The Times of the Prophets

Have you ever looked to see where latter-day prophets fit in the context of United States or World History? Oftentimes I think we separate U.S. History and/or World History from Church History instead of seeing each of them as pieces of the same puzzled story and finding how they fit together. Certainly the individual "pieces" beg some compartmentalized scrutiny, but it's also good to line things up side by side, fit them together, and get the whole picture.

In 1972, the Church's New Era did just that with the chart "The Times of the Prophets." Below is a smaller version of the graphic. (Click on the link for a larger, easier-to-read versions you can print.)

An example of the information in this chart is that it shows that in those relevatory years between the First Vision and the beginning of the translation of the Book of Mormon, Beethoven composed his Ninth Symphony, the Monroe Doctrine was declared by the United States, Quinine was isolated and named as treatment for malaria, skiing was introduced, Rossini composed the William Tell Overture, Braille type was invented, and college sororities and fraternities were founded. 

For more great pictures of the prophets, like the ones at the top of this page, check out Robert T. Barrett's Illustration & Fine Art.

Goodly Parents Teach

I wrote the following for the 2015 round of the annual Family Proclamation Celebration over at We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ. Now that it's been several months, I'm sharing it here as well.

Copying the Declaration of Independence with quill pens.

Recently I purchased a Book of Mormon to study with the sole purpose of searching for specific guidance relating to parenting and education. I have been color coding verses according to subject and theme. I think it is significant that the most true book on Earth begins with telling us of good parents; Nephi's father taught him what he knew because he was a good parent, the converse being true that because Lehi taught his son, he was a good parent:

"I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father..." (1 Nephi 1:1)

As I studied the family of Lehi anew, and reread of their two return journeys to Jerusalem after fleeing to the wilderness, I paused to consider the reasons for these return trips. The acquisition of the Brass Plates served to preserve a language and provide a record of doctrine and commandments, both necessary for the support, teaching, sustaining and building of this family and their future generations, and also to provide the genealogy of Lehi's family. The convincing of Ishmael and his family to join Lehi's family was for the forming of the most important companionships in this life, those of marrying and making families. These two necessary trips were all about the family! From the dust of 600 BC comes the Book of Mormon version of the Proclamation on the Family.

Juxtaposing this part of the Book of Mormon with the Proclamation, I'd like to suggest what it is that is imperative for parents to teach their children.

Teach them where they come from.

• Teach your children that they are eternal beings. Teach them the Plan of Salvation and that they are children of a loving Father in Heaven.
• Teach your children their family history. More than names and dates, search and study the true life stories that are their heritage. Come to know your ancestors as real people and internalize their trials, triumphs, and testimonies.
• Keep in touch with living relatives. Be diligent in strengthening family relationships. Those who make up the members of your family are not a matter of chance.
• Teach your children the history of your nation and to be patriots. Help them recognize the Hand of God in the affairs of history.

Teach them where they are going.

• Teach them that this life is the time to prepare to meet God. Continually walk with them the path that leads back to Him.
• Demonstrate a love of learning and an appreciation for education and improvement.
• Teach your children to work.
• Teach your children to make and keep covenants both in word and by example. Take your family to the temple. Prepare them for the day when they will marry and begin families of their own. 
• Discuss family life and help your children acquire skills for homemaking and providing, as well as those for nurturing family relationships.

Teach them what you know. 

• Follow the example of Lehi and share your knowledge, your passions, your experiences, and your testimony with your children. Be interested in and an active part of your children's educations.
• Set an example of standing up for what is right. Do not underestimate yourself or your influence. Employ the skills and knowledge you've acquired to bless your children  and guard against any enemy.

Teach them language.

• Don't leave to others the responsibility you have to ensure your children are learning and literate. Read to them, read with them, have them read to you. 
• Create a home environment where record keeping is the norm. Journals, scrapbooks, letters, memoirs, even poetry and creative writing should abound.
• Teach good manners in speech and how to effectively communicate with people, being good listeners as well as strong but tempered speakers.
• Help them learn, recognize, and understand the language of the Spirit.
• Teach them to pray.

Moses counseled, "And thou shalt teach (these words) diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up" (see Deuteronomy 6:7). This means good parents are teaching all the time. 

