Christian Pumpkins

PLEASE SEE THIS!

A couple of weeks ago I posted about Meet the Mormons, a film that has now been in theaters in the United States for a week (coming in at #10 in the box office opening weekend!). My children and I just returned from seeing it this afternoon and I cannot plead loudly enough for everyone to GO SEE THIS FILM!  It is currently showing in 44 of the 50 states, and if it's not playing at a theater near you, you can request a screening.

There are many misunderstandings and false preconceived notions about members of the LDS church and what we believe. Some of it is kind of funny, and some of it not. There are also people who truly know nothing about us. Some people who do know some things have questions, too, that they may not know who to ask, or maybe they're worried about asking. This fantastic film gives you a sincere and honest look inside the worship and lives of real Mormons. You get to see real people and find out who they are, what they believe, why they do the things they do, and how they do them.

This isn't a preachy film.  At all.  But it does touch your heart.  Whether you're wanting to know about the LDS faith, or you're just wanting to see something truly uplifting for a change, PLEASE treat yourself to this film.  You'll be glad you did!

And if anyone reading this has any questions about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or its members, I am more than willing to answer them.

I Love Lucy

It was National I Love Lucy Day this week.  Isn't it funny all the oddities that someone lobbies to have made into a national day of recognition?  The TV sitcom "I Love Lucy" certainly has a lot to brag about, though, what with being the first sitcom filmed live before a studio audience, a winner of five Emmy awards, ranking 2nd on TV Guide's list of television's greatest shows, and being listed as one of Time magazine's "100 Best TV Shows of All Time."  

I grew up on reruns of this show, so it's rather nostalgic for me.  These days, as much as I enjoy an episode myself, I get more pleasure from hearing my kids laugh at and appreciate the crazy antics of Lucille Ball. I find it remarkable that National I Love Lucy Day shares an "unofficial" day with National Fossil Day and National Grouch Day.  Some may consider a television show from the 1950's a fossil, but the clean, classic humor of this show is exactly the kind of thing that needs preserving... and it's the antidote for being a grouch!  Nowadays, 200 channels cannot produce much worth watching and the crime, drama, sex, crude so-called humor, news, and "reality" shows MAKE me a grouch.  We don't have TV in our house, for several reasons, but we spend enough time in hotels to know what's out there that we aren't missing.  Years ago when we did have TV, I found myself watching a lot of shows that, while they weren't "bad," they weren't uplifting, and they often left me feeling depressed about the state of things in the world. So if the family is going to watch something, I'm glad there are still old fossils out there like "I Love Lucy" and "The Cosby Show" and "The Dick Van Dyke Show" that I can trust for cheery family viewing.

In honor of National I Love Lucy Day we watched a few episodes on YouTube with a brunch.  I share the following one because its was funny to hear the characters discuss the demise of the art of conversation--due to television--back in the 1950's.  If they could see (and not hear) us now!

I apologize now for whatever commercials will pop up.

October Unit Factory

Dive into Learning

I love seasons and holidays--so much that it’s difficult to not get caught up in them to the point of neglecting other things.  Always on the lookout for ways to have my cake and eat it, too, I’ve got lists of ideas for “festive schooling,” ranging from the obvious and traditional to the wild and crazy.

Below is a list of a few unit suggestions for the month of October.  The beauty of units is that they can last a day, a week... even a lifetime.  So whether you’re looking for something for the entire month, or just a way to pass the daylight on October 31st, try some of the following.

The Night – October is a good month to study a different aspect of nighttime each day.  This can include nocturnal animals, nighttime occupations, bedtime (rituals, dreams...), night festivals, night skies, and its opposite – light (Daylight Savings Time, fire, candles, electricity...).

The Skeletal System

Bats, Cats, Owls and Fowls

Fantasy and Fiction – Now is a perfect time to learn about and decide what is real and what isn’t.

Costuming – Learn about fashion through the ages, how to sew a costume, or see how imaginative you can get in creating a costume.

Mystery – Study some of the greats:  Agatha Christie or Sherlock Holmes.  Find out what makes a great mystery and try writing your own.

Times and Seasons – Obvious, but it can be expanded.  If you like nature walks and journals, relish them in October!  Sketch the same tree every day, detailing the differences after time, wind and weather.  Chart sunrise and sunset.  Learn about the history of Daylight Savings Time.  See if the Farmer’s Almanac is correct in its predictions.  (By the way, Ben Franklin had something to do with Daylight Savings, almanacs, electricity, and more!  You could learn about him and cover several things at once!)  Learn leaf and tree identification.  Take up photography during this beautifully colorful season, either by taking a professional class, or by handing your kids disposable cameras for “documenting” the signs of autumn in a book of their own.

