Not-Back-to-School Blog Hop: School Room Week

Head on over to Life With My 3 Boybarians for another week of links.

This time around we're sharing photos of our school room.

I've linked this post.

Mr. Funny Face

It's 'Crazy, Silly, Funny Face!' week at i heart faces.

Leif is king of making faces for the camera.
Considering how crazy my boys are, this photo is fairly mild,
but I just took it yesterday while the family
enjoyed the afternoon at a friend's home and pool.
More photos coming, but I'll leave you with Mr. Funny Face today...

Lovely

As I mentioned (for those of you who made it aaaalll the way to the end of my Note to a Friend),
I am on a quest for Lovely. (Much more about that coming up later this week....Stay tuned.)

As a visual person, much of what moves me is
artistry, nature, moments, details,
and emotion captured in images.

I receive so much encouragement and hope from God's astounding artistry in nature.
It reminds me that He is a God of beauty and hope and strength.
I feel as if I have an opportunity to participate in that artistry with my camera,
and focusing with my lens causes me to observe, interact, appreciate,
and drink in what I normally would not take the time to acknowledge.

I am also deeply affected by the friendships and human connection
I've experienced through this blog. You all, with your comments,
support, and interaction, have meant more than you realize.

You are lovely to me.

What encourages you?

I'm (in).

Reading and Watching

Not sure why, but I've had the hardest time settling into a book lately. Summer maybe? Well, Goldilocks has finally hit upon a book that is 'just right.' I picked up Dick King-Smith's memoir, Chewing the Cud, at the library the other day along with several of his delightful children's books for Levi. In this book, he recounts his life in England as soldier, farmer, teacher, and children's author, as well as sharing many delightful stories of animals and people he met throughout his years. For me, it is reminiscent of James Harriot's stories. (While I'm recommending books, do not miss James Harriot's Treasury for Children!)

Dick King-Smith's most well-known children's book, Babe: The Gallant Pig, is one of my favorites. The author says this about the book and the subsequent movie version (which is another favorite):

It was soon plain to us that the adaptation from the book had been wonderfully well done.

There were differences, of course...but the director had stuck pretty faithfully to the central theme of my original story: the tale of an orphaned piglet who is adopted by a farmer and by his sheep-dog. This little pig, by virtue of his intelligence and determination, by his courage, and especially through his realization that politeness pays, comes eventually to win the Grand Challenge Sheep-dog Trials. One particular thing about the film that delighted me was that as soon as I set eyes on the actor who played Farmer Hogget, I saw to my amazement that he was the spitting image of the imaginary figure I'd had in my head when I wrote the book all those years before.

I've seen Babe six times now and every time I've laughed and I've cried....If you were to ask me to choose a favorite from among the dozens and dozens of books I've produced, I would probably say I think it may be the best.

And he goes on to tell the story of how the idea for Babe was first born. And it is true... do not miss this movie, if only for the superb acting of James Cromwell as Farmer Hogget.

Dick King-Smith's books grace our shelves and our library bag over and over again. They are witty and imaginative and innocent.
The Water Horse was also made into a beautiful family movie by Walden Media, the production company behind the Narnia movies, Amazing Grace, Nim's Island, and I Am David.

(Just to veer off course a little, did you know that filming began last month in Australia for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader?)

Happy reading and watching!

A Note to a Friend

Dear Friend,

I deliberated a while on how I should respond. A 'life really sucks, doesn't it?' wouldn't really cheer *me* up, a 'my life is lovely' is fairly accurate though not the whole truth and not exactly helpful, and you might want to whack me over the head if I went for the annoying 'you can do it, rah, rah, rah' cheerleader routine. I decided to go with an (endless) conversational tone. The downside is that you won't be able to get word in edgewise (which kinda defeats the 'conversation'), but the upside is that you can quit reading at anytime without hurting my feelings. Grin.

It isn't silly at all, wondering how people maintain a positive outlook in this world. I can completely relate to the discouraged and beat-down feeling. I think we're just experiencing it from completely different angles. Which makes my life look good to you and yours to me. Wry grin.