Children are born into families. They aren't born to governments, to schools, to clubs, or even to churches. The Plan of Happiness--the blueprint for finding and achieving real, lasting happiness--is centered on the family and not any other organization or group. Therefore, the rearing and education of children is both the responsibility and privilege of parents to whom children are born. They may employ the help of others for support, but never should they give up what is both their right and their charge in the teaching of their children.

"You think I'm not listening, but I am."

There are obvious differences between homeschooling and public school classes, and though the above is written in terms of a high school or college class, the premise works for homeschooling as well (though I wouldn't refer to one of my children as "the annoying kid"). You see, the facets of human nature that would make one late to a high school class or make one disruptive exist in all humans, regardless of where their education takes place. In my home it sometimes looks like too frequent and insanely marathonic bathroom visits (and no, these are not due to any health/medical issues, but have led to the removal of reading material in said rooms, though even that hasn't remedied the "issue"); kids getting way too comfortable on couches with blankets and nodding off while we read or watch an educational video; headphones for their math on the computer which project a lot more pop/rock music than math lecture; or squabbling with a sibling over anything and everything just because. Yet when I get exasperated and ask them to repeat what I just read, much of the time they can quote it. When I think a kid is completely checked out and decide to administer a pop quiz to prove my point, the one who can answer all the questions is the one who least looked like he was paying attention. Just goes to show that appearances aren't everything and there is not just one type of atmosphere or position or attitude or attention span necessary for learning. It could be that a kid like the one mentioned above studies on his own outside of class, but as one of my sons likes to tell me, "You think I'm not listening, but I am." 

That begs the question:  how many other things do I say or do, outside of what I want them to hear and pay attention to, that they really are noticing? What am I teaching when I'm not teaching?

Music Lyrics Matter

If you're ever concerned about your children's/teens' music choices, or you are looking for a Family Home Evening lesson, here are two good sources to bring to the discussion table. I like that together these combine science and scripture, a servant of the Lord bearing testimony as well as some proof via the scientific method. (Not because I or you or anyone should need science to back testimony or science to back the Spirit--we shouldn't and don't--but because it's really interesting when it does.)

First is an article recently published in the Deseret News titled "Literal lyrics? The effects of sex, violence and misogyny in popular music." This describes fascinating studies and results that aptly link song lyrics with increased instances of sex, sexualization, aggression and misogyny, and issues with self-esteem and ends with what parents can do.  Here is the last quote, from Jack R. Christianson:

“Music will do exactly what it is written to do. How you put lyrics to music and what music you choose to listen to affects just about every part of your life. The thing I want to do is teach my students how to make their own decisions based on how things make you feel and act. Do they go along with your moral compass? There’s a ton of good in almost all genres, but there are some that are a subculture. They intend to be bad, and they want to drag people to a dark place. It can take you to the highest peaks and lowest valleys.”

 Add to this the experience Elder Gene R. Cook of the LDS Quorum of the Seventy, which he has shared in multiple talks, including "The Eternal Nature of the Law of Chastity" and "How Not to be Discouraged."  Below is an excerpt of just part of the story.

Sometimes young people have a feeling that the music they listen to doesn’t have anything to do with chastity. And yet, as I’ve had opportunity to interview many youth in varying countries throughout the world, I’ve found that is just not so. I believe, without any doubt, that there is music of the Lord. I also believe there is good music that men have created—some romantic music, maybe some good cowboy music, and just plain fun songs, etc. Those can be okay. They can cheer you up and they’re fun to be involved with. It ought not surprise us that the devil has his own music as well. That kind of music is found throughout the world and has a great impact upon young people especially.

Let me try to bring this principle alive by relating a true story that happened with an individual of whom you probably have heard. How many of you have heard of Mick Jagger? I think almost everyone has as he is one of the most famous rock stars in the world. Well, you might be surprised to know that I had about 2-1/2 hours with him on an airplane and it was quite an experience. I’m going to relate part of that to you to try to illustrate this important point about selecting wholesome music.

