Books I'm Reading and Other Happenings at Our House

1.  I was interviewed on the local Fox network a week or so ago and forgot to mention it here.  The American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement warning pregnant women and children from drinking raw milk.  I was a mother's voice speaking contrary to their admonitions.  My family and I have been drinking fresh, whole, unadulterated-milk-straight-from-the-cow for five years and we are very healthy.  Since drinking fresh milk we have not been sick enough to warrant a trip to the doctor.   Here is a logical, easy to understand response from the Raw Milk Institute to the AAP.  This warning is absolutely ludicrous and I wonder who is lining the pockets making donations to the AAP.  It is certainly not the lowly raw milk farmer.  As I told the Fox reporter: if you know your farmer and their practices, the milk is perfectly safe and good to drink.

Whew, that's off my chest.

2.  Books I'm reading:

Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know - I was compelled to read this book after a couple of dads told me how much they enjoyed it.  The author is a medical doctor and writes from her experience of counseling women in her practice (young and old).  The first I'd heard of this book was by way of FamilyLife's radio program.  A friend of ours (dad to 4 daughters) said he was bawling while listening to the author talk about the power of a dad.  The chapters that opened my eyes most (thinking about Caroline) were the ones that talked about sexuality and the pervasiveness of it in our modern society.  The chapters that resonated most, when thinking about my dad, was the extreme sense of self confidence I have…and I owe it all to my dad.  Truly I am a strong woman largely in part because of him.

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America - The author "goes undercover" and gets a minimum wage job and tries to make due on an hourly wage.  A neighbor loaned this book to me.  After her brother read it, he helped start a ministry to homeless people.  The book, written like a memoir, helped open my eyes (again) to the cyclical power of poverty.  It only takes one domino to fall in the wrong place for several things to go terribly wrong.  In particular, housing and transportation are some of the biggest pieces in the poverty puzzle, not to mention childcare if one has small children.

Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Woman's Prison -  The author was sentenced to 15 months in a federal women's prison for her involvement in trafficking drugs ten years prior.  If it weren't for the lewdness (homosexuality and strong language), I would want John Isaac to read it simply because the author clearly writes how sin is not worth its consequences.  Her few months of fun with sex, travel, and money were not payment enough for the YEARS of pain she caused herself and loved ones.  Beyond that, the author writes about hierarchy, social strata, and inner workings of a women's prison.  Memoirs are my favorite!

3.  Speaking of homosexuality, World Magazine came this week and was on our dining room table.  John Isaac will often pick it up and read it cover to cover then tell me which articles I should read.  He read something aloud about homosexual marriage and said, "What does that mean?"  I told him when a man marries a man or a woman marries a woman.  He said emphatically, "That's GROSS!"  Thankfully Hubby was also there and we had a quick chat about what God says about marriage.

4.  I was at Target by 8 this morning and in the mall parking lot before the doors opened.  I've never done that without my mom or sister - even so it has been a looong time.  I scored some good deals at Dillard's thanks to generous family members giving cold hard cash for Christmas.  I bought my first pair of leggings since, oh, middle school.  Yeah, I'm so NOT a fashionista.  I fell in love with yummie tummie brand for the post-baby flabby belly.  Boots were 40% off and I bought a pair of Born.

5.  Schaeffer is sleeping at night but he is refusing the "afternoon" nap.  Killing me.  His first birthday is in two weeks…could he be ready to go to one nap this early?  He usually naps from 9-11 (I have to wake him) then I try to lay him down again at 1.  He is quiet off and on for an hour then he gets really cranked and I've been getting him out of bed at 2:30 or 3.  He is super-cranky-boy until bedtime between 7-8.  Last week he was napping from 1-4 rather consistently.  This boy is going to be the death of me.

6.  A neighbor called this afternoon inquiring about employing our eldest to feed their dog while they are out of town.  I said that would be fine as long as the payment didn't cause inflation to current labor wages.  After haggling a while on what was fair (neighbor wanted to pay waaaaay toooo much), I agreed to send John Isaac down in the morning for specific instructions.  When telling JI about his future employment he was giddy.  He wanted to know how much he would be paid, how long they would be gone, then said, "They are going to pay me to feed their dog?"  Almost as if he would have paid them.