My blessings: 1. I have a good marriage. Not perfect by any stretch of the imagination , but GOOD. And I know how lucky I am. Russ is my polar opposite, which is exasperating at times, but we also create a nice balance together. 2. I have an *amazing* family. My parents live two miles down the road, my sisters (best friends) just 15 minutes away. Even my extended family is amazing. I am just beginning to realize the magnitude of that blessing. 3. I also don't have any adolescents (yet).

My struggles: 1. I am an emotional person and wish I could be more logical/matter-of-fact/suck-it-up. My mom would tell you that she had no idea what to do with me as a child. The sky was always falling. I was shy (but talkative... she got the short end of the stick on that one) and self-conscious. I wish I had confidence and verve. I wish I were witty/humorous. I want to be audacious. 2. I'm low on energy and self-discipline. Always have been. I could sleep 10 hours a night. I *envy* people who can make it on 5. I *envy* people with self-motivation. I am amazed by the amount of stuff some people accomplish. Ahem. 3. I love food + I can't resist food (we aren't talking veggies, here) + I'm always hungry + I'm terrible about exercising = Less energy and other physical problems (headaches...) and being frustrated with myself. Let's see, are we on #4? I'm not adventurous/independent/capable. I wholeheartedly admire women who can travel and do big things. I want to go places with the boys without being anxious or overwhelmed. I admire my adventurous, no-fear sister. She just makes it up as she goes along. 5. I want life to be painless and perfect. Which is just setting myself up for failure.

I know that having adolescents will be tough. Tougher than I imagine. But I don't really want to go there. Right now, I struggle with the physical exhaustion that comes from daily life with three very rambunctious little boys that leaves me at the end of the day feeling like I've been wrestling with an aligator for hours. I grew up with two sisters and a quiet dad. I thought I had parenting all figured out before my first son came along. Now, many days, I feel like I just don't have what it takes to raise well-behaved boys. Honestly, I wonder constantly what the balance is between giving boys independence and letting them be boys and expectations for volume/activity/attitude. Where do I find that happy in-between place with laid-back un-parenting on one side and uptight control-freak on the other side? Add to that the sleep-deprivation. I have no idea why God gave 3 bad sleepers to a woman who needs 10 hours a night. Surely they will sleep well (or take care of themselves in the middle of the night) in a few years, right?!

So, the depression story.... September was the month from hell. It started out with a weird pain in my chest/back/arm and went downhill from there. I have always had anxiety over health stuff. My 'big fear' is that I will get really sick. Now that I have little boys, that fear is magnified. How can I take care of them if I don't feel well? What will happen to them if I die? I looked around and could see all the blessing in my life. But everywhere else, I saw hurting people. I was always sure that my 40s would be my best decade, but suddenly I couldn't find someone in their 40s without health problems. *Everywhere* I turned, I heard stories of people whose children were sick or in trouble. I couldn't find a single person whose life I would want to live. Basically, I wondered how long it would take for the ball to drop in my life. How long can one go without anything in their beautiful life being taken away? I have no idea which came first, but I had tremendous anxiety over how I was feeling physically. I went to the Dr. and he did a bunch of tests, but also suggested depression. He said that all of my physical symptoms happened to be symptoms of depression/anxiety/OCD. Terrific.

How did I make it out of that spiral? Medication. It changed my life. (And a chiropractor for some of the back/arm pain.) By the end of October I was a new person. We went on the most amazing family vacation, and then I reveled in the holiday season. Okay, I also had to start ignoring how I felt physically rather than paying attention to every little ache and pain. I (at least for right now) have to leave/change the channel/avoid stories about hurting people. I don't read stories/blogs about babies/children in the hospital. I leave the room when my dh is watching House on TV. I don't watch the news. That is tough for me, because it makes me feel guilty, but it is just where I am right now. I am hopeful that eventually I can find a balance and be a sympathetic, concerned person while maintaining sanity.

I am a very, very visual person. Blogging and photography have become a very valuable therapy for me. I am able to block out the mess, and focus (mentally, emotionally, and visually--through my camera lens) on what is beautiful and uplifting in my life. It is like being in labor and I use my blog as my focal point. Imagine my youngest on the kitchen counter, naked of course (we're working on potty training), pouring himself a glass of orange juice. About 3 ounces make it into the cup. My oldest is using the couch as a gymnastics apparatus and singing (he doesn't have a mute button). My middle child is taking something apart to see how it works. I'm holed up in the disasterous school room in front of my computer. Ah, look at that adorable picture of a little boy holding a lamb. Hee-hee-hooooooooo. Hee-hee-hooooooooo.

