Best. Syrup. Ever.

WARNING. The following recipe is highly addictive. It is truly the yummiest yummy stuff. Ever. Like, you lick your plate clean. Like, you look around for something, anything to put it on and then contemplate just drinking it. It is that good.

Buttermilk Syrup

1 1/2 cups butter

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon vanilla

Bring butter, sugar, and buttermilk to a boil, stirring regularly. Remove from heat. Whisk in vanilla and baking soda. (It will foam up a LOT, so even though you don't think you'll need it, prepare this in a large stock pot.)

This can be used on pancakes, waffles, french toast, as a dessert sauce over something like a blonde brownie or ice cream, or as a tasty teaspoon tonic! ;)

Perspective--Creative Writing the Night Before Christmas

I love Clement Moore's "A Visit from St. Nicholas," also known as, "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." As you know, there are many, many, many versions out there. The original classic has been illustrated by so many different people there is really no way to count how many times it's been published. But there are also variations; creatively re-written versions such as the popular Cajun Night Before Christmas, A Pirate's Night Before Christmas, Pennsylvania Dutch Night Before Christmas, Mr. Darcy's Night Before Christmas, and on and on. In fact, the the original story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer began, "'Twas the night before Christmas..." and followed the format. So it should be no surprise that in today's mass market society we also have Olaf's Night Before Christmas. The beauty of all of these different versions is the wide world of differences they share and perspectives. 

I appreciate the creativity and twist that many of the different versions share. This year, I am really, really in love with the Olaf version. Olaf is the Frozen character my kids really liked and this book is written perfectly in character and from his perspective.  It begs you to look at something traditional and familiar with new eyes. Again, I love that it demonstrates point of view. And so, with that in mind, I read this to my kids (who are all over the age of 12 now, mind you, and they loved it) and then tasked them with choosing any well-known character from some other "story" and write "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" from that character's point of view, in that character's natural setting.

It might sound like an obvious, cliche, knock-off sort of assignment, but I'm here to tell you it takes thought and creativity, especially to stay true to both your character and the original poem. I love the results!  We ended up with "R2-D2's Night Before Christmas" (Star Wars), "Moana's Night Before Christmas" (new Disney movie, Moana), and "Mr. Weasley's Night Before Christmas" (Harry Potter). They were so charming and clever!

Interestingly, a couple of weeks after this, my missionary son sent home a homemade Christmas card wherein he'd independently written his own version relating to his mission that was also smart, entertaining, and informative. Additionally, he mentioned that he wanted to start a new tradition reading Cajun Night Before Christmas because it was his mission companion's favorite and someone had invited them over to read it on Christmas Eve and he loves it. I love it when things coincide like that! (We're going to have to get our hands on that book!)

This is a creative writing activity that you can do year after year with new characters, settings, etc. to keep it fresh.

Cherry Macaroons!

I love these cookies! They are flavorful, chewy, and festive. I especially like them for Christmas or Valentines because of their color.

Cherry Macaroons

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/3 cups shortening

2 eggs

3 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries

1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

1 cup coconut

Cream shortening and sugar; add eggs and beat until fluffy. Add flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Add cherries, extract, and coconut and mix. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. 

*Sometimes I add cherry-flavored chips to the dough if I have them as well.

Left-Right Christmas Story

We played this game for Family Home Evening tonight. It's a fun little Christmas activity.

To prepare, have some small item for each person participating. I had candy bars, packages of gum, etc. and put each item in a separate brown paper lunch sack and stapled them shut. 

Have everyone who is playing sit in a circle and randomly hand out the bags/packages. Instruct everyone that when they hear the word "right" they must all pass their bags to the person on their right, and when they hear the word "left" they must pass their bags to the person on their left. This must be done each and every time they hear these words.

Read the following story aloud as everyone listens and follows directions. When the story is over, open up the bags and see the surprises.

