A Mommy's pride

Because I have so much to say, and not enough time to do it justice; and furthermore because I have so much to say that is better left unsaid (or stuffed down); and finally, because I am going to enjoy a "staycation" with my family this week (with pictures to follow), I thought I'd quickly check in here to direct you to two of the cutest blogs I follow.

I am so very biased--and you've been warned.

For a look at the giddy whimsy of being 13, look here.

For a look at the wonder of discovery that happens when your parents send you to bed for at least an hour of free reading every night, look here.

Also, may I recommend you open an account and add RTY to your google reader, since the Bloglines link to my site is apparently broken?

Books and Children; Labels and Links

I'm increasingly convinced, through experience, of the ultimate effectiveness of learning through literature--which is quite a different thing than learning by reading. Literature is literature; reading is too often done with a choppy, boring, tedious textbook.

My very favorite memory of 6th grade was of hunkering down with my classmates--girls sitting "Indian style," (which I guess these days is called "criss-cross applesauce,") 3 or 4 deep, armed with hairbrushes and barrettes to groom and style one another's sweaty, matted hair--to listen to a read-aloud chapter book in the 30 minutes after recess.

"What's on the other side of yesterday's cliffhanger? What's going to happen today?"

We played hard, and usually with our teacher, Mr. Timm, who too often ended up hurting Mark--the biggest kid in the class-- during kickball because Mr. Timm was really just a big competitive kid himself. Oh--and the best teacher I ever had...ever. By the time we were done with all that running and hootin' and hollerin' at our big bully of a teacher (who we loved very much), we were exhausted! Sadly, I hear that some schools today have done away with recess, which makes it all the harder to get children to sit still for a story. So they don't try. And it's simply criminal that too many children under 12 are not being read to, and inspired through well-crafted, meaningful literature.

And Disney books based on Disney Channel programs DO NOT COUNT. Eeeek! Don't make me say it!

So...the list is building over at Grafted Branch's Children's Book Review blog. If you wonder, I find my books on Sonlight Curriculum lists, Charlotte Mason lists, and sometimes on Ambleside Online lists. Oh, how I wish I'd started keeping this list 8 years ago when we first began delving into excellent literature.

Truth be told, I'm reading and enjoying all of these books for the first time, myself. See, someone once told me that I didn't like to read. And I believed them.

Be careful how you label children. They might just live down to it.

Anyway, there is a new review posted over there for your young listener. I'm reading to children from 6-13, and try to pick well crafted books geared for the middle.

Better read than me, though, is Fifi. I kid you not. And she is excited to have started her own book report blog called All About Books that will be...ahem...well...a little bit more high brow than I have time to afford. She's a little lonely over there so far, so please--will you take a second and read one of her reports and drop her a little welcome? Oh yes, and she goes by "Lucie," not Fifi. Imagine that.

The smile and giggle your participation will garner is second only to that which the family cat's strange antics draws out of my sweet 13 year old.

I Fold...

Sometimes you've got to let the dead bury their dead.

I'm feeling liberated lately. Fifi and I were debriefing the other day--commiserating about our shared experience with a certain group which, whenever our lives intersect theirs, leave us all feeling a little left out, lonely, rejected--like...like...

"Misfits?" Fifi interjects.

"Yes! That's it! Misfits...I'm so glad you're reading Dickens, Fifi."

"Well, actually, I got that from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer..."

"Oh."

I tell you all this for...I don't know why.

Living two starkly contrasting lives--before and since calling Christ LORD--has given me the chance to meet all kinds of people. Over the course of my lifetime, I've been befriended and influenced by free thinkers, politically correct do-gooders, criminals, hypocrites, the overly-ambitious, the greedy, the powerful; selfish, kind, narcissistic, sacrificial, heroic, noble, superficial. There are all kinds of people--everywhere.

And there are all kinds of Christians out there, too. Though in this case, I use the term loosely. After all, all Christians are people, but not all people are Christians.

There are true Christians, poser Christians, confused Christians, and what I call poker-playing Christians. They are the ones who are on their guard against walking in the wide path that leads to destruction. They feel just fine about things for as long as they are the only ones--or at least one of very few--that they can see walking with God in the way that they do. When the narrow road becomes crowded with like-minded people, they look around, and fearing that they've mistakenly strayed onto the wide road, decide that it's time to up the ante.

They only feel holy if there is a constant thinning of the herd, or remnant as the case may be. It doesn't matter whether it's right or wrong, needed or not in the LORD's sight--that's almost beside the point. Sadly, these are Christians who are having a relationship, not with the Son of God, but only with His perfect and holy Word at the expense of a personal relationship with the Son of God. In the Gospels, Jesus called them Pharisees. Sadducees. Sometimes he called them worse.

The controversial Michael Pearl, to my great surprise, has a fabulously insightful admonishment to offer in the latest issue of No Greater Joy. His article starts with a story of perspective:

...the mother casually asked us to pray that their daughter find a husband before they left for Mozambique in the Fall. I asked in a shocked manner, “Why on earth would you want her to marry now? She is such a blessing to you and knows the language. Surely you need her to help you with the other children.” The mother lifted her arched brows as she pondered how she would answer me. Her look conveyed her surprise at my lack of understanding. “We will be in a foreign country for the next 4 years. All that time she will be at the prime of her marriageable age. We feel it is best for her to marry an American. God called my husband to Mozambique as a missionary…not our adult children. We have obeyed God and raised them up to serve HIM…not US. We don’t add; we multiply. It is time for her to live her life.”

I highly recommend Mr. Pearl's article, and if you walk away having no idea who he's talking about?...consider yourself blessed.

Two new book reviews are up...

...on my book review blog.

We read a lot this summer. It's our favorite thing that always gets done.