Frankenstein – While Mary Shelley’s famous novel about a monster is often classified a “horror story,” it is much, much more.  It is poignant, provoking and a masterful look at ethics, behavior, identity and love.  It is said to be the very first science fiction novel, and Shelley wrote it when just 18 years old!

The Celts – A large part of the Halloween “story,” the Celts themselves are a fascinating people.

Fear - Franklin D. Roosevelt's famous words, "...the only thing we have to fear is fear itself"  is profound to adults, but it's a statement children may find ridiculous.  All creatures fear what they don't know or understand.  October is a perfect time to teach how many of our fears rise from ignorance.  Knowledge is power!

As a family, study something that seems scary.  Demonstrate how to properly research a topic, summarize information, and transfer the new knowledge into a "show and tell" project or paper with proper documentation.  Then allow each child to choose their own object of fear and follow the same steps on their own (or with a little guidance depending on age).  Some suggestions would include snakes, thunderstorms, spiders, and the dark.

You could also learn about the physical responses to fear.  Learn about adrenaline, how it affects us, why some people actually like to be scared, and maybe even discuss “highs” and drug addiction. Discuss safety and prevention (Fire Prevention Week is in October!).  Talk about “fight or flight.” Maybe even learn a little self-defense.

Recommended reading:  What Was I Scared Of? by Dr. Seuss

Sounds of October – This time of year the stores have many recordings of scary sound effects.  If you like, make your own recordings of sounds.  It can be great fun for each child to individually make their own tape and then play it for their siblings to have them guess what the sounds are.  It takes ingenuity to create sounds for thunder or wind with nothing but what’s in the house.  

(See "Mood Music" for more ideas for sound in October.)

Tastes of the Season – Go to a local Farmer’s Market and purchase one of every apple variety you can find.  Do taste tests and compare flavors.  Poll your family, friends and neighbors as to their favorite type and make a graph of “apple favorites.”  Learn how new varieties of apples are created.

Pumpkins lend themselves to all sorts of mathematical activities, including estimation, measuring circumference and weight.

Don’t forget the Halloween candy!  For a list of making treats mathematical see "Tricks with Treats."

Halloween History - Regardless of how you personally feel about Halloween and all that seems to go with it, it’s a good idea to learn about its history and origins.  In doing so as a family, you can compare old customs and beliefs with what we know and do today, and more importantly with what you believe and want to foster in your children.  Dispelling ancient myths and superstitions, discovering hidden truths, understanding the value of science, knowledge, enlightenment and testimony--these things can enrich your homeschool.

Halloween isn’t just about devils and demons.  It’s about harvests, new beginnings, loved ones, and eternal life.  Check it out and see what you think!

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"The October Unit Factory" was first published in Right at Home, the Utah Home Education Association's newsletter.  It was then republished in LDSNHA's The Sentinel a few years later.

Tricks with Treats - A Bag Full of Math

The candy countdown is on!  Soon the children of America will be squealing with delight as they dump the sugary contents of their trick-or-treat bags onto living room floors everywhere. Besides creating tummy aches and the need for more toothpaste, what else can all that Halloween candy do for us?  Help us learn math, of course!

For the “newer” mathematicians, try these tricks:

*Separate candy into like groups (suckers, candy bars, Tootsie Rolls, etc.).  The criteria can            change and so can the groups.  You can also separate by flavor, brand and size.

*Count the numbers in each group and say which has more or less than another.

*Create simple patterns with the different kinds of candy.  With smaller colored candies, you make a pattern (red, blue, orange, red, blue, orange) and then have your child continue it.  Do a pattern of sucker, sucker, gum, candy bar and keep it going until all of those types of candies are included in a long line.

*Describe the basic shape of the candies.  Are they round, square, long, wide?

For the next level of thinking:

*Talk about 2 and 3 dimensional shapes.  Candy is perfect for introducing or reinforcing cylinders, cubes, cones, spheres, discs, etc.

*Practice basic addition and subtraction with the children’s candy.  For younger children, “3 Snickers plus 4 Milky Way equals how many candy bars?”  For older children, “Sister has 23 candy bars and Brother has 27.  How many candy bars are in the house?”  Then, “How many more candy bars does Brother have than Sister?”  

*Make a pretend price list for the various candies (gum costs 15 cents, Tootsie Rolls are 5 cents, etc.).  Make random piles of the different candies mixed together and have the children figure out how much their pile would cost.  You can also tell them they have X amount of money and have them decide what candy they could afford with it.   

