My dog ate my homework

While I was at a women's church retreat last weekend, a school backpack was accidentally left unzipped and unattended in our kitchen with the dog. My husband took a photo as proof for poor J to hand his teacher.


What a rascal this four-legged fiend is turning out to be! And yet, in spite of all the shredded paper and demolished DVDs, I am so glad he became part of the family. He's my little shadow when I really need company. This year my youngest started kindergarten. My house would have been a lot more lonely without my furry pal with me during the day. Still, I wonder if he'll ever outgrow this whole paper shredding habit. Is it an immaturity thing, or is it just part of who he is?

Butterflies

M's Upward cheerleading team called themselves the Butterflies this year. For their final routine at the awards ceremony, their coach went all out on face painting. M just seemed so cute and pleased with the look, I had to share.

Redemption

This was my first time to read anything by Karen Kingsbury, and I was pleasantly surprised. I like Christian fiction, but I'm not a huge fan of romance novels, unless they're of the Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre sort. I don't think anyone's going to put Karen Kingsbury on a booklist with the Bronte sisters, but this was still a nice, captivating read.

I won't give a plot description here because I think letting details unfold during reading would be best for other readers. However, I will address the lovely way Kingsbury shows that it's possible to do the right thing and hold onto your convictions, even when everyone around you thinks it makes no sense to do so. This book is a great example of 1 Phillippians 4:13 put into practice: "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."

I was sucked into this book enough to put the sequel on hold at the library. It's just the kind of book you can snuggle up with when you want a cozy, comfortable something to fall into and relax. That's not to say it's free of twists and turns, but it's easy to follow and very encouraging.

Peter and the Shadow Thieves

Once again, I'm thrilled that cynical humorist Dave Barry has an adventurous side. In his second writing partnership with Ridley Pearson, Barry fills in the blanks about Peter Pan's mysterious past.

This time Peter must travel from his beloved island to London to warn his friend Molly of a sinister plot hatched by the Others. Peter encounters many scoundrels and dangers on the streets of London - and that's before he even comes in contact with the Others, or pirates! Thankfully, Tinkerbell is there to sound warning chimes and flash brilliant light where needed. As Peter and his friends fight to protect the magical starstuff, and each other, we learn more about what shapes Peter into the legend he eventually becomes.

I LOVE this book! It's filled with adventure, magic, friendship, and just a hint of romance. Can't wait until my fifth-grader reads it so we can have a nice book discussion and ponder what happens next.

Cindy Lou Who

Today we celebrate the birthday of Dr. Seuss, beloved creator of The Cat in the Hat and (my personal favorite) One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. The kids' elementary school is going all out and using this opportunity to launch a month-long reading program.

Students were asked to dress either in red and white or as a character from a Dr. Seuss book. Today J chose to wear red and white (I didn't snap a photo of him before he left early this morning for Technology Club), and W didn't go at all because he was sick. I asked M if she'd like to be Cindy Lou Who from How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and she loved the idea.

The nightgown is one that her grandma made for her two Christmases ago. I whipped a couple of little bows together this morning and clipped them into her hair. Isn't she a cute little Who?

Never trust a rodent

So, the groundhog said that spring was near. But, to quote my daughter, "It just snowed and snowed and snowed" yesterday. That's the last time I'll trust a furry weather forecaster. Of course, the one on television didn't tell us this was coming, either.

Church was called off, which was disappointing because we were looking forward to a really good service this week. Still, God sent us the wonder of a white sabbath, and that was a big reminder that we have reason to worship and celebrate.

How many snow photos can my blog-reading friends stand in one winter? Well, I hope you can handle just a few more ...

Here's the view from my husband's office window, facing the back corner of the house.

I took this photo standing on the steps of the deck, facing the back yard.

J made this little snow gauge in school last year. Looks like we got about five inches of snow.

M tried to shovel the driveway, but her dad had to eventually help out.

Our four-legged family member enjoys digging in the snow.

W and J made snow forts. See how wet this snow is? W gave up his hat eventually because it was so wet.

J hid out behind his snow fort to avoid a barrage of snowballs from his brother.

A night at the museum

My husband and I have been on the lookout for good enrichment activities for J. When we saw an opportunity for J to spend the night at the International Spy Museum as part of a program for gifted and talented kids, we all jumped at the chance!