     Something was wrong this Christmas. Mrs. Claus could tell RIGHT away that Santa was not his usual jolly self. Things just were not quite RIGHT. Why, just before Santa LEFT for the workshop, he put his LEFT foot in his RIGHT boot and his RIGHT foot in his LEFT boot. He stood RIGHT up and LEFT for work without even noticing what he had done.

     Now being the good wife that she was, Mrs. Claus decided she had better find out if all of Santa's good sense had LEFT him. Mrs. Claus LEFT all her Christmas baking until later. RIGHT now Santa needed her help.

     As she glanced out the window, she saw the line of elves marching like tin soldiers on their way to the workshop. She fell RIGHT in behind as the elves counted cadence, to the LEFT, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT. To the LEFT, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT. Turning the corner to the RIGHT, they marched RIGHT into their places and started RIGHT to work.

     On the shelves to the LEFT she saw Barbie dolls, baby dolls, porcelain dolls, Cabbage Patch dolls, and on her RIGHT she saw Ninja Turtles RIGHT between Batman cars and train sets. Never had she seen so many toys LEFT to finish. Never had she known Santa to wait RIGHT up to the last minute to finish just the RIGHT toy for each girl and boy. Even if the elves worked RIGHT around the clock and never LEFT for a break, she did not see how they could RIGHT this terrible wrong.

     Mrs. Claus LEFT the workshop and headed RIGHT back home. LEFT to herself to think, she LEFT the baking awhile longer when the time would be RIGHT.

     When Santa returned he found Mrs. Claus full of questions. Why had he LEFT things until the last minute? Even if they worked RIGHT around the clock and RIGHT until Christmas Eve, did he think they could make it without some child being LEFT out? Santa LEFT Mrs. Claus still talking and sat RIGHT down next to her. RIGHT she was! Things were a terrible mess all RIGHT! He could agree with almost everything she had said. But she was LEFT speechless as she listened to Santa's sad but RIGHTful tale.

     Why, children were not being taught RIGHT by their parents anymore. RIGHT after Thanksgiving, Santa would start RIGHT in receiving hug long lists of things kids wanted. He was sure they started on the RIGHT side of Toys R Us and wrote and inventory of the whole store, clear to the LEFT side. Why, kids were asking for so many things he did not see how he could possibly keep his RIGHT mind. LEFT too much to themselves, these little folks never even knew what was RIGHT. Getting RIGHT to the point he said, "These children have become very selfish, never thinking that I am an old man with only so much energy LEFT. Why RIGHT now? I'm so tired. I don't think I can do another thing even if all the toys are LEFT unfinished.

     Mrs. Claus's RIGHT eye twinkled. She knew what had to be done RIGHT away. Immediately she called Mr. WRIGHT, the assessor, who knew RIGHT what to do. Early the next morning, RIGHT after feeding their families a wonderful breakfast, all the workers of the North Pole Stake LEFT their homes and headed RIGHT to Santa's workshop to help RIGHT the wrong (of having selfish children) and help Santa finish the toys that were LEFT.

     Santa now had renewed faith in parents and he knew RIGHT down deep in his heart that next year parents would help their kids learn what was RIGHT.

     Santa sprang to his sleigh and to his team gave a whistle. Merry Christmas to all and everything is all RIGHT.

CCCW - Roget and The Right Word

As an unapologetic logophile and someone who owns and frequently uses 10 different thesauruses, I was delighted to find the awesome biographical picture book The Right Word - Roget and His Thesaurus. Not only does this book give an astounding amount of information about a remarkable person, Peter Roget, it is also a visual delight in its illustrations (hence the Caldecott honor). 

I used this book both for Biography Club and creative writing. Inspired by the story and illustrations, and my newfound knowledge that thesaurus is Greek for "treasure house," I created this to show at Biography Club as I shared the story of Roget.

The next day I talked more about the book with my own children and asked them to each re-read it on their own, slowly drinking in the pictures. I then tasked them with making their own synonymous, listed creation as an artistic approach to playing with words.  Here are a couple of their creations.