*Make fractions come alive with Halloween candy by asking all sorts of questions.  What fraction of your candy is in suckers?  What is the fraction of your candy bars that contain nuts?  What is the fraction of your candy bars that don’t?  What is the fraction of your candy bars that were made by Nestle?   What is the fraction of red suckers?  

Try these math tricks with the more experienced learners:

*Convert the candy fractions to decimals and percentages.

*Read package details and discuss calorie counts and candy weight.  Figure out how many ounces are in each mini candy bar and then how many you’d need to eat to equal a pound.  Compare the calories of the different candies, the weights and sizes, and then discuss why a smaller piece of candy might contain more calories than a larger one.

*Again with the package labels, determine which candies contain the most sugar.  Actually measure the amounts in teaspoons, tablespoons, and even cups, comparing the candy to the more visual sugar measurement.  Figure out how many suckers equal a full cup of sugar, etc.

This list is just the beginning.  I’m sure you can think of more ways to introduce, practice and/or reinforce mathematical concepts.  So instead of groaning at the sight of all that candy when your youngsters come home, squeal in delight with them and get thinking!

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"Tricks with Treats" has been published and republished by The Sentinel.

M&M Multiplication

Memorizing math facts is essential, but some personalities don't enjoy the drilling. I like to find a variety of ways to practice and memorize math facts, especially with games.

The newest ways we'll be working on memorizing multiplication this week will include M&Ms and some autumn-themed templates.

Autumn Bingo Cards - Each picture on the bingo card will be equated with a product.  The caller will say a multiplication problem aloud and when the players know the answer, they will cover the picture on their bingo card that represents that answer (with an M&M).  When someone gets a BINGO, they get to eat the M&Ms in that row.

M&M Autumn Tree - Players will roll two dice and multiply the numbers shown.  If the player gets the answer correct, he or she will get to place a fall-colored M&M in place. The first person to fill a tree wins.

Math is sweet!

Fluffernutter Fun

Did you miss it?  Today was National Fluffernutter Day! Though this snack/treat is over 100 years old, we've never tasted it.  Today was the day to try something new and experiment in the kitchen!

After a little research and laughs at old commercials, our first taste of Fluffernutter was the original, plain white bread spread with peanut butter and marshmallow creme.

This was everyone's least favorite.  In fact, we didn't really like it.  It was much too sweet.

Next we tried New York's Bouchon Bakery's version, grilled white bread spread with peanut butter and marshmallow cream, with banana slices sandwiched inside.

Um. Yum. Like, really.

Picking up the ingredients at the grocery store, we had predetermined that Nutella might make a tasty addition to the Fluffernutter, so our next sandwich was our creation of the three spreads.  And because we hadn't really cared for the non-grilled Fluffernutter, we grilled this one.

Great gobs of gorgeous, gooey goodness!  We are ON to something here!

But the bananas had added some substance to the other sandwich that was lacking in this one.  So...

Shazam! Peanut butter, marshmallow cream, Nutella, and bananas, grilled on white bread is AMBROSIA!

And "Fluffernutter" is just fun to say.

Halloween Houses--One Project, Three Subjects

Real life math applications are so much better than worksheets, and anytime you can find one project to employ multiple subjects you’ve got yourself a deal.  Give it seasonal appeal and it’s a bonus project with extra purpose.  Additionally, combining art and math is a fantastic whole-brained exercise that draws on and develops the strengths of both cerebral hemispheres.*

This past week I presented just such a project to my children.  I spent less than $3.00 for all 5 kids to complete an assignment that qualified as both math and art, and which also added to festive Halloween decorations.  Even better--it got them excited.  This was a developmental pursuit in geometry, measurement, creativity, aesthetics, association, and coordination.  It took right-brained thinking to have an imaginative vision of the whole, and left-brained mathematics, logical analysis, and attention to detail to make it.  It was hands-on, 3D, and real.

The mission was to make Halloween Houses.  I purchased several 12”x12” pieces of Halloween scrapbook paper at a discount, put it in the middle of the table, and told the kids they were using this paper and Scotch tape to make small model houses.  Helping my youngest, who was concentrating on cutting, taping, choosing paper, naming shapes, and learning to use a ruler, I showed everyone a basic format of 4 main walls of squares of equal sizes, rectangle pieces for the pitch of the roof, attached to triangles whose bases were the same length as the square walls.   The kids were free to use whatever measurements they wanted (within reason, considering there was only so much paper, and also to be considerate as to not use all of one particular pattern) as well as whatever building design and/or embellishments they wanted. 

