Friday Felecities

In honor of my Nattie:

• a warm bed on a cold morning
• a good book on a rainy day
• puddles to jump in
• curling up on the sofa, legs tangled with Andrew, David, and Kathrin sharing a new book
• a steaming cup of tea
• good friends

Hound love

I am currently reading Where the Red Fern Grows out loud. Everyone is sits wide eyed wanting to know if Samie gets free from the trap and if Billy gets his dogs.

They sit a little closer as they listen to all the hard work that he did to earn money for his dogs and how it took him 2 years to save for them. They hear Grandpa’s pride at his grandson working so hard for something he wanted so much. They know that Grandpa will do whatever it takes to get his grandson those dogs.

For me, it is like being reunited with an old friend. As I remember reading it and the twist and turns the book will take, and how by the end there will be tears staining all of our faces.

What struck me as interesting though, was how that when Billy went to town to get his dogs- he was made fun of for being home schooled. How the boy questioning him couldn’t fathom that he went to school at home, his mamma was his teacher, and he didnt’ know what grade he was in. It made me laugh a little, especially since those questions are questions that we get asked. People always look at me with a questioning look when I tell them that I have no clue what grade Andrew should be in- although I do know how old he is if that will help place him in an appropriate grade 🙂

We are taking a short break. I feel in my heart that there is a good chance we will have finished the book by tonight. If not, certainly tomorrow morning. For what is more gripping to three kids who love adventure and dogs, then a book full of adventure and dogs read out loud to them while they snuggle on the sofa petting their dog.

Shakespheare love

I have always loves Shakespeare. Last year, I took the kids to see Midsummer’s Night Dream. All three of them absolutely loved it and I took their love of it and used it as a springboard to introduce them to more Shakespeare.

Recently, I checked several Shakespeare plays on cd to listen to during rest time. Andrew saw them and quickly took them to his room. He listened to the over and over again. He would spend hours in his room just to listen to the plays. Then, he started quoted Shakespeare at every opportunity. He wants me to find performances in the area so he can take me. Now David and Kathrin have given to saying “out damn spot!” I told them this was fine, as long as they also said “from Macbeth”

I love how Andrew’s natural curiosity has sparked what I hope to be a lifelong love of Shakespeare and good literature. had I forced it on him, I am sure that had I forced him this would not have been the result. But, allowing him to discover his own love for Shakespeare has given him something he will carry through his life.

Now, if I can only get Mark to love Shakespeare.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

We love Dr. Seuss. He has always been a favorite read and his videos, the ones that use his drawings have captured our attention over and over.

In honor of his birthday we have: watched some old videos, read a couple of his books (more to come,) made oobleck and experimented with it. Later, we are going to make our own rhymes and illustrate them, read some more of his books and talk about what he could have been saying in the book, and possibly working in the yard (which I am sure he’d appreciate.)

I was shocked at how into the oobleck David was, I thought he might touch it once- not submerge himself in it.

The kids were coming up with experiments of their own and had so much fun trying to blow bubbles in it, seeing if it would bounce, freezing some, putting some out in the sun, putting it into a container and seeing if it changed shapes. I didn’t have to prompt at all, they came up with these ideas on their own. I did say no to the oobleck fight. I am a kill joy 🙂

I will have to share some of their rhymes later.

So smart

This past Sunday, we had a guest speaker at our Church- I do not remember his name or the organization he is the head of. BUT, it is the organization that takes these ginormous signs to colleges and universities about abortion. There are pictures of babies that have been aborted and of babies whose mothers chose not to abort after considering abortion.

Whenever he showed pictures of aborted babies, he’d warn us to allow our children to turn their heads. Today, David and I were doing math and when he was finished he curled up next to me. He asked me what the pictures he wasn’t allowed to see were. I explained that they were babies that had been killed by abortion, which of course led to “what is abortion.” I explained that when some women get pregnant they decide that they don’t want the baby- so they have doctors kill the baby while it was still in their tummy.

He looked at me and said “we don’t do that mommy, it isn’t good.”

My smart, smart boy.

Friday! Friday! Friday!

Mark’s laptop doesn’t have my Friday Felicities picture, so imagine that it is here. That, and head over to Becky’s http://beckyperry.us/?p=530 and you can see the pretty banner.