Mr. Jagger and I were on a flight that originated in Mexico and were headed, I believe, to either Houston or Dallas. As I sat down in the plane, the seat next to me was empty. Later a man came and sat down by me. I noticed immediately that he was reading a rock magazine. I offered a silent prayer as I often do when I try to talk to people about the Church. I prayed that the Lord would inspire me in what to say as I talked to this man. After the prayer, I said something like, “My name is Gene Cook, I’m a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. What’s your name?” And he said, “My name is Mick Jagger.” Not realizing then who he was I said, “Well, I’m glad to meet you, Mick.” And then he said, “I said my name is Mick Jagger.” I said, “I heard you, Mick.” And then he opened up the magazine and pointed to his picture and said, “This is me.” Of course, then I finally realized who he was. I just hadn’t ever thought about sitting next to him, but it was so.

What I’m going to say is, in no way, speaking evil of Mick Jagger himself. Please understand that. I’m not speaking evil of the man, but I am of what he represents because it is wrong. It is of the devil himself, in my opinion.

Even before I knew who Mick was, I noticed that his pant leg was pulled up a little on his calf. As I looked at his leg I thought for some reason, “This fellow looks a little sick.” I’m not sure why, but that caught my attention before I even knew who he was.

After we visited back and forth a minute or two about what we were doing and all, I finally said something like, “You know, Mick, I have a question for you that I’d like you to answer for me.” He said, “Well, I’ll be glad to try.” Then I said to him, “I have opportunity to be with young people in many different places around the world, and some of them have told me that the kind of music you and others like you sing has no effect on them, that it’s okay, and that it doesn’t affect them adversely in any way. Then other young people have told me very honestly that your kind of music has a real effect on them for evil and that it affects them in a very bad way. You’ve been in this business for a long time, Mick. I’d like to know your opinion. What do you think is the impact of your music on the young people?”

This is a direct quote, brothers and sisters. He said, “Our music is calculated to drive the kids to sex.” Those were his exact words. I’m sure I had a real look of shock on my face in receiving such a bold response. He quickly added, “Well, it’s not my fault what they do. That’s up to them. I’m just making a lot of money.”

Then he told me he’d been in Mexico making a video because he could make it for about one-third of what it would cost in the United States. He told me this was a great day for them because now instead of just having audio where they could portray some of what they wanted to about sex and all, they now had videos and could have the people both hear it and see it portrayed. He said this would have much more impact on the youth, that his music was selling much more, and thus he was making much more money.

As I said, we talked for a couple of hours. Let me just share a few things that happened because it teaches the importance of what we are discussing with respect to music. As we chatted, I told him that I was married and had eight children. He told me that he was not married but that he had three children and was proud of it. He told me that he had one woman pregnant in Virginia, one in New York, and one in England, as I recall. He told me that it didn’t matter what you did in life, that you could take whatever you wanted, and that you could do whatever you wanted. He said there were no commandments, there was no God, and nothing really mattered. He indicated there was no judgment day and that you could just do whatever you felt like doing. Whatever I told him in our discussion was white he said was black.

And whatever he said was white I told him was black. He indicated that he had had the missionary lessons. In the beginning I didn’t believe that, but as we talked further I think he probably had. He told me he had had two or three lessons, and I think that was probably true because of some of his responses to me. According to him, he had been taught by missionaries in England.

He said, “As I listen to you Mormons, your problem is that you think you have all things figured out. Life isn’t that simple.” Then he would go on and explain some complex things, some theory of man. I would answer him in a very simple way from the scriptures, and he would say, “See what I mean?” He was always trying to make things much more complex than they really were.

Our conversation continued. He told me he believed in evolution and that he also believed he had descended from a monkey. I told him, with a smile, “That might be the only thing you’re right about.” We pursued the idea of evolution and the fact that if one is going to subscribe to the philosophy that he did, then he’d have to believe there was no God and that he must have evolved. And if there is no God, there are no commandments. There are no rules, and thus you can do whatever you want. He told me the importance, in his view, of freeing up the youth. He felt that they ought to be able to do whatever they wanted in spite of their parents. He said that parents were inhibiting them too much and controlling things and they ought not be doing that. It was truly astounding to me. He told me he was thankful the family, as an entity, was being destroyed. And I gathered from what he was saying that he was doing his best to help that along. 