The project isn’t going to end with math and art, however.  Each of the kids had a different vision. For some, I sensed a story behind the creation—that the artistic and architectural vision came from thoughts of plots and characters that might as yet be subconscious but nonetheless there. One child did a half-open creepy door cutout.  One child put holes in his roof and added sinister stairs inside that could be seen through a doorway under the ominous porch.  One child added an attic, and his triangles did not match his squares, giving the house a more traditional aged and threatening look. Because we have a theme in our homeschool this year of “Everyone Has a Story,” in the next week the children will each be writing “the story” of their Halloween House.

If you don’t like Halloween, you can adopt the idea simply for autumn, or you could do something similar at Christmastime.  Since this was my kids’ first go at it and we were on a bit of a time schedule when we did it, most of the kids kept it simple to get it finished.  I suspect if given another opportunity and more time they’ll be faster at the fundamentals and want to add on to and enhance the basic concept.  Maybe it’ll become a new October tradition.  

Whatever you do this week, try to find some creative, real-world applications for new-found knowledge and skills.  Take notice of left- and right-brained thinking and see how many activities you can find to employ both.

*For a quick test of hemispheric dominance,go here.

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I wrote this in 2011. It was originally published as "Halloween Math Art" in The Sentinel.

Best Books on Babies, Maturation, and Intimacy

I dusted these books off again today for another child who is growing up quickly. These are my favorite assisting resources.  Books do not and should not replace candid and reverent one-on-one discussions, but they can be a big help.

Where Do Babies Come From by Brad Wilcox works for many different situations and ages.  The main picture book story works for even very young children without going into details they aren't ready for. A Q&A in the back of the book follows up for older children who are ready for more information.  There are also tips for parents at the beginning.  This gentle, loving, but honest and forthright approach is a very nice way to introduce the topic of "the talk."

Growing Up:  Gospel Answers about Maturation and Sex by Brad Wilcox is a great book to study after the talk, for  straight up biological information about maturation, as well as good direction on matters of chastity and virtue.

I take my children to temple grounds to have our discussion so as to hopefully impress upon them the sacred nature of our bodies and sexuality.  We find a quiet place to be by ourselves in sight of the temple to discuss this topic of eternal significance.

Voices

General Conference was so very, very wonderful! As I took notes I started starring talks I wanted to be sure to study and I found that I was starring every talk. There was such a wealth of instruction and inspiration. Of course, not everything said was new, but because I am a changing, becoming being, I arrive at each conference with new questions and new perspectives and even old things become new as I see and hear things in a new way. I truly cannot wait to review each talk and study and ponder them more.  

Montserrat at Cranial Hiccups has created conference memes like the one above. These are things that stood out to her. As I looked through my notes, some of the quotes I wrote down are some of the ones she did, and some aren't. I think it would be a great family activity, either for Family Home Evening or for a homeschool project, to have family members make their own personal conference memes of the counsel that means the most to them individually and share them with each other.

There are a multitude of voices in the world, often in a tumultuous cacophany. The steady, stilling, and even stirring voices of conference bring sweet peace, comfort, truth, and guidance.

Sleeves Never Hurt Anyone

Have sleeves gone the way of the dodo?  How about common sense?  

I just spent the better part of a beautiful autumn day (in which I wanted to hike a little after shopping) stopping at every single clothing retailer in the valley--because no one carries clothing for girls that is appropriate anymore.  The traffic was bad, shopping sucked up three times the portion of day I allotted, and the fashions for girls left me fuming.  It wasn't a good day.  

I have been having problems for a few years now whenever I shop for my daughter, but I'm certain things are only getting worse.  I cannot for the life of me figure out why the fall and winter lines of clothing being sold in October are made of thin, summery fabrics, and barely cover the body.  I know, I know, many girls are all about leggings these days.  Cute... sometimes, when the top covers what it aught.  But I do not believe leggings belong at church and I was searching for dresses and skirts for church.  And don't even get me started on sleeves.  Well, too late.  It's bad enough that come spring there are no dresses with sleeves.  But why on earth, when temperatures drop, are there STILL no sleeves on dresses?  A little jacket doesn't keep a girl warm in the winter! And I'm having a hard time finding conservative, pretty, feminine sweaters.  (Not everyone wants all of their clothes plastered with Disney characters, Hello Kitty, or animals--especially if the clothes are for church.)  If I'm going to pay for a dress, especially at today's prices, it should cover the basics of my daughter. Between shrinking hemlines and disappearing sleeves, people are really getting ripped off!  If she's going to be modest, I've got to purchase additional layers and that means color and style matching, more shopping, and more money.  Winter clothing should have long sleeves on it.  Sleeves never hurt anyone!  But not having them in a northern Utah winter sure could!

