It is safe to assume that in the course of homeschooling five daughters, that we do a fair amount of reading aloud together. However, I like to have a book to read to all of them over lunch that is NOT on their academic lists. Many times children can understand a book above their reading level if it is read out loud to them. This is such a special time, and they often beg for me to read "just one more chapter". (I would like to recommend some of our favorites on here from time to time.)
Just recently we have fallen in love with three books written by
Richard Peck. "A Long Way From Chicago" is the first of the three books in which a brother and sister are sent from their home in Chicago to stay with their grandmother for a week every year. Grandma Dowdel lives in rural Illinois, keeps to herself, she makes her own preserves, and she is always packing heat. Amazing and hilarious stories for the whole family escalate as we get to know Grandma Dowdel for more than her tough exterior will show.
In addition to the laughter, we learned a great deal about American life during prohibition and the Great Depression. These books are an excellent discussion in "the end doesn't justify the means", and will allow for many real life conversations about tough world issues...such as teenage pregnancy, theft, and helping the poor in a way that doesn't humiliate them ( all these things are tastefully introduced, and we find it a good way to talk about tough subjects. But, I recommend checking it out for your own family's preference first) . I found that my 9+ crowd understood the fuller meaning of it although the 6 yro understood enough to catch the humor, if not the tougher issues, which do have a more subtle tone.
The second in the series is a Newbery Honor book entitled "A Year Down Yonder" . In this book the granddaughter comes to live with Grandma Dowdel for a whole year during the toughest of the Great Depression years. High school in such a small hick town for a Chicago girl certainly has some choice moments. Again, my kids kept begging me to read the next chapter.
The last in the series is "A Season of Gifts" in which we learn a thing or two from Grandma Dowdel about "neighboring" and true religious duty. With her grandchildren grown, Mrs. Dowdel has to settle for the new family next door to bestow her unusual talents upon. The father of the new family is to be the pastor of the Methodist church, or shell of a church building in town. He has enough on his plate just trying to figure out how to get those pews warmed, and he doesn't need his three children getting into all sorts of trouble as newcomers to the small town. You guessed it, Grandma Dowdel knows just how to set things straight...but her methods are more than unorthodox...they're down right genius.
So, I hope that these suggestions will give you a jump start on a new family tradition, or to give you new ammunition for an already established one. I have found that my love of reading is contagious when it comes to my kids, especially when I sit down and share it with them.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving! -A Thankful Tradition
A few years back we started a tradition that we lovingly call the "Thankful Tree". I make a tree trunk and branches out of brown construction paper and tape it to the wall. Then I have some leaf shapes in various fall colors die cut and leave them in a pile on the counter or coffee table. Throughout the month leading up to Thanksgiving everyone is invited to take some time and write down something they are thankful for on a leaf, and then tape the leaf around the tree on the wall. By the time Thanksgiving rolls around our tree is full of "Thankful Leaves". During the holiday celebrations, we take down the leaves and read them out to each other. Nothing helps foster a grateful spirit like counting your blessings, and it tends to be a speedy remedy for discontent as a family and as an individual.
What kind of family traditions do you have for Thanksgiving?
Monday, November 22, 2010
Cheapest of Natural Remedies
Well, a friend of mine heard that I was going to start this blog, and she asked me to write about garlic. No, you heard it right, GARLIC. I'm not talking about vampires or werewolves, but something much more real. Nothing stops a family with young children quicker than a virus. And if you have a large family, (we have 5) a virus can mean a week or more of missed activities, and successive nights greatly lacking in SLEEP for Mom.
For more than 10 years our family has been using the amazing properties of raw garlic to treat viruses, flu, ear infections, and allergies. When crushed, garlic releases an sulphuric compound called Allicin. This bad boy kills bacteria equally as well as penicillin, if not better. But, even more important, it kills viruses, which medicinal antibiotics can't touch, and leaves the good bacteria in our gut untouched, even strengthened.
We crush a clove of garlic in a garlic crusher and put it on a spoon. Then we, and our children, will put the garlic in our mouth and quickly flush it down with water, like drinking a shot of tequila. Be ready with some kind of cracker or bread product to eat, because raw garlic hits the tummy hard for the first few minutes, and then it settles in. I do NOT recommend taking it on an empty stomach either. We do this 1-3 times a day when fighting a virus. It is also an incredible preventative. Which means that if Mama is taking the garlic while taking care of the sickies in the house, she has a greater chance of skipping by with a mild virus, to none at all!
We have taught all of our kids to take raw garlic when sick, and the older ones are more than willing because they have quickly seen how much better it makes them feel. Just this past week the 3 yro joined the ranks of the "stinky club". She learned to take raw garlic for the first time. (Just a VERY small amount on the tip of her spoon, followed by water, and then a small bit of a candy corn as a reward.)
