thanks, from me to You.

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Here we are, on the eve of a wonderful celebration. A day to stop and just say, Thank You. What a gift this day is, in and of itself!

In recent years it’s struck me that being thankful is very “on trend.” It’s kind of popular. But somehow, somewhere in its rise to fame, Thankful has become synonymous with Positive Thoughts.

That’s not what it means, I tell my children.

Thankfulness inherently is an acknowledgement of two parties: you, the recipient, and another, the giver. And being thankful without acknowledging the giver is rather like mailing a thank you card with no address.

Thankfulness is a chance to remember who we are and where we stand. It’s an invitation to embrace humility. And joy.

So I ponder this. Tomorrow, I want to respond to that invitation. I don’t want to simply look around me, take note of the good things I enjoy, and proceed to feel good. I want to treat thanksgiving as what it is: a chance to humbly say, All I am, all I have, the very breath I breathe, is a gift. A gift from a Giver.

Now thank we all our God
With heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done,
In whom the world rejoices.
Who from our mothers’ arms
Has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love
And still is ours today.

*****

Moments of blessing far beyond what I deserve (what joy and freedom!):

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more thoughts on reading: getting started

As some follow-up thoughts on reading to your kids, I thought I’d post a link to this entry, wherein I discuss some of the things that have helped us to establish reading as a valued tradition. Because you know what? It takes work and a plan. Some babies are born with an insatiable appetite for page-turning. Others, not so much. Or not at all. Too bad! Ha!

Maybe you’re a little lost on which books to buy. I know. There are so many!

First, ask a friend. Ask me! I’ve got lots of favorites. So does my sister.

Second, keep tabs on your favorite book lists. I am constantly going back to Five-In-A-Row’s lists. I’ve never used their curriculum, but I agree with their ideas of good books. So I trust them.

I also trust this list.

Once you’ve found your titles, either borrow it from the library (aren’t you glad for the internet and inter-library loans? Wow!), or consider buying used — either from amazon or Abe Books. Sometimes it’s the only way to find the really good titles, since they’re not all in print. But it’s also a good way to turn what would be a massive gift investment (4 kids x $16/a book = holy cow!) into a very affordable one.

And then get ready to read! Get a basket or a special sort of out-in-the-open display, and model for your kids that you love to read those pages!

I’ll leave you with links to the three books currently being read by Beatrice on the floor at my feet:

The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh

How I Became a Pirate

Mary Engelbreit’s Nursery Tales

Happy Reading!

read.

(written late last night:)

My mother shared this with the Literature Group she leads, and I loved it so:

Twenty Minutes a Day

Read to your children
Twenty minutes a day;
You have the time,
And so do they.
Read while the laundry is in the machine;
Read while the dinner cooks;
Tuck a child in the crook of your arm
And reach for the library books.
Hide the remote,
Let the computer games cool,
For one day your children will be off to school;
Remedial? Gifted? You have the choice;
Let them hear their first tales
In the sound of your voice.
Read in the morning;
Read over noon;
Read by the light of
Goodnight Moon.
Turn the pages together,
Sitting close as you’ll fit,
Till a small voice beside you says,
“Hey, don’t quit.”

Richard Peck

Tonight, Mama and another wonderful home school mother spoke on teaching from literature. Of course, the first and overarching encouragement was to not neglect reading to your children.

Reading is something we love to do. I always wish I spent more time reading, and am looking for ways to re-work our days in order to do so. I’ve read out loud to Jameson since he was a toddling babe, and over the last 6-7 years, we’ve had poetry-at-lunch, Bible-storiy-at-nap, chapter-book-at-bed, picture-book-every-other-time traditions. Whatever works at that stage, in that season, we do it. They don’t turn the page; that’s Mama’s job. They sit and listen, and I read.