Unfortunately, my blog probably gives many people the idea that I am calm, cool, collected, and content. Grin.

I'm still battling the feeling that *I* am the thing wrong with my life. I don't have anyone to blame but myself when my day goes badly. (See list of struggles above.)

Oh, I don't know if you saw the YouTube video on my blog a while back, but I was really struck by The Beckoning of Lovely. It was real, it was uplifting, it was empowering. I've used it as my new focal point. I don't know how to explain it, but I felt like, suddenly, I had a mission. And it wasn't about being perfect, or witty, or adventurous, or thin and beautiful, or wealthy. There are so many things, little things, that *anyone* can do to make life lovely, for themselves and others. I felt a lot of angst slip away. Now I'm the one who feels silly, typing that out. But there you have it. Smile.

Yes, there are a million things on my 'list' of things to do to improve myself and my life. Be consistent with Bible reading/devotions/spending time with God. Be diligent in daily tasks. Don't yell at the boys. Eat well. Exercise. Stop drinking Dr. Pepper. Be content with the person God made me. And I'm working on it, but those things are *hard* for me, and come very slowly. I'm constantly falling down, picking myself up, and starting all over again. Luckily His mercies are new every morning.

I have no idea if anything I wrote is remotely helpful, but I felt led to share it.

Summer Entertainment

Need perfect family summer entertainment?
One of our favorites is the summer concert series at a local park.
Although the Thursday evening series is well-known and highly attended,
we prefer the much quieter (and much less attended) Monday evening series.
We can show up just as the concert starts (or later), easily find a parking space,
and settle our blanket near the stage, with room to roam.
The boys can still squiggle, talk quietly, dance a little, read a book,
flirt with fellow concert-goers, or devour an ice cream cone.

Leif ran out of staying power before I was ready to leave the concert.
He decided to entertain himself by making faces for the camera.
What a ham.

(I'm having trouble getting the slide show to work. Hmmm.)

Create a free slideshow with Picnik!

The Boys are Back in Town

The big boys (Levi, Luke, and Daddy)
have returned from their annual 'Boy Camp.'
Four days of tenting, boating, hiking, swimming,
roasting marshmallows, reading Hardy Boys, playing cards, and
trying daring stunts without an overprotective mom
around to gasp and squeal.

Leif and mom had a quiet weekend before heading
up to camp on the last day to partake of the fun.
Leif cannot wait until he is old enough next year to
join the big boys. While mom loved the one-on-one time
with her not-quite-a-baby-anymore, she is also
looking forward to next year...

Not-Back-to-School Blog Hop

Darcy at Life With My 3 Boybarians is hosting a blog hop during the month of August.
This is curriculum week, when we share what resources we are using.

I've linked this post from earlier this year.
Our year runs January-December
with a laid-back summer routine,
so we'll be continuing with the same resources
and schedule in September.

The Thirsty Land

We Remember

Freedom is never free.

~Author Unknown

One Berry, Two Berry...

...Pick me a blueberry.

Say it with me, now:

Mountains and fountains

Rain down on me

Buried in berries

What a jam jamboree!

I'm in the mood to read Jamberry by Bruce Degen!

It's raining berries around here.

Blackberries at home.
Blueberries at the U-pick farm.
Raspberries at the farm stand.

Oooh-la-la!

I know I've shared my favorite blackberry recipe,
Blackberry Gingerbread, with you already,
so I'll share my favorite Berry Cobbler recipe today.

Berry Cobbler

4 cups raspberries or blackberries (or both!)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup sugar (or to taste)
1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1 egg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix berries and lemon juice.
Mix sugar and cornstarch.
Gently stir berry and sugar mixtures together.
Spread in 2 qt baking dish.
Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl.
Stir in milk, butter, and egg.
Spread batter evenly over berries, sealing edge.
Sprinkle with additional sugar.
Bake 30-35 minutes or until top is golden brown.

(I often add a few extra berries and double the topping recipe. Yum!!)

The Relatives Came!