But, of course this is not easily done for children under 3yrs of age. So there is another way to get garlic into your body...through your skin! Your skin is an incredible receptor. It quickly absorbs what you place on it and delivers it straight into the blood stream. To administer garlic in this way, Take 3-6 cloves of garlic and crush it into a pan of 1 cup of water. Let the garlic sit in the water for 10 minutes to reach full potency. Then slightly warm the water, WITHOUT cooking the garlic. Strain the garlic water through a coffee filter and then apply the water to the child's chest with a rag, freshening the water on the rag every few minutes. This will help the child to fight the virus more effectively.
You can also do the same process with olive oil instead of water. The "garlic oil" can be rubbed on the soles of the feet, or on the chest to help fight the virus or bacterial infection. This same garlic oil, when heated can be applied to the inner ear to fight ear infections. As soon as your child complains of discomfort in the ear, place 2-3 WARM (not cold, and NOT hot) garlic oil drops in the ear and place a cotton ball on the outer edge of the ear to keep oil from running down the child's neck...ooooh YUCK.
Does all this work? Well, it is a chink in the chain of health that we have been building in our house. And as a family we have not had a sick visit to the doctor in over 5 years. So, we think it is pretty handy...and certainly cheap. It is not uncommon to hear..."honey, will you go to the store and buy some garlic?" in our house. :)
I encourage you to do a little research on garlic and see for yourself what a wonderful little antibiotic God has given us.
For more than 10 years our family has been using the amazing properties of raw garlic to treat viruses, flu, ear infections, and allergies. When crushed, garlic releases an sulphuric compound called Allicin. This bad boy kills bacteria equally as well as penicillin, if not better. But, even more important, it kills viruses, which medicinal antibiotics can't touch, and leaves the good bacteria in our gut untouched, even strengthened.
We crush a clove of garlic in a garlic crusher and put it on a spoon. Then we, and our children, will put the garlic in our mouth and quickly flush it down with water, like drinking a shot of tequila. Be ready with some kind of cracker or bread product to eat, because raw garlic hits the tummy hard for the first few minutes, and then it settles in. I do NOT recommend taking it on an empty stomach either. We do this 1-3 times a day when fighting a virus. It is also an incredible preventative. Which means that if Mama is taking the garlic while taking care of the sickies in the house, she has a greater chance of skipping by with a mild virus, to none at all!
We have taught all of our kids to take raw garlic when sick, and the older ones are more than willing because they have quickly seen how much better it makes them feel. Just this past week the 3 yro joined the ranks of the "stinky club". She learned to take raw garlic for the first time. (Just a VERY small amount on the tip of her spoon, followed by water, and then a small bit of a candy corn as a reward.)
But, of course this is not easily done for children under 3yrs of age. So there is another way to get garlic into your body...through your skin! Your skin is an incredible receptor. It quickly absorbs what you place on it and delivers it straight into the blood stream. To administer garlic in this way, Take 3-6 cloves of garlic and crush it into a pan of 1 cup of water. Let the garlic sit in the water for 10 minutes to reach full potency. Then slightly warm the water, WITHOUT cooking the garlic. Strain the garlic water through a coffee filter and then apply the water to the child's chest with a rag, freshening the water on the rag every few minutes. This will help the child to fight the virus more effectively.
You can also do the same process with olive oil instead of water. The "garlic oil" can be rubbed on the soles of the feet, or on the chest to help fight the virus or bacterial infection. This same garlic oil, when heated can be applied to the inner ear to fight ear infections. As soon as your child complains of discomfort in the ear, place 2-3 WARM (not cold, and NOT hot) garlic oil drops in the ear and place a cotton ball on the outer edge of the ear to keep oil from running down the child's neck...ooooh YUCK.
Does all this work? Well, it is a chink in the chain of health that we have been building in our house. And as a family we have not had a sick visit to the doctor in over 5 years. So, we think it is pretty handy...and certainly cheap. It is not uncommon to hear..."honey, will you go to the store and buy some garlic?" in our house. :)
I encourage you to do a little research on garlic and see for yourself what a wonderful little antibiotic God has given us.
Finding My Stride
It's been one of those Mondays where I can't seem to find my stride. Always arriving a moment too late to prevent the latest disaster, or to keep someone's fingers from getting pinched. It's easier now that most of the girls are old enough to watch out for themselves. However, for that same reason I am often caught off guard when it comes to darling number 5.
A few cups of tea later and my mind still feels sluggish. I find in these moments, that I tend to wish away my present circumstance, thinking of relaxing and finding a moment to entertain myself. And then I feel the sudden squeeze around my leg. I look down to see Caroline's body wrapped tight around mine, and her face looking upward, with lips puckered, ready to give me a sloppy 3 year old kiss. "I love you , Mama!" She says in her pre-school voice. Translation: "Don't blink Mama, this will be gone before you know it, " I remind myself of this as my witty Emma strides through the house on her way outside to "wander".