Shopping online and via catalog doesn't always work for clothing, especially for certain body types that really need to try things on.  I want accessible clothes in regular stores that aren't flimsy, flashy, or make my daughter look like a floozy.  Is that really too much to ask?  

Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice

It's one of my favorite times of year, the weekend of General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  There are so many ways to watch, I hope you will join me in listening to a prophet's voice.

Mood Music for October

As a person who strongly prefers stories, especially epics, in their original literary form to the abridged and often altered form in film, I still have to admit that I like many of the film versions as well.  Why?  It’s because of the music.

I am an avid collector of movie soundtracks.  From the moving and melodic piano masterpieces of the 2005 release of Pride and Prejudice, written by Dario Marianelli, to pretty much anything Patrick Doyle writes for motion picture soundtracks (Henry V and Sense and Sensibility for starters), to the haunting oboe of Ennico Morricone’s score for The Mission, the soundtracks of the lives of movie characters touch me in deep, soulful places I sometimes forget exist.  “Movie music” makes up, in part, the soundtrack of my life.

Classical music also has this effect.  I remember being enthralled as a child in my elementary school music class when I first heard Camille Saint-Saens’ Danse Macabre.  The music teacher coaxed us to mentally visualize mischievous spirits and goblins dancing and leaping about after midnight.  The effect was thrilling.

I’ve watched (and listened) in delight as my own children have passionately embraced music.  I have yet to see them reject any musical genre.  They appreciate the drama and variety of Classical music just as much as any “stick-in-your-head” rock ‘n’ roll song.  I laughed a long time when, while listening to Saint-Saens’ “The Swan,” my 4-year-old exclaimed, “Oh, pretty!  You’re in love!”  And then he giggled himself silly.  

Classical music should cause a person to think, envision, and feel. As homeschooling parents, we should encourage vivid and creative imagination whilst listening to Classical music.  It’s interesting to just play a piece and then ask your kids what the music makes them think or feel.  

Perhaps you’re not keen on suspenseful music for your young ones.  No worries.  Still, Danse Macabre is an amazing piece of music, perfect for Halloween.  Whatever your seasonal interpretation, choose some “mood music” this week, and let your children go. 

Here is just a sampling of Classical music appropriate to this time of year:

Autumn, Nature, and Thankful Reflections:

The Four Seasons:  “Autumn” by Antonio Vivaldi 

Appalachian Spring:  “Simple Gifts” and “Variations on a Shaker Hymn” by Aaron Copland

“The Storm” from Symphony No. 6 in F (the Pastoral) by Ludwig van Beethoven

Carnival of the Animals, particularly “The Swan” by Camille Saint-Saens

Trois Gymnopedies by Erik Satie

Costumes, Parades, and Dress-up Fun:

Rodeo:  “Hoe-Down” by Aaron Copland

Entrance of the Gladiators by Julius Fucik

William Tell Overture:  “Finale” by Gioacchino Rossini

The Gypsy Baron:  “Einzugsmarsch” by Johann Strauss, Jr.

The Tale of Tsar Saltan: “The Flight of the Bumble Bee” by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov

“Arrival of the Queen of Sheba” (from Solomon) by George Frederick Handel

 Mysterious, Sensational, and Spooky:

Also sprach Zarathustra (otherwise Zarathustra, or “Sunrise”) by Richard Strauss

Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach

Night on Bald Mountain by Modest Mussorgsky

Peer Gynt Suite:  “In the Hall of the Mountain King” by Edvard Grieg

 “The Ride of the Valkryies” (from the opera Die Walküre) by Richard Wagner

Scenes from Swan Lake by Peter Illyich Tchaikovsky

Additionally, I recommend the music of George Winston.  Though considered “New Age,” not Classical, his solo piano works are especially nice this time of year.  The seasons themselves were Winston’s early inspiration for much of the music he’s written.  Pieces such as “Colors/Dance,” “Living in the Country,” and “The Snowman’s Music Box Dance” lend themselves to visions of happy family fall outings.  George Winston also plays the music of Vince Guaraldi (composer of the Charlie Brown soundtracks).  No autumn atmosphere is complete without such familiar greats as “Linus and Lucy,” “Treat Street,” and “Cast Your Fate to the Wind.”

Whether your children sketch, paint, dance, act, or meditate to the compositions, add a little “mood music” to your fall festivities.

*I originally wrote "Mood Music" for The Sentinel.