be out and about, having fun! I love this picture. Russ and Leif both found interesting things to look at:

There was a lot of digging:
More digging:
Some nature watching:
And more digging:
We barely made it to a campground that evening. All three boys were sick by that point. I was wondering if we would make it all 8 days. The next morning we got a late start, visited my cousin and his family, then headed down through the Redwoods. It was the most peaceful, magical drive! We stopped and took a hike. I couldn't believe how quiet it was.
There were so many interesting little spots for the boys to discover:

After the Redwoods and a terrifying drive over the curviest, steepest road imaginable, we arrived again at the California coast. We stopped at the first 'campground.' There was hardly a soul to be seen. We walked down a long set of steps in the hillside and spent the evening on the beach.

We did a bit of climbing:
And more digging:
Some walking:
And just plain looking cute:
Then we watched the sun set. Breathtaking!

The next morning, Russ took the 3 boys on a long walk while I cleaned up the trailer and got ready for our day:

We drove south to Petaluma, just short of San Francisco. The weather had finally warmed up. I was ecstatic to find a huge, wonderful campground with a gorgeously blue swimming pool. All of us were feeling the grime of the road and the new heat of the day, so we jumped on in.

Russ got a work-out throwing the boys in the water:
Levi just learned to 'swim' this summer. I was glad he was able to get a little more water time.
And check out this bathing beauty!!

The next day we drove into San Francisco. The weather was amazing. Levi and Luke really enjoyed the Golden Gate Bridge:

We spent some time at Pier 39:

We really enjoyed the views of the city, and I was very thankful we had chosen that day for SF when we traveled back over the Golden Gate Bridge the next day on our way to Filoli Estate:
One day made a big difference!

The weather was delightful at Filoli, though:

I had a lovely time walking through the gardens:
And the estate:

(Levi enjoyed dancing in the ballroom.)

Less than a mile down the road is one of the most beautiful spots on earth:

(The Pulgas Water Temple)

I was thrilled to be staying at the same campground three nights in a row. It seems sacreligous (as a girl who grew up tent camping with no electricity or running water other than the ice-cold creek) to say this, but one of my favorite things about this campground was the huge play structure right by our trailer. Levi and Luke got a lot of mileage out of it, and I was thankful that they could entertain themselves for a few minutes without a great deal of parental effort.
Friday came, and it was time to head home. We had a loooooong drive ahead of us. Wine country is gorgeous, though:
Another one of those unexpected delights: a large rest area with lush green grass and large grove of olive trees for climbing. Russ decided that we need to plant a grove of olive trees...

Friday was a long day. We were desperate for entertainment:

We played a lot of peek-a-boo:
And, unfortunately, there was a lot of this:
And not nearly enough of this:
But the views of Shasta Mountain were spectacular, and we did indeed arrive home on Saturday afternoon. 8 days, 7 nights with 3 sick little boys (1, 3, and 5) in a Suburban and little camp trailer. By golly, I'm proud of us! Now, if only I could find my way out of the mountain of laundry....