Veterans Day

I always have good intentions for days like Veterans Day, but they haven't always come to fruition. I suppose that's because previously that day hasn't really been carved in my heart. Growing up I don't remember much mention of Veterans Day--it was always a misunderstood afterthought as I'd wonder why the library was closed or the mail didn't come and then I'd get the explanation, "It's Veterans Day." Okay, so what? What a shame. I don't know why that was, nor do I understand how WWI somehow never made it on my internal hard drive of history. I knew it happened, but never knew why or much else about it. 

During my adult years I've slowly learned more and have wanted my children to appreciate and observe Veterans Day. Some years I've succeeded in marking the day, but we haven't been consistent and I've always felt we should do more. It doesn't help that November 11 somehow seems to sneak up on me. I'm in autumn mode, then Thanksgiving mode, and Veterans Day just kind of surprises me there in the middle.

This year, thanks to being subscribed to thatartistwoman (who, bless her, creates a poppy and Remembrance Day art project annually) I was reminded earlier than the day before--or the day of--and was able to plan ahead.

I wanted to incorporate Gail's Poppy Patterns with learning "In Flanders Fields." That was the beginning of my plan, along with some basic background and history.

IN FLANDERS FIELDS POEM

The World’s Most Famous WAR MEMORIAL POEM

By Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place: and in the sky

The larks still bravely singing fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead: Short days ago,

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved: and now we lie

In Flanders fields!

Take up our quarrel with the foe

To you, from failing hands, we throw

The torch: be yours to hold it high

If ye break faith with us who die,

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields

Composed at the battlefront on May 3, 1915 

during the second battle of Ypres, Belgium

We began our day singing the hymn, "God of Our Fathers, Known of Old," the text of which was written by Rudyard Kipling.

Thanks to my friend, Audrey, we were pointed in the direction of a few other great resources for the day.  My favorites were this dramatic reading of "In Flanders Fields" by Leonard Cohen...

... and the video reading of The Poppy Lady, an inspiring biographical picture book of Moina Belle Michael by Barbara Walsh.

We Shall Keep the Faith

by Moina Michael, November 1918

Moina Michael

Oh! you who sleep in Flanders Fields,

Sleep sweet - to rise anew!

We caught the torch you threw

And holding high, we keep the Faith

With All who died.

We cherish, too, the poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led;

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies,

But lends a lustre to the red

Of the flower that blooms above the dead

In Flanders Fields.

And now the Torch and Poppy Red

We wear in honor of our dead.

Fear not that ye have died for naught;

We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought

In Flanders Fields.

The above poem was Moina's personal, quickly penned poetic pledge after reading "In Flanders Fields. She certainly made good on her pledge!  I think her poem is just as compelling.

I was also grateful that we were able to tie into our biology and botany studies discussing the conditions in which the poppies were able to flourish on a battlefield, namely that the churned, war-torn earth surfaced the dormant seeds and conditions, including an unusually warm spring, were suited to the poppies thriving. The poppies are not just a symbol of remembrance, but also a symbol of hope, of life after death.


Here are photos of a couple of our projects at the end of the day, mine and one of my children's.

All Quiet on the Western Front - War

The following excerpt, from Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front, is full of timeless and universal insight. It should be read and pondered and remembered by all.

For me, it's all the more remarkable, provoking, and poignant that it is a discussion among the common soldiers of "the enemy." AQWF is, after all, written from the perspective of a young German soldier. (Remarque was a German veteran of WWI.)

At last the moment arrives. We stand up stiff and the Kaiser appears. We are curious to see what he looks like. He stalks along the line, and I am really rather disappointed; judging from his pictures I imagined him to be bigger and more powerfully built, and above all to have a thundering voice.

     He distributes Iron Crosses and speaks to this man and to that. Then we march off.

     Afterwards we discuss it. Tjaden says with astonishment:

     So that is the All-Highest! And everyone, bar nobody, has to stand up stiff in front of him!"...