I would like to pause a moment to explain the family term "wander". My eldest Pearl, is a bit of a wood nymph, or "wellet", as we say. Emma loves to go outside and wander among nature while singing or inventing stories or going over the latest three books she read the day before. She is quickly changing into a new creature, and it is a joy to see her handle this time in her life.
I don't want to miss anything, but I know I won't catch it all. Each of my Pearls are an incredible blessing to me and Ryan. These are what I like to call the "working years". The foundation is being laid, and the crops must be tireless tended and nurtured. When I grow weary of the daily grind, I like to remember that the harvest will be more fruitful for the investment I put in today.
The rest of my day will be wrapped up in "Old Maid", bruised knees, and dancing. We all must work, and even though I am tired today, I still think I struck the lottery with my life, family, and calling.
Leaving a Legacy
I've been pondering what kind of legacy I will leave behind when I am gone. To many of us, the word legacy isn't something we associate with our own lives. Instead, it tends to conjure up images of Benjamin Franklin or Abraham Lincoln, perhaps even those like Henry Ford, or Donald Trump.
To be bold, I would like to suggest that all of us will be remembered for something, and all of our lives will impact others. Therefore, we will all leave a legacy of sorts. Have you ever considered what yours might be? Or even better, what you would LIKE yours to be?
I have been thinking about mine, and about the 5 lives that God has entrusted to Ryan and I to shape, guide, and to light a fire in their hearts for eternity. I will only get ONE shot at raising them...only one go around...with no time for "I'll fix that later", or "I'll make it up to her next time"...there's one shot at this parent thing. To do all that is in your power to shape their lives with love, time, laughter, and hard, but needed lessons.
You see, I honestly believe our troubled American society will not be saved by billions of dollars being pumped into programs to help troubled souls. And, I believe that my highest duty to our community is to raise hard working citizens, that love truth, that honor duty, and who will help the weak. And, I believe that duty starts within the walls of our little cabin in the woods of north Georgia.
So that business I would like to start, or that hobby I would like to pursue, or country to travel to, if it keeps me from spending that time with my children, then it distracts me from the legacy I want to leave behind...those things will be there when my kids are grown...but I only get ONE childhood with them.
So when that business woman gives me the look full of pity because I am wasting my chances at a LIFE for myself by staying home with my girls, I will smile in my heart and remember that I am starting a revolution of sorts, by making sure I do all that's in my power to leave a legacy of love...because people are eternal.
To be bold, I would like to suggest that all of us will be remembered for something, and all of our lives will impact others. Therefore, we will all leave a legacy of sorts. Have you ever considered what yours might be? Or even better, what you would LIKE yours to be?
I have been thinking about mine, and about the 5 lives that God has entrusted to Ryan and I to shape, guide, and to light a fire in their hearts for eternity. I will only get ONE shot at raising them...only one go around...with no time for "I'll fix that later", or "I'll make it up to her next time"...there's one shot at this parent thing. To do all that is in your power to shape their lives with love, time, laughter, and hard, but needed lessons.
You see, I honestly believe our troubled American society will not be saved by billions of dollars being pumped into programs to help troubled souls. And, I believe that my highest duty to our community is to raise hard working citizens, that love truth, that honor duty, and who will help the weak. And, I believe that duty starts within the walls of our little cabin in the woods of north Georgia.
So that business I would like to start, or that hobby I would like to pursue, or country to travel to, if it keeps me from spending that time with my children, then it distracts me from the legacy I want to leave behind...those things will be there when my kids are grown...but I only get ONE childhood with them.
So when that business woman gives me the look full of pity because I am wasting my chances at a LIFE for myself by staying home with my girls, I will smile in my heart and remember that I am starting a revolution of sorts, by making sure I do all that's in my power to leave a legacy of love...because people are eternal.
Let's Get Started
So I've been encouraged to write a blog. I've decided to stick with what I am passionate about, family. All aspects. Marriage, child training, health, education, spiritual growth, I pretty much love it all. But, in all the love, I have found it to be my deepest challenge, this raising of the next generation. It has required me to learn more of what Jesus means when He asks us to die to ourselves than I have ever experienced in my life before. I am no longer my own. I do not come and go as I please, and every decision I make is now weighted with the best interests of those entrusted to me. No wonder so many women miss the joy, and freedom...they're too busy looking at the boundaries that God has placed around them. Too busy resenting those boundaries, and therefore failing to see that they have fallen in pleasant places. Boundaries can give us definition, and focus. Boundaries can bring us safety, and offer us a place to bloom.
So perhaps as I examine my boundaries here, I can be an encouragement to other moms who desire to walk this path...this dying to self to bring life by the ten-fold. I desire to leave a legacy. And I believe the biggest impact that legacy will have will be through my children.
So perhaps as I examine my boundaries here, I can be an encouragement to other moms who desire to walk this path...this dying to self to bring life by the ten-fold. I desire to leave a legacy. And I believe the biggest impact that legacy will have will be through my children.
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