The Relatives Came

One of my favorite picture books!

Then it was into the house and so much laughing
and shining faces and hugging in the doorways.
You'd have to go through at least four different hugs
to get from the kitchen to the front room. Those relatives!

And finally after a big supper two or three times around
until we all got a turn at the table, there was quiet talk
and we were in twos and threes through the house.

When Lighting Comes in a Jar

We have several of Patricia Polacco's books. I love them!

We had bag races, watermelon-seed-spitting contests,
and rides on Grampa's draft horse, too.
Until Grampa waved a yardstick in the air.

All of us kids dropped what we were doing and ran to the milk shed.

We knew it was time to get measured. We did this every year.

I liked looking at the marks of my gramma and her sisters
and brothers on the same doorway.

Some shorter than mine.
Hard to imagine that once they were little just like me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

More acurately, we came (or went)... to see our relatives!

My Dad's family (he has 3 sisters and 3 brothers) have been getting together every summer for years and years. My aunt and uncle have hosted this event almost every year at their home on the Willamette River. No 'rides on Grampa's draft horse' but there is always a rousing game of volleyball going on as well as endless fun down at the river. A cousin (or two) always brings some interesting gadget or toy for the kids. This year it was a water rocket.... a big hit.

We now number in the 70s with all the aunts, uncles, cousins, and second cousins. (My grandmother passed away 2 1/2 years ago. Until then, she always gave a message to the family at our Sunday morning family church service during family reunion. Grandpa passed away over 15 years ago. We miss them!!) I am always amazed at the comraderie and friendship we treasure. Seriously, I have the most awesome family!!

Educational Goals

A friend of mine (who happens to be an amazing teacher) and I were discussing education the other day. She was lamenting educational goals that strive to churn out children who are good at taking 'fill in the bubble' tests when her goal is to teach children how to be human beings. I couldn't fall asleep that night, thinking of what would be on my educational goal list. The next morning I started writing.

Educational Goals for My Children, or

How to Be a Human Being,
Capable of Living a Rich Life:

Trust God.

Be curious. About everything.

Read. Read. Read.

Help the underdog.

Entertain thoughts.

Set goals.

Observe nature.

Have compassion.

Discuss ideas.

Do hard things.

Create:

Build. Paint. Plant. Draw. Sing. Bake. Play an instrument.

Care for your body.

Follow through.

Appreciate beauty.

Ask questions.

Take responsibility.

Eat good food.

Play hard.

Plant a garden.

Try new things.

Share with others.

Manage your personal finances. Well.

Solve problems.

Plan for the future.

Keep house. Well.

Prepare for emergencies.

Nurture relationships.

Travel.

Give of yourself.

Value truth.

Keep your word.

Smell the flowers.

Pick up after yourself.

Use time wisely.

Encourage others.

Laugh. A lot.

Brave storms.

Cultivate a spirit of gratitude.

Find passion for life.

What would you add?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm finding daily inspiration for life and education at

Homeschool. Style. Bytes.

Check it out!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One more for you:

Illinois Loop has a WEALTH of information, articles, and links regarding education.
Fascinating stuff, I tell ya!
I particularly found their gender bias page to be enlightening.
This site is essential reading if you have a child of school age
(whether public, private, or home schooled),
or are generally interested in the state of education in our nation.

Beach Boys

Hard to believe it is week #29 at i heart faces!
I'm still coming off the high of winning 4th place
(out of 586) with my entry last week!!

We're on the beach this week (well, the theme is, anyway).
For some reason, I don't often get close-ups when we visit.
I'm thinking it might be that the boys are in constant motion.
This is one of the most realistic beach shots I have.
Three boys in three different directions.

I'm guessing other participants will have some
terrific shots to share. Head on over!

A Place Near Your Altar

All Good Things Must Come to an End

Day 6

Pack up. Again.

Drive north to Larrabee State Park in Bellingham.

Visit the beach while waiting for our campsite to free up.

Head to our new friends' home for the afternoon and evening.
Realize our trailer battery died.
Search around for some flashlights
so we can find our beds.

Photos and commentary here.

Day 7

Decide to stay at Larrabee for an extra night (instead of heading south to Seattle) so we can spend the whole afternoon on the beach.