     ..."And would a king have to stand up to an emperor?"

     None of us is quite sure about it, but we don't suppose so. They are both so exalted that standing strictly to attention is probably not insisted on.

     "What rot you do hatch out," says Kat. "The main point is that you have to stand stiff yourself."

     But Tjaden is quite fascinated. His otherwise prosy fancy is blowing bubbles. "But look," he announces, "I simply can't believe than an emperor has to go to the latrine the same as I have."

     "You can bet your boots on it."

     ...

     Tjaden disappears.

     "But what I would like to know," says Albert, "is whether there would not have been a war if the Kaiser had said No."

     "I'm sure of this much," I interject, "he was against it from the first."

     "Well, if not him alone, then perhaps if twenty or thirty people in the world had said No."

     "That's probable," I agree, "but they damned well said Yes."

     "It's queer, when one thinks about it," goes on Kropp, "we are here to protect our fatherland. And the French are over there to protect their fatherland. Now, who's in the right?"

     "Perhaps both," say I, without believing it.

     "Yes, well now," pursues Albert, and I see that he means to drive me into a corner, "but our professors and parsons and newspapers say that we are the only ones that are right, and let's hope so; --but the French professors and parsons and newspapers say that the right is on their side, what about that?"

     "That I don't know," I say, "but whichever way it is there's war all the same and every month more countries coming in."

     Tjaden reappears. He is still quite excited and again joins the conversation, wondering just how a war gets started.

     "Mostly by one country badly offending another," answers Albert with a slight air of superiority.

     "Then Tjaden pretends to be obtuse. "A country? I don't follow. A mountain in Germany cannot offend a mountain in France. Or a river, or a wood, or a field of wheat."

     "Are you really as stupid as that, or are you just pulling my leg?" growls Kropp. "I don't mean that at all. One people offends the other--"

     "Then I haven't any business here at all," replies Tjaden, "I don't feel myself offended."

     "Well, let me tell you," says Albert sourly, "it doesn't apply to tramps like you."

     "Then I can be going home right away," retorts Tjaden, and we all laugh.

     "Ach, man! he means the people as a whole, the State--" exclaims Muller.

     "State, State"--Tjaden snaps his fingers contemptuously. "Gendarmes, police, taxes, that's your State;--if that's what you are talking about, no thank you."

     "That's right," says Kat, "you've said something for once, Tjaden. State and home-country, there's a big difference.

     "But they go together," insists Kropp, "without the State there wouldn't be any home-country."

     "True, but just you consider, almost all of us are simple folk. And in France, too, the majority of men are labourers, workmen, or poor clerks. Now just why would a French blacksmith or a French shoemaker want to attack us? No, it is merely the rulers. I had never seen a Frenchman before I came here, and it will be just the same with the majority of the Frenchmen as regards us. They weren't asked about it any more than we were.

     "Then what exactly is the war for?" asks Tjaden.

     "Kat shrugs his shoulders. "There must be some people to whom the war is useful."

     "Well, I'm not one of them," grins Tjaden.

     "Not you, nor anybody else here."

     "Who are they then?" persists Tjaden. "It isn't any use to the Kaiser either. He has everything he can want already."

     "I'm not so sure about that," contradicts Kat, "he has not had a war up till now. And every full-grown emperor requires at least one war, otherwise he wouldn't become famous. You look in your school books."

     ...

     "But there are more lies told by the other side than by us," say I; "just think of those pamphlets the prisoners have on them, where it says that we eat Belgian children. The fellows who write that ought to go and hang themselves. They are the real culprits."

     Muller gets up. "Anyway, it is better that the war is here instead of in Germany. Just you take a look at the shell-holes.

     "True," assents Tjaden, "but no war at all would be better still."

