Thinking Day

Our Thinking Day celebration was fantastic--better than I thought it possibly could be! Fourteen Girl Scouts attended. Eleven of them brought projects. They were all enthusiastic and genuinely interested in each other's work. I love this group of girls!

C's project was a change drive to benefit Doctors Without Borders.

T's project was an poster explaining the concept of fair trade. As a fundraiser for the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, she raffled a couple of small fair trade items--a small amount of coffee, a chocolate bar, and a cute little kitty change purse.

Snow & Ice

 

This giant mountain of snow got where it is one shovelful at a time.  Note the nice, clear driveway, though!  Shovelling is not an optional nicety for us.  Our driveway has enough slope and curve that if we didn't do it, we couldn't go anywhere.

 

Elly photobombs 90% of my good shots.... 

  

The not-so-cool ice.  This is our bedroom window.  We have ice-melt coming in and dripping on D's lovely and now not-so-perfect new frame and sill.  The whole of the interior frame is waterlogged and has pulled away from where it is supposed to be.  I'm sick about it.  Sick.  D has more of a zen outlook on this, much like his take on life in general.  I've always admired (and envied, I admit it,) his placidity.    

Textbook Publishing

As homeschoolers, we tend to make a lot of noise about our freedom to use living books--engaging books written by experts on the topic. Many of us eschew "dry" textbooks--lifeless books written by committee. I put so much time into choosing materials and resources for my children that I don't really have the time to look into what I know I don't want. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way.

As citizens, maybe we should take a look at the textbook writing and adoption process. It turns out that a few key school boards have quite a bit of influence over the information that is presented to the children of the entire nation.

How Christian Were the Founders?

The issue of Texas’ influence is a touchy one in education circles. With some parents and educators elsewhere leery of a right-wing fifth column invading their schools, people in the multibillion textbook industry try to play down the state’s sway. “It’s not a given that Texas’ curriculum translates into other states,” says Jay Diskey, executive director of the school division for the Association of American Publishers, which represents most of the major companies. But Tom Barber, who worked as the head of social studies at the three biggest textbook publishers before running his own editorial company, says, “Texas was and still is the most important and most influential state in the country.” And James Kracht, a professor at Texas A&M’s college of education and a longtime player in the state’s textbook process, told me flatly, “Texas governs 46 or 47 states.”

Who are these Texans who hold so much sway?

Well, there's this guy, Don McLeroy.

And a preacher who argued that Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment for tolerating gays...and David Barton who believes that Joseph McCarthy was "basically vindicated."

The Wide World

C is working hard toward her Girl Scout Bronze Award. This week we hosted a badge workshop for her and 4 other girls for one of the two required leadership badges. The topic is Girl Scouts Around the World. As part of the requirements, each girl researched Girl Scouts and Girl Guides around the world and prepared presentations on a chosen nation. As another requirement, the girls planned a Thinking Day celebration. This got all of us to thinking about the lives of girls around the world.

We borrowed some fantastic books from the library. If you're not familiar with the works of Peter Menzel, I highly recommend further investigation.

Material World: A Global Family Portrait

What the World Eats

also,

Let's Eat: What Children Eat Around the World

Our World of Water: Children and Water Around the World

Worth the Wait

 

 
D did a fantastic job on the trim! The detail pictures I took didn't do it justice.

I don't love having the bed under the window, but the traffic flow works in a way I like, so I guess it will stay. The box that is supposed to cover the radiator is still in the laundry room, awaiting it's new paint and new screen.  Decorative screens are a pain to find--they don't sell them at Home Depot or Lowe's.  I have it sourced, I just need to go get it. I have a special dislike for the lamp on the nightstand. I'm thinking I can make it better with a shade, but the age of the cord makes me a little uncomfortable, so maybe we'll just replace the whole thing. We also need a reading light and a (v.small) table on the other side of the bed. Since we're looking for a very specific size to fit between the bed and the closet door, maybe D will build one.

 

Not pictured is the closet on the same wall as the door. D just finished installing shelves and rods, but we haven't moved anything in yet. I'm debating between re-installing the door and hanging a curtain. The curtain would be space saving, and space is at a premium, I'm just not sure that I would like it.

I have a couple of collage frames waiting for me to fill them with pictures. I also have some lovely prints from Nikki McClure waiting to be framed and hung. We have a huge mirror from a different dresser that we think will work above the low dresser.

I bought a rug at Tuesday Morning, but I estimated the size incorrectly. I love it, but it's too small. It looks great in the (short and wide) hall, so we're keeping it. I'll try again sometime soon.

Lego airplane

this post by C
I made this on photoshop:

Wild Eyed Bibliomaniac

I love to read. It's kind of a problem. I can't tolerate poorly written books. When I find one in my hands, I cast it off. There are too many good books out there, and far too little time. When I find a good book in my hands, I can't put it down. I neglect basic needs--like meals.

When I was a junior high and high school student, my mom let me skip school in favor of reading. I did it often, at least weekly, there at the end. That I managed to graduate is no wonder(I have a thing about meeting goals,) but I did have to calculate the attendance policy and work that into my ulterior education/truancy plan. I'm not sure what that says about me/my upbringing. Make of it what you will--I have no complaints!

I bought myself a much desired book for Christmas: The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver. I didn't crack it immediately. It was my reward for finishing our bedroom. Also, I knew I would devour it, and then it would be over. I wanted to hold onto the anticipation.

I opened it this week. It was everything I'd hoped for, and more.

I took today off--much like my earlier days of skipping school. I sat at the dining room table in my pajamas until well after lunchtime. I set the girls up with math lessons. I assigned T to 20 min silent reading (C is also a bibliophile--she requires no assignments.) I took breaks to prepare easy foods for the kids--cut up apple with peanut butter, toast, that kind of thing. When D texted me to say he was coming home early, I got up and exchanged my pajama pants for yesterday's blue jeans.

T said "Mom! I didn't know you liked to read!" That floored me. While I read all the time, these days I seldom indulge in the kind of escapist fiction that can't be put down. It's not for lack of want, it's for lack of restraint.

It's occurred to me that my near teetotaler approach isn't really serving anyone.

Because I'm a Jedi!

R was in the mood to chat when he woke up in the middle of the night the other night.

He speaks very well for his age. Our conversations are mostly coherent.

Settling into our big bed, R says "Matt help you move this big bed?"

I say "yes."

R says "What's Matt's name?"

I say "Matt. Matthew."

R looks thoughtful.

I say, "Do I ever call you Rowan Matthew?"

R says "yes!"

I say "Why? Why is your name Rowan Matthew?"

R says "Because I play light sabers! Because I'm a Jedi!"