7. I'm not quite regular but I am beginning to exercise more that I'm sleeping all night.  I swam laps on Monday for the first time in a looooong time.  And have dusted off my T-tapp DVDs.

I'll post Christmas pictures, etc. later in the week.  Wanted to tell my bookworm friends what I'm reading. (Hi Shari and Lindsay :)

I'd love to hear what everyone is reading.  Got recommendations of things I should read in 2014?

Advent Ideas: A Movie & A Book

The last few nights we have been watching 20 minutes of The Nativity Story.  We have a physical copy but you can watch on Amazon.

Something about watching the story, as opposed to reading it in the Bible, causes one to think about it differently.

A few things that come to mind:

- How young Mary was.  The story became familiar to me at a young age and I have always thought of Mary as someone older.
- The scandalous cultural implications of her pregnancy while a virgin.
- The journey to Bethlehem was arduous and long and uncomfortable!
- King Herod was a cunning and evil man.
- The wise men looking for the star, and the astronomy that went into seeking the child.

We're only about half way through the movie.  I'm sure the Lord will cause other things in the story to come alive as we finish it - I just wanted to encourage you to watch it before Christmas.  We've watched it the last 3 or 4 or 5? years.

Secondly, a friend gave me a copy of The Greatest Gift  - Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas by Ann Voskamp. Truly I have enjoyed reading her short, daily devotions leading up to Christmas.  Each day begins with Scripture, then a devotion, a suggested action point (which could be doing something or simply being), and a few questions with space to write reflections.

Merry Christmas, y'all!

Kon-Tiki {balsa raft across the Pacific}

My husband read this book review on Kon-Tiki then reserved a copy of it from the library.

It's a true story of how six men traveled 2,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean in 1947 on a raft made of balsa wood to prove a theory that Polynesians migrated from Peru.

I was hooked after reading this paragraph from the reviewer:

Kon-Tiki is not a monotonous log or diary of a voyage; it is an amazing adventure. It is not a typical living geography book, though it does describe in vivid detail the people and terrain of Peru, the ocean currents, the South Pacific islands and their respective inhabitants and culture. It encompasses a vast array of other subjects: history for one, with its interesting description of the world after World War II, the technology, industry, and interests of the young men who survived the brutal realities of that war; worthy literature, as Heyerdahl masterfully employs excellent language to tell his tale with admirable literary flair; anthropology, as he enthusiastically justifies his pet project to prove a theory about the relationship of the Peruvian Indians to the Polynesians is contagious enough to awaken interest in that field; even government as he negotiates and pulls strings to get the project underway.

Because I am a mother of two boys, I'm thinking of buying a copy of this book for them to read again and again.  You can buy a mass-market paperback for $5.  I'm not an expert at gauging reading levels, but I would put this one on a high-school level.  For my fourth-grader, I will pick passages for him to read - specifically surrounding the crew's observations of marine life.  Already I have read several passages to him.  It's not that the story line or words would be too hard for him to read, I think he would be lost on some of the details (that I find engaging!)

If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can watch a one-hour documentary [from 1950] free. In 2013, Hollywood made another version.  I've not seen either because I want to finish the book first.

What books are you reading?

books I'm reading (or recently read)

Keeping it short and sweet, here are some books shaping my life right now.  Be sure to read about the last book - which is totally rocking my world right now.

This summer I read about getting a baby to sleep.  He's still not sleeping through the night, so dare I commend them?  Yes, I will.  They were still helpful.

- Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child
- (Baby Wise worked for the older 2, but #3 is a man of his own.)
- The Baby Whisperer Solves all Your Problems
- Caroline loves The Going to Bed Book or anything by Sandra Boynton.

not yet read but on the to-read list because highly recommended by a good friend:: Sleepless in America: Is your child misbehaving or missing sleep? by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka.  The author also wrote a book I loved when energetic John Isaac was killing me 3-5 years old: Raising Your Spirited Child.

- The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind Interesting and thought provoking.  This book is also very popular in adoption circles.  If you are an adoptive parent, I HIGHLY recommend it.