All Quiet on the Western Front - Chance

   

 "The front is a cage in which we must await fearfully whatever may happen. We lie under the network of arching shells and live in a suspense of uncertainty. Over us Chance hovers. If a shot comes, we can duck, that is all; we neither know nor can determine where it will fall.     It is this Chance that makes us indifferent. A few months ago I was sitting in a dug-out playing skat; after a while I stood up and went to visit some friends in another dug-out. On my return nothing more was to be seen of the first one, it had been blown to pieces by a direct hit. I went back to the second and arrived just in time to lend a hand digging it out. In the interval it had been buried.     It is just as much a matter of chance that I am still alive as that I might have been hit. In a bomb-proof dug-out I may be smashed to atoms and in the open may survive ten hours' bombardment unscathed. No soldier outlives a thousand chances. But every soldier believes in Chance and trusts his luck."

The above is a quote from All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. It's one of many passages in the book that really affected me.  To try to imagine being there with the constant shelling, feeling the personal vulnerability of the Front, and experiencing the ever present rot, disease, death, pain and misery... and then to get to the point that you're indifferent to it because you believe it's just a matter of luck whether you live or die... 

I don't believe in Chance, I believe in God. I believe in agency and the ability to hear and feel the promptings of the Holy Spirit. We all will suffer in this life, and we all will die. But what a horridly hopeless feeling to go through life believing your existence is based on mere chance.

The Needs of the One

This is an article I wrote several years ago that was published in LDSNHA's Sentinel.

The Needs of the One

There’s an old saying, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one, or the few.”  This is forever ingrained in my memory from a scene in the film Star Trek II:  The Wrath of Khan, where the character Spock willingly exposes himself to a radiation leak in order to fix the ship’s warp drive so that all aboard the ship can be saved. (Sigh.  This is what happens when you marry a Trekkie.) For the most part, this line of thinking seems to be pure logic. (Star Trek again!)  The Lord even used this rationale Himself when He told Nephi to kill Laban, saying, “It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief.”  (1 Nephi 4:13) 

There come times, however, when the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many.  In the next Star Trek film, Star Trek III:  The Search for Spock, the crew of the Enterprise all risk their lives to save Spock when they find they’re in a position to do so.  In our daily living of the gospel, we find that focusing on the needs of one can make all the difference. Visiting teaching is about each individual sister’s needs.  A talk or lesson taught at church is a success when even just one person is touched by the Spirit and makes a change in his or her life.  When it comes to missionary work, it’s not about the number of discussions or baptisms, but the one soul that is saved.  “And if it so be that ye should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!”  (D&C 18:15)

As parents we have to be able to discern whose needs should outweigh whose.  When every family member but one likes chili, there are going to be meals that include chili because the many outweigh the one.  When one family member thinks he needs to watch a Star Trek movie but no one else in the family wants to, the needs of the one might just take precedence because he’s Dad and he owns the T.V. and there has been nothing but children's movies on it for weeks. Seriously, it’s hard to please everyone and sometimes the other SIX people need to show a little love and generosity and cheerfully let the ONE dad watch his Star Trek.    

So what about in a homeschool?  Is it right for one dawdling person to hold the rest of the children hostage when a promised activity can only come to pass when everyone’s work is done?  What if you’ve given up on reading aloud to the children because there is one child who just won’t be quiet and ruins it for everyone else?  Clearly these are cases when the needs of the many may outweigh the needs of the one and as the parent and teacher, it falls to you to find a solution of justice.

Will the needs of the one ever outweigh the needs of the many in a homeschool?  Almost certainly!  Perhaps a child is really struggling to understand something and needs extra tutelage from you, which will inevitably require you to give less attention to the other children.  Should you do it?  Of course!   How can you not?  This one child has a need that you must fulfill, even at the expense of the other children.  It’s not likely that it will be this unbalanced forever.  Perhaps you have a huge need for a nap and simply cannot function the remainder of the day without one.  You’re at a point where your single need outweighs the needs of everyone else and provisions should made to accommodate.  Don’t forget musical instrument practicing!  A child may need a lot of time practicing a particularly ear threatening, spine shivering piece of music, and the family either needs to learn to deal with it, or buy earplugs.

