Our reading goals 2017

If you read my last post, you know that my third daughter and I set a reading goal for each month of 2016. We are aspiring to do this again for 2017, but I am excited to share that all five of my oldest daughters appear to be on board to join in the challenge! (By the way, for those who do not know, I have going on nine daughters! But I can save information on my large family of girls for other posts.) This thrills me because that as an educator and mother, I long to see my daughters grow in the knowledge and personal growth that reading can bring them. Not only that, but since literature is a passion of mine, I long to grow in my relationship with each one of them. I say this because like many understand, sharing a hobby or passion with your children is a great way to connect. With so many children and so little time, it is important to me to have those things that draw us together and spark discussion between us. Several of my daughters are fans of comic books and superheros like my husband, which is one way they bond with their father. A few of my daughters are like me and are animal and nature lovers, so we have those things to share. We all enjoy movies and TV shows together and the discussions those spark. Now, I am excited that all my daughters old enough to read on their own, will be trying to read along with me!

Literature and books as everyday family education

This last year, my third daughter, a fellow book lover, and I decided to go on a journey together. We decided to grow our relationship with books and each other by embarking on a 2016 book reading challenge where we chose a book a month to read from some pre-selected categories. It was a very positive experience that brought us both out of our comfort zones. I read a variety of genres and types: fiction/non-fiction, classics and modern, and challenging/easy.
I think stories whether in books or movies are a great way to start family discussions and get people thinking about the important things in life.
What were my take-aways?
1. I LOVE Tolstoy! I read "War and Peace" as the "Book that Intimidates Me," and although it took me three months to read with my busy schedule, it was deep and thoughtful, with engaging characters. I also read "Anna Karenina," and I rate it as the best book I read in 2016. Tolstoy explored the depths of humanity, relationships, the nature of history, and the meaning of life. Sometimes I just had to sit and chew on a thought nestled within his books savoring the truth and meaning I tasted within it.
2. The timing of a book can be as important as the book itself. "Anna Karenina" was in the category "A Book I Abandoned" because I began reading it about five years ago, and not far into the book, I set it aside as disturbing and somewhat confusing. I picked it up again, and it came to life before my eyes. Sometimes, life experience, how you have changed as a person, and the time of life you are in can make all the difference in how you see a book.
3. Some books are great for a quick, fun and engaging read. However, some books are "life" books that require thought, time, and effort, but they affect you deeply and leave you a better person. It is nice to have both in your life. It is the difference between a snack or dessert and a five course, nutritious, and savory meal.
4. A set reading challenge that you do with a buddy or two is a great way to be a consistent dedicated reader. The different categories make it fun and also lead you into new, interesting, and challenging directions. The buddy(ies) help you stay consistent and make reading a relational activity. As opposed to a book club, you each get to read something you want and feel fits you personally, and you can also learn about other books from someone else who is reading them.
5. It is important to read timeless classics (which are classics for a reason) as well as modern works that help you better understand what is happening in your own generation and how people are thinking today.

Simply documenting thoughts--the gift of ourselves

Again, it has been a long time since I've written in my blog. Life is busy, and sometimes the time just isn't right. I am now busy working on my doctorate in education, teaching third grade, and raising soon to be nine children. My husband is a stay at home dad, and he home schools my older daughters who help immensely, so I am not the supermom some people think when I list out my responsibilities. I am just a mom following the unique path God has for me doing the best I can with a husband and children doing the best they can. I am currently on Christmas break waiting for my ninth baby girl to come. The last month of pregnancy is the most difficult for me, and it is especially difficult because I have to rely on my children for so much. My husband's fibromyalgia prevents me from leaning on him too much for physical help with things, so we often rely on them. They are so good about it, but I know it is hard for them. I know people would judge me for having nine children, but I just figure that it will have to be that way. Sometimes you go down a path that isn't easy just because you know it is the right thing and trust that God has more good in it than you can currently see. I realized the other day one reason why I do not write in my blog more despite my love for writing. I am waiting for some grandiose thing to say. I read an article that said to just start documenting, don't worry about creating some grand thing. If you document enough, good things will eventually be created. So here is my start. I also know, however, that I am a pretty private person, and my husband is too. I do not want to share more than he nor I would like. I do not like to market myself or my ideas,so we'll see if this tapers off once again. However, sharing a part of yourself is a gift to the world; I firmly believe each person is a gift to those around him/her and to the world. When a person shares their true selves with those around them, the world is enriched in a way that only that person can provide. So here I am.

Why I am a Christian:

Why I am a Christian? After all, many would say all religions contain elements of truth—a higher power or consciousness of good, the need to reconcile or align oneself with the good and deny, suppress, or fight the bad, the consciousness of something wrong that needs to be corrected. So many of the ancient myths and stories contain these themes—some go so far as to have a virgin mother figure, a messiah like figure or war hero. All usually contain some teaching on love, forgiveness, righteousness, and justice. So why am a Christian, and not anything else or nothing at all? Because Christianity remains rooted in the historical Christ who can be said to have fulfilled not just the Jewish law and prophecies, but also the myths of the Norse and Romans, the philosophies of the Greeks, the suffering and self-denial of the Buddhists, the monotheistic holiness of the Muslim, the ethics of the Confucians, the Nirvana of the Hindus, and He is the answer of the human heart in a living breathing complex reality, and not just in a remote idealism. He was the God-Man, the fulfillment of all priestly figures of all religions. He came down and lived the truth in a flesh and blood way that we can understand because truth just cannot be spoken—it must be lived out. The Incarnation is the supreme crux that makes all the difference. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. . .