- East of Eden by John Steinbeck.  That man can develop some characters.

-Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes.  This book was given to me by a dear friend.  It's an easy-to-read-in-short-snippets kind of book.  Broken into four parts, the book lends itself to discussions for book clubs.  Also worthy of note is the fact that most chapters close with recipes (simple and delicious).  The back of the book lays out discussion questions and 4 menus.  I'm in process of wrangling neighborhood women to form such a group to discuss and eat together.  So far about 10 have agreed; finding a common time is a challenge!

The most thought provoking and life-changing book I'm currently reading is called Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: Unleash a Revolution in Your Life in Christ.  {I've linked to CDB because the price is cheaper than Amazon and CBD also carries a workbook that I learned of after ordering from Amazon.}

You've heard the tired phrase, "Don't judge a book by the cover."  I want to add, "don't judge a book by its title." The title sounds like one must be on the brink of emotional melt-down to benefit.  Today I was thinking I'd like to rename the book Stuck in a Rut? Tips for Drawing Near to God.  Upon reflection, my title doesn't really do justice for the book's contents either.

The book was whole-heartedly recommended by a dear, godly, wise, mentor friend.  If anyone else had recommended it, I would have scoffed at the title and promptly ignored the suggestion.  I am loving this book, reading it slowly and savoring each chapter.  If you only read one book for your spiritual growth this year (besides the Bible), please grab a copy of this one.  My real life friends have even heard me rave about it and say it's the kind of book that all Christians should read. {It's even available in my local library.}

What books are you reading?

Best Baby Gift

For the third child, not much "baby gear" is needed.  A veteran mom (of 7) gave me this book and I love it.  I think any mom would love one.  You just write one line a day (and skip a few days if you want!)   It doesn't feel overwhelming like journaling or scrapbooking can.

Fit to Burst: Must Read Book for Mothers of Young Children

My in-laws left this morning.  It's the first time I've been the only adult in the house in about a month.  To my great surprise (and JOY!) today has been an easy day.  The weather is nice, the kids are getting along, the baby is content.

But life is not always this good.  There are days when I want to pull out my hair and go hide in a closet - or maybe a hot bathtub.

A good friend of mine recently emailed to say, "Have you read Rachel Jankovic's new book?  [Julie writes: She was also the author of Loving the Little Years which I loved].  I've only read one chapter but I'm telling you BUY THE BOOK.  The first chapter on sacrificial giving like that of Christ's has me saying "ouch" and "Yes!" simultaneously. Probably the best I've read on it from a mother's perspective."

I'm a bit over half way through the book and I echo my friend's sentiments.  BUY THE BOOK.  The chapters are short yet chocked full of godly wisdom as to pertaining running a home with little children (who inevitably sometimes seem like their mission is to make life miserable for mom.) This is a book that I will read again.  Already I have found myself thinking about something I read in the book, and it has influenced (for good!) the way I respond to my children.

In these exhausting first days with a newborn, it is oh-so-easy in my tiredness to give in to the desires of the flesh.  The timing of reading this book has been good, encouraging, helpful...what else can I say?  BUY THE BOOK.

If you are a mom of older children, buy this book for a mom of littles and bless her.

Triathlon

A few weeks ago, Hubby got this book from the library.  Always loving a good biography, I had to read it too.  I mean, seriously, what compels people to punish their bodies to swim 2.5 miles, bike 114 then run a marathon (26 miles)?!  While reading it, I felt a bit like a slacker.  After all, I do not exercise.  Ever.

Then it hit me.  I am training for a major race (of sorts).  Labor and delivery.  (It's a BOY, btw, due January 6.)  My body is being distorted, stretched and pulled, making me exhausted at the end of every day.  If only this metamorphosis was a becoming one... I digress.

As long as I've known my man, he has enjoyed, craved, excelled, and enjoyed exercising.  Yes, I know I used the word enjoyed twice.  I do not understand how people enjoy exercising.  He decided to race in a sprint triathlon.  Joining with a 62 year- old co-laborer from FamilyLife, they endeavored to swim 500 yards, bike 13.5 miles and run 3.4 miles.