A recent personal example of the needs of the one being greatest is found in the life skills, or lack thereof, of my 9-year-old.  The poor boy is condiment-spreading challenged.  He’s a brilliant musician, genius mathematician, phenomenal athlete, and top rate speller.  Smart kid!  He just cannot spread peanut butter and jam on bread.  Now, maybe you think this isn’t a big deal.  After all, he’s just a kid.  But as a busy mom who is married to a great cook of a husband who has become a tremendous help, I am determined to raise boys who can operate in a kitchen.  Not to mention that I won’t be on his mission or in his college apartment to make his PB&Js for him.  So the whole family is going to put up with pathetic-to-mediocre-at-best peanut butter sandwiches until my son gets the skill down and his sandwiches no longer lead to the Heimlich maneuver.  It’s hard on us, especially those of us who don’t particularly care for peanut butter sandwiches, but it’s a necessary sacrifice the family must make to aid the developing needs of the one. 

In conclusion, you can see that being a homeschooling parent requires discernment.  Sometimes it takes extra effort to fulfill the demands of justice. Sometimes it defies logic.  And, amazingly enough, it sometimes calls for a dose of Star Trek. 

Even the Best Decisions Can Be Hard to Live With

It's November. This is the month I've been both pushing to get to, seeing it as a summit, and also the month I've been dreading to come, a little sad about the view from the top once reached. It has been a full and busy fall with lots of plans and goals as well as many unexpected surprises. I've backed way off the blogging in an effort to spend time where it really needed to be spent this autumn. And now November is here. Today we dropped off our newest missionary at the Provo MTC and I'm feeling so many emotions I just can't give words to them all. Let's just say that I left a part of my heart in Provo and I'm really feeling it tonight. Even though this is the best decision my son could possibly have made and I am so proud, pleased and full of hope, faith, and gratitude, it's still a little hard to live with it.

As the calendar days have passed I've been looking forward to listening to my November Playlist. After arriving home from the MTC and feeling the need for some grace in my thoughts, I put on David Tolk's appropriately named album Grace which is my newest November Playlist addition. 

The music was soothing and filling and then finally releasing. "I Need Thee Every Hour" broke the dam and I had a good, hard, mournful, grateful, prayerful cry.

Raising children is something of a paradox. You nurture and nourish, teach and train, love and lead, and give your whole soul to helping these children of God realize and reach their potential only to feel a little bit sad when they actually do. Wait. Success brings sadness? 

It's just that you love these children so much and you love being a mother so much that you'd gladly hit replay and go through everything over and over again so you could hold on to every happy, hard, sweet, trying, silly, bewildering, wonderful moment with these amazing people you've been blessed to bring into the world and hold hands with.

Thank God for motherhood! The privilege! The challenge! The journey! The joy!

Happy November. 

CCCW - Pumpkin Characters

Inspired by an idea I saw by that artist woman, I came up with a plan for a timely, festive two-part project where we artfully created characters and settings for some creative writing.

First, I read a few picture books for example and inspiration...because picture books are awesome!

I'm not going to write an art tutorial because you can go here to find that. I did switch it up a bit, though, so I'll explain that. Instead of painted paper for the weaving, we used patterned scrapbooking paper as was originally done at Cutting Tiny Bites. And instead of a green frame, we used black so we could use pastels on a nighttime background to create our story settings. (I love, love to use pastels on black paper, so I'm always looking for a reason to do it!)

Here is a closeup of mine, all finished. I even add the Big Dipper to my sky!

Here are all of the finished characters.

I'm a huge proponent of CCCW--Cross Curricular Creative Writing. Go here to see another fun example perfect for this time of year.

The Search for Delicious and Other Appropriate Words

As I mentioned before, I am tying Creative Writing into our BIO year. Here is how I kicked that off.

We began our day singing "Let Us Oft Speak Kind Words" and discussed whether words have power in them, such as power to build or give life, or power to destroy. I shared the Mormonads on the worksheet below and we read the scriptures that go with each. 