Invertebrates (to tune of Bingo)

This is another one of the memory songs I wrote. Hopefully, this will help kids learn the taxonomy of the invetebrate part of the animal kingdom. One great way of helping kids learn this is by repeating it each day of your unit on invetebrates while showing pictures or flashcards of the animals within each phylum or class.

The Annelid group includes earthworms
With their segmented bodies,
Invertebrates, invetebrates,
Invertebrates have no backbone!

Sponges are the simplest animals,
These Porifera filter feed.
Invertebrates, invetebrates,
Invetebrates have no backbone!

Cnidaria are stinging creatures
Like jellyfish, anemones, and corral,
Invertebrates, invetebrates,
Invetebrates have no backbone!

Echinoderms are marine animals,
Whose arms radiate from a center,
Invertebrates, invetebrates,
Invetebrates have no backbone!

Mollusca is a group of snails and slugs,
Bivalves, and cephalopods, (Bivalves-oysters, clams)
Invertebrates, invetebrates,
Invetebrates have no backbone! (Cephalopods-squid, octopus)

Arthropods with exoskeletons,
Are many--break them into classes!
Invertebrates, invetebrates,
Invetebrates have no backbone!

Arachnids are eight-legged creatures,
You think of them as spiders!
Invertebrates, invetebrates,
Invetebrates have no backbone!

Crustaceans have hard outer shells,
And sometimes claws like lobsters,
Invertebrates, invetebrates,
Invetebrates have no backbone!

Insects have three parts,
Six legs, and an antennae,
Invertebrates, invetebrates,
Invetebrates have no backbone!

(NOTE: There are 8 other phyla that include various types of worm-like creatures. There are also five other phyla of various other kinds of sea creatures with which most people are unfamiliar. The ones in the song are the most common types.)

VERTEBRATES MEMORY SONG: Classical Educators

I've always been partial to the classical model of education. It has influenced my teaching philosophy in many ways. I especially like the focus on memory skills in the grammar stage (which is the elementary years). After having worked with this age group for going on 11 years, I think the modern teacher's disregard for memory work is sad--especially since so many of them beat their head against a brick wall in trying to teach abstract "higher-order thinking skills" before some children are really ready. I am not against teaching higher-order thinking skills in moderation as children are ready; however, memory skills are important too. When I was homeschooling, I noticed that good poems and songs to use in memory work were not always easily found, so I often made my own. I decided it was time to share my work with all who would like to use it for non-commerical purposes.

MEMORY WORK PIECE #1 SCIENCE--A Piggyback song about "Vertebrates"

(Sing to tune Jingle Bells)

(CHORUS) Vertebrates, vertebrates, creatures with a backbone,
There are five groups of them by which they can be know,
Amphibians, reptiles, fish, and mammals too,
And then there's the final group called birds,
but let's give each one its due

Amphibians lay eggs--in the water yes,
They breathe through gills when young,
They must stay moist I stress;
Their skin is smooth and damp,
And cold-blooded though they be,
These toads and frogs, and salamanders, are oh, so lovely!

(Chorus)

Reptiles have scaly skin, and it's also dry
They are cold-blooded as well,
On this I wouldn't lie;
Lizards and crocodiles fit,
In this group with snakes,
Alligators and turtles too, oh for goodness sakes!

(Chorus)

Fish live within the water, and breathe through their gills,
Cold-blooded creatures also,
These facts I must instill;
They have fins upon their bodies,
No arms, legs, wings or claws,
Their scales are such a grand design,
That we give to God applause!

(Chorus)

Mammals have fur or hair and they're warm-blooded, yes,
Most grow within their mother--no eggs for them, you've guessed,
They also have four limbs, and mother's milk they drink,
There are 11 groups of them,
Oh my, this makes me think!

(Chorus)

Birds are made to fly, at least most of which we know,
They have feathers, wings, and efficient lungs,
And from eggs they grow;
Their beaks God made to help them
Grasp and eat the food they need,
Warm-blooded like all the mammals,
They are unique indeed!

Back at it again

It has been a year and a half since I last wrote on this blog. I guess it has been that long since I've had enough downtime to put any significant amount of thought into anything extraneous. In fact, since I last wrote, I finished my Master's Degree in teaching, looked like mad and finally found a new teaching job, began that new teaching job at the fourth grade in a low-income public school in my hometown, and I also gave birth to my sixth daughter! I've finally reached a point of relaxation and rest that were welcome friends. However, I was beginning to get a little antsy with all the open "thought" time available and thought it was time to start blogging again. Will I keep it up? Well, we'll see.