Remembering a Bumpy Stretch on Memory Lane

I was recently cleaning out some files and came across a journal entry from eleven years ago that made me happy. It was such a fun memory and I'm so glad I wrote it all down the day it happened. I read it aloud to all of my kids and we laughed and laughed.

On that day, I had five children aged 10 and younger. That was such a physically demanding time! For all you mothers of young children, and especially if you have a house and heart full, enjoy every crazy, awesome, exhausting second of it! I've also been going through a lot of old photographs and darn it if I didn't have the cutest, most muggable kids on the planet. I'd happily relive this and all those days again and again and just hug and kiss and squeeze and love the heck out of those darlings all over.

Here is my journal entry.  I have abbreviated names, because I don't like to share too much personal info.

June 22, 2005

Note:  Nothing has been changed to protect anyone. The names and events are, sadly, all true.

           Please do not attempt to try this yourselves.  We are professionals.

It began as a simple but desperate trip to the store for diapers. P5's little bum was of necessity wearing a P4-big-bum diaper. Now I've been spoiled in the last few years by getting to go to the store by myself, or occasionally with one or two of the kids. But for this trip I had to take them all with me because (hubby) was out of town.

We had to get two carts. P3 had lost his shoes in the long grass's Twilight Zone and therefore needed to ride. That left little room for groceries.  I know, I said I just needed diapers.  But since I was already there...

It looked promising at first.  P1 and P2 were being very helpful, each pushing a cart.  Everyone was smiling and happy to get out of the house.  An older couple needed some assistance and so P2 ran to fetch them a shopping cart and P1 chased down a runaway cantaloupe that the lady in the wheelchair accidentally dropped.  That cantaloupe should have been our cue to get the heck out of Dodge.

We stopped at the bakery department for free cookies, only to be disappointed by the absence of anyone there to assist us.  As we moved on throughout the store, P4 wanted very much to get out of the cart and run.  I tried to keep him preoccupied with other thoughts as he screamed and then growled like a mad dog.  P2 skipped and jigged and slid around, every now and then stopping to pose against a shelf in a suave GQ position.  In his performance frame of mind, he forgot to pay attention to where he was going and hooked his nose on a wire rack.

We remembered that it was our turn next to provide after game snacks at baseball, and P1 and P2 began dashing about the store looking for something really good, no matter what it cost.  They went back and forth like madmen with their carts, nearly running into other customers (of course, they DID run into me) and nearly taking out displays.  Then they lost interest in the carts and abandoned them altogether, leaving their siblings in random aisles. This didn't help the situation with P4 wanting to go AWOL.  It did encourage P3 to get out and push...right into the frozen food freezer doors.

With both carts completely full, P4 just couldn't stand it anymore.  He began trying to throw merchandise out of the cart to plead his case.  P5 had had it as well, and began charming everyone with her off-the-chart high octave screams.  And then, we ran into the toy aisles.

It was of course mutiny at this point.  Barefoot P3 was oblivious to anything I had to say and did a stunt man jump out of the cart.  P5 HAD to be held.  P4 was so determined to get out of the cart that I had to choose between helping him out and letting him look for  a minute, or cleaning his teeth and fractured skull off the floor.  They all calmed down somewhat as they looked up and down the aisles, talking together and showing each other their finds.  And then, the three not in diapers had a massive attack of the "gotta go's" and proceeded to do the potty dance all over the place.  I sent them together to the restroom (remember, I still had two full grocery carts and two toddlers).  Jolly lot of good it did.  They came running back like a herd of buffalo, shouting, "We can't find the bathroom!"

FINALLY we headed for the checkout.  P5 was back in the cart.  I was holding P4.  Then the three oldest had to take a test swing on some patio furniture.  Not to be left out, P4 had to swing, too.  I made the mistake of putting him down.  And then he bolted.  Have you ever tried to find a two-foot tall kid who doesn't want to be found in the clothing racks?  When I finally did spot him, he took off, giggling hysterically.  I had to sprint my very sore joints (another long story) and nearly did a face plant.