Here they are loading the car for the race in Heber Springs, Arkansas (about 1.5 hours north of Little Rock).  For many reasons, I decided to stay home with the kids.

And here they are the morning of the race.  Air temperature was 62*, lake water was 69* (these guys did not wear wet suits, though 3/4 of the racers chose this option.)  A storm rolled through during the night making the lake choppy and quite cold, which made the swim rather tough.

 And look how fresh they are after the race!

 John was pleased with time of 1:41, placing 51st overall (120 participants), 6th in his age group.  His friend, Gabe, placed 2nd in his age group.  I was proud of their accomplishments.

Are You Running the Rat Race?

Earlier this summer, I had a conversation with a mom who confessed to me that, "We have not had a family dinner together because of sport practices since my son was 8."  That son is now 15 and there are two other children in the family who are also involved in various activities.  She went on to complain about how she felt powerless for change.    The pace for their family felt like a hamster wheel on overdrive.

For an instant, I felt sorry for her.  I felt like saying, "YOU ARE THE PARENT.  YOU HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE CHANGES."

My husband often jokes with his people-pleasing mother that one day he will write a book called, "How to Say 'No'."  Because he does not struggle with pleasing others, or maybe it is because he is a thinker, he has a plan for his life (and probably a plan for yours, too - if you'd listen!)

Thankfully my husband's intentionality overflows into our family life.

Together, we have made hard choices not to allow our children to participate in every activity under the sun.  As parents, not only do we say no to our children, we have to say no (and explain our reasonings) to other well-meaning parents.  Peer pressure works well into adulthood.

Last night in a parenting group we were discussing why parents get caught up in the rat race of activities.  [BTW, this is the third time that Hubby and I have been in a discussion group for Shepherding a Child's Heart.  Now there's a parent's handbook/discussion guide that is great for small groups.  I highly recommend reading it - if you haven't already.]

This morning our group leader, Rob Smith, sent the following in an email.  It is so good that I decided to write this post so that I could share it with you.

I was pondering the question again as to why parents get caught up in the rat race of activities.  Kimmel (in his book, Little House on the Freeway) reminded me that there is a poison pill our culture offers called comparison.  “We need to be careful we don’t swallow it up.  It offers addictions to things that don’t last and cravings for things that don’t really matter and causes us to depend upon tomorrow to bring us happiness that today can never supply.”  Comparison has it’s companions in the bible called envy, jealousy, lust and greed.

We are RICH.  If we have 1) a personal relationship with the God of this universe and we have 2) children, then we are joint heirs with the Son of God which means the universe already belongs to us.  That fact should curb our comparison issues.  And on top of that we get the opportunity to pass on love to our children.  A love that will last forever.  Let’s count our blessings and enjoy our wealth!  Love that refuses to compare could be the best poison prevention we can provide for our kids.  Again the arrow points back to us parents.

Dear parent, do not forget that you hold the keys for change.  You are not powerless to float in our culture's current of incessant busyness.  Swim upstream and be intentional.  Make room in your family's schedule for quiet, for rest, for family dinners!

On the Bookshelf

Like most people I keep a stack of books by the bed to read.  I've finished a few lately and thought I'd pass along the titles.  Most of these books were recommended by my husband, the bibliophile.  :)

Bloody Crimes was interesting and a fast read, yet not as interesting or fast paced as the first book I read by the same author - Manhunt.


The next book, Excitotoxins, was written by a medical doctor and is chocked full of facts (a bit dry).  If you ever needed a reason not to like artificial sweeteners or MSG, this book will convince you to keep both out of your diet.  I'm still making my way through this one.

In our home school history we are learning about the American revolution.  It is only fitting that I'm working through this biography.  Washington was a man of integrity; many stories from this book I've retold at dinner.  Well written and my vocabulary has increased as a result...or I've at least used Webster's to help me understand Chernow's command of English.

Also well written is "Ten Ways to Destroy The Imagination of Your Child."  Excellent and compelling.  Spoiler alert: video games destroy the imagination.

The next two books I read in record time because they are comic books.  Yes, you read that right - illustrated novels.  I never thought I would recommend one.  The author/illustrator was the son of concentration camp survivors from WWII.  He retells his own story, as well as his parents.  Incredibly well done on so many levels.