Friday Felicities are the things that make you happy:

• cheesecake
• a hot cup of tea
• sunshine streaming in my windows
• healthy kids running through the house
• old friends
• books
• new knitting needles
• slobbery kisses
• my dremel

Two fantasies

I have two fantasies- no not that kind of fantasies! Life type of fantasies.

Fantasy number one: to go between orthodontist appointments with out an emergency. No extra visits for sprung springs, popped wires, or any of the numerous other things that have popped or sprung or fallen off of Andrew’s teeth. There have been times I haven’t made it home without having to turn around and go back. Numerous days have been spent rearranging around Andrew’s braces. We were close this month- only 2 weeks until the next appointment and we sprung a spring and  popped a wire.

Fantasy number two: I would like to get to sleep through the night. No nightmares, potty emergencies, or whatever causes David and Kathrin to have to come and wake me up. There is a saying “autism never sleeps.” I think that it was meant to be figurative, but it is quite literal. Many don’t realize that autistic children don’t sleep. David will wake up because something has startled him, or he is scared, or sometimes to just come and sleep near me. There are times he just lays there- awake. There are times he lays there stemming- waking me up. Often, I give up and take him to the family room so I can curl up on the sofa and David  can run back and forth. The worse part, he is fine the next day and I’m sleeping on my feet. I have decided that just 2 nights of uninterrupted sleep a week would be enough. Most week, I’ll settle for one.

Quiet reflection

My David is overall the quietest of the three kids. He can sit and watch without a sound. Just as still as still can be. When we are around animals, he squats down and just quietly waits for the animals to come to him. I have seen him coax an elderly Rottweiler to him and goats at a petting zoo when he has no food.

When he is mulling a thought, he quietly sits there until he has figured it out. Sometimes asking a question here or there, but mostly just quiet thought.

I am not a quiet person. I talk in my sleep. When I am mulling- I talk out loud to myself. When I studied, I had to have the radio or tv on for background noise. I thrive on the chaos that follows me around.  But, the past few days I have been enjoying the quiet.

I haven’t been talking on the phone or through email. I have been enjoying my thoughts quietly, although when I don’t speak them I have found that I must write them down or they are gone. I have enjoyed my work, in quiet. No additional background noise.

I haven’t heard anything new, but have discovered that I like silence. It doesn’t scare me as much as I thought it would. In the silence, I do hear small noises. I soft cough, a secret plan, the unspoken needs that were neglected in all the noise.

More together time is being spent, as we are all being quiet. My noise doesn’t chase anyone off. And, when I am quiet someone else has a chance to make noise and possibly have their noise heard for the first time.

More tea and hot chocolate with whipped cream, gets drunk in quiet. Because, they are quiet type of drinks. More blankets are used and conspiracies are hatched in the quiet. Even Skipper seems calmer in the quiet.

It is funny what you learn to appreciate in silence. Me, I’m just learning to appreciate the silence

Happy sigh

I love homeschooling. I love the way that we homeschool. I love the quiet work and absolute chaos that is typically going on.

Right now: laundry is being done, a documentary on polar bears is on the tv, Andrew is finishing up knitting a present for Grammy, Kathrin is writing a book about a fat cat and a bat, David is running in his little path, and I am sewing much desired projects.

So much learning is going on. The stillness is only interuppted by converstation. Projects are finally being completed. Relationships are being deepened.

It makes me happy deep down when it all works right.

Although, Andrew is now practicing his leaps for ballet and just landed funny. He is ok- but he is interrupting the stillness. I might have to resort to duct tape 🙂

New Year!

I have friends who have a theme for every year. I always listen to them as they talk about their themes for the new year, and quietly take my stand that I don’t do resolutions or themes.

2008 was an emotional year, coming off of an emotional year. December found me empty and not really caring that I was empty. After I got over myself, and started to care and rebuild- I discovered that I had completly lost all  passion. I have no passion for anything.

This of course led me to over analyze myself, my past, my reasons for having no passion, and my desire for passion. Of course, I was doing this all in self. I realized that the reason I lack passion in my marriage and life- is that I’ve lost my passion for God.

So, 2009 will be my year of restoration and reclaiming. Restoring relationships: first with God and then with Mark. Reclaiming: my passion, my zeal, my joy, my spark.

It will be a long and hard road, this I am prepared for. Anything worth having is  hard work. Knowing how good it can be, makes me what to work for it that much harder.  Work to restore and work to never lose my passion again.