A most appropriate scriptures was James 3:8-10:

"But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made of the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be."

The metaphor of a tongue being full of deadly poison fits right in. (See also verses 11-13.)  We talked about each of the pictures and their implications and then I gave them this Life-giving or Biohazardous Words Worksheet.  

Examples of some of the additional scriptures the kids found that coincide with the idea of the words we say either giving life or destroying it are:

"And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity:  so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature..." (James 3:6)

"The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life:  but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked." (Proverbs 10:11)

Amazingly, the Piano Guys released the following video the very day I wanted to talk about this, so I tied it into our discussion as well.

After talking about the affect spoken words have, I moved the discussion on to written words. I love the following quote from an old Church manual and shared it (along with using it for handwriting practice that day).

"Reading the scriptures and other good books nourishes our minds, just as good food nourishes our bodies. Books are like companions. They can lift us up or tear us down. We should read only books that will help us become better people." 

Then we talked about how we're going to do a lot with creative writing throughout the year, giving life to words and trying to write words that nourish, or give life, to our minds.

I assigned everyone to read The Search for Delicious by Natalie Babbitt. I love to use this book in language studies. I think it's very clever. Suffice it to say, the creation of a dictionary helps set off an impending civil war, the dictionary entry for delicious being key to both the creation of the crisis and its resolution.

After reading and discussing the book, I had my kids close their eyes while I said a word out loud. When I said the word, I wanted them to tell me what they immediately associated that word with. For example, I said, "Christmas." One child replied, "Presents," while another said, "Cookies!" I asked if either of those answers were the definition of Christmas and, of course they weren't. We then talked about the difference between definition and connotation. In The Search for Delicious, the dictionary entries weren't so much definitions as connotations, and words used contextually in a sentence. The assignment was to create a "dictionary" written in the style of the one in The Search for Delicious, with the requirement that every sentence had to be in reference to food.

(Incidentally, if you're looking to build your children's vocabulary and need some help for your tired brain, sites like this help. It came in handy a few times for me when I created the worksheet.)

Download the entire Search for Delicious Word Worksheet.

Just like the book, none of my kids agreed on what delicious is. We had pepperoni pizza, endless crepes, a bowl of mixed fruit, and creamy mac and cheese for contenders. Here are some of my favorite sentences written by my kids:

"Aromatic is a batch of chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven."

"Aromatic is a hot bowl of Jambalaya."

"Aromatic is a freshly baked pizza."

"Unnecessary is orange juice in a smoothie." (From a kids who hates OJ and hates it when I try to sneak it into smoothies!)

"Juicy is a ripe pear."

"Tart is my dad's lemon bars."  

"Lucky is when I get to have Reese's Puffs cereal," and "Unnecessary is Raisin Bran cereal," from the same child.

"Lucky is getting a doughnut for free."

"Proud is baking molten lava cake for the first time."

Another day, I read aloud one of my favorite picture books, Cookies, Bite-Size Life Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. (There are actually several sequels to this, too!) This is another book that explains meanings of words in a very creative way, through the medium of baking cookies.

Then, using the exact words "defined" in Cookies, I created a writing assignment in which these words had to be explained referencing baseball/softball.

Download the Bat-and-Ball-Sized Lessons Worksheet here.

When it comes to understanding the meaning of patience, every one of my kids referenced waiting for a good pitch. :) Here are some of my favorite sentences my kids wrote:

"Open-minded means, 'I've never bunted before but I will try it.'"

"Content means you and me cheering together for our teammates."

"Respect means to not talk back to your coach."

"Unfair means (an umpire) calling strike three at the kid's eyes."

"Cooperate means to turn a double play."

"Open-minded means to listen to your coaches."

"Trustworthy means to let your pitcher know he has defense behind him."

"Wise means to pull your pitcher out before the other team scores too many runs."

"Loyal means to always be friends with someone even if he struck out to end the championship game that you just lost."