Photos and commentary here.

Day 8

Drag our weary bodies home.

Glad we decided against sight-seeing in Seattle for the day

as we watch the rain pour down.

Lots of reading aloud to make the drive more enjoyable.

Mom and Dad and Ilex and Drake drive over
to help us quickly unload the trailer.
How nice is that?!
Just glad to be home and in our own beds.

Read Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey with the boys.
(Thanks for the recommendation, Colleen. We love it.)
Marvel and wonder at the similarities between
the children's vacation on the islands and our own island vacation...
even starting and ending with the rain.

Place our beach treasures on the 'nature table'
in the boys' bedroom.

And remember.

San Juan Island

Day 5

Now THAT is more like it. Seriously.
Blue skies. Sunshine. White, fluffy clouds. I'll take it.

Eat more Fruit Loops.

Pack up camp. Get a ticket for the ferry.
Back to town to grab a bite to eat at the market.
Visit yesterday's picnic table.
Back to board the ferry.

Enjoy the view from the ferry.
Luke discovers puzzles on the tables inside.
Luckily we can still see the view from the window...
Arrive at Friday Harbor, San Juan Island.

Have a bite to eat at an outdoor cafe overlooking the harbor.
Visit laundromat #2 (drat that pesky rain yesterday!).
Browse a few shops.

Visit the beautiful lavender farm (and visiting sculpture).
Browse the gatehouse gift shop.
Taste-test the lavender vanilla ice cream. Oh. My. Goodness. Heavenly.

Off to admire the sculptures at the outdoor sculpture park.
Suddenly very hot. How did that happen?!

Back to the ferry dock to wait in line.
Browse a few more shops while the boys stay in the truck and read.
Ahhhhh. Solitude.

Ferry ride #3. The natives get restless.

Back to Deception Pass.
Bask in the sunset.
Late dinner and crash into bed.

Lopez Island

Day 4

Up bright and early. Well, early anyway. Note the gray world and drizzling rain.
Pack the truck with camping gear. Gulp. Leave the trailer behind at Deception Pass. Sigh.
Switch bike rack to truck. Get in line for the ferry ride to Lopez Island.

The ferry ride entertains children and parents alike in spite of the weather.
First time on a big boat for the boys.

A deer on the side of the road greets us as we get off the ferry.
Snag one of the last camping spots on the island (at Spencer's Spit) and breathe a sigh of relief.
Set up tent in the rain. Drive off to explore the island.
Buy lunch at the market, eat at a picnic table outside during a break in the weather,
and browse the local historical museum.

Head back to camp.
Ride bikes down to Spencer's Spit and play on beach. Gather rocks and shells.
Make our way back to our tent to turn in early.
Eat Fruit Loops while watching a movie on Russ's laptop until the battery runs dead...

A Day at Deception Pass

Day 3

Russ takes Levi and Luke for a bike ride around the park while Leif and I sleep in...

Bike riding and reading around camp (perfect area with trees and small hills for bike obstacle course and Leif really enjoyed his new-found skill!!):

Back to the beach with the whole family. Building a shelter and gathering rocks...


Packing in 90 degree heat and arriving in 50 degree wet weather means running out of jeans and sweatshirts very early in the week. Time for the laundromat (and quite a novelty for the boys). Have some pizza while we're in town...

Might as well turn in early since it is raining, and we have an early start tomorrow...

Mount St. Helens to Deception Pass

Am I only on day 2 of our vacation? Good grief.

We spent our first night at the state park near Mount St. Helens. It would have been even more inviting had there not been a militia of monster mosquitoes! I think I lost a pint of blood, and we headed into the trailer early.

The next morning dawned cool and misty. The boys rode their bikes around our camp site (Leif figured out how to ride his little bike with training wheels... I'm so glad Russ brought it along!!). Levi spent some time reading in the great outdoors.

We headed up the road. Beautiful day for viewing Mount St. Helens, no?

Spent some time exploring the Forestry Center...

Walked up to the look-out....

Lovely view of the clouds...

We then packed up camp and headed north. The drive was dull and gray. The boys read and read and read. We finally made it to Anacortes!

We parked the trailer at Deception Pass State Park and watched the sunset from the beach. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Even if it was cloudy and cool.