What books are you reading?

More Diary of an Early American Boy

This morning we were reading more of our new favorite boy book: Diary of an Early American Boy.  The below paragraph from page 40 was especially meaningful (to me) and I wanted to share it.  I've bolded my favorite part.

*************

In modern times when everything a person needs may be bought in a store, there are very few handmade things left.  So we are robbed of that rare and wonderful satisfaction that comes with personal accomplishment.  In Noah's time, nearly every single thing a person touched was the result of his own efforts.  The cloth of his clothing, the meal on the table, the chair he sat in, and the floor he walked upon, all were made by the user.  This is why those people had an extraordinary awareness of life.  They knew wood intimately; they knew the ingredients of food and medicines and nicks and paints because they grew it and ground it and mixed it themselves.  It was this awareness of everything about them that make the early American people so full of satisfaction, so grateful for life and all that went with it.  Nowadays modern conveniences allow us to be forgetful, and we easily become less aware of the wonders of life.

Boy Book

If your family enjoyed reading the "Little House" books, check out "Diary of an Early American Boy" by Eric Slone.











From front: Slone found Noah Blake's leather-bound, wood-backed journal from 1805 while exploring an old house. Slone became fascinated by the diary, in which Noah Blake (15 yrs old) kept an account of daily activities on his father's farm.

Fun for the entire family!

Two WWII Books in February

I just finished Armageddon by Leon Uris.  He's kind of like the 1960's version of John Gresham.  A few years ago I read Exodus by Uris and it was equally thrilling. (Unfortunately both books had steamy splotches of smut that I could have done without.)

Armageddon is about Germany after WWII - I've never read a WWII book from this vantage point.  It really caused me to think about the war in ways I hadn't before.  From it I also learned about the Russian blockade of Berlin and the American airlift.  Fascinating, miraculous engineering feat!

The second book about WWII this month is Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, who also wrote Seabiscuit.  Wow.  Hillenbrand does not disappoint.  Hubby and I have had so many conversations about her ability to turn a phrase or paint a picture.  He sent an email to a few of his friends about it:

I started reading Unbroken, an account of one man’s journey in the pacific theater during WWII. It is one of the most engaging non-fiction books I’ve read (next to Hunting Eichmann and Manhunt). After reading a few pages this weekend, I started reading it to JI. He was completely enraptured. We read Saturday afternoon and Sunday night. When I came home from the office yesterday he asked if I could read more. So after dinner I read for almost two hour straight. Julie joined us for the last hour. Neither moved!  When we had to stop for bed time, he said “Dad, please don’t read any on your own tonight – it’s getting to the good part.” (I had read a bunch Sunday night and skipped over some of the more brutal parts and summarized everything else. I tried to pretend I was reading my summary from the book, but he could tell something wasn’t right…).

I won’t spoil the story, but if you’re looking for a good book to read about an amazing guy and an amazing story, you will enjoy this one!

Learning Hymns

When we lived in Phoenix, our church had a "hymn of the month" that we would work on at home so the children would be familiar with it on Sunday.  The hymns were chosen from the book Hymns for a Kid's Heart, vol 2.

The book has stories about the hymn writers as well as devotions which helps the children (and adults) to connect to the song.  Also included in the book is a fully orchestrated CD with children's voices - and for those musically inclined - piano and guitar chords.

Our family enjoyed learning the hymns.  But we've fallen out of practice. (Rather, I've fallen out of practice.  Hubby and Mr. Intensity still sing at bed time.  Currently they're learning A Mighty Fortress is Our God in German.)

Trying to resurrect the discipline of memorizing timeless truths in song, I copy/pasted the words into a document for us to use during our homeschool time.  Mr. Intensity loves to sing.  He's so cute!

I plan on focusing on one song a month - or until we have a hymn memorized.  I'm going to laminate the pages on cardstock and put the "hymn of the month" in his workbox drawers.

Books of 2009

During the first trimester of my pregnancy, I read a lot.  It was one thing I could do that didn't cause me to want to throw up.

Below are a few books I read in 2009 (most in the fall) that have helped to shape my thinking of the world and things around me.