"Respect means to not hate someone just because he's on the other team."


We also began using the Complete the Story story starters.


Here's to the power of words!

Math in Units - Biotic and Abiotic Dimensional Shapes

It is torture to spend gorgeous autumn days stuck at desks (or tables) especially when learning can (and often should!) take place outside. Here is an outdoor math AND science lesson I created for our BIO studies.  (A question I often get regarding unit studies is, "What about math?" We do have a separate math program we use daily, but I am always looking for ways to incorporate math into every single unit. It's important for children to see real world applications of math and to see that math is literally in everything.)

Above is the first page of the scavenger hunt I created. Download the full Biotic and Abiotic Dimensional Shapes Scavenger Hunt Worksheet here. Obviously, the science aspect is determining biotic (living) things from abiotic (nonliving), and the math is identifying shapes and their dimensions. 

Below are a few photos from our scavenger hunt. We were actually able to find most shapes.

Parallel and perpendicular lines

Oval

Sphere

Cylinder

Oval

Trapezoid

Circle, or octagon, if you draw a line to connect every 3 petals

Rectangle

Homeschool--the world is our classroom!

Reading Challenge

A couple of years ago I picked up a paper at the library titled "Adult Winter Reading Challenge." It said the goal was to read 25 books in 5 months, and then it listed 50 different ways to choose those books. I was excited about the challenge, and very intrigued by the list, but since then have not found any time to actually take the challenge. (Not because I don't have time to read but because I have so much else I need to read.)

Here is the list:

-A book with more than 500 pages

-A classic romance

-A book that became a movie

-A book published this year

-A book with a number in the title

-A book written by someone under 30

-A book with nonhuman characters

-A funny book

-A book by a female author

-A mystery or thriller

-A book with a one-word title

-A book of short stories

-A book set in a different country

-A nonfiction book

-A popular author's first book

-A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet

-A book a friend recommended

-A Pulitzer Prize-winning book

-A book based on a true story

-A book at the bottom of your to-read list

-A book your mom loves

-A book that scares you

-A book more than 100 years old

-A book based entirely on its cover

-A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't

-A memoir

-A book you can finish in a day

-A book with antonyms in the title

-A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit

-A book that came out the year you were born

-A book with bad reviews

-A trilogy

-A book from your childhood

-A book with a love triangle

-A book set in the future

-A book set in high school

-A book with a color in the title

-A book to make you cry

-A book with magic

-A graphic novel

-A book by an author you've never read before

-A book you own but have never read

-A book that takes place in your hometown (or nearby)

-A book that was originally written in a different language

-A book set during Christmas

-A book written by an author with your same initials

-A play

-A banned book

-A book based on or turned into a TV show

-A book you started but never finished

As you can see, there is a lot of variety here. I am looking ahead and trying to find a time to do a challenge like this with my kids, whether it's just for one month, for the summer, or for next school year. (They tend to be one-genre kind of kids and I'm always trying to broaden their horizons.) I may or may not tweak the list a bit, but I think this is a fun start.

Of Doors and Keys, Prayer and Faith

I inherited an old box of music from my mother-in-law when she made a long-distance move. Every now and then I go through the stack. It's interesting to me how one piece will mean nothing to me one month, but then really catch my eye another. This month, as we have been studying to topic of faith, I was delighted to come across a gem written by Samuel T. Scott and Robert L. Sande. Here are the words.

Prayer is the key to Heaven,

But faith unlocks the door;

Words are so easily spoken,

A prayer without faith, is like a boat without an oar.

Have faith, when you speak to the Master,

That's all He asks you for,

Yes, prayer is the key to Heaven, 

But faith unlocks the door.

This is a poem to memorize!

I've also shared another great song with my whole family that I have been teaching to the Primary children in my ward. This was published in the Friend in 2007. I have turned more and more to music from the Friend recently as there are some fantastic pieces in there to teach doctrine, build faith, and also to mix things up.