J and Dad had to pack up sleeping bags and overnight gear, then they drove to D.C. and parked at Dad's office. They carried their backpacks on the Metro and arrived at the museum for a night of intrigue and sleuthing.

My husband said that J had a blast and seemed to be in his element. I'm glad they both had some dad/son time doing something that interests them both.

Get Out of That Pit

I needed to write a resource review for the M.E.N.D. newsletter (Mommies Enduring Neonatal Death - www.mend.org) recently, and I found this book as one of the new ones spotlighted at Christian Book Distributors (www.christianbook.com). I'm a big Beth Moore fan anyway, but I was really impressed with this book. Here's the review I wrote for M.E.N.D.:

Life is filled with pits. So is the Bible. From the pit that Joseph found himself facing in the Old Testament, to the one the Psalmist wrote about, scripture is filled with examples of people who were thrown, slid, or jumped into difficult situations that seemed inescapable. Today there are just as many pits as there were then, and fewer are more scary than the one we’re thrown into when we are faced with the pain of losing a baby.
In her latest book, Beth Moore tackles all these pits with honesty and insight. She describes three main ways that people can end up in a pit, ways to know that you are indeed in a pit, and steps to take to get out of the dark and into the light again. In typical Beth Moore fashion, stories of heartbreak and humor are interspersed with Biblical principals to offer practical, heartfelt advice.

Get Out of That Pit includes references to Mrs. Moore’s own struggles in the pit. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that the author understands the pain and struggle of facing life’s challenges. Her husband Keith wrote the book’s foreword, offering heartfelt recollections of how life with his wife has been changed through the redeeming power of Christ.

Though this book isn’t aimed specifically at bereaved parents, the author lists the death of a child as one of the most tragic ways that people can be thrown into a pit, giving parents who are suffering the death of a “beloved, irreplaceable child” “extra reverence.” She expresses deep compassion for parents who must face this type of grief and offers gentle kindness to families who are hurting because of the loss of a child.

Beth Moore speaks honest, understandable hope to the hurting masses in her latest work. She offers the love of Christ as the only solution for life’s problems. It’s a message we all need.

The ice storm

Wow - It's been a while since I blogged! Part of the reason for that was an ice storm that hit with a vengeance last week. My husband came home early one day from work and then missed the next day because of bad road conditions. School was out for four days, including Valentine's Day. The ice pounded the windows in the early hours of the morning, then a thin blanket of snow covered the ice. There was just enough snow to go outside and have a little fun, but then it all froze over so that everything was just one big layer of ice.

So, we had lots of togetherness. Instead of spending time on the computer, I played with the kids and learned a lot of new skills. I got to the second level of Zelda: Twilight Princess on GameCube. Let me tell you, things have changed quite a bit since the Pacman of my day! We also tried out a new card game called Zeus on the Loose. I bought it the week before because of J's recent unit on Greek mythology at school. We had loads of fun! Even six-year-old M learned to add up the numbers on the card quickly enough to steal Zeus every now and then.

One thing I tried that I haven't ever done before was make snow ice cream. Back when I was a kid in Mississippi, snow ice cream was a once-every-three-years treat. I Googled to see if I could find a recipe, then I called my mom to see how she used to make it. Basically, you just mix snow, vanila flavoring, sugar, and milk together.

I realize a lot of people may get grossed out at the thought of eating snow, but I had to try it, just for the nostalgia. Turned out pretty good!

First snow

Christmas came and went without one snowflake in sight, but finally, snow fell today! The kids were fever free this afternoon, so we decided it was okay to let them have a little snow play.

W gets a taste of snowy goodness.










One of J's favorite snowy activities is making snow angels.

M got upset because some snow found its way into her coat, thanks to a misfired snowball from her brother.






Of course, that meant war (never mind that it was the other brother who threw the snowball).

Neither side seemed to be winning.










Finally, a truce was called, and a lesson in snowball making quickly followed.

Sick day

Earlier this month I started a long-term substitute teaching job at the kids' school. Kids all over town have been getting sick since Christmas break, and I was holding my breath, hoping my family could avoid the germs somehow until at least February, when my subbing commitment ends. However, last night, W started running fever. I called our assistant principal so she could get a sub for the sub. After I e-mailed W's teacher asking for his assignments to be sent home, I noticed that M looked a little flushed. Sure enough, she had a fever, too. Then, this morning J woke up with a cough, runny nose, and headache - the same symptoms the other two kids had yesterday. So, we all get a day off from school today.

