Home is where you start from: just thinking

Monday, October 22, 2007

just thinking

As always, so much is happening around here.

On the drive back from Solvang, we listened to
Artemis Fowl on audio. My older girls were looking for a good series to get into, I had heard good things about it and heard that the audio was very engaging. (plus, it was an easy way for me to read it and make sure it would pass parental approval- the way they blaze through books these days it is hard to keep up!)

The Meg Cabot book I devoured on the trip is *this one*, and while I enjoyed it- I did figure out "who did it" fairly early on...and I am not sure how much I like the heroine. I liked her, and yet her obsession with food was starting to get to me. Not that I don't like food, I mention it often here on the blog- but looking forward to rare treats like a truffle or two once or twice a year and a filet mignon is not the same as thinking often about the kit-kats stuffed in your purse to tide you over, etc. I was having a hard time admiring her, I think is what I am trying to say.

I picked up Lies my teacher told me- everything your American History textbook got wrong tonight at Barnes & Nobles. It looks very, very interesting. History is my favorite subject.

I have been toying with the idea of dusting off my French and maybe taking a course to re-learn it, such as this one- which is on sale right now *here*, and with free shipping it is a good deal...
I find that when teaching Spanish to my kids, or er- rather, facilitating Spanish lessons with my kids- because I cannot speak it... My mind scurries to answer in French mostly, sometimes Spanish ( I know a very little) or even more often- my mind comes up with two words and cannot remember which is Spanish, which is French. I've decided that my brain is just not that elastic anymore...if I am going to learn a language, I think it will have to be one I had some success with in my youth. This all does spin into more questioning if I should add French to my younger's learning- since I am working on it...or just worry about Spanish since we live in So. Ca. (so little time, so many teaching possibilities!!) (Gracefulmom is laughing out her kidney right now- I am running amok again, aren't I??)

Most of So. California seems to be on fire. We are not affected at our house, but one of our parkday friends was waiting to see if they would be evacuated. It's all very eerie and scary and makes you think about what it would feel like to lose your home. We are praying tonight for all those in peril, for all of those displaced. Tonight has been very windy, we will go to bed tonight wondering what we will find tomorrow morning.

Even without horrible, awful wildfires, we don't enjoy the windy season here. It plays havoc with our allergies (the box of lotion tissue is suddenly the most coveted item in the house, drat!- I forgot to go out and buy more...!!)

And, you have not seen anything as grouchy as a wind-swept hen! My-o-my, the girls waxed eloquent this morning when let out of the coop- much "fowlish" language bandied about. They were not happy and let us all know it! It is actually a sorry sight right now, since 4 of them are molting- they look pretty rakish already, without being so disheveled!

Amy over at Amy's humble musings has been writing lately about 'being there' for your kids.
I liked this post *here*-"All needing something"

I really liked how she said this;

"I fill up their cups so that they are free to pour themselves into one another: my olders reading to the babies, my athletic nine-year-old content with a wild toddler as an afternoon playmate, my five-year-old singing the alphabet to the three-year-old. I give as much as I can and then trust God for the rest."

sometimes in the midst of all the schooling, driving to an fro', the cleaning and care taking,
it's good to stop and remember the uncomplicated calling we have to simply fill them up, and trust God.

posted at 11:53 PM
5 comments

5 Comments:

At 8:41 AM, Anonymous said...: First, Artemis Fowl. I devoured the whole series and found it much more edifying than Harry Potter and other typical series of the same nature. It is different than most of the genre and really enjoyable (of course I have an intense love of all things fairytale and I adore science fiction so what better way than to combine them. :)) My kids are enjoying the cd version. The redemption involved is very appealing.

I have heard about "Lies my teacher told me" haven't read it yet. You must share when you are done.

You requested at some point a book review on a book, now I don't remember what it ws--I read fast-a book or three a day depending on what I have on hand and how much time I have. Makes it hard to keep track (when I was in high school we were supposed to report on each book we read in Sustained Silent Reading--my teacher gave up because it took me longer to fill in the blanks of the form and half the time I was halfway through another book by the time we had class again.) Point being I really should keep a list of books and make small reviews about them--especially since I do usually read secular fantasy/sci-fi/young adult novels. Will put it on my to-do list.

Regarding the French/Spanish thing, I had the same thing happen when I was in Poland. My brain would try to translate into Spanish what I was hearing in Polish because it recognized it as a different language. I am sure there is a Biblical analogy in that if I could just find it. I worked through the demo version of Rosetta Stone and got my Polish and Spanish sorted out. No where near fluent but it sorted it out in my brain. The kids love Rosetta Stone and are saving to buy it for Spanish because it is how they learn.

I read about So. California and am in shock because so many bloggy friends are in that part of the state. Wow, praying for you all and your friends.

I love the filling cups quote.
At 9:31 PM, Hen Jen said...: Heather,

yes, Artemis Fowl is kind of different from other books, but very engaging all the same. The girls are devouring the series.

glad to hear I am not the only one who muddles languages! We have Rosetta stone Spanish and Russian, they seem to be a hit around here.

we are not near the fires, it is surreal tho, we have the radio on most of the day to hear the news. We are praying for everyone displaced.

thanks for visiting and chatting!
At 8:04 PM, Laura Smith said...: this is so really bizarre. last night, I was just scrolling down the list of blogs on the blogging chicks blogroll which I have on my own site. the name of yours just popped out at me, and I popped over here to see your site. I was fully mesmerized by the quote you have here in this post, and went over to Amy's blog too, so grateful that I'd bumped into a few more homeschooling sites randomly. i didn't know at a glance that yours was about homeschooling before I clicked, on it, I just liked the blog name and clicked.

Then tonight, I find an email from you and you've found my blog somehow too. Is it possible you knew I'd visited your site (thru blogging chicks or something)? If not, this is far too "coincidental" to be a mere coincidence!!

Anyway, thanks for you note on my blog and I wanted to let you know that yours also inspired me a little as well. I'm in Santa Barbara, where are you?
At 4:04 PM, Hen Jen said...: Hi Laura!

yes, to end your curiosity, I did see on my site meter that someone had clicked over from your blog- tho I couldn't tell it was the blog owner, just "someone"...and I couldn't tell that is was the blogging chicks blogroll, just that it was a link from your page. I went on over to see what the link was, just cuz I'm curious like that, and I found your blog and started reading. I like your blog's name, and I loved the photo of your daughter at the top, and the older photos of you and she.

So, are you homeschooling too? Or thinking of homeschooling? I could see on your blog that your dd is still young, like 4- right?, but already learning to read. That age is so much fun. Have you heard of "Five in a Row"? it's a nice easy literature curr. based on books- not too fast paced and lots of couch time.

thanks for visiting and commenting, it's always so nice to see who stopped by!
At 11:56 PM, Laura Smith said...: It took me forever to remember to come back here to see if you replied! Five in a Row...googling now....

Thanks so much, and I am loving your blog!!

Laura (not homeschooling, as I have to work to support our one-grown-up home - but I soooo wish to be!)

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