Checkout!  Please get us out of here!  We somehow made it through and out the door.  And then...the unspeakable.  The unthinkable.  I was holding P5 and P4 and trying to keep P3 from darting into the parking lot.  P2 was pushing the VERY full and VERY heavy shopping cart.  I turned to check on him.  I saw the impending disaster before it happened, but couldn't get the words out in time to stop it.  THE WHOLE CART TIPPED OVER, almost on top of P2, and he did a Starsky and Hutch roll away, grabbing on to his ankle.

In his defense, this parking lot wasn't handicap accessible.

I'm still in shock.  I think once I get to bed tonight, I'm not going to get out again until (hubby) comes home.  Normally it's not like this... I don't know what's going on.  I couldn't deal with being the only one who knew, so I called (hubby) in Maryland and woke him up.  I hope he gets back to sleep...

After our "adventures" in town this evening, we got home, I fed the kids and got them in bed.  To unwind from it all, I put in a movie for myself... a comedy.  When it was over, I remembered that I needed to pull the car in the garage and lock up.  Can you guess what happened next?  I ran the van into the garage wall.  Yes, I really did.  Pulled into the garage at the wrong angle.  At this point I can't tell all the damage to the house.  The car looks AWFUL.

Good night.

P.S.  For clarification, I scraped the driver's side of the van along the trim of the garage entrance.

LOVE YOUR LITTLES!

And keep in mind that the so-called "bumps" on the road help you know you're alive.

Politics, Storm Chasers, and the Bermuda Triangle

As a follow up to "Bigfoot and Other Persuasive Writing Prompts," here are a few more examples of ways to use current events, your current studies, and other "everyday" things as ways to jump start thinking, opining, writing, and leading.

Using the latest issues of Parade magazine and Scholastic News, we learned quite a few things about different careers, and/or maybe profitable hobbies, as well as tornadoes. For instance, even at 83 years old, one woman adds to her income by being a professional dog sitter ($7,895 annually). We had no idea that there are people who made a decent amount of money just for standing in line! A professional line sitter in New York charges $25 for the first hour and $10 for each additional half hour to hold your place in line for you. It ends up being $54,470 a year, just to stand in line! Of course, many other professions were represented, and there were even more that were not, which we talked a little about. Then we read about storm chasers who are actually employed by a news station to update on current conditions (rather than just chasing tornadoes on their own simply for the thrill of it). The writing prompt was to write about jobs you definitely don't want to have, and those that you do. 

The Bermuda Triangle falls into a thriller/mystery category, but it can and should also be a part of geography studies. Since we are working on world geography, both "Tornado Alley" (referenced in the storm chasing reading) and the Bermuda Triangle fall into enhancing those studies in intriguing ways, while giving us something interesting to write about. My kids had some fascinating theories on what is going on in the Bermuda Triangle.

It was all too easy to find another of this past week's writing prompts when I opened the morning newspaper to an article all about the upcoming changes to United States currency. The biggest change will be Harriet Tubman replacing Andrew Jackson on the twenty dollar bill. I read the article to my kids and then had them write their thoughts on it. I was surprised at how definite their opinions were, and I think this is a topic I'll want them to practice their expression and persuasion on.

The thing about this type of writing is that it is engaging kids in politics, whether they know it or not. Any time someone writes a letter to the editor of a newspaper, or discusses the goings on in the world, for good or bad, they are engaging in the political process. I'm hoping to help my kids learn to gather good information and come to good conclusions, to recognize that their ideas and opinions matter and that they should be engaged in shaping/changing/helping the world around them, and also to be able to express themselves to the best of their ability so that they can.

An additional benefit is the broadening of my kids' knowledge base. As I mentioned in the other post, my kids are supposed to periodically choose one of these topics to expand on in a full, polished essay. One of my boys decided to write about how he would not want to be one of the first people on Mars and why. He did some research on everything those people going will have to do to prepare as well as what they expect to be doing once there, and also the dangers along the way. At some point, I don't remember the exact context, we were discussing his findings and I mentioned that some people think that NASA faked the moon landings. All of a sudden he quoted, "We're where NASA faked the moon landings," which is a line from the film RV with Robin Williams. He smiled and said, "I never really understood that line before now." I smiled over that because even though we haven't watched that movie in months and months, that question was stored in his head and just a little bit of learning recalled it and answered it.