This afternoon, it was just William and I in the kitchen, and he requested I re-read a favorite chapter from a Narnia book. It wasn’t a chapter I’d been terribly impacted by — in fact, I hardly remembered it. But as I read, he could practically finish every sentence! I couldn’t believe how, after hearing it once, he had memorized every detail.

Then, right as I was getting ready to go hear my mother share, Jameson sat down next to me with the Jesus Storybook and began reading — flying right through, barely stumbling, with animation and expression in his voice. I was astounded. When did that happen? I honestly don’t know.

That only confirmed, once again, how wonderful reading truly is. There are worlds and ideas opened up to little minds, not to mention phonics and grammar and vocabulary that practically fall into their laps as they listen to good literature. And as their minds hear of far-off places and people, we hone and sharpen their worldviews, showing them how Jesus has something to say about it all.

That’s why “read loud” is almost always a Most Important Thing on my daily list. If we do nothing but chores and lots of reading, we have had a wonderful day.

I’m reminding myself of that. I’m committing to memory William’s shining eyes and Jameson’s confident voice. Not to mention Beatrice’s sweet head resting against me as she listens to Jemima Puddleduck for the hundredth time.

Reading is a gift — one I’m so grateful to have received, and one I’m determined to diligently pass along.

*****

When it came time for reading today, Beatrice wouldn’t sit still, Jameson wasn’t much better, and William interrupted almost every sentence with a question about vocabulary. We plodded on. Because they will learn the art of listening and self control, and in the end, no matter how many corrections have been issued, they beg for the next chapter. (Today, I said no. I had to excuse myself so I could go tear my hair out. Ha!)


(we all have our own favorite reading nook, right?)

three months

I couldn’t let the day close without noting that my brand new baby is, in fact, a quarter of a year old.

*huge sigh*

Sad, right? Except not really, because every day I squeeze her cheeks and think, Wow. I love her even more today!


This makes me laugh. She always look startled!


Post-wedding. Her shoes were killing her feet, I guess.


Big sister isn’t feeling so well, so a bit of morning Little Bear was in order.


Enamored with her hands. So am I.


Asleep. On to bigger and better things tomorrow.

Sweet dreams, sweet baby of mine.

life.

Yesterday was a pretty awesome day.

Not because anything super fun or spectacular happened. Just because I got up with my alarm, started laundry and went walking and greeted the kids cheerfully and the sun was shining and school was fun. And at 2:30, instead of crashing, I put on a movie for the boys and took the girls on a grocery run. I felt zippy and on top of the world! Woo-hoo!

And then on my drive home I got a text from a friend, wondering if Jameson would still be able to come to her son’s birthday celebration? (You know, the one that started almost an hour ago?) Gah! Wait! You mean, this awesome day was Wednesday, not Tuesday??

That pretty much sums up my life. I wish I could blame it on having four kids, but I’m pretty sure it has far more to do with this idealistic-flake melancholy-sanguine thing I have always been. Oh well! Thank goodness for gracious friends who say, “Oh, no problem!” And for totally sanguine sons who jump up without missing a beat, ready for a birthday party he previously had no knowledge of.

*****

While the boys were out (since Daddy saved me and did the birthday party-run after Fiona had scream-choked the whole way home from the grocery store), I cleaned the fridge. It now looks awesome, and I would say, “That wasn’t such a long chore. I need to do it every week!”, but see? That’s idealistic. Reality is that one extra chore happens every month. Or so.

Anyway, while I was in that totally torn apart refrigerator, Beatrice stood right by my side, totally enthralled. Finally she burst out, “Good job! Good job, Mama-girl!” Mama-girl is what she calls me when she has decided to assume the superior role in our relationship. It’s adorable, and you know what? I’ll take all the good-job-mama-girls I can get!

*****

Beatrice took this photo. Because Apple has made it possible for even 2 year olds to apply filters to photos. And black and white is her favorite.

I just love the baby in the photo.

And friends who understand that it truly is possible to forget what day it is. On a weekly basis.