Same Kind of Different as Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together - The title is a good descriptor of the book.  It was a powerful read.  Highly recommended.


Animal, Vegetable Miracle: A Year of Food Life -Written in memoir style, Kingsolver writes almost poetically about her family's journey to eat locally for a year.  Easy, though thought provoking read.  Food has been in the forefront of my brain for the last 12-15 months and this book brought new things to ponder.  Specifically, the stewardship of eating non-local foods, especially out of season, has caused me to wrestle with food purchases.  She pointed to the gallons of petroleum used to ship bananas to my table.  Stepping more on my toes, was the story shared about local farmers being stuck with truck loads of organic tomatoes. The same product shipped across the country was cheaper at Whole Foods, because of government gasoline subsidies.  And we wonder why we pay such taxes?!  This book was a reminder that I vote three times a day.  Highly recommended.

My Life in France - Seeing Julie & Julia piqued my interest in the autobiography of the food goddess, Julia Child.  I really enjoyed the book and it made me want to cook from Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Anything by David McCullough is a good book, in my mind. An interesting compilation of essays and quick read from him is found in Brave Companions.

After reading Brave Companions, I wanted to know more about Teddy Roosevelt.  Hubby recommended The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, and I now do, too.  Before reading that biography, I didn't know much about one of the faces of Mt. Rushmore but now I have such an admiration for a man of great character.

Which is what I cannot say of his cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt, after reading Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship.  FDR may have been the right politician for America during WWII but his personal ethic was not something to be admired.  The book was helpful for me to understand more of the political details, or relationships, during WWII.

Autobiographies/biographies are my favorite genre of books but I also enjoy learning more about WWII.  Hubby and his mom are also history buffs.  She loaned us Things We Couldn't Say: A dramatic account of Christian resistance in Holland during WWII.

Jon Krakauer is another favored author and I was excited to know he recently released another book, Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman. Because I enjoy biographies, I was excited to read this story. Tillman, a Phoenix Cardinals NFL player, left a lucrative career to fight terrorism as an Army Ranger shortly after September 11, 2001.  He was tragically killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan.   However, Krakauer greatly disappointed me by interjecting so much of his personal political thoughts.  The book would have been much better if he had stayed with Tillman's life story.

In late October Hubby traveled to Rwanda and his trip increased our desire to learn more about that small central African country.  I only vaguely remember any details from their genocide in 1994. Wanting to learn more, I read We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families.  The author delved into political history as well as shared personal stories.  However, a better read (for an autobiography lover, at least) was Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust.  The author, then 22 years-old, hid -starving- in a cramped bathroom with seven other women for 91 terrifying days.

And currently?  I'm reading The Well Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home.  Weighing in at a hefty 864 pages it is quite the read but I am so inspired and encouraged!  This copy is borrowed from the library but I'm contemplating purchasing it for my personal library.  The list of recommended resources at the end of each chapter is worth the price of the book, alone.

Lastly on the reading table is Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child.  Some friends and I are going to discuss it in the evening of January 21.  If you're interested in joining the discussion email me or leave a comment and I'll give you more details.  The Amazon.com reviewer says this about the book:

Health-care practitioners are a polarized lot: generally speaking, either they subscribe wholeheartedly to conventional medical treatments, or they eschew them altogether. This can be a great source of frustration to parents, whose natural response to a child's illness is a desire to do everything possible to make that child well. Written by a natural-medicine practitioner, a traditionally licensed doctor, and a pediatric nurse, Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child presents an integrated approach to children's health care that allows a parent to do just that. This excellent reference applies a full spectrum of responses to common childhood health problems: conventional medical treatments, dietary guidelines, nutritional supplements, herbal treatments, homeopathy, and acupressure; for each ailment, general recommendations and preventive measures are also offered. The book's authors explain that their approach to health care "considers all treatment possibilities and draws on what works. Sometimes this will be an herb, sometimes an antibiotic, sometimes both." This well-researched, balanced, and clearly written reference belongs on every parent's bookshelf.

What are you reading in 2010?