Don't they look sad? I'm glad they all fell victim to the virus at the same time, though. Misery loves company, and it means less time away from school for all of us if we go through this together.

Upward

It's basketball season again, and this year we have a cheerleader joining in the fun. W and M are both participating in Upward sports this year (http://www.upward.org/). If you're not familiar with Upward, take a moment to check out that link. It's a wonderful, Christian sports program in which the kids learn how to be more Christ-like, good sportsmanship, are exposed to positive role models, and learn Scripture every week.

I do want to take a moment to brag about J, who chooses to fill his extracurricular time with less sporty activities. He's been such a supportive brother and goes to games and practices without complaint. So though he'd rather be at Lego League than a basketball game, he's a big fan of his siblings and helps make it fun for all of us.

Here are a few photos from their first week with Upward. W got the award for best effort at his first game, and M got the leadership award during her first time ever as a cheerleader.















After the game, we went out for dinner to celebrate the start of what promises to be a fun season.

Christmas 2006

Our December was filled with all kinds of pre-Christmas events, and Christmas Day itself was a wonderful flurry of family and gifts. So, without going into too much detail, here are the highlights.

Here's M singing with her performing group in front of the national Christmas tree in D.C. She shone like a little star on her solo!

This is a shot of all the kids after the performance. That really is the White House behind them; I know it's kind of dark and hard to make out.

W and M were in a piano recital a couple of weeks before Christmas. They both did a great job!

Here are the performers with J, their biggest fan.

Finally, Christmas came! Here's our crew waiting for the all clear to come down the stairs to see what Santa brought.

Grandma snapped photos while the kids checked out their gifts.

One thing M got that she really liked was a new Brett Favre jersey.

J had asked for a tarantula, but Mom vetoed the idea. W decided that a remote-controlled version might be a nice idea and wrapped one up for J.

Looks like J was pleased, even though the spider wasn't real.

Relatives from Mississippi sent much-appreciated gifts.

J got his dad a personalized ice cream bowl.

I got a beautiful piano bench from my sweet husband.

I love this time of year!

Indestructable?

So much for the durability of DVDs! They're no match for a miniature schnauzer. Our dog doesn't usually attack movies, but this one was in a Netflix envelope (yes, we damaged a Netflix movie) , and our pet is a wonderful paper shredder. So, this movie is no more. The replacement fee was $20, which wasn't fun to pay, but at least we know now to keep the Netflix envelopes on a higher shelf.

Midnight for Charlie Bone

I saw this book by Jenny Nimmo at our elementary school book fair and wondered about it, but I was reading other stuff at the time. Then my neighbor's little boy dressed as Charlie Bone for Halloween. So, I checked it out of the library for J to read. J is a pretty discriminating reader for a nine-year-old. He got about 40 pages in and told me it just wasn't for him. I read a little of it for myself and realized that J was right. I did work through the entire book, trying to give it a good, honest try before evaluation. The fact of the matter is that the writing is choppy. The story doesn't flow smoothly. Strange things happen all over in this book, and though I waited patiently for some of the dots to connect, many of them never did. The idea is a good one, and it could lend itself to some exciting reading, but, as J said, "It just isn't very well-written." Harry Potter fans who need a quick fix before the final installment of the J.K. Rowling series might be okay with this book, but, try as it may, this isn't Harry Potter.

I saw some reader reviews of Midnight for Charlie Bone and was surprised that it did so well. Maybe I'm just too picky. However, I think that just because a book is written for children doesn't mean you can skimp on character development and plot details. Kids are smart and, as evidenced by my nine-year-old, know when someone is trying to follow a trend without putting enough thought into the final product. It's a shame, really. Jenny Nimmo has an intriguing story here. I just wish she took the time to tell it better.

Giving thanks

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year! We were able to host friends and family at our home for a beautiful meal and a really nice time. In all, we had 14 adults and nine kids, plus one dog. Cousins flew in from Chicago, friends drove here from New York and Maryland, and the rest of us Virginians were able to get through nasty weather and busy traffic to spend a blessed day together. We do indeed have much to be thankful for. God is so good!



Here's the adult table. I made the napkins myself!











The kid table. This was a fun group! They ranged in age from four to 11 and got along great!

Our gathering sang the Doxology together after my husband offered thanks to God for all our blessings.