Is This Thing On?

Is there anyone out there finding this blog helpful or inspiring? For the most part, I can't tell. 

There are many reasons that people blog. For my part, I do it for these reasons:

1.  To let my light shine. (See Matthew 5:16)

2.  As a service to hopefully help strengthen homes, families, and homeschools.

3.  As a creative outlet and because I like to write.

It takes a lot of time to blog. For two years I've been putting this out there hoping it's helpful to someone. There are days, though, that I think about letting it go and even deleting it altogether because I'm not sure it's serving its purpose; if it's not, I need to spend the time I spend blogging elsewhere.

So, if this blog has mattered at all to you and you've got a few seconds to let me know, I'd appreciate the feedback. If there are particular kinds of posts you value over others, please find those posts and tell me that's what you find most helpful. 

Thanks for reading. Do something to make your home happy today!

Sasha

Detecting Beavers

I love beavers. Not only are they some of the most adorable creatures on earth, they are useful and necessary beyond measure in maintaining a healthy planet that can sustain life. Watching them work is both fascinating and inspiring; knowing that they were once nearly hunted to extinction for fashion is horrifying.

Alice Outwater's Water--A Natural History has been on my wishlist for years. I once took a class that explained the gist and some details of the book and it struck and stuck. While this book would be a good basis for a unit study in and of itself, I'm tacking it on to our U.S. History studies. That may seem odd, but in the history of this nation, from fur trapping mountain men to westward expansion with its excessive logging and buffalo hunting, to plowing the plains, etc., we find that much of what we read about is not only the story of people and a growing nation, but also a story of ecosystems and their demise.

Having just finished the chapters on beaver, I wanted to bring it all to life and not leave it as just something we read about in a book. That meant, first of all, a field trip!

We packed some sandwiches and headed to an area where beaver should be. The quest was on and we became beaver detectives.

My hopeful anticipation almost fizzled when we first arrived at our destination because there was so much water. Spring melt had this river rushing! I couldn't see how there could possibly be a beaver dam here. 

We sat and ate our lunch and I studied the area. There were a few places where the current slowed, due to islands in the river forking the water. I walked up and down the bank. One of my sons and I wondered aloud at a particular area, but we weren't sure if what we were looking at was just forest debris caught up on an obstacle. I determined that we should go to the other side of the river where we could see what was on the other side of an island and where we could also traverse farther along the bank. (And we tried not to be so loud as to disturb the lone fly fisherman that was probably wondering why in the heck these kids weren't "in school.")

On the other side of the river we found a lot of evidence of beaver! We KNEW they had to be there, somewhere.

We even found beaver scat--and a lot of it!

We knew from our reading that beavers practice coecotrophy--they eat everything twice to extract the most calories from their high-fiber diet when food supplies are low. This means they eat their poo after the first digestion, when it's a gelatinous, porridge-like substance. After the second digestion, a beaver's excrement is pretty much pure sawdust. I broke one of the discovered poo pellets open and, voila! Sawdust!

We knew we were close; there had to be a beaver lodge nearby. We retraced our steps and looked again and finally one of my kids spotted it, right next to where we'd been standing previously. The lodge was on the bank, and we'd been looking more at the water, trying to find a dam to go with it.

Another of my kids found an entrance to a beaver tunnel several feet away from the lodge.

After finding the lodge, we wanted to see what it looked like from the other side of the river. We were incredulous to find that we had been sitting directly across from it and looking right at it during our picnic. We simply hadn't noticed it because we were looking for a preconceived picture in our heads and expected the lodge to be on the water. (We later read that when the water moves too fast, beavers will put their lodge on the shore next to it.) We noted, though, that the "clump" we had previously wondered about was close to the lodge and was likely the beginnings of a dam as it was already redirecting the current and there were the beginnings of a slower wetland area on the opposite bank.

I'm so glad we didn't spot the beaver lodge right away. It was much more fun, exciting, and meaningful to look for evidence and to search for it.

Later that evening we watched PBS's Nature:  "Leave it to Beavers." It's on DVD, but it's free to stream if you have Amazon Prime. It is really good. Here is a preview:

If you want to see some seriously amateur beaver film, you can check out my post Work Like a Beaver where I philosophize a bit about beavers, families, and work, and share the video I took of a beaver family at work in Alaska.