Yard Art, Church, Twist on Favorite

Yard Art
This was Mr. Intensity's afternoon activity yesterday. He had a wooden mallet to bam the Montessori rods in the ground, along with a few wooden stakes and a sword from the Czech Republic.  Not sure we've used the Montessori rods correctly in a while.  :)  He also smashed several acorns with the mallet.  Love this kind of independent play.

Church
Secondly, our church service yesterday was very meaningful. The focus was on the Persecuted Church as well as orphans. One way to help the little man stay engaged was to write out a few words and let him copy.  Edith Schaeffer did a masterful job with her children in church services - she drew pictures that correlated with the sermon topic.  More details in her book, The Hidden Art of Homemaking.

Twist on a Favorite
While Hubby was in Rwanda a friend invited me and Mr. Intensity for dinner.


She made chicken salad and added shredded cheese. She put a dill pickle slice on top of the salad in a bun with then wrapped the whole thing with foil and baked in the oven till heated through.


OH MY.


It was super yummy.


We had it for dinner last night - Hubby loved it, too.


For lunch today, I heated my sandwich in the toaster oven - open faced, without foil - and it was just fine.  My sister reminded me that Martha doesn't let foil touch her food due to safety concerns.  She puts parchment paper on first then the foil. I'm crazy scared about Alzheimer's so I try not to use aluminum when I can avoid it.


[Another yummy I made over the weekend: Garam Masala Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk.]


Pregnancy Update
Today begins 14 weeks and I heard the heartbeat in the doctor's office.  I'm hopeful the nausea is coming to an end, as I feel better today than I have in a long while.

Square Foot Gardening

Mel Bartholomew is on to something with his square foot gardening (SFG) gig.   His book convinced me - as well as reading other bloggers who have had good experiences.

The soil in Little Rock is quite, ahem, rocky and mostly clay.  It's worthless for a garden. When doing any digging, a pick axe is a must.  Also imperative is a strong young buck.

Or, better yet, two strong young bucks.
You'll want the box to be somewhat level.  The omni-competent Pioneer Woman has an excellent tutorial for building your garden box.
Several times Hubby hit rocks and couldn't place the stake where he wanted.  I kept telling him, "The Nester says, 'It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.'"
Meanwhile, Mr. Intensity found the loot!  Oh, my.  Sheer joy.  Pure, indescribable joy.  This 1/2 cubic yard of mixed dirt (topsoil + compost) was about $25.  Worth every penny.
He played in the bed of the truck forever then decided to get in on the manual labor.  

The wagon that he's pushing was too heavy for me.  Well, almost too heavy.  I let him think I couldn't budge it.  Hubby was also impressed by the little man's muscle.
He can shovel, too!  In the picture below he's shoveling dirt on top of pine needles and oak leaves that friends gave us.  In the SFG book, Mel recommends a perfect growing mix of vermiculite, compost and peat moss.  Once in the garden center I realized this recommendation was too pricey for our budget.  In a few months I'll add more composted material and possibly, lime - after a soil test.
At one point, Mr. Intensity decided it would be faster to use his dump truck to haul the dirt from the pickup to the SFG.  He said, "Momma, I made TWO trips with my truck in the time it takes Daddy to make one with the wheel barrow."  We haven't had our math lesson on volume yet.
Because the mixed dirt was mostly clay, we added a 50lb bag of sand.  The black stuff on top of that is at least 30lbs of coffee grounds from Starbucks.
Looks like cookies-n-cream.  Well, sort of.  :)
The SFG book strongly recommends marking the square foot sections.  I quickly did mine with masking tape.  Also note the handy-dandy garden tool.  It was a Mother's Day gift and I love it.  If you dream of gardening, put it on your wish list.
As you can see, the masking tape didn't hold up too well (to the love and attention of Mr. Intensity.)  

The row closest to the watering can has chinese cabbage, then broccoli.  In the upper right corner is spinach.  Also planted are herbs: dill, parsley, and cilantro.  Three empty squares will have swiss chard planted by seed - one day this week.
The spinach and chinese cabbage did not like the transplant and looked a bit wilted. 
My days in a tobacco field taught me that these young plants should bounce back in a day or two.  Fingers crossed.

I am super excited about this lil plot of garden.  Anyone else tried SFG or doing a fall garden?  If so, what are you planting?