Thank you, Lord, for the piles of laundry because it means we have plenty to wear.
Thank you, Lord, for the many dishes to wash because it means we have had food to eat.
Thank you, Lord, for the toys scattered around because it means my children have enjoyed playing with each other (usually).
Thank you, Lord, that I have so many sewing projects lined up because it means that my children are growing at a healthy rate.
Thank you, Lord, for the many school papers to look over because it means that my children are faithfully doing their schoolwork and are growing in their knowledge of your world.
"Give thanks in all circumstances", 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
What happens when boys grow
When a certain boy grows out of his jammies, his mother must make him some new ones. Today I made two jammy pants and a skirt (not for the boy) from this blue plaid fabric. Since I have enough left over, I'll make a matching pillowcase. These pants turned out so big that he'll be wearing them for a couple of years!
Sunday, January 28, 2007
On Saturday we went to a used book sale held at a library and brought home a few books to add to our collection. We found an old children's book called "Pictorial Pilgrim's Progress" which we had to get since "Little Women" references it so often. Since only Hannah really knows the story, I thought it might be interesting for the rest of us to understand it, too.
Another book I picked out because it looked to interesting is called "At Her Majesty's Request- An African Princess in Victorian England" by Walter Dean Myers. The back cover states, " Sarah Forbes Bonetta was an African princess whose parents were murdered by enemy warriors. A British naval officer rescued her and brought her to England, where she became the protegee of Queen Victoria herself." It was a quick read at only 140 pages, but it offered a fascinating glimpse into a very unique life. Young Sarah is spared from death twice before she turns six, brought across the ocean to a different culture, becomes a ward of the Queen who takes a special interest in her, then is sent back to Africa as it is believed that her health is being harmed by England's damp weather. Her life is one of travel, privilege and loss. I wish more was known of this woman, her thoughts and observations, but her few surviving letters do not give much information. What a great find in the middle of stacks of books at a book sale!
Friday, January 26, 2007
In the Classroom This Month
We resumed school after the holidays with a new book for our group reading time. We are over halfway through "Little Women" now and have enjoyed learning about ALL of the adventures of the March family, not just the ones portrayed in the movies (although we love both the versions with Elizabeth Taylor and the more recent one with Winona Ryder).
Before we read in "Little Women", however, we read a few poems from "Favorite Poems Old and New". So far our favorite poem has been "The Night Wind" by Eugene Field:
The Night Wind
Have you ever heard the wind go "Yooooo"?
"Tis a pitiful sound to hear!
It seems to chill you through and through
With a strange and speechless fear.
"Tis the voice of the night that broods outside
When folk should be asleep,
And many and many's the time I've cried
To the darkness brooding far and wide
Over the land and the deep:
"Whom do you want, O lonely night,
That you wail the long hours through?"
And the night would say in its ghostly way:
"Yooooooooo!
Yooooooooo!
Yooooooooo!"
My mother told me long ago
(When I was a little tad)
That when the night went wailing so,
Somebody had been bad;
And then, when I was snug in bed,
Whither I had been sent,
With the blankets pulled by round my head,
I'd think of what my mother'd said,
And wonder what boy she meant!
And "Who's been bad to-day?" I'd ask
Of the wind that hoarsely blew,
And the voice would way in its meaningful way:
"Yooooooooo!
Yoooooooo!
Yoooooooo!"
That this was true I must allow-
You'll not believe it, though!
Yes, though I'm quite a model now,
I was not always so.
And if you doubt what things I say,
Suppose you make the test;
Suppose, when you've been bad some day
And up to bed are sent away
From mother and the rest-
Suppose you ask, "Who has been bad?"
And then you'll hear what's true;
For the wind will moan in its ruefulest tone:
"Yooooooooo!
Yoooooooo!
Yoooooooo!
Of course, this poem wouldn't apply to these sweet girls who were anything but bad while doing their laundry chores!
Before we read in "Little Women", however, we read a few poems from "Favorite Poems Old and New". So far our favorite poem has been "The Night Wind" by Eugene Field:
The Night Wind
Have you ever heard the wind go "Yooooo"?
"Tis a pitiful sound to hear!
It seems to chill you through and through
With a strange and speechless fear.
"Tis the voice of the night that broods outside
When folk should be asleep,
And many and many's the time I've cried
To the darkness brooding far and wide
Over the land and the deep:
"Whom do you want, O lonely night,
That you wail the long hours through?"
And the night would say in its ghostly way:
"Yooooooooo!
Yooooooooo!
Yooooooooo!"
My mother told me long ago
(When I was a little tad)
That when the night went wailing so,
Somebody had been bad;
And then, when I was snug in bed,
Whither I had been sent,
With the blankets pulled by round my head,
I'd think of what my mother'd said,
And wonder what boy she meant!
And "Who's been bad to-day?" I'd ask
Of the wind that hoarsely blew,
And the voice would way in its meaningful way:
"Yooooooooo!
Yoooooooo!
Yoooooooo!"
That this was true I must allow-
You'll not believe it, though!
Yes, though I'm quite a model now,
I was not always so.
And if you doubt what things I say,
Suppose you make the test;
Suppose, when you've been bad some day
And up to bed are sent away
From mother and the rest-
Suppose you ask, "Who has been bad?"
And then you'll hear what's true;
For the wind will moan in its ruefulest tone:
"Yooooooooo!
Yoooooooo!
Yoooooooo!
Of course, this poem wouldn't apply to these sweet girls who were anything but bad while doing their laundry chores!
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Weekend Project - Pillowcases
This past weekend I had the urge to sew some pillowcases with some fabric I bought at the biggest fabric store I've ever been to in Iowa. When I bought the fabric I had no idea what I would do with it, but the two yards were just enough for two beautiful pillowcases for our bed. After sewing the blue ones, I found some white fabric in my stash and used the rest of the insertion lace that I had from other projects and sewed two more cases.
Now I need to make a quilt to go with the pillowcases for the foot of the bed!
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
The Treasures of the Snow
I picked up a book from one of my favorite sites, Bookcloseouts.com, last year called "Mrs. Sharp's Traditions" by Sarah Ban Breathnach. It is filled with old fashioned pictures and celebrations of times gone by. In the chapter on the month of January, Mrs Sharp tells how to make snow ice cream. It sounded like fun and since we currently have a little spare snow in the backyard, we gave it a whirl.
It has more of a sherbet taste to it, not the rich Breyers ice cream flavor. We took some of the vanilla and added chocolate syrup for a more distinct taste. Either way, the kids thought it was great!
Snow ice cream:
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon or more vanilla
one-half cup sugar (we used powdered sugar)
Beat well until frothy. Place mixture in a large bowl and add enough clean, fresh snow until the liquid is completely absorbed by the snow.
Let me know if you need any snow for this recipe. I'm sure I could find some to send you.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Welcome to our new family blog!
Welcome to our dear family and friends! We wanted to set up a blog to share the happenings in our lives with our loved ones far away so we could better stay in touch. Please feel free to comment or just say hello!
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