Bigfoot and Other Persuasive Writing Prompts

Many classrooms and homeschools across the world have a point in their day where they free write in either a daily journal, or a writing notebook. Often there are writing prompts such as, "If I could travel anywhere, I would go..." or a story beginning such as, "Thunder clapped loudly as the dark figure entered the..." which the students need to finish. 

While I love creative writing, I am taking a different approach to this activity. I want my children to be able to think critically, make decisions, form opinions, and be able to express their beliefs and opinions in sound an solid ways. So, currently, our daily writing prompts are essay starters, kindling persuasive writing.

First, I share some information with my children. Every day is something different. If I come across an interesting or provocative book like the Bigfoot "autobiography" shown below, BINGO! After reading the (considerably informative yet still speculative) book, plus a few accounts of sightings from the internet, the question for the day was, "Do you believe in Bigfoot and why or why not?"

This school year we have had a subscription to Scholastic News. Each issue has articles on current events and a lot of interesting bits of information, plus a debate section. I choose the pieces I think most valuable to think about and read the article, then pose a question to write about. Examples of some of these are, "Should boys and girls attend school together, or should they be separated?" "Should students have more P.E. time?" "Would you want to be one of the first people on Mars?" "Should (a kid who has been trained) be able to climb Mount Everest?" Keep in mind that before writing my kids have heard multiple perspectives as well as some cold, hard facts and information, and they're expected to back up their positions.

I also come up with writing prompts based on our current studies and common reading and viewing. An example of this is, "Compare and contrast Andrew Jackson and Donald Trump. Are they more alike, or more different?"

After about seven writing prompts, I have my children choose one of the free write topics and write a full, researched essay to develop their thinking, researching, and writing skills.

In case you are wondering, most of my kids believe in Bigfoot. We have one, solid holdout among us.

Spring!

"No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow."

-Proverb-

As the sun set on winter, I was finally recovered enough from my pneumonia to take a short walk around the block. The snow was melting and I so appreciated that the smell of my first deep breaths in weeks were heavy with the delicious earthiness of dirt, emerging from its long sleep and ready for life, like me.

"It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. 

And when you've got it, you want--oh, you don't 

quite know what it is you do want, but it just

fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!"

-Mark Twain-

Sunrise on a promising spring morning in the country is invigorating, especially since I was finally able to run again--the first time this year.

“Country things are the necessary root of our life - 

and that remains true even of a rootless 

and tragically urban civilization. 

To live permanently away from the country 

is a form of slow death.” 

-Esther Meynell-

"The true sound of spring is not the robins returning

but the sound of a bat on a ball"

And the nature of spring baseball is that you can and do play in all sorts of weather--even in the snow.

"Springs greatest joy beyond a doubt

is when it brings the children out."

-Edgar Guest-

"In the spring, 

at the end of the day,

you should smell like dirt."

-Margaret Atwood-

"Our Lord hath written the promises

of the Resurrection

not in books alone

but in every leaf in springtime."

-Martin Luther-

"Spring shows what God can do

with a drab and dirty world"

-Virgil Kraft-

"Can words describe

the fragrance of the

very breath of spring?"

-Neltje Blanchan-

“Is the spring coming?" he said. "What is it like?"...

"It is the sun shining on the rain 

and the rain falling on the sunshine...” 

-Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden-

My daughter begged me to come to the window to see the rainbow. I'm so glad she did. I never tire of rainbows and always see them as a miracle despite the scientific explanations. This was probably the brightest rainbow I've ever seen, but in thinking on it it's probably because another dark storm was brewing behind it. The darker the storm, the brighter the rainbow--both out my window, and in life.

"I looked out the window,

and what did I see?

Popcorn popping on the apricot tree!"

-Georgia W. Bello-

"The flowers of tomorrow

are in the seeds of today."

So much hope in spring! Here's hoping that no freeze nor hail nor pest will destroy my apricots this year. It's been three years since we harvested any. These blossoms look promising!

"April hath put 

a spirit of youth

in everything."

-William Shakespeare